Venezuela Tarpon Fishing: Carambola Lodge

One of the most exclusive and exciting Tarpon fishing destinations

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The Area

Accessible only by boat, Carambola represents one of the most exclusive and exciting Tarpon destinations in the world. This is a place where the sport will excite everyone from novice to expert and provide enough action in a single morning to make conventional fly fishing expeditions pale in comparison.

Located deep within one of Venezuela's National Parks, Carambola consists of a unique contrast between on the one side, an unbelievably rich habitat, ideal for juvenile Tarpon, and on the other side, huge expanses of deserted white sand beaches where huge adult fish pursue the shoals of mullet and bait fish.

Situated on a narrow shoal of land between the ocean and Carambola Lagoon, the lodge represents one of the most exclusive locations to either fish or stay in the entire Caribbean.

 <<< Click here to find out where Carambola is located.

The Fishing

Juvenile Tarpon:

Inside the Lagoon safe from the many and diverse predators in the ocean the Tarpon are at the top of the food chain and hence their proliferation under what must be close to ideal conditions. They are catchable in a range from 1 – 40+ lbs although of course they exist even smaller, lurking under the protection of the Mangroves.

Consequently the action is often fast and furious however on an 8wt rod even the smallest will pull your line and provide an acrobatic display that you would be hard pushed to find anywhere else.

For those who may consider the smaller ones unworthy of their attentions the challenges of the medium range Tarpon are ever present. These fish from 10lbs and above will make fools of anyone on lighter tackle and the unwary will be rewarded with a painful finger burn or a set of wrapped knuckles.

It is possible to stalk these bigger fish that, unlike their smaller brethren, will break the water noisily. If you can smack your fly into this commotion within a couple of seconds it will give the angler possibly a 50% chance or greater of securing a hook up. It will also leave many a guide ducking for cover as frantic efforts are made to present a fly within grasping reach before the fish slink back into the dark and brackish looking water.

Adult Tarpon:

Having reached a size at which a Tarpon can fend for itself in the open sea, (30+ lbs) they make their way out of the lagoon and patrol along the length of the coast following the Mullet schools. Depending on the tides these large Tarpon feed at the mouth of the Lagoon by the sea, snapping up the unwise who are swept out with the tidal changes. These fish reach gigantic proportions and are regularly caught up to 200lbs. Guests are taken out in 35ft long boats in search of the rolling tarpon in these areas. The waters can vary in color however large mullet flies on intermediate or light sinking lines work well. Spinning rods with bait are also very effective and should not be discounted as an option. At this point we should confess that we have yet to bank one of these really big monsters however they very much exist. It is only a matter of time however. Anticipate.

A Typical Day

To the outsider dawn starts seem to be a cunning method of alleviating the time difference experienced by those traveling from European destinations. For those in the know however this is when nature awakes and the sights and activity here, both above and below the water, are no exception.

It's six o’clock and we make our way cautiously down the walkway from the lodge towards the lagoon. One anticipates waves of mosquitoes to shimmer in front of you like an ominous whirring grey cloud however amazingly they are for the greater part absent, even at this prime hour. At the end of the walkway your guide and individual boat await. A short hop and a weave in the canoe and you are through the dense mangroves and out into the expanse of the lagoon. Now the dawn is breaking and the sky is often filled with the most incredible sight of hundreds of Scarlet Ibis, as they ascend from their nighttime roost.

Five minutes later the guide cuts the engine and you glide purposefully into one of the coves. Some bushy structures rise tantalizingly out of the water and all around the glassy calm water is punctuated by rising Tarpon. This is like nothing you will ever have seen, Tarpon breaking the surface everywhere. The 8wt rod is loaded with a ‘Gummy Minnow’ and instructions are given, wherever possible, to plop your fly onto the expanding circles of a rise. First cast and the fly has barely touched the water when the rod is almost relieved from your hands with a sharp jerk.

Tarpon on...and off again almost as quickly. The same is repeated 5 casts later and then again 10 casts after that.

After your 3rd strike in almost as many minutes you sit back and take heed of all the instructions you have been given. Keep the rod down; do not allow any slack; keep a firm grip on your line as you retrieve. As you pause for reflection you suddenly become aware of an eerie roaring sound in the near distance.

Howling Monkeys are at work and you could almost swear that you were standing under a flight-path as opposed to being in the proximity of these petit and harmless animals.

It takes practice to get to grips with these Tarpon which range from 1-40+lbs however you gain experience quickly as the action can be fast and furious and having 40 or more strikes in the morning is considered commonplace. If that does not keep the pacemaker active almost every one of these fish will go airborne given half a chance. As confidence grows you stop casting under the mangroves and aim at the bigger swirls for these are the fish that will elate or haunt you whether they be a trophy landed or lost.

By 11 o'clock the action has slowed down under the heat of the sun and for those who have not taken a reviving dip in the lagoon it is back to the lodge for a swim and a shower before lunch. Now with a fish or fifteen behind you is the time to take stock of your surroundings. In either direction open expanses of blue sea and white sand for as far as the eye can see and to cap it all, amazingly, barely another soul in sight.

Lunch, siesta, sun, swim or any combination of the above takes care of the hottest hours of the day with consummate ease. At four o'clock however it is back to work and this time we head out to the lagoon mouth where the real monster Tarpon congregate. The locals catch them upto 200+ lbs and these are on handlines. Suddenly you start to feel very nervous...

The Lodge

Situated on a narrow shoal of land between the ocean and the Carambola, the LOOPECO lodge represents one of the most exclusive locations to either fish or stay in the entire Caribbean. With an open vista from one's room of kilometre upon kilometre of deserted powdery white sand beaches, whilst behind lies the sprawling Mangrove forests and wetlands, the location is as diverse an environment as it is beautiful.

Your accommodation is in recently constructed individual chalets, simple yet attractively designed inside and out. A king size bed, (or possibly even larger), provides the centre-piece to the room whilst those wishing to travel en famille will find 2 more beds in the balcony above. The high roofs ensure that the rooms are kept airy although power fans ensure that those more used to northern climates are kept cool and refreshed. Just 100m from the sea even the most lethargic should find an excuse to make the early morning sunrise.

The dining room, bar and lounge area is in a beautifully crafted Caribbean hall. High beamed and palm fronded it has been designed to allow the soothing evening breeze from the trade winds to enter whilst protecting from the heat of the midday sun. Crafted from local materials and subtly decorated with the bones from a whale found washed up several decades ago it makes for inspiring and impressive surroundings.

And then of course the beach and sea, lined with palm huts and waiting sun chairs and for the better part of the week likely to be all to your own.

Non Fishing Options

If the idea of following your wife, husband or sibling to some unknown and remote destination fills you with horror then please take the time to reconsider.

Our lodge just happens to sit alongside some of the most fantastic fishing available, not the other way around. The fact that this superb fishing destination just happens to sit alongside an idyllic and secluded Caribbean hideaway with beautiful lodging, vast stretches of practically deserted white-sand beach, bathed in sun and refreshed by the gently blowing Trade Winds is also coincidental.

We cannot offer jet-skis, packed discos or nightclubs, helicopter rides or any other such facilities but we will ensure that you have a serenely relaxing time in a beautiful and unspoilt environment. Having said that we can offer you nature at its most unrefined and I must add not a howling gale of mosquitoes as one might imagine, in an area, which is positively brimming with birdlife amongst the intricate web of the mangrove jungle.

Even those who have an aversion to fishing may however find themselves tempted to come and enjoy a morning in the canoe with the guide just to see the sights and sounds that make this place truly remarkable. The eerie roar of the Red Howler Monkey breaking the deafening silence will make one shudder in wonder however it is the variety of waterfowl that one will make daily encounters with that amazes; Herons, Ibis, Seagulls, Terns, Shorebirds, Flamingos and Pelicans are all on view, circled overhead by mighty Frigate birds.

If you would prefer to speak to us directly regarding a trip to Venezuela, please contact us at the following:

United Kingdom Office:
Justin Maxwell-Stuart
Mobile: +44 (0)7711 519 857
Fax: +44 (0)20 7352 0942
justin@wherewisemenfish.com

United States Office:

US Country Code: +1
Telephone: 347 284 6333
info@wherewisemenfish.co.uk

Or alternatively email us via our Booking Enquiries Form to request more information.