RIPSAW CATFISH

The ripsaw catfish is another of our superb amazon species and on that is guaranteed to cause some damage if not handled correctly. As an omnivore it has a diverse diet and enjoys hoovering the bottom in detritus rich areas with its pronounced barbuled mouth. It has an impressive self-defense armour that includes razor sharp scales along its lateral line with protruding hook-like thorns.

However, they look more fearsome than they really are. They are a shy fish that spends most of the time under the cover of the hyacinth beds where much of the dead plants have produced a nice silty, detritus rich area for them to feed. When hooked, they will attempt to keep running for the cover of the hyacinths so keeping the rod low with plenty of side pressure is the order of the day. Bait wise, they will take pretty much anything from small pieces of fish to poly balls that get scooped up in the detritus and silt.

They are only to be handled under the strict guidance of our guides: you will be given a pair of cut-proof gloves to hold them and while initially a little feisty, they will normally calm down and placate themselves for photos.