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Rods
A 7 to 8 weight rod is ideal for bonefish. These weights allow the angler
the power to adequately deal with wind (which is a constant companion
throughout the Caribbean) while still providing the finesse to present
the fly as delicately as possible. I enjoy chasing bones with 5 and 6
weight rods (when conditions allow) but many anglers, particularly inexperienced
saltwater fly rodders, will have trouble when going this light.
• A 7 to 8 weight rod
Reels
The reel that you plan to fish for bones with should be a disk drag reel
with a capacity of 200 yards of 20 pound backing. While this may seem
excessive to those new to our sport, veteran anglers both understand this
necessity and embrace it. Because Belizean waters are so rich and varied
in terms of species, it would be a shame to be fishing for bones with
100 yards of backing on your reel, only to encounter a 25-pound permit
on the flat you are wading. A missed opportunity like this can ruin your
day!
• A disk drag reel with 200 yard capacity
Fly Line
For bonefish, a weight forward floating line to match the weight of your
rod is what you need. Some fly rodders, and many retailers for that matter,
are of the opinion that you should be over matching your line by a weight.
For instance, if you have a seven-weight rod, you should be loading the
reel with an 8 weight fly line. For larger species, I would agree with
this, but not for bones. In most situations when bonefishing in Belize,
you will be fishing in skinny water (1-3 feet) where a heavier line will
work against you in terms of the sound and splash the line makes when
you’re presenting the fly. Stick to matching the line to the rod!
There are times when we encounter bones in deeper water (6-8 feet) in
places like the north end of Glovers Reef. When this happens, it’s
good to have a weight forward intermediate sinking line to help get the
fly down to the fish. However, this is by far the exception as opposed
to the rule. A floating weight forward line to match the rod will handle
most
bonefish situations more than adequately.
• A weight forward floating line to match the rod
• A weight forward intermediate sinking line to match the rod
Leaders
For most fly rodders chasing bones, an 8 to 12 pound, nine foot-tapered
leader will work nicely. These can either be purchased at your local fly
shop(3M makes an excellent tapered saltwater leader) or, many anglers
enjoy building their own. A nine-foot leader is much easier to control
than a longer one in the face of a blowing wind and allows for a more
accurate presentation. On calm or clear days, or when fishing on a falling
tide, when the bones are a little more nervous and spooky, it will help
to go with a longer leader. Switch from your 9 foot to a 12-foot leader.
The conditions will often dictate what you need to use so it pays to be
prepared.
• An 8 to 12 pound, nine foot tapered leader
Tippet
Fluorocarbon tippet of 6 to 8 pounds will be more than sufficient.
• 6 to 8 pound fluorocarbon
Flies
Many of our first time clients, who have fished elsewhere in the Caribbean
for bonefish, will often come with the assumption that what worked in
the Keys or the Bahamas will work in Belize. And to an extent this is
true, as bonefish in general are a very accommodating species compared
with some of the other fish that inhabit the flats. But, there are some
important subtleties that need to be recognized. Anglers coming to Belize
will have more success if they bring flies in size 6 to 8. To be sure,
a variety of different sized flies is important and it’s good to
have a healthy mix of sizes, including some large ones. Overall however,
the smaller sized bonefish flies will produce more fish. Another important
thing to keep in mind when preparing your fly box for a trip to Belize
to fly for bones is that you will encounter a variety of fishing situations
and bottom surfaces. White sand, light and dark brown coral, as well as
lush turtle grass beds, will all dictate the both the colours and sink
rates of the flies that you should be using. By having aspecific pattern
in a variety of colours and tied with several different sink rates in
mind, you’re increasing your odds considerably.
• Mathews Bonefish Bitters: in brown, olive and chartreuse (size
6-8)
• Crazy Charlie: in pink, olive, tan, and white (size 6-8)
• Clouser Minnow: in chartreuse, white, rust, brown (size 4-8)
• Gotcha: in pearl, tan, and root beer (size 6-8)
• Bob Popovics Ultra Shrimp (size 4-8)
• Winston Moore’s Agent Orange (size 6-8)
• Snapping Shrimp in: brown and olive (size 6-8)
Rods
The average permit in Belize will weigh between 12 and 16 pounds, with
much heavier fish being very common in Southern Belize. The ideal fly
rod when targeting permit, is either a 9 or a 10 weight. These weights
will allow the angler to cover the broad size spectrum that this challenging
fish comes in. These rods will also allow the fly rodder to cast the often
bulky crab flies that a 7 or 8 weight simply isn’t designed for.
I use an old three piece, Sage RPLX 9 weight exclusively when specifically
targeting permit. This rod has gone to war with some real monsters and
has never let me down (my knots are a another story)
•
A 9 or 10 weight rod
Reels
The unique oblong shape of the permit, along with its oversized fork tail,
allows the fish to generate a great deal of power. When you add a dose
of fear to the permit, which happens when the fish realizes that it’s
hooked, the permit has to be the strongest fish, pound for pound, that
swims in the ocean. To ensure that you won’t lose the fish once it’s
hooked, especially if the permit is over 20 pounds, you need disk drag
reel with at least 250 yards of 20 pound backing. To watch a good sized
permit make run after run, is a very special thrill for even the most
experienced angler. The drag system is critical and must be absolutely
smooth throughout the long runs that a decent sized permit will make.
If the drag jerks, even just a small amount, your permit is as good as
gone.
• A disk drag reel with 250 yard capacity
Fly
Line
A weight forward floating line to match the rod is what you need to outfit
yourself with. However, in this instance, there is some merit in overloading
your line by one weight, particularly if your facing a stiff wind. Individual
preference plays a big part in fly fishing successfully for permit.
•
A floating weight forward line to match the rod
Leaders
Many of our clients like to use 10 to 12 pound leaders for permit. This
is fine for schoolie permit in the 8 to 12 pound range, but inadequate
for larger fish. Many of my guides in the south who specialize in permit
won’t even let the anglers in their boat cast to a permit unless
they are using 16 pound leader material. This is because Southern Belize
has such a healthy population of big permit and the guides have seen too
many huge fish lost to mangrove roots and coral. They have thoroughly
drummed this lesson into me to the point where now I won’t use anything
lighter than 16 pound test.
• 16 pound test
Tippet
For large permit, 20-pound fluorocarbon tippet will work well.
•
16 pound fluorocarbon
Flies
The advances made in permit fly design over the past 10 years have really
helped to make catching a permit an actual possibility. And if you’re
serious about catching a permit on a fly rod, Belize is the place to be.
The one thing I need to stress here is that the flies should be smaller
than you’d expect, even if you’re planning on concentrating
on large permit. We see many clients who come down with Merkins, McCrabs
and other crab patterns tied on size 1 and 2 hooks. These flies are simply
to big for the permit in Belize to want to eat. In this instance, you’ve
got to “match the hatch” by offering to the permit, flies that
are the size of the crabs that it will normally encounter while feeding
on the flats. This means flies tied on size 4-8 saltwater hooks.
• Del
Browns Merkin in: brown and tan. If you tie your own flies, substitute
the brown wool for olive (size4-8)
• Turneffe Crab in: olive, cream and green (size 4-8)
• Will Baur’s Belize Permit Crab in: olive, brown, and green
(size 4-8)
• The McCrab (size 4-6)
• Chernobyl Crab (size 4-6)
• Crazy Charlie in: white (size 4-8)
Rods
For juvenile tarpon in the 20 to 50 pound class, a 9 or 10-weight rod
will work nicely. Catching tarpon this size on a light fly rod is an absolute
thrill. In fact, I much prefer to chase the smaller tarpon because they
don’t wipe you out physically the way a large tarpon often will.
When the larger tarpon (100+lbs) start to show up in the spring, you need
a rod in the 11 to 12 weight class.
•
A 9 or 10 weight rod
Reels
The small to medium sized tarpon require a smooth disk drag reel with
a capacity of 300 yards of 30 pound backing. You can get away with a reel
that holds less line but you then run the risk of losing a good sized
tarpon that may show up and take your fly. For the larger fish in the
100 pound + category, you’ll need a reel with 400 yards of 30 pound
backing. This may seem excessive, but when you consider that the Belizean
record for tarpon on a fly was set last year, at just a hair under 200
pounds, it’s far better to be safe that sorry.
•
For juveniles - A disk drag reel with 300 yard capacity
• For big tarpon – A disk drag reel with 400 yard capacity
Fly Lines
Because tarpon can be found in a variety of situation and depths, it really
pays to be prepared with a couple of different tarpon lines at the ready.
For juvenile tarpon, you’ll need a weight forward floating tarpon
line to match the rod. It’s also a good idea to have a type 6 fast
sinking line for those tarpon in deeper water. Another way to get at these
fish is to use sinking shooting heads. In this situation, I
highly recommend over lining your rod with a 300 to 500 grain shooting
head. For big tarpon, you’ll need to start out with a weight forward
floating line to match the rod. Tropical fly lines are generally a little
stiffer which is good because they help to turn over the heavier flies
that big tarpon like to hammer. To get at tarpon in deeper water, it pays
to use a type 6 fast sinking line or sinking shooting heads. Again, as
with smaller tarpon, I recommend over lining the rod with a 300 to 700
grain shooting head.
• For juveniles - 1) A weight forward floating line to match the
rod 2) Type 6 fast sinking line 3) 300 to 500 grain shooting head
• For big tarpon – 1) A weight forward floating lineto match
the rod 2) Type 6 fast sinking line 3) 300 to 700 grain shooting head
Leaders
The tarpon’s mouth is comprised of cartilage and bone and is therefore
very rough and abrasive. Even a relatively small tarpon in the 20 to 40
pound range can shred your leader or tippet in no time. All tarpon leaders
should be tapered and can be either store bought or made by the angler.
The actual leader does not need to be more than 9 feet in length. The
leader for juvenile tarpon should consist of either 30 or 40 pound butt
section, with each subsequent tapered section dropping by 10 pounds (30-20-10)
Keep in mind that the butt section should always be exactly half of the
overall length of the leader. When constructing a leader for big tarpon,
the butt section should be 50 pounds with each following section dropping
by 10 pounds (50-40-30)
• For juveniles – A tapered 9 foot leader with a 30 to 40
pound butt section
• For big tarpon – A tapered 9 foot leader with a 50 pound butt
section
Tippet
For juvenile tarpon, a 40 to 60 pound shock tippet is needed to hold the
fish. Some anglers prefer to go lighter, but I don’t recommend it
for the average angler. For big tarpon, a 100 pound shock tippet is required
to have any chance of landing the fish. The shock tippet should be 12
to 16 inches in length.
•
For juveniles – A 40 to 60 pound shock tippet (12-16 inches)
• For big tarpon – A 100 pound shock tippet (12-16 inches)
Flies
There is a great debate amongst those who like to chase tarpon with a
fly about which is the most effective size for tarpon flies. From what
I’ve observed here in Belize, by far the most effective size for
tarpon flies is a pattern tied on a 3/0 saltwater hook. Larger flies will
work for bigger fish, especially in specific situations (like when the
tarpon are motionless just under the water level) but overall it’s
quite amazing how smaller flies will consistently take very large fish.
For the smaller tarpon, hooks ranging in size from 2 to 2/0 are highly
recommended.
•
Stu Apte tarpon fly (size 2 to 3/0)
• Black Death (size 2 to 3/0)
• Cockroach (size 2 to 3/0)
• Boilermaker in: red and white (size 2 to 3/0)
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: white, chartreuse, and blue (size
2 to 3/0)
• Moore’s Yellow and Grizzly (size 2 to 3/0)
• Sea Foam Popper in: yellow and white (size 2 to 3/0)
• Sea-Ducer in: orange and white (size 2 to 3/0)
The Barracuda
is the Rodney Dangerfield of saltwater fly fishing: It’s given no
Respect! Which is really quite surprising when one considers that barracuda
often display the aerial acumen of a big tarpon and the long runs of a
good-sized bonefish. Perhaps it’s because anglers are leery of a
fish with such razor sharp teeth or because they view the fish as nothing
more an opportunistic thief after having lost a few nice bones on the
flats to this
aggressive predator. Whatever the reasons, fly rodders simply don’t
pay enough attention to this efficient and powerful hunter.
Rods
In Belize, we are blessed with a very healthy population of large ‘cudas
throughout the country. And for the really big barracudas, Glovers Reef
consistently holds the largest fish I’ve ever seen. To handle ‘cudas
in the 15 to 30 pound class, I recommend a 9 weight rod. The 9 weight
is ideal because it’s strong enough to help you muscle and land the
larger barracudas that you’ll definitely encounter while fly fishing
in Belize. The 9 weight allows you to throw the large streamers that barracuda
seem to favour, and, effectively helps you deal with and manage a stiff
breeze, should the wind pick up while your out on the flats. More experienced
saltwater anglers may want to use an 8 weight.
• A 9 weight rod
Reels
Once a barracuda realizes that it’s hooked, the explosive strength
of the fish is instantly put on display. Most anglers don’t realize
just how fast and powerful this fish is! A 20-pound barracuda can tear
out a 150 yards of backing in the blink of an eye. To help ensure that
your not “stripped” by a big ‘cuda, you should have a disk
drag reel that can hold 250 yards of 20 pound backing.
• A disk drag reel with 250 yard- 20 pound backing capacity
Fly
Line
Virtually all fly fishing for barracuda is done in shallow water, usually
no more than 5 or 6 feet deep and more often than not, in 3 feet of water
or less. Subsequently, there are few situations where anything but a weight
forward floating line to match the rod is needed. If you’re concerned
about wind, overline the rod by one weight to help offset the punishing
effects of wind on your casting ability.
• A floating weight forward line to match the rod
Leaders
Depending on your casting ability, either a 9 or 12-foot tapered leader
should be employed. Experienced saltwater fly rodders will often use a
longer leader for barracuda because even though it has such a fierce
reputation, it is at heart, a very wary fish. However, those without a
lot of saltwater experience should stick
with a 9-foot leader because it’s easier to accurately cast, especially
if there is a breeze.
• A tapered 9 or 12 foot leader
Tippet
Barracuda are famous for their sharp teeth, and with good reason. Their
teeth located at the front of their
jaw are used to either cut their prey in half or to clip the tail off
the fish that they’ve just attacked, and thus disabling it. Even
if your lucky enough to have your leader avoid the fish’s teeth,
the cartilage in the corner of its jaw will often cut even heavy mono
tippet material. For this reason, you need to build into your leader or
shock tippet a piece of 3 to 4 inch wire that will be tied directly to
the fly. I recommend two brands: Climax Saltwater Wire Tippet in 30-pound
test or American Fishing Wire in 40-pound strength. Both are fairly easy
to tie and each can stand the pounding that a big barracudas teeth will
exact.
Flies
I use 3 different types of flies when specifically targeting barracudas.
The long ( 9 to 12 inch ) needle fish patterns, streamers, and poppers.
Each has its own merits and applications and in some cases, draw backs.
For instance, the needlefish fly, perhaps the best known and widely used
cuda fly, will often get tangled during the cast. It’s also so thin
and streamlined that I think that barracudas often times have trouble
seeing it, especially if there’s a chop on the ocean. I only use
this pattern when it’s calm. Colour too plays a big role in your
fly selection for ‘cudas. I favour chartreuse, red, orange and white.
If you have these colour schemes, you’re in good shape.
• Braided ‘Cuda Fly in: chartreuse and red
• Bob Popovics ‘Cuda Candy in: chartreuse
• Key West Cudakiller
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: chartreuse and blue and white
• Dan Blanton’s Deepwater Whistler in: yellow-red
• Popovics Banger in: silver or chartreuse
• Boilermaker
The Jack Crevelle
is common in Belize as are numerous other species of jacks, including
the horse eyed jack, the blue runner, and the yellow tail jack. They can
be found in deeper water off the reefs as well as patrolling the edges
of flats in search of an easy meal. The largest bonefish I’ve ever
hooked was devoured at my feet in 3 feet of water by a huge jack weighing
about 35-pounds. I was heart broken to lose loose such a large bone (
I estimated it at about 12 pounds) but to watch the jack attack it in
such shallow and clear water was something
that I’ll never forget.
Rods
Jacks are an extremely powerful species and I’ve been beaten to exhaustion
many times by this fabulous
saltwater quarry. I love to fish for them as they provide outstanding
action on a fly rod. A 7 or 8 weight rod will suffice for jacks in the
5 to 15 pound class. If you’re thinking about targeting larger jacks
its best to have a 9 or 10 weight in the boat. Like big tarpon, large
jacks simply won’t give up until there’s nothing left in them.
• Smaller jacks – A 7 to 8 weight rod
• Big jacks – A 9 to 10 weight rod
Reels
Because of the long runs that jacks will make after they’re hooked,
even the smaller ones, it’s imperative that you have a good disk
drag reel with 200 yards of backing. For first time saltwater fly rodders,
the strength of a jack will astound you. For larger jacks, you’ll
need a disk drag reel with that can accommodate 250 yards of 20-pound
backing.
• Smaller jacks – A disk drag reel with 200 yards of 20 pound
backing
• Big jacks – A disk drag reel with 250 yards of 20 pound backing
Fly line
Fly Line
In most situations you’ll encounter while fishing for jacks, the
fish will be near the surface, and not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. Therefore,
a floating weight forward line to match the rod is usually sufficient.
If you’re planning on targeting larger jacks off the reef and in
blue water, an intermediate sink line and a fast sink line will serve
you well. Match the line to the rod for the smaller jacks and over load
the line for the heavier fish.
Leaders
Jacks are voracious feeders and if you put a fly in front of them, more
often or not, they’re going to hammer it. Unlike the barracuda, which
will spook very easily, jacks are generally more forgiving of our casting
mistakes. I therefore recommend a leader that is only 9 feet long. Anything
longer is just unnecessary. A 12 to 16 pound tapered saltwater leader
is fine for smaller jacks in the 10-pound range. For the larger jacks
in Belize I recommend a 4 * foot butt section of 40 pound test, followed
by a 2 foot 30 pound section, followed by a 1 * foot 20 pound section,
followed by a 1 foot 10 pound class tippet section.
• Smaller jacks – A 9 foot, 12 to 16 pound tapered saltwater
leader
• Larger jacks – A 9 foot, 40-30-20-10 custom built leader
Tippet
For the smaller jacks, a 10-pound, 6-inch tippet should be plenty. If
you’re focusing on larger jacks in places Glovers Reef, a 40-pound,
6-inch shock tippet will be necessary. When I’m Blue water fishing
for jacks, either chumming or trolling a fly in 20 to 40 feet of water,
I always use a 6 to 8-inch piece of wire because you never know what toothy
critter might show up and take the fly.
• Smaller jacks – A 10 pound, 6-inch tippet
• Larger Jacks – A 40 pound, 6 inch tippet
Flies
Jacks are opportunistic feeders and will often take whatever comes along.
As for flies, they’re fairly indiscriminate in terms what they’ll
take. I’ve caught all manner of jacks on bonefish flies, tarpon flies
and even crabs tied for permit. It’s good to be prepared with a variety
of sizes and colours as well as different sink rates to make sure that
you have as much of the water table covered as possible.
• Clouser Minnow in: chartreuse, white, and red.
• Lefty’s Big Eye Deceiver in: white, blue and white, and chartreuse
• Bob Popovics Ultra Shrimp
• Gurgler in: chartreuse and silver
• Mylar Popper
• Clouser Half and Half
Rods
Belize is blessed with some pretty big snook so you’ll need an 8
to 10 weight rod to have a fighting chance. Aside from the size of the
snook, you’ll also need an 8 to 10 weight rod in order to help muscle
the snook out of the mangroves, which are its favorite location in which
to ambush prey. We have several clients who only fish for snook, and these
guys will pass up shots at tarpon and bones, much to the dismay of my
guides. Each of them uses a 10 weight, so you might want to keep this
in mind when getting ready to come down looking for snook.
•
8 to 10 weight rods
Reels
You’ll need a good (smooth) disk drag reel with 200 yards of 20 pound
backing. And while all but the biggest snook will not come close to getting
that far into your backing, medium sized tarpon will often frequent the
same area, and it’s therefore a good idea to be prepared for a couple
of possibilities.
•
A good disk drag reel with 200 yard capacity
Fly
Line
When fly fishing for big snook, I recommend a weight forward floating
tarpon line to match the rod. The tropical lines are a good idea in that
they arestiffer and will therefore help you turn over the heavier flies
that you’ll be using to target the big guys.
•
A weight forward floating line to match the rod
Leaders
A tapered leader 16 pound class tippet
Tippet
The mouth of the snook is somewhat similar to that of the tarpon it terms
of how abrasive it is. On top of that, you’ll also be fighting it
out with the mangrove roots when scraping it out with snook. When preparing
your shock tippet, you have to take these facts into account. I recommend
a 40 to 50 pound shock tippet of between 12 and 16 inches.
•
40 to 50 pound shock tippet between 12 and 16 inches
Flies
Bright colours are by far the most effective for snook flies. Yellow,
yellow and red, and yellow and black are very productive, whether your
casting blindly to snook along the mangroves or running your fly across
sand and grass flats where snook will be hiding in the depressions. If
you’re tying your own flies, it pays to use longer hooks so that
you can create a bulkier fly, which better resembles a good meal for the
snook. And make sure to add eyes to the flies that you’re tying as
this small addition will make a huge difference in your strike rate. Because
you’ll often be fishing for snook in areas of thick vegetation, using
a weedless fly like a bendback, or flies with weed guards, makes a lot
of sense. Surface Poppers can work well but I’m of the opinion that
streamers are the most effective flies for snook.
• Lefty’s Deceiver in: Yellow/red, yellow/black (size 1/0 to
3/0)
• Clouser Deep Minnow in: red and silver (size 1/0 to 3/0)
• Hare-O-Shima Snook Fly (size 1/0 to3/0)
• Sea-Ducer in: orange and white (size 1/0 to 3/0)
• Dink Popper in: yellow (size 3/0)
• Spinster in: yellow and red (size 3/0)
• Bendback
