ACUTE ANGLING THE BEST OF BRAZIL • AMAZON SPORTFISHING 2019 TRIP CATALOG Amazon Peacock Bass & Exotic Species
TOLL-FREE (866) 832-2987 FAX (646) 514-2773 [email protected] www.acuteangling.com PEACOCK BASS & AMAZON RIVER MONSTERS
OWNER/OPERATOR OF BRAZIL’S MOST PRODUCTIVE FISHING TRIPS 3 TURN-KEY AMAZON FISHING ADVENTURES 2019 TRIP CATALOG
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BLACKWATER EXPLORER YACHT Pages 4 & 5 i ing on a ecure air con itione other hip while hing the wil a on in ni le a oat o er the e t of oth worl ur acht oa t oth incre i le o ilit an re- la e co fort ater le el an hing con- ition can often change on a wee l a i in the a on he lac water plorer eep it angler in the o t pro ucti e water e- pite changing con ition e operate our acht trip onl uring ea on or in loca- tion that pro i e unli ite acce to the Our elegant, air-conditioned yacht, o t pro ucti e an re ote a on water the Blackwater Explorer.
Pages 8 & 9 EXOTIC SPECIES VARIETY - JUNGLE LODGE TRIPS cute ngling operate e citing ariet trip for a er toothe pa ara erce gi- ant traira wol h fa twater peacoc a powerful pirapitinga acro atic icu- a enor ou l giant cat h an ore ur ran new ungle lo ge pro- i e full a enitie owhere el e in the a on can ou e perience a hing trip with thi uch a enture ariet an e - cite ent rotecte within a clo e n ian re er ation thi e clu i e her i in a Our air-conditioned lodge on a lan that ti e forgot high-gradient mountain river. 2019 TRIP CATALOG PAGE 3
Because we’re the best in the business! … and we know it. Nonetheless, booking the fishing trip of a lifetime shouldn't be done rashly. There are lots of trip choices and entities to book with. How can you sort through the options? Do your homework! Knowledge is pow- er! We know that the more information you have, the more likely you are to choose us. Take advantage of the information offered here to make an informed decision. You deserve to get your money's worth and have your expectations met. We hope you'll fish with us, but whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip! There are no fishes anywhere else that compare with the fierce fishes of the Amazon! Who are we? We’re the owner, operator, outfitter and organizer of three Who else sells peacock bass trips? - Sadly, just about every- Amazon fishing trips. We’re a team of experts providing the information, one with a fishing habit and a website! Why "sadly"? Because logistics, service and support to ensure your realization of the fishing trip most have no direct connection to, or control over what they sell, of a lifetime. Based in two continents, we coordinate a team of 42 profes- nor how it’s run. In fact, many are nothing more than a glossy sionals; guides, chefs, mechanics and staff. Here are our key people; website. No staff, no office, no resources - just a knack for being Paul Reiss, PhD - Principal owner, founder and visible. They'll sell you a trip and then auction you off to whomev- president of Acute Angling. After a successful en- er will deliver it. Who do you select? Let's take a look at the facts. trepreneurial career, he fulfilled a lifelong biolo- First, the trip operators - they are your best option. They own gist’s dream by founding a business that allows their equipment; yachts, camps, boats, etc. They hire, train and him and our angling clients to explore the world’s manage their staff. They schedule and implement their trips. They vastest wilderness while pursuing its fiercest sport- control, and are responsible for their operations and logistics. fish. With over two decades of field experience, They must be properly organized, fully insured companies, as is three fluent languages and a PhD in Neotropical Acute Angling. Buy a trip from us and you are secure in knowing Ichthyology, he is the sporting world’s foremost that you have contracted with the responsible entity. We own, expert on giant Amazon peacock bass. There is no operate, outfit and organize our trips. There are no layers of fluff one better qualified to answer your Amazon fishing (excuses) between you and your trip. We deliver what was prom- questions and to deliver your Amazon trip. ised - or we make it good. We've been doing so for over 20 years. Garry Reiss - Partner and general manager- An ac- Then there are outfitters - A somewhat loosely defined term countant by training and former CFO, Garry has the ad- for an organizer. Most of them charter time (even a single week) ministrative experience to make sure that our complex on yachts or camps owned (and operated) by others. Although a scheduling, services and functions mesh into a seamless few good outfitters exist, most are not very dependable. What's the whole. Always available in our U.S. office, he imple- problem? In order to deliver what's promised, an outfitter must ment's every facet of your trip. Garry is the person to call control the operation you’re fishing with. If not, there's that nebu- with all of your administrative questions or special needs. lous cloud of excuses between what you were promised and what Norberto Guedes - Partner, operations and was delivered. Outfitters may be forced to cancel - sometimes logistics manager - a wilderness expert, he weeks or even days before a trip because they’ve been betrayed by oversees day-to-day operation of the Blackwa- the owner/operators - a better deal came up - too few people in the ter Explorer and our Floating Bungalows. Well group - the boat broke! If your outfitter has no control over his versed in the Amazon's network of rivers and operator, you have no control over your trip. routes, he coordinates supply, staffing and And the good ones come at a price—a higher one. They're gen- maintenance of our peacock bass operations, erally quite expensive because there are two separate entities that keeping them always working smoothly. need to make a profit, leaving you with an extra layer of cost. Wellington Melo - Partner, operations manager - Check prices before you select a trip. Acute Angling simply uses former airline pilot, Florida fishing guide and Brazilian its own wholly-owned operations - one entity, one set of books, government policy implementer, he is our chief negotia- one layer of pricing, no fluff - and no excuses. tor with Indigenous peoples and government agencies. Fishing Travel Agents - They usually sell a broad array of He constantly searches for new fishing opportunities and fishing trips outfitted or operated by others. Again, we must admit organizes all of our Exploratory trips. He coordinates there are some good ones who provide an important service. An- management, supply and staffing of our Rio Travessao glers may have a personal relationship with an agent who under- Multi-species variety operation at Picapau Lodge and is stands precisely what his client is looking for and can connect him also the bilingual host and client-representative there. to it; valuable to a client he knows well and sometimes worth the And an entire team of polished professionals - extra price of the commission they command. Unfortunately, Even hands-on managers are not enough to make a com- many agents are simply in it for a buck. Many don't know much plex operation like ours function perfectly. Our dedicated about the operations or outfitters they try to sell and some don't staff includes; Daylla Guedes, attorney and bilingual know much about peacock bass fishing! They're like the used car "boots on the ground" in Brazil, she ensures that our salesman whose lot you stepped onto first. They're going to sell documents and licenses are in place and coordinates our complex logis- you what they have, no matter what it is you really need. Acute tics; Barbara Silva, the bilingual, live-aboard, host- Angling sells its own whol- Here are some questions you should ask; ly-owned and operated trips ess on our Blackwater Explorer trips; Luiz Eduardo, - our savvy, bilingual transfer agent, picks you up and 1. What type of entity is this operator, outfitter, agent? - one entity, one layer of delivers you to each of the stops along the path of 2. Do you own the operation and control the trip? pricing, no layer of fluff - your fishing adventure; Marizete Guedes and Ruth 3. Are you a legitimate business with insurance and re- no excuses. Guedes produce incredible meals in the middle of sources to protect me and the investment I've made? Then, there are the the Amazon rainforest; Alexy Mesa is the go-to per- 4. Do you provide a turn-key package - ensuring that my loose-ends - Nothing but a son for your air travel. Tomas and Nelson, both me- trip is complete and that all services I need are available? website and a salespitch, chanics par excellence, keep our generators running, 5. Can you give me real life references that I can talk to? they'll take your money and our air-conditioners cooling and our motors hum- sell your booking wherever ming. Along with the best fishing guides in the basin and our expert sup- they can get a cut. Like Forrest Gump's "box of chocolates", you port personnel, they put the final sheen on our Amazon operations. never know what you're going to get! Don't do this to yourself! How do I arrange a trip? - Book with an operator who has a reputation for knowledge, honesty and performance. Of course, we high- ly recommend ourselves. It’s too easy to book a trip in water that doesn’t hold the right species, or that is not at optimal levels. Don’t inadvertently book on an operation that runs a weekly fixed route, ignoring conditions, and don’t pay thousands more for the privi- lege of fishing on oversized, fancy boats that are way too big to go where the fish are. If you’re planning the fishing trip of a lifetime, plan it with an operation that knows how to deliver fish and that puts your satisfaction before gross profit or marketing gimmicks. PAGE PAGE 4 ACUTE ANGLING’S Lu u iousLUXURIOUS AMAZON a on Mot e -S ipMOTHERHSHIP OPERATION pe ation