Guyana is a heart of jungle habitat clutched between Venezuela and Suriname on the north coast of South America. Its tannin-tinted rivers are home to arapaima, which happen to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. Thanks to Costa sunglasses and crew, these tarpon-like behemoths have become the new posterchild for a project aimed to preserve Guyana’s natural resources, while safeguarding the country’s cultural legacies. An ambitious fishing mission, for sure.
“For decades, the native peoples of Guyana have struggled for economic independence. Poverty and illiteracy have forced many of the adults into a life of lawlessness and poaching while their children often flee the country to seek work in Brazil’s dangerous mines. But hope might be prowling in Guyana’s rivers in the form of the largest freshwater fish in the world, the arapaima. Follow three expert fishermen as they undertake on a two-week voyage deep into the heart of Guyana’s rainforest. Their mission: to demonstrate that the arapaima can be caught with a fly rod. If they succeed, it will prove that the country’s fledgling sports fishing industry is viable. And that will mean a brighter future for the native peoples, the rainforest they call home—and the endangered arapaima itself.”
Hit the link for a peek at Costa’s “Jungle Fish” trailer. More on the project, here.
Tom Bie is the founder, editor, and publisher of The Drake. He started the magazine in 1998 as an annual newsprint publication based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He then moved it to Steamboat, Colorado (1999), Boulder, Colorado (2001), and San Clemente, California (2004), as he took jobs as managing editor at Paddler, Senior Editor at Skiing, and Editor-in-Chief at Powder, respectively. Tom and The Drake are now both based in Denver, Colorado, where The Drake is finally all grows up(Swingers, 1996) to a quarterly magazine.