Weekly Round-Up: Darién Lodge Hosted Trip Report
In which everything is just... extreme. And a whole lot of fun.
There are some places in this world where everything is amplified. Bigger. More intense. More aggressive, even. I’ve been very grateful to spend some time over the years in a few of those places.
The general consensus amongst my hosted group this week was that the Darién fishery is one of them. Everything’s just amped up. From things as seemingly simple as the airplane ride into the jungle air strip to getting from said air strip out to the boats through the surf to the sheer depth of the water itself… stuff big here. Wild.
And we made the most of it this week.
All Enter the Tuna Battle
Chasing big yellowfin tuna on the fly is a recipe for a solid workout. And a week of it is a sure recipe for sore (but happy) anglers.
There’s a gym on the beach at the village of Punta Ardita, a small town seven miles south of the border with Panama along the coastline of the Darién Gap. The gym offers a pull-up bar, dip bars, and a few molded concrete weights. There’s even a plywood beach chair for lounging. The view is lovely, overlooking the bay and the small fishing fleet.
It’s a gorgeous spot. And one which some of us had semi-grand intentions to utilize over the course of the past week.
None of us did.
We found we preferred another kind of Colombian workout: the tuna gym. It’s chaotic and unpredictable and involves a lot of micro-movements which rival any bosu ball or balance board workout. There’s plenty of heavy weight lifting at awkward angles; overall a solid core workout.
And, as a bonus, you’re catching your own supply of protein. We certainly didn’t go hungry this week.
The team did a magnificent job of bracing up against wet, windy weather and rough seas. The Pacific Ocean along Colombia’s Chocó Coastline gets fairly brutal fairly quickly, and when you’re standing on a sliding, pitching boat casting a 12-weight at a blitz of tuna it’s easy to question one’s life decisions.
It’s also tempting to question those same life decisions when hooked into a big tuna on that same 12-weight and you’re an hour into the fight.
The past months and years of heavy-weight days at the gym suddenly all seem worthwhile… in a big way.
We saw fewer snapper and sailfish this year than I did last year, but tuna were sure around. Once we found them each day—anywhere from seven to 28 miles offshore—it was game on. It’s an objectively simple routine: see birds circling, jet into the blitz, and get to casting. Then the real work begins.
My gear this trip was chiefly the Epic fiberglass 12-weight Boca Grande, teamed with an old Orvis Mirage reel. The Scientific Anglers SONAR Saltwater Intermediate fly line was stellar, and SA’s Absolute Fluorocarbon Shock is a staple in my kit for tying up leaders (I ran 60-lb. and 80-lb. for these fish). My winning flies were big baitfish patterns, both from Fulling Mill: the Flaming Lamborghini and the Bus Ticket.
We had some wild weather days, including proper tropical deluges and even a waterspout in the bay in front of the lodge. But on the final afternoon we finally got a glimpse of blue skies, which was a fitting farewell to a fishery that had given us a run for our money over the course of the week.
Darien Lodge was a comfortable as ever with villas for each of us, a wonderful pool which saw a lot of use on the non-rainy evenings, and a welcoming common / dining area which was perfect for trading stories about the day’s adventures each evening.
Saudy, Erika, and the entire lodge team took wonderful care of us with meals. We had tuna at least one meal a day—cooked so creatively each time that none of us grew tired of it. Poolside snacks magically appeared before dinner each evening, usually featuring tuna and plantains, which is hard to beat.
I may be putting together another small group to return next year; what will be my fourth return back to the Darién. (Those of you who have followed along for a while know how rare it is for me to return to places, so read into that what you will.) If you’re game for an adventure in a fishery which will test your limits, drop me a note.
2026 Hosted Trips
Still have a couple spots open on these hosted trip destinations for 2026:
Estancia Laguna Verde (Jurassic Lake), Argentina: January 24-31, 2026
Bolivia Heli-Fishing (Trophy Golden Dorado): June 28-July 5, 2026
Estancia Laguna Verde 2026
I’ll be returning January 24-31, 2026, with a hosted group. Three slots have already filled with returning guests, so get in touch quickly if you’d like to join us. This is a top-notch lodge in a wonderfully unique fishery. Expect some of the world’s best guides, excellent lodging and food, a stellar lodge team, and wonderfully large, healthy rainbow trout in an environment that will make you think you’re fishing on the moon.
This PDF has more details—give it a read, and then get in touch to secure your spot!
January 24 - 31, 2026
Estancia Laguna Verde, Lago Strobel, Argentina
$7,950 (7 nights / 6.5 days fishing)
Bolivia Heli-Fishing For Trophy Golden Dorado
I’ve got just two spots left to return to Untamed Angling’s Tsimane Pluma Lodge Heli-Fishing Program June 27-July 4, 2026—an exclusive program in the Bolivian Amazon, designed to target trophy golden dorado. We’ll have the opportunity to fish not only for large dorado but also pacu, yatorana, and even moturo, in incomparable quantity and quality. The rivers and tributaries where we will fish every day are wild, untouched waters seldom seen by human beings.
Read more info HERE about this limited trip—just two spots remaining.
June 27-July 4, 2026
Tsimane Pluma Lodge, Bolivian Amazon
$17,250 ($16,000 plus $1,250 indigenous Indian fees)
Want to learn more about any of these trips?
Send me a DM on social media or shoot over an email.
Q&A
Keep on sending in your questions via Instagram or by commenting by clicking the button below. Each week I’ll pick one and give a longer, more thought-out answer here than those I give on Instagram.
This week’s question came in via Instagram.
Q: I’m getting ready for my first tropical trip (the Yucatan) but am worried I’ll get too hot in the sun in the boat all day. How do I cope?
A: Welcome to the world of the tropics! Fishing the flats addictive—consider yourself warned that you’re going to want to plan another trip as soon as you’ve taken this first one. It’s true that saltwater flats often tend to be on the… toasty side, but there are a few things you can do to make the day more comfortable.
Toss your sunscreen and drinks in the cooler. A slather of cold sunscreen can be a welcome rejuvenation mid-day. I also like to stick some electrolyte gummies in the cooler, too. (Clif Bloks pack small, and there are even some with caffeine or extra salt. I’m also a fan of Protekt Energy packets, which is basically a shot of B-vitamins and caffeine you mix in your water.) I’m not sponsored by either , but it’s a good tip for very hot days.)
Cover your skin. It might sound intuitive, but skin covered by lightweight, UPF-protective clothing is going to be cooler than bare skin. If I choose to fish in shorts, I bring along a beach towel I can cover up with when we’re running the boat.
Don’t be afraid to ask if you can jump in for a swim! I do this often on hot days when it’s safe. Sometimes a quick dunk in the water is a much-needed break from casting. I did this last week offshore in Colombia, and it was the highlight of the day… curious sharks included.
Have a ton of fun on your trip, and let me know what works to keep you cool(er) and comfortable on the panga.
Recently Published
The Big Sky Journal just published a photo essay and article about the romance of Montana summer fishing in their latest issue. Pick it up and give “The Simple Things in Life” a read.
Pick up the winter issue of The Fly Fish Journal for words + images about fly-fishing off Colombia’s Darien Gap.
The Field Ethos Journal recently ran this piece about having a beer on a stormy night in one of Pablo Escobar’s former bars… a life goal I didn’t know I had.
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