The Rio Colorado River

Getting down to business…

Upon arriving at The Rio Colorado Lodge, anxious guests assemble their gear and chow down a quick breakfast before heading out. The Rio Colorado River empties into the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. This location is called Barra Del Colorado and is located about 10 miles south as the crow flies from Nicaragua. The top two to four feet of the water column here is actually fresh for several miles because the Rio Colorado River pours so much fresh water into the Caribbean- leaving the fish congregated in the stained water at and around the river mouth and adjacent area. There are days when the tarpon are everywhere from six feet below the surface to over one hundred feet down. When severe weather restricts fishing the river mouth, there are protected areas up river where tarpon congregate as well.

No more than 24 hours ago we boarded a flight from Miami that took us to San Jose where we spent the night at the Melia Cariari, a four-star hotel. In the morning, our friend Eduardo Rojas (liaison for our final destination) took us to the plane that would hop over the mountains on a half hour flight to our home port for the world’s greatest tarpon fishery- Archie Field’s Rio Colorado Lodge.

Known the world over for its incomparable tarpon fishery, The Rio Colorado Lodge is in its 38th year of operation. It was founded by Archie Fields who literally carved the lodge out of the dense jungle along the Rio Colorado River. Dan Wise purchased the facility from the Fields in 1993, and has been the owner/operator ever since.

Originally from Mississippi, Dan was a successful lawyer and judge in a previous life. He is old school “South” and can spin a great story while whipping together a fantastic home style meal. He is the quintessential host and bends backwards to accommodate each guest’s specific requests.

Nestled deep in the jungle, The Rio Colorado Lodge hosts avid tarpon anglers from far and wide.

Anglers at The Rio Colorado Lodge are treated to a dozen 23ft. center-consoles powered by reliable four-stroke outboards- a rarity for charter fleets this far from modern day civilization. There is also a larger vessel for offshore excursions and a multi-passenger craft for jungle cruises. Participants interact with howler monkeys, sloths, exotic birds and other creatures indigenous to Central America. The lodge also maintains its own zoo of vocal monkeys and colorful parrots.

While the lodge does offer rental gear, visiting anglers serious about landing trophy fish typically bring their own. The tarpon here vary in size but for the most part, they are big, mean and nasty with the Costa Rican record well over 200 pounds! As a Florida native and full time West Coast guide, I’ve seen quite a few big tarpon, but three years ago I released a gargantuan king on the Rio Colorado that had to go 250 pounds! Most of the fish, however, go 140 to 170-pounds and are somewhat manageable on the recommended 20 lb. or 30 lb. class spinning or conventional gear. Fortunately, with today’s ultra-thin super braids, it is possible to pack 50 lb. test on this sort of equipment while still maintaining plenty of line capacity. You see for most, fishing the Rio Colorado isn’t about line class world records as much as it is about actually landing and releasing gargantuan tarpon this size. Rigging for Megalops requires two-feet of 100-130 lb. test mono shock leader so as a rule, you should bring along a couple of pocket spools.

Artificial offerings are the norm for Costa Rican tarpon with the most popular lure the legendary Bomber Long-A in white or chartreuse. The Coasthawk is another very effective bait, but very difficult to find. Luckily, Dan special orders them and has plenty at the lodge. Rapala Magnum 11s & 14s in orange, red/white, silver/mackerel and bright tiger patterns work well, too, as do big MirrOlures. Don’t fret if you don’t want to bring all your own tackle along. The lodge does have a fully stocked tackle shop and your guide will advise you as to what has been working best.

Along with the conventional equipment, I pack a pair of 12-weight fly rod outfits that hold no less than 300 yards of 35 lb. test backing. I highly recommend Orvis Big Game because it is a gel-spun backing material and its thinner- meaning I can pack more line on the reel. Orvis Depth Charge line in the 500 grain weight and Teeny line in 850 grain are both great choices. These lines are full fly lines but with care, you can actually cast them. However, here in Costa Rica, you don’t really have to cast. Typically, we slop out the appropriate length of line and simply jig the fly in a stripping fashion as the boat drifts through packs of hunting fish. Using this approach the fly rod can be very effective at keeping that bait in the tarpons’ face. When a hungry fish inhales the fly, it is like sticking a cinder block. I use a regular tarpon leader with 40 lb. or 50 lb. test butt section. Class tippet is 20 lb. and the shock leader is 100 lb. test. Flies are big and bushy Whistler style tied on 3/0 Owner Aki hooks. Black and red or all chartreuse are my colors of choice. I’m so in to this, I take my vise and tying equipment with me when I visit the lodge and spend my evenings creating new patterns.

If you have never fought a giant tarpon on fly, The Rio Colorado River is the place to do it. Although it is not a conventional method of fly fishing, it does get the job done and you will get to experience what it takes to land such big, powerful fish on fly.