Are you thinking about booking a fly fishing trip to Southern Belize? Or maybe you have booked your fly fishing adventure to Belize and want to make sure you are properly prepared to make the most out of your trip? A lot of anglers that come to fly fish Belize for the first time have minimal experience fly fishing the saltwater. Most are avid freshwater trout anglers that have dreams of catching a grand slam on the flats of Belize. So what are some tips to prepare yourself for your saltwater fly fishing adventure?

Tip #1: Have the right gear and know-how to use it.

Make sure to come prepared with the correct gear for your Belize fly fishing adventure. While many lodges, outfitters, and guides do provide gear it is not always everything that you need to make the most of your Belize fly fishing trip. It is better to be prepared for your trip with your own gear, so you don’t have to assume or set your hopes on that the outfitter your use will have the proper gear for you.

For starters, it is recommended to have 3 rods rigged up and ready to go each day for your guided trip. We recommend setting up a 9 foot 7 or 8 weight rod for bonefish (floating line, 8-12 pound fluorocarbon leader, and a bonefish fly). The second rod would be your permit rod, a 9 or 10 weight rod (floating line, 16-20 pound fluorocarbon leader, and permit fly. The third rod would be your tarpon rod or cuda/shark setup. Typically this is setup with a clear intermediate tip line weight to match the rod, tarpon leader or wire leader if you are after cuda or sharks. It is also recommended to bring a sink tip spool or reel for this setup as fishing the deep channels for tarpon is common in Belize and a full sink line is essential. It is also good to bring a back up 9 or 10 weight rod and have it on the boat in case one of the rods breaks. Think of this as your backup permit rod. By having the right gear prepped and ready to roll you will be able to make the most of your time on the flats of Belize.

Tip#2:Make sure to have a reputable guide booked.

A local Belizean fly fishing guide will take the learning curve out of trying to learn the complexities of saltwater flats fishing and specifically permit fly fishing. The guides are out on the water 200 plus days a year and have been out on the water their whole lives. They know where the permit live, what tides to fish specific flats, and how to make your day unforgettable. More often than not tourists coming to Belize believe that DIY is the way to go and while this may be possible in some areas it is not as productive as fishing from a boat with a guide.

It’s important to book a guide farther in advance to ensure you are getting an experienced fly fishing guide. While some guides to claim to offer fly fishing they are more often taking out spin or reef fishing trips. So be sure to double check that the guide you booked is reputable and understands fly fishing.

The guides at Blue Horizon Belize are all english speaking and are knowledgable, personable, and patient instructors. We do our best to match clients with the best fitting guide for their personality and fishing preferences.

Tip#3: Practice casting heavy rods and be able to haul fly line with one fly line pick up.

One step you can take to prepare yourself for your fly fishing trip is to practice casting the heavier weighted rods. We recommend to head out to a lake or take your boat out and rig up the rods just like you would for your saltwater fly fishing trip. It also helps if you have a friend come along to help roll play real scenarios that would happen out on the flats. Instead of peeling off all the line and trying to double haul as far as you can focus first on accuracy. Have your friend call out “shots” of imaginary fish. For example, they say 12’o’cock 40 feet you then make the cast. Then again 3’o’clock 60 feet. Then again 10’o’clock 20 feet. Try going through different shots just like it would happen on the flats in Belize.

One component to keep in mind that most novice saltwater anglers seem to forget is to focus on being able to make your casting with one double haul. So if you have to make a 60 foot shot at 10’o’clock, try making this cast without false casting. Or once you have made your shot and your line is out, try to pick up all your line and make another shot without false casting.

One of the number one mistakes novice salt fly anglers make is too much false casting. Have confidence in your ability to shoot line with one double haul. So practice this at home and you will be better offer when you arrive to catch a permit of a lifetime in Belize.

Hopefully these tips will prepare you for a fly fishing trip of a lifetime to Southern Belize. Be sure to send us an email at info@bluehorizonbelize.com to check availability for fly fishing guides or to book your fly fishing adventure to Belize.