history of tapam
Early Days
In the mid-1970s, a Texan sportsman named W.E. Lanford established Karawala Tarpon Camp, Nicaragua’s first fishing camp dedicated to tarpon. During the five years that he ran the camp, many large tarpon, including some over 150 pounds and even a few exceeding 200 pounds, were caught.
The snook fishing was also exceptional. However, when the Sandinistas overthrew General Somoza, everything changed. Lanford lost his camp and was forced to leave Nicaragua.
Tapam The Movie
For years, only a few other adventurous anglers fished this area. But in 2010, the film Tapâm was released, introducing the world to an extraordinary tarpon fishery hidden somewhere in Central America. The film featured two European anglers, Daniel Göz and Jan Bach Kristensen, who ventured into the unknown with fly rods and float tubes, showcasing thrilling action in a remote river.
The film took the fly fishing world by storm. For years, people speculated about where this spectacular fishing took place, though the film’s name offered a clue: Tapâm is the Miskito word for tarpon, and the Miskito Coast is a region along the eastern shores of Nicaragua and Honduras.
The Discovery
Fast forward to 2014, Dutch steelhead guides Jeroen Wohe and Jaap Kalkman unknowingly discovered the same fishing hotspot. According to Jeroen, it wasn’t until they returned from their exploratory trip and re-watched Tapâm that they realized they had been fishing in the same location. By then, they had already decided to establish a tarpon camp there—coincidentally, not far from where Lanford had built his camp decades earlier.
Jeroen and Jaap partnered with Rumble in the Jungle, a local fishing outfit based in Bluefields, and built a simple lodge at the perfect location for fishing these great waters. For marketing and booking, they teamed up with Getaway Tours(now Getaway Fly Fishing), whose owner Thomas Søbirk also became financially invested in the project.
However, after two seasons, the Dutch founders parted ways with their American-Nicaraguan partners, leaving Getaway to manage the camp. Though the following seasons were successful, managing the increasingly difficult relationship with the original owners became too challenging.
The Shutdown
There had been too many unforgettable days of fishing in Tapam’s pristine waters to simply give up. So in early 2020, Getaway took over the fishing rights, built a new lodge, and purchased new boats. But three weeks into their first season, COVID-19 shut down operations.
Even by 2022, when the pandemic’s grip on the world had loosened, Tapam was still a long way from reopening. However, by 2023, the pieces began falling back into place: more airlines reopened their routes to Nicaragua, a new local partner emerged, and a solid plan for reviving the operation was in place.
In May 2024, our first exploratory return to Tapam was a clear success, with some truly incredible tarpon action.
Between much-needed breaks from chasing jungle poons, we began shaping the plan for reopening the operation the following year. Along with our new partner, David Shelton — an English engineer who has lived and worked in Nicaragua for nearly two decades — we agreed that what was soon dubbed Tapam 2.0 should represent a more ambitious approach in every way.
Tapam 2.0
On the water, new skiffs, state-of-the-art electronics, front-mounted trolling motors, and professional guides would be a complete game changer.
Off the water, a refurbished lodge with spacious single rooms for each guest, new guide quarters, Starlink Wi-Fi, improved meals, and daily laundry service would elevate the entire experience — and ensure everyone is fully recharged before heading back out into these magical jungle waters.
