As you read this, I should be putting the finishing touches on my packing for the Amazon, putting in one more topwater chopper or replacing the split rings on a big jerkbait. Maybe I’d even be washing that Buff that’s been sitting in the bottom of my boat’s storage compartment for a couple of months. Unfortunately, that ain’t happening. On Monday we got the word that the water is too high up in the jungle and the fish are largely where you can’t get at ‘em. As a result our trip has been postponed.
I guess I shouldn’t feel too discouraged. Not only is this a trip that many will never get to take, but I’ve already been twice – once when the fishing was good and once when it was ridiculously good – without any meaningful problems or hiccups. Poor Dave Precht at B.A.S.S. told me that he and his group were postponed multiple times, over the course of several years, before they finally got to go last year. Based on his article about the experience in Bassmaster, I’d say it was worth the wait.
For a control freak like me fishing is a terrible choice of a hobby because you are always at the mercy of factors outside of your direct sphere of influence. I suppose I should be glad that after two successful trips I’m playing with house money. Even this time, we’re not out anything. We were able to reschedule our flights and a few months down the line we’ll head to the equator for round three. Read on….