Fly Fishing

Some of Frenzy’s customers like to try their hand at catching a billfish, tuna or dorado on a fly rod. Catching a fish, particularly a billfish, “on-the-fly” as we say, involves numerous challenges and requires definitive skills. Frenzy’s team has consistently proven our proficiency at fly fishing, with three consecutive wins in the prestigious annual GIFT Tournament, held each January in Quepos. The “Gray Invitational Fly Tournament” is one of the world’s premier fly-tackle-only billfish tournaments (strictly catch-and-release). It takes teamwork to be successful at fly fishing for billfish.

This involves several key components:
The rod, reel and flyline must be set up properly.

• The proper fly must be used.
• The configuration of teasers has to be set up for flyfishing.
• The mate must tease the fish to the boat at the correct speed and to the proper position.
• The angler must be prepared to cast to the hungry lit-up billfish when the mate says “Cast”.

Sound impossible? Not at all, with Team Frenzy. Our captain and mates are among Costa Rica’s elite when it comes to fly fishing. In fact, that reputation is international in scope. By booking at least a 3-day package with us, the angler will have ample opportunity to learn the skills necessary to catch billfish on the fly.

Conventional Tackle

About 90% of Frenzy’s customers are conventional tackle fishermen. A typical day of billfishing involves pulling teasers to raise the fish, then pitching them a circle hook-rigged ballyhoo. This approach almost guarantees a hookup! Our mates are masters at hooking billfish, but are always eager to teach customers the art of circle hook fishing. By using a circle hook, almost every billfish is hooked in the corner of the jaw, assuring that the fish will be released unharmed.

Frenzy carries a full complement of Shimano tackle. Shimano TLD 30’s on short stand-up rods are used for the sailfish, which average 100 pounds. Using properly-sized standup tackle enables novice anglers to quickly learn how to handle a big fish and enabled experienced anglers to hone their skills. A pitchbait on a TLD 50 is always at the ready for a marlin that could show up at any time, as well as for the average-sized yellowfin tuna that frequent the waters off Quepos. A Tiagra 80 on a chair rod is available for encounters with huge tuna and the occasional big marlin that can show up.

Frenzy charter boat is fully stocked with all the terminal tackle required for a successful day on the water. Despite the logistical challenges associated with equipping charter boats in Costa Rica, Frenzy Sportfishing spares no expense to make sure that proper tackle is on the boats for whatever type of fishing the customer chooses to do.