Fishipedia Top 5: Fishing lodges with a difference
There are lodges, and then are lodges. Here’s a selection that tick the ‘special’ box…
Kau Tapen, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
The set-up Hanging off the southern tip of Argentina, a long way from pretty much everything, is Kau Tapen Lodge. A jewel in the Nervous Waters crown, this Tierra del Fuego outpost has become a byword for monster sea trout and luxury lodging.
What makes it so different? It’s hard to reach (you have to really want to fish here to make the journey), and when you arrive you’ll most likely be greeted with blow-your-hat-off winds on most days. Trust us though, it’s worth it – no less than five world records for brown trout have been set here, and the guides say they’d have broken many more if they could be bothered with the paperwork. The sea run trout on the Rio Grande average 12lbs and fish over 20lb are not unusual. Remember, these are trout we’re talking about.
As for the lodge itself – upscale living and bar areas, massage facilities, sauna, steam room, plus drying rooms for wet gear… this place has it all going on. All of which makes it OK that no-one really knows how to pronounce its name.
>> Click here to find out
more about Kau Tapen Lodge
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The Delphi Club, Abaco, Bahamas
The set-up Perched 50 feet above sea level on Abaco’s east coast, this relative newcomer to the stable of Bahamas bonefish lodges is a class apart. Housed in an elegant colonial-style plantation building overlooking the Atlantic, this might just be most people’s idea of what lies just beyond the pearly gates in bonefisherman’s heaven.
What makes it so different? The Delphi Club prides itself on being the dream destination for those travelling with non-fishing companions. In that aim the folks here have excelled themselves. Sitting on a small hill on Abaco, with almost no other building in sight, this 8-bedroom tropical hideaway is elegance epitomised. There are no bellhops, no room service – instead the lodge is run in the style of a “country houseparty, elegant yet informal – and very relaxed”. Its focal point, the Great Room, could be straight out of an Agatha Christie thriller, with its open staircase, enormous dining table, discreet honesty bar, big comfy sofas and antique trimmings. Outside, a wraparound veranda, landscaped gardens and infinity pool complete the picture.
Of course, the bonefishing (on the Marls and Cherokee Sound nearby) is world-class, but the rest of the operation keeps pace. Head chef Gareth Reid has worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants and his culinary creations are legendary.
Looking for somewhere that will please you and your non-fishing partner equally? Consider your search over.
>> Click here for more pics and info about The Delphi Club
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River Plate Anglers, Amazon, Brazil
The set-up Miles from anywhere, where peacock bass grow to ridiculous sizes, is the River Plate Anglers operation; a string of six mobile floating cabins that provide the more intrepid angler with a trip like no other.
What makes it so different? Many of the world’s most remote lodges have been made easy to reach nowadays, but this is still one for the intrepid only. Accessible only by float plane, six floating cabins, deep in the Brazilian backcountry put you as close to the heart of the Amazon as you could reasonably expect to be, and within casting range of monstrous peacock bass.
Sure, there are probably easier places to get to if you want to fish for them (Florida for example), but really, the definitive fish is one from the Amazon. Plus, River Plate Anglers have exclusive entry permits to fish in various Indian Reservations and government reserves, meaning you’ll have access to some of the finest waters in the area.
>> Click here for more
info about River Plate Anglers
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Nile Perch Heaven, Lake Nasser, Egypt
The set-up Egypt might not be the first place on people’s lips when it comes to sportfishing – but then, not everyone’s heard of the Nile perch, a behemoth that provides some of the most explosive freshwater action on the planet. Nile Perch Heaven’s floating safaris on Lake Nasser are the go-to outfit if you’re looking to duke it out with these African giants.
What makes it so different? Well, it’s not so much a lodge as a floating sportfishing adventure. Two customised fishing boats are backed up by a supply boat and the whole operation is skippered and managed by knowledgeable local guides. The landscape is vast and imposing, and the fish are gigantic. The biggest recorded Lake Nasser Perch weighed in at 382lbs. The majority of fish are caught while trolling lures, but plenty fall to anglers spinning from the shore, with fly tactics scoring well too.
>> Click here for more info about Nile Perch Heaven
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Tropic Star Lodge, Piñas Bay, Panama
The set-up If you like billfishing you’ve probably heard of Tropic Star Lodge – black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin and sailfish, as well as large dorado, yellowfin tuna (some over 200 pounds), roosterfish (many over 50lbs), big cubera snapper, amberjack, rainbow runner, wahoo, grouper and mackerel all jostle for space in the waters off Panama, and this is the place to hunt them from.
What makes it so different For one thing, nowhere boasts quite the reputation of Tropic Star – years and years of successful fishing and hundreds of IGFA world records coupled with top-of-the-stack crews have seen to that. And then there’s the lodge itself – cut out of the mountain-side at the edge of the Darien Jungle on the Pacific coast of Panama, Tropic Star caters for just 36 guests at a time and is accessible only by boat or plane. Not that the remote location means you have to rough it here – upscale accommodation, gourmet food and personalised service all contribute to Tropic Star’s allure, keeping it well and truly on fishermen’s bucket-lists the world over.
>> Click here for more info about Tropic Star Lodge
