Episode 1
01 September 2008 - Costa Rica
It is time to set sail for new shores, and Playa Flamingo Marina in Costa Rica seems the best place to start. It is the largest marina in the country and a major destination for game fishing. On the menu are wahoo, marlin, tuna and the spectacular sailfish. Purported to be the fastest fish in the water, the creatures have been known to reach speeds of up to 68mph. Can the actor hook the ultimate prize?
After being exposed to the elements in Costa Rica, Robson wonders whether he is out of his depth fishing on the open sea. Thankfully, he is aided by two savvy seamen, who teach him some essential tricks of the trade. Trolling slender ballyhoo lures, which zip through the water, they set about trying to attract tuna. It is not long before the crew spots a pod of dolphins – a sure sign that tuna are about
Next, it is up to Upala in the north, near the border with Nicaragua, to meet up with some very special anglers. The Club National de Pesca is Costa Rica’s most exclusive fly-fishing organisation. River-angling may be Robson’s domain, but these fishermen use a decidedly more extreme technique
After meeting some of the club’s esteemed members, Robson and the group go down to the water’s edge. The actor is appalled to see that the river conditions are less than perfect, as the water is coloured and very deep. But his guides are not deterred, announcing that they will don lifejackets and float down the river, trawling their lines with them. This is a big shock for a man who is used to having his feet planted firmly on the riverbed. But the worst news is yet to come – the men are fishing for machaca, a relative of the piranha...
The last leg of Robson’s Costa Rican junket sees him travel to southern Utala to spend some time with an indigenous tribe who rely on fish as their main source of food. The Maleku people teach Robson to use a basic line-fishing method in which fruit provides the bait for some hungrier machaca.
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