Humberto Malaspina answers the question -

Payara: Are They Really that Big in Venezuala?

The Payara (Hydrolycus scomberoides).

Dracula Fish, Vampire Fish, Saber-tooth Tiger Fish, Dog Tooth Characin...whatever you want to call it, the payara live in the waters of the Amazonia. You can find these extraordinary depredators in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Many stories have been told about glorious fishing trips to the Amazon River Basin, with people landing huge payara, but the fact is that the biggest payara ever caught (39 lb. 4 oz.) was registered at Uraima Falls,
Venezuela. Located in the heart of the Venezuela rainforest, this place has been labeled by anglers as the prime destination to break or set any kind of payara fishing world record, either all tackle or line class. Believe it or not, anglers from many distant countries have crossed the Atlantic or the Pacific to get to this tiny spot in the
countryside of Venezuela to face the legendary payara. And what used to take 6-8 hours by boat from town to get to this remote and secluded area of the forest now takes about 3 hours by speedboat.

More than 14 years ago, a family from the town of Paragua, which is a small community that face the waters of the Paragua river at the south of the State of Bolivar in Venezuela, happened to own a small island upriver next to a beautiful waterfall called Uraima. Although the rain forest in South America is known to be the home of hundreds of different fish species, this family never imagined they would be the ones to discover a special place that—thanks to it’s natural conditions—is home to a predator of incredible size, force, and stamina.

As you travel up the Paragua river, you are hypnotized by the jungle, surrounded by mysterious rocks formations (mostly seen during the dry season). Your imagination takes over as you hear the different animal sounds from the dense vegetation along the riverbank, while spray from the dark current splashing against your boat refreshes your body from the intense heat of the sun. Suddenly, the current is stronger, and the white water reveals the river's great strength. It is in these turbulent waters that the payara feed, and you can't believe that the payara hunt for food in such an environment. Other anglers have had such thoughts, only until many fishing rods and lures were completely destroyed and lost.

It’s a long journey from La Paragua to Uraima Falls and, no doubt about it, you have traveled through many kilometers of thick jungle, rapids and geological formations. Finally, the horizon opens up, and you can spot white, sandy beaches in the distance, with many different kinds of birds flying over the green canopy. And then, it shows itself, surrounded by trees and water: a small island, so close to the falls that the sound of exploding water can be heard from your boat. Here is a shelter in the middle of nowhere, a fishing camp that will host you during your stay in these foreign waters as you search for gigantic payara.

Once you are here, there is no turning back—it is you and your tackle against nature. This remote place is far away from civilization. It is so deep into the forest that the logistics of your fishing trip must be set up many days in advance. You have entered the big league of payara fishing at the end of the world.

Fishing pressure is very low in these waters, and maybe this is one of the reasons the payara grow to such prehistoric proportions.

You have arrived at the moment of truth. Payara...are they really that big in Venezuela?

It is 6am. The wind is blowing. It is not yet hot, and when you wake up, the natural environment empowers your body with such positive energy that you feel 20 years younger. This is a gift, because you will need all this strength later on the day.

At the end of breakfast, you hear the fishing guides say "We are ready."

This is it. You have traveled from distant lands to see if the payara are as big as many people claim. Once you are in the boat and start heading towards the base of the water falls only a short 5 minutes away, you begin trolling in a spot called the Big Lagoon. Dark and deep, you can almost feel the turbulence created by the rocks below.

What will come out of that darkness? Good question...