- 22 hours ago
Big Fish Man S01E01 Amazon H 264
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00:16I'm Jakob Wagner, and I'm going further than Eddie before to catch the biggest freshwater
00:24fish on the planet.
00:27These incredible predators are rare, tough to catch, and absolutely massive.
00:37Their hunting grounds are remote corners of our planet.
00:44And I'll track them down, whatever it takes.
00:51This time I'm heading deep into the Amazon rainforest.
00:54And this looks like a different world.
00:58On the hunt for South America's biggest freshwater fish, the arapaima, a powerful predator encased
01:05in armored scales.
01:08Its hunting grounds are remote jungle lagoons, infested with piranha.
01:13There are thousands of them.
01:15The journey there will be difficult.
01:17Hold on, guys.
01:18Hold on.
01:18But catching the arapaima will be even tougher.
01:22Arapaima!
01:23Arapaima!
01:23Arapaima!
01:53Arapaima!
01:54Arapaima!
01:54there might be very big arapaima the arapaima is the undisputed giant of the
02:02Amazon River a super fast predator that can grow as big as three meters it's an
02:10air-breathing fish that can survive in oxygen depleted lagoons reaching the
02:15surface to take huge gulps of air to reach to our pimas lagoons I'll travel 200
02:27kilometers along the Rio Aquatico deep into the rainforest towards the border of
02:32Peru this is like of the gateway to the Amazon rainforest and my last chance to
02:39buy supplies I need two weeks worth of food and water there is no chance of
02:46resupply in the jungle you can stop you that's perfect
03:00my chenny
03:01I need to buy 20 meters of this one for a moment I need to be on the river as
03:09soon
03:09as possible that's it my fishing window here is incredibly tight to catch my
03:17arapaima in the wild it's extremely difficult now even more because we are
03:22right between dry season and wet season in the next three months over a meter of
03:28rain will fall flooding the rainforest I need to find the arapaima's isolated
03:34lagoons before they burst their banks if the water level will be high fishing will be extremely difficult
03:42because all our pima will be deep in the jungle
03:49it's our main guide
03:57my guide Marco says it'll take two days to reach the jungle lagoons
04:02okay let's go Marco we have at least five hours to go
04:12the Amazon rainforest is around twice the size of India and is home to 10% of the world's known
04:19species
04:20these rivers are the hunting grounds of caiman anacondas and piranhas
04:27this expedition is very special I'm heading far from civilization to keep into the jungle
04:32I'm going to explore new river system
04:38but before I can fish for arapaima I need bait the best is a catfish called bolon which lives in
04:46the fast flowing rivers
04:47I need to catch some before I get to the lagoons
04:51these river people should know exactly where to find these catfish because that's what they eat
04:57and I need to find a good fisherman because dry bait is the most important thing for my quest
05:07okay yeah let's park over there where is the small tree coming from the water
05:13tonight we'll make camp in this small fishing village
05:19and I'm hoping they'll help me get some bolo catfish
05:25I have no idea where we are going
05:28but we are getting deeper and deeper to the jungle
05:32and they are promising there will be some good bait
05:36this rain really drives me crazy
05:41the water will be high the water will be cold
05:45it can't be any worse
05:48the villagers say I'll find great catfish bait in rotting trees
06:04how do you call them Marco how do you call them nombre?
06:08Chontacuro
06:09Chontacuro?
06:10Chontacuro
06:13it's good for bolo
06:14is it good bait for bolo?
06:16para bolo es muy bueno
06:17si
06:18es bueno también para comer
06:20es muy bueno esto
06:21si
06:21es sabroso
06:29the Chontacurus are the larva of the palm beetle
06:33the more I get the better the chance of some quality bait
06:37for a giant arapaima
06:40catfish start hunting at dusk
06:42if I catch some now
06:44I could be fishing for arapaima tomorrow
07:07the arapaima
07:10the arapaima
07:11feed on fish
07:12using a tooth covered tongue
07:14to crush prey
07:15against the roof of their mouth
07:19marco es a bolo?
07:21otro bolo
07:22otro bolo
07:23otro bolo
07:23si si
07:24bueno
07:25every bait fish is very important
07:27because every bait fish could mean
07:31one more arapaima
07:33hacia i
07:35no
07:41did you hear that?
07:45they do exactly this under the water
07:47and that drives arapaima completely crazy
07:52I've got my bait, but with every drop of rain, the river goes up, and my chance of catching
07:59an uropaima goes down.
08:08OK, come on, guys.
08:13We have at least five, six savers in front of us.
08:16So if we want to fish today, we have to move.
08:26If we don't fish soon, I'm worried the rising water will ruin my chances for good.
08:39The water level is just about to rise to the dry land.
08:44If we get more rain and 20, 30 centimeters more, we have a big problem.
08:53But it's just after midday, and a tropical storm is landing right on top of us.
09:00Let's go, let's cover everything.
09:03It's going to get wet.
09:05The wind is picking up, and cold rain is lashing down.
09:14This is the worst thing that could have happened.
09:18The rainy season is here, and my dream of catching a giant uropaima is being washed away.
09:24Come on, guys.
09:28Come on.
09:28Come on.
09:38I'm on the hunt for the Amazon's biggest freshwater fish, battling a jungle storm.
09:45The arpaima is a powerful predator that hunts in the warm lagoons of the rainforest.
09:51But the jungle rains are my worst enemy.
09:55This is what I was talking about.
09:58This is what I was talking about.
09:58Heavy rain.
10:00There are two problems if the water rises.
10:03The first problem is, if the water goes to the forest, our arpaima don't do as well.
10:09And the second problem is, the rain brings a lot of oxygen to the rivers and lagoons.
10:17And the arpaima don't need to come up and go to here, so I don't see them, and then I
10:24can catch them.
10:26I'm trying to reach a village that sits on a bend in the river, deep in the rainforest.
10:31Satellite images show hundreds of lagoons in the surrounding jungle.
10:36But as the storm lifts, the water is still rising fast.
10:40The arpaima's lagoons will soon disappear.
10:43That's the village, right in front of us.
10:49Around 200,000 indigenous people live in the Amazon rainforest.
10:54Many are still isolated from the outside world, relying on the jungle for all their needs.
11:01I'm really pleased that I can see the canoes over there on the shore.
11:05Exactly the size of what I need to get to these lagoons.
11:09The men of the village fish and hunt for their food.
11:12But even here, giant arpaima is a rare sight.
11:17Only six houses in the whole village.
11:19And this is basically it.
11:22I'll make camp later.
11:24I'm desperate to start fishing right away.
11:27The villagers say there's a giant lagoon nearby, surrounded by thick jungle.
11:32Finding it is not going to be easy.
11:40We have left the main river, now we are heading to the lagoon.
11:45We are only two hours from the village, and this looks like a different world.
11:52If the rain holds off, I'll start fishing straight away.
12:01We are nearly there.
12:10You see all the trees over there, the palm trees?
12:14Marco, suddenly there is more light everywhere around us.
12:19Means there are no trees.
12:20And that means only one thing, there is a lagoon.
12:26We are very close.
12:28This could be my first chance to catch an arpaima.
12:55The water in this lagoon is warm and low on oxygen.
13:00But the arpaima can gulp air above the surface.
13:04I need to watch, wait and listen.
13:08Giant adults only come up a few times a day.
13:11If there are any signs of bubbles, I'll cast straight away.
13:16Arapaima.
13:19Let's try to go over there.
13:21I need silence when I'm fishing.
13:24The arpaima are easily scooped.
13:31You have to spot the fish and cast on the fish.
13:36Hit it right.
13:37And then if you are lucky, you might get a take.
13:42But one, two, three casts a day, that's it.
13:54There is a fish.
13:56There is a fish.
14:03Arapaima, arapaima, arapaima.
14:05I need to hold tight.
14:07The arpaima is already trying to power towards the trees.
14:11There is a big arpaima hole.
14:15I cast on the fish and it took maybe ten seconds.
14:19And the fish took my lure.
14:24It's hard to say how big this fish is.
14:27Okay.
14:28But the fight is definitely not over.
14:31It's pulling tight, yeah.
14:34Whoa, whoa, whoa.
14:34Not on the boat, not on the boat, not on the boat.
14:37God, I'm scared I might lose the fish.
14:40Be careful, Marco.
14:42Whoa!
14:43Did you see that?
14:47It's too big to land on the canoe.
14:49I need to get closer to the shore.
14:52Vamos, vamos, vamos, vamos.
14:53Let's try to get somewhere over there.
14:58Okay.
14:59Now we are close to the shore.
15:05Yeah!
15:06Got it!
15:07Wow, do you see the power of the fish?
15:11It's incredible.
15:13It's not the biggest arpaima in the world.
15:16It's probably around 55, 60 kilos.
15:20But it was hard to get it.
15:23My quest is to catch one twice this size.
15:26But it's a good start.
15:27She needs to call the air.
15:29They are able to breathe not only underwater,
15:31but as well above the water.
15:35Okay.
15:36The hook is away.
15:37Look at the eyes.
15:39Do you see them, how big they are?
15:41This fish hunts by sight.
15:43The arpaima is armoured.
15:44These scales are very tough because of piranhas.
15:49One more gulp and I will release her.
15:58This wasn't definitely the biggest arpaima,
16:02but every single arpaima is important
16:05because we know that they are still around.
16:17I'm really pleased that everything worked today.
16:20Always the first fish is the most important.
16:23And it was a good day, good training day.
16:26I can trust my gear now 100%.
16:30Tomorrow I'm travelling deeper to the jungle,
16:34where I'm hoping to find the real big arpaima.
16:41It's been raining heavily all night.
16:44The cold water is flooding the forest
16:46and cooling the warm lagoons.
16:48Cold water has more oxygen,
16:50so the arpaima come up less for air.
16:52It's even harder to find them.
16:55It looks so beautiful.
16:58But I'm really scared we are here to light.
17:02Because the water is rising through the forest a lot.
17:07Local fisherman Virgilio is taking me to a lagoon downstream from the village.
17:11It could be a good place for Arapaima,
17:14but only if the flood water hasn't reached it.
17:17Water is rising a lot.
17:19And most of the lagoons are completely flooded.
17:22There's a lot of current getting in.
17:25But this lagoon looks fine because the current is really slow.
17:29And it means there's getting not so much of cold water from the main river.
17:47The water in this lagoon feels much warmer than the river.
17:51Now I need to watch for signs of Arapaima.
17:58Normally you see at least small fish jumping on the surface.
18:07Now it's completely dead.
18:10I need to move to a different spot.
18:13But I risk disturbing any Arapaima that might be here.
18:23Hey, Marco.
18:25Very, very quiet now.
18:29You stay here.
18:31It feels like everything here is against me.
18:35Every time I cast, piranhas steal my bait.
18:41I'm fighting with piranha all the time.
18:44My bait was in the water maybe 10 seconds and has been eaten.
18:51The fish is still alive.
18:58Cast and wait because the water is full of piranhas.
19:01They would eat my bait immediately.
19:04So I have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait.
19:10But believe me it's very difficult.
19:13To sit here all day without a single movement.
19:18Waiting for a fish which is not showing up.
19:26Yesterday was frustrating.
19:28I didn't get a single take.
19:30Today I'm trying a different lagoon.
19:33But the rain clouds have returned.
19:36With this weather and everything is more difficult.
19:40We must catch a fish today.
19:49I only have a few days before the lagoons are completely flooded.
19:55I have to do something to improve my chances.
20:07I've tried nearly everything.
20:10But nothing works.
20:12I don't know where is the problem.
20:14If my crew are too noisy.
20:17Or it's only because of the weather.
20:20But I have to try definitely something else.
20:23I want to leave my crew and Marco behind.
20:26And build a wooden raft.
20:29I go to the lagoon.
20:30Stay there whole night.
20:32Stay as calm as possible.
20:34And start fishing as soon as possible.
20:37The fish will be active in the morning.
20:40Like this I will be there in the best time.
20:42And completely alone without any interruptions.
20:49This one looks good.
20:58It's definitely not the soft wood.
21:01Be careful, Marco. It's coming.
21:03It's coming, it's coming, it's coming.
21:05Be careful, Marco.
21:07Be careful, it's coming.
21:11I need to build a raft that's stable.
21:13And big enough to sleep on.
21:17So, we basically create a catamaran.
21:20One here.
21:23Yeah.
21:24And one here.
21:25I've been building rafts since I was a kid.
21:28But this one needs to sit high above the water.
21:30Let's bring this one straight to the water.
21:33I don't want anything climbing on board during the night.
21:36It has to be very stable.
21:38Because if I would hook a big or a pimer, I have to be able to fight from the raft.
21:45And probably even pull the fish on the raft.
21:51This might be my best chance of catching really big fish.
22:04Let's go.
22:06I need to find a good fishing spot on the lagoon before the sun sets.
22:14I have to be extremely quiet.
22:20I'm very pleased that it works.
22:23And it's very quiet, which is important.
22:27If this will fall apart in the night, I will be swimming with anacondas.
22:54I'm at the end of the lagoon in the deepest part.
22:58It was very promising.
23:00It's my first night on an Amazon lagoon.
23:04I have no idea what to expect.
23:06This is my home for tonight.
23:12And over there, everywhere, is the home of some very strange and very big animals.
23:24I can hear some big splashes from the other side.
23:28And from my left.
23:31And definitely another opimer.
23:35Big caiman.
23:38Definitely.
23:46Still, it's a very strange feeling.
23:49They just know that they are around you.
23:53Four or five meters long.
24:00Oh.
24:02There was something very big under my raft now.
24:18Five-thirty in the morning.
24:23Nothing has touched my bed.
24:26Not even a small lip.
24:31I'm alone, on a raft, deep in the Amazon jungle.
24:36I'm convinced it's the only way to catch a giant arapaima.
24:42But, I've nothing to show for my efforts.
24:49Piranhas again.
24:52The same story all the time.
24:56Was in water.
24:57Twenty seconds.
25:00I've only four bigas left.
25:07So...
25:09I'll have to go for a bait fish again.
25:21I'm down to my last bait fish.
25:23And finally, the bite I've been waiting all night for.
25:30I've hooked an arapaima, but it's trying to escape.
25:34The fish is throwing me to the grass.
25:44And I can't stop it.
25:50I don't know how big the fish is, but she got already to the grass.
25:56I might lose the fish. I might lose the fish.
26:04My line is going slack. I can't feel the fish anymore.
26:09The fish is probably...
26:13lost.
26:26I thought raft fishing will be better than from the canoe.
26:32But I already know that not.
26:35First, I will have to fish from the canoe.
26:41Because...
26:42The raft is very quiet.
26:44It's a very good platform to fish from.
26:47But it's too slow.
26:49I have to be a little bit faster when I see the fish.
26:53The raft's failed.
26:54And the water is still rising.
26:57The arapaima could be anywhere.
26:59I only need to find one giant fish in one perfect lagoon
27:04that's completely sealed off from the river.
27:14This looks good. There might be a lagoon.
27:18It's impossible to see far through this thick jungle.
27:22I need to get up high.
27:23But it's a risky strategy.
27:27I have to be careful for snakes and scorpions.
27:31Especially scorpions.
27:32There are a lot of them on these trees.
27:38Okay, let's go for it.
27:51Here is a wasp nest.
28:05I'm getting higher and higher.
28:08I think there might be a lagoon.
28:14There is a clearing around 500 meters away.
28:17It could be my perfect lagoon.
28:20There are a lot of trees.
28:23And the water is everywhere.
28:26Getting very far to the jungle.
28:28But close to the trees right there.
28:31There is an empty spot.
28:35There are no trees.
28:36It's a good sign.
28:38There might be a lagoon.
28:41This is exactly what I'm looking for.
28:44For a lagoon which is not connected with the cold river.
28:50The lagoon will have to wait.
28:53Piranhas have eaten all my bait.
28:56I've got to find more.
29:03I'm hunting for a fish called Trahira.
29:06That lies completely still in shallow water waiting to pounce on smaller fish.
29:17I'm completely out of baitfish.
29:20And I don't want to spend my time fishing for baitfish in the morning.
29:26When it's the best time for Pima.
29:28So my only way.
29:30And the best way.
29:32Is fishing with machete in the night.
29:36And with a torch.
29:39How the locals do.
29:45There are two bigas.
29:47Do you see?
29:47Do you see them?
29:51I want you to right there.
29:56Sometimes it's very difficult to see them.
29:59Because the camouflage of the fish is perfect.
30:04If I'm fast enough, I can hit them with my machete.
30:08Okay, got it.
30:10My first Trahira tonight.
30:13It's a very good baitfish for our Pima.
30:16I'm very happy that I have this fish.
30:20Do you have it?
30:27I've done it.
30:28I've done it.
30:44I think we have enough.
30:58I've done it.
30:59I'm heading for the lagoon I spotted from the tree.
31:02It's further upriver and deeper into the jungle.
31:05Than I've ever been before.
31:29The lagoon is massive.
31:33This could be the one.
31:41We have arrived today very early.
31:45I didn't see a single fish yet.
31:47yet.
31:50So I don't want to paddle around.
31:53I want to wait for a big fish.
31:57whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
31:58whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
32:12It's great.
32:13An arapaima has surfaced. I need to get closer to cast my bait right on top of the air bubbles.
32:24But any noise will spook it. The fish was right here.
32:40I was right. The fish is there, and it's taken my bait.
32:48It's going to jump, it's going to jump!
32:50The arapaima can leap out of the water to snatch birds. It could jump straight off a hook.
32:58Very big fish, very big fish, very big fish.
33:00It's falling hard to escape towards the grass again.
33:06Oh!
33:08It's a very big arapaima, it's a very big arapaima.
33:14This could be the one.
33:27I've got to reel her in before she reaches the grass.
33:44The fish is still on my line.
33:54Oh no!
34:06Oh no!
34:10Oh!
34:10Oh!
34:12Oh!
34:17Did you see that?
34:29That was the fish I was looking for.
34:37This was a monster.
34:40This fish was well over 100 kilos, I don't know what happened.
34:48I was trying to pull it far from the trees and then I don't know what happened.
35:05That was the fish I'm looking for.
35:12This was a giant.
35:25I'm deep in the Amazonian rainforest, on the trail of a giant arapaima hiding in this
35:32remote jungle lagoon.
35:34So far, I failed to catch it.
35:37The water's been too cold and piranhas are beating the arapaima to my bait.
35:43It's time to lose the piranhas.
35:46I'm on the side of the lagoon, but my problem are piranhas.
35:52They are constantly stealing my bait, all the time.
35:57I got a chicken from the local villagers.
35:59I got as well flesh of the fish and paku, big Amazon fish with teeth like a humans.
36:14Look at this, very cool, really like a humans because they're eating seeds and nuts.
36:20That's what they feed on.
36:22I'm going to leave these three bait on different spots and hope that it will attract piranhas
36:30far from my bait.
36:33I will leave the chicken here, paku somewhere else and meat of the fish there behind the
36:40corner.
36:40And I have to hope that that will attract piranhas from my fishing spot.
36:47Blood will make them crazy.
36:49So I have to make it as bloody as possible.
36:52Open the chicken as much as I can and get the blood to the water.
37:02It's quite bloody.
37:05So I want to show you how does it look like when piranhas are feeding crazy.
37:11So I have camera here on the stick and I'm going to leave here the chicken right in front
37:18of the camera.
37:29To be honest, I really don't know if chicken is going to work for piranha.
37:34Piranha can't find chicken in the wild, but I think it's bloody enough.
37:56You see that?
38:02I'm only two maybe three meters from the chicken and they are already feeding frenzy.
38:09Red-bellied piranhas eat plants and insects, but they are also scavengers that feed on injured
38:16and dead animals.
38:17It's crazy how many of them are here.
38:19They swim in shoals to protect themselves from predators, but their fearsome reputation comes
38:26from their razor sharp teeth and these frenzied attacks.
38:40I can't see them from here.
38:48there are thousands of them thousands
38:56they're eating just about everything now i know why it's so difficult to catch our palma here
39:04it's crazy and they are moving everywhere around my hand
39:21look at this
39:26the chicken was in the water maybe i don't know two minutes
39:34and it has been completely eaten
39:38so try to imagine what's going on when i cast my bait
39:47and immediately when i throw it back the ropes start shaking again
39:54i have to go fishing very fast because this might help
39:59the piranhas will not be distracted for long
40:02i'm heading back to where i lost the giant arapaima
40:06it's my best chance of getting a take
40:30fish on
40:43fish on fish on
40:45it's a very strong fish
40:47i've hooked an arapaima but it's heading for the trees
40:50like a bullet
40:51it's getting close to the shore
40:53i have to be very careful here because there are a lot of big trees around in this lagoon
40:58it's a massive fish it took maybe two seconds and the fish was on
41:06it's definitely bigger fish
41:10it's taking a lot of line it's taking a lot of line
41:13the fish will reach these trees the fish might cut my line
41:20i've got to get it to the canoe
41:23i'm going to see the fish i'm going to see
41:25wow it's good arapaima
41:30i can't believe it i can't believe it
41:32wow did you see that jump
41:37this is the fish i've been hunting for
41:40it's coming up it's coming up
41:4480 kilos
41:53be careful be careful we don't want to jump
41:55oh that was close
41:57he'll end up in the canoe
41:59okay
42:04now she looks
42:05oh i was just going to say that she looks calm but
42:09she doesn't
42:10she's tiring but she's too big to land on the boat
42:14i have to get her to the shore
42:16and fast
42:28look at this
42:30what amazing arapaima
42:34this fish
42:35is definitely more than 80 kilos
42:38it has to be close to 100
42:53it's too heavy
42:57i'm tired
42:58fish is tired
43:04but we made it
43:06it's a very important moment when she gulps here because that's the moment when she's getting
43:12oxygen into the body and more energy back as well
43:16i will try to show you the teeth of arapaima
43:20she might get a little bit angry
43:22do you see them
43:24tiny tiny tiny teeth
43:27but very very sharp
43:30look
43:33how long she is
43:39over two meters
43:43did you see that
43:44that was the famous gulp
43:46i was looking for so many days here in the amazon
43:51this is the queen of the amazon
43:54this is arapaima
43:58tropical storms
43:59unforgiving jungle
44:00and piranha infested lagoons
44:03have all stood in my way
44:04and i'm going to let you go now
44:06but
44:07i got what i came for
44:09a giant arapaima
44:11you
44:12you
44:16you
44:18you
44:19you
44:20you
44:20you
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