I know that each one of you is concerned about the uncertainty of the coming months and with making your hard-earned cash go as far as possible. However, there's nothing like a few days of exciting deep sea fishing in Costa Rica to calm troubled minds and put a positive perspective on life.

Over the last while Costa Rica fishing has been really good. There are more marlin on the Pacific coast than we've seen for the past several years. And for a two-week stretch in November, everyone who went out caught dorado — between 20 and 30 per day in the North, Central and South Pacific was the norm.

And not just dorado either: Bill Kieldsen, captain of the very popular 35-foot Sailfish out of Los Sueños Marina just north of Jacó in the Central Pacific, e-mailed us that on a day at the end of November, "we caught nine sailfish and five dorado… Los Sueños just finished a condo owners tournament and their boats caught 216 billfish, 31 of them marlin".

The sails appear to be ahead of schedule this year. Usually they're just starting to move up from the South Pacific to Quepos and Los Sueños, but this season the earlybirds have already arrived there in force.

For anglers who want to fish with the top captains during the January/February/March billfish season in the Central Pacific, it pays to be early also. Bill Kieldsen is already booked for more than 50 days during this period; I just received calendars from Sara Young, who looks after the bookings for her husband Dave's boat, the 32-foot Miss-Behav'in, and the 26-foot Predator with Captain RJ Lillie, both out of Los Sueños. Americana Sportfishing charters both boats regularly. The Miss-Behav'in is already booked for 36 of the 59 days making up January and February, and the Predator is right up there as well.

Speaking about RJ Lillie, one of our clients, Sid Roe, who with a couple of buddies spent a full day on the Predator a few weeks ago, called me the day after with high words of praise. "I've been going out fishing for many years", said Sid, "and RJ and his mate are the best crew I've ever fished with, bar none". So take a well deserved bow, RJ.

January/February is also one of the top periods for marlin off Samara and Carillo a bit further north on the Nicoya Peninsula. Several boats like the Permit III with Captain Chepe and the Wet Ass II with Sonny Kocis come down there from Flamingo every year. Sonny, for example, has only 12 open days left in January and February. Ditto for Chepe.

But we can squeeze you in! Dave, RJ, Sonny, Chepe and other world-class Costa Rica fishing captains still have open days in January and February. So if billfish, a change of scenery and a bit of a reprieve from the last few months of bad and uglier economic news are on your agenda, all it takes is a holler – call me at one of my toll-free numbers 1-800-634-0012, 1-800-399-8532 or 1-866-978-5198, or e-mail me. I'll set you up with one of the many fine captains fishing in Costa Rica. A few days of distraction fighting a 120lb sail and watching it leap acrobatically out of the water could well be just what the doctor ordered. Call me.

Looking further afield, if your IRA (USA) or RRSP (Canada) has been buffeted by the declining stock market, consider another way to go: invest in Costa Rica real estate as a stable, secure source of future income. Americans can begin to use their IRA for real estate investing by finding a third party administrator (the IRS does not allow you to hold and transact with your own account), some IRA funds, and your own real estate investment ideas to open a self-directed IRA.

For Canadians, under current RRSP legislation, an RRSP investment portfolio may have up to a 30% foreign investment component. In other words, this would allow for an investment in Costa Rica real estate of up to 30% of the value of your RRSP portfolio — an investment that will probably outperform the stock market over the next several years.

Making the best use of an IRA or RRSP involves tax, retirement and investment planning. I can refer you to qualified, competent advisors who can help you make the right decisions. Call me toll-free — 1-800-634-0012, 1-800-399-8532 or 1-866-978-5198 — for more information about dovetailing your retirement savings with property in Costa Rica, and about my ocean view properties at Lomas Coronado. I'll even give you a special IRA and RRSP discount into the bargain if you buy! And, finally, of course, Season's Greetings to all.