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technical · beginner · 5 min

fly fishing in brazil: first steps

How to choose gear by its number, rig the backing, line, leader and tippet, make a basic cast, and which flies to use for peacock bass, golden dorado and snook.

gear by number

In fly fishing, rod, reel and line use the same number (#). It indicates the line weight, measured over the first 9 m (AFTMA standard). The higher the number, the heavier the line and the bigger the fly it can carry.

tips

  • #3 to #5: trout and small fish, such as lambari.
  • #6 to #8: yellow peacock bass and popoca, robalo peva, black bass, trahira.
  • #8 to #9: blue peacock bass, golden dorado, robalo flecha. It's the most versatile number in Brazil. For speckled peacock bass, with 12 to 15 cm flies and wind, #9 to #10.
  • #10 to #12: camurupim and very bulky flies.
  • Floating WF (weight forward) line to start. For golden dorado in current and deeper peacock bass, use an intermediate line or sink tip.
  • Choose tropical lines with a firmer coating for the heat.
  • Reel with a reliable drag and room for 100 to 200 m of backing.

rigging: from backing to tippet

The order, from the spool outward: backing, fly line, leader and tippet. Before you start, decide which side you'll retrieve from and set up the reel.

  1. Tie the backing to the reel's arbor with an arbor knot and wind on, under tension, 100 to 200 m of dacron or 20 to 30 lb braid.
  2. Join the backing to the fly line with an Albright or a loop-to-loop connection (many lines come with a factory loop).
  3. Wind the fly line under tension. It should fit on the spool without rubbing the frame.
  4. Connect the leader to the line tip with a loop-to-loop or a nail knot.
  5. At the end of the leader, tie the tippet with a blood knot or a Uni-Uni.
  6. Tie the fly with a loop knot (non-slip loop or Rapala loop), which gives more movement and seats well on thick leader; the improved clinch only on thin tippet (up to about 30 lb).

tips

  • Trout: 2.7 m (9 ft) tapered leader.
  • Peacock bass: short leader, 1.5 to 2.4 m, 30 to 50 lb fluorocarbon. Structure fish don't require thin line.
  • Golden dorado: their teeth cut. Finish with 20 to 30 cm of fine wire leader or heavy fluorocarbon.
  • Snook: the edge of the gill plate cuts. Use a 30 to 40 lb fluorocarbon tip, 40 to 60 cm long.

common mistakes

  • Loose backing: it sinks under the line on the first strong run and jams.

basic cast

Fly casting throws the weight of the line, not the fly. The motion is accelerate and stop sharply. It's the stop that forms the loop that carries the line.

  1. Lay out about 8 to 10 m of line on the water in front of you, with no slack, and the rod tip low.
  2. Pickup: lift the rod, accelerating gradually to lift the line off the water.
  3. Back cast: stop the rod sharply near 1 o'clock.
  4. Wait for the line to extend behind you. The first few times, look over your shoulder.
  5. Forward cast: accelerate forward and stop sharply near 10 o'clock.
  6. False cast: repeat back and forth without letting the line touch the water, to gain length or aim. Release a little line on each forward cast.
  7. Shoot: on the last cast, right after the stop, release the line held in your free hand. The weight of the loop pulls the extra line out.
  8. Lower the rod tip following the line and pin the line with a finger of your rod hand to start retrieving.

tips

  • Firm wrist; the forearm does the work.
  • A wide loop means a soft stop or too large an arc. A tight loop means a sharp stop on a short arc.
  • A pause that's too short makes the line crack like a whip and can rip the fly off.
  • With wind and heavy flies, learn the double haul with an instructor.
  • Wear glasses and a cap: the fly passes close to your face.

common mistakes

  • Using force instead of a sharp stop.
  • Starting the forward cast before the line has extended behind you.

retrieving and hooking

The fly is worked by pulling line with your free hand (strip), with the rod tip low and pointed at the fly.

tips

  • With predators, set the hook by pulling line with your hand (strip set), without lifting the rod. Lifting the rod pulls the fly out of the fish's mouth.
  • After the hookset, reel the loose line onto the reel and fight the fish with the drag.
  • Watch loose line on the boat floor: if you step on it, it won't run out when the fish takes off.

flies for peacock bass, golden dorado and snook

Size, profile and color matter more than the exact pattern. When in doubt, imitate the local baitfish.

tips

  • Peacock bass: 8 to 15 cm streamers (Deceiver, Clouser, bucktails) in yellow and red, white, or white and black; poppers and gurglers on the surface. Strong hook, 2/0 to 4/0. Fast, continuous strip.
  • Golden dorado: bulky 10 to 15 cm streamers imitating lambari and tuvira, in yellow, white, black or with orange, always with a wire tippet. Cast upstream or across, let the fly drift down with the current and retrieve in strips.
  • Snook: Clouser Minnow, Deceiver and shrimp imitations 6 to 10 cm, in white, chartreuse and natural colors. Gamboa (mangrove creek) mouths on the falling tide; at dusk, a gurgler along the mangrove edge.
  • Clear water: natural, light colors. Dark or murky water: black, purple or solid, bold colors.

checklist

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sources and references

  1. technical AFFTA (American Fly Fishing Trade Association) — Fly Line Weight SpecificationsWeight standard for fly lines (#1 to #15), in grains over the first 30 feet (9.14 m). The AFFTA PDF is offline and no archived copy exists; URL not verified.
  2. technical IGFA — International Angling Rules & World Record RequirementsIGFA equipment rules: line classes, double line and leader, fly rules (class tippet). Version of May 2026 checked.

keep reading

knots

essential fishing knots

Nine knots that solve almost everything: tying hooks and lures, joining lines, connecting braid to leader and making loops. Step by step, what each one is for and how strong it is.

technical

precision casting

Overhead, sidearm, pitching, flipping and skipping: when to use each, how to aim at structure, and why the first cast to a spot is the one that gets the most bites.

conservation

catch and release done right

Releasing only counts if the fish survives. Right gear, little time out of water, proper handling, the right hook, care with barotrauma and revival against the current.