Many fascinating species of fish inhabit the world’s tropical freshwaters, and Costa Rica is no exception. While really big tarpon can be caught in many places around the world, the fish inhabiting the inland rivers of this northern region are quite extraordinary. Growing to epic proportions, it’s not unusual to see schools of hunting fish well into the triple digits.
This is without a doubt one of the world’s finest fly fishing trophy Tarpon destinations and one that has managed to stay just below the radar resulting in large and aggressive tarpon who are not afraid to charge and inhale a fly.
The fishery consists of a vast system of freshwater rivers, creeks, and flooded lagoons surrounded by rainforest and swampland. The Tarpon have journeyed from the Caribbean Ocean some 300+ inland miles to reach these hunting grounds for a very good reason. At the time of the Tarpon’s arrival, seasonal rains flood the immense lagoons to create an inland sea surrounded by volcanoes and rife with other primeval creatures like tropical Garfish, Sawfish, and freshwater Bull Sharks. This collection of archaic predators explosively feed on the many species of baitfish flushed into the lagoons by the heavy annual deluge, much to the delight of adventurous anglers.
You can expect to fish from simple but efficient river pangas, with 2 anglers per boat taking turns on the bow. Since the environment is quite dynamic, fishing situations are also varied, ranging from sight casting at Tarpon hunting or waiting in shallow lagoons and creeks, waiting for Tarpon to roll or break bait on the surface before presenting a fly, and blind casting in likely areas.
There are even times when Tarpon congregate at the mouth of one of the jungle’s many creeks and line up in feeding lanes like giant Trout in an explosive feeding display one has to see to truly believe. As in most Tarpon fishing worldwide, knowledge of distance casting and accurate presentation is a major asset, but due to the intimate jungle environment anglers can often get much closer to their quarry than in other global fisheries, making this a unique place to hone one’s skills.
Overall, anglers can expect many shots at fish ranging from 60 to well over 200 pounds each day as the Tarpon here are active feeding fish with very little exposure to fishing pressure.
Also to ensure we keep the fishing as fresh as possible and to ensure the future of the fishery we have set a maximum of 14 weeks where we have based the schedule on fishing every second week in order to give the area a really good rest in between every group. We have made some adjustments in consideration of the lunar cycles where we avoid full moon weeks and fish a little more around new moon.
If you have any questions on any of the Tarpon fishing holidays we offer then contact us in the office, our experienced team will be happy to help you with any queries you have. Additionally, you can request a free brochure.
