Skinny Waters Exploration Trip: Colombia

I just returned from an incredible jungle fishing trip to Colombia’s remote Guaviare region. Our target species were peacock bass, payara, and sardinata—and the fishing exceeded every expectation.

This trip came together through a friend of a friend. A guy with a Colombian girlfriend whose mother lives on the river in the middle of nowhere runs it informally. He only hosts friends and friends of friends, so it’s not a commercial operation at all. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation, and after nine days of outstanding fishing, I can confidently say this trip belongs on your bucket list.

On our first afternoon alone, the two of us hooked more than 50 payara and sardinata, landing about half of them. The peacock bass fishing was equally impressive. There are three species in the region, and we caught plenty of each. Two of us fished with flies while the others used spin gear, and everyone did well.

Considering how remote the location is, the accommodations were excellent—real mattresses with mosquito netting, great food, and a fun, easygoing group. The crew included several French anglers, an Italian, and a Croatian, but we all spoke the universal language of fishing.

We were roughly 300 miles downriver of the nearest real town. The biting bugs I feared turned out to be a minimal issue. A few on some evenings, but nothing during the day.

I’m now doing my best to convince my friend to let me return next December with a small group of my own. If that happens, there would likely be no more than seven spots available. Only one other outfitter fishes this region, and only for about five weeks a year. During our entire trip, we didn’t see another angler on the river. I’ll share updates as things develop.