Can you fish without a boat?

Many fishing operators will tell you that it’s impossible to fish from the beaches in Belize and that you must have a boat to go fishing in Belize. This simply is not absolute. There are several limestone bottom flats that can be waded for bonefish and the occasional permit. You simply need someone with experience to point you in the right direction. This style of fly fishing is an excellent way to get a little exercise and a fun way to go fishing in Belize.

You will need the following items for a guided wade fishing trip in Belize: A comfortable pair of wading shoes (I recommend high-top shoes to keep small gravel and debris out of your shoes), A long sleeve light weight shirt (I recommend Columbia Bonehead or Bahamas shirts), A flats fishing hat with a protective sun cape, shorts that go below the knee or light weigh "quick drying" pants, sun screen 50 spf or higher, a fly rod & reel or spinning rod & reel. Some flies (visit our Belize Fly patterns section for recommended Belize bonefish patterns, Belize permit patterns, and Belize tarpon patterns), a good cast, and a willingness to have a great time fishing in Belize.

Belize DIY or “Do It Yourself” fishing

You’ll sometimes hear that it’s not possible to perform “Do It Yourself” fishing in Belize. You’ll even occasionally have a local boat captain tell you it’s “illegal” (keep in mind that when you hear them say that, they also want your $300.00 per day for guided fishing trip in Belize). I’ve lived and fished in Belize now for over seven years and it goes without saying that not once has anyone been fined or arrested for fly fishing on their own in Belize. I do it all the time and our guests enjoy it day after day after day.

Many days I’m not afforded the opportunity to actually get on my boat and go fishing (or rather I’m not able to do it as much as I would like – I would like to do it everyday…). Managing a fishing resort and handling all the bookings, answering email questions, picking up guests at the air strip, gathering supplies – you name it – it can cut into my daily fishing time. Often my daily fishing routine consists of grabbing my favorite 8 wt off my wall, and after a cup of coffee, heading out to the shoreline of our ocean-front fly fishing resort looking for the schools of bonefish digging through the turtle grass in search of breakfast. I can usually count on 2 or 3 good hook-ups and landing a couple of nice bones before heading back to the house for breakfast and the “gotta do” list.

From a resort, I recommend that most just begin walking north along the beach watching for tailing fish in the turtle grass that lines the shores so abundantly in Ambergris Caye. Almost all of your DIY fishing in Belize will be for bonefish. If you wish to rent a bicycle you can cruise for about 45 minutes north and have a chance at one of the few “wadeable” permit fishing flats on the front side of Ambergris Caye. We can’t always guarantee the Permit will be there (ha!) but it’s your best chance for landing permit while DIY fishing in Belize.

Author: - Tue, Mar 27, 2012. This article has been viewed 16637 times.
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