The Orient Point Fishing Reports

Just a short look at the last 2 days of fishing here in Costa Rica:

Rooster Battle on Beach

It was five o’clock, the sunset was touching down on the Osa Peninsula, the surf crashing on the beach and I was zipping along Playa Zancudo, Costa Rica on my ATV. The hum of the motor, wind in my hair, the soft ride on the sand and not a person in sight always puts me into a relaxing daze.  So when I saw him, it was as if I awakened. Water up to his shorts in the surf, his ten foot rod bent over, not naturally part of the scenery, he stood out among the scattered coconuts on the beach.
His name is Piers and as his wife tells it he thought to go play horseshoes but decided to fish instead (not a really hard decision when you think about it). Using a Yo-Zuri popper that looked like a Boston Mackerel, you’d think he was fishing Striped Bass in Orient Point. The rod was all of ten feet and the reel top of the line Shimano Stella spooled with 50# braid. It was the perfect setup to try and land this trophy fish.
When I pulled up behind him on my ATV I saw right away it was a big Rooster, its crest sliced through the front side of the first wave about forty feet out. As the fish darted down the beach Piers ran through the wash keeping his angle and not loosing line. At the time I didn’t know him, but I saw he was a seasoned angler and made all the right moves. As a captain I spend my days watching people fish and while I watched this guy battle what I knew was a fish of a lifetime I quickly realized he knew it too.

Each time he pulled the fish from that first wave the undertow would grab the fish back and peel off the little he gained. In the Jack family, Roosters are tremendous fighters and with their tall body and mighty fins the current was not in Piers’ favor. But bending his back, running from side to side and at times pointing his rod parallel to the shore to keep the 90 degree angle on the fish, he pulled it into the shallow eight inch water. Once there the Rooster had no water to work on and the battle was won.
As was the fish, Piers was exhausted, mostly from adrenaline rush of his excitement and joy. He held the fish in the water as I pulled the trebles from the side of its mouth and his wife took some quick photos. I quickly suggested that they release this great fish, but as I found out, he is an accomplished fly fisherman from England and releases all he catches.
Crouched over, he rushed the Rooster back out into the surf, wiggling it as he went. The fish surprisingly docile seemed dead and I thought that maybe due to the longer than normal battle of surf fishing with its heavy backwash versus that on a boat it may have died, when suddenly it pulled away from his grasp and shot back out into the waves with a big splash.
Only then I got to shake his hand and ask his wife to email the photos so I could share them with you.
Enjoy,
Capt Sloan

Roosterfish

Blue Marlin

Dr. Craig Stemmer came to the lodge carrying his medicine bag full of the tools of the trade, that is for a fly fisherman. Filled with all the best fly fishing gear, he and Capt Javier had plans to head out the Gulfo Dulce on his first day of his 4 day fishing vacation. Having met the good Doc last year, I had looked forward to his return and now enjoyed our conversations at the bar which were filled with his excited anticipation.
His travel bag consisted of a 12 wt, 2-14 wts, and a 16 wt. For those not in the know yet, these are fly rods with the 16 wt being the strongest of the set. At the bar he went over and over the possible scenarios; “what if a big sail comes up, which rod should I use?”, “what if a Dorado comes up, What should I use?”, and of course the ultimate day dream: “what if a Blue Marlin comes up?”. The answer to the latter would be easy, the toughest setup you have and then expect the Blue Marlin to blow it up, snap it in two, or watch the fish take all the line you have.
Leaving the dock at 6 am I was right behind Javier both boats pulling out of our private river marina, up on plane making 25 knots. Not needing live bait as they were on the fly, Javier headed out the gulf, 3 miles from the beach, to where the big bait balls were, while we stopped at the river mouth to catch a tank full of live bait. Making bait came easy and we charged out to the grounds now only 20 minutes behind Javier and the Doc. As we came up on them, their boat was stopped drifting in the current, and we saw it, Doc’s rod bent over all the way. The hook up of a lifetime, sought after by many but accomplished by few, a Blue Marlin on the fly.
Two and a half hours later the whole fleet watched Javier’s boat step up on plane and head for the Lodge. The 250 lb Blue Marlin had been brought alongside the boat and released clean and healthy. It was only later in the afternoon at the bar with the sun setting that the doc told me how it went. Even after all his years of dreaming,  “what if” planning, and mental preparation, when his Old Man and the Sea  Blue Marlin first came up behind the boat it all turned out for naught as he grabbed the lightest rod in the rack, the 12 wt. Well, all the more to relish in as he landed this great trophy on super light tackle, his dream and by his account it was the angling challenge of his life with much pain and muscle cramping during the battle.
Congratulations to the good Doc, well deserved. Check out the photos.

With an act like that hard to follow, John Reeves came down from Long Island and he and I had a good bite as he landed/released two nice Sailfish and two more big bull Dorados. Jody and his band of brothers, it’s a band for sure with a group of eight, put a beating on the Yellow Fin Tuna. Jody’s weighed in at 110 lbs and the total count was ten, none under 50 lbs. What a day! Honorable mention goes to Seth for his Yellow Fin which luckily didn’t top Jody’s as we would have never heard the end of it.
Enjoy the Photos
Capt Sloan

doc-on-the-fly

Capt with John and his Sail

Roosterfish

Gary and his teenage son Max hopped across the pond, fly rods in hand to have a “go at it”. If you read the last report you too know the bite has been red hot with Dorados 20-30 lbs ten per boat per day, Marlin, Sailfish and Roosters. Including the great fishing by Trey and Bill who during their five days of fantasy fishing caught among many other fish, over 30 Dorado, fought 6 Blue Marlin and landed and released one each.

Well the pond Gary and Max crossed to get to the Lodge was the Big Pond as they made their way from England for a two week stay of nonstop fishing. And although Max’s mom and grandma probably knew they liked fishing, I don’t think either of them had any idea they had that same fever as yours truly and could fish from morning until sundown for two weeks straight and revel in the telling of it from diner time until pillow time. I caught up with Mom and Grandma as they anxiously awaited the boys’ return from their first day of offshore fishing. They too came on this Costa Rican vacation, I thought to just enjoy the beach and pool, but when I saw their eyes wide with anticipation, what at first seemed like patient waiting under the tiki hut at the dock, I realized they too were struck by the father and son fly fishing duo’s excitement. It had probably been the talk of the dinner table back home for many weeks leading up to this great trip.

The boat pulled up to the dock, we tied it tight and Gary tells of his first Sailfish he caught on a fly, something he had only heard about before this day. They had eight Sailfish up, lost three and released one. That was their first day and Gary said he couldn’t believe it and that he wasn’t used to fly fishing like this. I told him he would get used to it and better at. He did, as:

Over the next two weeks Gary and Max fished from boat, beach and dock, catching thirty different species. Max released his first Sail on the fly, caught his first Roosterfish and released a Snook he landed on the fly right off our own dock. They had countless releases on Dorado, a swing and a miss on a Blue Marlin and landed a big Jack Cravelle in the surf on the beach in front of the Lodge’s swimming pool. There is too much to list, but for sure Gary’s wife and mother, Max’s mom and grandma, now know of their men’s love for fishing. Whether they understand it like us diehards do , we’ll never know.

Enjoy the photos

Capt Sloan

Fly Rods, Big Game

Frank's Tuna

The season officially kicked off, or should I say peeled off as reeled screamed with jumping Dorado and deep diving Tunas.

Harry brought his group in from Oregon and Art and his fishing partner Susan(who is also his wife, lucky guy) caught the first Blue Marlin of the season a horse at an estimated 500 lbs (five hundred). Captain Elvis at the wheel. Lynn and his wife Jenne, who always seemed to be smiling, had multiples on Roosterfish. Captain Luis rang the bell two days ago with 21 big Dorado 20-30 lbers and three 40 lb class Yellow Fin Tuna to put on top.

I had the Yo-Zuri tackle team out on my first off shore trip of the new season made up of George and Frank. Just the day before they caught the complete mixed bag of inshore species: Jack Crevalle, Nurse Shark (8’), Horse-eye Jack, Roosterfish, Blue Trevally, Scorpion Grouper, Warsaw Grouper, Marquesa Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Pargo (Common Red Snapper), Triggerfish, Houndfish, and Bonito . We were making a full day of lots of 30 lb Dorados (Mahi-Mahi) and a 6 lb Triple Tail when we gave it one more toss of a live bait at the school of boiling Tuna. Sure enough as all the boats passed us on their way to the dock Frank tells George he thinks he is getting a bite on his live Blue Runner. George debates this with him momentarily and then agrees as the 50 SW two-speed gold International starts dumping line at wide open, thumb burning speeds. Frank, the Friendly Goliath Angler at an easy 6’ 3” headed for the chair, it was 2:30 in the afternoon and we just hooked up a very fresh, energetic big Yellow Fin Tuna, it was to make for a late return to the lodge.

The battle was unique as the fish came close to the boat 3 times in the first 20 minutes, unfortunately just out of reach of my sharp gaff. Without sounding (going deep), it lead us East then North while the big school seemed to follow us around. I was tempted to throw a popper into the passing school, but knew we had our hands full as it was. Then the fish went down, straight down peeling off line as it pleased, Frank struggled hard just to hold on. Watching the sun head for the horizon, Frank’s battle reached the first hour mark as darkness was on its way. I thought to take the chance, without much else to do, to push the drag past the strike mark which was risky as the stealthy, thin 80 lb Yo-Zuri Floro leader worried me. Not knowing where the hook set was, left it a mystery as to if the line was being chaffed by the small but very sharp Tuna’s teeth. I took the chance and pushed it forward, the rod bent over harder, bending what seemed to be all the way and the line held tight. As it seemed the fish would never come up Frank just held on like a prize fighter in the 15^th round up against the ropes.

Well, all the waiting and battling payed-off as it sometimes does. The fish found its way to the top, came along side the boat and 2 gaffs found its side. In the boat, into the brine fish bag, and then with a slice under the gill and at the tail to bleed it out it headed home with us. Charging home with just the slightest bit of civil twilight to make our way, I radioed on the VHF to Gregg on the Lodge’s home base VHF. With its 100 foot antenna tower he heard me loud and clear. Get the digital scale fired up and keep our dinner warm.

We hit the dock at 7pm, greeted by a large crowd under the lights, weighed our trophy catch at 120.7 lbs, took a few photos and left Paulino to do the filleting. Shirley the chef would turn it into sushi and grilled tuna steaks the following night.

What a great way to start the season.

Enjoy the photos

Capt Sloan

george-rooster

Ralph's Hog Tog

Ralph brought out the boys for a fun day of Black fishing. One of his friends, new to the Black Rock became known as “Rode Island Red” as he showed up with very nice equipment, mostly rigged for typical Rode Island fishing. We were in Orient. As it turned out, and it doesn’t always go this way, he was a good Tog fisherman. In the last hour of our trip he finally changed his RI rig to an Black Rock, Orient rig (don’t think the mate and I didn’t suggest it more than once earlier, because if you know me you know we did many times).

Well 10 minutes later he had a monster Tog on, it ran like all hell and he couldn’t stop it. The line parted at a former RI knot, not a Black Rock knot. And not to say I haven’t had a monster Tog tear me to  shreds, because I have. Well the big one got away, but Steve’s near 11lb long Tog and Ralph’s 9 lber still made us happy along with our limit. Steve also taught us a lot about the fine art of goat herding.

Check out the nice photos

Capt Sloan

Steve, propellor and goat expert

Two Fat Togs

The Tog bite came on strong with more big ones today. Richie “Slow Hand” calmly landed a fat one smiled as wide as the fish itself, but then played it serious for the picture.

Mitch caught a bunch of big ones and kept us all laughing in a few languages too.

Capt Sloan

Richie's big one

Mitch caught them up

Sal and Mike put together the annual Blackfish trip and all the boys were there. Mike caught his biggest personal Tog and showed it off in the pictures below. It also must be reported that it was Angelo who caught the cow Striper. Richie had a couple of big Togs too.

The trip was great with many good laughs and we had the max limit on the Togs with 32 and the max Bass with 12.

Thanks to all the boys for a memorable trip.

Capt Sloan

Angelo's Cow

Sal's Big Smile

pa

Gene brought his Florida fishing buddy to give him a big time Striper fishing trip. The proof is in the pictures.

The guys were good fishermen and the fish paye the price.

Thanks

Capt Sloan

Big Porgies grow big smiles

John loves to hammer the scup, so we hammered them. The picture tells it all. I told him: “bring your biggest cooler”, it wasn’t big enough. But we had many buckets extra to handle the load. 270 was our limit, and we had it.

Oh, we had Stripers too, but John only likes to tell of his Porgies. Did i tell you he loves Porgies?

Thanks John

Capt Sloan