trip description

GETTING THERE    

You will want to arrange your trip to Belize City, Belize. Once you arrive into the international terminal, you will proceed to the domestic terminal where you will board a small Maya Air plane for your flight to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. The flight takes only about 18 minutes, an interesting adventure on a twin prop plane. You may want to keep your camera handy as some of the aerial shots are quite interesting as you head toward Ambergris Caye.
You will land on an airstrip right in the middle of the town. Upon arrival to San Pedro, you will get transportation to your hotel - beachfront accommodations suited to your particular needs. Some of the hotels will provide complimentary transportation, while you will take a taxi to others. Each will provide you with warm hospitality and service inherent to the Belizean culture. After checking into your hotel, you may want to explore the possibilities for your stay. Restaurants, tours, bars and shops are all located within walking distance of your hotel, and the hotel staff is certain to convey their personal favorites to you. Most of all, enjoy the atmosphere of the warm, tropica l island that will b e your home for a short time.

THE GUIDES
     We have put together what are considered to be the best guides on the island. They were all born fishing the waters around Ambergris Caye, and are extremely knowledgeable about the area. All of the guides speak English and are very proficient at both fly fishing and conventional fishing techniques. The guide pool in San Pedro can be very unstable, but we have bypassed the questionable guides to bring you only the best for your fishing trip. Your head guide, Jose, will make sure to arrange a great fishing experience for each angler. The guides are not only skilled at spotting fish, they also have technical expertise on fly selection and saltwater casting to help you adapt to different fishing environments. All of our guides are of top quality and you will have the benefit of being with the same guide throughout the week.

THE FISHING
     The fishing day begins as you enjoy breakfast at one of a handful of small cafes on the island. You will then meet your guides at the dock just out front of your hotel about 7 a.m. to begin your fishing day. The fishing skiffs and English speaking guides will put you on the fish. Depending on your preference, and weather conditions, you can fish different flats for bonefish, tarpon and permit. There are many flats quite close to San Pedro, while others are a bit of a boat ride to reach. The turtle grass and mangroves can make the fishing challenging, but your experienced guide will help give you the best chance at landing fish.

     This area of Belize provides a mix of fish year-round. It is far enough south that even during cold periods, the flats stay warm enough to hold fish. Having tarpon, bonefish and permit available all year makes this destination unique, and as with any destination, weather and habitat can make fishing more challenging at certain times of year.

    The main quarry on any trip is the bonefish which average 2-3 pounds with larger fish available each day. It is quite common to see large schools of bonefish mudding and tailing on the flats. You may fish from the boat in these areas, but it is also possible to wade several of the flats. You will want to have a plentiful supply of Crazy Charlie's, Gotchas and other bonefish flies in different colors since the color can matter significantly and can change quickly. Fly selection is detailed later in this information.

     Permit are available here and are typically easy to see, not so easy to catch. They are found on the slightly deeper flats and they range in size from 5-40 pounds. The standard Crab patterns like Del's Merkin or the Turneffe Crab work well. If you are fishing a flat that has both permit and bonefish, a small Turneffe crab can catch either species.

     Tarpon are found year-round, with the resident tarpon being a very challenging catch. The larger schools of tarpon start coming onto the flats around the late spring, with the bigger fish cruising around in the late summer. The large tarpon are 70-125 pounds and the smaller tarpon start at about 5 lbs. The best tarpon flats are around the cayes near the mainland (abo ut a 45 minute boat ride). The grand slam is a possible event every week of the season if you have the patience to find and land a permit, and the luck to hook and land a tarpon.

Lunches are available for purchase at many different grocery stores and cafes in San Pedro. You will want to bring your own lunch and drinks with you on the boat. The guide provides a cooler with ice, so you are welcome to bring whatever you need for a day of fishing. Each boat carries a guide and two anglers.

Click here to see about your accommodations while in Belize.