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. He didn’t return until many years later, not to rebuild the camp but just to visit the place where he had experienced some of his greatest fishing adventures.

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.

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.

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, the first exploratory visit back to Tapam was a success, with some incredible tarpon action, signaling the beginning of the next chapter for this special destination. Refurbishing the lodge and improving the boats, Tapam will be ready to welcome new anglers for the first full season since the pandemic. We can’t wait to host tarpon hunters and share the magic of these jungle waters once again.