Fishing Reports
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our fishing report
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 visited for something like their 20th+ time. As usual, they brought a very enjoyable group of anglers, and, as usual, Craig and Jackie concentrated on wading the flats for bonefish. Occasionally, Craig was forced to interrupt his routine for a school of tailing permit on the flats just north of us. After landing a permit, he returned to what he does best - stalking and landing bonefish.
Most of the Blue Ribbon group had productive bonefishing and also had excellent shots at permit. Roger L. from Bozeman, MT and Lisa L., from Missoula, MT, fished, snorkeled, exploring the atoll and just otherwise just relaxed. Lisa worked on her casting with guide, Michael, and landed her first-ever bonefish on the flats. Roger landed bonefish and also had several chances at permit.
Return guest, Andy L., from Auburn, CA, concentrated on wading the flats for bonefish and commented several times on how much he enjoyed fishing with his guide, Willie. Andy also had his shots at permit during the week but wasn’t able to put one in the boat.
Frank S., from Somerset, PA and Dick F., from Bowie, MD, “caught a bunch of bones.”
A highlight for Dick was casting to a school of jack’s feeding on the surface just outside the reef. One fish nearly spooled him.
Long- time guest, Nick and Polly M., from Nantucket, MA, concentrated on permit and Dubs got them several great chances. They also spent time waded the flats landing plenty of bonefish on Nick’s own flies.
Catching his first permit on a fly was the goal for Jim F., from Fairfax, VA. On his second visit to TF, Jim’s persistence paid off when he landed his a very nice permit. Jim explained, “I never thought that I would see my fly line again.”
First time saltwater anglers, Charlie G., from Park City, UT and son, Chris G., from NY, appreciated their guide, Eddie’s experience and patience as they landed their first ever bonefish on the flats and learning a good deal about the sport in the process.
It was a great group and we hope to see everyone back as soon as possible. We particularly appreciate Andy and Roger’s help in keeping Turneffe Atoll the unique and special place it is.
___________________________________________________________________
January 2 – 9, 2010.
Weather Conditions: Last week’s cold front stayed with us most of the week bringing unseasonably cold and windy conditions. Late in the week the weather broke with sunny skies and good end of the week.
Wind: North at 10-12 mph, then moving to the East as the cold front passing.
Air Temp: Highs were in the 70’s early in the week and then the mid 80’s.
Water Temp: 79-80 with good visibility.
Tides: High tide in the late morning progressing to late afternoon by the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Last Quarter on January 7.
Ming L. and his son Michael from Boston returned for a third trip to fish with Dubs. On this trip, Mike landed his personal best bonefish and unfortunately lost a few that were as least as large as the one he caught. In addition to successful bonefishing, Ming and Mike also had numerous shots at permit, particularly towards the end of the week.
John and Sheila L., from Bakersfield, California, visited for their first saltwater flats fishing experience. John enjoyed catching bonefish on the flats and jacks and snappers in the surf. Sheila mostly enjoyed the beauty of the atoll but also enjoyed catching snappers with her spinning rod.
Vladimir V., from Saint Petersburg, Russia, escaped the fridged Russian winter to permit fish with Dion for the week. After catching his fill of bonefish on the first day, he stated, “no more bonefish - time for permit”. Unfortunately, he did not land a permit, however he had numerous shots and at least one fish ate his fly but wasn’t hooked.
Charlie and Donna G., form Laurel, Maryland, were happy to escape the bitter cold that enveloped the U.S and enjoyed fishing with Michael. Both enjoyed catching bonefish and Charlie also had a few great shots at permit with at least one permit following his crab.
Roger A. and John R., from London, joined us for their annual post-Christmas fishing trip. Roger and John concentrated on bonefish and caught several. While wading the flat in front of the lodge, Roger cast to sharks, bonefish, triggerfish, and boxfish, but landed only bonefish.
December 26, 2009 – January 2, 2010
Weather Conditions: The beginning of the week consisted of bright sunny skies with light winds. A mild cold front produced less than ideal fishing conditions during the second half of the week.
Wind: Out of the east and southeast at 5-10 mph, moving to the north/north east during the cold front.
Air Temp: Highs were in the mid- to high-70s all week.
Water Temp: 80 degrees
Tides: Low tide was in the early morning at the beginning of the week progressing to noon by the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on December 31.
Is it better to end the year while fishing or begin the year by fishing? Ask any of our guests from last week.
Steve M. from Sevierville, Tenn., a multi-time previous visitor, had a great week fishing with his daughter Sarah and friend and guide Capt. Together, Sarah and Steve waded the flats, shared stories and cast to fish. Hard to tell which they enjoyed most: watching each other catch fish or telling family stories.
Steve F. from Clarksville, Ark. joined friends Steve M. and family for the week of fishing, diving and Atoll Adventuring. Steve had a successful week wading the flats for bonefish. In addition to bones, he also landed a rare triggerfish one afternoon on a size 6 Green Gotcha near the lodge. Steve also enjoyed hearing about his wife Laurie and son Mike’s excursions on the Atoll Adventure and diving programs.
Hal C. from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada returned to fish exclusively for permit. Less than favorable cloud cover brought some difficult light conditions for seeing permit on the flats. Despite the poor light conditions, Hal had a number of shots throughout the week; however the fish were unwilling to take the fly.
Pete T. from Tiburon, Calif., fished with his teenage sons, Erik and Matt. At the conclusion of each day, Pete said, “Couldn’t be better.” Erik and Matt both had an outstanding goal for the week. The brothers wanted to advance their skills and learn how to double haul. Not only did they learn how to double haul with the expert tutelage of their guide Michael, they both caught their first-ever bonefish on the flats.
Jim P. from Seattle, Wash. returned for a half week of flats fishing. He caught bonefish each day and had several shots at permit. While Jim was out fishing, his wife Gaye experienced snorkeling, bird watching, manatee watching as well as an abundance of other eco-activities on the Atoll Adventure program.
For information, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 19-26, 2009
Weather Conditions: A cold front brought scattered showers and cooler than normal weather at the beginning of the week, clearing by mid-week bringing bright sunny skies for the remainder of the week.
Wind: Out of the east and southeast at 5-10 mph.
Air Temp: Highs were in the low 70s moving to the low 80s at midweek.
Water Temp: 80-81 with good visibility.
Tides: Low tide in the morning at the beginning of the week and progressing to late morning by the end of the week.
Moon Phase: First Quarter on December 24.
Bill K., from Cervallis, Oregon, returned to Turneffe with his wife Diane who came to scuba dive after being certified by our Dive Instructor, Alex. Bill had a number of memorable experiences which included catching a large bonefish which required him to cast over an obstacle. Bill also explained that he enjoyed having more shots at permit than he ever had in his life. Unfortunately, none of the fish took his fly.
Bryan N., from Woodlands, Texas, and son Ross had an enjoyable half-week fishing the flats. Both Byran and Ross caught their first-ever bonefish on the fly. To make matters more exciting for the father-son team, they caught them on their own flies. Ross’s brother, Pierce, took a break from the Atoll Adventure program for a day and landed his first barracuda.
Courtney O. and wife Valerie, from Qualicum Beach, British Colombia, joined us for a half-week of fishing. Both came to Belize to take a winter weather break and enjoy the Belizean warmth. Courtney landed some large bonefish during the week while Valerie enjoyed casting to bonefish on the flat next to the lodge when not fishing from a skiff with her husband.
This week we have announced some great SPECIALS the weeks of January 16-23 and 23-30 only.
2 for 1 Fishing Special: 2 Fishing Packages for the price of one Single Supplement Fishing
Package
Diving: $600 airfare rebate
Atoll Adventure: $500 airfare rebate
In addition, airlines are currently offering reduced fares to Belize.
______________________________________________________________________
December 5-12, 2009
Weather Conditions: Bright sunny skies with a mild breeze brought favorable conditions throughout the week.
Wind: Out of the east and southeast at 7-12 mph.
Air Temp: Highs in the low- to mid-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 with good visibility.
Tides: Low tide was in the early morning at the beginning of the week and progressing to noon at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Last Quarter on December 8.
It was a week of bonefish for everyone, some permit and one proposal of marriage.
Justin C. and Sarah S., from Bozeman, Montana had a life-changing week on the flats when Justin proposed and Sarah happily accepted. On the day he proposed, Justin also caught his first permit and a very nice bonefish. Bride-to-be Sarah, not to be outdone, landed a number of large bonefish and had a rare encounter when she hooked and landed a large eagle ray. Sarah jokingly explained, “The eagle ray should be added to Turneffe’s alternative fly species list. They give one heck of a fight.”
Nick H. from Nashville, Tenn., and his fishing partner Greg R. also from Tennessee visited us once again for some bonefishing. Nick caught numerous bonefish throughout the week, in addition to having numbers of shots at permit. Greg hooked and landed his first permit on a fly, and got two-thirds the way to a grand slam after landing a bonefish.
Tom C. from Tenn. and Ron A. from New York had a terrific week of flats fishing. “Couldn’t be a better day,” both said as they concluded a day of wading for bonefish on the flats. Both gentlemen enjoyed catching bonefish and taking shots at numerous permit during the week.
Bill and Marlene M., from Michigan, returned to Turneffe Flats to spend time together while chasing bonefish on the flats. Their guide Eddie showed them to yet another great week of bonefishing. With Eddie’s help, Marlene managed to out-fish Bill on a number of occasions. Bill explained, “It was more enjoyable to see her catch fish than it was for me to catch them myself. It makes me happy to see the joy on her face while catching bonefish.”
Bruce H.,from Washington, and fishing partner Doug C. from New York returned to Turneffe for the second time this week. With memories of last times visit still fresh in their minds they wanted to produce more memorable moments. Neither one of the guys were disappointed. Both caught bonefish each day and some barracuda throughout the week. Both had shots of permit but unfortunately the fish were not willing to take a fly.
Dave C. from Alberta, Canada, and Jonathan B. from England, visited Turneffe for the first time. Dave targeted the larger bonefish with the occasional shot at permit. Jonathan enjoyed barracuda and jack crevalle when not fishing for bonefish.
Keith D. and Doug L. also from Alberta enjoyed a week of fishing and relaxation. Keith was very thankful for the casting help that his guide Charles provided during the week. Like Keith, Doug appreciated the casting help that was also provided to him. Both Keith and Doug caught a number of large barracuda towards the end of the week, in addition to the bonefish.
John P., from Mass., enjoyed the attentiveness and calm nature of his guide, Michael. He caught a bonefish approaching the double-digit size range and also landed a permit on the fly. John was also pleased that his wife MaryKay was being catered to by Turneffe’s Atoll Adventure program.
___________________________________________________________________
November 28-December 5, 2009
Weather Conditions: The previous week’s mild cold front blew through and departed on Monday. The remainder of the week consisted of bright sunny skies with mild breezes.
Wind: Out of the east at 7-12 mph through the majority of the week.
Air Temp: Highs were in the mid-high 80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 with good visibility.
Tides: High tide was in the morning at the beginning of the week advancing to noon at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Dec. 2
Barracuda and bonefish were the name of the game until three permit were caught, two on a fly and one on a spinning rod.
Anglers Roost Fly Shop from Ft. Collins, Colorado hosted a group of anglers this week. Our new friends were eager to trade in the snow for some bright warm sunny days in the Caribbean.
Gordon W. and David V., from Ft. Collins, Colorado wanted to test out Turneffe’s barracuda fishery and were not disappointed. Gordon, in addition to catching barracuda nearly every day, also caught bonefish and one day cast to a large school of permit. David could not get enough of the ’cudas and caught them each day in addition to some bonefish and jack crevalle.
Bruce S., from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and his fishing partner Steve H., from Miami Shores, Florida, are both dedicated permit anglers. Their persistence paid off; on Fri. Steve landed his first Belizean permit on a crab pattern. Bruce unfortunately was unable to connect to a permit; however he was in still high sprites from spending the week fishing with his friends.
Tom A. and Rich B., both from Ft. Collins, had a great week of catching bonefish, barracuda, and two species of jacks (horse-eye and crevalle). Rich caught the combination of barracuda and bonefish four out of the six fishing days. Tom caught, “A whole bunch of bonefish” then managed to catch a 20-pound barracuda to finish out Thursday’s action.
Micky F., from Cheyenne and his son Matt hung up their 5-weight trout rods and took out their 8-weights for bonefish. Matt landed his first bonefish, jack crevalle and barracuda to make it a successful week of fishing. Micky was appreciative on how his guide Charles worked with him to improve his casting techniques (double hauling). Micky also landed a number of bonefish through out the week as well.
Jim D. and Tony K., old friends from Englan, joined us on their annual fishing trip. Jim was excited to get out wading on the bonefish flats. He was not disappointed, catching a number of bonefish throughout the week. Tony also enjoyed chasing the bonefish, catching a number of them as well.
Mike S., also from Ft. Collins, was incredibly happy when he landed his first permit on Wed. Then to try and top that with a Grand Slam, he managed to land a bonefish, but the tarpon evaded him.
Ted B., from Orlando, Florida, and his brother John, from Lakeland, had a good time chasing permit and bonefish with spinning rods all week. Ted’s highlight this was landing a 15-pound permit on Thurs while John enjoyed the challenge of trying to maneuver bonefish through the coral mazes to his guide’s waiting hand.
Andy and Jean C., from Durham, NC, had an eventful week of casting to and catching bonefish. Jean caught an 8-pound bone one day, then followed it up with a 6-pounder the next. While targeting bonefish, Andy hooked and landed a 15-pound ray. He and his guide were both a little taken aback by this unexpected catch.
Bernie S., from Chicago, added a second week of fishing, sight seeing, and camaraderie with his guide.
Last Chance! As a holiday gift to our clients for the week of December 19-26 we are offering our $500 fuel rebate on any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. We are also continuing the $300 fuel rebate off of the weeklong Diving Package and the $200 fuel rebate off of the Atoll Adventure Package.
For information on these Specials, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
_____________________________________________________________________
November 14-21, 2009
Weather Conditions: A mild cold front, with winds from mostly from the north and northwest, made for finicky bonefish and permit. Late in the week the wind shifted to the east with bright sunny skies and improved fishing to end the week.
Wind: Out of the north and northwest at 5-10 mph most of the week moving to the east on Friday.
Air Temp: Highs were in the low- to mid-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 with good visibility.
Tides: High tide was in the early morning at the beginning of the week and progressing to noon at the end of the week.
Moon Phase: New Moon on November 16.
Bonefish were the name of the game during most of the week until two permit were hooked, and one landed, on Friday.
Rick G., from Florida, hosted another great group from the Sunshine State this week. Rick concentrated on permit and had numerous good shots, but didn’t land one. During the week he did land a number of bonefish.
John and Leslie H., from Ruskin, Florida, had great week fishing. John concentrated mostly on permit, but still managed to catch a 6-1/2 pound bonefish. Leslie didn’t fish but enjoyed just being on the boat and watching John enjoy his passion.
Ben and Sue E., North Augusta, Florida, had thought of visiting Turneffe Flats for years and finally made it. Ben, a well-traveled and seasoned angler, commented on how much he enjoyed seeing Turneffe Atoll and Turneffe Flats. Ben concluded each day by saying “It was a great day.” Sue, also a dedicated angler, was enthused about the fishing and felt that she learned a lot from her guide, Michael.
Les F., Longboat Key, Florida, was thrilled to be back here a second time to fish for permit. The permit eluded him once again, but Les fought through the pain of a sore knee and caught bonefish while wading with his guide.
John L. from Bradenton, Florida, briefly hooked two permit, but landed neither. Nonetheless, he was enthusiastic about catching bonefish throughout the week.
Joe B., Sarasota, Florida, was delighted to catch three different species of snapper, two different species of jacks and barracuda, bonefish, and grunts in one day then followed that up by landing six more species the following day including the targeted species - bonefish.
Fen S., from New Mexico, took advantage of Turneffe Flats’ flexibility by enjoying some Scuba Diving as well. Fen dove a couple of mornings then spent the rest of his day diving. Fen’s wife, JoAnn, had a wonderful time enjoying our Atoll Adventure program with Abel.
John M., owner and operator of Stuart Fly Fishing guide service in Florida, brought a group of Floridians including Rob A., Twig and Jean T., Jim S. and Texan, Charles S. John, a well known photographer with a recent cover photo in Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine , commenting on how beautiful Turneffe Atoll is and took many photos including some of Rob casting to a golden bonefish. On his last day of fishing, Rob landing his first permit on the flats while wading.
Twig and Jean, from Pompano Beach, Fl, being experienced saltwater anglers, targeted multiple species during the week from snappers to jacks. Each of their days also included time fishing for bonefish and permit.
Jim North, from Palm Beach, Fl, was anxious for his son to experience his first saltwater trip in the last decade and Charles’s casting improved greatly over the week with the help of his guide, also named Charles. Jim commented on the number of bonefish on the flats, and enjoyed fishing to the more challenging fish.
Alan F., from Utah, and Tony B., from New York, took advantage of Turneffe Flats’ unique Combination Package (Fishing and Diving). Alan enjoyed casting to permit and had some “lookers” but none ate his crab pattern. Tony enjoyed wading for bonefish and landed fish while fishing on his own in front of the lodge.
Better hurry! As a holiday gift to our clients for the week of December 19-26 we are offering our $500 fuel rebate on any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. We are also continuing the $300 fuel rebate off of the weeklong Diving Package and the $200 fuel rebate off of the Atoll Adventure Package.
For information on these Specials, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
___________________________________________________________________________
November 7-14, 2009
Weather Conditions: Sunny skies during the beginning and end of the week with periods of showers during the middle of the week.
Wind: Winds were 5-10 mph out of the northwest the beginning of the week moving to the east at the end of the week .
Air Temp: Mid- to low- 80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-83 with good visibility.
Tides: Low tide mid morning at the beginning of the week to early afternoon late in the week.
Moon Phase: Last Quarter on November 9.
Country Pleasure’s Fly Shop hosted a group of anglers from Calgary, Alberta Canada this week. Our Canadian guests were eager to escape the inevitable incoming cold weather and enjoy some time chasing fish in the warm Caribbean waters around Turneffe Atoll.
Raza T. and Jim D. enjoyed catching bonefish as well as some of the alternative species that call Turneffe home. In one day, the angling duo caught several different species on the fly. Perhaps Jim’s highlight came when he did battle with a large barracuda that twisted his 3/0 hook with ease. Jim kept the hook as a trophy and reminder about the large fish that got away.
John N. and Brad S. had several shots at permit throughout the week. Although they placed the fly well the fish played hard to catch.
Dee C. and Bob K. managed to hook a nice permit on the last day of their trip. They had the fish right next to the boat before the tippet broke and the permit swam away to be fished another day.
Kevin S. and Frank S. were excited to pursue permit and fish for bonefish as a bonus. On their last day on the water, they hooked a permit that spit the hook. They did catch several “bonus” bonefish during the week and even did some sight casting to jacks.
Brian L., on his first flats fishing trip, landed his first -ever bonefish on the fly followed closely by his second and third. He was extremely excited to advance his skills each day with the help of his guide. By the middle of the week he was able to read bonefish better than he expected as well as utilize his improved casting ability.
Another group, led by Mark H., from Ontario, Canada, utilized Turneffe Flat’s unique combination package that allowed them to do a combination of fishing and diving during the week. The group enjoyed doing morning dives and afternoon fishing on the flats with their guides who picked them up at the dive boat just before lunchtime. Perhaps the highlight of the week came when Nick F. and Mark caught their first bonefish ever and even had many shots at permit during the last two days of fishing.
2-for-1 Special is nearly over: Our 2-for-1 Fishing Special will continue through the week of Dec.12-19. The 2-for-1 Fishing Special is where two anglers traveling together sharing a room, boat and guide can visit for the same price as one Single Supplement Angler, $5,146.17. The rate per-person on this special comes to $2,573.09, all taxes included.
Better hurry! As a holiday gift to our clients for the week of December 19-26 we are offering our $500 fuel rebate on any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. We are also continuing the $300 fuel rebate off of the weeklong Diving Package and the $200 fuel rebate off of the Atoll Adventure Package.
For information on these Specials, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
____________________________________________________________________________
November 1-7, 2009
Weather Conditions: Unusual rains and higher than normal winds during the middle part of the week followed by sunny skies and lower winds on Fri.
Wind: Winds out of the east and northeast 5-15 mph.
Air Temp: Mid- to low-80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees with fair visibility.
Tides: Low tide in the early morning followed by high tide around mid-day.
Moon Phase: Full moon on November 2.
Bill P. and his son John joined us from Scotland on John’s first saltwater fishing experience. They landed bonefish each day and had shots at permit on most days. Landing a 30-plus pound barracuda during their last minutes of fishing was a great way to end their week.
Fly Odyssey brought a group from the U.K. consisting of Bill P., John O., Alan C., Phillip G., Nick L., and Sean C., all from greater London. Phillip was pleased to buy a round of drinks for the entire lodge after landing his first permit. His fishing partner Alan reveled in Phillip’s success by landing multiple large bonefish that day. Bill and John enjoyed the variety of species that they could catch in a day. Landing bonefish, snapper, barracuda, and having shots at permit in a single day. Nick enjoyed wading the ocean side flats casting to and landing bonefish. Sean, return guest that he is, was anxious to get out on the flats and do battle with some bonefish, he was not disappointed. Each day he enjoyed catching bonefish along with hunting and stalking permit.
Jim and Cindy K., from Florida, enjoyed their second trip here in the last three years. Cindy worked with her guide to out-fish Jim during the latter part of the week. Jim, not to be out done by Cindy, caught a permit while wading.
Newly-weds from Washington Marty and Kristi R. had their introduction to the wonderful world of saltwater flats fishing. Both landed their first bonefish ever.
A group from North Carolina consisting of Woody W., Ross T., Ginger S., and Craig F., had a terrific introduction to Turneffe Flats. Ross and Woody, being avid saltwater anglers, had an amazing time casting to and landing bonefish each day. They also had multiple shots at permit each day they targeted them. Ginger impressively landed a near double digit bonefish on her last day fishing. Craig also had a fantastic week catching bonefish, but perhaps his greatest enjoyment was seeing Ginger land her impressive catch on their final day of fishing.
____________________________________________________________________________
October 24-31, 2009
Weather Conditions: The beginning of the week consisted of sunny skies with a light breeze. Toward the end of the week the wind increased with gusts up to 20 mph with sunny weather.
Wind: Winds out of the east/southeast at 10-15 mph with unusually high gusts around 20mph toward the end of the week.
Air Temp: Mid- to high- 80s all week.
Water Temp: 80-81 with good visibility.
Tides: Low tide around noon with high tide in the early evening
Moon Phase: First quarter on Sunday, October 25
Bonefish predominated, but a couple of large barracuda on 6-weght rods; and two permit - hooked, but not landed - definitely stole the thunder for the week. The scorecard:
Paul T., from Florida, and Paul M., from Nevada, caught several large bonefish including a six pounder. Along with bonefish they managed to land a couple of large barracuda, which tested the limits of their 6-weight rods, line and backing.
Rivers Edge Fly Shop brought a group consisting of Steve S., from Montana, Don C., from Virginia, Neil S., from Indiana, Dewey B., from Colorado; Neil S., David G., and Warren V., also from Indiana. The group had a terrific time wading for bonefish on the flats. Steve and Dewey both managed to hook and fight two before they came unbuttoned. They also caught a couple large bonefish in the 6-8 pound range during the latter part of the week.
Another group, lead by Lonnie A., from Idaho, had shots at bonefish and permit during the week. Mary O., from Mass., had what she claimed as “a spiritual fishing experience” when she cast to an extremely rare “Golden Bonefish.”
Bob K. and Skip M., from California, enjoyed catching bonefish and barracuda throughout the week. Shelly B., from Idaho, hooked and fought a bonefish in the latter part of the week that was estimated to be in the double-digit weight range. Dee Dee M. and Noel G., from Calif., on their first saltwater fishing trip. managed to catch their first bonefish as well as several more throughout the week. Linda C., from Mass. and Kim H., from Maine, targeted permit each morning and bonefish in the afternoon. They had permit shots each morning, but could not find any willing takers. However, bonefish in the afternoon were willing to cooperate.
2-for-1 Special: Our 2-for-1 Fishing Special will continue through the week of Dec.
12-19. The 2-for-1 Fishing Special is where two anglers traveling together sharing a room, boat and guide can visit for the same price as one Single Supplement Angler, $5,146.17. The rate per-person on this special comes to $2,573.09, all taxes included.
As a holiday gift to our clients; for the week of December 19-26 we are offering our $500 fuel rebate on any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. We are also continuing the $300 fuel rebate off of the weeklong Diving Package and the $200 fuel rebate off of the Atoll Adventure Package.
For information on these Specials, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
____________________________________________________________________________
October 3-10, 2009
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny skies during with occasional showers in the early to late evening.
Wind: Winds out of the east/southeast at 5-15 mph.
Air Temp: Mid- to high-80s all week
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees with good visibility
Tides: Low tide in the early morning followed by high tide in the mid morning with an additional low in the early evening.
Moon Phase: Full moon on October 4
Jessica and Doug C., from Oregon, spent their fifth wedding anniversary at Turneffe Flats, celebrating with the schools of bonefish that call Turneffe home. Jessica, a relatively new saltwater angler, caught her first-ever bone on Sun. followed by several more over the course of the week. As her skills progressed, so did her intensity of angling. Jessica has a true casting gift and we hope to see her on the flats soon. Doug also caught several bonefish during the week; the largest about five pounds. He also had several shots at permit, but they would not take the fly.
Martin F., from Aspen, Colo., had his highlight day on Fri. when he caught a very nice permit. Martin explained, “They always eat on the last cast, whether it’s the first or two hundred and first. Permit are a challenge and the fish around Turneffe are something to talk about.” Martin also caught bonefish on the flats. He explained that the bonefish were unique on Turneffe’s flats and hunting them was an experience he wouldn’t forget. We also look forward to Martin’s return in the near future.
As a holiday gift to our clients; for the week of December 19-26 we are offering our $500 fuel rebate on any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. We are also continuing the $300 fuel rebate off of the weeklong Diving Package and the $200 fuel rebate off of the Atoll Adventure Package.
For information on these Specials, reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any fishing questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
____________________________________________________________________________
September 26 to October 3, 2009
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and beautiful weather all week
Winds: East/southeast at 0-10.
Air Temp: High 80s to low 90s all week.
Water Temp: 83-85 Degrees with good to good visibility
Tides: Rising tide late AM and early PM.
Moon Phase: Full moon Oct 4th.
Conditions were perfect this week with a light southeast breeze and great tides. Officially no anglers were here to enjoy these great conditions as we continued renovations and remodeling of our cabanas; however, one of our diving guests, Neal M., from Beverly Shores, Idaho, is a fly-fisherman who really wanted to try some bonefishing. Neal spent a day and a half fishing the flats with our dive boat captain, Charles, who has been training as a fly-fishing guide for the past year. Neal and Charles both did a great job resulting in several bonefish and Neal indicating that he will be back to fish and dive next time.
Check out our Christmas Week Special with a $500 fuel rebate for anglers and a $200 rebate for Atoll Adventurers.
For reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
____________________________________________________________________________
September 19-26, 2009
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny skies and nice weather with more wind Thurs. and Fri.
Winds: East/southeast at 0-5 early and 10-15 late in the week. Air Temp: High 80s to low 90s all week.
Water Temp: 81-83 Degrees with good to excellent visibility
Tides: High tides in the mid- to late-morning through the week.
Moon Phase: First Quarter on Friday.
Our two anglers this week, Ben and Kim K., from Charlotte, NC pretty much had the entire atoll to themselves, which was ideal as this was their first flats fishing experience. Both Kim and Ben earned high marks at Pops’ School of Bonefishing, quickly graduating from Bonefish 101 to a more advanced course and landing several dandies on the flats over their first four days. This was particularly rewarding as they used some beautifully-tied bonefish flies from their 9 year-old son Brian. Brian also tied some impressive looking Merkins which his father used to land two nice permit.
The weather deteriorated a bit the last two days with 10-15 MPH wind, so Ben and Kim decided to try their luck tarpon fishing in the creeks. Kim briefly hooked a tarpon, but otherwise none were jumped.
It was a pleasure seeing Ben and Kim enjoy their first flats experience and hopefully it won’t be the last; and, I think the fly-fishing world will see more from son Brian.
As a gift, during the Holiday Week of Dec. 19-26 we are offering a $500 fuel rebate off any weeklong fishing or combination (fishing and diving) package. For non-angling travelers, we are also extending the $300 fuel rebate on the weeklong diving package and the $200 fuel rebate on the weeklong Atoll Adventure package.
2-for-1 Special: Our 2-for-1 Fishing Special will continue through the week of Dec.
12-19. The 2-for-1 Fishing Special is where two anglers traveling together sharing a room, boat and guide can visit for the same price as one Single Supplement Angler, $5,146.17. The rate per-person on this special comes to $2,573.09, all taxes included.
For reservations, your free 30-minute Turneffe Flats DVD or answers to any questions, phone toll-free 888 512 8812.
_____________________________________________________________________________
September 12-19, 2009
Weather Conditions: Beautiful Weather all week but hot and muggy when the breeze dropped
Winds: Winds out of the East/South East at 0-10 MPH Air Temp: High 80s to mid 90s
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees with good to excellent visibility
Tides: We had unusually high tides this week with falling tides during most fishing hours
Moon Phase: New Moon on the 18th
Jeff , Tommy and Cindy G., from Gainesville, GA, returned to Turneffe Flats this week with a group of friends and clients. A highlight of the week was Jeff’s first permit on a fly. Tommy had many good shots and a couple of “eats” but didn’t manage to land one. Cindy did some bonefishing and also enjoyed snorkeling and Atoll Adventuring with Abel.
Fishing was generally tough the first half of the week but both the bonefishing and permit
