3 Reasons to Begin Planning Your Trip to Belize
A Saltwater fly fishing trip may be much more accessible than you think. It may seem intimidating to many anglers. But we can tell you; it is positively, worth every single bit of effort.
Here are three reasons to begin planning your trip to Belize now:
1. It Starts With Your First Cup of Coffee
“At Turneffe Flats Lodge, you could begin your day casting to bonefish just fifty feet from your room, with your coffee still in hand,” said Anglers All travel coordinator, Andrew Pulford. In reality, we’d recommend setting down the coffee first. But you get the drift.
“Everything changes when I start unpacking the gear,” Andrew continued. “These aren’t your typical 5-weight and 6-weight fly rods. There’s something special about sitting on the patio overlooking the ocean, assembling 8-weight and 10-weight rods, rigged with leaders and tippet that range from 12 to 80 pounds. At that moment, you realize this is something completely different. Cutting your line with your teeth is no longer an option. You’re in big fish territory.”
Belize is easy to get to. The logistics aren’t complicated. More importantly, the fishery is incredible. It’s one of the very few saltwater destinations that can seamlessly accommodate both technical saltwater fishing, and first-time flats anglers.
“With all the saltwater angling destinations out there, its difficult to know where to start,” Andrew commented. “Turneffe Flats is tough to beat in that aspect. It really has everything.”
2. It Isn’t Like Trout Fishing
“I think it’s important to know that Turneffe is such a wild and secluded area,” Andrew explained. “There’s so much water there to explore, and all of it is spectacular. You can sight fish on the shallow flats, fish in the mangroves, in lagoons and along the reef edge.”
“Wire leaders, crab patterns, and strip sets are all part of the fun,” Andrew continued. “From the moment you step out of the skiff onto your first flat of the day and see the sand cloud around your feet and coral all around, you’ll know there will be no dead-drifting a nymph into a fish’s mouth. It’s time to hunt!”
3. It’s Just That Good
Timing can be an intimidating factor for many anglers trying to plan a saltwater trip. Moon phases, tides, and spawning patterns all come into play. However, Turneffe Atoll is protected on all sides, keeping the fishery relatively protected from outside elements, and offering consistently favorable tides.
“Belize should be on every angler’s short list and Turneffe Flats is easily our favorite,” Andrew added. “From starting your morning chasing bonefish before breakfast outside your room, to taking shots at jacks by the light of headlamps from the dock in the evenings, there aren’t many places on earth that offer this kind of top to bottom fishing. It’s a place you can learn, and make your own. No two trips have to be the same.”
Planning Your Trip to Belize
We are now booking 2020 trips to Belize. We’d love to help you pick the best possible dates and begin planning an incredible saltwater fly fishing adventure.
When you book travel through Anglers All, you don’t pay any more than you would booking directly with the lodge. What you get, is our dedicated crew to help you along the way. Additionally, you’ll receive our VIP travel discount. That means 15% off purchases in the fly shop or online, from the day you make a deposit until your day of departure. Hint: book early and maximize that discount!
If you’d like to learn more about fly fishing in Belize, please come visit us anytime at the fly shop in Littleton. Or, call us at 303-794-1104 and ask to speak with Andrew Pulford, our travel coordinator. You can also reach him at andrew@anglersall.com.
Once you experience it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.