New Costa range honours conservationist and fishing guru

Jose Wejebe – famed conservationist, TV personality, saltwater fishing guru, guide and now the inspiration behind the latest sunglasses from Costa.

The Florida brand released its Jose Pro line on the first day at ICAST, ten years after Wejebe’s death. “We wanted to celebrate all that Jose did for the industry,” said Costa’s Global Marketing Director, Jed Larkin.

“We took last year’s pro series and asked ourselves what we could do to make it even better. The result is that we have added a number of new features to create the Jose Pro.”

Those features include a temple grip that gets stickier when wet, holes for a keeper cord and sweat channels in the side arms. In addition, adjustable vented nose pads prevent the lens from clogging, while a slim hood across the top and side of the lens keep light from creeping in.

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1958, Wejebe fled Fidel Castro’s revolution and settled in Florida, where he earned his captain’s licence aged 18. He built relationships with brands including Shimano and Mercury and became an important figure in the development off the light-tackle industry.

When Wejibe was not filming his Spanish Fly television series he worked for several charities including the Make a Wish foundation, Cystic Fibrosis and Big brothers and Big Sisters. He died in 2012 when the aircraft he was piloting crashed in Everglades City.