Fly Fishing in Costa Rica

Pacific Angler Expeditions is pleased to offer a custom, 9 day round-trip designed to maximize the outstanding fly fishing opportunities that Costa Rica has to offer. Guests will fish two very different environments along Costa Rica’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Big Tarpon and Snook will be the focus on the Atlantic side, while Sailfish, Roosterfish, Tuna, Dorado, big Jacks and snappers are the targeted species on the Pacific Coast.

After landing at San Jose International Airport you will have the remainder of the day to explore the city of San Jose. This dynamic city has several casinos and nightclubs in the downtown area and our hotel is situated in the center of the city, close to a variety of good restaurants and bars.

The short 30 minute flight over one of Costa Rica’s central mountain ranges to the Atlantic side leaves early the next morning. The small village is about 12 miles south of the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border and there are no roads in this area; access is only by boat or plane! Your beautiful tropical home for the next 3 nights is only a 2 minute walk from the airport. After quickly checking in, the Atlantic half of your fishing adventure, targeting big Tarpon and Snook, begins. Hold on!

After a 6am breakfast on the fifth morning, you will enjoy the same beautiful flight over the mountains back to San Jose to meet your quick 25 minute connection to begin the Pacific half of your fishing adventure. After arriving at the airstrip, you will be escorted by taxi to your hotel, where you will have the remainder of the day to rest your arms from the monster Tarpon and Snook. Manuel Antonio is a beautiful small town with a magnificent beach and a great place to begin mentally preparing for the battles with Sailfish, Roosterfish, Tuna, Dorado, and Big Jacks over the next three days!

The first half of the trip focuses on Tarpon and Snook fishing. The fishing day at the lodge is broken down into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session begins at 7-7:30am (depending on guest motivation!) and ends at 11:30am when all the boats return to the lodge for lunch. There is a siesta after lunch until 1:30pm when the afternoon fishing session begins. The afternoon session ends at 5-5:30pm when the boats return to the lodge for cocktails and dinner.

The three days of fishing on the Pacific Ocean consists of both inshore and offshore fishing and the days run from 9-10 hours. Offshore is a Sailfish Mecca and there are few places that can offer more raised bills! The days start with breakfast at 6am and a waiting taxi at 6:45am for the short ride down to the boat dock to meet up with our experienced guides. At the days’ end a taxi will be waiting at the docks to escort you back to the hotel for cocktails and dinner while you re-live your extraordinary day.

For the first half of the trip our 21 foot boats with reliable 90 HP four stroke engines will get you out to the rivers and ocean, where the Tarpon can be found, quickly. The Tarpon may be rolling on the surface or can be found 8-15 feet down. The Snook fishing is done primarily in the river, however, large snook can be found just outside the river mouths, lurking in the ocean breakers. There are other species available in the river and lagoons, so if you would like to spend a day fishing the back country, just let your guide know the day before so he can plan the following day accordingly.

The main focus for the second half of your expedition is Sailfish and Roosterfish. The trip is broken up into 1 day of inshore and 2 days of offshore fishing and our 25 foot boats have twin 200 HP to access both fisheries with ease and reliability. Inshore, the Roosters will run between 15 and 65 pounds and can be caught near rocks and the beach. While offshore, the Sailfish average between 75 and 110 pounds. Meanwhile to keep things interesting there are several more species that can find their way onto your fly and challenge your rod skills, including Snook up to 35 pounds (inshore near river mouths), offshore Tuna ranging from 30-80 pounds, as well as Dorado, Grouper and Amberjack.