Amazon Lodge Trip Report - Brazil - TRIP REPORT

by Guy Schoenborn

Agua Boa is my Favorite Lodge in the World.

Trip Date:  November 16-23, 2019

I just spent two weeks fly fishing at Agua Boa, my favorite Lodge in the world. You know it’s a special place when the river is high, the water’s dirty, you catch half the fish you usually would during the week, and half your clients rebook. Everyone said they would come back in the future. Agua Boa is that kind of place.

Most of our clients caught 20 to 60 fish per day per boat (two anglers per boat). Although the numbers still sound good, they were half of what we would usually catch.


Ashok Sadrozinski with a large Agua Boa peacock bass.

Ashok Sadrozinski with Agua Boa peacock bass

Frayser White with a spotted peacock bass.

Frayser White with spotted peacock bass

At the start of my first hosted week, the water conditions were about normal for this time of year. The water was clear, with several feet of visibility. Then, after a couple of days, we started to get heavy rain. With each passing day, the river began to rise and get dirtier. These conditions continued until the last couple days of my second week. There was so much water in the slow-moving river system that it took two days of no rain for the river to stabilize. The morning that we left, the river stopped rising. In the 18 weeks that I have fished at Agua Boa, this is only the third week that I've experienced high water conditions.

The first week that I hosted, my group of 12 anglers landed 40 peacock bass between 10 and 16 pounds. During the second week, four of us landed eight between 10 and 17 pounds. Any peacock bass over 10 pounds is considered a trophy.

Paul Swift and Richard (Ozzie) Ozwitt each landed 16-pound peacocks the first week. During the second week, Pat Ellis landed a 15-pounder, and I landed a 15, 16, and 17-pounder. The first week, my fishing partner, Steve Schulmerich and I landed 14 species of fish including temensis peacocks (three-bar and spotted), butterfly peacocks, towa peacocks, payara, jacunda, traira (wolf fish), suribim catfish, red piranha, black piranha, gold piranha, pacu, dogfish, arowana, and bicuda.

The second week, my fishing partner, Mike Matus, landed a very hard to catch arapaima/pirarucu on a whistler fly that weighed about 100 pounds. The guides have started to figure out better techniques and locations to land these giant freshwater monsters. So far this season, arapaima have been hooked or landed almost every week at Agua Boa.

We landed most of the ten-pound-plus peacocks while blind casting. Some larger fish were hooked casting towards the shore, and a good number were hooked in deeper water, letting the fly sink near the bottom before starting the strip. We also caught the big guys by sight casting. Usually, the guide would spot them while we were pounding the shoreline structure. The guide would point out to us one or two large peacocks and have us cast to them. Joseph, the head guide, recommends casting about three feet in front of them and then quickly start stripping. A good percentage of the time, we would get a hookup.

First-time anglers at Agua Boa are always amazed at how hard the guides work to get them into lakes and lagoons. To get to one of the lagoons that we fished, we had to take off the motor and remove the gas tank from the boat so that we could roll the boat over dry ground on cut six-foot sections of tree trunks. Our efforts were worth it, as it was in that remote lagoon that I landed my 16 and 17-pounders. I have seen the guides cut through six-inch trees with a machete to get anglers into their secret spots.

The guides are excellent at Agua Boa. The seven guides that we fished with have been guiding at Agua Boa between six and 12 years. They know how to best position the boat for fly anglers. Each guide has his own beat that includes 10 to 15 miles of river, lagoons, and lakes. They know their beat and the maze of interconnecting lagoons like the back of their hands. In some locations, the guides bushwhacked their way through the jungle channels for a mile or more to get us to the best fishing. Each day, you'll fish with a different guide on a new beat. All the guides speak some English.

Fishing at Agua Boa is like being in a National Geographic show. You will see some amazing wildlife. Pat and Sharon Ellis had a tapir walk by while they were eating lunch, and a day later, had another one swim under their boat. We saw lots of caiman up to 14 feet long, some freshwater pink or grey porpoises, giant otters that were up to 80 pounds, monkeys, freshwater stingrays, iguanas, bats, and jaguar tracks in the sand. The Agua Boa River is a birder’s paradise. During a one-week stay, we saw giant macaws, many varieties of parrots, herons, egrets, ibis, hawks, shorebirds, gulls, terns, shearwaters, kingfishers, ducks, geese, jabiru storks, doves, pigeons, swallows, cormorants, vultures and more.

Agua Boa Amazon Lodge has six very nice bungalows. Each bungalow has two full-size beds, air conditioning, fans, lots of room to store your clothing and gear, a large shower and bathroom, free Wi-Fi, and a mini-fridge full of complimentary water, pop, and beer. The main Lodge has a dining room and recreation room with a pool table, ping-pong table, and satellite TV. There is also a swimming pool to cool off in after a day on the water.

If your significant other likes to fish, this is a great place to bring them. We've had lots of couples that fish here. The ladies love it. I would not recommend the trip for a non-angler unless they are comfortable just hanging around the pool. Plus, there is no room in the boats for a non-angler. The Lodge turns off the electricity while the anglers are out fishing, so there is no air conditioning during the hottest part of the day.

The meals are about a 7.5 on a scale of one to ten. Breakfasts include a lot of fresh fruit, cereal, pancakes, sausage, bacon, omelets, bread, juices, coffee, and tea. After breakfast, you’ll make your lunch. The sandwich bar has a couple of choices of meat and cheese, plus cookies and fruit. The guides pack your lunch in a cooler filled with ice, water, pop, and beer. Dinners include soup, a choice of two or three main entrees, vegetables, wine, bread, salads, and dessert.

Upon arrival at the Lodge's airstrip, after you get off the plane, John, the waiter, greets you with a glass of champagne. Each evening, when you reach the dock, he serves you a caipirinha—Brazil’s national cocktail. And hors d’oeuvres are served just outside your room.

Agua Boa Amazon Lodge is hard to beat with its great lodging, excellent guides, and some of the very best fly fishing in the world. If you would like to join our hosted weeks in 2024 or 2025, please give us a call or email us. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Tight Lines,
- Guy Schoenborn


Hosted Fishing Weeks

2024 marks our 20th year hosting trips at Agua Boa Amazon Lodge

2024 Hosted Weeks:

7-nights and 6.5-days guided fishing
$6,950.00 per person
• November 1-9, 2024:  John Holpuch hosts
• November 8-16, 2024:  Al Larson hosts
• November 15-23, 2024:  Carson Oldham hosts

2024 Hosted Holiday Weeks: Save $950.00

• November 22-30, 2024:  Carson Oldham hosts
• Nov. 29 - Dec. 7, 2024:  Matt Podoblinski hosts

2025 Hosted Weeks:

7-nights and 6.5-days guided fishing
$6,950.00 per person
• Oct. 31 - Nov. 8, 2025:  John Holpuch hosts
• November 7-15, 2025:  Guy Schoenborn hosts
• November 14-22, 2025:  Guy Schoenborn hosts
• December 5-13:  Carson Oldham hosts

2025 Hosted Holiday Week: Save $950.00

• November 21-29, 2025:  Matt Podoblinski hosts
• Nov. 28 - Dec. 6, 2025:  Carson Oldham hosts
You are not restricted to our hosted weeks. Book anytime.

Guy Schoenborn
1-800-205-3474  ext. 1
Email:  guy@fishingwithlarry.com

Brad Staples
1-800-205-3474  ext. 3
Cell (503) 250-0558
Email:  brad@fishingwithlarry.com

Aerial view of the Agua Boa River.

Agua Boa River

Sharon and Pat Ellis with a 15-pound Peacock Bass.

Pat Ellis

Ashok Sadrozinski with an oscar.

Ashok Sadrozinski

Mike Matus with a large arapaima.

Mike Matus

Don Stockton with a peacock bass.

Don Stockton

Ozzie Oswitt with a peacock bass.

Ozzie Oswitt

Frayser White helping guide pull the boat to remote fishing.

Guide

Tapir swimming by the boat.

Tapir

Caiman near the dock.

Caiman

Buzzards at the water's edge drying their wings.

Agua Boa Birds

Frayser White with another large peacock bass.

Frayser White

Agua Boa Amazon Lodge

Agua Boa Amazon Lodge

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