Flyfishing 4 Peacock Bass "101 "
This website was developed to provide valu
able information to the novice peacock bass fly fishermen. I often get calls, forwarded to me by Ron Speed’s Adventures (see link on Home Page), from first-time peacock bass fly fishermen. A ten or fifteen minute phone call cannot possibly address all the questions that need to be answered.
I have been fly fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon basin since 2002. In February 2012, I just completed my 10th trip. During that 10 year period I’ve caught over 2,000 peacock bass on my fly rod. My largest peacock bass to date is a 16 pound beauty that I landed in 2008. Thanks to the fine taxidermist at Lake Fork Taxidermy in Alba, TX (see link on Home Page), I get to look at my replica mount each evening while I am sitting at my fly tying table.
My purpose in putting this website together is three fold. First, I’m semi-retired with a little time on my hands, and I wanted to see how difficult it would be to design a web site (feel free to let me know how I did). Second, I wanted to offer the novice peacock bass fly fishermen a place to go where he/she can get practical information about fly fishing for peacock bass. There are a few websites out there that offer fly fishing tips as a side bar, but I plan to devote this entire web site to fly fishing for peacock bass. Although I am not an expert by any means, I feel that I have some practical information to pass on to the first-time fly fishermen. Third, I have developed a comprehensive selection of peacock bass flies. These flies are long enough to attract big fish; sturdy enough to stand up to the savage strikes of a peacock bass; yet light enough to cast with an 8wt or 9wt fly rod.
Peacock bass are an amazing fish. They are the world’s most challenging freshwater game fish. Pound for pound nothing strikes harder than a peacock bass. Many peacock bass fishermen think that fly fishermen are at a big disadvantage when it comes to hooking and landing a big peacock bass. I hear this all the time. How could anyone land a big peacock on a “perch pole”? However, I believe that the opposite is true. A 9’ fly rod vs. a 7’ bait casting rod – more leverage; one 4/0 hook imbedded in the fishes mouth vs. 3 treble hooks flying all around; the ability to measure your cast and put a fly exactly where it needs to be; a fly delicately presented to a fish vs. the crash of a 10” woodchopper on top of a fish. Give me a fly rod every time. As delicate and graceful as fly fishing is, make no mistake, fly fishing for peacock bass is not a delicate or finesse affair. Long, accurate casts are often the norm. This style of fly fishing is hard work, but the rewards are incredible.
On my first trip to Brazil in 2002 I sat next to a fellow fisherman on the plane from Miami to Manaus. During the course of our conversation he informed me that this was his 23 trip to Brazil to fish for peacock bass. I respectfully asked him why he would go back to the same place so many times. His answer was, “You are about to find out”. I may not make 23, but if I never go again I will cherish every minute that I have spent in the Amazon.
I hope that you enjoy the web site as much as I enjoyed putting it together. If you have any questions or just want to talk fly fishing you can contact me at:
flymaker@flyfishing4peacockbass.com
Ric McNulty
able information to the novice peacock bass fly fishermen. I often get calls, forwarded to me by Ron Speed’s Adventures (see link on Home Page), from first-time peacock bass fly fishermen. A ten or fifteen minute phone call cannot possibly address all the questions that need to be answered.I have been fly fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon basin since 2002. In February 2012, I just completed my 10th trip. During that 10 year period I’ve caught over 2,000 peacock bass on my fly rod. My largest peacock bass to date is a 16 pound beauty that I landed in 2008. Thanks to the fine taxidermist at Lake Fork Taxidermy in Alba, TX (see link on Home Page), I get to look at my replica mount each evening while I am sitting at my fly tying table.
My purpose in putting this website together is three fold. First, I’m semi-retired with a little time on my hands, and I wanted to see how difficult it would be to design a web site (feel free to let me know how I did). Second, I wanted to offer the novice peacock bass fly fishermen a place to go where he/she can get practical information about fly fishing for peacock bass. There are a few websites out there that offer fly fishing tips as a side bar, but I plan to devote this entire web site to fly fishing for peacock bass. Although I am not an expert by any means, I feel that I have some practical information to pass on to the first-time fly fishermen. Third, I have developed a comprehensive selection of peacock bass flies. These flies are long enough to attract big fish; sturdy enough to stand up to the savage strikes of a peacock bass; yet light enough to cast with an 8wt or 9wt fly rod.
Peacock bass are an amazing fish. They are the world’s most challenging freshwater game fish. Pound for pound nothing strikes harder than a peacock bass. Many peacock bass fishermen think that fly fishermen are at a big disadvantage when it comes to hooking and landing a big peacock bass. I hear this all the time. How could anyone land a big peacock on a “perch pole”? However, I believe that the opposite is true. A 9’ fly rod vs. a 7’ bait casting rod – more leverage; one 4/0 hook imbedded in the fishes mouth vs. 3 treble hooks flying all around; the ability to measure your cast and put a fly exactly where it needs to be; a fly delicately presented to a fish vs. the crash of a 10” woodchopper on top of a fish. Give me a fly rod every time. As delicate and graceful as fly fishing is, make no mistake, fly fishing for peacock bass is not a delicate or finesse affair. Long, accurate casts are often the norm. This style of fly fishing is hard work, but the rewards are incredible.
On my first trip to Brazil in 2002 I sat next to a fellow fisherman on the plane from Miami to Manaus. During the course of our conversation he informed me that this was his 23 trip to Brazil to fish for peacock bass. I respectfully asked him why he would go back to the same place so many times. His answer was, “You are about to find out”. I may not make 23, but if I never go again I will cherish every minute that I have spent in the Amazon.
I hope that you enjoy the web site as much as I enjoyed putting it together. If you have any questions or just want to talk fly fishing you can contact me at:
flymaker@flyfishing4peacockbass.com
Ric McNulty