Arapaima can grow to over 400 pounds.
Pirarucu Lodge - Brazil
Fly Fishing for Arapaima and Arowana
For this fly fishing adventure, you'll take a 70-minute flight from Manaus, Brazil, and then a 50-minute boat ride to the floating lodge on the Mamirauá Reserve, the largest arapaima reserve in the world. The Reserve is a complex system of lakes and channels covering 4,300 square miles and is the largest protected flooded forest in the world. Here, you'll find great fly fishing for pirarucu, also known as arapaima.
2026 Rates: Packages start at $6,650 + $660 Native Comm. Fee for 7 nts / 6 days.
Pirarucu Fishing
Pirarucu and arapaima are one and the same. Arapaima can grow to over 400 pounds. They are air-breathing fish that closely resemble tarpon in both size and shape. When hooked, they start to move and then explode into aerial displays and headshakes.
Guides and anglers watch for arapaima rising to the surface to gulp air. In the shallow bays of the lake, these rolling fish offer more of a sightcasting opportunity than in the deeper parts. Similar to hunting the flats and mangroves for tarpon, anglers search the lakes, channels, and rivers for pods of fish. Be prepared. When you see the rolling fish, it is usually the fish mid-water or on the bottom that hits your fly. The most challenging part of fishing for arapaima is setting the hook. You’ll need to get a firm hook set and keep continual pressure.
Arowana: There’s no other place where you can catch so many arowanas on the fly. These fish are omnivorous and eat just about any insect or baitfish presented to them. Anglers will want to use streamers or big dry flies.
Pacu: The mighty black pacu, also known as tambaqui, is in the same family as the piranha. Pacu readily take artificial flies and put up an intense battle on a fly.
Peacock Bass: The smaller peacock bass, the yellow species, range in size from 2 to 10 pounds and act much like their larger cousins found elsewhere in the Amazon. When found, they are usually busting bait along the shorelines.
The Fishing Program
The Pirarucu Season is short, running from September to the end of November. The dry season in this part of the Amazon runs from July through January, so this period straddles the middle of the dry season, when water levels should be low and fish congregate in the lakes and channels. November 30th marks the end of fishing due to special regulations. To protect juvenile fish, the Arapaima fishery is closed throughout the Amazon.
Guides: Professional, English-speaking native guides. Two anglers per guide and boat.
Boats: You'll fish from 20-foot fully equipped shallow draft skiffs. Each skiff has two large casting platforms and an electric trolling motor with a remote control for moving silently within the lagoons. 60-HP four-stroke motors, GPS, and VHF radios are on board to keep guides in contact and to keep them aware of each other’s positions.
A Fishing License is included in your package.
Fishing Equipment: Fly-fishing outfits are available for guests upon request and with 30 days notice (Thomas & Thomas rods, Nautilus Reels, and Scientific Anglers Lines). Flies are available at camp for $5 to $15 each. Our confirmation packet includes a detailed list of what to bring.
A Typical Fishing Day:
5:30 a.m. - Coffee is hot.
6:30 a.m. - Breakfast.
7:30 a.m. - Head to fishing grounds.
Noon - You’ll take a 5 to 20-minute boat ride back to the Lodge for lunch and a nap.
2:30 p.m. - Fishing resumes.
6:00 p.m. - You’ll return to the Lodge.
6:30 p.m. - Cocktails and appetizers.
7:00 p.m. - A buffet-style dinner is served.
Uakari Lodge - Floating Cabins
Uakari Lodge
Uakari, a floating lodge, is very simple yet comfortable. The Lodge has ten floating cabins and wooden walkways over the water connect each building. The main lodge features a dining room, living area, and kitchen. Solar-powered showers and comfortable beds with mosquito netting. Daily laundry service.
In the offseason, the Lodge is primarily an ecotourism lodge for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. It is recognized as one of the top five birdwatching areas in the Amazon.
Meals: Hearty breakfasts. Hot lunches at the Lodge. Buffet-style dinners. American and regional favorites.
Alcohol: House wines, beer, and local spirits are included in the package.
Communications: Complimentary Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi internet. There is no cell phone service. A satellite phone is available for guests at $5 per minute.
Non-Angler Activities: Pirarucú offers guided bird safaris, jungle expeditions, canoe tours, and visits to the local village communities, led by professional, English-speaking guides.
Getting to the Lodge:
When you arrive in Manaus, you’ll be greeted by an English-speaking lodge representative who’ll arrange your ground transfer to the boutique hotel. The following morning, your host will drive you to the local airport for your 8:45 a.m. flight to Tefé, which is not included in the package. The flight has a 50-pound baggage weight limit. You’ll have lunch in Tefé before taking a 50-minute fast-boat ride to the Lodge. After your arrival, you'll get in a half-day of fishing. (The ground transfers in Manaus and the first hotel night are included in the package.) The charter flight between Manaus and Tefé is not included in the package.
Brazil eVisa now required: As of April 2025, citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia must obtain an electronic visa (eVisa) to enter Brazil. The Brazil eVisa fee for US citizens is $80.90.
• Click here for the Brazil eVisa website.
2026 USD Rates:
Our advice is free.
We never charge more than the Lodges we represent.
Season: September through November
8 nights / 6 days guided fishing
(7 nights at Lodge and 1 night in Manaus)
Two per room and boat:
$6,650 + $660 Native Comm. Fee = $7,310 per person
One per room and two per boat:
$8,300 + $660 Native Comm. Fee = $8,960 per person
One per room and boat:
$10,550 + $660 Native Comm. Fee = $11,210 per person
Non-angler sharing room:
$3,450 + $340 Native Comm. Fee = $3,790 per person
6 nights / 4 days guided fishing
(5 nights at Lodge and 1 night in Manaus)
Two per room and boat:
$5,550 + $550 Native Comm. Fee = $6,100 per person
One per room and two per boat:
$6,840 + $550 Native Comm. Fee = $7,390 per person
One per room and boat:
$8,735 + $550 Native Comm. Fee = $9,285 per person
Non-angler sharing room:
$2,885 + $290 Native Comm. Fee = $3,175 per person
5 nights / 3 days guided fishing
(4 nights at Lodge / 1 night in Manaus)
Two per room and boat:
$4890 + $450 Native Comm. Fee = $5,340 per person
One per room and two per boat:
$5,820 + $450 Native Comm. Fee = $6,270 per person
One per room and boat:
$7,625 + $450 Native Comm. Fee = $8,110 per person
Non-angler sharing room:
$2,320 + $225 Native Comm. Fee = $2,545 per person
And Extra Night in Manaus – USD: $200 to $220 per night/room - based on double occupancy.
All prices are subject to change based on availability.
The Packages Include:
• One double-occupancy room at a hotel in Manaus upon arrival
• All ground transfers in Manaus per itinerary
• Guided fishing, two anglers per guide
• Lodging at Pirarucu
• All meals at the Lodge
• Beverages - wine, beer, and spirits
• Fishing license
• Fly outfits are available upon request
• Wi-Fi
• Daily laundry service
• Our eBook Fly Fishing for Peacock Bass by Larry and Guy Schoenborn
The Packages Do Not Include:
• International airfare
• Roundtrip domestic flight (Manaus/Tefe)
• Native Community Fee
• Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Food and beverages in Manaus
• Airport departure tax (if not included in airfare)
• Satellite phone calls, $5 per minute
• City tours in Manaus
• Extra hotel night $200 to $220
• Flies, $5 to $15 each at the Lodge
• Global Rescue coverage
• Travel insurance
• A Brazilian eVisa is now required.
• Anything not listed under inclusions.
Rio Marie and Pirarucu Floating Lodge Combo
September and December are the best Combo months.
6 nights and 6 days of fishing at Rio Marie 2, 4, or 6 full days of fishing at Pirarucu for arapaima, tambaqui, and more. Choose the number of days based on your preferred itinerary and Azul Airlines flight availability.Click here for the Rio Marie page.
Example: 6 days at Rio Marie and 4 days at Pirarucu
13,762.50 + 1,290 Native Comm Fee = $15,052 per person.
Request an Information Packet for full details.
Fishing with Larry Payment Options:
1.) Credit card (a 2.5% convenience fee applies)
2.) Check. Please include your invoice number in the memo. Mail checks to Fishing with Larry P.O. Box 419 Columbus, MT 59019.
3.) Wire Transfer (Send money electronically – typically a $15 to $30 fee for domestic transfers and $45 - $50 for international transfers.)
Please email Toni at toni@fishingwithlarry.com for wire instructions.
Pirarucu Lodge POLICIES:
A Signed Indemnity Release is Required: All activities require you to sign an indemnity and responsibility terms once on location.
Deposit Policy: Reservations will be held for 10 days. We require a 50% deposit to confirm the booking. Final payment must be made 90 days before arrival.
Cancellation Policy: The Deposit required to confirm your reservation is NON-REFUNDABLE unless the customer is replaced. A 10% trip fee shall be levied if the reservation is moved to an alternative date within the same season.
Jungle Trip Policy: Fishing in the Amazon jungle represents one of the last frontiers in the fly fishing world. As with any such hyper-remote destinations, there can be challenges associated with offering a first-class experience in the ‘back of beyond’. In the Amazon, water level conditions will, on occasion, present such challenges. The Amazon River annual water level cycles are not a simple equation, even for the most experienced local experts. Normally, high and low water levels here follow a fairly predictable monthly cycle. Still, climate changes and the effects of stronger or weaker El Niño and La Niña cycles can directly and immediately affect those levels. Specifically, these El Niño and La Niña events tend to impact the amount of rain in the headwaters the Amazon Rivers, which in turn affects the entire Amazon basin. The Xingu system has more than 400 kilometers of rivers and tributaries. This unique and extensive water system allows for incomparable flexibility. Though the Xingu season has been chosen to coincide with the best water conditions annually, especially for Payara fishing, it’s difficult to predict water levels, and this is one of the risks associated with fishing in the Amazon. If you are not comfortable with the risk of the river levels being too high or too low during your trip, then it is probably not the trip for you. You will not be refunded for water conditions that may not meet your expectations.
Travel Insurance: The Lodge highly recommends that guests take out travel insurance that covers partial or full trip cancellation due to flight delays, health, weather, force majeure, or any other reason.
Fishing with Larry strongly recommends purchasing trip insurance. Click here for our Travel Insurance page.
