Costa Rica Earth's Wildest Waters: The Big Fish

The Earth's wildest rivers,

lakes...

..and oceans...

..are home to some incredible fish.

Yes. Hit it, hit it, hit it!

-The power is just unbelievable.

-Yes.

I think I've got Jaws on here!

Eight anglers embark on a global adventure...

This is just the most incredible place I think I've ever been.

..that will test them in every kind of water.

-I suppose this is what we call extreme coarse fishing.

-It really is.

They will compete in punishing weather...

Oh! This is getting dangerous.

..and extraordinary environments.

That is why I go fishing.

And face some of the toughest places to fish in the world.

We are going down here. I've got a pretty major leak in the boat.

They will be judged by international fishing expert, Matt Hayes,

and by fishermen from all over the planet,

who will decide which of them stays on to the next location.

I'm quite conscious I think I'm the only one that hasn't had a hook up.

Last time, the anglers fished the white water

of the widest rapids in the world.

I've never ever fished anything like this in my life. It's ridiculous.

And got to know the Mekong River better than they expected.

Oh, I'm in.

Jo and Dan stood out.

That fish instinct that I've got is working well again.

But the extreme heat...

..proved too much for Emma.

Absolutely wilting. I feel faint.

And sadly, she left the expedition.

Good innings, girl.

This time, there is no shortage of fish...

I've lost count how many fish I've had now.

..as the remaining five anglers...

Heads up, Joey!

..explore the Pacific coast...

Wow!

..of Costa Rica.

Doing this is going to be the greatest experience of my life.

A land of rainforest, volcanoes and oceans.

Costa Rica is home to a greater density of species

than anywhere else on the planet.

A quarter of the country is made up of protected forests and reserves.

So the jungles hum with life.

But the land is not what the anglers are here for.

Bordered by both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean,

the seas are teeming with fish.

There is no better arena than Costa Rica.

They have been protecting the fish here for decades

and it's really paid off.

We're talking here about some of the biggest fish in the ocean.

People have got to start to perform. They are going to get chances.

The question is, will they take them?

That was absolutely crazy. I have been in bigger cars than that!

What an experience. What a way to come to Costa Rica.

Matt will be judging alongside local expert Todd Staley,

named Sportsman of the Year for his work on conservation in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is probably one of the best places in the world to fish.

Just being on the water is like being in a different world.

These fish are real adrenaline pushers.

They are going to make you shake.

Don't fall in with the crocodile, Pete!

There are ants everywhere. On the board, in the trees.

There is a monkey up there.

So much wildlife. Vultures everywhere, lizards.

It is a really beautiful place.

I'm a country bumpkin from Wales. I'm used to seeing cows and sheep.

If there's as much fish in the water as there is animals in the jungle,

then we are in for an epic week.

This week, I think potentially the fishing could be off the charts.

I'm hoping so.

This week in Costa Rica is all about speed and the anglers will have

to learn quickly to catch some of the most extraordinary fish in the ocean.

Welcome to Costa Rica.

This is one of the most extraordinary habitats

and it translates to "rich coast".

As the name suggests, these waters are teeming with fish.

For the first part of your Costa Rican expedition,

you're going to be going after the world-famous roosterfish.

It's an inshore species.

It's only found in the eastern tropical Pacific.

They grow up to over 100 pounds. They are a very powerful fish.

Sometimes they will take to the air when you hook them. Sometimes they will run.

You are going to have a choice between trolling with dead baits

and using spinning equipment.

How you actually deploy that equipment is going to be up to you.

We are looking for the angler who catches the greatest combined length of roosterfish.

So the more you catch and the bigger fish,

the more likely you are to win this challenge.

Good luck. Go fish!

-Thank you.

-Cheers, guys.

Rooster fish action, guys. Very nice too.

With the help of local guides,

the anglers will have five hours fishing inshore

to catch as many rooster fish as they can.

See you at the other side, mate. All the best.

Although they will be fishing side by side,

they will be competing against each other.

-Tight lines, guys.

-Have a good one.

Costa Rica in Central America.

The Osa Peninsula on the Pacific coast is where lush rainforest

meets the ocean in the most biodiverse region of the country.

The anglers' first test will be fishing from boats close to the shore

where the volcanic ridge provides rocky reefs

just beneath the water surface,

creating the perfect habitat for a huge variety of fish,

including the rock star of the ocean, the rooster fish.

Rooster fish have a striking appearance,

with stripes along their body and a massive collapsible dorsal fin.

They hunt in packs,

looking for schools of bait fish not far off the beach.

The rooster fish is one of the fishes that has been

top of my bucket list for a long, long time, so I'm pretty excited.

I'm going to be like a kid in a sweet shop all day today.

-This looks like a good spot.

-Yes. It looks fishy, doesn't it?

-Look at that!

-Let's go. Let's get some bait out.

-Come on, rooster.

IMPERSONATES A ROOSTER

As the anglers start fishing,

they have a choice of two techniques - popping and trolling.

This spot looks pretty good.

We've got the rainforest dropping right down onto the beach.

There is a reef here. We're going to be trolling along the edge of the reef so perfect rooster territory.

Trolling is a technique which uses lures or baits.

These are dragged at a constant speed behind a boat either at or

just beneath the surface, provoking attacks from predatory fish.

When a fish takes the bait,

it's up to the angler to set the hook at exactly the right time.

We are going to bounce dead sardines on the surface

but because it's moving, you have to give it time to eat.

So if you are too quick you are going to lose it.

It's all about quick reaction and timing.

When you get a take, the line will take off and let the fish run.

You have to wait five to six seconds and then switch it on,

tension and set into it.

Because it gives the fish time to get the bait in its mouth.

If you set too soon it might just have the tail end,

whereas you give it time to get hold of the whole fish.

There we go. He hit it.

Something just touched the bait.

Something keeps hitting the bait,

but it's not actually taking them down properly.

Another drop take. We're just going to bring this in and check the bait.

The fish are grabbing them and then letting go.

They're not swimming away with them, which is what we need them to do.

Have you seen the state of that?

We're going to do a bit of lure fishing.

With a lure you get better action and it looks more alive.

It's got a bib on the front so it will do that behind the boat.

That won't get damaged. It's just a different technique to what we are using there.

Trolling with dead bait or lures

is attracting some interest from the fish.

But it isn't the anglers' only option.

So we've got two rods at the back, trolling.

One with a deep diving lure

and one with a dead bait on which is trolling along the top

and then we'll do some popping off the front here.

So we're covering all bases, really.

My goodness, I feel like a drunk person, stumbling around everywhere.

Jo looks like she's popping off the front of the boat.

Popping uses a lure with a concave face

to create the maximum commotion on the surface.

But instead of being dragged behind the boat,

it's cast with a lighter spinning rod

and retrieved quickly in a jerky motion to imitate a small fish.

So the popper makes lots of commotion,

the fish comes up, grabs it and I catch my rooster.

-Exactly.

-Simple.

-Rooster fish like it fast.

They are smart and if it's moving too slow they will figure out it's not real and they won't eat it.

It's more exciting, popping. It's active.

I don't know what to do, whether to give it a bit of time and then once you've caught a fish, try popping.

There's a lot to keep an eye on.

Are our anglers more likely to catch something on the popper or the dead sardines?

-Nothing is written in stone in fishing.

-Which is why you double up.

-I might give it a go with the popping.

-Be careful, James.

-Your cast is good. Your retrieve is too slow.

-Too slow?

Can they actually reel in the popper too fast?

For these fish, I don't think they can. I guess if you were Superman you probably could!

The key is to try and keep tension

and just create as much disturbance as possible on top of the water.

It's dangerous this, mind.

-Is that a fish? Fish on.

-We've seen a fish. Is it on?

It's not. The hook must have got caught and it created tension

against the water when you were dragging it.

Who do you think is going to excel in this task?

I think Sam has got the most relevant experience.

He's done more world travelling,

he's probably dealt with fish like this before.

Dan's going to have the kind of general feel for the water,

he learns very quickly.

Jo's really tenacious, she has those zonal moments

where she really concentrates and then you see her come out fighting.

James is really good with technique,

I can see him casting the poppers and working them well.

Ripon, well, he might struggle a little bit.

This will be so new to him, and there's so much to take in.

But who knows?

Oh! Here we go! Here we go!

Yeah, we're in, we're in, we're in, we're in.

We got something on here.

After just an hour on the water...

Oh, this is some fish.

..Costa Rica lives up to its reputation.

You got one, mate?

Got a fish on, mate?

If it's a rooster it's going to be a pretty good-sized one.

-Look at that thing.

-What is it, a Spanish mackerel?

-Mackerel, yeah.

-It's not a rooster.

-It's not a rooster.

A jack from the Pacific of Costa Rica.

Releasing it nose-first gets the oxygen flowing through their gills.

OK, fish on!

Ooh!

Oh!

It's gone. Shame.

Bye, jack!

Fish on!

Hey, James has got one on now.

-Are you in, James?

-Yeah.

The fish are coming thick and fast.

What is it? Oh, a massive needlefish.

But still no sign of the roosterfish.

Look at the size...!

That's the most amazing fish I've ever seen.

-What a fish!

-Yeah! One each.

Everyone except Jo has caught a fish.

Just not the right kind.

We're getting hit by these small jacks.

We're not coming into touch with roosters.

The captain reckons he knows another spot where we might do better.

Roosterfish patrol the coastal areas,

seeking out river mouths and submerged rocks

in their hunt for food.

Their distinctive dorsal fin stands up on end

as they speed after their prey.

-This expedition is all about speed.

-Yeah.

They're totally streamlined, and when they're swimming,

quite often they fold back their fins so there are no projections.

It's a little bit like a cyclist, you know -

the high speed thing where everything is smooth.

Every fish has its own personality,

and these roosterfish, they're real powerful fish.

Even the little guys are powerful.

You have to work the fish to the boat,

and the fish is going to see the boat

and he's going to say "Adios!" and take off again.

We're off, we're off, we're off, we're off, we're off.

Yeah, got him.

What is it?

He's off!

Oh, he's on the surface.

-Oh! What have we got?

-Rooster?

Did look like a rooster to me.

Look at that run! Oh, yes. We got a rooster.

They don't half pull some.

Beautiful. What a fish. Woohoo!

Don't they hang on?!

He's in the boat.

That...is what we came here for.

The roosterfish. Look at the dorsal on it.

What a beautiful fish.

Straight down. I'm over the moon.

Chuffed to bits. Muchas gracias!

Good move.

Sam's the first angler to catch the target species.

And the others change tack, too.

There's a load of frigatebirds circling in a certain area.

The birds eat sardines, which is what the roosterfish feed on.

So where there's birds, there's fish.

Where there's fish, there's hopefully roosterfish.

That is it, back!

You got it.

Roosterfish!

Get in.

James took a fish as well.

Do you think that's because we suddenly went over a school?

We came into this patch of clean water.

Colour change is one of the things that often brings fish together,

and that's what we've got going right here.

-You've got a fish on!

-Rooster?

-Yes!

-Rooster!

Oh, look at him!

Probably the best-looking fish I've ever seen in my life.

I'm over the moon.

You got a bite!

Oh!

OK, buddy, you're OK.

Woo! That was amazing!

Yeah!

Get in! They don't half run, them roosterfish.

It's like a completely different power.

Yeah. Aah!

Oh!

Look at me! I'm a mess!

I can't believe the others got just about everything - needlefish,

roosterfish, jacks.

We haven't got anything.

Come on, fishies!

Rooster!

-Roo-ooster!

-There we go.

We're on, we're on, we're on.

-Can you see what that is?

-I think it's another little rooster.

Nice. He's doing all right.

Rooster number two!

Sam and Jo take the lead,

whilst Dan still has none.

Thanks, buddy, off you go.

Roosters often travel in schools,

so the faster the anglers can retrieve their lure

and cast it again, the more chance they have of catching.

There we go. It's another rooster, another rooster.

Here he comes.

-Another rooster!

-Aww...

Roosterfish! Hee hee hee!

Yes, rooster three.

Yes! Look!

Ladies and gentlemen, we're fishing!

So Dan's the only one that hasn't caught roosters now,

which, if you know anything about his personality, Todd,

he's slightly grumpier than you!

So he's not going to be happy, man, I tell you.

I do get stubborn when it comes to fishing.

I have thrown the odd tantrum when things haven't gone my way.

I am not a very good loser at all.

I do get very grumpy if I'm not winning.

Even at home, fishing can make or break Dan's mood.

Family comes first with Dan.

But he does love his fishing,

and without his fishing, he's a grumpy Dan.

When Dan's grumpy, you'll know. You can see the frown in his eyebrows,

you can see by his face. Doesn't even have to open his mouth.

All of a sudden, Jo's gone on a monster run.

Fair play for her. Personally, I want to catch some fish.

I changed my lure, I saw the lure she used,

just having a bash and see what happens.

Time is running out to catch as many roosterfish as possible.

He's on, he's on!

Wahey! We're off again! Number four.

He might not be winning on numbers,

but James is keen to impress with his technique.

Trying to keep your balance and do this at the same time,

and not get taken... I can't even speak! Just worn out.

Oh, God, you had a bite!

Dan finally gets his chance.

Roosterfish!

Giving me a great battle. Giving me a great, great battle.

Fish on!

Yes, come on!

Got to keep the line tight.

Come on! Get in!

Get in. Yes!

I was getting worried, then. I didn't think today

was going to be my day. But my coil reached the fish.

And I'm so, so happy.

I'm determined to get one on this.

Sometimes you just get that fish you need.

I'm on!

I'm on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Oi, oi, we're off! Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Nice.

The hook didn't pull.

Completely different feeling on this rod. It's so light.

And hopefully, it's a roosterfish.

What is that? Is it a bonito?

Ah!

OK?

I'm actually glad it wasn't any bigger, because

that was a hell of a fight.

On the popper!

Whoo! Oh!

Wow!

I got one popping. That was all I wanted to do.

Wasn't a roosterfish, but just glad I stuck at it.

If this is anything to go by, I can't wait for the rest of the week.

Ripon finishes the challenge with one,

James and Dan two,

Jo three

and Sam four.

But the winner will be the angler with the longest total length.

What a difference a week makes.

Had a positive storm of fish today.

All of you have caught something or other.

Todd, do you want to give some feedback

on how you think Dan did? He obviously caught the sun!

Now, the first time I went past you today,

you looked bored, you looked frustrated.

You were definitely more preoccupied with what Jo was catching.

We know how grumpy you can be, but you did get your act together.

You caught a couple of roosterfish so it was a great recovery.

On to James now.

What impressed me was, you chose probably the most difficult

type of fishing, is throwing the popper

and you stuck with it for a long time and you made it successful.

You caught several different species of fish,

used the popper well. You did OK.

How did Jo get on?

You were throwing the popper. You were working it hard.

You did actually get quite a lot of chances.

You converted a number of them

and ended up with a very good tally of fish.

Sam, I believe, caught four roosters.

I was a little disappointed that you didn't use the popper more.

I think it was a mistake not to try it, but,

with such a good tally of fish, it was a strong performance.

-Ripon, it looks like you've been hugging roosters.

-We had a moment.

The statistics don't lie. You didn't catch a lot of roosterfish.

But generally, with the equipment, you looked comfortable.

You played the fish well.

Well, they say size isn't everything, but in this case,

we were looking for total length of the roosterfish.

Ripon, you sadly came last.

James, you came fourth.

In any other week, you really could have won this.

You got such a variety of species.

Sadly, you didn't today.

So the overall winner with a total length of 252cm

goes to...

..Sam! Very good.

Sam, your prize for winning today

is that you get to choose your team for tomorrow.

-Cheers, guys.

-See you in the morning.

Goodbye.

-Ah-ha-ha! Muchas gracias, senor!

-Mucho gusto!

Good day fishing.

Come out on top, so pretty chuffed with today.

I knew myself that this morning wasn't good enough.

And I got a lot better.

So, yeah, justified comments.

Coming bottom is never nice,

but it's obviously put me behind, so the next two,

I've really got to smash them.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Get a good night's sleep tonight. Someone's got to go,

and it's getting harder because everyone's good.

Ah, fantastic!

Pura vida! Pura vida!

For their second test, the anglers will be staying on the same

stretch of coastline, but this time, they'll be on land.

The Osa Peninsula forms one side of the Golfo Dulce,

and it's through the mouth of the gulf that vast numbers

of fish migrate, sheltering in the jagged, volcanic reefs.

The Guaymi are the earliest inhabitants of the Osa Peninsula,

and fish here the traditional way.

Whilst commercial netting has been banned,

the Guaymi are allowed to use nets for subsistence fishing.

Behind us is the Golfo Dulce, which means "sweet gulf".

This is a rich habitat for all sorts of marine life.

In my hand, I have a cast net that you will all remember from Laos.

And the yo-yo, also known as a hand line, that you all used in Cuba.

You're going to fish like the local people today.

It's subsistence living.

They're allowed to use nets to catch their bait.

And then, they generally fish with hand lines.

You will use the bait that you catch to try to catch some fish to eat.

The further you can cast with the hand line,

the better chances you have of a nice fish, and the secret

to that is getting the momentum, like a lasso, and turning it loose.

You're going to be judged on what you catch with your hand line,

but, of course, if you don't catch some bait first,

then that's not going to really be very effective.

So remember those skills that you learned in Cuba and Laos

and get them into action very quickly.

Sam, you won yesterday.

As your prize, you win your choice of team.

Based on Cuba and the hand lining skills,

I'd like to choose James and Ripon to be in my team today.

OK, first off, you need to go and get your cast nets to catch your bait.

-Go fish!

-Cheers, guys. See you later.

I think Jo and Dan are quite a formidable team, actually.

I'm not so sure that was the wisest choice. I would have picked Jo.

What have we got here?

Ooh, look at these.

Going to be a different style to what we did in Laos.

Interesting, the little drawstring, parcel.

How hard is this?

For someone that's grown up with a rod and reel in their hand,

it's very difficult.

The idea here is that the anglers get to use some of the skills

they've already acquired.

In Cuba, they learned how to use traditional hand lines.

In Laos, they learned how to use cast nets.

In this particular challenge,

they'll use the throw net to catch some bait and then use

it as dead bait on hand lines, hopefully to catch bigger fish.

So it's going to test the skills that, hopefully, they've retained.

Yeah, technique is to hold the net at the top, like that,

get a weight, make it look like a bit of a skirt.

Not going to wear them, and try to make a circular movement.

And it doesn't land quite right!

The hardest thing about these type of nets is getting the spread

because what you don't want to do is launch a net out,

it land like a like an absolute bullet through the water,

scares all the fish and then you've got to move to another area.

Pretty happy with that. Hopefully, we're going to catch ourselves

some bait because if we don't get any bait, we're in trouble, really.

Throw that.

Wonderful!

It's a different technique to the one we used in Laos,

but it's the same idea - perfect circle is what we're after.

-Whilst Jo is quick to learn these new skills...

-Hey!

-..Dan, the traditional netsman, is a little slower to adapt.

-Ah!

Nice and smooth, Dan, don't force it.

-This is judges back-seat driving now.

-Yeah.

I think he feels the pressure

because he's obviously the nets man, so he feels like

he should be automatic straightaway and that's not the case, is it?

It's completely different to what he does. But he'll get there.

Close but no cigar.

All right.

Having practised their casting, it's time to take the plunge.

-We're ready to go.

-When you look at the surf behind us,

it seems impossible that there are fish anywhere near all of that.

You need to try and get it out a little bit further than where

the wave's breaking and then, of course,

it's going to move with the current

and once it moves so far, you've got to bring it in and do it again.

The thing about this kind of rough surf is that predatory fish

look for an advantage.

They're always looking to beat up on the small fish, so when the water's

a little bit coloured and stirred up

and when the bait fish are getting thrown around a little bit,

that's when the predatory fish,

with their superior eyesight and speed, have got the advantage.

Oh.

SHE YELPS

SHE LAUGHS

The conditions are shocking!

In a way, it's good fun but there's a little danger element.

You've just got to have your wits about you

and keep an eye on the waves.

You can see the locals there with their nets.

They're not going to give up because of the conditions. If these guys can do it, surely we can.

It's pretty rocky out there. I'm like a wounded soldier now.

It takes a lot to faze me. It's only a wave, it's only a cut.

Distance is going to be the key.

Obviously, the net's got to land open

but you've got to get beyond that surf

and, in Laos, they were fishing from boats,

so the fish are underneath them.

Here, they're going to be away from them, so they've got to be able

to throw the net open and at distance.

Heads up, Joey, heads up, Joey.

Finally managing to work with the waves,

the anglers have just 30 minutes to catch the bait fish they need.

With the throw nets,

I don't think anybody could catch in these conditions.

I've got a fish!

-I tell a lie!

-I've got a bloody fish! I got a fish.

-That is an absolute whopper.

-Yes. Whoa!

-There you go.

You got any yet, Rip?

-They're there.

-Look at that for a haul.

-Whoa! 14.

-I've got loads of fish.

That was a good shot, look at that.

I have a fish!

It's one of the tiniest fish in the world.

A tiny, tiny fish. Right, back out there.

Even at home, Jo has a determined streak.

I am quite a competitive person,

I don't like to be made to look like I'm a wuss.

So if there's an instance where, you know,

there's something that I'm a little nervous about doing,

if everyone else is doing it, then I have to do it too.

Oh, oh, oh! I've got two.

I'm coming round to your patch.

James has had a few, I don't think Ripon's had any, bless him.

I did have one in the net but it just slipped out. Just really small.

Can't believe you have to go through all this just to get the bait.

Fish.

And Dan finally gets one in the net.

Oh, come on!

Got another fish.

There, my friend, is a little bit of bait.

That's only half the job, isn't it?

We've got to go and catch the big fish now.

OK, everyone, that is time for you to all come in.

That's my meagre little catch.

Yeah, it'd look a bit bad

if the nets man didn't catch anything

while we were doing a challenge.

-Where's your bait?

-Oh, no, I didn't catch any.

That's all right. We're sharing all these, anyway, mate,

so it doesn't matter. We're all in this together.

Beautiful, ain't they? Well done, boys.

So 36-6. This team is the winner in terms of the bait fish.

Go out there and try and get those bigger fish, guys.

The anglers will have to use the bait they've caught to catch

the bigger fish by hand line.

The team with the heaviest haul wins.

I've seen hand lines used from a boat,

you just lower it down the back.

How do you use one from the beach, though?

It's kind of like lassoing a steer, you've got to get it going

and whip it out.

The weight and bait at the end of the hand line are thrown out

using a lasso action to reach as far as possible.

More line should then be spooled out from the yo-yo,

allowing the current

to take the bait to the predatory fish lying just beyond the surf.

It's obviously the right time to be fishing because the locals

are out there now. The pelicans are diving out there too.

The good thing is that the pelicans are starting to work the water now,

bombing into the schools of bait fish.

The pelicans start working, the other fish come in for the buffet.

Right, yeah, we're ready.

-Come on, you little ripper.

-Here we go.

Watch out, James!

Surely they're going to have to be out quite deep in that water

with the big surf all around them.

When they're throwing, they're off balance, and the wave hits them

but when you're fishing, you can time the wave break,

throw over it and then back away from it, spooling more line out.

If you look at the local guys fishing, they're very adept

at dodging between the waves - they can read the water really well.

This is a very fast learning curve.

We said we'd push them, we said we'd challenge them,

we've certainly done that.

I know the locals are here so obviously there's fish here.

I'm going to stay here where they're catching fish.

Our feet are buried.

Yeah, feet slowly get buried, I've got boots full of gravel,

you've got to fight the surf every time,

your bait's rolling around everywhere so you've got to...

-Face-fulls of water.

-Face-fulls of salt water as well.

-This doesn't happen when you're coarse fishing.

-No.

I'm sitting in my nice little chair, minding my own business.

Ripon lives with his family in Bedfordshire.

He learned to fish with his two brothers.

Fishing means everything to Ripon. When he sleeps, he dreams about it.

He's woken me up before and said,

"Raju, give me the reel, give me the reel!"

Stuff like that.

Yeah, it's his life, pretty much, at the moment.

Fishing is a massive part of my life.

Even on Christmas or anything like that, birthdays, I go fishing.

Sometimes, my lunch breaks, I pop down for a quick half an hour

to see what I can pluck out - come back to work stinking of fish.

All right, Joey?

-I'm going further out again.

-I can't go out that far.

-Fair enough.

-Jo, how are you doing?

-Struggling with the waves a bit.

I need to be taller.

I think I need to be a bit heavier to deal with the waves.

They totally beat me.

So you take some line off for this?

-Like that, you see?

-Timing, isn't it?

-It is all about timing.

Jo's action, start to finish, is really smooth.

Yeah, she's pure technique and she's got it.

Jo! Is that the first time you've been doing this?

Yeah, this kind of hand line, definitely.

Just an hour left of daylight.

Jo might have caught the least fish for bait

but her technique is finally paying off.

Woo-hoo! We have a snapper!

Whoop-whoop! This one's for tea.

Whilst Jo has found the depth that suits her, the boys' team

are sticking to the deep waters where the locals are fishing.

Ripon never manages to stay on his feet.

James has moved up there a little because the waves seem to be a little less violent.

I'm going to move up there with him. I wondered if you fancy joining us.

Move the whole team up. It's pretty full-on here.

15 minutes left and Jo is the only angler to have caught.

I've got fish.

Small, but perfectly formed. A little snapper.

It's not massive but the way the locals fish

is purely for sustenance.

I wouldn't personally take a fish that small but for them that's perfectly fair game.

No!

-Five minutes to go!

-Five minutes.

A lucky bit of bait. Here goes nothing.

Hey, this is a snook.

This is a fish people actually come out here to catch.

I'm stoked with that. That's a nice big fish, that is.

Yay!

I've got a little snapper.

Really hard work, to be honest.

OK, fisher folk, lines out of the water!

Come and dry your wellies out!

Battered.

That was hard.

To stand out here all day, every day, doing this for their dinner,

fair play, I have got a lot of respect for them.

-OK, Danny?

-Nothing.

-Nothing? It's hard, isn't it?

-It was hard.

-Well done, you got two.

-Yeah, I'm quite pleased with that.

Welcome back. How are you all feeling?

-All right. Hanging in there.

-Pretty tired.

Finishing in the dark on a Costa Rican beach.

We have to find out which one of you is the overall winner.

James, would you like to show us how many fish you caught?

-It's still in the sea, mate.

-Still in the sea? None?

-None.

-Dan?

-I'm in the same boat as James.

-No fish?

-No fish.

-Sam, what's in your bag?

-One little snapper.

-On to Ripon.

-One little snapper.

-One little snapper.

-Jo?

-I've got a very nice little snapper

and I've got a lovely little snook.

-Very nice.

-I thought you were really gritty today.

Your performance was head and shoulders above everyone else.

Thank you.

As you know, the winning team is that that has the greatest average weight.

Sam's team, you had an average weight of 57 grams.

Jo and Dan, you had an average weight of 285 grams.

Well done, Joey. Thanks for digging me out of a hole there, love.

Jo, you are today's winner. Well done.

Well done, Joey. Good job.

Last woman standing. It was a tough challenge today

but I stuck with it and won the challenge.

I am over the moon. Absolutely over the moon today.

As they get the fire going,

the Guaymi women prepare the anglers' catch.

There's nothing like a fire on a beach after a long day.

I think I recognise your fish there, Jo.

This is a Costa Rican cookery lesson.

I have experienced the highs and today is one of the lows.

I have got to make sure I don't finish at the bottom tomorrow.

-This place is amazing. This has been the best place so far.

-Really?

-By a mile.

-It's like paradise, isn't it? It's just so rich.

Anything that lives here thrives.

You know, the wildlife, the fish, everything is just amazing.

On their third day of fishing,

the anglers face their greatest test of nerve -

fishing for one of the strongest and fastest fish in the ocean.

I think it'll be billfish. You come all this way, you're not going to be

fishing for something you can catch anywhere else.

The problem is, sometimes you get one opportunity

and if you mess up...

Yesterday, same for you, James,

-it was a major disappointment not to get one.

-Yeah.

Really nervous.

Today, I'm feeling the pressure more than I have on any day for the whole

competition, just because of not catching anything yesterday.

So the pressure's on today.

My performance has been up and down.

I need to land something that will keep me in the competition

because at the moment I'm probably sitting quite near the bottom.

Good morning.

Today, for the final part of your Costa Rican adventure,

you are all after the big one.

One of the fastest fish in the world.

The sailfish.

Get in!

This really is one of the most revered fish in the oceans

and you're going to be part of a unique conservation project that

is ensuring that we understand more and protect this incredible fish.

-Are you ready for it?

-Yes.

-Can't wait, mate.

The biggest sailfish wins. Go fish!

Let's go. Sailfish, OK.

-See you later.

-Good luck.

-Have a good one.

-Good luck.

Good luck.

Hello. I'm good. How are you? I'm Jo.

Let's go and get a big one.

The anglers have just one day on the ocean using the most difficult

technique yet.

Super-sized fly fishing for oceanic game fish.

Doing this is going to be the greatest experience of my life.

There's people who fish for these fish all their lives

and don't catch them so catching one today is going to be like winning the lottery.

Hopefully today, if we do catch a sailfish, we will tag it,

which, to me, is really really exciting to be part of a conservation

project for these really awesome fish, to preserve them.

For the first time in their global expedition, the group leave

the coast completely and head almost 20 miles out into the Pacific Ocean.

The volcanic mountain range seen on land continues beneath the ocean.

And is home to some of the most exciting game fish in the world.

Sailfish are the fastest fish on the planet, capable of reaching

speeds of up to 68mph.

Their dorsal fin stretches the length of their body,

stabilising them during acrobatic moves.

They can hunt in groups, often shepherding prey

with their sails into bait balls before swimming

through the middle and stunning them with their bills.

Sailfish is a member of the billfish family, it has that big long

spike on the end of its nose along with swordfish and marlin.

Marlin and swordfish are extremely strong.

They are like bulls in terms of their aggression and power.

The sailfish is more of a ballerina. It loves to dance.

Sometimes it will make flat greyhounding-type jumps, other times

it will just go up on its tail and perform beautiful pirouettes.

So, from the angler's point of view, you have to react to the

movement she makes.

This is unlike anything I've ever done.

Yeah, learning about the bait

and working together to attract the fish is quite interesting.

For oceanic fly fishing, sailfish are attracted to the surface by

lures called teasers which are trolled behind the boat to imitate fish.

They have no hooks so if a sailfish shows interest,

the teaser is quickly reeled in and a fly cast out to try and hook the fish.

It is like something out of a horror movie, isn't it?

These are used to tease the sailfish in so there are no hooks.

If the fish goes for it, it will aggravate it,

it can't get hold of it, and then I cast and start popping

and popping and the fish will turn, ignore those and take the fly.

Can you show me the technique of how to cast fly?

An accurate cast is crucial. They may only get one chance.

-So, it is wise to spend time practising.

-A little more, more.

More power?

Despite being one of the most experienced fly-fishers left,

Jo is keen to get to grips with the new equipment.

I've never cast a rod quite that large so I had a couple

of practices so I'm hoping I will be able to do it if the time comes.

I am going to act like a fish is coming

and I want you to watch me very carefully.

Ripon has the least experience fly-fishing.

So, he is paying close attention to his guide.

OK, watch. Pop, pop.

He takes it, you set, when he's going to take it, as I stop,

you stop popping. This, very critical.

Pop, pop.

The anglers are over halfway through the day

and they are feeling the pressure to use their time wisely.

Change the lure again.

Bigger lure but it's going to swim differently,

this one has a concave mouth and this one has a slanted head here.

Try to make more of a disturbance to entice the fish in.

You can be waiting around for these fish for quite some time

so it's best to keep chopping and changing.

When I think about bluewater fishing,

I often think about long periods of nothing happening interspersed

with short periods of adrenaline pumping moments.

Unfortunately right now we are in an El Nino period.

The water temperature's raised, the fish are lazier and lethargic.

-You never know, it can change in a second.

-And reel!

OK, still coming, still coming. Get ready.

Come on, baby. Come on. Get ready.

Strip it down, strip it down.

He is down there. Here, here. Cast!

Right here. The short cast now!

-Oh, he jumped in the back.

-Sorry, I didn't even see it.

Cast again, yes!

Was that my mistake?

No. He was not really hot, not really hungry.

Do you think he will come back?

-OK, let him have it!

-Set it. Set it.

-And again.

-Set it, set it!

Aw! You're shaking.

Yeah. What a way to fish, man.

-He had it twice, I felt it.

-I know.

-I felt it but it didn't set.

Set. Remember what we talked this morning.

Set, you are setting with the rod, I want you to set with your hands.

Set with my hand, right. I'll never live that one down. So annoying!

They are out of time. And no-one has caught anything.

We have certainly seen no action today.

It's been a really fishless day.

Very frustrating, waiting and waiting and waiting and no luck.

As the disappointed anglers head back to shore,

the judges have to make a decision.

We are out in this bountiful ocean and no sailfish.

It was a tough day out there. They didn't get many chances.

That is why it's called fishing, not catching! Sometimes it is like this.

I had one, right, ten foot from the boat, struck with the rod

at the same time I did that and then I felt the bang and that was it.

See you later, mate.

-MATT:

-Probably the best thing to do is give them a bit more time tomorrow.

The only technical hitch, slightly selfish, I have to go.

I will have to leave you guys to deal with the whole process on your own.

-I think you're capable.

-We will get by!

OK, guys. This is it.

The judges have given you one more chance, go, go, go.

Go, guys. Go, come on.

Catch a big one. Sorry I won't be here to see the end.

We are going to catch some sailfish, yeah. Good man.

OK, guys. You need to set sail now. You don't have very long to fish.

-Cheers, Ben.

-Bye, Ben.

The anglers head back out onto the Pacific for one last chance to

catch a sailfish.

Today, they can use any method they like to catch any fish they like.

The biggest fish still wins but they have just three hours to find it.

That is a total of 11 rods.

Ready, rigged, all the guns are out and blazing today!

I am feeling a lot better than yesterday.

We have four baits in the water with hooks.

Teasers all over the place.

It is like a Christmas tree, there's stuff going on all over the place!

Conditions seem really different today.

What do you think that means for their chances?

The fish here, especially the sailfish, seem to be more

active with a flat ocean and a clear sky. It is ideal.

Dan, Ripon and James, they are in the danger zone.

You could see it in their faces when they were leaving this morning.

They all knew they had to have a big day.

And in these waters that are teeming with life...

-Fish jumping!

-Fish coming this way!

..the anglers are competing with something else.

There's dolphins, dolphins, dolphins!

Look, look! Fricking awesome! Dolphins everywhere.

-Where there's dolphins, there's tuna.

-Amazing, loads of them. Wow.

Ha-ha-ha!

What a sight, there's dolphins everywhere. Right at the boat.

Ha-ha! Wow!

They are right under the boat here. Amazing.

Ha-ha!

How cool is that?!

Hopefully there's a pod of bait the dolphins are chasing

and we are going to trawl through it and get a fish.

Hopefully.

Ha-ha!

It's a turtle! Oh, man. That's so cool.

Go on, son! Ha-ha!

Man, that's awesome.

Massive turtle.

With so much resting on today,

there's a lot of pressure to reach the ocean for clues.

Cos there's no features on the surface for miles we

have to keep our eyes on the horizon today for absolutely anything.

There's a bit of floating... looks like half a tree.

Any structure like that causes the habitat underneath.

It's like its own ecosystem so what we are doing now is

circling around it because there will be lots of bait fish

underneath there because that's the only bit of shade they can get.

But he's not the only one who's spotted it.

It's amazing what a tiny piece of wood in a big ocean can do.

Ripon is trolling with small lures.

Nice bit of commotion. Ha-ha-hah!

Whilst James is trying several techniques.

This is the sporting side of us coming out.

I've never caught any saltwater fish on a fly rod before,

so I'm going to today.

Ooh, yeah.

Look at him, look.

My first bonito.

With no-one catching a big fish yet, Ripon and James are steaming ahead.

That's a yellowfin tuna.

It is just a tiny one but I'm getting him straight back in

because I want to catch another one.

Just seen James catching fish over there. It's not a good thing for me.

I need to be beating him and Ripon today.

-Another 50.

-Fantastic. Amazing.

-Whee!

-I've lost count how many fish I've done now!

Ha-ha-ha. Get in! It is a little bonito but on the fly rod.

That's amazing. Fly fishing in Costa Rica.

There's only an hour left and Jo has not seen any fish at all.

It's a waiting game.

Any minute now I keep expecting to see a sail pop

up behind one of the lures. With fishing it can happen at any moment.

Got to keep positive.

All of a sudden it will be all hands on deck, heart beating,

adrenaline pumping.

Fish on! Fish on!

Dorado, dorado! Yes!

Look at that thing go. Oh, yes.

That's what they are famous for.

Beautiful fish, the colours on it.

Hee-hee.

In it comes. It is in the boat.

Fantastic.

There we go. Mahi-mahi.

Hee-hee! Check that out! The dolphin fish, what a beautiful fish.

What a beautiful specimen.

-I am getting it back in the water straight away.

-He is ready to go.

Hee-hee! Releasing a special fish like that is just magical.

So, we've got about 20 minutes left. Urgh!

Where are the fish?!

With time running out,

the anglers are desperate to catch the biggest fish they can find.

-There, what's that?

-That is a killer whale. Dorsal fin. Three of them.

Wow. Orcas. Amazing.

Will there be any fish where the killer whales are?

-No, they eat fish.

-So, why are we going that way?

It is getting busy out here. Maybe something is going to happen, man.

Oh, yes, yes. We've got a sailfish on the surface. Oh, yes.

Right here, look at the sailfish.

It sails out of the water, beautiful creature.

-I've never seen anything like it.

-Whoa! Still there. Come here.

Come on, come on. This way, this way, this way!

Sam and Dan's boats quickly reposition.

Each hoping the teasers at the back of their boat will draw

the sailfish to them.

-It's going to his boat.

-Come on. Come on. Take a bait, take the bait.

-Ha-ha!

-Argh!

He's just not interested.

This place is nuts.

-It's there, it's there.

-There it goes.

-I'm hooked into a sailfish.

-Nice and easy, nice and easy, buddy.

I am absolutely bricking it at this moment in time.

If I lose this fish, I am going home.

I am just, at the moment, I'm petrified.

I'm petrified something is going to go wrong. There it is. Come on!

Come on!

I am just really, really scared at the moment

that I am going to lose this fish.

Like nothing I've experienced in my life before.

There's a lot at stake.

Here comes the fish. Come on, baby. It's coming towards the boat.

I'm over the moon, I just want to get in and see this fish!

This is one of the greatest achievements of my life,

catching this fish!

After my kids and my wife, this is one of the greatest moments.

192 centimetres.

We are going to tag this fish, I am going to be able to look up

online and see where my fish is in the world.

The fish that I helped to tag, my bit of conservation.

My best fishing moment by far!

That is just mind-blowing. The power in that fish...

With ten minutes to go.

I might as well forget playing the lottery from now on

because I've just won the lottery, there.

That was my winning ticket.

We've got to go. Argh!

That is it, game over.

The judges discuss the anglers' performance with their guides.

From the fly-fishing yesterday to all the techniques used today.

Welcome back, what a difference 24 hours makes.

So, if we kick off with you, James, can you tell us what you caught?

I caught 12 bonitos, one tuna and five jacks.

Five on the fly, a mixture of the lot.

-I appreciate that you stuck with the fly so I congratulate you.

-Cheers, Todd.

-Jo?

-Well, I caught a great big...nothing.

-I know that's very disappointing but that happens in bill fishing.

-Sam.

I was fortunate enough to catch a beautiful dorado.

Sam, you've got into a good habit of making the most of your chances.

-Ripon.

-14 bonitos, four amberjacks and two tunas.

Yesterday, the stakes were so high

-and then suddenly you get a hot sailfish.

-UNCLEAR RESPONSE

I have total sympathy for you,

I know what the pressure is like but that's the game we are in. Dan?

I had one bonito and one sailfish.

I am over the moon.

-I could never tell by looking at you!

-I don't smile often.

Dan, I think you've had an amazing day.

You lived the dream. So, we have a winner today. Dan.

APPLAUSE Danny boy! Get in. Cracking fish, mate.

Well, everyone.

We've got to think about your fishing early on with the roosterfish

and the performance on the beach so this one is really going to be close to call.

-Let's start with Sam, then.

-Sam's got some good angling skills.

I think he uses his head.

If you look at his consistency, I think

we can pretty much discount Sam.

Jo had a decent day on the first day,

she was right behind Sam with three roosters.

I'll tell you what clinches it for me,

-she went out on that beach and...

-Took first.

And I think there was a lot of pure fishing skill there.

Dan scored some big points today with the sailfish.

His big day today may have carried him over.

So, Ripon.

He goes out on the sailfish challenge,

he had a chance to win it. He makes a mistake by not striking correctly,

he raises the rod and then the same fish comes back round,

gives him another chance and he did exactly the same thing again.

Surprisingly, James is in the frame to go home.

You've to give him points for the popper fishing.

If we had been judging this yesterday,

we would have had James, Ripon and Dan.

Dan hauls himself out of it so it comes down to Ripon and James.

What progress have they made as fishermen this week? It is

-such a tough decision.

-It is real, real close.

Well, everyone, you've given myself and Todd a lot to think about.

Had we been asked to make the decision yesterday,

three of you would have been in danger of going home.

James...

..Ripon...and Dan.

However, Dan, you pulled yourself out of trouble.

So, the person going home is...

..Ripon. Sorry.

-The journey ends.

-Sorry, Rip.

-That's it. Journey ends.

-It's been amazing though.

-It has been a blast.

-Some good memories, guys.

It has broadened my horizon big-time.

It has been absolutely amazing.

I will miss you, mate.

I am up because I am through to the next round

but I've lost a best mate. It is hard. I'm trying not to cry!

You need a bit of luck in this competition so hopefully that

doesn't run out and carries on straight through to the final.

Four weeks in, it gets better and better.

We are going somewhere new next week.

Next time, the anglers journey to Canada...

Anything could be thrown at us this week.

..where they will be dropped in at the deep end.

It looks like you need a degree to use this thing here.

And everything is super-sized. Even the fish.

I think I've caught the Loch Ness monster!