Fly Fishing In Costa Rica.
Planning a fishing trip to a place like Costa Rica has always been a bit of a double-edged sword for me. Each year, as I begin to plan, the excitement builds as I imagine the abundance of gamefish I’ll soon be within casting distance of. I practically shake with anticipation, thinking of all the incredible opportunities that await. But, with the same reliability as an old Toyota Hilux, a familiar feeling starts to creep in: the realization that my time will be limited. I stop focusing on how many days I have to fish and start worrying about how few “fishable hours” I really have. That initial excitement turns into a sense of anxiety, like a kid in a candy shop with far too many choices and far too little cash.
In my borderline manic efforts to make the most of every second of my trips to Costa Rica, I've spent countless hours researching and planning. The information out there isn’t bad, but much of it doesn’t quite match up with my experiences in the fishery. Over time, I’ve shifted from chasing baitfish to blind casting into what I call “fish highways”—places where structure, current, and habitat consistently funnel baitfish and attract predators. Don’t get me wrong, if a bait ball pops up within casting distance, I’m not ignoring it. But, from my experience, running up and down the beach chasing bait and birds is often a waste of time. They move too fast, and more often than not, it’s just a school of small jacks harassing the bait.
There is one major exception: if you spot the unmistakable surface slashes of roosterfish, that absolutely justifies a full 100-yard sprint.
One of the hardest parts of fishing in a new area is deciding where to fish. For me, Google Earth has become an essential tool in scouting locations. It’s incredibly useful for reviewing satellite images, especially those taken at low tide, which can reveal water depth, structure, ledges, and channels. In the image below, I’ve marked a series of spots that I would consider “fish highways” on an outgoing tide.
If you imagine yourself as a small 2-4 inch sardine, it’s easy to see why these areas are so attractive. When a large predator approaches, you don’t want to waste energy fighting the current, and you definitely don’t want to swim hundreds of feet to reach safety. These rocks offer both a potential escape for baitfish and serve as breaks in the current, creating ideal ambush points for predators. Since casting range is one of the biggest sacrifices when moving from surfcasting to fly fishing, identifying these "fish highways" becomes even more crucial; but once you’re able to find these areas you have a chance at interacting with some truly giant predators.
Recommended checklist
7/8 wt Rod for bonefish, small jacks, reef fish, etc
10-12 WT Rod for Roosterfish, Big Jacks, Barracuda, Tarpon, etc
Floating lines For fishing the flats, or from a skiff.
Intermediate Lines For fishing the Beach, or fishing topwater from a kayak.
Sinking Lines For fishing from a kayak, fishing large flies, or fishing deep drop offs.
Extra Reels/Extra spools For the ability to change line types quickly and easily.
Extra tip for your fly rod There are some big fish in these waters, and whenever you travel with a fly rod you risk damaging it.
Leader/Tippet Spool Leaders for targeting Barracuda, Tarpon, and Bonefish are all very different, having a way to store all your line will prevent headaches.
Polarized Sunglasses For fishing the flats, and from a skiff, and overall eye protection. The sun is brutal close to the equator and your eyes will thank you.
Good Pliers There are a lot of toothy fish in the tropics. If you end up hooking into a 40+inch barracuda you’ll be glad you have them.
Wading Boots Not always necessary, but the volcanic outcroppings are slippery and very sharp. One slip could be extremely dangerous.
Stripping Basket Overall a good idea, but an absolute necessity when fishing on sharp volcanic rock. It will slice through your line like butter.
Hydrocortisone Cream I may just be unlucky, but I have been covered in jellyfish stings a few times.
SINKING LINES
One of my favorite methods for fishing ledges like these is to use a full-sink line or a sink-tip line with a full-intermediate body. After casting, I let it sit and count down until I either feel the bottom or start getting strikes. This helps me figure out where in the water column the fish are feeding, allowing me to target them more consistently. I prefer using unweighted changer or minnow patterns when fishing this way. The buoyancy of these flies helps prevent snags, even when my line is dredging near the bottom. I tend to lose more flies when using weighted flies like clousers, as they are more likely to get caught up.
I also like using aggressive sinking lines because they allow me to present large buoyant patterns much more effectively than a sink-tip or intermediate line. For example, with a full-sinking line, I can cast a 12-inch changer pattern, start retrieving immediately, and keep it in the top of the water column, or I can let the line sink and work it deeper. Intermediate lines are great for keeping large flies near the surface, but if you’re trying to get them down to 15-30 feet, you’ll end up spending more time waiting for your fly to sink than actually fishing.
The most effective technique I have found when fishing larger flies on a sinking line is to use a “Jerk-Strip” popularized by Kelly Gallup. The basis of this technique revolves around using the rod tip to retrieve and animate your fly, as opposed to your stripping hand. By using the tip of the rod to animate the fly you can achieve a variety of presentations with ease, getting the fly to jerk, pause, jig, flutter in the current. By now, there is nothing revolutionary about using the Jerk strip when targeting trout, and its likely thousands of anglers have caught their personal best trout while using the technique; however In my experience, this technique is not common in saltwater, or still water fly fishing; but it can be just as deadly.
IMAGE 2
This technique is especially effective when fishing areas with heavy current, like the outcroppings marked above. To maximize the effectiveness, start by casting up-current. In the example shown in Image 1, you would cast to your left and let your presentation drift along with the current in the direction of the arrows. After casting, it’s crucial to create slack in your line and allow your fly line to bow with the current, as demonstrated in Image 2.
There are several advantages to this approach, but the first is that it offers a more natural presentation. Whether you're imitating an Atlantic menhaden, bay anchovy, sculpin, or shiner, baitfish rarely swim against the current when fleeing a predator. Instead, they almost always flee downstream. By letting your line bow in the current, you can mimic this natural fleeing behavior, even if your fly is downstream of your position.
Another benefit of this technique is that the current can help animate your fly. Flies like Kelly Galloup’s Bangtail, for instance, undulate and kick with incredible realism when jerked and paused in a strong current.
Lastly, this method dramatically increases the amount of water you can cover with a single cast compared to a standard retrieve. When blind casting a 10wt rod all day, efficiency is key, and this approach lets you fish more effectively with less effort, allowing you to fish longer.
FloatinG LINES.
When I am in the tropics, unless I am sight fishing bonefish, permit, or other species on the flats it’s rare for me to have a floating line on. This may be surprising to many people, but in my opinion an intermediate line allows you to employ a wider array of techniques than a floating line can. Another benefit of intermediate lines is their ability to shoot into the wind, depending on where you are in the tropics wind can be unavoidable. Some of the places I have fished like Montserrat are affected by the trade winds, and almost every day have consistent 20 mph winds. Attempting to aerialize 50+ feet of fly line in 20 mph winds is not a fun day for most people. Another benefit in my experience is that it is much easier to cut through the waves in the surf using an intermediate line, allowing you more control of your fly. The areas I have traveled too in Costa Rica are typically made up of ledges, and rocky outcroppings, with few slats fishing opportunities so its rare I use a floating fly line.
One underutilized technique when fishing in the tropics is blind casting shrimp and crab patterns into the reefs. This can be done using any line type but I prefer floating or intermediate lines, as sinking lines are more likely to get caught up. There’s an abundance of species that hang out on the reefs, and you never know what you’re going to catch, but Snappers often move into shallow water at dawn and dusk, and can be downright punishing on the fly rod.
Intermediate Lines
Most people assume a floating line is necessary for working poppers, gurglers, and similar flies, but in my experience, you can still work them on the surface using an intermediate line—you just get a more dramatic pop or splash. Intermediate lines are my preferred choice when using most small to moderate flies in the surf, such as Clousers, Deceivers, Sparkle Minnows, and anything that isn’t extremely buoyant.
When using intermediate lines, it’s critical to vary your retrieve. Try everything until you find success—this could mean pausing your retrieve to let the fly fall and jig, burning it back as fast as possible, or crawling it back slowly. In the clear waters of the tropics, I typically find that a faster, more erratic retrieve with a lot of action generates more bites during the day. It’s often the only way to get strikes from speedsters like mackerel and bonito.
One technique that has been particularly effective for me is using a double streamer rig. Some anglers advocate placing a smaller fly in front of a larger one to imitate a predatory fish chasing bait. While that may work at times, it’s far more likely to cause tangles compared to rigging the smaller fly in the back. I typically rig my second streamer 12-18 inches behind the first and almost never experience tangles. An interesting phenomenon I've noticed is that predatory fish often strike at the first fly, miss the hook, and get "flossed" by the second fly. Some people have mixed feelings about the ethics of this, but as long as the fish is hooked in the mouth, I don’t see any issue with it.
Fishing in Costa Rica is an experience that rewards preparation, adaptability, and patience. While the fishery can seem overwhelming at first, from managing your gear to understanding the complexities of the fishery, the rewards are more than worth it. Whether you're chasing down roosterfish in a sprint or meticulously working ledges with sinking lines, there's always something new to learn and explore in these tropical waters. At the end of the day, the key is to stay flexible, experiment with different techniques, and remember that the adventure is as much about the journey as it is about the fish. With the right mindset, you'll find that even the shortest window of “fishable hours” can be filled with unforgettable moments. So pack your gear, study the coastline, and get ready for a fishing trip that just might be your best one yet.
