--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It took me six years going to the Amazon…" description: "\"It took me six years going to the Amazon, three months at a time, to actually track down the arapaima. That's commonly said to be the biggest fresh-wat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jeremy-wade-8413_fish_it-took-me-six-years-going-to-the-amazon_1547746.jpg" --- # It took me six years going to the Amazon, three months at… ![“It took me six years going to the Amazon, three months at a time, to actually track down the arapaima. That's commonly said to be the biggest fresh-water fish in the world. Nobody knows for sure, but a lot of people think so.” quote by Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jeremy-wade-8413_fish_it-took-me-six-years-going-to-the-amazon_1547746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jeremy-wade-8413_fish_it-took-me-six-years-going-to-the-amazon_1547746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jeremy-wade-8413_fish_it-took-me-six-years-going-to-the-amazon_1547746.jpg) > “It took me six years going to the Amazon, three months at a time, to actually track down the arapaima. That's commonly said to be the biggest fresh-water fish in the world. Nobody knows for sure, but a lot of people think so.” [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes a prolonged, intermittent effort to locate a legendary large freshwater fish, highlighting the difficulty of confirming myths. **In simple terms:** Finding the biggest fish took years of trips and uncertainty. Key Takeaway Patience and persistence reveal hidden truths. Themes exploration patience mythbusting nature research Mood curious adventurous inquisitive Type narrative documentary educational When to use this quote - scientific expeditions - wildlife documentaries - educational programs Key Concepts biology fieldwork legend verification ecosystem conservation Questions to Reflect On - What myths have you pursued? - How do you handle uncertainty in research? A Different Perspective Even with effort, definitive proof may remain elusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fresh water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fresh-water/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I did a series in 2002 called 'Jungle Hooks.' We did a show on the arapaima fish, which is thought to be the largest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-did-a-series-in-2002-called-jungle-hooks-we-did-a-show-on-the/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I want to spend a couple of months going through the Amazon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-cambage/i-want-to-spend-a-couple-of-months-going-through-the-amazon/) [Liz Cambage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-cambage/) > [Fish from all over the world, from deep in the sea, wind up in countries from Germany to Japan. That is just crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/fish-from-all-over-the-world-from-deep-in-the-sea-wind-up-in/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [“In the fish world many things are told by sound waves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/in-the-fish-world-many-things-are-told-by-sound-waves/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [The best fish in the world are of course those one catches oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/the-best-fish-in-the-world-are-of-course-those-one-catches-oneself/) [Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/) > [The thing about the oceans is there is the benefit of water clarity. You can see what's going on there, but a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-thing-about-the-oceans-is-there-is-the-benefit-of-water-clarity/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [The other thing is, visibility is often not very good in fresh water. So if a fish bites something, a part of the body,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-other-thing-is-visibility-is-often-not-very-good-in-fresh-water/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [There's less mystery in the sea than there is in fresh water. If you look at television there's lots of documentaries on whales, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/there-s-less-mystery-in-the-sea-than-there-is-in-fresh-water-if-you/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [ “4. Man is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured according to Su Shih (So-shoku).\[FN#164\] The difficulty may be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/4-man-is-neither-good-natured-nor-bad-natured-according-to-su-shih-so/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-alchemist-picked-up-a-book-that-someone-in-the-caravan-had/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There is no domestic issue more important to America in the long run than the conservation and proper use of our natural resources, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-nelson/there-is-no-domestic-issue-more-important-to-america-in-the-long-run/) [Gaylord Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-nelson/) > [The shortage of fresh water is the major ecological problem of this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/the-shortage-of-fresh-water-is-the-major-ecological-problem-of-this/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [“Our pals over at Wikipedia make hair sounds like the sun of fresh water, saying in their snooty tone that head hair has "gained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/our-pals-over-at-wikipedia-make-hair-sounds-like-the-sun-of-fresh/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [At my death paint my body with red paint and plunge it into fresh water to be restored back to life, otherwise my bones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crazy-horse/at-my-death-paint-my-body-with-red-paint-and-plunge-it-into-fresh/) [Crazy Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crazy-horse/) > [“It's like asking me to describe fresh water. I need it to live. I need her to live”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calia-read/it-s-like-asking-me-to-describe-fresh-water-i-need-it-to-live-i-need/) [Calia Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calia-read/) ## More by Jeremy Wade > [Normally, you want the river when the water is low and not when it's flooded. For example, there are parts of the Amazon where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/normally-you-want-the-river-when-the-water-is-low-and-not-when-it-s/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [The way that we live with potentially dangerous animals is not to kill them, but to understand them and to coexist with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-way-that-we-live-with-potentially-dangerous-animals-is-not-to/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I grew up in a little village in England that had a river running through it so I've been fishing from a very early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-grew-up-in-a-little-village-in-england-that-had-a-river-running/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I actually found contracting malaria in the Congo fascinating. Observing your body under attack from this microorganism and seeing how it responds is simultaneously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-actually-found-contracting-malaria-in-the-congo-fascinating/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [Sea water is clear and you can put the camera in sea water and you can see stuff, whereas freshwater is often zero visibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/sea-water-is-clear-and-you-can-put-the-camera-in-sea-water-and-you/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I've never caught muskie. That would be quite special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-ve-never-caught-muskie-that-would-be-quite-special/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [Florida's nice and warm, there's all sorts of stuff living there that shouldn't be there!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/florida-s-nice-and-warm-there-s-all-sorts-of-stuff-living-there-that/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I have caught some big eels in New Zealand, where the climate is very similar to Scotland. But they grow to around five feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-have-caught-some-big-eels-in-new-zealand-where-the-climate-is-very/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [The most fascinating and satisfying encounter so far was the goliath tigerfish of the Congo. I first caught one in 1991, and then again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-most-fascinating-and-satisfying-encounter-so-far-was-the-goliath/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [We all need a bit of mystery in our lives, and rivers offer plenty of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/we-all-need-a-bit-of-mystery-in-our-lives-and-rivers-offer-plenty-of/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [Normally if you are in a boat, you can follow a fish around, but if you are on the shore, you have to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/normally-if-you-are-in-a-boat-you-can-follow-a-fish-around-but-if-you/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [The worst thing that happened when filming 'River Monsters' was the time when our sound recordist was hit by lightning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-worst-thing-that-happened-when-filming-river-monsters-was-the/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [I made a series set in India that was more of a conventional fishing show. The fish were very uncooperative, so we were casting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/i-made-a-series-set-in-india-that-was-more-of-a-conventional-fishing/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [The great thing about freshwater fish is most of them are incredibly ugly, a lot of them are, so no one can fail to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/the-great-thing-about-freshwater-fish-is-most-of-them-are-incredibly/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [With 'River Monsters', I am the investigator: here's the crime scene, I talk to witnesses, I establish a suspects list, I narrow it down;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/with-river-monsters-i-am-the-investigator-here-s-the-crime-scene-i/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) [Explore all 81 Jeremy Wade quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) ## More Fish quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) Gza > [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [“Similarly, take the time to get into shape so you can get to that great spot and be able to fish it all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-deeter/similarly-take-the-time-to-get-into-shape-so-you-can-get-to-that/) Kirk Deeter > [“It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/it-s-a-familiar-if-not-exactly-inspiring-message-in-the-face-of-slim/) [Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/) > [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/) [Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/) [Browse all 2,977 Fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It took me six years going to the Amazon, three months at a time, to actually track down the arapaima. That's commonly said to be the biggest fresh-water fish in the world. 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