Season Report 2026 - Part 2

season report PART 2

2026

Writing Jungle History:

232 Tarpon Hooked!

Just as we thought we’d seen it all, and hoped we’d continue breaking records for landed giant tarpon while slowing down just a bit on snapped lines, broken rods, and broken hearts.

Then came another week in TAPAM…

This year, the bonus warm-up sessions on arrival day have been special.

It’s almost as if the jungle knows it has to put on a show and shake up the guests with a close encounter in one way or another.

Guests arrive.

The anticipation is through the roof.

A quick introduction at the lodge, then straight to the rooms to unpack and grab the first fishing shirt they can find between fly reels, spare lines, and rods.

There’s a buzzing energy in the air and it gets everybody’s blood pumping.

Rig up.

Get ready.

Go.

This week would go on to shape the rest of the season, and the guests were unknowingly writing history from their very first few casts.

Meet Paco!

Honestly, we don’t know exactly how many lodge records he broke during his week, but by the end he had racked up well over five hours of fight time on tarpon alone.

Not because he was going easy on them.

Simply because he seemed physically incapable of hooking anything that wasn’t enormous.

From the very first warm-up session, he hooked a tarpon that fought until darkness settled over the jungle and the moon began lighting up the river.

Only then did the fly line give up and snap.

And that was just the first hour of tarpon-wrestling that week.

More about that later…

Guest Andreas and Getaway’s Thomas had front-row seats. Fishing from a nearby boat, they watched the entire thing unfold.

Andreas had dreamed about catching a giant jungle tarpon ever since the first TAPAM films were released years ago.

The look in his eyes as Paco’s fish repeatedly launched itself out of the water was priceless.

Looking back, it’s crazy to think neither Andreas nor Thomas had no idea what kind of week awaited them.

The number one mistake when fighting your first giant jungle tarpon is fighting it like you’re afraid of losing it.

It’s all about giving it everything you’ve got.

Andreas is a very keen fly angler and had spent years dreaming about this moment. So when his first proper opportunity came, he did exactly what every tarpon angler had told him to do — commit fully.

Perhaps a little too fully.

He struck the fish with all his power, refusing to let go of the line, but the leader didn’t share the enthusiasm and snapped in an instant.

Lesson learned!

Hold on tight… That’s two heartbreaks, one snapped fly line, and one broken leader within the first two sessions.

All the while, the rest of the group were having a great time with smaller tarpon up to 60 lbs. Safe to say, the vibes were good during siesta.

The next few days were hectic, as Getaway’s Thomas and Andreas kept losing one after another.

It’s merciless fishing, but simply connecting with a giant of the jungle, feeling its power and witnessing those incredible jumps, is a privilege in itself.

At least that’s what kept being repeated in the boat…

By this point, Thomas and Andreas had lost seven tarpon between them, mostly due to hooks randomly popping after long, hard fights.

On the second-to-last morning, everyone in the boat quietly hoped this would be Andreas’ time to shine. We were searching for that one fish.

Then it came right up to the surface by the boat in a perfect roll…

Not long after, Andreas came tight, and all hell broke loose.

Every lesson learned throughout the week suddenly came into play. Andreas stayed calm, applied maximum pressure, and somehow managed to keep his nerves in check.

Still, nobody onboard dared celebrate too early.

Fifteen nerve-racking minutes later, guide Jacob finally got his hands on the fish.

Only then did Andreas realize it was actually over.

And that’s when he started jumping around the boat like a little kid on Christmas morning…

A quick photo later, the fish swam away, and Andreas could finally cross a giant jungle tarpon off his bucket list. We celebrated with cold beers, high fives and even a couple of tears of joy…

Every bit of effort had been worth it.

The best part?

The day was far from over.

While we were celebrating, Paco had been busy further downriver, landing another true jungle giant.

Hold on tight… That’s two giant tarpon landed before siesta.

For the evening session, Andreas generously handed his rod to cameraman Max for a few casts…

Squeezing every last bit of luck out of the situation he somehow managed to hook… and land another jungle tarpon. It was a day of dreams coming true.

But the jungle had even more to offer..

Back at the lodge, spirits were sky high.

Stories were flying across the dinner table, rum and beers were disappearing at an impressive pace, and everyone agreed it had been one of the best days of the season.

Though, a few seats around the dinner table remained empty.

Paco, Steen, and guide Isaac were nowhere to be seen.

Dinner was served.

Still no boat.

Then, long after dark, a boat finally appeared…

When they stepped onto the dock, their smiles said more than words ever could.

Paco had hooked another giant. An even bigger one.

During the fight, the rod had snapped, forcing Isaac to grab the line and give it everything he had…

No easy task with a fish taping in at more than two metres!

We had to include the iPhone shot that perfectly captures the chaos of the moment… No doubt both the fish and Paco deserve a better photo, but somehow this one tells the story even better.

It almost sounds too good to be true when we tell you that the rest of the season continued in much the same fashion…

More giants.