Panama advice

[ruber]

Howdy, I'm new to the board, Not much of a saltwater expert. I fish for steelhead mostly, but last summer I had the privelage of working on a deserted island for 6 weeks and flyfishing so much my thumb almost fell off. Now I'm really hooked and want to learn more.
Anyway, I'm going to Panama for 3 weeks in January. I really have no plans so far, it's just me and the 8wt. taking busses around the country fishing nonstop. Anyone know good places to fish that don't require a guide/boat? I'd like to make this a do-it-yourself fishing trip to preserve the sense of adventure (OK, mainly to preserve cash). Thanks in advance for any help!

[jfairclough]

http://www.panamasportsman.com/

Panama is pretty tough to DIY. I went for 4 days with these guys and it was AWESOME!!! Check em out. No frills, but hardcore, all day fishing on their boat for about 40% less than other operations in the area. Very secluded lodge, we didn't see another fishing boat the whole time we were there. Catches included: Yellowfin, skipjack, bluefin trevally, amberjack (up to 100 lbs!!), broomtail grouper, snapper, and roosterfish (all roosters released), and more...

Talk about kind sushi!!! Here are some pics:


http://www.panamasportsman.com/April2004/Jake_Rosterfish.jpg
http://www.panamasportsman.com/April2004/Jake_Amberjack.jpg
http://www.panamasportsman.com/April2004/Lars_Trevally.jpg

[ruber]

Them be some hogs! Looks like you were on the Pacific side. I spent some time on the Azuero peninsula last summer, but only fished one day. I caught some jacks and small groupers while casting from the rocks. Could you recommend flies and fly lines to bring? Thanks

[jfairclough]

Since it's such a mixed bag there, variety in flies is a good choice. All kinds of poopers work well, but you have to strip like hell to get them to take them and it wears you out quick in that near equatorial climate. Sub-surface flies that imitate sardines and anchovies work best for roosters, snappers, and jacks. I caught all my tuna on trolling lures as I could't for the life of me cast 100 feet from the deck of a surging boat as they raced by. I never got closer than 80 feet to any boils. By the time I could make a good cast, they were boiling 100 yards away. I actually did hook one yellowfin in the 15 pound range, but my piece of **** Redington reel seized and I broke him off and lost a $60 fly line. I vowed never again to use sub par gear in saltwater for the rest of my life. I was furious. Only Ross, Tibor, Lamson, and Old Florida for me now. But casting into the rocks for resident roosters, snappers, and jacks was a blast. If I could do it again, I'd spend more time casting with an intermediate sinking line and an anchovy fly instead of wearing myself on the poppers. In Panama, there's a good chance you'll get shots at sailfish too if you go out on a boat. Tandem hook sailfish flies in a variety of colors all work. For the shorefish a ten weight is best and for the sails, a 12-14. I'll be going to this lodge in April. http://www.tropicstar.com I cringe at the money I'll be spending, but it is 2nd to none. Do check out the other lodge I told you about if you want to have great fishing on a budget. Hope this helps. Have a blast!

[jfairclough]

Oh yeah, one more thing. There are peacock bass in some of the lakes inland and there are good snook opportunities on both the Pacific and Atlantice sides. I never got the chance to try for either, but with a little resarch on the web and asking around, I'm sure you'll find out about the spots to hit....

[PanamaJack]

Lake Gatun, the huge lake that surrounds the Panama Canal, is literally full of Peacock Bass. Most range between 2 and 5lbs, but they get doubles every now and then. The 8 weight would be fine for them with either surface poppers or deceiver patterns.

As to the Snook you can catch really BIG Snook and, at certain times of the year - normally in the Spring, MASSIVE Tarpon in the Bayano River in Darien Province. The Tarpon despite being found Pacific side are Megalops Atlanticus and grow up to around 270lbs. You do occasionally spot them rolling but most of the time it would be speculative casting with a sinking line.

That's the good bit! Now to realism. The Trans-America highway ends in Darien province and it's a fairly 'wild' part of the world. It's not necessarily somewhere I would want to wander off on a self-guided basis.

You may want to have a word with an American - Tony Herdon - I've fished with and could thoroughly recommend. He trailers his skiff to both venues but also has access to a range of other boats and fishes some incredible venues on that Pacific coastline. You can find contact details for Tony on his web site - www.panamafishingandcatching.com.
Kindest Regards
Dave West
Chairman - Sportfishing Club of the British Isles
www.scbi.org.uk

[ruber]

Thanks for the tips you guys. I'm trying to keep this trip on a budget, so I can't really get involved with guides, since that'll probably be at least $100/day even for the cheap ones. I've been looking into Lake Gatun for Peacock bass, but I can't tell if there's bank access. I would love to find some river mouths that might have snook, but heading out into the Darien alone is probably a good way to get in trouble. I'll probably fish the San Blas for a few days, since I know that area well, and then cruise up the Pacific side, fishing the beaches and river mouths. Any advice for this style of fishing?