Peacock Bass Group Tour
BFS and fly fishing for butterfly Peacock Bass around thousands of jungle-covered islands, with a high daily catch rate. Built for groups and anglers of every level.
A lake of a thousand islands
We fish a 40 km lake in northern Vietnam, scattered with thousands of jungle-covered islands. Those islands hold the densest population of butterfly Peacock Bass in Vietnam, which makes it a hotspot for fly fishing and BFS anglers.
Big skygazers and several snakehead species add to the action, so expect a busy day on the water.
Find the structure
Peacocks are found in almost every corner of the lake: deep water, shallows and right against the bank. Small spoons, poppers and spooks work best on BFS tackle, while almost any streamer or nymph works on the fly.
Peacock Bass can be caught all year, but March to November are usually the best months. They often school near underwater islands and structure. In the middle of the afternoon they can turn quiet, then start hunting hard again later in the day. Skygazers are a regular by-catch; targeting them properly takes a few hours of night fishing.
Top 5 reasons
- BFS and fly fishing on light tackle.
- A high daily catch rate of Peacock Bass.
- A lakeside villa with a fully staffed restaurant.
- Perfect for groups of 2–7 anglers.
- Multi-species: Skygazer, catfish and snakehead.
A typical trip
- 04:00Taxi pickup at your hotel in Hanoi
- 08:00Arrive at the lake after a drive of about 3.5 hours
- 08:30Set up the boat and have breakfast
- 09:00Head out fishing
- 13:00Lunch, then back to fishing
- PMDinner and the night at the lakeside villa
- 06:00Start fishing
- 09:00Breakfast
- 13:00Lunch
- 18:30Last day: head back by taxi to your hotel in Hanoi
Best lures & flies
Poppers
Peacock Bass are known for topwater hits. Small BFS poppers draw explosive blowups.
Jerkbaits
Once the sun is up and topwater slows, jerkbaits reach peacocks holding deeper in the weeds.
Spoons
In bright sun, few lures beat a spoon. The flash mimics the silver baitfish they hunt.
Also works
Spooks, Clousers, streamers, foam poppers and Whopper Ploppers all work, depending on weather and time of day.
Streamers
Almost any streamer will take Peacock Bass on the fly.
Nymphs
Nymphs work well when fish are holding tight to structure.
Clousers
Get down to schools holding near underwater islands.
Foam poppers
For surface strikes in the morning and late afternoon.
Where you fish and sleep
Four traditional 8.5 m longtails
- 15 hp petrol motors
- Seating areas
- Fly-casting deck
- Experienced guides
Lakeside villa
- Restaurant
- 10 rooms with bathrooms
- Air conditioning and wifi
- Queen-size beds, viewpoints and a relaxation area
Included & not included
- Transport between your Hanoi hotel and the lake
- Guide and boat
- 3 meals a day, water and soft drinks
- Accommodation at the lake and all fishing licences
- Gear: BFS baitcasting (KastKing Zephyr BFS with Tsurinoya Dragon UL), BFS spinning (Teton UL with Shimano Sienna 2000) or fly (Redington stream/saltwater combo with nymphs and streamers)
- Lures: Whopper Ploppers, buzzbaits, poppers, jerkbaits, crankbaits
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
- Alcohol (available to buy)
For larger groups or longer trips, send a message with the booking form. Catch and release is encouraged; if you like, the guide can prepare a Vietnamese dish from your catch.
Price per angler
Basic
Everything on the water. You arrange your own Hanoi hotel and airport transfers.
- Transport between your Hanoi hotel and the lake
- Guide, boat and all gear
- 3 meals a day, water and soft drinks
- Lake accommodation and all licences
Premium
Everything in Basic, plus airport transfers and two nights in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
- Everything in Basic
- Airport to Old Quarter hotel transfer, and back
- 2 nights in a central Old Quarter hotel
Larger group or a custom plan? Email Booking@taycaufishing.com.
Guests on this tour
Gorgeous accommodation, a beautiful villa, extremely friendly guides, and really good gear and instruction. I would highly recommend it as a family tour.
Amazing trip. The entire lake is covered in thousands of islands, and we found Peacock Bass in every nook and cranny. The fishing was really fun. Even though the fish were on the smaller side, we were typically catching 30 fish before lunch. A great place to take the kids for a more beginner-friendly wild fishing experience.
Fly fishing in open water for Peacock Bass, near the rocks and structure. It was really fun: the fish hit hard and they are real acrobatic fighters. The villa is gorgeous and the food was amazing.
Peacock Bass catches
