Belize River Lodge Trip Report
by Michael Caranci
In a modern world of seemingly constant change, it is refreshing to know that there are still timeless places out there. The historic Belize River Lodge is one of those places, and every time I step onto that dock it’s like going back in time. The worries of the world drift away amongst the sounds of the jungle and the smell of salty air just downriver.
I’ve been returning to BRL off and on for a couple of decades now. I suppose some things have changed…some of the mature, majestic flamboyant trees in front of the lodge blew down in a hurricane a couple of years ago, for example. And the fishing now is better than it was 5 years ago…though that sort of change I’ll take any day! But the things we’ve come to appreciate about BRL are some of the constants: traditional accommodations, fantastic service, incredible food, and some of the hardest working guides anywhere. These keep us coming back…and we were not disappointed on our recent adventures.
We had a group of 9 anglers for an 8 night, 7 day fishing and eco-tour package at Belize River Lodge (BRL), from April 12-20, 2025. It was a mixed group, with a few returning guests, some new to BRL, and a couple very new to fly fishing altogether. Some of the guests fished every day, while others took a couple of days off to enjoy some ecotours (Cave tubing, Zip-lining, Belize Zoo, and Caracol Ancient Maya site).
We saw a variety of conditions over the course of the week’s fishing. Early in the week the weather was decent with clear skies and moderate winds. We had one windy, overcast day with some rain. And the last three days were very, very windy. We also had a full moon the day we arrived, waning down to a quarter moon by the time we departed. Fishing definitely seemed better on the front end of the trip, but it’s hard to tell if that was because of the bigger tides early in the week, or due to the big winds towards the latter half of the week. Either way, one of the testaments to the location of BRL is the vast array of fishing opportunities, and in spite of challenging conditions on the flats every one experienced a good fishing trip overall. There were some slow days for everyone, some great days for everyone, and some days in between. Everyone has since told me that they had a great time and would be interested in another return trip to BRL.
Travel
Travel to Belize is relatively easy, and getting easier every year. A few new additions this year made it even easier! First, United has added a direct flight from SFO to BZE. When we first scheduled this trip, we selected a Sat-Sun trip (7 days) to coincide with these direct flights. However, United then changed their flight schedule for this SFO flight to Sat-Sat…so while we were able to take this easy, convenient flight down to Belize we did have to return via Houston. The other new feature is the on-line mobile app from the Belize Tourism Association. Belize is pushing everyone arriving (and departing) to use the mobile app, which you can easily download on your phone (it’s free). On the app you can fill out all your arriving (and departing) info, rather than filling out the old paper forms on the plane or standing in line at the airport. So, when you arrive you just walk through immigration, they scan a QR code on your phone, and you move right through very quickly. Similar on departure. Filling out the on-line form is a bit tedious…but more or less the same as filling out the old paper form by hand and the simplicity of having the QR code ready to scan was nice and definitely expedited the process.
Our return trip was not as smooth and easy unfortunately as the trip down…as our plane had a flat tire in Belize and was delayed by about an hour. And Houston Airport sucks, so even though we should have still had time to make our connecting flight it took forever to get our bags and clear customs, then even longer to go through TSA security. By the time we got to our gate they had closed it on us. Even though the plane was still there, we got to look at our plane for 45 minutes sitting at the gate…without us on it. And of course, flights all booked up, etc. Our group of 8 anglers got split up, with 3 getting on a flight from Houston to Sacramento then renting a car at midnight to drive home to Redding; two got on a late flight to SFO, then United put them up in an airport hotel and they were able to get standby seats into Redding the next day; and we got stuck in Houston for the night then had to fly to Sacramento the next day and rent a car. Long journey home!
Accommodations
The lodge is the same as always, and for us it feels like coming home. Old world charm, cozy and warm and inviting. The lodge is nestled into the rain forest just outsideBelize City, in the small community of Ladyville. It is mere minutes from the international airport, making it incredibly convenient for arriving guests. The unique riverfront location grants angling guests daily opportunities for a diverse array of fishing experiences. The central coast of Belize is a complex system of river mouths, creeks, lagoons, flats, small cayes, mangrove islands, and the Barrier Reef. The diverse ecosystem supports millions of lobsters, crabs, shrimp, baitfish, and other aquatic life, including an abundance of game fish. Tarpon and Snook abound in the Belize River, Sibun River, Manatee River, as well as myriad other lagoons, side channels, and smaller creeks. The river mouth is only three miles downstream, too, and therefore only a short boat ride to countless mangrove cayes, channels, and flats teeming with bonefish, permit, snook, and tarpon both big and small. And the Belize Great Barrier Reef is only about forty minutes away by boat, home to all sorts of fish species as well as incredible scuba diving and snorkeling. The setting is a jungle utopia. Colorful orchids hang from ancient mahogany trees, while prehistoric iguanas lounge along the riverbank or sun themselves in the tops of native palms, logwood, and mango trees. The unmistakable roar of howler monkeys is often heard echoing through the jungle. A large crocodile frequents the shoreline, and both manatees and dolphins roll in the slow-moving currents in front of the lodge. This is the sensory overload that welcomes visitors as soon as they step out of the skiff and onto the long wooden dock paralleling the grass-lined banks of the river. A paved walkway winds through manicured lawns to the main lodge building located in the center of the grounds. Strolling along this pathway, one is overwhelmed in color: the verdant greens of the jungle canopy are interspersed with the vibrant orange blossoms of the flamboyant trees, deep red hibiscus flowers, and the subtle tints of purple and yellow orchids dripping off the mossy limbs of too many trees to count. The green-painted mahogany steps lead up to the spacious screened in porch, another remnant from BRL’s old-world past. Light breezes flow through the screens into the open room. White wicker furniture is accentuated by the scent of fresh-blooming flowers. The loud whistle of grackles accompanies the chirping of parrots and the melodic tones of the oropendola, while hummingbirds buzz about like a nervous welcoming committee. The screened in porch of the main lodge is a comfortable sitting area, with cool breezes and the scents of the jungle all around. The porch is connected to the rest of the lodge by a narrow threshold and glass-lined wooden French doors that are always open. Strolling through this portico offers the sensation of stepping into the Captain’s Quarters on an old sailing ship. There’s even a massive wooden ship’s wheel adorning the wall just inside the portico, further adding to the sensation of sailing the open seas like a pirate in search of Spanish galleons laden with treasures. The dining room lies just across this threshold, the dark mahogany wood from floor to ceiling contrasting with the garden-like openness of the porch. If sitting on the wicker furniture of the porch induces a sense of a garden tea-party, the cozy warmth of the dining room is an invitation to a traditional family dinner. The centerpiece of the dining room is indeed the table itself, a masterpiece composed of three solid slabs of mahogany. Each table measures 48” x 70”. It is said that the tree from which these tables were cut, if it was laying on its side, would have been approximately five feet in diameter, nearly 200 feet tall, and almost 300 years old.
Beyond the table a swinging door opens into the kitchen, where nightly smells waft out to immerse the dining room in the scents of traditional Belizean fare from Marguerite’s own family recipes: roasted chicken, rice and beans (or beans and rice, which are different from rice and beans), sizzling seafood, roasted vegetables, and the savory richness of key lime pie. While the screened in porch and dining room are central features of the lodge, the guest rooms complete the classic, old world Belizean experience. There are eight guest rooms housed in three separate buildings, each located a short stroll from the main lodge on paved walkways lined with a variety of flowering plants and mango trees. In the late spring, when mangoes begin to drop, it’s not uncommon for tapirs to emerge from the jungle at night to feed on the fragrant fruit.
Nearly everything in the rooms is made from traditional hardwood cut decades ago from the nearby jungle. Each air conditioned room can easily accommodate a pair of guests. Most of the rooms have two twin beds that can also be joined together to make a king-sized bed, while a couple of the larger rooms have a queen and a double bed. In addition, each room comes with a couple of comfy chairs, a small writing desk, a closet/cupboard and a table, and an en suite bathroom and shower. The rooms open up onto their own screened-in porch, smaller versions of the one adjacent to the dining room, complete with Adirondack chairs, a hammock, and of course rod racks and a table for storing and prepping fishing tackle. The guest rooms complete the traditional feel, almost entirely built of mahogany and other hardwoods cut decades ago from the nearby jungles. The screened-in porches are all reminiscent of the many early colonial homes that were originally constructed by ship builders. The open porches let the breezes blow through and offer the sensation of sitting on the aft deck of a great sailing ship. If one rocks gently in the hammock, eyes closed, the taste of the moist Caribbean air and the sounds of the wind ruffling the palm fronds rolling over them, it is easy to lose all sense of time and place and start daydreaming about sailing the open seas, a timeless buccaneer in search of untold treasures.
Food
We loved every bite of every meal. And as many times as many of us have been down there, they still surprise us each year with some new dishes, combined with our traditional favorites. They even made a special Belize Lime Pie ice cream cake for my birthday. Full breakfasts with always fruit, some sort of eggs, breakfast meat, etc, both traditional “western” additions like waffles and pancakes mixed with Belizean favorites like Johnny Cakes and Fry Jacks (our favorite). Lunches on the boats were excellent as always, a few days were the typical BRL sandwich (fresh baked bread with either shredded beef, shredded chicken, or fish), which are our favorite fishing lunches anywhere we go. But now they add in a few special sandwiches, a Milanese one day that was amazing and a shredded beef slider on special bread another day. And always fruit, desserts, chips, snacks…way more food than we needed.
Fishing Program
Every time we fish here we are impressed with the variety of the fishing. We had plenty of opportunities for many different fish species, and within our group landed more different species of fish than we could count, including bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook, barracuda, jacks, snappers, ladyfish, bay snook, etc. There were several in-shore grand slams recorded over the course of the week. The big tarpon were not around in numbers this week. Our boat only saw one all week, while one of the other guests did hook a 100# lber briefly early in the week. But there was more juvenile tarpon action than we’ve seen in years. Fishing in both the Belize River, Black Creek, Sibun River, and Hector Creek was often busy with lots of juvenile tarpon rolling. Sometimes they wanted to eat…other times not so much, but they were prevalent and at times very active. We also saw some out in the flats and mangrove islands, which is good to see as their populations seem to be growing outside the rivers as well. Speaking of growing populations…the gillnet ban is really having a positive impact on the bonefish and snook. We saw more (and bigger) snook this year than we’ve seen in decades as well as larger numbers of big bonefish. Whereas even just a couple of years ago most bonefish found in Belize would be maybe a pound (if that), and a “big one” would be 2 pounds. This year, I would say the average bonefish we landed was 2+ lbs, we landed some bigger and Bob W. landed his personal best Belizean bonefish which he guessed was in the 5 lb range. We saw lots of tailing bonefish in that 2-4 lb range. And never saw those tiny half pounders anywhere. I fished with Bob the first day, and we literally spent the entire day casting to either tailing bonefish or big snook, never going more than 15 minutes without landing a fish.
Finally, the guides are fantastic, and it’s especially nice to see that the two newest guides that I came down to help train two seasons ago are now fully experienced, top hands. Our favorite guide from the past 20+ years, Pedro, was having some health issues and unable to guide this week, but these younger guides stepped up and were awesome. Fishing with Mikey one day we didn’t leave the flats till the sun set and got back to the lodge well after dark. And fishing with Nelson one day in really tough conditions he worked his butt off to find clean water and somehow got us into bonefish all day long. Both received high marks from all of our guests. John is still there and great, especially for experienced anglers who want to target tarpon. He is the “Tarpon King”. Mike Torres has so many tricks up his sleeve, he put Russ onto dozens of huge snook one day, showed Bob a train of bonefish a “half mile long” according to Bob, and put me and Mitchell into a two hour session of jumping one baby tarpon after another on almost every cast. Dirk was there and we got to fish with him, always a pleasant day on the water and he’s got some spots where I’m pretty sure he’s got the fish named as he would say just wait, there’s going to be a permit coming off that grass bank soon and sure enough, a few seconds later a school of black-tailed devils would show up. Everyone loved all the guides and had a hard time picking a “favorite”. I should add that we had a very different sort of group this year, with several novice anglers and one who’d never fished in the salt before. The guides were all great, super patient, worked with them (Dirk was out giving casting lessons to Susan at 6 am one morning), and made sure they had a great time and caught lots of fish. Not always target species, but enough action to keep them happy and entertained every day. These are some of the hardest working guides in Belize. Unlike many of the other lodges (where they’re often off the water by 3 pm), these guides fish late and we were routinely coming off the flats after the sun was past the horizon.
Ecotours
With some non-serious anglers in the group, several of the guests took a few days off from fishing to enjoy some of the eco tour options. Our overnight flight landed at 6:30 am, so on our day of arrival we had a nice breakfast at the lodge then all went to the Belize Zoo. I can’t count how many times I’ve been to the zoo now…and still enjoy it every time. All local native rescue animals, living in their natural environment in the jungle. So fun to see, and especially since then you see many of them again in the wild over the course of a stay at BRL (we saw nesting Jabiru Storks, lots of crocodiles, toucans, parrots, howler monkeys, even a coati climbing a tree). The next day some of us fished while others went inland for an enjoyable day of cave tubing (floating through caves on a beautiful clear stream in a place sacred to the ancient Maya), then zip- lining through the jungle. They had a blast. Mid-week, several guests took a break from fishing to journey all the way across Belize to the huge Maya site, Caracol. They said it was amazing! They also toured some waterfalls and caves on the way back. Great day and highly recommended.
Conclusion
Another fantastic trip with happy guests. We’ll be back next spring, please consider joining me and my family!
All the best fishing,
Michael Caranci
To learn more about Belize River Lodge, be sure to pick up a copy of Michael’s book Poor Man’s Rest: The Legacy of Belize’s First Fishing Lodge
