WONDERFUL WILD BRAZIL

                Roberto Ferrario

An enrapturing fishing week in one of the less known

 regions of this South American country

There were already several years that my Brazilian friend Ezequiel invited me to reach him in his country for a week of fishing in order to search for the blue peacock and big catfish. Unfortunately the fishing trips he usually organized where so far from civilization and so long and complicated to reach that I usually was  obliged to deny.
 

The past spring he proposed me a week fishing with him in the state of Tocantins where he knew some fishing guides and where he did a successful fishing trip in the last years. This time seemed that the destination chosen was easier to reach, so I went to a travel agency to ask for more information about flights. What I obtained was positive information: I had to take a flight to San Paolo and from there another internal flight headed to the town of Palmas,  the capital of the State of Tocantins.
 

Back home I started to search where it was exactly this Brazilian state but I didn’t find it on an atlas that I bought in the school period; I also didn’t find it on a big map of Brazil state. But in which remote place were we going to???
 

Anyway ,after a good number of exchange of e-mails with my friend Ezequiel, the mystery was solved: the Tocantins state was not on maps because it was created only in recent years; in fact, 17 years ago the Brazilian government decided to divide the huge state of Goias into two parts and so this new State was created.
 

The main goal of this trip was the catch of the rare blue peacock, a kind of peacock less known in respect with his cousin: the speckled peacock (tucunaré-açu) that lives in the Amazon region and that can reach more than 10 kilos. The blue peacock, instead, can at maximum reach 6-7 kilos, with an average size of catch of 1-3 kilos. It fights very hard and it is aggressive just like all the other species of peacocks. Its name is due to the sky blue colour or turkese blue of its fins. During this trip we have had also the possibility to catch the butterfly peacock, plus a great number of less famous tropical predators. There was also the intention to spend some time bottom fishing for catfish with dead bait.
 

So after several months of organization, research of information and obviously a good exchange of e-mails and projects, on the 1st of November I departed from a cold Europe to reach the sunny and hot regions of Brazil.

SIX GREAT DAYS

                  
Once arrived at the Palmas airport I found waiting me my friend Ezequiel with Alex Roberto Silva, our guide for the next 6 days. The average program was to spend 2 days fishing in lakes around Palmas, then move south near Formoso do Araguaia to fish in small lakes and in the Formoso River.

At our disposal we had a big pick up with a driver and another car with a 5 meters boat on the trailer. The first day we moved from the hotel in Palmas to the Paliteiro Lake about 45 minutes by car. This huge lake is wide over 150 kilometres and it was artificially created by damming the Tocantins River; here the landscape was really strange, thousands of trunks emerged from the water. A wide valley rich of palms and trees was covered by the water about 15 years ago. All the trunks and branches create a perfect habitat for peacock and other predators. In this lake there are mainly blue peacock, black and white pirana, jacunda and traira.
 

Fishing was good here very early in the morning and in the afternoon with the catch of a dozen of blue peacock and some piranas; no fishes of good size but, as first day of experience, surely interesting and funny.
 

The second day we reached the Lajeado lake placed 40 kilometres North the town of Palmas; this lake is also artificial and it was created by damming the Tocantins river several years ago. The vegetation was luxuriant here, a real tropical forest full of life with many different species of birds. And we also we saw a few macacos (small monkeys).
 

Once put on the water the boat we moved immediately in a place not too far from the big dam where there was an interesting drop off of the bottom. Here Ezequiel after a few cast caught a very nice blue peacock of about 3 kilos and lost another  big one.

I was still preparing my tackle when, at about 20 metres from the boat, we saw huge movements of the water. Two big predators were eating small fishes on the surface. Our guide Alex advised us to cast immediately there because probably these fishes were big payara (dracula fish). I immediately cast my Rapala Skitter Walk in the right place and after only 2 meters of retrieve my lure disappeared with an explosion of water. After a few minutes of fighting the payara went down and tangled in a branch of a submerged tree. Few seconds after we were over  the fish with the boat; the water of the lake was gin clear so we were able to see this wonderful fish of about 6-7 kilos just a couple of meters under ourselves. I tried to release it from the branches, but the fish, that few minutes before seemed to be exhausted, started to swim again and broke my 50 lb braided line just like that. Aftewards, I think that at 10 kilometres of distance many people probably heard the dirty words that were coming out from my mouth…
 

We were very disappointed to have lost such a beautiful fish. The rest of the day we had good moments alternated at some hours of totally absence of activity but at the end of the day the number of fishes caught was satisfactory; some blue peacock  weighed more than 3 kilos.
 

The same evening we packed everything and in about 3 hours by car we reached the Eloi’s Farm, a wonderful fazenda (typical Brazilian ranch) in the region of Lagoa da Confusao, on the banks of the spectacular Formoso river.

The owner of this fazenda, other than to breed caws and horses, proposes ecotourism and fishing in that untouched part of this region. We were the first fishermen that arrived there to explore those productive waters.
 

In the morning we went by boat fishing on Formoso river with the goal of catching good-sized catfish. As soon as we anchored the boat, we all were surprised to see, not so far from us, dozens of pirarucus (arapaima gigans) from 50 to 150 kilos swimming boiling on the surface. Wow!!
 

The son’s owner told us that it was better to wait the evening to give a try with live bait for these giant fishes. So we started as planned our bottom fishing for catfish, but after less than one hour we decided to retrieve our lines and do some spin fishing. How could we resist if all around us we saw schools of pirana and huge peacock feeding on the surface?
 

So at mid morning we started casting near the banks and we had a good number of attacks, not big fishes, but a good mix of them: red and white pirana, butterfly peacock, traira, bicuda. We also saw, in shallow water, a couple of surubim catfish but they seemed not to be interested in our lures.
 

After a good lunch at the fazenda and half hour relax on the hammock we were ready to move by car on a small lake at the border of the fazenda’s property. This lake was very shallow with a maximum of 1 meter and part of it was covered by weeds and water lily; on the surface there also was many alligators of 2 meters size. The afternoon started immediately with good action and we caught a lot of butterfly peacock and traira. We were also lucky to hook up some aruana and I myself landed three. This fish it is very strange, very similar to tarpon, and it fights very hard and jumps out of the water several times once hooked.

Back to the fazenda in late afternoon we were very tired for the long day and also for the hours spent under the sun and hot temperatures; anyway, we decided to give another try on the Formoso river. We moved the boat on the opposite bank and we pulled out our lines some with live bait and some with slices of dead fish. After half an hour of no action,  luck smiled to us and a huge fish was on the line. It was very dark but after few jumps immediately the guides understood that wasn’t a catfish but a big pirarucu. The 100-kilogram fish jumped several times and in two occasions at only two metres from the boat. We landed it and transported it to a beach neraby; three men were necessary to lift it for the photos. A very long but an unforgettable day!

After a traditional barbecue dinner we packed all again and after 2 hours of driving we reached the town of Formoso do Araguaia and  slept at the Serra Dourada Hotel. The plan was to stay for 3 days  for peacock fishing in 3 different lakes.

The first day went at the Calumbi, another artificial lake full of dead trees and obviously full of fish; here we have had a very good day with over 50-60 peacock and many aruana per fishermen. The average size was around 1 kilo but many fishes that we landed were over 3 kilos. A couple of times some bigger sized peacock attacked our lines.
 

On the second day in Formoso we moved to the Pirana Lakelake, a very wild lake bordered by tropical jungle. Here the water was very muddy but it didn’t allow us to see the various arapaiamas that boil on the surface; anyway, here our target was the peacock again. The morning started very slowly with few fishes caught; we were sure that they were there but they simply did not bite. In the afternoon, fortunately all changed and the action started  - we ended up catching a very good number of blue and butterfly peacock. Unfortunately that day we haven’t had the time to give a try to pirarucu with live baits.

The last day we went fishing at the Taboca lake, an artificial lake very close to the town of Formoso do Araguaia. The place was wonderful with a strange forest of tree and many meadows all over the lake, a landscape totally different from the previous days. Here, unfortunately the fishing was very poor due to a strong and cold wind that was present all day long. The number of bites was very low in comparison to the other two last days, but we caught some nice size blue peacock, a couple of traira and some white pirana.

The potentiality of these different zones that we visited are surely immense, there are so many different species to catch and different techniques that a fishermen can do; surely a fishing trip in the State of Tocantins is a must to every angler that would like to visit Brazil freshwaters. I will be surely back!

USEFUL INFORMATION

To reach the capital of Tocantins State, Palmas, one has to go a long way from Europe. I had to take a 12-hour flight to San Paolo that usually arrive at the first light of the morning. Here unfortunately the connecting flight it is only after 12 hours, in late afternoon, so I decided to go to  the Matiz Guarulhos www.hostelariabrasil.com.br E-mail: reservas@hostelariabrasil.com.br to have breakfast, have a shower, relax a little bit and, after eating a good luncheon, move back to the the International Airport of Cumbica on the free shuttle service of the hotel. This hotel is 4-stars but the prices are cheap; I spent less than 30 Euros for an apartment.

Back to the airport, I took a TAM flight and in about 3 hours I reached the town of Palmas in Tocantins State.
 

We spent the first 2 nights here at the Pousada das Artes Hotel www.pousadadasarteshotel.com.br  recently built, very clean and comfortable.
 

In the town of Formoso do Araguaia, we stayed at the Serra Dourada, very simple, but comfortable and very close to all our fishing destinations.
 

Bananal Ecotour www.bananalecotour.com.br e-mail: bananal@bananalecotour.com.br can be contacte in order to organize fishing and ecological tours in Tocantins State.

In order to learn mor about the different species of fishes in Brazil can give a look at www.pescarte.com.br  with a complete section in English.
 

The best season runs from May to September, but I went there in November getting good results.

WHAT TO BRING ALONG

Regarding tackle for spin fishing at peacock here, I used 2 different rods, one of 2,40 meters with a cast capacity of 20-40 gram and an other one of the same length with a capacity of 20-60 gram. As line I used a Dyneema of 40 and 50 lb due the fact we had to stop the run of the fish in the submerged structures and dead trees. As lures we used mainly poppers and propellers size 9 - 11 centimeter, because the level of the water was, in average, no more than 1 meter and it was difficult to use different lures.

Personally, I used with success the Rapala Skitter Pop and Skitter Walk and also Strom Chug Bug and Thunder Dog. In the few zones with deeper water that we found I used also some minnows and jerkbatis. The best colours are the natural ones: white, light yellow, grey.

For pirarucu and catfish I suggest a powerful rod of 2.70 meters with a casting power of 300 gram (rods that we use for wels catfish in our water are good). As leader we used braided Kevlar and a good size hook, like the one we used: the VMC 7356 BN 9/0.
 

In respect to clothes, it is obviously necessary to wear very light ones because here the temperatures can be very high. In the hottest day we had to bear more than 45 degrees Celsius. I suggest long shirt and trousers that are produced in high tech material that allow your body to transpire and maintain a warmer temperature.
 

In some lakes, the water is so clear that it is possible to swim; so don’t forget the swimming suit.

Seems to be nonense, but it is better to bring an heavy rain coat because here the rain can arrive at any moment and can be very heavy. In a few minutes, the temperature can drop down 15-20 degrees.

Aruanã, the fish looks like tarpon

GRATEFUL TO