Trips: Nervous Waters – Permit, Tarpon, Bones and Jacks
Our exploratory trip to the Salt was more than a huge success. It turned out to be that trip of a lifetime. A big thank you to our own Jim Craig and Joseph Lema from Frontier Anglers for setting up this trip to Belize. Six FATC members attended this trip. Matt McClure, Charlie Trankler, Glenn Haake, Greg Krochta, Jim Craig and me, Kenny Klimes traveled to Belize for the six-day trip to fish saltwater for the first time with a fly rod. Also attending Belize with us was Joseph Lema, Frontier Anglers guide and his dad, Greg.
Instead of writing about each day, which would make this a very long trip report, I think it best to discuss the “general areas” of the trip. So here it goes:
Travel: Our travel started out in several different cities, with attendees traveling from Colorado, Texas, Missouri, California, and Montana, an eclectic traveling group to say the least. Our FATC members used Southwest Airlines there and back without much problem. . We decided to leave a day early, regroup in San Pedro, and stay a night in a local hotel. Flying to Belize city from the U.S., we transferred to a small airlines, Tropic Air, to get to San Pedro. It was a great move since it saved us at least $300 a piece by going one day prior. There we met for dinner and drinks at the hotel restaurant and talked of big fish on the fly. If you want to try Belize, I recommend flying Southwest Airlines (two gear bags fly free).
Lodging: Our lodging or as I like to call it, our home, was a fantastic Airbnb that was right on the ocean. We stayed at the Iguana House in San Pedro (check out their podcast on the “fly fishing insider podcast” 10/4/2022). Our hosts were Chris Watters and Mary Alice Hoppe. Knowledgeable about fishing the salt and superb hosts for our stay. Their “home” was great for 6-8 guests. Homey, quaint and an awesome venue for fellowship for all that attended. We each had our own beds and shared a room with one other. Each bedroom had its own bathroom too. A large kitchen area, eating area, family room and huge porch where you could mess with your gear or just sit, relax, and watch the ocean.
Hospitality: Our hosts Chris, Mary Alice, and Glenda (our chef each evening) displayed a hospitality that would be rated a six out of five stars – outstanding. We had a wonderful breakfast each morning followed by a hearty lunch packed for each of us for on the water. Returning from our fishing trips, we were greeted by appetizers and island drinks. And each night at 6:30 we had dinner with flavors that I dream about now. All I can say is the food was to die for! Not only were we fed and greeted with drinks, but they even washed our salt-soaked clothes EVERY night. Clean clothes everyday – NO lodge does that – None! They even washed our gear after each day with fresh water to get the salt off.
Fellowship: Of course, our FATC guys understand the importance of “fellowship” and the six of us got to experience that for sure. But adding in Joe and his dad, Greg, and our hosts it was as though we were staying at a friend’s house rather than a lodge or business. It felt like home! The unique situation, living in a house, made our stay just that much better.
Guides: Our guides, which were set up by the Iguana House, were always professional and experienced. They picked us up at 7am every morning and returned us to the house by 3pm each afternoon. 8 hours on the ocean, flats, and in the sun was plenty of time to fish. Each guide had his own panga (a flats boat) with an outboard and a long pole used to “sneak up” on the fish. The guides allowed us to decide what type of fishing we wanted to do but did “suggest” the best fishing for that day. Of course, we usually went with their suggestions; bonefish, tarpon, permit and maybe something unusual.
Fishing: The fishing was not easy to say the least. You got to remember you are fishing in the “ocean” and that means you have to hunt fish. These fish on average were spooky guys. You find them, fish to them and boom, they scatter fast. The toughest fish to hook up was definitely the permit. A very tough fish to catch which makes it the prize! Congratulations to Glenn Haake who found a group a permit and hooked one up. Joe also hooked up a permit on his first cast of the trip – lady luck was with him. We did have a few tarpon hook ups too but once they jump, they have the advantage, and they seem to jump a lot. Kenny got the big fish of the trip with a big Jack Crevalle which took him down to 150 yards of backing until he was able to turn him. It was about a 10-minute fight that felt much longer. A lot of bonefish were caught. It wasn’t because they were easy to catch, it was more because there were more of them. If you get the chance to go fish the salt, you must practice your casting and double haul. No trout sets here. It’s a strip set all the way.
Photos: The photos we have added should tell more of the story. Some will have captions and others will be self-explanatory. Enjoy them. At the end of the trip Joe presented us with a Frontier Anglers’ cap to remember the trip by. This could be an annual FATC trip but may not be for everyone. It’s not cheap and you have to be on your game – casting, saltwater specific flies, saltwater rods in 8 – 10 weights, reels with sealed drag and lots of backing. Jim Craig made a list of things to know before you go – check it out if you decide to head to Belize.
