Included / Not Included –
Included: Accommodations and meals at River X floating tent camp, beer, wine, guided fishing, one night pre-trip accommodations in Manaus, and airport transfers in Manaus.
Not Included: Airfare to Brazil, Brazilian visa, airport taxes, liquor, meals in Manaus or any additional nights accommodations in Manaus, guide and staff gratuities.
Travel Logistics
Arrival Information: To get to the River X, Amazon you will need to make travel arrangements to and from Manaus, Brazil via Miami, Florida or Atlanta, GA. After you have passed through customs, you will be met by Brahma, the Ground Service Coordinator. He will transfer you to the Tropical Hotel where you will overnight (one night’s accommodations at the Tropical Hotel is included in your package price).
Getting to the Lodge: From Manaus you will travel to the lodge on a pre-arranged private charter. The charter flight to the River X camp departs Manaus at 5:30AM on Sunday morning. Brahma will coordinate a pick-up time at your hotel.
Departure Information: The following Sunday you will arrive back in Manaus in the late morning in time to catch an early afternoon flight back to Miami and points beyond.
Currency:
US dollars are all that is needed. Most everyone in Manaus accepts dollars or credit cards. You may want to bring smaller bills for tipping purposes in Manaus. Travelers checks are not recommended as a result of counterfeit travelers checks reported by the US Embassy in 2008.
Travel Cash:
As a guideline we recommend that each guest travels with approximately $600 - $1,000 for staff & guide gratuities, gifts, expenses in Manaus, etc .
Gratuities:
We suggest a tip of $400-$500 per person per week for the lodge staff. Tips are split evenly among the guides and support staff. Tipping is left to the discretion of the angler, and is only a guideline for planning purposes. The lodge manager will collect the tips at the end of the week and distribute them. Credit cards are accepted for tips at the lodge.
Fishing Licenses:
Fishing licenses are included and the lodge will issue your license when you arrive.
Climate:
Temperatures range from the mid 80’ to the mid 90’s. Humidity varies and can be high especially after rain showers which can and do occur throughout the season. Insects are not a big issue and repellent is not often needed but white socks can be annoying during the last 45 minutes of light in the evening around the pool.
Medical Facilities:
The closest medical facility is in Manaus. Guests have the responsibility to disclose any special medical, physical, or dietary needs to the lodge ahead of time.
In emergency situations, a charter flight may be required to reach a medical facility. Guests may want to consider medical evacuation coverage. We recommend Global Rescue.
Power and Communications:
The River X floating camp runs on a diesel generator supplying 110 volt electricity and runs 24 hours a day. It is fine to charge your electronic devices.
Water:
We recommend that that clients stick to the bottled water for drinking.
Clothing:
Long sleeved, collared quick dry and cotton shirts as well as quick dry shorts and pants, sun-gloves, wide brimmed hat with ear protection, lightweight rain gear and a swimsuit. We recommend bringing several pairs of socks along as they are great to wear when fishing from the boat as you can tell when you are stepping on your line and you are getting some protection from the sun. Flat boots or wading sandals are also recommended for wade fishing and the hikes from the main river to isolated jungle lakes.
Laundry:
The camp has daily laundry service, so lots of clothes are not necessary. It is picked up in the morning and is done by your return at the end of the day of fishing.
Beverages/Alcohol:
The lodge provides beer and wine. Guests may bring in their own liquor.
Tackle/Equipment List:
Rods: 8-10 weight rods are the norm with a 9’ 9wt. being the most practical all around rod. Note: this trip has a well earned reputation for breaking rods so have a spare!
Reels: Any quality reel with a good drag system and at least 100 yards of 30 pound backing.
Lines: Most fishing is done with floating lines formulated for warm weather/saltwater fishing such as the Mastery Saltwater or Bonefish taper. Lines like the Rio Saltwater Versi-Tip or a 300 grain saltwater sinking head are handy as well and allow anglers to get down deep when needed. Floating Saltwater lines with built in intermediate tips, sometimes referred to as Permit lines, also fish extremely well. While not mandatory, it can be nice to have two rods rigged, one with a floater and one with a sinking tip.
Leaders/Tippet: 9 ft. leaders with 20-30 pound tippet is the norm. Bring along spools of 20, 25, and 30 pound tippet. With these three diameters we typically fashion our own simple leaders out of materials like Maxima.
Flies: The lodge sells a reasonable assortment of flies specifically designed for River X so you will be able to purchase or restock flies on site. With that said we consider it best to be prepaid with your own flies upon arrival. Bring about 3 dozen total flies, six should be topwater flies like the banger, six of the big baitfish patterns similar to the Puglisi Mackerel or Keliher Herring, and 2 dozen should be of the deceiver or lead eye variety.
While peacocks are not that selective, bring a number of the well tied larger patterns such as the Puglisi patterns as they are relatively easy to cast for their size and they seem to take more than their share of big fish:
Deceivers 2/0, 3/0 (on another similar baitfish pattern 4 & 6 inches in length. Colors: Tan/white, Red/white, Red/yellow, Orange/white
Conehead the Barbarian 3/0 (brown/white, chartreuse/white, red/yellow/white)
Peacock bass deceivers 1/0 and 3/0 (yellow/white, brown/white)
Mega prism diver 3/0
Puglisi Tinker Mackerel 3/0
Keliher Herring 3/0
Popovic’s Banger 4/0 (Silver, Orange, Chartreuse)
