Gone fishing

Well folks, ole Uncle Vic is heading out Thursday for a couple of weeks of big game fishing in the Republic of Panama - the Tropic Star Lodge about 150 miles south of the Panama Canal. I’ll be back June 27th.

Regards,

Uncle Vic

I’m back. Had the fishing trip of a lifetime. Me & an estimated 480# blue marlin had a long afternoon, some four hours just me & him (actually all big marlin are females, so it was me & her). She was tagged and released to fight another day. She whipped me too. We also caught and released unharmed a bunch of sailfish and other stuff. The Tropic Star Lodge down in southern Panama is probably the top fishing lodge in the world, over the top in service and fish. It is on the Pacific coast about 30 miles north of the Columbia border and on the edge of the Darien rain forest, 100 miles from the nearest road. It rains a lot in the rain forest, but that keeps it pretty cool most of the time.

Had one of those dreaded 22 hour delayed flights coming home, but it was worth it.

I’ll be back down there again, this was my third trip. Panama is a very intersting country after Noreaga was kicked out, real upbeat friendly people that are very hard working.

In any event, glad to be home after two weeks in the tropics…it is hotter here in Louisiana, USA than in Panama.

Uncle Vic

This is such a coincidence… I went to that place as a child when it was called The Club de Pesca de Panama, owned by Ray Smith of Dallas. When I read that you had been fishing down in Panama, I just had a gut feeling that was the place, especially when you mentioned the Marlin. I looked it up online and sure enough, it’s the same place! I wouldn’t have even asked if you had a good time, because I know you did. The older we get, the smaller the world seems to get. I love it that they catch & release now. In the 1960’s they did not. Didn’t you go there last year as well? If so, and I posted about this before, then just chalk it up to early Alzheimer’s or as a Senior Moment.

Lizzy :astonished:

Lizzy - yep, that’s the place. After Ray Smith died it was sold to a Canadian outfit that renamed it Tropic Star Lodge…the place was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in the 70s and the current ownership family from Orlando bought it out of bankruptcy.

This was my third trip down there in three years, and I’ll be back. They use tiny circle hooks that catch the fish in the corner of the jaw so all billfish are released unharmed. Plus the Republic of Panama has established a recreational fishing zone for 20 miles around the lodge so no commercial fishing is allowed…very forward looking conservation.

Regards,

Uncle Vic