August 11, 2016

2016 Peru (Day 13)

After a whole day of mud and catfish, we decided to change our game and fish a small pond from shore.

One of our guides arrived early to cut a set of steps into the muddy bank so George has an easier way up. Our guide also cleared a path with the machete for us.

We were told to fish shallow water by poking our bait through holes in the weeds and lily pads for cichlid and other micro species. I started with the tanago rod and added a new tetra species.

Ctenobrycon hauxwellianus - Species #611

Josh and Joy hooked into a few Oscars to my right but they had a hard time pulling them up through the weeds. I tried to fish around the weeds but had no bites. I decided to switch spots.

I found George fishing an areas with some lily pad on a makeshift platform that the guides had erected. He said Anthony caught some "Keyhole Cichlids" between the pads. I tried and quickly caught one.

Aequidens tetramerus - Species #612 (we think these are A. tetramerus...still checking)

Cichlasoma amazonarum - Species #613 (4 anal spines and rows of scales extending onto dorsal and anal rays)

I caught another Pike Cichlid among the "Keyhole Cichlids". I'm not sure if this is just another Crenicichla semicincta or it is another species. Pike Cichlids give me headaches.

Josh caught me double-fitting - a tanago rod in one hand and a spinning rod with bigger bait that I was hoping for an Electirc Eel (since Anthony caught 3 along the shoreline!)

I caught a new micro...which I'm still trying to determine which exact species.

Brachychalcinus sp. - Species #614 (some thinks it is B. copei, but I'm not so sure)

Even though it was hot, muddy and sweaty after our morning of fishing, everyone was smiling and having the time of our lives!

We returned to the lodge for lunch. Some of us wanted to fish more, as it was our last fully day at the lodge. We took the boats out and fished in the creek at the lodge.

Before we even left dock, I took a piece of old bait off the hook and tossed it off the side of the boat. It landed in about 6" of water and a fish came up to grab it! Hurriedly putting on a fresh chunk of those "sweet juicy grub", the fish came back and it was a new cichlid species!

Bujurquina syspilus - Species #615

There were some fish plopping on the surface under a tree. Yamil and I paddled over and we found a school of this Pacu species. We're been using these for the past few days as bait (caught in cast net), but this was the first time I caught some with hook and line. They really like chunks of the palm weevil larvae.

Mylossoma aureum - Species #616

Another species were also in the mixed school (plus lots of Piranha).

Roeboides myersii - Species #617

We poked around shallow log jams hoping to find other species of Cichlids but a small Catfish species took the hook.

Pimelodella cristata - Species #618 (I'm certain it is a Pimelodella, and P. cristata seems the closest)

I've caught Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) in the past in Florida, but it was great to catch one in their native habitat!

Josh and I wanted to try for Catfish species one last time. We headed off for the prime hour just before dinner.

Our last sunset at Otorongo, and it was a stunning one!

We fished from this store (which was not opened at the time). However, there were a lot of debris floating down the river continuously, making the condition very difficult to fish. You can see a huge debris pile floating down the river in the center of this picture.

I think Josh caught an Amoured Catfish from the spot during our 1 hour session there. We decided to move upstream to a more sheltered spot, but only got snagged over and over again.

Back at the lodge, there was a tasty surprise. We called these "Otorongo donuts". They tasted a little like the breading from corn dogs.

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