Belize, for a number of years, has been considered one of the premier destinations for anglers seeking bonefish and permit, with a very healthy dose of tarpon. There are a number of Belize fishing lodges and operations, but please know that some areas have very few bones, so it pays to be careful in deciding where to go. For example, in many areas in the southern part of the region, bonefish become scarce, while permit become more plentiful. Other areas have more concentrations of tarpon. We like this operation for its variety- superb flats fishing for bones; very good permit, decent tarpon from juveniles to giants, awesome barracuda and much more. Butch and Joan and a group of friends fished here in June of 2016. See their report at the end of this.
Let’s start by looking at the picture above. Those flats in front of the Lodge always have tailing bones 2 minutes from your lodging! They are very eco conscious, having a salt water de-salinazation plant for water needs. And realize you are living 30 miles off-shore! You get there by a 90 minute boat ride.
This operation has been in place for nearly 30 years, and a plethora of big name salt water fishers have hung their hats here regularly. Enjoy spectacular tropical evenings, spend hours sight fishing the flats for bones, permit and tarpon, take a dip in the Infinity pool (while watching tailing bones just a few yards away) – and then imbibe your favorite beverage on the deck. Watch out for the coconut rum punch Butch advises!
They offer a variety of accommodations from private Cabanas on the beach (all air conditioned), to various upscale and comfortable villas with clean air conditioned rooms and private baths. Daily room service. Meals are heavy on fresh seafood, local produce and home made pastry and fishing and touring packages include your meals, guides and lodging. You can book stays for 3 to 7 days. Prices vary with number of days, and a general guide will appear at the end of this write-up.
One big surprise to us, was the awesome Atoll Adventure package they offer to non-fishers or part time fishers. More about that in the report at the bottom.
Now- what about the fishing? This lodge is on a major coral atoll 30 miles off shore of Belize, with miles of some of the finest wading flats anywhere. You can literally fish within minutes of leaving the lodge. You will normally see large schools of bones, tailing on the flats. Most fish are in the 2 to 4 pound range, but there are enough 5 pound fish to keep life very interesting. You may even see their famed golden bones- truly gold colored- not silver.
While boating or wading the flats, you may very well get shots at permit and tarpon, and even barracuda, every day you fish. We like that fishing here is pretty consistent almost all year. A week of fishing will show you typically hundreds of fish. Indeed a big school of tailing bones can have 100 fish! And this is a great place for the beginner fly fisherman- they are happy to teach you, show incredible patience and kindness to beginners; and there enough targets that even a rank amateur will enjoy success here. There are literally several hundred square miles of flats to explore! Most of the area has 1 to 3 feet of crystal clear water. Permit here average 10 to 18 pounds but can go over 35 pounds.
If you are a spin fisherman, you are welcome, and success can be good with bait (usually fresh conch). Typically you may find more fly fishermen then spin fishers, but a spin fisher will often get shots at fish that a fly fisher may be unable to reach, so everyone on board (max of 2) gets their chances. Besides all the bonefish, there is an excellent permit population and you can expect your shots at those too. And tarpon can show as well. Guides know where each species tends to hang out, and their eyes are awesome when it comes to calling out where to cast.
Tarpon will often be spotted while wading, or take the skiff into the various side creeks and channels. There is a migration of tarpon starting in late spring and through most of the summer.
You will fish from extremely nice 16’ skiffs, designed for this type of water and fishing. They are ideal for stealthy approaches in low water. In addition they have fly shop which is well equipped and which rents tackle if you prefer to do that. Expect expert advice whether you are a pro or a rank amateur.
In terms of fly tackle, for permit in general a 10 weight with several hundred yards of backing and a floating weight forward line is suggested. You will be throwing crab type patterns and other larger flies. With wind an issue using a 10 weight helps. Fluorocarbon tippets are our favorite in about 12 to 18 pound test for these hard pulling fighters. For bones go a bit lighter, (7/8 weight, 9 feet long) and for tarpon heavier (12 weight, even a 14 if throwing really big flies. More tackle suggestions appear at the end of this write-up.
For spinning, longer rods in the 7.5 foot to 8 foot range, with reels spooled with 30 pound braid and a variety of tippets for all three species. Plenty of line capacity is a must- 300 yards as a minimum. See end of this write-up for more suggestions.
NON-FISHING OPPORTUNITIES:
Diving on this atoll and the various nearby reefs will keep people very busy. Also available are dolphin tours, flats tours, sea kayaking, birding tours, mainland tours such as the Mayan ruins and much more. The ladies in Butch’s group had a truly awesome time on their 3 days of snorkeling. The lodge has an extremely educated naturalist, who explains in great detail, dives down to pick up creatures and then returns them with great care. He takes incredible photos up close, and shows them in a slide show each evening, which knocks off everyone’s socks! There are also eco-tours to be had, as well as most any plan the guests may desire. Tours of the Mayan ruins, snorkeling, birding, canoeing, the zoo and horseback can be arranged, just ask us.
There is wi-fi so bring your own computer if you need to. Cell service on the Lodge grounds is spotty at best but will do for texts.
GETTING THERE
Most arrivals and departures are Saturday, and Wednesday. Different days may have additional transfer fees. You typically fly into Belize City, directly from any major hub, such as Houston, Miami, Newark, Atlanta and you must arrive NO LATER THEN 3PM, if you want to reach the Lodge that day. If you plan to fly out immediately after your trip, plan to catch afternoon flights to allow time for you to get to airport. YOU MUST HAVE A VALID US PASSPORT WITH AT LEAST 180 DAYS REMAINING ON IT, BEFORE IT EXPIRES. NO VISA IS NEEDED FOR U.S. OR CANADIAN CITIZENS, AT PRESENT.
RATES:
7 Nights/6 Days Packages- June 24-Dec 30th, 2023
Package
Fishing $4,953
Diving $3,434
Atoll Adventure $3,325
Rest & Relaxation $3,000
Combination Fish & Dive $5,170
Single Fishing/ Guide & Private room $7,113
Dec. 31-June 24, 2024 -7 Nights/6 Days Package
Fishing $5712
Diving $3759
Atoll Adventure $3542
Rest & Relax $3217
Combination Fish & Dive $5929
Single Supplement Fishing $7872
Partial Week Packages- 4 Nights/3 Days- All Year
Fishing $3375
Diving $2360
Atoll Adventure $2552
Rest & Relaxation $1,926
Combination Fish & Dive $3,662
Single Supplement Fishing $4,742
3 Nights/2 Days- All Year
Fishing $2256
Diving $1605
Atoll Adventure $1496
Rest & Relaxation $1388
Combination Fish & Dive $2473
Single Supplement Fishing $3011
• All full week rates are for Saturday-Saturday Packages. Partial Week Packages are booked on a space available basis and space may be limited during peak season.
• Packages can be mixed and a la carte upgrades can be booked while at the resort if space is available.
• All rates are per person based on double occupancy except as noted for the Single Supplement Fishing Package. Private room upgrades are available upon request. All guestrooms are charged at the same rate and all rooms are centrally air-conditioned.
Packages Include:
• Saturday & Wednesday airport transfers
• Lodging
• Daily guided activity as per Package booked
• Three meals daily plus hors d’oeuvres
• Use of on-site amenities including pool, internet, sea kayaks and the gym
Packages Do Not Include:
• Bar tab
• Gratuities
• Equipment rental
• Additional transfers fee on days other than Saturday and Wednesdays
• Park entrance fees & licenses
Deposit & Cancellation Policy: A deposit equal to 50% of the “Package” price is required to confirm a reservation, and is due within two weeks of the booking date. Deposits are refundable (minus a 15% fee PLUS A $100.00 handling fee per package) up to 60 days prior to the start of a trip. Within 60 days prior to the start of a trip, the deposit is not refundable for any reason unless we are able to re-sell your space. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure and is not refundable. No refunds are available for unused portions of packages. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance.
BUTCH AND JOANS’ 2016 REPORT:
Joan and I, and 2 other couples just returned from the Central America country of Belize, where we went to do some flats fishing for bones, permit and tarpon, and also to do some world class snorkeling. We had done a good deal of research to try and find what we thought would be a premium destination for fly and spin fishing, and for snorkeling for the non-fishers, all in a remote area but having excellent amenities. Not easy to find, but we did it! This place was about a 9.5 out of 10! Fishers and non-fishers had a ball. To keep this report fairly short (feel free to call and pick our brains if you wish); we stayed on a reef about 30 miles off the coast of Belize. So you are incredibly remote and you live literally where you fish. The reef and the waters are gin clear and beautiful. You could stand on the Lodge deck, or by the Infinity pool, and see a hundred bonefish tailing just a few yards from the Lodge. Not a few either- a ton of them. Typical day was up around 6, breakfast about 7, then off to the flats boats, or else to the snorkeling boat. The flats guides were always ready for us- always! Much appreciated.
Fishing was absolutely world class, but generally not easy. You had many shots at bonefish every day, a few for permit, and a few for tarpon if you chased them. We even tried trolling (to beat the still air and heat) for barracuda and I had a 50” fish make my 10 weight fly reel sound like it was screeching in mortal agony! However, for the rookies or the folks looking for their first bones, the guides had their secret spots. Our guide (Daniel- top notch- but so was Michael and others) had such a spot and he put Joan in the bow, worked on her casting and in 3 casts she had her first bone, followed by 3 more bones in the next 10 minutes. My turn, I caught my 4, and put Joan back in bow to catch her 4, and so we kept trading allmorning. Then it got truly hot, and we went trolling for barracuda (using big orange tube lures on our fly rods). Action was non-stop with blinding runs and incredibly vicious strikes.
Guides spoke great English, were adept and patient. Joan and I probably each caught around 40 or more bones, and 5 or 6 barracuda. One group of rookies had the trip of lifetime catching a permit apiece and probably 10 or more bones each in their 3 days of fishing.
The wives could not stop talking about their snorkeling trips with the Lodge’s dive instructor who is a naturalist who also entertained us all at night with his National Geographic like under water closeup photos taken that day. The ladies had a ball. They simply floated and looked. Dinners were superb, the bar was excellent (watch out for their rum punch!). Several in our group had little or no fly fishing experience but guides taught them enough for them to score on bones and hook them on the sport. No need to worry if you need to learn- you will!
Be sure to spend time in town to see the Mayan ruins- a must see. We also did the zoo and saw a huge black jaguar- a life long want to see for me. Friendly people and a long season- fishing is 12 months a year, Peak is Jan thru May, June for tarpon. An awesome operation!
CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS:
Sun is really tough on your skin. Even the dark skinned guides covered every square inch of their bodies! You will want buffs that pull up over neck, ears and nose- right up to your sunglasses. Add a long billed hat with no vents in it (you can burn right thru the vents!). Shirts of 30 to 50 PDF ratings. Forget the shorts, you need fast drying lightweight pants for wading. They have hard bottom Simms wading shoes to rent for wading- old sneakers and booties will just get you cut up! I also advise light weight fingerless gloves and tape for your forefingers when stripping line. Bugs were no issue unless on shore with shorts, when no see ums are pesky. If you go snorkeling- wear full shirts and pants! Joan who never burns got a terrific burn on her back- wear pants and shirts when swimming.
TACKLE SUGGESTIONS:
Fly rods in the 7-8 wt. range are the ideal size for Belize bonefish. The lighter rods (7 wt) are great when there is little or no wind and an 8-weight rod has more than enough muscle to deliver a fly in even the stiffest of gales. Moreover, the 8-weight rod will double as the ideal rod for permit and light tarpon fishing (MAYBE- depends on size of fly and amount of wind).. Many anglers prefer to have their larger rod, a 10 wt. – rigged up and in the boat for the permit and an 8 weight rod with a floating line in hand for the bonefish that are routine. This also leaves a heavier rod as a reserve for extremely windy days. Ten to twelve weight rods are perfect for tarpon fishing.
The choice of rod length is important. Nine or nine-and-a-half foot long rods are optimum. More line can be picked up off the water with the longer rods, with less surface disturbance. Also, for the vast majority of fly anglers, greater distances can be covered with less effort using the longer fly rods.
Fly Reels
Should be anodized, corrosion-resistant saltwater models that will hold a full fly line, plus approximately 300 yards of 20 lb. backing for bonefish and permit, and 300 yards of 30-50 pound backing for tarpon. Reels equipped with high quality, smooth, drags are essential to prevent break-offs from the blistering runs of a hooked fish.
Fly Lines
A weight forward tropical saltwater taper floating line is ideal for most of the sight fishing you will encounter. There may be a few times when an intermediate sinking line is the answer for tarpon and permit fishing. Anglers should also bring along some sort of line cleaner for the lines as well, since saltwater has a way of making them sticky after a few days use.
Leaders
Tarpon Custom Fly Leader 9 feet long, 30 pound class tippet with 60, 80 and 100 pound bite tippets
Bonefish Tapered Leaders 10’-14’ feet long, –ending in 10 or 12 pound
Permit Tapered Leaders 10’-14 feet long –ending in 16 to 20 pound
Catch and Release
Permit, Bonefish and Tarpon are always released; other species like Snapper & Grouper are kept for the table.
