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.

On Google Earth, you can locate it on Northeast Caye at 16.41.17 N and 88.11.13 W; about a 12 mile boat ride from Hopkins. Although it can sound a little complicated to get to the lodge, it is really very easy. After arriving in Belize City, you will fly, drive and boat out to the island in time for dinner and get your gear ready for the next day’s fishing.

The lodge opened in 1997 and it still sticks to its commitment of being a lodge/fishing camp with permit as its number one target. There is no place where a more dedicated bunch of guides can be found getting anglers close enough to get shots at permit. And there is no shortage of permit on the flats fished at Blue Horizon. It is now known as the lodge where, given half-way normal fishing conditions, one will have the opportunity for several shots at permit every day. It is one of the few places on earth where tailing permit are a common sight. Once sighted, anglers will, if at all possible, get out of the boat and stalk the permit on foot. This allows the angler to get much closer to the fish. In fact, close enough most of the time, to just lob a fly with a roll cast to the feeding permit. This is tense, focused fishing with your heart beating loudly in your throat with each step closer to the fish until you dare not take one more step. Then commit to the cast and watch the fish’s reaction. Bill Marts (saltwater travel guy at The Fly Shop) remembers this is how his first BHL permit was hooked. The roll-cast fly landed within a few feet of the lead fish of two feeding permit in about waist-deep water. As soon as the fly landed, the fish spooked and took off toward the where his fishing partner was holding the boat. The fish saw this and retraced their path back the way they came. Bill had not moved the fly and on the way past one of the fish scooped it up and the fight was on. Bill and Lincoln Westby (lodge owner and head guide) got back in the boat and followed the fish off of the flat into deep water and played the fish there until several minutes later, a permit of about 13 pounds was landed!

Blue Horizon Lodge is a “rustic” place built with an angler’s comfort in mind, but foremost to it was built to be close to the fish. While boats from the mainland are making their way (sometimes across rough seas) to the fishing waters, Blue Horizon anglers are already on the flats hopefully hooked up.