Our Team @ Central America Fishing
“Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
“Our team loves living, working, and fishing in Central America and are eager to share this incredibly diverse and beautiful part of the world with you. We are proud to be owner-operators, which allows us to get to know each and every one of our groups personally and then customize a unique itinerary based on their group dynamics, budget, and fishing experience they’d like to have. We’ve visited and fished everywhere we offer, so our recommendations for you come from first hand experience. Simply put, we want to make sure your fishing trip with us is one of the best vacations of your life.”
~ Chris Atkins | Owner & Angler
How we got here…
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in Wisconsin. I grew up fishing the Great Lakes, but my obsession with the ocean started young with family vacations to Florida and visits to Sea World. While studying Spanish at the University of Minnesota, I decided a semester abroad would be the best way for me to really learn the language, so I chose Costa Rica. Towards the end of my stay, my parents came down for a visit and I managed to convince my dad to pay for a day of inshore fishing on a local panga. The only English the captain spoke was “Reel, boy! Reel!“, which he screamed at me when we got our first bite. A few minutes later I was holding an exotic fish with a seven-fingered dorsal fin like nothing I had ever seen before. They kept calling it “gallo”, which I soon learned meant roosterfish. I suppose that was the moment it was all over for me. I was infected with the Costa Rica bug. Stricken by the tropical fever. Obsessed.
After graduating, I did a year in the corporate world but I quickly realized that wasn’t where I belonged. I couldn’t stop thinking about Costa Rica, so much to my family’s chagrin I quit my safe corporate job and moved back to Costa Rica full time in 2005 and have been here ever since.
My wife Theresa was born and raised in Michigan. She studied Finance and International Business at Grand Valley State University and also made the decision to study in Costa Rica for a semester to learn Spanish. She immediately fell in love with the local culture, gallo pinto breakfasts, friendly Ticos, and of course being from the Midwest – the warm weather!
Theresa graduated and then volunteered in Honduras for the Peace Corps, but after their coup d’etat in 2009 she decided Costa Rica was a safer place to be so she moved back too. We met shortly after that and the rest is history!
Central America Fishing today…
After creating and managing the fishing division at a large Costa Rica travel agency for eight years, at the end of 2013 I decided it was time to spread my wings and start my own company to be able to offer fishing vacations throughout the entire region. From fly fishing the flats in Belize to incredible inshore and offshore fishing in Panama, Central America has so many different fishing venues to explore and species to catch I knew that our anglers would love fishing these different places as much as I do. In 2016 we added Guatemala to our offerings. In 2022 we ventured out of Central America for the first time to offer incredible fishing on the Amazon River in Brazil. Today we have over 200 destinations and operations that we offer, as always with the same direct pricing and no booking fees.
Back in 2013 I created the company that Iwould love to travel with: unmatched local expertise, insider knowledge, and personalized service from start to finish. Today we are the premier outfitter for fishing vacations to Central America. We’ve hosted Fox Sports West #1 rated fishing show four times, been featured in the Billfish Foundation’s magazine and Bloody Decks, and are honored to partner with the venerable Make a Wish Foundation as well as Pack for a Purpose. We are passionate about conservation and are proud to partner with the Billfish Foundation, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and King Sailfish Mounts.
The McIntee Bros. from Stoked on Fishing and I after an epic day of fishing in Panama.
Perhaps most of all, we are proud to say that nearly 40% of all CAF anglers are repeat or referral guests. That means so much to us because it shows that we are making our guests happy and they want to share the good times and come back for more. We truly love being a part of the travel and sport fishing industries, meeting new people every week, and helping guests plan the vacation of a lifetime. The only thing that surpasses our expertise for fishing and travel in Central America is our passion for it, and we can’t wait you help you experience it for yourself.
Chris Atkins
Owner & Angler
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in Kohler, Wisconsin. I first came to Costa Rica in 2003, moved here full time in 2005 and have been working in the sport fishing industry ever since. I’ve traveled to Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East, but Central America is still my favorite region of the world. If I’m not working, fishing, or traveling you can probably find me spending time with my family, playing with my chocolate lab & boxer, or watching my beloved Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates!
Ilona Maroto
Operations Manager
I was born and raised in San José, Costa Rica. I’ve been working in the tourism industry for over 20 years and love sharing my country with visitors. It may surprise you that two of my favorite work-related activities are zip-lining and white rafting, so much so I used to do In my free time I enjoy spending time with my huge extended family. When I’m not traveling throughout Central America, Switzerland is at the top of my bucket list for my next vacation!
Theresa Atkins
Guest Services & Photographer
I am proudly from the beautiful state of Michigan and grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. My second home in Central America has allowed me to play with the Costa Rica Women’s National softball team in Guatemala, volunteer with the Peace Corps in Honduras, climb Mayan Ruins in three countries, dive the Mesoamerican Reef in Belize, shop local markets in Nicaragua, and hike the highest peaks in both Panama and Costa Rica. When I’m not working or traveling, I enjoy photography, yoga, volleyball, horseback riding, trying new cuisine, and virtually anything outdoors.
Deily Ugalde
Guest Services
I was born in Costa Rica and have lived here most of my life – I love my country! I also lived in the United States for 14 years, including California, Ohio and Oregon. I studied tourism in university and have a passion for helping others execute their perfect vacation to our beautiful country and throughout Central America. I believe that each guest should be worry-free knowing that someone they can trust has taken care of all the details of their trip, and is here to help anyway in case something unexpected comes up! In my free time I like to spend time with my family, take peaceful walks or sit back and relax with a good book and a cup of tea.
5 Reasons to Fish with CAF
WE LIVE HERE. WE FISH HERE - We are local experts.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS - Fishing in Central America since 2003.
We’ve been fishing in Central America since 2003 and we’ve planned thousands of vacations across our five countries, so we’ll draw on all our past experience and expertise to make sure your fishing vacation with is one of the best you’ve ever had. When you fish with us we will hand pick your hotels as well as your captain & boat, which have been personally vetted by us, based on your budget, interests, fishing preferences, and vacation style.
GET IT RIGHT - Avoid costly mistakes and skip hours of research.
Instead of spending hours online reading biased or inaccurate websites and slanted reviews, or taking the advice from someone who has been here one time, just speak with us! We’re real, local experts who can help you create your dream fishing vacation in a matter of minutes. We offer all the same direct rates as the properties and boats we represent so working with us doesn’t cost you any extra. We’ll save you time by making the planning quick and easy and we’ll save you money by ensuring in-country logistics are seamless and that you are in the right spot fishing on the right boat so you don’t have the costly mistake paying for a long boat ride with no fish. Once you are here, if you ever need to get a hold of us our in-country support is available 24-7 for whatever you may need – emergencies, forgotten electronic devices, restaurant recommendations – you name it!
CUSTOMIZED PACKAGES - Fish for what you want, your way.
Offshore fishing. Inshore fishing. Fly fishing. Freshwater fishing. Bottom fishing. Popper fishing. Trophy hunting or stocking the cooler. We custom design your dream fishing vacation based on exactly what interests you. At Central America Fishing every single vacation package we create is built from scratch for each individual guest so there are no set travel dates, party boats, or shared charters – every vacation is unique and private for your group.
LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP - We want you to fish with us again!
At Central America Fishing our main goal is to put together such a great vacation for you that you either want to come back and fish with us again or at the very least tell all your friends and family about us. We are very proud that nearly 40% of CAF anglers have fished with us before – it shows we care and we know what we are doing! With five countries, two oceans, thousands of miles of coastline, and countless rivers & lakes we have tons of places we’d love to take you fishing, so we hope that your first vacation with us is not your last!
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