Gulfito sailfish rancho

Lodge: Golfito Sailfish Rancho
Located in the southwest Costa Rica
Guide: Eric and Jose
Favorite Memory: Jose hauling a Sailfish into the boat and putting it across my lap.

The lodge is tucked into a large cove off the Golfo Dulce. Great rooms and fantastic food. Some caught by you and prepared for dinner that night. The hostess is wonderful and wakes you every morning by singing. The operation is first class. The meet you in San Jose where you spend the night and get up at 4:45 the next morning for the flight to the lodge. Upon arrival at Golfito, you are met and taken to the dock where a 20 minute boat ride takes you to the Lodge. Get settled in and off you go. It is about a 2 hour run out to the fishing grounds. Teasers are set out, and it does not take long to raise the first fish. This was my first shot at sailfish on the fly and it is very easy. The fish are aggressive and if you blow the first shot they will hang around for a second cast. The take is amazing. The fish slashes at the fly with his bill and then scopes it up. This is where the fun begins. It took about an average of 25 minutes to land the fish. The average size was around 80 pounds. The deck hands are amazing in the way the handle the thrashing fish. Leaning over the boat side and grabbing  80 pounds of angry fish with one hand and removing the fly with the other takes some skill. We almost lost Jose on one fish , but Eric grabbed him by the belt to hold him in the boat.

In shore fishing is fun with Roosters crashing bait. Find a school that is actively feeding and cast your bait fish imitation into it and hold on. Roosters are easier to catch using bait rigs, but definitely try for them with the fly, because the fight is amazing. They are so powerful.

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