Fishing day

As one can see from the “SEASON” page, fishing can be good to outstanding at anytime of the year.

The weather is the key as it is in all saltwater fishing trips. The unique opportunities available at Belize River Lodge include fishing the river and creeks for tarpon and snook. This is especially handy when the weather prevents fishing out on the flats. The jungle setting of the river makes an outing, there, very exciting with all of the different birds, animals, plants and trees that can be observed while fishing for tarpon and snook. When the weather is good on the “outside”, in the Caribbean, on the flats or in the channels, you will make the short 3.5 mile trip downriver in the boat out to the sea for some outstanding flats fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon. Also available are barracuda, jack crevalle and snapper.

There are many areas where one can fish the flats by wading if you prefer to get out of the boat and stalk bones on foot. This gives you a chance to stretch your legs and for both anglers (if you are fishing with a partner) to fish at the same time. Of course, if boat fishing is your choice, there is no problem finding places to pole the boat to put you on fish. Most people will combine wade and boat fishing every day. Just let your guide know your wishes.

A typical fishing day would go something like this.
Of course, if you have special requests for your fishing, just discuss it with Mike or the guide the day before.

6:00 am: Coffee or Tea on the lodge verandah, conversation, check tackle and equipment. If you are a birder, this is a great time to get out your binoculars and enjoy BRL’s many wild tropical birds.

7:00 am: Breakfast, then back to your room, grab your gear, and go to the dock where you will meet your awaiting guide.

7:30 am: Guides are ready on skiffs at the dock, a few minutes for guides to check your tackle (especially if guests are changing guides daily). Then you and your guide can determine where and what to fish for that day based on weather and target species. Your BRL guide will help you tie or select the right leaders, lines, shock tippets and flies for the areas you are concentrating on for that day. Note that your first morning will take a few minutes longer for initial set up of equipment.

7:30 - 8:30 am: Leave dock for fishing areas - can be flats, reef, mangroves, creeks, lagoons or river; usually a half hour to 40 minutes running time (as close as 20 minutes away). Most of the day is spent hunting or casting to fish, checking out many different places, such as flats, channels, mangrove shorelines, etc. The guides will usually pole or paddle during fishing most of the day with each angler taking turns on the bow, if there are two anglers to the boat. It is mostly sight fishing: casting to tailing, rolling or cruising fish or casting to fish held up under the mangroves or casting to mudding spots. There will be some blind casting to areas that guides know hold fish. The guide will motor to other areas during the day always with wind, tide, light and species in mind.

Sometime about midday, depending on fishing, the guide will find a cool, shady spot for lunch (usually under an overhanging mangrove). Lunch is prepared by the Lodge staff and consists of a delicious boxed meal of sandwiches, fruit, chips & dessert and is packed in a cooler with an assortment of soft drinks, beer, water, etc. Many anglers catch a power nap at this time and then plan for the afternoon. The afternoon fishing continues and the skiff heads for the Lodge, getting back around 5:00 to 5:30 pm. All boats should be back in the river before dusk. Rods & reels are rinsed at the dockside and stored in a convenient rack near the main Lodge, safe from screen doors and ceiling fans.

After a shower; drinks, appetizers & fishing stories are shared on the verandah. At 7:00 pm a delicious family style dinner is served and after dinner, relax on the screened-in porch, enjoy an after dinner cocktail and reminisce on the day's fishing. Maybe even find out what the hot lure or fly of the day was and learn to tie it yourself at the fly tying table.

Note: If you enjoy snorkeling, bring your equipment with you, and take an hour or so out of your fishing day and snorkel if you are near the reef. Let your guide know in the morning that you would like to snorkel, so he can plan it into your day.

A day's fishing from the live-aboard is similar to the Lodge's fishing day, except fishing can start earlier, returning to the yacht for breakfast about 8:00 - 8:30 am; going out again and fishing until lunch (about 1:00 - 2:00 pm); then taking a siesta. After, you can go out again and fish till dark. The only change will be if you are moving, as the live-aboard moves during daylight hours. The live-aboard provides for earlier and later fishing, afternoon siestas & shorter runs to saltwater fishing areas. (Please remember that the average guided day is 8 to 10 hours).

Aboard the MV Blue Yonder anglers can get up early, have a cup of coffee or juice and head out and fish. They blind cast channels known to have tarpon as this is usually before sunrise and return to the boat about 8:00 am, have breakfast, and then go back out and sight fish the flats, mangrove channels, coral reefs and cayes of Belize for BONEFISH, TARPON, PERMIT, JACKS, SNAPPER, BARRACUDA and many other species of game fish.

Anglers return to their live-aboard around 1:00 pm and have lunch and usually take a siesta. Depending on the tides and fishing conditions, this is usually when the captain may decide to move the boat to another location (if they are changing locations - just as a note, on a typical live-aboard trip, the boat only moves to other locations 2 to 3 times). Then they go back out to fish around 3:30 pm and return to the boat around 6:45 pm. Sunset is about 6:15 pm and during sunset and after dark, anglers blind cast the channels again for tarpon. GRAND SLAMS are common on these trips.

At the end of the day, retire to your luxurious floating resort to relax and enjoy one of the spectacular sunsets which are only available in the tropics. Enjoy refreshments in the fully air-conditioned comfort of your yacht. You will easily forget about diets this week as you enjoy excellent meals prepared by our on-board chef. This is truly the ultimate get-away-from-it-all fishing vacation with no schedules to keep. We take care of all the details, you fish and relax!