Essequibo, Guyana’s largest and South America's 4th longest River, is perhaps the most unfrequented of its kind. This remote and pristine corner of the eastern Amazon basin is home to a myriad of fresh water fish species, no lesser than the Arapaima. Fishing Adventure-Fresh Water Monsters
The journey begins in the morning with a 10 minutes drive from Georgetwon to Ogle Internatiional Airport for a 1 hr 25 mins. flight to Annai, North Rupununi Savannahs, then a 2 1/2 hours drive by vehicle along the rugged dirt trail through the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve to Fair View Amerindian Village, where our expert Indigenous Guides would introduce you to the Mighty Essequibo River (within the top 5 longest/largest Rivers of South America) for a 1 hr boat ride to our Fishing Camp.
Except for a couple of permanent nearby lodges, equipped with basic amenities, our camps are rugged and run by local guides. We constantly move our camps, set on the banks of this delightful river under the tree canopy, surrounded by pristine jungle full of wildlife. Guests will sleep in Weather Proof Outdoor Camps equipped with Sleeping Cots, and all food, cold drinks, water, daily laundry are included in our service. We also provide each Guest with bath towels, bathing soap and toilet rolls. Alcoholic beverages could be pre-arranged.
With an endless diversity of flora and fauna around every corner, this river is a professional and amateur photographer’s dream. Otters, Peccaries, Tapirs, Agoutis, Monkeys and many other mammals can be seen, with the elusive Jaguar sometimes along the river banks, feasting on River Turtles.
Birds of every shape, color and size can be seen everywhere throughout these watersheds and many species of Parrots are heard all day long fighting over space and territory. Toucans call to each other from the treetops like yapping puppies and Herons, Egrets, Kingfishers, Terns and Ospreys frequent the river banks in search of fish.
Also known as the Paiche or the Pirarucu, the Arapaima is an air-breathing fish that plies the Rainforest Rivers of South America's Amazon Basin and nearby lakes and swamps. The world's largest freshwater fish, these giants can reach 9 feet (2.75 meters) long and weigh up to 440 pounds (200 kilograms). They have a wide, scaly, gray body and a tapered head.
Though Arapaimas can stay underwater for 10 to 20 minutes, they tend to remain near the water's surface, where they hunt and emerge often to breathe with a distinctive coughing noise. They survive mainly on fish but are known to occasionally grab birds close to the water's surface. The Amazon's seasonal floods have become part of the Arapaima's reproductive cycle. During low-water months (February to April) Arapaimas construct bottom nests and females lay eggs. Young begin to hatch as rising water levels provide them with flood conditions in which to flourish. Adult males play an unusual reproductive role by incubating tens of thousands of eggs in their mouths, guarding them aggressively and moving them when necessary.
Unlike other parts of the world, Arapaima’s population in Guyana is healthy, due largely to a local belief or “taboo” that the Arapaima represents an “Oma”, Macushi (a local tribe that inhabits this area) word for “demon” or “evil spirit”, and anyone who consumes its’ meat would become ill. It is also referred to, as the “Mother” of all fish species.
On lures, stocky, hard-fighting Yellow Butterfly Peacock Bass to over 15lbs and Himara/Wolf Fish to over 40lbs Slash-and-grab Payara/Vampire Fish, acrobatic Pike-like Arrawana to over 18lbs, sinister Black Piranhas over 8lbs and the Silver Drum Pescada/Corvina to over 12 lbs. Nut and fruit eating Pacu can be caught on soft baits, fruit, nuts and even weeds.
On cutbait, the incredible strong Tiger Cats to over 30 lbs and the ‘chicken of the river’ Jandia Cats to over 20lbs. Express Red Tails to over 100 lbs.
The Incredible Line Stripping Jau Cats to over 100 lbs. The King of all Cats, the Giant Freshwater Shark/Lau Lau close to 300lbs!
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