The plan started to take shape. The goal, a 4-6 week program to bring anglers to the area. The idea, protect the jungle and the fish, create jobs for the villagers and bring a vision to the region that provides a long term and lasting effect.
In October of 2016 Rob would come back to the river with a group of 7 friends and fisherman that included Rob’s longtime friend Evan and Rob’s family doctor, to not only fish the lower Xeriuini River but also to spend time with the indegenous people and start to strengthen the relationship and form some trust. The group spent a week fishing and living with the locals. The doctor spent three days in a school as his office providing medical attention and advice to the people. The week was a huge success. The plan was introduced, the ideas were discussed and the groundwork was laid for a program designed to work for everyone.
After the trip, with the help and support of the three villages on the river, Rob, Neto, Rob’s friend Evan and three Xeriuini River Indegenous people would make an exploratory trip during the high water season to the Headwaters of the Xeriuini. It took the group almost 5 days aboard a village fishing boat to make it to the destination “Rio Novo”. Immediately it was obvious that this was the most unbelievable place in the Amazon. Even in high water the rivers were clear, the fish were abundant and the Jungle was pristine. This was the place Rob had been told about. The magical place.
Soon after the trip, Rob, with the help of his new business partner Neto Silva devised a plan to bring to the Secretary of the Environment of the State of Roraima and the Mayor of Caracarai, a city whose government was incharge of overseeing the area and the villagers.
The key to the future of this program was to design a mobile operation that could navigate through the shallow water and sandbars of the upper river. This process was developed by the prior business partner. The design of the camp would be lengthy and costly. A three year plan was put in place to continue to bring fisherman to the lower river while looking for the right investors to help finance the program.