Belize Flyfishing Lodges
The Turneffe archipelago has miles of shallow, hard-bottomed flats that are ideal for wading and are often covered with large singles and schools of tailing bonefish. Vic Barothy put Belize on the fishing map in the early 1960's.
This guy was already notorious for his houseboat bonefishing trips in Isles of the Pines, Cuba, which then held every world record bonefish. When Fidel took power on New Year's Day of 1959, Vic and his wife, Betty (a former silent movie star), loaded two cruisers with whatever valuable possessions they could get on board. Late that night, each took a helm and the two of them sailed for what was then British Honduras, towing all their skiffs and and a group of loyal Cuban guides.
Barothy was no dummy about fishing. His father had owned one of the most famous hunting and fishing lodges on the Pere Marquette and he had grown up in the business. One of his best friends was a guy named Joe Brooks, who used his connections and influence at Field & Stream to put Vic's three new lodges and houseboats in the angling public's eye.
Barothy designed his Turneffe Island Lodge,
and Belize River Lodge to resemble his family's Michigan operations, and hired Mennonites to handle the construction in an era and region where electricity was uncommon.
Belize is a democratic, pro-American country with English as its official language. It's native people are happy, productive and enjoy one of the highest rates of literacy of the Americas. With daily, direct flights from Houston, Dallas and Miami, Belize is easy to get to and safe. Anglers can count on getting more bang for their buck in Belize, where the variety of flats species and quality of outfitters to choose from is second to none.
In recent years, increasing numbers of saltwater anglers have focused on permit and Belize is one of a only a few saltwater destinations where anglers routinely experience the excitement of flats wade fishing for tailing permit and have a reasonable
opportunity to catch one.
Permit and bonefishing in the Turneffe atoll is consistent throughout the year. Though most widely renowned for bonefish and permit, the coast of Belize has some terrific tarpon fishing, particularly in the spring, when aggressive, naive fish that have never seen a lure pour out of the blue onto the shallow off-shore flats. These migratory tarpon average about 40 pounds, with a few larger fish.
Both lodges in the Turneffes offer similar packages and both to fly rodders and divers. Accommodations and food at each are excellent. Both employ well-seasoned English-speaking guides and use modern Super Skiffs. The two lodges coordinate their daily destinations and work together harmoniously to insure a wonderful fishing holiday for everyone in the Turneffes. Non-fishing, single occupancy, combination, and SCUBA packages rates are available.
In its jungle, river-side setting, Belize River Lodge would not give anyone the impression of being only a very short boat ride and an even shorter drive (just a few miles) from the Belize International Airport.
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If there is one ideal place on earth to put a lodge that specializes in fly fishing for Permit, it would be exactly where Blue Horizon Lodge sits. The lodge opened in 1997 and it still sticks to its commitment...
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Sharing a border with Mexico and at the very northeast corner of Belize is Ambergris Cay. Situated on a private 40 acres on the Caribbean coast of this island is El Pescador Lodge...
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Look far south on a map of the coastline of Belize to the town of Punta Gorda and zoom in closer to Joe Taylor Creek and then go in closer, yet and you'll see a point of land where there are seaside cabins...
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On the seaward side of the largest and most biologically diverse atoll in the Caribbean Sea is built one of the most beautiful and complete lodges in Central America; Turneffe Flats Lodge.
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Turneffe Island Resort is located on a private island at the south end of Turneffe Atoll. It is about 35 miles from Belize City and takes about an hour and a half to transfer there by boat.
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Whipray Caye is a very small private island located about 10 miles off the coast of Placencia, Belize, Central America, custom made for serious saltwater fishermen and the independent traveler...
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