Just really to help build up content on the site I've included some details of Panama. And if I was to be pushed into identifying a favourite from all the places I've fished in the world it would have to be Panama - if for nothing else its sheer variety of species. Top of those have to be the Black Marlin and Roosterfish, but also the Cubera Snapper and, more of this later, Tarpon from the Pacific, and these are definitely Megalops atlanticus.
Any way there's a brief write up and some pictures on our Club's web site against this URL. Unfortunately many of the other pictures and reports are in a private, members only, section of the site. But I will 'cut and paste' a couple in a subsequent post.
Any rate the places and guides I've fished with - all Pacific side - and could recommend are as follows.
Tropic Star Lodge. A superb lodge surrounded by rain forest down near the Columbia border. Renowned for its Black Marlin on the fabled Zane Grey Reef and Sailfish, but also tremendous inshore fishing. Click here for their web site. As well as comprehensive catch reports there's some video footage of a huge Black that Guy Harvey took some underwater footage of.
Isla Coiba. A superb archipelago, some 40 miles offshore near the Costa Rican border. Here I've fished with an American skipper, Tom Yust and hooked, but never landed the Pacific Tarpon. You can literally hook and release a Black Marlin and then, within 20 minutes, be fishing for massive Roosterfish. Perhaps my favourite venue and you get a chance to fish the well known Hannibal Bank. Tom's web site is accessed by clicking here.
Then somewhat of a unique operation run by a larger than life American - Tony Herdon. His dad was an American Marine, his mother from a wealthy Panamanian family and he was educated in the UK. Now there's a mixture! Now Tony will offer a whole range of opportunities, all that start from Panama City. Here's the url of his web site. I've fished with Tony for the Peacock Bass in Lake Gatun - that surrounds the Panama Canal - also the Banayo River where the monster Tarpon and Snook (or should I ue the Spanish - Robalo?) are encountered. Tony's had Tarpon to 270lbs and Snook to nearly 50! (The Tarpon I hasten to add must have, over the past 100 years, migrated through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic.) As well as this, and something I intend to try possibly this year, is the popper fishing for Jacks and Snappers around the Perlas Islands in the Gulf of Panama.
Well there's a start!
Dave
Honorary Chairman
Sportfishing Club of the British Isles