At this time, we will not be taking any reservation dates until the end of May.

We are in the process of refurbishing the office and lodge.

If you have an emergency, please contact Betsy at:

betsy@golfitosailfishrancho.com

Thank you!

George Mann

1 Sail on fly, 5 small Tuna

Lou Pastore & Al Katz

9 Sails, 1 Rooster, 1 Dorado, with Capt Ronny

David Monheit & Thomas Wright

21 Sails, 5 Dorado, with Capt Jeremie "Google Eye"

Les Kertes & Edward Geyer

5 Sails, 5 Tuna, 4 Snapper with Capt Sander

Edward Silcox & George Omrod

4 Sails, 2 Rooster, 1 Dorado, 3 Snapper, 4 Jacks with Capt Enrique

Edward R Silcox & Edward J Silcox

1 Sail, 5 Tuna, 4 Snapper with Capt Geovannie

News From the Farm

With Pete Eshelman

“Got out of Dodge and went Fishing”

During the depth of winter, farmers need a break and Team Decuis got out of Dodge and went fishing for six days at Golfito Sailfish Rancho (golfitosailfishrancho.com) in the southwestern corner of Costa Rica, competing in the Stu Apte Fly-Fishing Sailfish Tournament. It was great to get away and into a totally different environment. Up at 5:00 a.m., awakened by the beautiful singing voice of Olympia (the head chef) with her wake-up song, a quick run on the beach, some fantastic Costa Rican coffee and scrambled eggs, beans and rice. Then it was nine hours of fly fishing for sailfish and marlin, back to camp, cocktails, stories, dinner, and eyes shut by 8:30 p.m. It was the same routine for six days. Awesome experience! I have three “take-homes” from my trip that I want to share with you. First, as you may know, Alice hosts an annual Joseph Decuis culinary trip (this year’s will be to Paris and Brittany) and in the past I’ve been a little critical asking her, “Why do we do the trip when we don’t make money from it?” Alice’s response, which I hadn’t paid much attention to before, was always, “We don’t make money, we make friends.” I’m a little slow. It took this fishing trip for me to understand what she meant. The friendships we made were worth more than money: our Captain and Mate – Enrique and Ronald and the Lodge owners Abraham and Betsy. I also had the opportunity to spend quality time with two great Americans who protected us during the Cold War, my long-time fishing mate Bill Gorton, retired two-star Air Force General and Vietnam vet, and Stu Apte, retired US Navy and “fishing icon.” How’s this for a life? Stu flew fighters and jumbo jets, taught Ted Williams how to fly-fish, drank mojitos in Cuba with Ernest Hemingway, holds more than 40 fishing world records and most importantly, is married to Jeannine, to whom he has dedicated the last chapter of his memoirs (soon to be published). By the way, if Bill, Stu, or Jeannine were to run for President of the United States, we would be in great hands but personally, of the three, I’d vote for Jeannine. Thank you Alice, you were right — making friends can be more important than making money. Here’s my second take-home. The conversation after long days of fishing was always lively. Not much talk about politics or religion, but guess what everyone talked about the most? Food! Food was the “star” of our conversations. Everyone had passionate stories about their best meal, favorite preparation, and “the meal to-diefor.” The importance of great food to a high quality of life really hit home to me. Getting away for six days made me realize how special and important Joseph Decuis is. With Alice’s heart and soul in the restaurant, the dining experience she has created is truly one of life’s treasures. Oh, I almost forgot, take-home number three: Team Decuis won the tournament!!! That’s right, we beat the celebrities and the pros and took the trophy home to Roanoke, Indiana, where it is now proudly displayed in the restaurant. As Stu Apte said at the awards dinner, “It’s not about winning, but about how you play the game,” but I’ve got to tell you, winning feels pretty dog-gone good. It’s great to be back in Indiana and dining at Joseph Decuis. And, Aaron, my Kobe steak last night cooked Pittsburgh-style and served on the bias was the best ever! More to come!

Alexandra & Ralph LaRock
3 Sails, 5 Rooster, 1 Dorado, 2 Jacks with Capt Ronnie

Ray Grander & Jim Emmick
2 Sails on fly with Capt Geovanni

Christopher & Chris Daly
5 Sails, 6 Rooster, 1 Marlin, 1 Dorado, 2 Jacks, 3 Amberjack with Capt Jeremy "Google Eye"

Mitchell & Brett Panter
7 Sails on fly with Capt Geovanni

John Perez & David Sampedro
3 Sails, 1 Dorado with Capt Sander

Douglass Raymond
3 Sails, 1 Snapper on fly with Capt "Little" Jeremy