Inshore & Offshore Costa Rica Fly Fishing at Crocodile
Bay Resort
By Tom Boyd
In
the best stories about fly fishing... big fish are caught
or lost; people say wild and spontaneous words; event becomes
memory and sometimes, in the hands of a master, bleeds into
art."
-- Nick Lyons, author of Bright Rivers and Confessions of
a Fly Fishing Addict
Crocodile
Bay, Costa Rica has three distinct fisheries: 1)
Mangroves and rivers, 2) Inshore waters of the Golfo Dulce
and the nearby sandy beaches and rocky shores, 3) Offshore.
I.
MANGROVES AND RIVERS:
The Golfo Dulce has numerous rivers flowing into it that resulted
in its name, the "sweet gulf " This is by far the
least explored and developed fly fishery at the lodge. This
fishery is accessed from flats boats. Much of the opportunity
here peak in the rainy season, June through mid-November,
which draws fewer fishermen, although the fishing is still
good. Prime mangrove and river species are black snook, the
largest of the snook family, barracuda, numerous jacks headed
by Pacific jack crevelle, mangrove snappers, and various other
snappers, corvina (similar to weakfish), and of course roosterfish
which like the corvina will frequent the river mouth drop-offs
into deep water at the confluence with the gulf Incredibly,
several tarpon have recently been caught here, apparently
having migrated through the Panama Canal. Your fishing Valhalla
here and these wonderful interlopers show up. Wow!
Tides:
Due to the tide spread (8 - 12 fed) river access can be limited
to a three to -four hour window of opportunity. In the dry
season mid-November through May, black snook are far up the
river channels. The rivers of the Gulf are- short and drain
the surrounding hills and mountains. They run muddy all year
round. They have fairly deep V-shaped channels near the confluence
with the Gulf but with wide shallow mouths. Success lies in
fishing either noisy poppers, sliders, or tube-fly style flies
near the river shoreline or with full sink lines and bright,
colorful closures or weighted deceivers on or near the bottom
in the river channels with 400 grain sinking lines. Rattles
and noisy flies that move water, like a whistler, help when
run deep. The river mouths hold fish on outgoing tides and
can be as muddy as the rivers themselves or gin clear on occasion
on the incoming tide. Look for feeding bait fish or check
your fish finder for the steep drop-offs that hold many species
of fish at times. On the incoming tide, when clear, you can
see the step drop-offs. It may be helpful to chum here or
to make some low vibration sounds to help attract fish. Casting
hookless chugger-type poppers with a spinning rod is another
way of enticing fish to fly casting range.
Equipment
and flies: The camp record black snook is 46 lbs.
with many fish over 20 lbs. Many of the river species are
smaller, however, and an 8 wt. rod is appropriate. At river
mouths go to a 9 wt. and use a 10 wt. for fishing the drop-offs.
Use white, light blue popper heads with black tails for surface
flies. Also, try a big-eye deceiver in a size 2/0
or 3/0, black, blue, or green on top with a distinctive yellow
stripe at the high lateral line and a white or silver underbelly.
This _pattern imitates a flatiron herring, a primary bait
fish. A sink tip or full sink line is the ticket for when
fishing drop-offs. Fish the drop-offs parallel to the steep
drop. Floaters often work well coming perpendicular to drop-offs
from shallow water. Fish big shrimp patterns when the local
shrimp boats are in the gulf Shrimpers will often discard
waste including heads, which act as a natural chum and attract
birds and fish. Fish your shrimp pattern low and slow. Keep
in mind that snook will never stray far from fresh water,
brackish is OK, but remove the fresh and you remove the snook.
Also, snook like the bright lights. A stroll down to the dock
at night might prove successful.
II.
INSHORE WATERS OF THE GOLFO DULCE AND NEARBY SANDY BEACHES
AND ROCKY SHORES
Much of the waters of the gulf is fairly deep - up to 700
feet. Often billfish, dolphins and feeding humpback whales
are seen in its waters. Most of the opportunity for fly rodders
is on the beaches, rocky structures, or shallow reefs. The
opportunity to catch a world record size fish is present here
every day of the year. The size and diversity of species is
astonishing. Recently I caught a 30 lb. bluefin trevally (almost
50% larger than the next biggest IGFA fly rod record) and
lost two fly rod-caught roosterfish in the 60 - 70 lb. class
to a big white tip shark.
This
fishing is not for the unskilled or unprepared. The rewards
are greater than anywhere I know of on this planet, but the
challenge is great. The near shore Pacific fishery can be
difficult for virtually its entire length south of the Bering
Sea to Tierra del Fuego. Generally the near shore waters become
deep very quickly close to shore as is the case here on the
Osa Peninsula. There are not a lot of barrier islands and
shallow cays, reefs, and other such structure that blesses
much of the Atlantic all the way out to the Continental shelf.
Nor is there the minimal tide change from Massachusetts through
the Caribbean that often allows flats wading in green water.
The near shore Pacific is a wild, beautiful, exotic coast
that often has to be accessed by boat and- boat only. The
tides are often great and range from 8 - 12 feet near Crocodile
Bay, with minimal structure to attract and hold fish. Tide
movement becomes more important here. I like to fish where
water drains, like drop-offs, lagoon, stream or river mouths,
on the out-going tide, rocky areas, structured beaches, peninsulas,
coves or points, on the incoming. Always be on-the alert for
bait fish: surface activity, birds working, nervous water,
slicks etc. Glass the water, move until you find feeding fish.
If the fish are moving in a particular pattern intercept then
and fish as the approach you.
The beginner
can fly fish here, but usually not conforming to IGFA regulations.
Beginners can troll flies using a swivel so as not to ruin
their fly line or short cast and let the boat's momentum carry
their fly a good distance behind the boat before beginning
their strip. These methods are forbidden in IGFA regulations,
but are extremely productive and fun. For those who wish to
fish to IGFA standards, however, the challenge is great. Long
casts from a boat to shore are often required. Your fishing
boat must stay far enough offshore so as not to make it part
of the beach structure by a rogue wave. Your fly should land
in the white foam aftermath of a dispelled wave and be stripped
up the face of the next incoming wave to be most successful
when blind casting. If you can't reach the foam, fish as close
to shore as possible while remaining at a safe distance. Choose
effective areas when doing this. For example, differences
in the shoreline, i.e. draining lagoons or rivers, rocky outcroppings
or shallow reefs, peninsulas or cover where bait fish can
be trapped, drop-offs, or where outgoing undertows are present,
or productive areas your captain knows of Often you can see
abrupt color changes in the water indicating changes of depth.
Always watch for surface activity, working birds, or oil slicks.
The key
near shore target fish is "el gallo" —the
roosterfish. Roosters are notorious surface feeders and, in
my opinion, catching a large rooster on a fly is the sport's
greatest challenge. They are not only the hardest fish to
hook on a fly (until recently), they are the most difficult
to land once hooked. One nice reward to surface fishing for
roosters is that many other species will take your fly. Testing
my new Wounded Bait fish Pattern recently, I caught thirteen
different species over a two-day period.
I've heard
it said that fewer than 100 anglers have caught a good-sized
rooster on a fly utilizing IGFA regulations. I don't doubt
that one bit. For many years I tried unsuccessfully to master
catching big roosters from Ecuador to Cabo San Lucas. Big
roosters are a bird of a different feather and very difficult
to catch indeed. There are more specimens of this incredible
warrior at Crocodile Bay than anywhere else I'm aware of I
caught the only large IGFA rooster several years back, but
only through sheer determination and five straight tiring
days of casting.
No one
had been successful at Crocodile Bay for three years in catching
a big rooster with IGFA regs. This was extremely perplexing
as they are so very common and visible and available, even
right near the docks. It took me two days of non-stop casting
to catch the first good fish here using a fly I had designed
five years earlier, made with EZ body. However, on that trip,
with the help of Crocodile Bay's Director of Fishing, Todd
Staley, and their experienced captains and mates, we devised
a plan. We captured all the 'prevailing bait fish in the area
including google eye jacks, blanquitos, blue runners, mullet,
and several varieties of sardines. We photographed and discussed
the availability and characteristics of the bait fish. The
sardine was chosen as the most likely candidate for our fly.
It was abundant and when herded by roosterfish, they fled
to the surface.
Using
photographs, some taken under water, definitive characteristics
of the fly emerged: a sardine's shape and distinctive profile,
its very large eyes, a darkly colored widely separated tail,
and a bright yellow band above the lateral line, plus femoral
blotches of black and pink. The colors above the lateral line
were dark - black, dark blue, light blue and green. Bellies
were white or silver. Its dorsal fin was distinctive and yellow.
The "Boyd's Wounded Baitfish Fly" encompassed all
of these characteristics save the dorsal fin. The "wounded
baitfish" had a thin piece of foam inserted in the EZ
body material to aid in keeping the fly on top of the water.
If correctly made, it should swim when stripped slowly, and
bounce and skip on top When retrieved quickly, the latter
being the preferred method.
With this fly, over 50 (mostly large) roosters were enticed
to attack in one day. Only five were landed as the prototype
hook was much too small. Never had I seen or expected this
much success. Size 6/0 Gamakatsu and Owners have replaced
the original hooks.
Seeing
a roosterfish attack a surface fly is one of fly fishing's
greatest rewards. They light up like a yellow school bus —chartreuse,
purple— their long comb breaking the surface. They have
huge bucket-mouths and terrorize bait fish like no other.
When the water world erupts with fleeing bait fish the captain
and mates invariably yell "Gallo! Gallo!'
Landing
a rooster is another matter. They have little or no quit.
I teach fighting techniques that allow the angler a chance
to land this tireless adversary. Many of the techniques are
Stu Apte's blue water and tarpon tactics, but any way you
do it, you're in for one hell of a fight. Roosters will run
and run and occasionally jump. If you don't use proper tactics
or give them slack you won't land them.
Another
beautiful, exotic fish of the area is the bluefin trevally,
locally called the blue jack. This exquisite fish is cobalt
blue with sky blue markings. It is caught in much the same
manner as roosters, although trevallys, jacks and snappers
readily take offerings deeper in the water column than roosters.
Other inshore species include jack crevelle, and other jacks;
many snappers, including giant cubera, Colorado, yellow tail,
and rock; many groupers, including tiger, broom tail, and
gag, horse eye trevally, hound fish, bonito, several species
of mackerel, yellow fin, wahoo, pompano, and so on.
Other
interesting fish available near shore, particularly under
floating debris like groups of floating coconuts, logs, or
tide line debris is the tripletail and mahi mahi as well.
Both of these fish are tough customers and are determined
fighters and will often jump, particularly the mahi mahi.
A sardine colored Closure works well although these species
are unsophisticated and will strike almost any offering top
or down. Cast into or as close as possible to the debris.
Equipment
and flies: Bring the best equipment you can afford.
You'll need good gear to successfully challenge this fishery.
Be prepared with quality rods and reels and property maintained
equipment including: new or cleaned and stretched fly lines;
a good selection of leaders and tippets; metal or mono shock
tippets in 40#, and 80 to 100# fluorocarbon. It's important
in being as prepared with as many different rods and lines
as possible to cover different situations. When I venture
out, I put string on 5 or 6 rods. I'll take an 8 wt. with
a floating line and a small popper slider or crease fly for
schooling Pacific bonito. I'll use a 9 wt. with a warm water
clear intermediate with %" deceiver patterns (coloration
preferable like the sardine or blanquito) for rocky shore
areas frequented by various snappers, jacks, trevally, and
snook. I'll take two 10 weights, one with a floating line
(shooting head) and a Boyd's Wounded Baitfish Fly for roosters,
big jacks or whatever. The second 10 wt. is loaded with 300,
350, or 400 grain line and fished with a short tippet of 3'
- 4' and a Lefty's big eye deceiver (imitating a sardine,
blue runner, google eye, etc., coloration often with some
pink in it). Many of the jacks, trevally, snappers, grouper,
and mackerel plus wahoo like this presentation - particularly
around agitated schools of bait fish.
I prefer
an 11 wt. with a floating line and big wounded bait fish,
chuggar or tube style fly (blue over white with yellow stripe),
or match the hatch, to be used around large schools of agitated
bait fish. When fishing in pairs, one fisherman can use a
chuggar/tube setup while the other the wounded baitfish fly.
Lastly,
if possible I'll use a 12 weight with a heavy full sink line
of 600 to 1,000 grain in conjunction with a big squid pattern
like Popovics's Shady Lady Squid, Cotton Candy or a huge 10
- 12 inch big eyed deceiver with bright yellow feathers. Fish
the 12 weight over shallow reefs up to 70 or 80 feet. Fish
the squid by casting out as far as possible, wait a for your
line to sink near or on the bottom, then make two or three
yard-long strips with a pause, then let the fly drop and repeat
the action. Fish the big deceiver low and slow with occasional
quick strips and then let it sink and repeat. Often you'll
get strikes on the drop so keep your rod down, pointed directly
at your fly for a good hook setting position. You can fish
deeper than this if your fish finder shows a good population
of fish. Your boat must be fairly stationary, either dead
drifting or with a sea anchor. Use large circle hooks 4/0
to 6/0 at depths below 70 feet in conjunction with Rio's "Tungsten
Dreager" fly lines or use no stretch, gel spun backing
with Courtland's Lead Core line in 15 to 25 foot lengths to
get down.
Equipment:
I strongly recommend quality rods like a Scot STS, Sage RPLxi,
T & T Vector or Loomis. Also, you need strong but light
reels with an outstanding drag, like the Islander, Tibor,
or Pate. Large arbor models that aid in quicker landings and
make it easier for the angler and fish alike. Dual mode (Seamaster)
or anti reverse (Islander) reels are also well adapted for
these conditions. Make sure your reels are clean and oiled.
For bargain priced but good performance try a TFO rod from
Springbrook and Teton Tioga reels. Having equipment failure
when you have a once in a lifetime fish on is not a fun thing.
Crocodile Bay has some equipment available but should be considered
as a backup source.
Fly line
extensions and leaders and tippets: I use a 40 lb. fluorocarbon
shock tippet, even for the toothless rooster whose sandpaper
like mouth will easily wear through even quality 20 lb. mono
during a hard fight. Use 80 lb. mono, fluorocarbon or wire
when targeting snappers or jacks. You'll break some fish off
with mono or fluoro, but usually land more. If you're targeting
cuberas, however, you must use wire as they'll break you off
in the rocks or coral. For floating lines, I like to add AirFlo's
clear poly extension (10'). Often I'll just use a loop to
loop with a 5 foot section of 50# mono with a 3 foot section
of 30# and a 15 inch section of line class tippet and a 12
inch tippet of 40# fluoro. Tie the 40# fluoro to the line
class with a blood or improved blood knot.
Hook
set: Try to set the hook immediately, or as an alternative,
use a circle hook. Make sure you have a quality hook or be
prepared to have it straightened out for you. It is extremely
important to have a razor sharp point. When you set the hook,
try to do it at as close to a 90 degree angle on the fish
as possible. This gives you the power of utilizing the strength
of the rod butt.
Fighting
Fish: It is imperative to fight roosters with a low
rod. A high rod lacks the power required to pressure these
incredibly strong warriors. I use low rod tactics almost exclusively
in the Pacific. Stand at a 90 degree angle to the fish you're
fighting, keep the rod down near the water and point the last
six feet of the rod directly at the fish, This allows you
to battle the fish with the power of the rod butt. Roosters
have no quit, neither should you. Change the direction of
your angle of pressure by rotating your rod every few minutes
- this technique assumes you have some sort of shock tippet.
This and other "down and dirty" tactics will help
you psychologically defeat the fish, land him more quickly
and keep you off the masseuse's table.
Handling
fish: Boga grips are recommended as most species
have good sets of ivories. Use a heavy glove to handle species
such as roosterfish. Basically, the rules are catch and release
except for the unusual trophy, although I often keep a yellow-fin
for sushi or a mahi mahi or snapper for dinner. Billfish and
roosters should be for photos only. Release tuna/mackerel
species by holding them above the water and dropping them
in headfirst. Hold others by the tail and while supporting
their belly gently rock them back and forth until they are
ready to swim off.
Seasons:
Fish are available year round, subject to moving in response
to spawning or migratory bait fish, shrimp, squid etc., or
in the case of snook which are not accessible during the dry
season except when caught incidentally. However, roosters
seem to bunch up more and cooperate in herding bait fish from
around mid-November through April. Big fish are also here
year round, but it seems the average size is somewhat larger
in the rainy season.
III.
OFFSHORE
After all is said and done, I believe the best quality of
fly fishing for billfish is in Pacific Costa Rica from Punta
Quinones south to the Panama border. Other areas can be more
prolific at times, but for smaller fish. At Crocodile Bay
and for miles north and south of there, the blue water billfish
grounds are only a few miles offshore. Offshore is really
close to shore. This means several things: a shorter boat
ride and, therefore, more fishing time; the ability to split
days from offshore to inshore; because of the generally steep
shoreline it is a rarity to lose a fishing day to wind, particularly
in the most popular dry months; the near shore deep water
also makes migrating blue, black, and striped marlin plus
sailfish available to augment the billfish endemic to the
area.
Costa
Rica's sailfish are the largest sails I've encountered since
first catching a sail in the Caribbean in 1969. They average
a solid 100 lbs. Sails and marlin are present 12 months of
the year and to quote fishing director Todd Staley, "the
fishing can vary more day to day than season to season."
However, there are times when the chance of catching a marlin
improves on average due to migration conditions. For example,
blues are more prevalent in March and April, while blacks
and striped are more common in July and August.
Sailfish
chances are in the 10 to 15 sighted fish on an average day,
and twice that or more on a good day. Billfish "ups"
are counted if one is seen at one of the teasers. Often multiple
fish are sighted. In Costa Rica I've seen pods of as many
as 10 sails immediately behind the boat within easy casting
range. On another occasion I looked on with awe at a pod of
9 fish, including 2 blue marlin.
Sails
are a lot easier to hook than marlin. First they're more plentiful.
They are also far more aggressive than any marlin species.
Usually you only get one shot at a marlin; if you miss him,
he's history. You usually have to be faster with your fly
presentation as well. Marlin don't usually hang around, although
I've seen a number of exceptions. I've seen sails, lit up
like a Christmas tree, attack a fly repeatedly. I've seen
four sails hooked out of one pod of fish - these fish hung
around the drifting boat for many minutes. On one occasion
my fishing partner broke off a big record class sail on a
blue and white popper fly and then 20 minutes later I caught
the same fish on a red and white offering and retrieved both
flies.
Marlin
average sizes are 250 - 300 lbs. for blues, 400 for blacks,
(granders - 1,000 lbs. or more are known in these waters),
and 150 - 300 lbs. for striped. The average number of sightings
for all types of marlin/day is one. The lodge record is four
in a half day session. This was on conventional tackle, but
where else could such a feat as this be accomplished in a
half day.
In addition
to billfish, there are opportunities for many other bluewater
species. The "catch 22" however is that if you only
have hookless teasers and feathers out when fly fishing, you're
not in a position to catch other non-schooling species such
as wahoo. If you have a plan and are ready for schooling species
that are visible on the surface from a distance, like yellow
fin tuna, you can replace a teaser with a hooked jig and catch
some sushi. I've done this many times and on several occasions
caught big yellowfin or big eyes on light tackle that was
more than I bargained for. I've also caught non-billfish species
casting to sailfish including a 61 lb. yellowfin on a 16#
tippet and several dorado. The best shot for dorado is to
cast for them near floating debris or to troll with conventional
light tackle and after catching one, shut down the engine,
keep the mahi mahi in the water until others in the same harem
are attracted. As long as one fish stays active in the water
the others will not leave. A lone bull dolphin, the one with
the flat head, travels with his harem of females. The bigger
the individual fish, the fewer in number. At Crocodile Bay
the mahi mahi grow to awesome proportions. While available
year round they are particularly abundant December through
February. During this time a catch of 20 fish/day averaging
25 lbs. is usual. The first mahi mahi I saw taken here weighed
78 lbs. and they are known to go over 100 lb. Mahi mahi are
a cinch to catch once you locate them. They'll attack virtually
any bait fish imitation on top or down.
Yellow
fin tuna are abundant here in all sizes from football size
to over 300 lbs. On occasion big-eye tuna are also taken,
also up to 300 lbs. Tuna, along with the mahi mahi are the
primary food staple for marlin. Often various bottle-nosed
dolphin run with schools of tuna and are a great sign for
billfish. A good opportunity arises when yellow fin school
to feed on small squid or schools of herring. Birds announce
their presence for long distances. When approaching these
situations make your decision, fly or conventional tackle!
Portuguese Man of War birds (frigate), also often announce
the presence of bait fish from afar. They are a good billfish
sign.
Crocodile
Bay's captains and mates are well versed in fly fishing blue
water with regard to boat preparation, tactics, the number
and type of teasers (up to five), teaser colors to use, and
how to position them. The angler must decide what role he
wants to play with regard to teasing the fish. He can tease
the fish himself or defer to the mate who is an expert. Being
able to properly tease a fish to within casting range of the
boat is as important as any individual aspect of catching
a billfish. Other teaser rods must be handled with coordination
and teamwork that is predetermined according to the number,
skill, and desires of the angler.
Equipment:
As with the inshore equipment, get the best you can afford,
Scott, Sage, T & T. When fly fishing offshore I'll prepare
six rods if possible. If I only have one it will be for my
primary target species.
For
mahi mahi: string a 10 wt. rod with a floating line
and a small popper, slider, or small wounded bait fish fly
on about a 2/0 hook. A clear intermediate line will probably
take more fish with a small closure or deceiver but isn't
as much fun. For smaller yellow fin an 11 wt. is a good choice.
Even small yellow fin are fast, hard fighters. Small bait
fish patterns work well on intermediate, sink tip, or 300
to 400 grain lines.
For
sailfish: Catching your first sailfish is very easy
and very difficult. Easy if you do what you are taught. Difficult,
as you are in such a state of excitement with a 10 foot animal
trashing your fly with his bill 20 feet from your face, you
somehow can't even chew gum right. This is truly a totally
electric moment, one to cherish for the rest of your life.
A 12 wt. rod is the ticket for the experienced angler. I prefer
to have three rods ready, if possible, with different colored
flies. Many, including beginners, prefer to use heavier rods
to a 14 or 15 wt. for the really big sails here. Catching
a world record fish is a definite possibility. On two separate
occasions I landed back to back record sailfish here, I released
all four fish after taking their measurements and photos.
For
marlin: A 15 wt. is your best choice. All reels must
be large arbor with good smooth drags: Islander, Tibor, or
Pate. I like to load 35 or 50 lb. gelspun as the base for
backing. I loop this (with a bimini twist) to 30 lb. flat
Dacron braided backing, and then loop again to about 50 feet
of Elite braided running line, and then loop again with a
Lefty loop onto a blue water fly line or a length of Courtlands
lead core of from 18 to 28 feet depending on how big the fly
is you're casting and the size of the rod. Novices can use
a straight 30 lb. mono leader with a 24" length of 80
or 100 lb. shock tippet or a prepared IGFA leader. See attached
diagram for self-construction of a backing, running line,
fly line, leader system.
Billfish
flies: There are a number of excellent billfish flies.
Cam Sigler Co. (Camsigler@aol.com) has flies with his tube
heads that have tandem hooks. Blue Water Flies C.C., chadfly@netactive.co.za
also has flies and a line of foam products. Edgewater, at
1-800584-7647 www.fishtheedge.com or JSHIBA2300@aol.com, sells
all the materials necessary to tie offshore flies. Boyd's
Wounded Baitfish Fly is also available at retailers who handle
the Springbrook product line (1 -800-638-9052, www.sbm-mangrove.com
Crocodile Bay Lodge will also sell the Wounded Baitfish fly
at their lodge.
I have
taught bluewater fly fishing for over three decades and believe
color patterns can make a difference in flies. For sailfish,
I have a great deal of confidence in flies that are red over
white; blue over white, dark pink over light pink. For marlin
or sails I will fish any of the above but also like green
and yellow (dorado colors).
It is
critical that flies have strong sharp hooks. A hook is sharp
when it cannot be firmly dragged across your fingernail without
digging in. Owners and Gamakatsu are good choices.
Fighting
techniques: The captain or mate at Crocodile Bay
will ask whether you're right or left handed. This will allow
proper positioning of a stripping basket and determine which
side of the boat for the majority of the teaser placement.
Strip out about 40 feet of line and cast it becoming used
to the line. You won't need any more line than that, as fish
are teased in close by one of your fishing partners or the
mate. Strip your line in and, as it comes in, coil it in your
stripping basket or bucket with about 6" of water in
it. This way, when you cast, the line that will shoot out
first will be on the top and the line that shorts out last
will be on the bottom, avoiding many unnecessary tangles at
the critical time of delivery. Make a plan with your captain
and mate as to how you want things done. Who's up first, who's
next? Usually what constitutes an up is a legitimate chance
to cast to a billfish and he tries to eat your fly. If you
miss, you're done - next angler. If the billfish doesn't attack
and try to eat the fly, you're still up.
Determine
how many and what type of teasers, and assign who's to man
each of them. For example, if you're targeting marlin you
might want to use a whole rigged black fin tuna or a good-sized
mahi mahi belly bait as your primary teaser, whereas a rigged
ballyhoo and smaller belly bait, or rigged sardine or mullet
with a skirt might do the trick, particularly if color coordinated
with your fly. Often I like to color coordinate teasers and/or
skirts, particularly with marlin, so your fly looks somewhat
like the teaser when you present it to him. Have several rods
rigged, two or three for sailfish, one for marlin - or more
if you're targeting marlin with big teasers and belly baits.
Discuss
with your captain if you want to fish IGFA regulations or
not. There is a better chance of setting a record here on
billfish than anywhere else I know of If fishing IGFA regs,
the engines must be in neutral before you can cast. Cast slightly
behind your billfish but near their head. I always try to
cast to the side of the billfish that they're heading and
behind. Billfish have peripheral vision and see and hear the
fly. By casting in this manner, you can get an angle going
away and set the hook in the opposite direction the fish is
swimming towards. This improves your chances of getting your
hook set in the comer of the mouth. All billfish have mouths
like concrete. They have a small soft area in the top front
of the mouth and a very narrow band circling the mouth. Except
for these tiny areas, and you have almost no chance of gaining
a purchase there, you have to set the hook in the corner of
the mouth.
Set the
hook hard several times until the fish starts to jump or run.
If he jumps quickly drop your rod into the water to reduce
your chance of breaking your line. If he runs, let him go.
Often sails or marlin will jump or greyhound across the surface
at over 65 mph. They are the ocean's fastest swimmers. Let
them go. Jumping tires them. Always keep your rod low when
fighting billfish. Never raise your rod up high as many of
us have been taught. When the billfish completes his run,
he'll go down. Back down on him - tighten your drag and put
the wood to him. Side angle him with a low rod then change
directions. Repeat this process. It discourages him and makes
him give up earlier. When he runs again, let him and repeat
the process. This way, you can drastically cut your fighting
time to under 30 minutes, often under 15 minutes if you're
good at it.
Clinics:
I will periodically run "how-to" clinics
at Crocodile Bay for inshore and offshore fly fishing. Also,
legend Lefty Kreh and I will host a week of instruction and
fishing "Fly Fishing Masters" from May 20 - 26,
2003. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to share and
learn from the greatest fly fisherman that ever lived.
Tight
lines. Tom Boyd
Crocodile
Bay Resort is the world's premiere eco/fishing lodge.
It has luxurious accommodations, an incredible array of amenities,
eco-tours, activities and up close and personal opportunities
in the most bio-diverse area on our planet — namely
the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park. The Osa is
the back yard to the lodge. This unparalleled opportunity
for families, non-fishermen, or the adventurous explorer complements
a diverse fishery that offers virtually limitless opportunities
of catching a dazzling array of fly fishing's greatest game
fish.
