With the Tenorio high and muddy, each time we passed an entering creek we made a huge effort to get a couple casts there. These teeth can easily bite through light tippet so I use 25lb fluorocarbon. Machaca have voracious molarlike teeth they use to crush nuts and fruits. Today I was using the Scientific Anglers WF6F Tropical Titan Taper. My machaca rig is my 6-weight Winston and a fly line that can handle hot temps. We were able to land the random machacas. In the meantime, Sammy and I kept casting. From my experience with other fish and places around the world, when this happens the fishing can turn back on. With only an hour under our belt and big distance remaining, there was a chance the river could start to clear again and drop. “Monsoon Currier” strikes again.Ĭhuta estimated our float to be 20 kilometers (more than ten miles). The day turned to more of a whitewater trip than a fishing trip. As we proceeded downstream the water became muddier and the water level came up a foot. Our fishing started fantastic but things took a plunge for the worst. Chuta says he once saw a bait fisherman hoisting a 9lber over his shoulder for dinner. I have a slide picture somewhere at home but I remember the fish was near 5lbs. In 1993 I landed a monster on Lake Nicaragua. Sammy was hooked up before we got around the first corner. The machaca may not see the fly in the murk but they can hear it splat. We had to smack this big green concoction of a fly to the water as hard as we could. The best looks like a green golf ball on a strong hook.īecause machacas are plant eaters, todays conditions required a special presentation. Tom sent us down with a few special ones and sure enough Chuta had the same. My flies back then were colorful Chernobyl ants and hoppers. When I was in Central America often back in the 90’s I fished machaca every chance I got. The machaca is a vegetarian fish that thrives on fruits, nuts and even flower pedals that fall into the river. The Tenorio has some Pacific snook and guapote as well but murky river conditions from a storm only hours earlier made it unlikely that we’d find them. But when you fish on distant waters you simply deal. It’s not the best for fly fishing because you zip by prime spots at mock speed. I mention frameless because this means Chuta maneuvers with one paddle. We’d have fished with Gary but he’s presently working a billfish tournament in Cabo.Ĭhuta lives on the Tenorio River and fishes it from a frameless raft of which we slid down a steep ledge by a highway bridge. Gary moved to Costa Rica more than 20 years ago. He’s good friends with an old pal of mine, Gary Willmott. Unfortunately, Rio Tenorio is a four-hour drive from San Jose and with my flight arriving late, we didn’t start fishing until noon.Ĭhuta is an energetic young fishing/whitewater guide. In order not to waste today, Tom organized us a jungle float fishing trip on the Rio Tenorio with a young guide named Chuta. Though our focus this trip is marlin, that starts tomorrow. The tarpon reserve is where we met last August when we filmed a piece for “Atlanticus”. This trip is organized by my friend Tom Enderlin, owner of Jungle Tarpon Reserve. We’re here to break my marlin on the fly curse with a blue marlin from the Pacific. I arrived in Costa Rica two hours late where I met my friend Sam Vigneri and our driver Albin. An ultimate no-no under the rules of “Currier”. The consequence, each time I’ve lost fishing time. That’s three international flight delays this year alone with Delta. Instead I torturously had to stay awake until 2 because our flight delayed until 2:30 am. I was supposed to leave Los Angeles at 12:40 am this morning. Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing ☰ NavigationĪ delayed Delta flight set me back today.
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