Fishing Reports

July 17-24, 2010

Weather Conditions: Unsettled conditions with winds changing causing sporadic thunderstorms.
Wind: Average wind speed 8-15 miles per hour with higher gusts during stormy conditions.
Air Temp: High temperatures in the high-80s to low-90s with lows in the lower-80s.
Water Temp: 80 to 83 degrees
Tides: Low tide around mid-morning with high tide in the early afternoon to late evening.
Moon Phase: First quarter on July 18.

It was a mixed bag week with everything from a tarpon caught within a stone’s throw of the lodge to the landing of a very rare (and truly magnificent) Golden Bonefish. Toss in some “first-ever” bonefish on a fly, plus a mix of guests from New York to Nevada.

Multiple return guest Steve M. brought first time visitor Madeleine C. from Denver with him to introduce her to saltwater fly-fishing. Steve has fished unsuccessfully for permit for a number of years until he popped the cork by landing his first-ever permit on the fly on Sun. Perhaps a greater highlight was that Madeleine caught her first-ever bonefish on the fly after instruction from Steve and guide, Dion.

Tony S., from Reno, Nevada, has fished in Belize on several occasions, noting he was amazed at the number of large fish on the flats around Turneffe Atoll. Perhaps the highlight of his week came when he landed an extremely rare golden bonefish. We’re not sure whether Tony saw the fish first or whether the golden was in a school and just grabbed his fly first. In either case, a golden is a noteworthy catch and one for the Memory Book.

Father and son Jared and Stuart F. from New York teamed up together this week. They had several shots at permit and caught a number of bonefish within sight of Turneffe Flats lodge.
But the week’s highlight was a large migratory tarpon that Jared landed after a 90-minute arm-numbing struggle within sight of the lodge.

Michael N., from the Washington D.C. area, who was with us the entire previous week, fished an additional half-week and concentrated on tarpon. He added a third Silver King to the two he caught previously . . . this one a super-charged 70-pounder that almost spooled him.

There is still time to get in on some superior tarpon fishing while taking advantage of our Summer/Fall 2-for-1 Specials. Two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! 

Call 888 512 8812 for information or go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.

As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, we do not use the last names of guests in our fishing reports.
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July 3-10, 2010

Weather Conditions: The weather was calm and slightly overcast for the first couple of days; mid-week brought our normal breezy conditions with fantastic visibility. Our conditions shifted again at the end of the week, bringing higher than normal wind gusts along with cloud cover making visibility and fishing conditions a little more difficult.
Winds: Coming from the ESE at an average speed of 11 mph with higher wind gusts in the afternoon.
Air Temperature: 86
Water Temperature: 81 - 83
Tides: The week started out with high tide coming in the early afternoon and progressing to 8:15 a.m. by week’s end.
Moon Phase: Last Quarter on July 4

Tarpon was the name of the game this week; they showed themselves in force allowing anglers multiple opportunities.

Bert P. from London joined us for what he now says is, “My best fly fishing story yet.” Bert spent the week with our guide Dubs chasing bonefish and permit, but the story was all about his tarpon. Bert and Dubs were searching the deep cut just northwest of the lodge when out of the silence Bert asked, “What are the large black blobs moving just below the boat”? Dubs replied with, “CAST! Those are tarpon!” Without hesitation, Bert made a great cast and began his retrieve, and after just four strips of line, the semi-truck-like tarpon ate. After getting everything under control and battling the tarpon for almost an hour, Bert’s drag skipped and created a large loop in his backing. Dubs saw what had happened and before Bert had time to say anything, Dubs was trying to get the loop out of his backing without causing any more issues. They were able to avoid one major problem, but there would be another to come. The tarpon had begun to tire and they had gotten it within 30 feet of the skiff before SNAP. Bert’s flyrod broke in two places under the pressure of the tarpon turning and powering away from the skiff. Bert and Dubs had to act quickly again, so Dubs told Bert, “Grab the fly line, I’ll hold what’s left of the rod.” Bert, with guidance from Dubs, hand-lined the 130-pound tarpon the remaining distance to the skiff. Once it was within reach, Dubs grabbed the tarpon and both Bert and Dubs let out a deep breath. What followed was uncontrolled laughing, high fives, back slapping, and of course an appreciation for the tarpon’s well fought battle. Needless to say these two men were exhausted and ecstatic at the same time from this unforgettable experience.

Mike, Steve, and Mark T. were visiting from Parker, Colo., Ridgefield, Wash., and Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France respectively. They enjoyed catching their share of the bonefish population before deciding to move on to the permit and tarpon. The permit proved to be difficult as usual, but Mike did find a school willing to eat and landed one beautiful permit from the school. Mark and Steve, an experienced saltwater angler, spent their week looking for large migratory tarpon. Both anglers had plenty of opportunities; Steve jumped a tarpon that Mike estimated to be in the 100-pound class. This was not the only tarpon that Mark and Steve would jump during the week. On Thurs., they landed a tarpon and jumped three others.

Casper V. enjoyed fishing and diving while visiting us from London. Casper moved between our dive program and our fishing program by taking advantage of our combo package. Although, Casper’s guide Dion would tell you he had a better time fishing. Reasons being two barracuda over four feet, hooking five tarpon in one day, landing a tarpon, multiple shots at permit, and landing numerous bonefish throughout the trip.

Return guests David and Brenda F. from Kingwood, Tex., fished with veteran guide Capt. Both David and Brenda caught plenty of bonefish while wading the northern flats. David hooked and landed a tarpon on the first morning to start things out. Capt. gave it his best effort – as always – to put David and Brenda on permit. However, the problem, as is often the case, was getting the permit to eat.

Marco D. from La Quinta, Calif., came to Turneffe for his first saltwater fly-fishing experience. Marco and guide Pops spent the first couple of days chasing bonefish on the flats, and they did not disappoint. After chasing bonefish, they searched for tarpon, while blind casting into one of the channels on the atoll, Marco hooked into a huge tarpon. No one was really able to judge the size of the tarpon, but Pops said it was, “A big guy.” They fought it for 45 minutes without gaining any line or starting to feel as if the advantage was turning in their favor. Marco did all he could to land this “big guy,” but in the end the tarpon just came unglued.

Robert W. from Pawleys Island, SC (where they make those fabulous Pawleys Island hammocks), visited with his family who rotated spending time with their father in the skiff and diving or enjoying our Atoll Adventure program. Everyone enjoyed the time together whether they were fishing, diving, or searching for manatee. When it came to fishing, they were highly rewarded on the bonefish flats with an added bonus of successfully chasing barracuda all over the atoll.

Summer/Fall 2-for-1 Specials will last until the week before Christmas. Two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! If you have a teenager heading to college, what better way to build some family bridges of understanding than a week of fishing, diving or Atoll Adventure?
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June 26-July 3, 2010

Weather Conditions: Tropical storm Alex came through on Saturday (6/26)
Winds: Out of the ESE at an average of 11 mph with higher gusts throughout the week.
Air Temperature: 84 - 87
Water Temperature: 81 - 83
Tides: We started the week with high tide peaking around 9:30 and progressing to early afternoon by week’s end.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on 6/26/2010

Tropical storm Alex moved over us on Saturday, but we didn’t sustain any damage aside from some mess on the beach and yard. Once the storm passed, things returned to normal, although the fishing seemed a little off early in the week.

Mark M., from Norman, Okla., and father Lon M. from Carthage, Mo. enjoyed fishing this week with guide Michael. This father and son team fished the flats searching for bonefish, while Michael carried a permit rod . . . “just in case.” The first day they had that opportunity and cast to four permit that came within 30 feet of them. Unfortunately, these permit weren’t interested in what Mark and Lon presented. Although they did not hook up, it was a lasting memory that they tried to duplicate the rest of the trip. Michael put this father and son team on some great ’cuda fishing. Said Mark, “It was a fantastic,” in reference to the acrobatic antics of our barracuda.

Brian M., from Eugene, Ore., visited for his first-ever saltwater experience. Brian caught his fair share of bonefish throughout the week with guide Pops, who he noted as having a “fish sense” when it came to finding bonefish on the flats. This Pacific Northwest-based fly fisher took advantage of the challenges and variety that saltwater fly-fishing allows. Anne, Brian’s spouse, enjoyed having Brian take a couple days off fishing to join her while snorkeling with Atoll Adventure guide Abel.

A California contingent of Russell H., from Fairfax, sons Graham H., Rio Dell and Geoffrey H., from Chico as well as family friend Ethan N. from San Francisco, left the Bay Area to visit as Russell celebrated his 75th birthday. The group loved fishing for a variety of species on the flats, especially once their guides Dion and Dubs told them that they could chase barracuda. One of the many highlights was Graham and Ethan’s double ’cuda day with both fish coming in at about four feet in length. On Thursday, Geoffrey came very close to a Grand Slam after hooking and landing a tarpon, catching a bonefish, then hooking a permit, but losing it after the fight had just begun. This group also hooked and landed a nice snook near the mangroves. A goal of Graham’s was landing a fish on a trout dry fly called a “humpy.” He was able to achieve this goal many times over with the snapper and grunts loving his little deer hair bug. This group enjoyed celebrating Russell’s 75th birthday in “fly-fishing” style, while already making plans to return for Russell’s 80th.

Summer/Fall 2-for-1 Specials will last until the week before Christmas. Two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, a free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities
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June 12-19, 2010

Weather Conditions: The week started out with a small weather system moving through that produced less than ideal fishing conditions. Once the weather moved on, we saw sunny skies with a nice breeze that resulted in great conditions for the remainder of the week.
Winds: Out of the ESE at an average of 13 mph with higher gusts throughout the week.
Air Temperature: 83 - 85
Water Temperature: 80 - 82
Tides: The week began with high tide at 9:15 a.m. progressing to mid-afternoon by week’s end.
Moon Phase: First Quarter on 6/18

Kent J. from Absarokee, Mont., visited Turneffe for the first time to pursue our migratory tarpon. For the first half of the week, conditions made finding tarpon difficult so Pops and Kent kept busy by walking the flats in pursuit of bonefish. After the second day, Kent stated, “I have caught more bonefish in two days then I did on my last bonefish trip.” By mid-week, the weather had cleared giving Kent a great opportunity to find some tarpon, which he did. Kent hooked into his first tarpon not more than a half-mile from the lodge; without question, Kent did not need his early morning coffee after jumping this tarpon. That would not be the end of his tarpon experience; he jumped another tarpon two days later.

Consecutive return guest Michael G. from Brooklyn, NY, and his family enjoyed visiting for the first time in June. While Michael was experiencing a Single Supplement Fishing package, his family was spending time with our Atoll Adventure guide Abel. Michael fished for all three major game fish with his ultimate goal a Grand Slam. Although Michael did not get his Slam this week, he did experience some great fishing in the latter half of the week. The best day started out with Michael leaving the lodge early in the morning with guide Capt. to chase tarpon. While they did not find success early in the morning they continued to search. By the time Michael returned to the lodge late in the afternoon, he could not wait to talk about his day even though he was exhausted. That day, Michael’s guide Capt. put him on multiple tarpon with three taking the fly and wanting to see who would be the victor – Michael or the fish. Although Michael would have loved to land one, he was satisfied with the hook-ups and seeing all three jump multiple times before busting his class tippet.

Michael C. from Hong Kong, China, searched for permit all week with guide Dubs. Finding permit throughout the week proved not to be a problem; in fact they had multiple days of casting to large schools of permit. One morning he had three permit eat with one solid hook-up, although the permit busted off within 20 feet of the boat. When Michael needed a break from chasing permit, he spent time stalking the flats with Dubs spotting and casting to countless bonefish.

Steve and Evelyn M. from Pacific Palisades, Calif., came for their first-ever saltwater fly-fishing experience. They enjoyed learning the nuances of saltwater fly-fishing, their veteran guide Eddie also made sure their casting strokes improved. Both Evelyn and Steve caught a fair share of bonefish before they left mid-week to enjoy the inland portion of their inland / island adventure.

Chris and Albert L. from Arlington, Va., spent most of their trip chasing bonefish around the ocean side flats. Even with the weather making conditions a touch more technical, Chris and Albert caught multiple bonefish on their first saltwater trip as well as a couple nice barracuda.

It’s Official! 2-for-1 Specials are now in force and will last until just before Christmas. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.
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June 5-12, 2010

Weather Conditions: The week began with great fishing conditions and by mid-week the skies began to cloud up a little in the early afternoon allowing a welcomed afternoon break from the sun. Near week’s end, we saw one short rain storm followed by sunny skies and a relaxing breeze for the remainder of the week.
Winds: Out of the ESE with an average wind speed for the week of 11 mph
Air Temperature: 83 - 85
Water Temperature: 80 - 82
Tides: Tides were less than ideal with high tide late in the afternoon progressing to around 9 a.m. by week’s end.
Moon Phase: New Moon on June 12.

We had multiple skiffs out this week with some guests taking advantage of our “Combination Package” to both fish and dive. Overall, it was a good week of fishing with multiple permit, a large tarpon hooked and lost at the boat, and several double digit bonefish days.

Scott S. from Katy, Tx. enjoyed fishing while his wife Margie enjoyed the Atoll Adventure package. Scott had a skiff and guide to himself, so Margie spent a couple afternoons out on the water with him. After the first day of fishing, Scott and his guide Dubs were speechless except for, “One of the best first days on the water, anywhere.” Scott hooked two permit in the morning landing one that they estimated at around 25 pounds. After some more permit fishing, they decided look for some bonefish. Dubs and Scott walked onto the first flat to find a huge school of bonefish with fish willing to eat. Scott caught double digit numbers deciding to stop somewhere in the teens for the day. Margie, who was mostly enjoying her Atoll Adventure vacation, decided to go fishing with Scott and in just a couple afternoons she caught multiple bonefish, including one that would have tipped the scales around six pounds.

Friends and business partners Mark V. from Irvine and Dennis M. from Long Beach, CA enjoyed fishing with guide Michael. They spent time searching for bonefish and permit and found some success with both species. However, success is often a relative term especially when it comes to permit fishing. For example, Michael put Mark on a school of permit and Mark did everything right – perfect cast, presentation, and hook set. But to everyone’s amazement, Mark did not hook the permit. In fact, the hook was bent in a perfect circle by the permit’s power. Mark and Dennis enjoyed fishing for bonefish on the flats but they continued their search throughout the week to find another permit willing to eat.

Gene and  from East Palatka, FL have fished together for many years as a husband and wife team. Gene and Jeannine enjoyed catching a variety of fish this week, as Gene said, “Anything that pulls or tugs on the line is fun.” They caught plenty of bonefish, a couple fairly nice barracuda, and then lost a large tarpon. Gene fought a tarpon for almost two hours before getting the leader to within three feet of the top guide. Gene gave it all he had and did everything by the book, but once you get a large tarpon close to the boat it only takes a small thing to bust them off. Gene had to deal with the difficult reality of losing a large tarpon at the boat, although he felt the fish had pretty much been landed and released unharmed. All together it was a great experience and a great battle that ended with both angler and fish a little tired but unharmed.

John and Roxanne K., from Palatka, FL experienced both fishing and diving at Turneffe by taking advantage of our Combo Package. While fishing with Dion, they were able to experience something every permit fanatic dreams of: walking the flats and spotting a feeding permit swimming straight at them. John put a cast right onto the aggressively feeding permit and quickly he was hooked up. After a great battle, John’s picture proving he was victorious that afternoon. The bonefish for these two was fantastic – both having double digit days. John and Roxanne were also able to do plenty of diving including the famous Blue Hole.

Almost 2-for-1 time. 2-for-1 Specials begin June 26 and last well into Dec. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.
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May 29 - June 5, 2010

Weather Conditions: It was calm and warm early in the week with some high clouds. By mid week the weather had stabilized with great fishing conditions and comfortable evening breezes.
Winds: ESE averaging 9.2 mph with higher gusts later in the week
Air Temperature: 81 - 85
Water Temperature: 82
Tides: The week started with high tide mid morning and progressing to early afternoon by week’s end.

Anglers this week focused on bonefish and permit and did well with both. Jim P. from Westbury, NY, has visited Turneffe Flats so many times that everyone thinks he works here. Jim had a great time fishing with Pops and they spent time searching for, and finding, bonefish, permit, and tarpon. Having fished with Pops on several occasions, Jim and Pops both enjoyed giving each other an occasional hard time about fishing. As Jim said, “the bonefishing is always consistent, there is never a problem finding good numbers of bonefish, on Turneffe.” During the week Jim had an interesting tarpon encounter when he hooked a tarpon and a second tarpon tried to steal the fly from its mouth. During this chaotic exchange one of the tarpon hit Jim’s class tippet snapping the leader. Jim’s main goal during the week was landing another permit and with Pop’s help he achieved that goal with his twelfth permit.

Return guests Jen & Chris L. from Blacksburg, VA, celebrated another wedding anniversary fishing with us. They spent their days chasing bonefish and permit on the flats, and by the end of the week were challenging themselves to spot the bonefish before their guide Dubs. Chris and Jen spent a good share of each day poling for permit and had multiple shots throughout the week. On Wednesday, Dubs put Chris and Jen on a particularly large school of permit. Chris took advantage of the situation and caught a beautiful permit. Jen came close on several occasions with follows but no hookups. Next time, Jen!

Mark V. and Dennis M. joined us mid week. They fished with Charles for bonefish and had a few permit opportunities as well. They are staying for upcoming week we hope to have further fish tales.

Check our  our upcoming Specials under Other Info on our website.
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May 22 - 29, 2010

Weather Conditions: The week began with steady winds and clear skies, although we did receive some rain during the night; by the end of the week we saw calm winds and partly cloudy skies which provided amazing sunsets.
Winds: Out of the E at 11 mph with some higher gusts to start the week, by about mid-week the winds changed to ENE at 8 mph.
Air Temperature: 80 - 84 with high humidity during the second half of the week.
Water Temperature: 80
Tides: For the start of the week high tide was in the early morning with the low around midday; by week’s end the high had progressed to mid-morning and the low to early evening.

All anglers found plenty of fish this week, even though weather conditions were not ideal. We also had guests this week enjoying our Dive and Atoll Adventure Programs. One guest took advantage of the combo package and experienced diving the Blue Hole as well as fly-fishing.

Nick O. from Calgary, Alberta took advantage of the combo package allowing him to dive with his wife Kari O. and fish during the week. After landing his first-ever tarpon, Nick had to ask himself the tough question, “Go for the Grand Slam or try and land another tarpon?” He chose to go for the Slam. With the permit left to complete the Golden Trio, his guide Capt needed to work fast in order to give him an opportunity since the day was nearly over. Capt put him on a school of permit and after a couple of casts Nick made a presentation that could not be refused. The fight was short lived as the permit broke off within the first minute. Nick had another chance at a permit on the last day when Capt put him on a school of 20 or so fish. Nick managed to get one of the permit to eat, but again the fight was over quickly as the permit broke off just after Nick’s strip set.

Garry A. and son Fraser A. from Fernie, B.C, jumped right into their first saltwater fly-fishing experience and enjoyed catching a multitude of flats species. After spending the first two days stalking bonefish on the flats of Turneffe, Garry and Fraser discovered the under-rated barracuda. The remainder of the week was spent fishing the flats for half the day and then asking their guide Michael if they could go find barracuda. On their last day of fishing, the ocean was unusually flat so Michael took them out to deep water to see what they could catch. Once again it was a great decision as they found a bait ball with tuna swarming. Both Garry and Fraser had the rare chance of catching tuna just outside the Turneffe reef, it was another day filled with variety and many laughs for these two first-timers.

Longtime friends and business partners Bob B. from Portland, Ore., and Tom C. from Scottsdale, Ariz., stalked bonefish on the flats with guide Dion. Tom was taken into his backing for the first time ever during the week by a large bonefish. Tom also battled a large tarpon for 45 minutes, but once he began to feel the advantage might be swaying in his favor, the tarpon turned and snapped the leader. Bob was amazed by Dion’s fish-finding abilities during the week. While walking the flats, Bob asked Dion, “What do you use for scent; every time you come around or I am around you, there seems to be more fish.”

2-for-1 Specials begin June 26 and last well into Dec. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.
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May 15 -22, 2010

Weather Conditions: The beginning of the week offered up some stiff winds and occasional afternoon rain, but the week ended with pretty good fishing conditions.
Winds: Out of the east most of the week, with a shift to the north and west later in the week.
Air Temperature: 80 - 84
Water Temperature: Low 80s
Tides: Tides were good this week with a high tide in the early morning at the beginning of the week progressing to early afternoon by the end of the week

Irregular weather conditions led to less-than-ideal fishing conditions, particularly early in the week, but all anglers caught fish and remained positive. Two of our anglers were accompanied by their partners who enjoyed our Atoll Adventure program and Scuba Diving.

Multiple-time return guests, Dick S. from Dillon, Mont., and Dennis P., from Redwood City, Calif., spent much of the week searching for migratory tarpon. Both anglers, with the help of their guide Dubs, found multiple tarpon and had some success getting a few to eat.

Howard I., from St. Pete, Fla., a son Scott I.,from Atlanta, jumped several tarpon. One of the many highlights for the trip was Howard’s tarpon that was well into the 100-pound range. In addition, they caught some very nice bonefish with one an 8-10 pounder.

Jay P. from Palm Harbor, Fla., enjoyed stalking bonefish on the flats with veteran guide Dion. Jay did well with the bonefish and had some good chances at permit although they remained elusive.

2-for-1 Specials begin June 26 and last well into Dec. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Go to www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.

Tide Update:

June 5 to June 12: Low tide around noon followed by high tide in the early evening.

June 12 to June 19: Low tide in the morning followed by high tide around noon.

June 19 to June 26: Low tide around noon followed by high tide in the early evening
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May 8 - 15, 2010

Weather Conditions: Unusual weather conditions with higher than normal winds and periods of rain.
Winds: Strong winds out of the east-southeast most of the week.
Air Temp: High 80s to low 90s all week.
Water Temp: 80 to 82 degrees.
Tides: High tide in the late morning followed by high tide in the early evening.
Moon Phase: New moon on the 13th.

Unsettled weather conditions produced less than ideal conditions, although some anglers had impressive highlights including a Grand Slam, a first-ever permit and a persistent permit hunt that paid off on the last day of fishing.

Robert C., from Allentown, Penn. joined his son for the week and caught his first-ever Grand Slam. [Permit, tarpon and bonefish on one day.] Robert was congratulated by his son as well as the rest of the anglers at the main lodge.

David V., from Webster and Paul V., from Pittsford, NY, returned for their annual visit. Perhaps a highlight for the angling team came when Paul caught his first-ever permit on the fly. Paul sat at the main lodge with a smile saying, “Hey, I got my permit. That’s what I came for, so the rest is just a bonus.”

Andrew C., from San Carlos, Calif., fished with veteran guide Eddie. Both Eddie and Andrew have fished for decades and chatted at length about the old days of fishing with Lefty Kreh and other angling greats. The two veteran anglers created new stories while stalking bonefish on the flats.

Bill B., from Ozark, Mo., told his guide Pops, “You might be ‘Pops’, but I’m ‘Grand Pops’, so get your stuff, let’s go fishing.” On Sun., Bill caught his first-ever resident tarpon on the fly and hunted for larger migratory fish over the course of the week. Bill and Pops went our early on two occasions and found some large rolling fish in a deep cut.

Multiple time return guest Brian C., Bozeman, Mont., landed a very nice permit on Fri. “My guide Michael spotted what he said was a very large permit. He was patient and said, ‘Ok, don’t get nervous, but make sure you catch this fish.’ No pressure! I cast and the fish ate.”

2-for-1 Specials begin June 26 and last well into Dec. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Look at www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.
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May 1 to May 8, 2010

Weather Conditions: Stable weather conditions with sunny skies and higher than normal trade winds.
Wind: Out of the ESE for the majority of the week with average wind speed at 15 mph with higher gusts.
Air Temp: Highs in the mid- to upper-80s with lows in the low 80s.
Water Temp: 81-82 degrees
Tides: Low tide around mid-morning followed by high tide in the early afternoon
Moon Phase: Last quarter on May 5.

Stable weather conditions produced more positive fishing this week with multiple shots at permit, migratory rolling tarpon and bones that seemed to be in relatively positive feeding pattern.

Eighty four year old veteran angler Charles S., from Atlanta departed the transfer boat at and quickly explained how much things had improved since his last visit around 20 years ago. Charles said that he once stayed in a cabin at Turneffe that didn’t have A/C and was just big enough for a bed. “In those days, we didn’t particularly much care for those kind of things, but it sure is nice to have them now.” Charles caught several bonefish with his guide Pops and after a particularly successful day of fishing said, “When I go to heaven I hope there are bonefish . . . and Pop’s too.”

Rick and Florence M., from Northridge, Calif., made their annual trip. Rick had a great shot at permit when they pulled up to the edge of a famous bonefish flat and found permit tailing hard on the edge. Rick took a shot, the fished tailed on the fly and quickly spit the hook. Florence caught the first permit of the week on Tuesday followed by her second on Fri. The team also caught several bonefish as well as shots at migratory tarpon.

Longtime friends and return guests Steve M., from Sevierville Tenn., and Skip G., from Bozeman Mont. teamed up to fish with Capt. On Thurs. they found a large group of migratory tarpon. “More tarpon in that spot than I have seen in a while,” said the veteran guide.

Scott B., and Mara J. from Bozeman came to Turneffe and introduced Mara to saltwater fly-fishing. After the first day, and first ever bonefish, Mara said she was hooked on hunting and stalking bones. The couple not only caught several nice bonefish during the week they also had shots at permit.

Carl Z., from West Chester, Penn., teamed up with David H., from the UK. Carl caught a permit one day early in the week, went on to catch a bonefish and had a chance at a Grand Slam when he saw some migratory tarpon in a deeper channel. But he couldn’t get a tarpon to play. David also caught several nice fish during the week and took the opportunity to go snorkeling with his wife one day.

David B. and Jim D. from San Antonio booked a combination fishing and diving package. David brought a spin rod with him on the boat, which produced a possible highlight. David exclaimed, “It was really fun catching barracuda, but what was even more exciting was watching larger barracuda go after the ones we had on the hook. What a sight!”

2-for-1 Specials begin June 26 and last well into Dec. This is where two anglers fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package or $2,671.20 (including taxes) per person! Phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
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April 17-24, 2010

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with scattered clouds prevailed most of the week. A consistent easterly breeze produced comfortable temperatures.
Wind: Out of the east/southeast all week. As the week progressed, the wind increased from 5-8mph at the beginning of the week moving to 15-18 mph towards the end of the week with higher gusts.
Air Temp: Highs were in the mid- to upper-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 degrees.
Tides: High tide in the late morning at the beginning of the week, moving to early evening by the end of the week.
Moon Phase: First quarter on April 21.

Trouthunter hosted their yearly trip, with several anglers plus one scuba diver. We also had a return group from the Urban Angler. Overall, it was a great week with great folks, permit on the flats, stories of large bonefish, early migratory tarpon and a rare catch on what amounted to a trout rod.

Group leaders, and good friends, Jon S. and Rich & Millie P., from the Trouthunter in Island Park, ID had some great permit shots but nothing to the boat. Jon S., hooked two permit, producing backing-busting initial runs. For one reason or another, neither was landed, however. Jon caught some very large bones mostly on amber-colored Pop’s Bitters. Millie caught a some large bonefish and Rich cast to a couple of early migratory tarpon.

Dirk R., from New York, returned to fish with friend and guide Michael. Together they targeted permit and bonefish while talking about old stories and creating new memories. The team definitely created a new memory when Dirk hooked a large permit and battled the elusive species until the fish spit the hook. Ahh . . . permit fishing!

Charlie H., from Cambridge, MA., returned to again fish with Pops. “We had some great bone fishing and multiple shots at permit. It was good to fish with Pops again,” Charlie said.

Return guest Jim D., from Raleigh, NC landed his first permit ever on a fly and enjoyed releasing his fish after a quick photo.

First time saltwater angler Dave S., from Lake Oswego, OR., landed his first bonefish ever, followed by many more on the flats. Dave encore was a nice permit.

Good friend, Howard H., from Gillette, WY. arrived on Wed. to fish for a half week. He hooked two permit, saying, “After all these years, it’s still exciting to see permit turn and take a fly.” Howard caught several bonefish and also had shots at tarpon. At the end of his stay, Howard explained, “It was too short. Should have been here a full week.”

Bill V., from Marietta, SC, said that chatting with his guide Charles was a welcome, added bonus to multiple permit shots. Bill also enjoyed catching bonefish from the boat while using our newly installed leaning post.

Return guests, Jeff M., and Ira I., from New York, NY,  particularly enjoyed poling for bonefish on the flats with their guide, Willie. Some large bones fell to their efforts. In addition to bone fishing, Jeff caught several barracuda and targeting some of Turneffe’s alternative species.

Howard G., from Scotch Plains, NJ, targeted different species with his guide, Elvis. He caught several bonefish, had shots at permit and tarpon, but perhaps the highlight of the week came from a very unusual catch. Using a 5-weight rod, Howard hooked a 15-pound dogtooth snapper on a small Gotcha pattern. The fight lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes before the fish was persuaded to come on board the skiff. Howard also fished for barracuda and landed a few over three feet in length.

Clint S., and fishing partner Stacy G., both  from Fort Lauderdale, FL, said, “This boat is ‘boneified’,” after a day of wading, poling and catching bonefish on the flats with his guide, Capt. Clint, new to saltwater fly-fishing, caught his first bonefish on a fly and after his first day of bone fishing he said, “It was like Capt was putting them on the hook for us.”
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 April 10 - 17, 2010

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with scattered clouds prevailed most of the week, until Fri. when we woke up to a light drizzle. A consistent easterly breeze produced mild, pleasant temperatures.
Wind: Out of the east at 5-10 mph with slightly higher gusts all week.
Air Temp: Highs were in the mid- to upper-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 degrees.
Tides: High tide in the morning at the beginning of the week moving to early afternoon at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: New moon on April 14.

Stable spring weather conditions had a positive effect on fishing and a mix of guests from Calgary to Milan caught their first-ever bonefish, permit and tarpon.

Father and son Pete H., and Cole H., Tampa, came to do some spring-break fishing. Within minutes of stepping off the transfer boat Cole had a spin rod in his hand and was catching and releasing jacks, snapper and even a grouper off the dock. Cole learned how to fly cast from his guide Eddie and caught his first-ever bonefish on the fly. Pete caught an abundance of fish as well during his time on the water, but it was evident that his highlight of the week was spending it with his son.

Friends Pat F. and Werner G., from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, came to Turneffe Flats for their first saltwater fly-fishing experience. Both anglers experienced a mix of flats wading and poling for permit with their guide, Michael.

Carlo T., from Milan, Italy, fishing with longtime TF guide Pops, caught a number of large bonefish on his guide’s namesake fly, a Pop’s Bitters. Carlo also had a number of shots at tailing permit during the week.

First time fly anglers and lifelong friends Dick L., from Findlay, Ohio, and John G., from Oxnard, Calif., had a nice introduction to saltwater angling from their guide Elvis. They both caught their first bonefish on the fly, first permit ever on conventional tackle, first barracuda ever on the fly and first tarpon ever on live bait. The two anglers’ diverse approach to fishing definitely produced diverse species.

Return guests Tony F. and Gerry M. fished with guide Willy and had two permit come oh so close. Gerry commented each afternoon that they’d “Had a great day. It’s nice to be back.”

Glenn P., Fort Myers, Fla., landed a nice 20 pound permit on a fly he tied, caught a few bonefish on a flat, then moved on to fish for resident tarpon. An approximate 30 pound resident poon took Glen’s fly. After around 10 minutes, the fish jumped into the mangroves and breaking the leader.

Bruce and Elisa T., Charlotte, NC, “Caught a bunch of bones” during Elisa’s first fly-fishing trip. Perhaps the highlight of the trip for Bruce was a permit that turned on his fly and came very close to feeding. “Close” is the operative word.

Bill B. and his son Brian, from St. Louis, visited Turneffe Flats for a father-son fishing trip. Bill on his second permit fishing day landed a nice 20-plus pounder and hooked another the same day on spinning gear. Brian, not to be outdone by his father, hooked two permit one day on a flyrod with a Merkin crab pattern.

Our 2-for-1 Specil begins June 26 and last well into Dec.

Visit www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities or contact Heather at 888 512 8812.

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April 3 - 10, 2010

Weather Conditions: We had stable weather this week with sunny skies, some scattered clouds and consistent easterly winds.
Wind: Out of the east at 10-15 mph with higher gusts all week.
Air Temp: Highs were in the low- to mid-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 degrees.
Tides: High tide in the early afternoon at the beginning of the week moving to late evening at the end of the week
Moon Phase: Last Quarter on April 6.

Stable weather conditions brought good fishing and a great atmosphere amongst the anglers, divers and Atoll Adventurers. Two permit landed by one angler was the highlight of the week until Fri., when one angler landed a Grand Slam.

2-for-1 Specials are planned for upcoming summer and fall months. This is where two anglers can fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package of $5,286.08 or $2,643.04 each! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Steve P., from Bozeman, Mont. and his brother Hap from Alder, Mont. came to Turneffe Flats for Hap’s first saltwater fly fishing trip. Hap caught on quickly landing his first bonefish on a fly along with many others. Steve, not to be outdone by his brother, landed a number of bonefish, and had shots at permit over the course of the week.

Catching his first permit on a fly was the goal for Bob K., from Houston. On his third visit to Turneffe Flats, Jim’s persistence paid off when he landed s a very nice permit on a Raghead crab. In addition to landing his first, he also landed his second permit two days later.

Alan and Martha J., Pocono Pines, Penn., also experienced their first saltwater fishing trip. Both landed their first bonefish on a fly with the help of their guide Eddie. Martha improved her casting with Eddie’s help over the course of the week and Alan had numbers of shots at permit.

Chris S. and Geoff R, from Portland, Ore., did research for Chris’ new book this week. Geoff and Chris had a numbers of shots at permit – Geoff hooking two; and caught some bonefish. The highlights came on the last day when Geoff landed a very nice permit, then caught a bonefish, and finally a tarpon to complete a Grand Slam. Chris also hooked two permit on Friday, however as any fish story goes, the big ones got away.

John S., from Sheffield England appreciated his guide Charles’ guidance in pointing out bonefish and permit to him. John particularly enjoyed catching bonefish, in his words “practically in the surf.” John and Charles also had some great shots at permit this week.

Return guest Bill K., from Pacific Palisades, Calif., had a relaxed week of fishing with his longtime guide Dubs. While wading the flat right next to the lodge, Dubs pointed to a particular large bonefish. After the 10 minute fight the estimated 10 pound bone was released back into the water.

On his first day, Rodrigo C., from New York, had a memorable experience of landing a once in a life time fish. On his third cast of the trip, Rod’s jig was inhaled by a nice permit. After a 45 minute fight the extremely large permit was tailed by his guide Elvis for a photo shot. Rod’s dad Ernesto from Key Biscayne, Fla., was there to take pictures of his smiling son. Ernesto also had a fun week of fishing with his son and his friends. He particularly enjoyed barracuda, and snapper fishing.

Dan D., from Riverside, Conn., and Ben J., from London, England, came to Belize as spin fisherman and left fly anglers. Dan and Ben both landed their first bonefish on a fly rod. Dan caught a permit on spin tackle and picked up a fly rod the next day and caught his first ever bonefish on the fly. Ben on the other hand had plenty of shots at permit on a fly over the week.

Paul N., from Denver and friends Wells H. from Salt Lake City had a spectacular last day of bonefishing, “I lost count of how many bones I landed,” Paul said. Wells particularly enjoyed wading the bonefish flats with veteran guide Pops. Both anglers also had numerous shots at permit this week.

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 March 28 – April 3, 2010

Weather Conditions: On Monday and Tuesday a weak cold front passed through bringing cloudy skies and gusty winds. After the mild cold front passed we had sunny skies and positive fishing conditions during the remainder of the week.
Wind: Out of the north/north-west at 10 – 15 mph with higher gusts on Mon and Tues; then the remainder of the week out the wind was out of the east/south-east 8-12 mph with higher gusts.
Air Temp: Highs were in the upper 70s early in the week when the cold front passed through; then moving to the mid to upper 80s the rest of the week.
Water Temp: 80 – 81 degrees.
Tides: High tide in the morning at the beginning of the week progressing to noon at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Full moon on March 29.

After a winter of back-to-back-back cold fronts, our weather finally seems to have settled down with nearly a full week of good weather. Although we had northerly winds for a couple of days, sunny skies and fairly stable conditions prevailed for the majority of the week. It was a fun week with several divers and Atoll Adventurers to keep the anglers company.

Good friends Tim and Joanne Linehan, from Troy, Montana, made their 6th trip to Turneffe Flats, and, as usual, they brought a very enjoyable group. Tim and Joanne concentrated on permit fishing with Dubs and Tim caught a very nice 25-pound permit off the flats. Not to be outdone, Joanne hooked two permit and fought one fish to the side of the boat before the hook “malfunctioned”.

Return guests Bill and Carol F. from Anacortes, Washington, concentrated on poling for permit and bonefish with their guide Dion. Bill caught bonefish each day and on one occasion hooked a big barracuda which produced a heart pounding strike. The highlight of the week, however, came when Carol landed her first ever permit followed by a nice six pound bonefish on her last day.

Return guests, Tunc and Nancy T., from Arden N.C. and Turkey had a number of permit opportunities, particularly towards the end of the week. Tunc commenting, “I have never seen that many permit before”. Tunc and Nancy were joined by their good friends, Joel and Marla A., from Ashville N.C. for a week of flats fishing. Marla learned some of the fine points of flats fishing while Joel caught his second permit ever with Elvis.

John G., and his son Henry from NY, NY, joined us for Henry’s first saltwater flyfishing trip. Henry caught on quickly and landing numerous bonefish and having two permit strike his Merkin. John, on the other hand, made sure his son did not out fish him landing a nice permit on Thursday.

Frank and Connie W., from Libby, Montana, concentrated on both permit and bonefish. On Thursday their guide Eddie set up on a school of permit with Frank casting to and landing a nice 15- pound permit. Both Frank and Connie explained, “It was just a great week”.

Return guest Gerry B ., from Eagle, Idaho, and Tom U, from Northboro, Massachusetts, concentrated on wading the flats for bonefish with long time veteran Pops as their guide. In addition, they had numerous shots at permit during the .week.

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March 20-27, 2010

Weather Conditions: On Mon., a mild cold front passed through, bringing northerly winds and trace amounts of rain. Fortunately, this only lasted two days, with the remainder of the week perfect.
Wind: Out of the north/northwest at 10-15 mph with higher gusts on Mon. and Tues.; the remainder of the week the wind was out of the east/southeast 7-12 mph with some higher gusts.
Air Temp: Highs were in the mid-70s when the cold front was passing through, then moving to the mid-80s the rest of the week.
Water Temp: 80-81 degrees.
Tides: Low tide in the early morning at the beginning of the week progressing to early afternoon at the end of the week. High tide was in the late afternoon at the beginning of the week moving to early evening at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: First quarter on March 23.

Longtime guest, Ted H. from Bedford, NY concentrated on permit with his guide Willie. Throughout the week Ted had numerous chances at permit and also spent time wading for bonefish.

Return guest Bernard R. and his son Bernie from Alpine, NJ concentrated on wading for bonefish. They also several chances at permit with their guide Michael poling the skiff.

Don S. from Hopewell, NY concentrated on bonefish, landing his personal best at about 10 pounds on a Pops Bonefish Bitters, bringing the comment “My best day fly fishing ever.”

Dick B. from Clarkston, Mich. fished bonefish with his guide Dion. Dick also had a numbers of shots at permit over the course of the week.

Fritz H., from La Quinta, MI., after catching his fill of bonefish wanted to concentrate on permit. Fritz hooked two of them on Fri, and, unfortunately, snapped tippets on both. Nobody ever said permit were easy.

Catching his first permit on a fly was the goal for Rollie S., from Simsbury, Conn.. On the last day of fishing, Rollie accomplished his goal, landing a nice permit on the flats

Dave E., from Simsbury, Conn., had numerous shots at permit this week and managed to catch several bonefish.

Beginner saltwater fly-fisher Rob I., from Stamford, Conn., enjoyed catching his first bonefish. With some instructions from his guide Capt., Rob improved his fly casting.

2-for-1 Specials are planned for upcoming late spring and summer months. This is where two anglers can fish for the price of a Single Supplement Package of $5,072.48 or $2,536.24 eash! For 2-for-1 information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

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March 13 - 20, 2010

Weather Conditions: We had nice weather for the first half of the week, but on Wednesday a very mild cold front moved in from the north, passing through during the night. It was mostly sunny for the remainder of the week.
Wind: Out of the east at 12-15 mph during the beginning of the week. On Wednesday, the cold front brought winds out of the north at 15-18 mph; then the winds laid down to 7-10 mph from the southeast.
Air Temp: Highs were in the upper 70s to low 80s all week.
Water Temp: 80 to 81 degrees.
Tides: High tide in mid-morning at the beginning of the week progressing to early afternoon by the end of the week. As typical with high pressure/cold fronts, the tides were unusually low on Wednesday.
Moon Phase: New Moon on March 15.

Return guest Ted H. with his guide Dubs landed a permit and hooked another on a Merkin Crab pattern. He also spent time wading for bonefish and caught a good number.

Matt and Geri H., form Austin, Texas, along with their children William and Chloe did a combination fishing and diving during their half week visit. William caught his first bonefish with the help of his guide Pops, whose namesake fly – Pops Bitters – was used. The kids made sure to let their parents know, “We caught more fish than you today.” Chloe’s guest registration book comment read, “I caught my first bonefish, hooray for being 13.”

First time saltwater fly fisherman Michael C., from Fort Collins, Colo. caught his first bonefish on a fly rod. Michael was also very appreciative how attentive his guide Elvis was at helping him improve his casting ability.

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February 27 – March 6, 2010

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies prevailed on Sunday and Monday. A mild cold front developed Tuesday and prevailed for the remainder of the week.
Winds: Winds were out of the southeast at 5-10mph early in the week and then switching to north at 10-12 mph.
Air Temp: Again, we had unusually cool weather the later half of the week with temperatures temporarily dropping into the high 60s. Highs were in the mid 80s early in the week and the upper 70s later in the week.
Water Temp: We had unusually cool water temperatures on the flats.
Tides: High tide in the early morning at the beginning of the week progressing to mid-morning by the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Full moon on February 28.

With the north wind and cool water temperatures on the flats, fishing wasn’t stellar but there were a few highlights. This week we were privileged to host a large return group of Atoll Adventurers led by Jill S. and Carolyn W. from Beverly, Massachusetts. Jill and Carolyn are master knitters and offered a knitting retreat for their clients.

Return guest, Matt T., from Bend, Oregon, split his time between bonefishing and poling for permit. Matt landed plenty of bones including a couple of larger fish and also landed a nice permit on the fly on his last day.

Whitney M., from Bozeman, Montana, and her mother Susan M., from Jackson, Wyoming, had lots of shots at permit and both managed to catch several bonefish.

First time saltwater angler Andrew B., from Scotland, appreciated his guide, Capt’s instruction on his first flats fishing experience. A seasoned trout angler, Andrew hooked several bonefish and landed his share.

For information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.

Visit www.tflats.com for flats fishing, diving and Atoll Adventure opportunities.

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February 20-27, 2010

Weather Conditions: This has been the “winter of the cold front” and this week was no exception. We had very nice weather the first half of the week but a front moved through Tuesday evening bringing high winds and some rain. Fortunately, the worst of it occurred during the night and although we had a north wind for the remainder of the week, skies were mostly clear and it wasn’t too windy. The cold front did bring cool temperature with only the second dip of into the 60s at Turneffe in recent memory.
Wind: Out of the East/ South East early in the week and mostly from the North later in the week. Fortunately, the only high winds were in the evening.
Air Temp: Highs were in the low 80’s early in the week but with the front temps were unusually cool reaching the high 60’s on Thursday evening.
Water Temp: The water temperature on the flats was unusually cool.
Tides: High tide in the mid afternoon at the beginning of the week progressing to early evening at the end of the week. As usual, the tides were unusually low with the high pressure/cold front.
Moon Phase: First quarter on February 21.

Good friends, Craig and Jackie Mathews, from West Yellowstone, MT