Deep in the jungles of Eastern Colombia, a myriad of rivers languidly creep through the landscape like giant anacondas, carving out winding bends and leaving behind oxbow lakes and lagoons as they slowly shift through geologic time. The backwater rivers brim with aquatic life, and the top of that food chain is a predatory fish of legends – Cichla temensis, of the speckled peacock bass. Once the haunts of Pablo Escobar and anti-government guerrilla forces, these prolific waters have now been passed back to the indigenous Piaroa communities who inhabit their banks, and this new regime of conservation-minded stewards has opened the doors for international anglers to voyage into the heart of this wilderness in hopes of an encounter with one of these giant multi-colored cichlids that call these waters home. This film will tell the story of the Rio Mataven through the voice of one of the Piaroa leaders (in Piaroa language), from its troubled past to its hopeful future, documenting a fly fishing guide training project together with Yellowdog’s Community & Conservation Foundation along the way, and ultimately showcasing the incredible fish and other wildlife that roam the banks of the infamous jungle river.
