PADAUARI RIVER

 

Kdu Magalhães

     

                                 http://www.sportfishing-brazil.com/

It is not a long River according to Brazilian standards. Just 119 miles on a North-South straight line from its mouth in the Negro River to its origins in Venezuela. Based on my experience, you can add more 60 miles due to the bends and East-West courses. map

The mouth of Padauari is, straight line, 94 miles from the city of Barcelos and 73 miles from Santa Isabel.

Many famous sport fishermen fished around its mouth. But not as far as the first waterfalls. The reason is that Padauari is a shallow and tricky river.

This is a double blessing. Only four months a year, medium size boats, that must have no more than a 40 inches draft, can reach the “Alemanha waterfalls” just in the middle of the navigable part of the river.

Near the rapids, there are big black piranhas. The one in the photo, could be a world record. But sometimes, the baits do not survive.

On the other months of the year, boats with bigger draft will be not able to pass the mouth of the Preto River, near the village of Tapera.

So, neither commercial fishing boats nor the big sport fisherman boats are allowed to go up river.

I know, I know that everybody has the right to have fun. But today the fishing pressure from the sport fishing operators - on my account will be 45 on the Negro this year - is quickly finishing up with the fishes. Let's see some figures. Let's say, 45 outfitters fishing in October, November, December and January. Let's say 18 weeks. Each week, they fish during 5 days with an average of 12 clients. This means 18 weeks multiplied by 45 operators multiplied by 12 fishermen multiplied by 5 days. The result comes up to 48.600 fishing days.

Let's say that each day one fish is deadly harmed by the catch: too much time for the photos, wrong manipulation, stress factors and so on. Not mentioning the ones they take home for eating. This means that each year at least 50.000 mature peacock bass are being killed in the area between Santa Isabel and Barcelos. Those villages are not far than 167 miles from each other. Considering the fishing spots, before Santa Isabel, and after Barcelos, let's say that this distance grows to 220 milles. It is a lot of river anyway. But how long will the nature stand that pressure ?

Luckily the Padauari River will be one of the last rivers to survive due to the conditions I have already mentioned above.

The river is full of lakes. Some so huge that you can stay all day fishing on it. Due to the heavy rains we had two weeks ago (September 2007), the river water was muddy, as much as the waters of the lakes. But in some of them, like the Humaitá lake, which the water is supplied by an igarape, the water was very clear.

As we were on an exploratory trip, just two guys were chasing the peacocks. In three days they caught 45 fish, from which 15 were over 15 lb. Two over 17. And the water was very high and muddy, as I said. I can hardly wait to go there next year when the season is dry.

I was lucky enough to be invited by the chief of one of the local villages to go there next year after the river "closes". We will meet him on the mouth of the Padauari and he will take five friends and myself up river on his small shallow draft boat. We will be staying at a small hut that he will build for us in his village. No walls, just a roof and hammocks. We will be allowed to bring four speed outboard boats with us.

And the big lakes with clear water shall be ours during four days. My God!!

Two weeks ago, we went there in the Tayaçu boat. Small, but very comfortable, and with an amazing crew. All relatives. The food was fabulous and the air conditioning perfect. I took only three friends with me. They were only interested in bottom fishing. They caught an average of five big catfishes a day, not mentioning the huge piranas. Regarding the peacock hunters, I already mentioned their feats. Remember, high water, muddy water, first time on the spot, no local guides...really amazing..