This is the story of my first experience as a tournament observer at the Signature Triple Crown, hosted by Los Suenos Marina and Resort. The venue was Costa Rica’s famed sailfish and marlin grounds. I learned to be a better angler, saw plenty of jaw-dropping billfish action, met scores of fascinating people and made friendships that are likely to last a lifetime.
Los Suenos Marina is a legendary sportfishing destination tucked between mountain ridges that slope to a protected cove. Its small, sheltered bay naturally resembles the shape of a crescent moon. The resort’s home is Costa Rica, a country blessed with natural beauty, “no artificial ingredients” and ecological diversity. In many parts of this small Central American country, green mountains drop to white and grey sand beaches, then to turquoise waters.
For big game anglers, some of the biodiversity includes jumbo Yellowfin Tuna, Pacific Sailfish and Black, Blue and Striped Marlin. Sometimes the abundance of Dorado is a curse and other times this athletic creature is a blast – giving the hardest of hard-core fishermen an adrenaline bang. Near shore, just beyond the breakers frequented by surfers, Roosterfish and Cubera Snapper forage.
The translation of Los Suenos is “dreams” – suggesting, it seems, that the marina and resort is a place that transcends ordinary consciousness. Maybe, it even implies something closer to heavenly. The marketing folks of Los Suenos use two words to describe the destination. "Beyond Compare" is the tagline. The name and accompanying slogan sound a bit boastful because they are.
Yet, Los Suenos's proclamation matches what one finds. The masterfully designed resort is par excellence. It combines the best of pelagic fishing, golf, water activities and a luxury lifestyle. Even though marketing promises often come up short, Los Suenos may well be “beyond compare”. Beyond a doubt, though, the place was conceived by the genius of using both hemispheres of the mind, combining art and science – science, in this instance, being the intuitive understanding of natural geography. True crescent moon natural basins from southern Nicaragua to northern Panama are as rare as a unicorn.
The artists who designed Los Suenos began with the perfect canvas: Costa Rica, with its raw, unadulterated beauty. Los Suenos would not be what it is without Costa Rica. If the resort were in Boca Raton, it would be just another gorgeous, 5-star joint. The juxtaposition of Costa Rican (also known as “Tico”) culture with a first-class, North American lifestyle makes Los Suenos even more majestic.
I first visited and fished out of Los Suenos in November 2005, a few years after its opening. My work and passion for offshore fishing led to a strong relationship with the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), which was financially backed by Viking Yachts and the Healey Family, as well as Johnson and Towers and the Johnson Family. I served in the New Jersey General Assembly as Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee -- the legislative committee charged with fisheries management.
The talk among sport fishing elites, at the time, was that Los Suenos was "The Place" to be. It was the Billfish Capital of the World. Yes, of course, it hosted a golf course, elegant housing, and fabulous dining experiences, but it was really meant to be a billfishing club. It was a pelagic paradise frequented and inhabited by the captains of industry, real estate developers, investment bankers and other entrepreneurial types.
Seventeen years after my first visit to Los Suenos, the presenting sponsor of the Signature Triple Crown, I arrived back with the International Gamefish Tournament Observers (IGFTO). This would be tournament number three for me, having had the 69th San Juan International Billfishing Tournament and the 28th El Salvador International Billfish Tournament as observer experience. Even though I had hooked and landed a fair share of White Marlin in the Atlantic and Sailfish in the Pacific, most would consider my observing and billfish experience limited. Certainly, this was true by Triple Crown standards.
This was the Major League of sportfishing bar none. Accordingly, my excitement was only exceeded by my trepidation. It can be intimidating. It was intimidating. The enchantments and abundance of cheer in the air belie the seriousness of the contest. This was a winner-takes-all contest – that is, all the bragging rights and accompanying status of the top sailfish and marlin boat. I do not believe that the owners give too much thought to the prize money. The thrill of victory alone is the incalculable motivating factor.
I succeeded and tapped down the jitters in two ways. I drew upon my experience as a lawyer and the training I received from IGFTO. Practicing law taught me composure – how to keep cool when the thermostat rises. The IGFTO taught me the nuts and bolts and technical aspects of being a qualified observer. I remembered to be a good guest on the boat, to be invisible and to be a credible witness. Importantly, I memorized key IGFA rules and made it my business to understand the tournament rules. The tournament officials require captains to score observers after each day.
I joined IGFTO because I believe in its mission. The organization's purpose is to conserve and protect gamefish around the globe. In just one week, IGFTO observers witnessed 1,123 billfish releases between the Ladies Only Tournament and Leg 1 of the Signature Triple Crown. With skilled anglers, captain and crew, along with an observer on every boat, most of the sailfish and marlin were released rapidly. Almost without exception, I was able to identify the fish species after the line came tight. The bite of the circle hook often sends these pelagics into an angry aeronautical display. Early ID helps with quicker releases and less stressed fish.
To say that I did not join IGFTO to travel, enjoy the fellowship of sportsmen and to learn from the best marlin fisherman in the world would be a plain lie. The beauty is that the goals of IGFTO and personal fulfilment intersect naturally. It is a symbiosis of sorts. For others interested in the conservation of game species, hanging out with fascinating people and having a front-row seat to the top game in the world, joining IGFTO and becoming a Certified Observer is something to consider.
For more information on joining the IGFTO, visit: IGFTO.org. Photographs provided with the permission and courtesy of Los Suenos Marina and Resort and Pepper Ailor.
Bob Smith, the author, is Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors of the IGFTO.