Fly Fishing Belize

By: Bill Kiene

You can visit Belize any time because the weather does not change all that much through the year being located so close to the equator.   June through October is the official hurricane season in the tropics but September/October are actually considered the peak months. I still don't know if it is a good idea to plan a trip at this time but some do.  June through October is also the rainy season so that affects the rivers and roads on the mainland. November through May is the dry season and very popular for tourists. Snook fishing can be good at this time but it is not prime time for most other tropical gamefish. You can catch bonefish all year long if you don't have a cold front in the winter. April/May is the classic time to fly fish Belize but with it's inconsistent weather you can never be 100% sure of having low winds.For serious fly fishing trips I like April through August.  July/August is very warm but attractive for the lower winds making it much nicer for getting around in small boats, seeing fish move in the water and fly casting.   Another little fishing window in the tropics is November as it is cooling off in the Fall.

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We have not done too much travel on the mainland but we have people who we can contact for information on this part of a multifaceted trip. If you have the time and desire, traveling on the mainland is said to be very interesting. You have Mayan ruins to visit and clear jungle rivers to float.

Belize has the world's second longest barrier reef running just off its coast from 10 to 20 miles out. It protects the 300 hundred small cays from the pounding swells of the Caribbean. Our travel has been alone the coast, up wild jungle rivers, in brackish lagoons, out in the protected cays inside the giant barrier reef and out in the blue water on the 3 famous atolls. There are lots of cays inside the reef but most of them have mangroves on them so then they have lots of 'sand fleas'. The cays right on the edge of the barrier reef are mostly bug free.

Belize City is not normally a good place to stay but it is OK right along the waterfront. Like any big city, it is not real safe after dark without a local guide.Most people that come to Belize fly into the Philip SW Goldson International Airport which is about 10 miles west out of Belize City . Then they fly out on one of the small local airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, to either Ambergris Cay, Cay Caulker or down south to the small town of Dangriga , Placencia or Punta Gorda on the southern coast. Some will boat out or fly out to one of the three famous atolls that are in the deep water past the barrier reef. The three atolls are Turneffe, Lighthouse and Glovers. The lodges on the cays of the atolls are famous for relaxing, sightseeing, scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing.

The most common visitors to Belize are couples on a holiday looking for a variety of experiences like sun bathing/swimming, scuba/snorkel, eco-touring, fishing, kayaking and tasting the Belizean cuisine. There are many different kinds of places to stay in Belize from modern large resorts to little wooden cottages on stilts out on tiny cays right on the barrier reef.

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I will first list all the famous fishing lodges:

• El Pescador - North: This lodge has been on the east side of Ambergris Cay for 30 years and is larger and more successful than ever. There are lots of Bonefish and Tarpon in this area.
• The Belize River Lodge: This is the oldest fishing lodge in Belize having been in business for 44 years. It has lots of history with famous anglers like Joe Brooks as guests. There are lots of Bonefish and Tarpon in this part of Belize . This destination is famous for the variety of fishing it offers. Fishing up remote lush jungle rivers for Tarpon and Snook, back country lagoons for Tarpon and Snook then out on the white flats for Tarpon, Permit and Bonefish.
• Turneffe Flats Lodge: They are located out on the northeast side of Turneffe Atoll which is the northern most of the three atolls. It is very famous for larger Bonefish and also has a scuba diving program.
• Turneffe Island Lodge: It is on the southern end of Turneffe Atoll. This lodge is a great dive lodge with good flats fishing too. One of the oldest lodges in Belize famous for diving the Blue Hole.
• Blue Horizon: very rustic but one of the most serious permit fishing destinations in the world. You are right out from Dangriga in the cays so no travel time to fish.
• Tarpon Cay; very rustic but good fishing camp right out in the cays. Northeast of Placencia out in the cays so no travel time to the fishing.

These are all well run lodges where you could feel comfortable bringing your significant other.

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There are dozens of scuba diving lodges that can get you a fishing guide and boat by the day. They are not the best thing for serious fly fishers but will work for a scuba couple who is looking for variety. Among these are the Blackbird Resort, Lighthouse Reef Resort, Manta Reef Resort, the Blue Marine Lodge, Robert's Grove, Kitty's Place, Rum Point Inn, and the Green Parrot. They all have web sites you can find with search engines like Google or Yahoo.

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There are lots of places to stay on Ambergris Cay, Cay Caulker and in the town of Placencia . These are popular places for couples looking for a variety of experiences. They villages are the most popular destinations in Belize.

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A good little paperback travel guide book is titled 'BELIZE' by Moon Handbooks.

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Here is a good Belizean travel agent at the International airport near Belize City  - Margie Perez's email address: margetravl@btl.net. Many travel services including Orvis Company use Margie as a meet and greet person at the airport. Phone: 501-225-2016

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Here are some web sites on Belize :

• Destinations Belize: May Toy is a retired US attorney friend of ours now living in Placencia.  She helps couples and fly fishers design a fun week in Belize. She can advise you on lodging, restaurants, daily tours and fly fishing guides.
• Belize First:  Lots of info on Belize
• Belize Net:   More Belize info
• MyBelizeAdventure.Com:      More Belize info

• Placencia: The town's web site
• Go Caye Caulker: The town's web site

• Ambergris Caye:   The town's web site

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Fly Fishing Guides in Belize:

Caye Caulker = Anglers Abroad Fly Shop

Belize City = Richard "Junior" Young = 011-501-227-4385 or 011-501-207-0582

Placencia = Bruce Leslie's  email

Ambergris Caye = Ruby's Motel for good guides

Feel free to email me after you have looked at some of this information if you have any questions. I can send you a good list of tackle and equipment for your trip to Belize. We have taken groups of fly fishers down to Belize for over 20 years so we are very familiar with almost every inch of the Belizean coast.

Bill Kiene: billkiene@kiene.com

Kiene's Fly Shop

Sacramento, California

USA toll free 1-800-400-0359   ( 7 days a week )

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