England, Ireland, France, Italy, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and the US to participate in this fishing event. International anglers test their skill against the intrepid locals who have polished their fishing techniques in these famously rich waters for over 500 years. Competitors in this 50 year old  event will fish the largest lake in the Isthmus, Lake Nicaragua, the Solentíname archipelago, and downstream into the San Juan River and Rio Sábalo. These streams flow in the Biosphere, a protected rainforest region.

The 50^th Annual International Tarpon Tournament is being billed as a catch and release tournament. The Club De Pesca de San Carlos host’s of the Tarpon Tournament seek to gain more exposure and angler awareness in Nicaragua

of the importance of preserving the fisheries to maintain a sustainable Sportfishing Tourism market. A difficult task as the treble is the most common hook used by tarpon anglers in Nicaragua. The experimental single hooks are far less productive however far more sporting and clearly less damaging to the tarpon. As with the jay hook in Costa Rica it may take the lawmakers in Managua to see cessation of treble hooks in tarpon fishing.

The pictures shown are from previous tournaments  

NEXT on the TOURNAMENT TRAIL:  The Belikin 12 Annual “Hunt for the Great Blue Marlin” sponsored by Bowen & Bowen and the Belize Yacht Club in San Pedro, Ambergis Cay, Belize.

Dar Randall, Central American Angler