Costa Rica

Fish for Change uses fly-fishing as a platform to make the world a better place.
We unite a diverse group of students in wild fisheries where they engage in a variety of initiatives that promote
connection, education, conservation, and exploration.

Situated amongst a cluster of countries with slightly troubled pasts, Costa Rica has maintained a state of
peace and neutrality for the better part of the past 70 years, earning it the nickname the “Switzerland of
Central America.’ In fact, the Ticos (as Costa Ricans call themselves) have even taken this notion of peace
one step further by abolishing their national army in 1948 – the first country in the world to do so.

Costa Rica is much more than a political science case study, and the extreme natural beauty one finds in
this country will awe even the most traveled nature enthusiasts. Fiery volcanoes, lush tropical rainforests,
some of the world’s last intact deciduous dry forests, verdant cloud forests, and high alpine paramo are
just a sample of the many rich ecosystems that exist in a landmass the size of West Virginia. Biodiversity
surveys have shown that up to 4% of the earth’s species inhabit the country’s many microclimates, and
where there is great terrestrial diversity there is often also great aquatic diversity.

Costa Rica is home to an amazing range of fish species. Two oceans and a variety of rivers and lakes
equates to the ability to target many different species all within a relatively small geographic space. This
pilot trip is meant to put students in direct contact with this incredible angling diversity, starting with
delicate dry fly fishing for wild rainbow trout, followed by connecting with an array of warm water exotics
including machaca and guapote, and finally the chance to battle it out with a triple digit tarpon.

Fishing isn't the only objective, as students will trek through high elevation cloud forest, learn about
the diversity of lowland rainforest and study some of the animals that live there, and finally give back with
some river cleanups and tree planting activities.