Venture deep into Colombia’s pristine wilderness for an unrivaled fishing experience at Akuani River Lodge. Nestled in the heart of the untamed jungle, this exclusive destination offers the thrill of battling trophy Peacock Bass and the fierce Vampire Fish. With access to two distinct ecosystems, every cast promises an unforgettable encounter in some of South America’s most biodiverse and unspoiled waters.

For your time chasing Peacock Bass, our expeditions take place along the Vichada River and its serene lagoons. Utilizing specialized bongos (boats) designed for fly and spinning techniques, each day brings new fishing spots and thrilling opportunities.

Your time spent on the Orinoco River will be for an adrenaline-pumping encounter with Payara at the Maipures rapids. Amidst imposing rocks and powerful rapids, our excursions start with an exhilarating speedboat ride, followed by intense fishing sessions targeting Vampire Fish, Sardinata, and Pacu from rocky outcrops. As night falls, unwind in comfortable tents beneath the jungle canopy, concluding your adventure with a full day of fishing before returning to the lodge.

Trip Dates: January 15-24, 2025

Itinerary:

January 15: International flight from Denver to Bogota, Colombia. Overnight in Bogota
January 16: Domestic flight from Bogota to Puerto Inirida, boat ride to lodge upon arrival
January 17 and 18: Fish for peacock bass on the Vichada River and its endless lagoons
January 19 and 20: Target payara (aka vampire fish) on the Maipures Rapids located on the mighty Orinoco River
January 21 and 22: Return back to the Vichada for two more days of peacock bass fishing
January 23: Take a boat ride back to Puerto Inirida, where we’ll jump on our domestic flight back to Bogota. Overnight in Bogota
January 24: International flight from Bogota to Denver

Price Per Person:

$4500 + $400 Native Fee

*In order to reserve your spot for the trip, a 50% deposit is required. The remaining balance will not be due until 12:00 pm MST on October 17, 2025 (90 days prior to the trip). If payments are not received before 12:00 pm MST on October 17, 2025, you will forfeit your deposit and your spot will be given to the next available client. If there are any available spots after October 17, full payment will be due upon requesting a reservation. Cancellation Policy: all cancellations made before 12:00 pm MST on October 17, 2025 will receive a full refund.

Peacock Bass:

8-10wt rod matched with an appropriate sized reel that has a powerful drag. Peacock bass are hard fighters and love diving into thick brush and wood, strip hard and don’t let go! Leaders are made of a straight section of 40-60lb fluorocarbon to keep them from going into the thick stuff. Specialty jungle fly lines will be a must, having a tropical rated fly line with an aggressive taper to turn over big streamers is a necessity. Floating, intermediate, and sinking lines are highly recommended; Rio Warmwater Predator series is our recommendation.

Recommended Flies: Brush flies, jungle junkie, jungle love, jungle thunder, reducer, super mushy, pineapple grenade popper, flashtail minnow jig, flaming lamborghini, NYAP

Payara (Vampire Fish):

11wt rod paired with an appropriate sized reel that has a powerful drag. Payara, much like peacocks, are incredibly hard fighters. Unlike the peacocks, we’ll be fighting payara in fast moving water making them incredibly difficult to land. The 11wt is necessary for not only the fight, but also to throw the heavy sinking lines and large flies required to catch these beasts. We’ll match your payara rod with a 500gr sinking line, whether it be the Rio Leviathan or Scientific Anglers Sonar Pelagic line. Wire leaders are the only way to go for these fish, 40lb wire with 40lb fluorocarbon should be sufficient.

Recommended Flies: We’ll special order payara specific flies as none are mass produced.

"Other Species":

There are an endless amount of other species in the Amazonian basin that are targetable with a fly rod. While fishing the Orinoco we'll have the opportunity to target sardinata (Amazon pellona) and pacu. This fishing can be done with a 7 or 8wt rod with smaller streamers, poppers, grasshoppers, or berry flies, depending on the species. There are plenty of other opportunities to target other species on the Vichada and its lagoons as well.

Recommended Flies: clouser, deceiver, dungeon, sparkle yummy, hot flash minnow, skipping bug, mylar popper, crease fly