Inspiration for the Journey
Inspiration delivered us to Costa Rica for our 25th wedding anniversary. One day, we were watching an outdoor show, and they were in Costa Rica filming an episode on Rooster Fish! After the show was over, my wife looked me dead in the eye and said, “That’s what I want to do for our anniversary.” Yes ma'am! After some research on Costa Rica, we were excited to go. We got an all-inclusive resort that had top-notch service and fantastic food.
Arriving at the Resort
We made friends with the woman who was the concierge, and she got a couple of local fishermen to take us out fishing for, you guessed it, Zebra Fish. The scenery was breathtaking, with dark blue water and huge volcanic rocks sticking out of the water. Some of them were like small islands a hundred feet in the air, while some only poked their dangerous jagged heads out of the water with the ebbing tide.
Fishing for Bait
At first, we fished for some bait fish on light tackle rods. We caught some skipjacks, which were a blast to catch. When we had enough bait, we headed to one of the submerged rock formations, and the guide trimmed off one of the skipjack's rear fins to slow it down so it was easier for the Zebra Fish to catch. We caught some jacks and lost a few baits before we finally hooked up on a huge Zebra Fish.
The Big Catch
It was my wife’s turn to fight, so she stuck the butt of the rod into her fighting belt and started reaping and pulling. She fought the beast for about half an hour before she let me get in on the action. She said she was tired, but I think she wanted to take pictures. It took me about fifteen minutes longer to bring the big fish to the boat, and our guide grabbed it by the tail and pulled it out of the water.
We were very careful not to injure the fish because it is a catch-and-release-only fish. The guide let the air out of the fish's air bladder with a large needle and revived the fish by sliding it back and forth in the water to force water over its gills. After a short time, the big fish swam back to the depths of the dark blue ocean. After the high fives were done, it was time to head back to the dock.
An Emotional Moment
My wife sat down on the bench seat, and I said, “I wish your dad could have been here for this.” My wife started tearing up because she knew how much my dad loved fishing. He had passed a couple of years before. I no sooner got the words out of my mouth when, in the bright blue sky, one cloud formation appeared in the exact shape of my father's face. “Oh my goodness, look,” I pointed to the cloud, and we both had tears running down our faces. After a few seconds, the cloud disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
Then, a big seabird flew up to our boat, dipped its wing to us, and dove into the water. It followed us back to the shore, repeating this same pattern. My father always said when he comes back, he wants to be a bird that fishes all day. I know that sounds kinda crazy, but it is what happened word for word.
This trip was an unforgettable experience, combining adventure, emotion, and a touch of the extraordinary. Costa Rica provided the perfect backdrop for celebrating our milestone anniversary, and the memories we made will last a lifetime.
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