# Fly fishing in Ambergris Caye, Belize?



## jay07ag

In two weeks I'll be on my honeymoon in Belize. My soon to be wife is cool with me taking a couple mornings to go fly fishing while she hits the spa, so I'll be taking the 8 wt with me. My question to you guys is - Is there any way to do any DIY flyfishing down there or do you have to take a guide? Are there any fly shops in the town of San Pedro? Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!


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## Rob S

you can DIY, but you are going to be limited on where you can fish. There is a fly shop there and there is el pescador lodge that will have fly fishing supplies as well.


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## quattro

doable - but you'll miss out on some world class fishing thats minutes away.
I was successful DIY over new years at "secret beach" nothing secret about it. Public beach access on the north eastern edge of the developed portion of the island. Picked up multiple bones and while a gas was completely overshadowed by a a few days with the el pescador guides stalking permit and tarpon and a gazillion bones. Victoria house can also set you up with guides.


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## bgossett

Where are you staying?


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## Cody092083

Quite a few good opportunities to fish on your own around the island, I did all my DIY on the southern tip of the caye. You'll want to rent a golf cart to make it easy to move around the island (whether or not you fish, the golf cart is a good idea). The fly shop in town is called Tres Pescados owned by an American named Wil Flack, who also runs a guide service. As mentioned before, you will miss out on some incredible fishing without access to a local with a boat. If you do decide to do it on your own though my biggest piece of advice would to bring lots of small weedless flies. There is tons of grass in the areas near shore, and it will be almost impossible to fish without a weed guard. We caught small tarpon, bones, snook, and a few snapper on fly fishing from the banks, but definetly had to work for it.


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## 8weight

Highly recommend these guys..they put me on a lot of fish my last trip:

http://belizefly.com/

I saw some folks DIY on the south end and west wide of the island (see below) but not sure how much success they had.


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## mikedeleon

Many guides offer a "reef fishing" trip. Spinning reels (oh the horror) catching little snapper on the reefs, and some offer a shore lunch right there. It's a great activity both you and your wife can do together. I took my wife tarpon fishing on our honeymoon and I would not recommend it. 

DIY is tough there, but if you are dead set on fly fishing then call El Pescador or Will Flack at the fly shop in San Pedro. They can also set your wife up with spinning gear and you guys can take turns on the bow catching bonefish, they are plentiful there.


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## 8weight

mikedeleon said:


> Many guides offer a "reef fishing" trip. Spinning reels (oh the horror) catching little snapper on the reefs, and some offer a shore lunch right there. It's a great activity both you and your wife can do together. I took my wife tarpon fishing on our honeymoon and I would not recommend it.
> 
> DIY is tough there, but if you are dead set on fly fishing then call El Pescador or Will Flack at the fly shop in San Pedro. They can also set your wife up with spinning gear and you guys can take turns on the bow catching bonefish, they are plentiful there.


Wil's shop is the link I posted above. Good dude and guides. El Pescador would work too.


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## quattro

coordinates for the "secret beach"

17.973222, -87.971919


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## KilgoreTrout

Long time reader, first time poster....

I'll be headed to Belize this Thursday and will be going out with Wil Flack's shop, Tres Pescados, on Saturday. Really been looking forward to catching a bonefish and possibly more on the fly. What is the lightest weight rod anyone has effectively used for catching bones? Depending on the winds I hope to use a 4/5 weight. Is that ludacris? I will have a heavier rod with me also and I'm sure the shop has a good setup for people to use. Any thoughts on the color of your float line in water that clear? is light blue a necessity? Grateful for any input. 

Hope to try the other mornings at wherever I can find somewhere to cast at fish.

Tight lines!

JMK


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## 8weight

You might have a challenge with a 4/5 weight. I don't think light blue is necessary.

Your guide will have some rods in case yours is too light. 

Have a blast and be sure to come back and tell us about your trip!


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## redfish203

Recently returned from AC. Did pretty well on bones and juvi tarpon in the lagoons to the north and a few bones at secret beach. Jumped tarpon up to 25 or so but only able to land babies. Had to use the travel spinner, OMG, in the goons because of mangroves and other snags on the roads. Plenty of tailing bones in the goon headed to secret beach but really spooky and lots of golf cart traffic.


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## redfish203

I have never figured out how to load these pics correctly????


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## quattro

4/5 is way light - especially with most reels matched to that size rod you'll be seriously out gunned in the drag department. Might be able to get away with a 6 if light winds... but the heavier rod is as much for the wind as the fish.


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## BTS

I fished will one of Wil's guide, Rojo, last summer. They have rods you can use. I brought my 8 wt with light blue redfish line and caught fish, one that took me down to the backing. The 8wt also helped casting with the winds we encounter. They keep drags very light. 

I also fished with another lesser known but equally good guide who had me throwing his 6 wt because of the lighter presentation and gin clear water. The bonefish down there aren't as big as Bahamas or elsewhere and were very skittish. 

I'd be a little hesitant to use anything lighter than a 6 wt because we found permit mixed in with the bonefish. Plus, you might run across tarpon, although it may be a little early for them.


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## junkyfly

Belize bones are great with a 6 wt saltwater rig, i am even taking a saltwater 5 made by Scott on my trip this year due to the size of the bones and flies i threw in the past. Wind will be the day time factor to decide between the 5 or 6.


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## hereford

My wife and I will be there too in Belize June 9-13 and staying at the Pelican Reef Villas. I've got Wil Flack booked the 11th and George Bradley on the 12th.

Where are you guys staying?


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## Friendswoodmatt

Careful of Crocs down there-- I was there a couple of weeks ago and when driving up north by the Pescador I saw a sign, so I asked at the pescador and a couple of other places and was told-- those lagoons are full of crocs-- I think they were serious-- just saying keeps your eyes open


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## Merc

Really wish I had done more research and found this earlier. 

I'm sitting on Caye Caulker right now drinking coffee on the balcony nursing my sunburn from yesterday's fishing. 

I used chasing tails charter down here and fished with one of his guides from Belize city. All told for the day, I had limited opportunities at the big name fish, group of 3 tarpon on the flat, small school of bones and two different permit. And didn't get a hook-up on any of them but did manage to land a mangrove snapper while casting to snook.


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## 2thDr

Merc said:


> Really wish I had done more research and found this earlier.
> 
> I'm sitting on Caye Caulker right now drinking coffee on the balcony nursing my sunburn from yesterday's fishing.
> 
> I used chasing tails charter down here and fished with one of his guides from Belize city. All told for the day, I had limited opportunities at the big name fish, group of 3 tarpon on the flat, small school of bones and two different permit. And didn't get a hook-up on any of them but did manage to land a mangrove snapper while casting to snook.


Best Fishing on Caye Caulker is at the fishermans coop (just south of the lagoon side warf). When they clean conchs and lobsters there in the afternoons hundreds of bonefish cruise the dock. Bigger fish than on the flats, many in the 4-5# range. Usual flies. The guys there really appreciate a Belikin. Haywood Curry did a good job for us, working very hard. Told us the first day the bottom was too soft to wade. It isn't. Did much better with their spooky bones and permit on foot. Needed long leaders though. Most fun was the barracuda.


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## RUFcaptain

4-5 wt is way to light for bonefish in Belize, take an 8 wt and you'll be fine, a good reel with lots of backing helps too. Not that you can't catch a fish that size on a 5 wt, it's the wind and casting distance required that will over power the rod. I would suggest a bonefish taper floating line, take good leaders , the water is gin clear and the fish are very skittish.


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## KilgoreTrout

*Belize Success*

Hopefully it isn't too late to visit an old thread...

Last summer we were discussing different options for bonefishing in Belize and I was able to get set up with Tres Pescados for a day trip. Finally getting around to posting my account of our trip. We were there the last week in May and had some pretty consistent wind and partially cloudy skies the day my then girlfriend, Carli went out. We started the day by cruising flats for bonefish in gin clear water. I clearly was out of practice. After having a couple of follows with no takes and lining a couple groups of them we moved to the leeward side of San Pedro. A little deeper water and more practice proved to be the trick . I hooked and landed my first bonefish using their 8 weight rod. (I left my 4/5 at the hotel due to the wind.) After that we ventured into the mangroves where we hooked a larger barracuda but could not get him in.

After a beach-side lunch we ventured into a back lake and had juvenile tarpon circling around us off and on for 2 hours. I was able to hook 4 but unable to land any. Still a fun experience. (Need practice)

Overall, it was a great day with very helpful guides and my better half along with me. Highly recommend this trip to anybody.

Tight lines.

JMK


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