In the fall of 2006 I had the privilege of visiting Uruguay with two of my favorite fish buddies, Jeff Cardwell and Vinny Kutty. Other than knowing of the beautiful Gymnogeophagus which came from the country, I was completely ignorant towards what the country had to offer. 

Uruguay completely and utterly blew me away in every expectation I had of the country. Not only were the fish fantastic but the people and the country itself was beyond compare. Our host and guide was the local collector and exporter for fish and herps, Felipe Cantera. Felipe and his staff showed the three of us easily the best time you could ever have while collecting for fish. Every minute detail was looked after and every day felt like Thanksgiving, except we were given at least two feasts a day. Their motto for the trip was "Dos kilos"   referring to the amount of weight they wished for you to gain from your holiday and all the home cooked feasts they set before you.  I managed to over achieve and make it "Tres kilos" Never before was I so happy to gain weight let me tell you.

To this day I have yet to figure out if it was the food, the fish, the people or the country itself which left the longest lasting impression on me. However one thing came out loud and clear after my trip… I must come back.

With that in mind I have begun bringing fellow hobbyists with me to experience what is in my mind one of the best places in the world to go collecting. If you would like to join me on a collecting trip to Uruguay, please contact me.

Cheers,

Spencer