I had been dreaming of fishing the Caribbean, and catching a big Tarpon since I was a small boy.

At seven years old I got my first subscription to Field & Stream magazine, and had kept it by getting renewals for birthday presents until I was in my early twenties.  Adding such great magazines as Salt Water Fisherman, Fly Fishing, and In Fisherman rounded out my library throughout the years.

A Marlin Grand Slam is on my bucket list, as well as catching a bonefish on a fly, but what I really dreamed of was a big Tarpon. One hundred plus pounds of muscle, rocketing into the sky, shaking its head to try to throw the hook, hearing its gill plates rattling. That was a recurring dream throughout my teens and twenties. Then I moved to Montana. Go figure…….

But now I had my chance. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast is famous for many things, including lots of big Tarpon. I booked my fishing trip online, at the Jungle Tarpon lodge. The reviews were great, lots of pictures of big fish, and the running commentary on fish recently caught nearly made me drool…..  But I still had to get there.

The lodge manager and guide, Angelo,  would meet me at Cano Blanco, and take me the rest of the way by boat. The first 3  hours went just as planned, then I got to Siquerres, for the last 32 miles of my drive. Lets just say I was glad I was driving a rental.

After a LONG…. drive, I got to the docks. From here its a boat to the Lodge.  Jungle Tarpon Lodge….. as in deep in the….. About 20 more minutes with the throttle wide open, in a 20 foot center console Boston Whaler got us to the lodge.  Lunch was served, My room was ready, and I settled in. Not much else to do but fish. The ad was right. It is truly the JUNGLE Tarpon lodge. No tv, no wi-fi, no radio, Nada. Zip. Zilch. So, we went fishing!

And the fishing was GREAT!

More next time……..