The Rio Colorado River

The king’s army…

Although the Rio Colorado Lodge is primarily visited for tarpon, there are many other species available. Hefty jack crevalle are one of them. A few years back I landed a 40 pound crevalle on fly. The intense battle lasted nearly an hour and is one I will never forget. Costa Rica is also famous for its large snook. Linesiders to 35 pounds are landed each year by anglers jigging for tarpon close to shore. Large cubera snapper are not at all uncommon, and there are plenty of schoolie yellowfin tuna just offshore.

In the shallow backwaters, along with juvenile tarpon, numerous other species will test your ultra-light skills. These fish include the guapote which acts like a largemouth bass and ranges to five pounds. There is the mojarra which is somewhat like a bluegill, and, of course, the machaca. Machaca reach ten pounds and behave just like baby tarpon when hooked. All of these fish readily smash small top-water plugs and sub-surface jigs.

There is also a smaller species of snook that the local refer to as “calba.” In Florida, we call them fat snook, however we don’t see anywhere near the same numbers. In Costa Rica they typically reach ten pounds and swarm the rivers during November and December.

Mi casa es su casa…

The Rio Colorado Lodge is quaint and cozy. You will feel right at home here. All lodge employees speak English and quickly become your friends. All of the rooms are set up for double occupancy with either twin or queen size beds. Rooms have private showers and a/c. The lodge was built from the hardwoods of the forest and while it is rustic, it is very comfortable. There is laundry service, too.

Your cordial host, Dan Weiss. In between fishing trips and for after dinner entertainment, the lodge has a game room and well-stocked bar. The bartender is the greatest story teller I have ever met- Dan Wise himself.

I can’t say enough about the food. This is not the place to start a diet. Dan is a Southern boy and food is his game.

His fried chicken is the best, and guests don’t want to miss pork chop night when Dan is at the grill. All meals are served family-style, and there is always more than enough for seconds along with a homemade desert. When fishing, anglers typically head back to the lodge for a buffet-style lunch before a quick siesta. Then it is back on the water for more showdowns.

My father visits The Rio Colorado Lodge twice a year every year. During his most recent trip, he jumped 94 tarpon and brought 15 to the boat. He is 79 years old. He likes to keep records and says that in the last decade, combined during our visits to the lodge, our family has landed 453 tarpon and jumped 763 for a total of 1216 fish in the air. This should give you something to gauge the caliber of the fishing.

So what happened to the double-header tarpon hook up at the beginning of our story? Well, we went on to land both fish. It wasn’t the first time we scored a successful double, and I know if we keep visiting the Rio Colorado Lodge, there will be many more to come.