Gone Fishin'

More than 250 world-record fish have been hooked in these waters since the late 1920s, when American adventure novelist Zane Grey discovered the nearby reef that now bears his name.

by Roxanne Downer

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For centuries, Panama’s mythic Darien Jungle has simultaneously intrigued and terrified everyone from conquistador Vasco Balboa to Romantic poet John Keats. Referred to by one sixteenth-century traveler as an “abyss and horror,” the isthmus that connects the Americas remains shrouded in mystery even today — in no small part because it’s where the otherwise uninterrupted Pan-American Highway stops dead in its tracks. But concealed in this sultry terrain of dense forest is a coastal oasis where bikini-clad fishing-show hosts and the mayor of Margaritaville reel in the big ones.

Known as Tropic Star Lodge, the clutch of low-lying guest-houses and cabin cruisers has been carved out of a 3,500-foot Pacific-facing mountain on the naturally sheltered deep water of Piñas Bay. Management has plans to extend the lodge’s cement 1,900-foot airstrip another 2,600 feet or so over the next two years, but for now, the only way in remains a 50-minute flight from Panama City aboard a twin-engine bush plane. Once you’ve touched down on the cracking, overgrown tarmac — already 100 miles from the nearest road — you board a panga boat for the last 10 minutes of your journey to the Tropic Star dock.

Of course, it’s more than just seclusion that draws the likes of Jimmy Buffett and other anglers in the know. More than 250 world-record fish have been hooked in these waters since the late 1920s, when American adventure novelist Zane Grey discovered the nearby reef that now bears his name. During prime marlin season, which extends through March, it’s not uncommon to boat 20 250- to 1,000-pounders a day. And while the giant marlin and sailfish (whose season starts in April) are all strictly catch-and-release, you’ll also likely pull in Jurassic-sized dorado and yellowfin, which the Tropic Star’s chef will gladly grill to your specifications.

With no cable, phones or town to speak of beyond a few of the native Choco tribe’s nearby huts, land-based diversions center around the pool, sunset and well-stocked bar. Rooms are simple but comfortable, and for those wanting more seclusion, there’s always the El Palacio suite. Once home to the Texas oil tycoon who built the lodge, the nine-room villa is situated 122 steps up the mountainside. And not to worry: If wrestling with several thousand pounds of fish has left you too pooped to climb, you can hop aboard the funicular railway that — like the Hawker 400s and Citation Sovereigns soon due to start landing here — will whisk you almost to your door.

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