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DESTNATIONS
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- Overview
- Accommodation
- Itinerary & Prices
- Tackle Req
- Play DVD Preview
| Twin Centers Belize |  |
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For clients who are looking for a really unique experience when coming to Belize. Twin Centre's is one of our most popular trips; you start at San Pedro and finish at Water Caye. San Pedro is a warm, friendly town that defines the word "casual". With only 10 streets, most people get around the village by walking or riding a bike. Until the last decade, the fly fishing around this area had been a well-guarded secret. However, once the quality of the Tarpon and Bone fishing started to get out, the area became world famous in just a few short years. There are few better places on earth to fish for Tarpon because, when these fish start to migrate out onto the flats and channels, they provide the fly angler with great opportunities for sight casting.
For the second part you move twelve miles off the coast of Dangriga, here sits an idyllic island with some unbelievable saltwater flats, where Permit, Bonefish and Tarpon can be found in great abundance. The island is small, at just less than 12 acres in size, and drenched in palm trees. it is located right on the Barrier Reef. Because of this location, there is a vast array of excellent fishing opportunities, for fly fisherman of all skill levels, for Permit, Bonefish, Tarpon and many blue water species.
Angling Direct Holidays has combined this great destination, great fishing with great accommodation. We have planned everything for you down to the last detail. Guests will fly from the International Airport in Belize City before catching a short flight to San Pedro. For your time in San Pedro you will stay at the Breeze Hotel. The second half of your trip you will catch a short flight from San Pedro to the coastal town of Dangriga. The scenic flight is only 15 minutes long so before you know it, your descending from the clouds and approaching the Dangriga airstrip. From there, a waiting taxi will take you the short ride down to the waterfront where you’ll catch the water-taxi out to the island. As you take in the scenery on the half-hour boat ride from Dangriga, you will begin to get a sense of the fly fishing opportunities that await you here.
What our customers have to say:
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| Breeze Hotel. San Pedro. Belize |   B/B |
Located
right in the heart of San Pedro Town, The Breeze Hotel
makes a great base for a week of fly fishing in San
Pedro. The hotel is located right on the beach and is
close to a wide variety of bars and restaurants to meet
all tastes. If you're looking for a little nightlife
after a day on the flats, this is the ideal trip. The
rooms at the Sun Breeze are perfect for fly anglers
in that there is lots of space for gear and rods. The
rooms are very large and bright, with 2 double beds,
private bath with hot and cold water, television and
small fridge. The pool overlooks the warm Caribbean
Sea and the pier where guests are picked up and dropped
off for fishing is right at the hotel. We really like
the rooms because of the view and the amount of space
provided. The restaurant and bar are both warm and friendly.
The food at the Blue Water Grill is divine and the chef
is one of the best in the country. You'll definitely
go home planning to lose a few pounds!.
There are many, many Bonefish in this area and guests will get plenty of shots throughout the day. The reef side, north of San Pedro, heading all the way up to the Mexican border, is also a great Bone Fishing. If the weather is calm, a day up at Rocky Point, where the reef angles into the island, is extremely productive and makes a fabulous day trip. The Tarpon fishing to the west of San Pedro is consistently some of the best found anywhere. The Savannah Flats are world famous for their ability to produce Tarpon year round.
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IZE.
Water Caye. Belize
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F/B |
This
delightful little resort consists of 5 wood cabanas
that are nestled in foliage and located right on the
water. Each cabana is fully equipped with ceiling fans,
hot and cold running water, electricity and a private
porch overlooking the reef. Our hosts at IZE, Jen and Mack, always go out of their
way to spoil our guests and they’ve recently installed
high speed internet service for those who need to stay
in touch with home. The main lodge, where the dining
room and bar are located, is very informal and beautifully
constructed out of local hard woods. With a cool cocktail
in hand, watching the sun setting into the mountains
back on the mainland is one of life’s great pleasures.
The bar will stay open as long as guests require refreshments,
and is run on a tab system. The food at IZE is a blend
of local dishes with a heavy seafood influence. Fresh
fruits and local vegetables are brought in daily by
boat from Dangriga. With enough advance notice, special
dietary requirements will happily be accommodated.
Water Caye is a beautiful 12 acre island perched right on the edge of Belize’s world famous Barrier Reef. Draped in palm trees, this sandy little island is an exquisite island getaway that never disappoints. The entire area is littered with small mangrove islands and tidal grass flats that hold a huge variety of game fish. The Permit fishing in particular is nothing short of incredible and it’s not uncommon to see 25 to 40 Permit per day. There are also several schools of Bonefish that live around the island and you can wade out on the flats behind the resort to get the kinks out of your casting stroke, while casting to tailing fish. Because of it’s proximity to the reef, Water Caye is a great base for those looking to try their luck with some of the larger species found in Belizean waters. Huge Barracuda, Mutton and Dog Snapper, Jack Crevalle, and several species of Grouper can all be fished for during the course of your week.
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Suggested Itinerary
This is a suggest itinerary which can be changed if you so wished to suit your requirements personally
11 - Days / 6 - Days Fishing
Day 1 |
Depart HEATHROW AIRPORT (LHR) with BRITISH AIRWAYS AM When you arrive at the baggage reclaim area of Miami airport you should use the free phone facility located on the wall to call the La Quinta Inn & Suites for a free transfer to your stop-over hotel. Evening free to explore, the wonderful Atlantis Hotel and facilities. Overnight: Accommodation La Quinta Inn & Suites B/B |
Day 2 |
Depart MIAMI (MIA) with AMERICAN AIRLINES AM After you have picked up your luggage and cleared customs walk out of the terminal building where you will be met by our representative. They will be holding an Angling Direct Holidays signboard with your name displayed. You will then be escorted to your onward connection flight from Belize city to San Pedro airport; this is a 15 min scenic flight. The rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to enjoy the relaxed town and enjoy the great food of San Pedro. Overnight: Accommodation Breeze Hotel B/B |
Day 3 to 5 |
After a full breakfast depart with your guide for a full 8 hours fishing on the numerous flats. Over these three days you will be targeting Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit. Overnight: Accommodation Breeze Hotel B/B |
Day 6 |
After a full breakfast check out of your hotel and cross the road to you catch your flight to the coastal town of Dangriga. The scenic flight is only 15 minutes long. On arrival, a waiting taxi will take you the short ride down to the waterfront. At the waterfront, a waiting water-taxi will take you out to the island. As you take in the scenery on the half-hour boat ride from Dangriga, you will begin to get a sense of the fly fishing opportunities that await you here. The rest of the day is yours to relax on our beautiful island or for those still with energy try the flats at the back of the island where great Bonefish fishing is found giving you a chance to stretch those lines. Overnight: Accommodation IZE Lodge F/B |
Day 7 to 9 |
After a full breakfast depart with your guide for a full 8 hours fishing on the numerous flats. Over these three days you will mainly be targeting Permit. Overnight: Accommodation IZE Lodge F/B |
Day 10 |
After a full breakfast you will take your water taxi back to Dangriga, then a short taxi back to the airstrip for your return flights to Belize City airport. On arrival at Belize City airport, proceed to the British Airways check in desk for your return flights back to the UK. Depart BELIZE (BZE) |
Day 11 |
Arrive LONDON (LHR) AM |
Departure Dates & Prices
11 - Days / 6 - Days Fishing
Dates 2008 / 09 |
Fishing |
All Year |
From £2,750 pp |
Whats Included & Excluded
Options
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What's Included
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Note: The above prices are per person and are based on two people sharing, accommodation, transfers and fishing. Please be advised these prices may fluctuate due to changes in flights and exchange rates.
Enquiries & Bookings
Once you have an idea of what destinations and duration of the holiday you would like, contact one of our consultants on 01603 407596 who will be pleased to assist you with any questions and additional literature you may require to help you finalise your holidays itinerary, availability and prices.
When you are ready to book your holiday, our consultants will take down all particulars and take a deposit payment, please make sure that before making any booking that you have read our terms and conditions. At the time of the booking we will ask you to correctly spell the first and last name of each traveling member, as some flights will need to be ticketed at the time of booking and due to airline regulations no name changes can be made, once a ticket has been issued. On receipt of the deposit we will send the lead booker a “Booking Form” and a deposit receipt invoice which becomes the legal contract between Angling Direct Holidays and your party
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Want to talk to our Hardy travel consultant |
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General
Gear.
When going on a “destination” salt water
fly fishing trip, the question of “what to bring”?
is extremely important to the overall success of your trip. I can’t
tell you how many times over the years, that I’ve
run into people who, having traveled a great distance
to get to Belize, have arrived completely unprepared
for their week of fly fishing. Bringing down your favourite
trout reel and a couple of flies for a week of bone
fishing is simply not sufficient for the task at hand.
The strength of saltwater fish will surprise even the
most ardent of freshwater enthusiasts who are experiencing
the “salt” for the first time. The power
of the fish that you’ll be targeting while fishing
with us in Belize, dictates that you must come prepared.
Losing the fish of a lifetime because you decided to
save some money on leaders or fly line is not a mistake
that you want to make. The proper gear will greatly
reduce the heart break and frustration that losing a
quality fish causes. Being comfortable and having the
proper gear is essential to the enjoyment of your trip.
In a country like Belize, where you’ll often find
yourself fishing in out of the way places where there
are no stores or opportunities to purchase items you
might have left at home, it is imperative that you come
prepared. In Fly fishing in Saltwater, a seminal work
on fly fishing the salt, Lefty Kreh states that: “no
saltwater fly fishing equipment is as important to success
as the reel”. Truer words have rarely been spoken
and, if you take away only one thing from this web site,
please let it be this! Your reel is one area where you
should not be looking to save a couple of bucks. This
is not to say that you can’t get a reasonably
priced saltwater fly reel, because you can. But, it
has to be well designed with a good (smooth) drag system
to handle the long runs that you will inevitably experience
while fishing in Belize. With the increase in the popularity
of saltwater fly fishing over the past decade, there
has been an enormous increase in the amount of fly fishing
gear that is now for sale. With so many products and
choices, it can be difficult to figure out what you
need for your trip. If you’re at all unsure about
equipment, or whether or not you really need something,
please email me peter@anglingdirectholidays.com with your questions and I’ll be happy to answer
them as honestly as I can.
Aside from the regular type of clothing and personal
effects that you would bring on any holiday, I have
included a list of often-overlooked items that may be
difficult to purchase or find here in Belize. Bringing
these items, whether you’re staying with us in
a resort town or out on one of the outer islands, will
ensure that you are comfortable and properly prepared
to get the most out of your trip to Belize.
A light rain suit for the occasional shower or boat
spray
Thick soled flats boots
Polarized sunglasses (2 pairs) Amber, yellow, green
or gray.
Sunscreen and lip protection (15 or higher and waterproof)
A good fishing hat that will both keep the sun off you
as well as cut down on glare (dark billed)
Wading pack with water bottle
Camera with film
Extra batteries
Insect repellent
Extra light clothing for fishing to help keep the sun
off you
Reading materials
Good walking shoes
A travel alarm clock
A small flash light
A small hook sharpener
Sun gloves (if needed)
Hemostats
Band-aids
A supply of small US bills (1’s-and 5’s)
Zip lock bags
Shaving kit
Pocketknife
Flats Fishing
Bonefish
Rods
A 7 to 8 weight rod is ideal for bonefish. These weights
allow the angler the power to adequately deal with wind
(which is a constant companion throughout the Caribbean)
while still providing the finesse to present the fly
as delicately as possible. I enjoy chasing bones with
5 and 6 weight rods (when conditions allow) but many
anglers, particularly inexperienced saltwater fly anglers,
will have trouble when going this light.
Reels
The reel that you plan to fish for bones with should
be a disk drag reel with a capacity of 200 yards of
20 pound backing. While this may seem excessive to those
new to our sport, veteran anglers both understand this
necessity and embrace it. Because Belizean waters are
so rich and varied in terms of species, it would be
a shame to be fishing for bones with 100 yards of backing
on your reel, only to encounter a 25-pound permit on
the flat you are wading. A missed opportunity like this
can ruin your day!
Fly Line
For bonefish, a weight forward floating line to match
the weight of your rod is what you need. Some fly anglers,
and many retailers for that matter, are of the opinion
that you should be over matching your line by a weight.
For instance, if you have a seven-weight rod, you should
be loading the reel with an 8 weight fly line. For larger
species, I would agree with this, but not for bones.
In most situations when bone fishing in Belize, you
will be fishing in skinny water (1-3 feet) where a heavier
line will work against you in terms of the sound and
splash the line makes when you’re presenting the
fly. Stick to matching the line to the rod! There are
times when we encounter bones in deeper water (6-8 feet)
in places like the north end of Glovers Reef. When this
happens, it’s good to have a weight forward intermediate
sinking line to help get the fly down to the fish. However,
this is by far the exception as opposed to the rule.
A floating weight forward line to match the rod will
handle most
bonefish situations more than adequately.
Leaders
For most fly anglers chasing bones, an 8 to 12 pound,
nine foot-tapered leader will work nicely. These can
either be purchased at your local fly shop(3M makes
an excellent tapered saltwater leader) or, many anglers
enjoy building their own. A nine-foot leader is much
easier to control than a longer one in the face of a
blowing wind and allows for a more accurate presentation.
On calm or clear days, or when fishing on a falling
tide, when the bones are a little more nervous and spooky,
it will help to go with a longer leader. Switch from
your 9 foot to a 12-foot leader. The conditions will
often dictate what you need to use so it pays to be
prepared.
Tippet
Fluorocarbon tippet of 6 to 8 pounds will be more than
sufficient.
Flies
Many of our first time clients, who have fished elsewhere
in the Caribbean for bonefish, will often come with
the assumption that what worked in the Keys or the Bahamas
will work in Belize. And to an extent this is true,
as bonefish in general are a very accommodating species
compared with some of the other fish that inhabit the
flats. But, there are some important subtleties that
need to be recognized. Anglers coming to Belize will
have more success if they bring flies in size 6 to 8.
To be sure, a variety of different sized flies is important
and it’s good to have a healthy mix of sizes,
including some large ones. Overall however, the smaller
sized bonefish flies will produce more fish. Another
important thing to keep in mind when preparing your
fly box for a trip to Belize to fly for bones is that
you will encounter a variety of fishing situations and
bottom surfaces. White sand, light and dark brown coral,
as well as lush turtle grass beds, will all dictate
both the colour's and sink rates of the flies that you
should be using. By having a specific pattern in a variety
of colour's and tied with several different sink rates
in mind, you’re increasing your odds considerably.
• Mathews Bonefish Bitters: in brown, olive and
chartreuse (size 6-8)
• Crazy Charlie: in pink, olive, tan, and white
(size 6-8)
• Clouser Minnow: in chartreuse, white, rust,
brown (size 4-8)
• Gotcha: in pearl, tan, and root beer (size 6-8)
• Bob Popovics Ultra Shrimp (size 4-8)
• Winston Moore’s Agent Orange (size 6-8)
• Snapping Shrimp in: brown and olive (size 6-8)
Permit
Rods
The average permit in Belize will weigh between 12 and
16 pounds, with much heavier fish being very common
in Southern Belize. The ideal fly rod when targeting
permit, is either a 9 or a 10 weight. These weights
will allow the angler to cover the broad size spectrum
that this challenging fish comes in. These rods will
also allow the fly angler to cast the often bulky crab
flies that a 7 or 8 weight simply isn’t designed
for. I use an old three piece, Sage RPLX 9 weight exclusively
when specifically targeting permit. This rod has gone
to war with some real monsters and has never let me
down (my knots are a another story.
Reels
The unique oblong shape of the permit, along with its
oversized fork tail, allows the fish to generate a great
deal of power. When you add a dose of fear to the permit,
which happens when the fish realizes that it’s
hooked, the permit has to be the strongest fish, pound
for pound, that swims in the ocean. To ensure that you
won’t lose the fish once it’s hooked, especially
if the permit is over 20 pounds, you need disk drag
reel with at least 250 yards of 20 pound backing. To
watch a good sized permit make run after run, is a very
special thrill for even the most experienced angler.
The drag system is critical and must be absolutely smooth
throughout the long runs that a decent sized permit
will make. If the drag jerks, even just a small amount,
your permit is as good as gone.
Fly Line
A weight forward floating line to match the rod is what
you need to outfit yourself with. However, in this instance,
there is some merit in overloading your line by one
weight, particularly if your facing a stiff wind. Individual
preference plays a big part in fly fishing successfully
for permit.
Leaders
Many of our clients like to use 10 to 12 pound leaders
for permit. This is fine for schoolie permit in the
8 to 12 pound range, but inadequate for larger fish.
Many of my guides in the south who specialize in permit
won’t even let the anglers in their boat cast
to a permit unless they are using 16 pound leader material.
This is because Southern Belize has such a healthy population
of big permit and the guides have seen too many huge
fish lost to mangrove roots and coral. They have thoroughly
drummed this lesson into me to the point where now I
won’t use anything lighter than 16 pound test.
Tippet
For large permit, 20-pound fluorocarbon tippet will
work well.
Flies
The advances made in permit fly design over the past
10 years have really helped to make catching a permit
an actual possibility. And if you’re serious about
catching a permit on a fly rod, Belize is the place
to be. The one thing I need to stress here is that the
flies should be smaller than you’d expect, even
if you’re planning on concentrating on large permit.
We see many clients who come down with Merkins, McCrabs
and other crab patterns tied on size 1 and 2 hooks.
These flies are simply to big for the permit in Belize
to want to eat. In this instance, you’ve got to
“match the hatch” by offering to the permit,
flies that are the size of the crabs that it will normally
encounter while feeding on the flats. This means flies
tied on size 4-8 saltwater hooks.
• Del Browns Merkin in: brown and tan. If you
tie your own flies, substitute the brown wool for olive
(size4-8)
• Turneffe Crab in: olive, cream and green (size
4-8)
• Will Baur’s Belize Permit Crab in: olive,
brown, and green (size 4-8)
• The McCrab (size 4-6)
• Chernobyl Crab (size 4-6)
• Crazy Charlie in: white (size 4-8)
Tarpon
Rods
For juvenile tarpon in the 20 to 50 pound class, a 9
or 10-weight rod will work nicely. Catching tarpon this
size on a light fly rod is an absolute thrill. In fact,
I much prefer to chase the smaller tarpon because they
don’t wipe you out physically the way a large
tarpon often will. When the larger tarpon (100+lbs)
start to show up in the spring, you need a rod in the
11 to 12 weight class.
Reels
The small to medium sized tarpon require a smooth disk
drag reel with a capacity of 300 yards of 30 pound backing.
You can get away with a reel that holds less line but
you then run the risk of losing a good sized tarpon
that may show up and take your fly. For the larger fish
in the 100 pound + category, you’ll need a reel
with 400 yards of 30 pound backing. This may seem excessive,
but when you consider that the Belizean record for tarpon
on a fly was set last year, at just a hair under 200
pounds, it’s far better to be safe that sorry.
Fly Lines
Because tarpon can be found in a variety of situation
and depths, it really pays to be prepared with a couple
of different tarpon lines at the ready. For juvenile
tarpon, you’ll need a weight forward floating
tarpon line to match the rod. It’s also a good
idea to have a type 6 fast sinking line for those tarpon
in deeper water. Another way to get at these fish is
to use sinking shooting heads. In this situation, I
highly recommend over lining your rod with a 300 to
500 grain shooting head. For big tarpon, you’ll
need to start out with a weight forward floating line
to match the rod. Tropical fly lines are generally a
little stiffer which is good because they help to turn
over the heavier flies that big tarpon like to hammer.
To get at tarpon in deeper water, it pays to use a type
6 fast sinking line or sinking shooting heads. Again,
as with smaller tarpon, I recommend over lining the
rod with a 300 to 700 grain shooting head.
Leaders
The tarpon’s mouth is comprised of cartilage and
bone and is therefore very rough and abrasive. Even
a relatively small tarpon in the 20 to 40 pound range
can shred your leader or tippet in no time. All tarpon
leaders should be tapered and can be either store bought
or made by the angler. The actual leader does not need
to be more than 9 feet in length. The leader for juvenile
tarpon should consist of either 30 or 40 pound butt
section, with each subsequent tapered section dropping
by 10 pounds (30-20-10) Keep in mind that the butt section
should always be exactly half of the overall length
of the leader. When constructing a leader for big tarpon,
the butt section should be 50 pounds with each following
section dropping by 10 pounds (50-40-30)
Tippet
For juvenile tarpon, a 40 to 60 pound shock tippet is
needed to hold the fish. Some anglers prefer to go lighter,
but I don’t recommend it for the average angler.
For big tarpon, a 100 pound shock tippet is required
to have any chance of landing the fish. The shock tippet
should be 12 to 16 inches in length.
Flies
There is a great debate amongst those who like to chase
tarpon with a fly about which is the most effective
size for tarpon flies. From what I’ve observed
here in Belize, by far the most effective size for tarpon
flies is a pattern tied on a 3/0 saltwater hook. Larger
flies will work for bigger fish, especially in specific
situations (like when the tarpon are motionless just
under the water level) but overall it’s quite
amazing how smaller flies will consistently take very
large fish. For the smaller tarpon, hooks ranging in
size from 2 to 2/0 are highly recommended.
• Stu Apte tarpon fly (size 2 to 3/0)
• Black Death (size 2 to 3/0)
• Cockroach (size 2 to 3/0)
• Boilermaker in: red and white (size 2 to 3/0)
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: white, chartreuse,
and blue (size 2 to 3/0)
• Moore’s Yellow and Grizzly (size 2 to
3/0)
• Sea Foam Popper in: yellow and white (size 2
to 3/0)
• Sea-Duce in: orange and white (size 2 to 3/0)
Barracuda
The Barracuda is the Rodney Danger field of saltwater
fly fishing: It’s given no Respect! Which is really
quite surprising when one considers that Barracuda often
display the aerial acumen of a big Tarpon and the long
runs of a good-sized bonefish. Perhaps it’s because
anglers are wary of a fish with such razor sharp teeth
or because they view the fish as nothing more an opportunistic
thief after having lost a few nice bones on the flats
to this
aggressive predator. Whatever the reasons, fly anglers
simply don’t pay enough attention to this efficient
and powerful hunter.
Rods
In Belize, we are blessed with a very healthy population
of large ‘cuda's throughout the country. And for
the really big Barracudas, Glovers Reef consistently
holds the largest fish I’ve ever seen. To handle
‘cuda's in the 15 to 30 pound class, I recommend
a 9 weight rod. The 9 weight is ideal because it’s
strong enough to help you muscle and land the larger
Barracudas that you’ll definitely encounter while
fly fishing in Belize. The 9 weight allows you to throw
the large streamers that Barracuda seem to favour, and,
effectively helps you deal with and manage a stiff breeze,
should the wind pick up while your out on the flats.
More experienced saltwater anglers may want to use an
8 weight.
Reels
Once a Barracuda realizes that it’s hooked, the
explosive strength of the fish is instantly put on display.
Most anglers don’t realize just how fast and powerful
this fish is! A 20-pound Barracuda can tear out a 150
yards of backing in the blink of an eye. To help ensure
that your not “stripped” by a big ‘cuda,
you should have a disk drag reel that can hold 250 yards
of 20 pound backing.
Fly Line
Virtually all fly fishing for Barracuda is done in shallow
water, usually no more than 5 or 6 feet deep and more
often than not, in 3 feet of water or less. Subsequently,
there are few situations where anything but a weight
forward floating line to match the rod is needed. If
you’re concerned about wind, overline the rod
by one weight to help offset the punishing effects of
wind on your casting ability.
Leaders
Depending on your casting ability, either a 9 or 12-foot
tapered leader should be employed. Experienced saltwater
fly anglers will often use a longer leader for Barracuda
because even though it has such a fierce
reputation, it is at heart, a very wary fish. However,
those without a lot of saltwater experience should stick
with a 9-foot leader because it’s easier to accurately
cast, especially if there is a breeze.
Tippet
Barracuda are famous for their sharp teeth, and with
good reason. Their teeth located at the front of their
jaw are used to either cut their prey in half or to
clip the tail off the fish that they’ve just attacked,
and thus disabling it. Even if your lucky enough to
have your leader avoid the fish’s teeth, the cartilage
in the corner of its jaw will often cut even heavy mono
tippet material. For this reason, you need to build
into your leader or shock tippet a piece of 3 to 4 inch
wire that will be tied directly to the fly. I recommend
two brands: Climax Saltwater Wire Tippet in 30-pound
test or American Fishing Wire in 40-pound strength.
Both are fairly easy to tie and each can stand the pounding
that a big barracudas teeth will exact.
Flies
I use 3 different types of flies when specifically targeting
Barracudas. The long ( 9 to 12 inch ) needle fish patterns,
streamers, and poppers. Each has its own merits and
applications and in some cases, draw backs. For instance,
the needlefish fly, perhaps the best known and widely
used cuda fly, will often get tangled during the cast.
It’s also so thin and streamlined that I think
that barracudas often times have trouble seeing it,
especially if there’s a chop on the ocean. I only
use this pattern when it’s calm. Colour too plays
a big role in your fly selection for ‘cuda's I
favor chartreuse, red, orange and white. If you have
these colour schemes, you’re in good shape.
• Braided ‘Cuda Fly in: chartreuse and
red
• Bob Popovics ‘Cuda Candy in: chartreuse
• Key West Cuda killer
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: chartreuse
and blue and white
• Dan Blanton’s Deepwater Whistler in: yellow-red
• Popovics Banger in: silver or chartreuse
• Boilermaker
Jack Crevalle
The Jack Crevalle is common in Belize as are numerous
other species of jacks, including the horse eyed jack,
the blue runner, and the yellow tail jack. They can
be found in deeper water off the reefs as well as patrolling
the edges of flats in search of an easy meal. The largest
bonefish I’ve ever hooked was devoured at my feet
in 3 feet of water by a huge jack weighing about 35-pounds.
I was heart broken to lose loose such a large bone (
I estimated it at about 12 pounds) but to watch the
jack attack it in such shallow and clear water was something
that I’ll never forget.
Rods
Jacks are an extremely powerful species and I’ve
been beaten to exhaustion many times by this fabulous
saltwater quarry. I love to fish for them as they provide
outstanding action on a fly rod. A 7 or 8 weight rod
will suffice for jacks in the 5 to 15 pound class. If
you’re thinking about targeting larger jacks its
best to have a 9 or 10 weight in the boat. Like big
tarpon, large jacks simply won’t give up until
there’s nothing left in them.
Reels
Because of the long runs that jacks will make after
they’re hooked, even the smaller ones, it’s
imperative that you have a good disk drag reel with
200 yards of backing. For first time saltwater fly anglers,
the strength of a jack will astound you. For larger
jacks, you’ll need a disk drag reel with that
can accommodate 250 yards of 20-pound backing.
Fly Line
In most situations you’ll encounter while fishing
for jacks, the fish will be near the surface, and not
more than 5 or 6 feet deep. Therefore, a floating weight
forward line to match the rod is usually sufficient.
If you’re planning on targeting larger jacks off
the reef and in blue water, an intermediate sink line
and a fast sink line will serve you well. Match the
line to the rod for the smaller jacks and over load
the line for the heavier fish.
Leaders
Jacks are voracious feeders and if you put a fly in
front of them, more often or not, they’re going
to hammer it. Unlike the Barracuda, which will spook
very easily, jacks are generally more forgiving of our
casting mistakes. I therefore recommend a leader that
is only 9 feet long. Anything longer is just unnecessary.
A 12 to 16 pound tapered saltwater leader is fine for
smaller jacks in the 10-pound range. For the larger
jacks in Belize I recommend a 4 * foot butt section
of 40 pound test, followed by a 2 foot 30 pound section,
followed by a 1 * foot 20 pound section, followed by
a 1 foot 10 pound class tippet section.
Tippet
For the smaller jacks, a 10-pound, 6-inch tippet should
be plenty. If you’re focusing on larger jacks
in places Glovers Reef, a 40-pound, 6-inch shock tippet
will be necessary. When I’m Blue water fishing
for jacks, either chumming or trolling a fly in 20 to
40 feet of water, I always use a 6 to 8-inch piece of
wire because you never know what toothy critter might
show up and take the fly.
Flies
Jacks are opportunistic feeders and will often take
whatever comes along. As for flies, they’re fairly
indiscriminate in terms what they’ll take. I’ve
caught all manner of jacks on bonefish flies, tarpon
flies and even crabs tied for permit. It’s good
to be prepared with a variety of sizes and colours as
well as different sink rates to make sure that you have
as much of the water table covered as possible.
• Clouser Minnow in: chartreuse, white, and red.
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: white, blue
and white, and chartreuse
• Bob Popovics Ultra Shrimp
• Gurgler in: chartreuse and silver
• Mylar Popper
• Clouser Half and Half
Snook
Rods
Belize is blessed with some pretty big snook so you’ll
need an 8 to 10 weight rod to have a fighting chance.
Aside from the size of the snook, you’ll also
need an 8 to 10 weight rod in order to help muscle the
snook out of the mangroves, which are its favorite location
in which to ambush prey. We have several clients who
only fish for snook, and these guys will pass up shots
at tarpon and bones, much to the dismay of my guides.
Each of them uses a 10 weight, so you might want to
keep this in mind when getting ready to come down looking
for snook.
Reels
You’ll need a good (smooth) disk drag reel with
200 yards of 20 pound backing. And while all but the
biggest snook will not come close to getting that far
into your backing, medium sized tarpon will often frequent
the same area, and it’s therefore a good idea
to be prepared for a couple of possibilities.
Fly Line
When fly fishing for big snook, I recommend a weight
forward floating tarpon line to match the rod. The tropical
lines are a good idea in that they are stiffer and will
therefore help you turn over the heavier flies that
you’ll be using to target the big guys.
Leaders
A tapered leader 16 pound class tippet
Tippet
The mouth of the snook is somewhat similar to that of
the tarpon it terms of how abrasive it is. On top of
that, you’ll also be fighting it out with the
mangrove roots when scraping it out with snook. When
preparing your shock tippet, you have to take these
facts into account. I recommend a 40 to 50 pound shock
tippet of between 12 and 16 inches.
Flies
Bright colour's are by far the most effective for snook
flies. Yellow, yellow and red, and yellow and black
are very productive, whether your casting blindly to
snook along the mangroves or running your fly across
sand and grass flats where snook will be hiding in the
depressions. If you’re tying your own flies, it
pays to use longer hooks so that you can create a bulkier
fly, which better resembles a good meal for the snook.
And make sure to add eyes to the flies that you’re
tying as this small addition will make a huge difference
in your strike rate. Because you’ll often be fishing
for snook in areas of thick vegetation, using a weed less
fly like a bendback, or flies with weed guards, makes
a lot of sense. Surface Poppers can work well but I’m
of the opinion that streamers are the most effective
flies for snook.
• Lefty’s Deceiver in: Yellow/red, yellow/black
(size 1/0 to 3/0)
• Clouser Deep Minnow in: red and silver (size
1/0 to 3/0)
• Hare-O-Shima Snook Fly (size 1/0 to3/0)
• Sea-Duce in: orange and white (size 1/0 to
3/0)
• Dink Popper in: yellow (size 3/0)
• Spinster in: yellow and red (size 3/0)
• Bendback
Blue Water Fishing
Bluewater fly fishing is a dramatic new frontier within the sport of fly fishing. Quantum leaps in gear technology have allowed fly anglers to now chase fish that were once completely out of reach. The evolution of rods from fiberglass to graphite has made a huge difference in the bluewater game, as have the development of reels with reliable and powerful drag systems. Without these innovations, large tuna, sailfish, and other pelagic species would still be just a dream for the fly angler
Rods
I generally fish with 3 rods when bluewater fly fishing,
a 9, a 10 and a 12 weight. You could certainly use a
smaller rod, say a 7 or 8 weight, on fish in the 8 to
12 pound range, and it’s always a good idea to
be prepared for whatever swims. However, most of our
clients are looking for larger fish when in the “blue”
so I think that a 9 weight should be at the lower end
of the size spectrum for the rods that you are considering
bringing for Bluewater fly fishing. A 12 weight is at
the upper end of the size spectrum in terms of what
you want to be using throughout the course of the days
fishing. Big dolphin, wahoo, kings and sailfish can
all be subdued with a 12 weight. We’ve had a couple
of clients bring down larger rods but they seem to lose
their interest in casting them within a couple of hours,
especially if it hot and there’s not much of a
breeze. I highly recommend the Loomis FR10812-4 GLX
12 weight for your Bluewater trip. It’s an excellent
4-piece travel rod that can handle just about anything
but big marlin and large tuna.
Reels
Unless you have a great deal of Bluewater fly fishing
experience and have been on many trips, I would recommend
that you use an anti-reverse reel rather than a direct
drive reel. For one thing, the direct drive reel handle
can shred the knuckles of an angler that’s not
paying attention when the fish is making on of its screaming
runs. ( I’ve seen this happen fairly often when
the angler is focusing on where he or she thinks the
fish is, and not what the reel is doing) Secondly, many
inexperienced Bluewater fly anglers will end up losing
nice fish near the end of the fight when the fish makes
it’s final dash from the boat while the angler
is frantically reeling in. If the angler is using a
direct drive reel, the class tippet will inevitably
snap under the pressure of the fish bolting as the angler
is cranking down on the reel. The anti-reverse reel
will allow the fish to pull out line while the angler
is reeling in. The bottom line is that an anti-reverse
is more forgiving in terms of the mistakes that a novice
Bluewater fly angler will inevitably make. It’s
all about timing and anticipation and those fly anglers
with the benefit of Bluewater experience can sense when
to back off on the reel or when to loosen the drag on
a direct drive reel.
Fly Line
I highly recommend coming down to Belize for Bluewater
action with both a weight forward intermediate sinking
line as well as weight forward fast sink lines. Tropical
lines like those for tarpon are excellent because they’re
stiff, which makes them easier to cast. And, they’re
less likely to tangle in the Belizean heat. Using a
floating line can occasionally be productive, but I
generally don’t like them for Bluewater fly fishing.
The intermediate line is more difficult to pick up because
the line is not floating on the surface, but it cuts
the wind better when you are casting it and, they rarely
if ever will drag poppers down before you have to make
a new cast when using top-water flies. The fast sink
line (IV or V) is a b$#%@ to cast for distance but it
does get the whole line down quickly, which is often
more important than getting the fly well away from the
boat. SA (Scientific Angler) has a wide selection of
fly lines to cover all aspects of the Bluewater experience
and I highly recommend their products.
Leaders
Your Bluewater leader should be tapered and 9 to 12
feet in length. Anything more than 12 feet is unnecessary
for this type of fly fishing. For a 9-weight rod, I
recommend that your butt section be 30 to 40 pound mono,
followed by a 20/10 build-down configuration. If using
a 10-weight or heavier, the butt section should be 40
to 50-pound mono, followed by a 30/20 pound build-down
configuration. Consult the chart on the equipment page
for precise test/length specifications. The IGFA rules
stipulate that the “class tippet” can be
no more than 16-pound test. However, BFFE is not about
world record fish, and because we prefer to release
just about everything we catch, we’re not too
worried about using heavier “class tippet”
in the leaders that our guests use. It’s more
about landing some nice fish, taking some great photos,
letting the fish go, and enjoying the day. Mind you,
if someone in the boat lands a nice wahoo, we’re
having wahoo steaks for dinner!
Tippet
For fish in the 10 to 15-pound class, (skip jacks, bonito,
yellowfin tuna, and schoolie dorado) you’ll need
a shock tippet of 12 pound stiff mono. This can be attached
directly to the class tippet with either a Blood Knot
or a Surgeons Knot. For heavier fish, up to 30 or 40-pounds
(large dorado, tuna, and big jacks) I recommend a 40
pound shock tippet of hard mono. For sailfish (Atlantic)
rigs, all that’s required for the shock tippet
is a 60-pound soft mono. Because of where we base our
Bluewater program out of (Glovers Reef), and the subsequent
number of toothy critters that swim the area, wire tippets
are just a fact of life for a great deal of our Bluewater
fishing. Both wahoo and kingfish have razor sharp teeth
that will slice through even the heaviest of mono shock
tippets. Massive barracudas (40+pounds) will also cut
through everything but the strongest of single strand
wire. So, guests who are serious about Bluewater fly
fishing should bring with them an assortment of single
strand wire tests, up to 80 pounds. American Wire makes
an excellent product with a good variety of test strengths
from which to choose.
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Below you will find listed all species available to catch and peak seasons at this destination. |
| Bonefish |
April / May
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| Tarpon |
April / May
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| Permit |
 April / May |
| Jack Crevalle |
 April / May |
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