Placencia, Belize November 2013

[FISHEYE]

For the 11th time I fished in Placencia, Belize with friends Al, Mack, and Doug. This was Doug’s first time fishing the tropical salt. We fish out of Placencia because of the many options its location offers. We can fish the myriad of cayes close by, all the way north to Tobacco Caye, south toward Punta Gorda and Ycacos Lagoon, and if the weather is really bad we can fish behind Placencia in the mangroves, creeks, and lagoon. As always, we stayed with Lisa and George Westby at the Westwind Hotel. It’s not the fanciest place in town, but it is right on the beach, within walking distance of some wonderful local restaurants, and Lisa and George treat us very well and have become close friends. Our guides are Bruce Leslie and Ian Cuevas. Bruce has been guiding for 18 years and I think Ian for about 10. These guys are amazing at finding fish, and they go the extra mile every day. Most days they pick us up on the beach at 5 or 5:30 am and several nights we did not get back until after 6. They want to see us catch fish more than I think we want to catch them sometimes.

Doug and I fished 12 days, Mack 10, and Al 7. The first 5 days we had exceptional weather; hot and full sun, light wind, and flat seas. Later in the trip it turned wet and windy many days which meant the bait got pushed off the flats and so did the tarpon. This meant we fished where tarpon congregated around some of the cayes, fished more of the deep drop-offs, or just went south to Ycacos for permit. This year there was more bait (both fry and sprats) everywhere we fished which meant the tarpon were very spread out. Early in the trip we found bait on many flats which meant we got to sight fish tarpon. We did real well at hooking many nice fish in the 40-60# range and we saw some bigger than that. Many of these fish ate the fly (mostly clousers so we could get to the level of the cruising fish fast) pretty close to the boat which makes a good hook set difficult. I had a couple of fish eat with only the 9 foot leader still out. In addition to tarpon we caught permit, bonefish, jack cravelle, bar, longtail, horse eye, and bluerunner jacks, lots of different snappers, Spanish and king mackerel, and barracuda.

Some of the major highlights of the trip include:
-Mack and I caught grand slams of tarpon, permit, and bonefish on the same day with Ian. This was my first slam, Mack’s second (the day before his birthday) and Ian’s first double slam.
-Doug caught a nice cobia (a first for us and only the second Bruce has seen on the fly in his career.
-Al got a pretty nice barracuda on the fly without wire.
-One day Mack and I fishing with Ian saw about 60 permit on one 200 yard stretch of flats. I am sure many of the 60 were the same fish getting spooked off the flats and then coming back again. There were many larger (maybe 10-12#) singles and doubles and schools of from 6 to 15 smaller fish.
-We saw many permit at Ycacos but only got one. This is some of the most frustrating fishing but also very exciting. I don’t like to fish permit all day but when we got shots every 30 minutes it was pretty amazing. One day Doug and I had 4 really good shots each. The fish would charge the fly, tip up, we’d set and nada. We had several crushed crabs and felt or saw the line go tight and we did not hook them. My first good shot was a permit that Bruce said was in the 20 to 25# range. He tailed on the fly twice, I felt him and did not connect. Our theory is that almost all of the shots we had were on fish that were coming directly at us and that as we set we pulled the fly out of their mouths. According to Bruce this is pretty common and fish that give you a crossing shot are easier to hook.

This was another great trip and I can hardly wait to go back. Here are some photos. I'll post more when I get them from the other guys.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/BN2FSH/Belize%202013/DSCN0597_zps004a9308.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/BN2FSH/media/Belize%202013/DSCN0597_zps004a9308.jpg.html)

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http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/BN2FSH/Belize%202013/IMG_0097_zps84303507.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/BN2FSH/media/Belize%202013/IMG_0097_zps84303507.jpg.html)

Tarpon food- fry
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/BN2FSH/Belize%202013/IMG_0051_zpsca8708ef.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/BN2FSH/media/Belize%202013/IMG_0051_zpsca8708ef.jpg.html)

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http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/BN2FSH/Belize%202013/IMG_0056_zpsb9a85647.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/BN2FSH/media/Belize%202013/IMG_0056_zpsb9a85647.jpg.html)

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Tarpon food- sprat
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[gitt]

Excellent trip report, Phil. Photos are a nice addition. The birds must have went crazy with that amount of baitfish in the water. Curious if Ian bought a car yet? Gotta love that place. A nice boat and yet no car. Thanks for posting.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Great photo's. Did you guys ever get out and wade the flats? This time the permit evaded me but next year, I'll get them. I had four GOOD shots at them, actually two of them ate the fly but I lifted instead of stripped striking. OH WELL. I also saw alot of small bait, called glass minnows. I have some under water video of a big school. Might have to extend my trip next year to three weeks. Our guide Willie is from Placencia. He was telling me all about the place.
Now I'm getting ready for three months in baja, damn that's just around the corner. I have a lot of BIG groups this year and trying to find some space for others to join. If you're interested in Fall fishing in Baja, I have a week in October scheduled and some spots already sold.

Phil, see you in warm sunny baja.

Belize is one of the easiest place I have ever clear customs and immigration, going and coming. Sure the hell ain't like Baja

Jay

[jbird]

Fantastic report phil! looks like you guys had a blast. Love the pic with tarpon/hero shot and the sun beams over his shoulder!

Man thats gotta be a long trip from AK!

[FISHEYE]

Gitt- Ian bought a 2008 fancy white Ford Explorer. If we don't see pelicans we usually don't even go looking for tarpon. This is how the guides find tarpon on the miles and miles of flats- look for pelicans. Even one or two might mean tarpon.

Jay- We mostly wade for permit on the flats but fish from the boat at Ycacos or in some of the deeper spots. We also saw big schools of tiny glass minnows but I never took a photo of them.

Jbird- The extremely good looking guy with the sun over his shoulder is me. Mack usually takes crummy pics but this one worked out well. It was the tarpon of my slam. I had him by 6:30 am and the permit by 10:00. I could then relax because a bonefish is usually a gimmee. We saw some huge bones in Ycacos but don't usually fish them because as soon as you pic up something the bones will eat the permit show. A long trip you say? I we leave around midnight and get to Placencia around 5pm. It is well worth the pain.

[Morgan]

SOunds like one hekk of a trip!
SLams for almost all is quite the blessing.
My fiance and I will be going on our honeymoon near Placencia...possibly Chabil Mar area.
I hope to wade the flats from our room in search for fish.
Im new to the salt to anything that puts a bend in the rod makes me happy.
I will probably have a day or 2 guided and hope to get my lady a bonefish on the fly to give her the fly tossing bug.

Awesome report FISHEYE!
You have me jonsin for salt now.
THe occasional steelhead will have to do for the time being.

[FISHEYE]

Gangster, there are no flats or fishing per se right in Placencia or at Chabil Mar. You have to get a guide and go from there.

[Morgan]

Gangster, there are no flats or fishing per se right in Placencia or at Chabil Mar. You have to get a guide and go from there.

I just hope for a fish or two in the early AM walking the beach before anyone else is up.
When in ROatan I was able to walk the beaches from first light til people were up walking around.
I managed a few bones doing this.
Is this not possible in the Placencia area?
I do plan on a trip for a day or 2. Its our honeymoon so I cant fish 24/7. But I get my fair share in ;)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Wonderful Phil....

In all the years we fished there I don't think we did near as well as you guys are doing now.

I think you have it really dialed in now.

Thanks for another world class post with spectacular photos.

Glad to see how ell the fisheries seems to be holding up.

.

[john]

Very nice Phil, Very nice. john