Belize Fly Fishing

Read all of the other Belize fly fishing website info? Does it scare you off because you feel you can't make the cut with your casts?

Get The REAL Story:

Saltwater fly fishing is the same here in Belize as it is in the Florida Keys, Seychelles, Christmas Island, and all of the other saltwater fly fishing destinations around the world. The reason it's all the same is the fish. The fish (tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook, etc.) all live in the same conditions in each of the locations and let's face it, flats fishing is flats fishing just as rainbow fishing in Alaska is the same as it is in Colorado. Listed below are some of the myths and the actual reality.

"I need to cast 70-80 feet":
MYTH - Most all of your casts will be in the 30-40 range, a noraml range for the average caster. However, being able to cast 60-70 feet will allow you to cast 30-40 feet in a 10-15 knot wind which can be a typical day on the flats.

"I need to hit a 12 inch circle at 80 feet":
MYTH - If you can hit a 12 inch circle at 80 feet you are wasting your time fishing and better join the casting circuit at the sports shows. Accuracy is important but it's more like being able to hit a 3 foot area at 40-50 feet. Most of the saltwater fish need the fly placed well in front of them as they are cruising. If a permit is tailing you need your crab to rest in his path so he will see it when he gets there. Any closer and he's gone. The same with bonefish. Casting at a tailing bonefish in Belize can be a bit closer than in the Florida Keys due to the less pressure, but a foot in front at 30-40 feet is a good cast and one that will result in a hookup, if your retrieve is good.

"I need to practice casting BEFORE I come":
REALITY - Just as for any other distant fly fishing destination you must practice to up the success rate during the trip. It would be similar to paying for a safari hunt and not sighting in your rifle. By practicing your casting before you show up your confidence level will be high and when the pressure is on you'll be better than you thought you could be. However, distance casting is not the most important area to practice. Accuracy and line control are areas to practice and not only in the calm of the day. Practice on the windy days to get a feel for controling the fly line in the wind. A very much used cast is the drop backcast whereby you cast into the wind and drop the backcast to the target. Techniques that will greatly add to your distance and accuracy are the double haul and side casting. The double haul will increase line speed for distance and using the side cast will keep your casts low to the water and out of the wind.

"I can fish with a guide the first day and then go on my own":
MYTH - Fly fishing in Belize requires a boat, period, and the guides have boats and know where the fish are. Wade fishing will produce some bonefish and possibly some very, very tiny tarpon in the back lagoons but in general the bottom is not wadable in many of the flats and the lagoons do hold crocodiles, a REALITY not a MYTH. At the cost for a distant fly fishing destination you really want to get the most of your time on the water and this means hiring a guide each day you plan on fishing. The local guides have been putting anglers on fish for many, many years and know the day to day prospects based on the tides and weather.

It's hard to spot fish when saltwater fly fishing":
REALITY - Tarpon, bonefish, permit, snook and others can be difficult to spot when sight fishing. Sometimes the fish are actually schooling and sitting almost still.They appear like any of the many objects in the water. Only a tailing bonefish or permit or a rolling tarpon are obvious and then it still depends on the guide getting you to them. In very shallow flats, the bonefish may be barely moving and look like the other objects or just a dark spot, but once your guide reveals that the object is a bonefish your fish sighting skill will increase dramatically. Sighting fish is one of the most important tasks of your fishing guide.

As you can see, fly fishing Belize is actually a very easy task made simple by hiring a local guide and doing a bit of realistic practicing. If you live in Belize and are new to saltwater fly fishing and would like to lean more please contact us and we'll pass on any information to help you enjoy the wonderful sport of saltwater fly fishing.