I can’t believe it’s been five years since my most recent fishing trip to Brazil. The first two were to the Rio Negro basin, north of Manaus, but that last one was to a comparatively un-gringo-fied river to the south. It was one of the best trips I’ve taken largely because it wasn’t a cookie cutter experience.

As I anticipated the arrival of my payara mount, I thought back to that amazing trip organized by Billy Chapman Jr. to the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. We caught so many big fish of various species, and experienced things few gringos will ever get to see – especially because the similarly remote regions of the world are shrinking or evaporating daily. 

As I sit isolated at home in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, 2019 seems more than just a few months away – it seems like another lifetime. It was an epic year when I fished more than usual at home, and still managed three trips to Mexico, a trip to the Amazon, freshwater and saltwater adventures in Alaska, and long weekends at Grosse Savanne and Table Rock.