Fishing Reports
Weather Conditions: Very nice early in the week but windy towards the end
Air Temp: mean temps hovered between 80 and 85 degrees
Water Temp: 81-83
Wind: 5-20 mph from the East and Southeast
Tides: High tide at 7:30 AM on the 6th kept high tide during the morning hours
Moon Phase: New moon on the 9th
Fishing this week was a tale of two weather patterns as we had 4 days of almost dead calm conditions to start the week with a gusty end for our anglers’ last two days of fishing. A total of 15 anglers chose Turneffe Flats for their angling vacation this past week; Seven of which were returning guests. We had four anglers land their first permit this week!
Proving that the family that fishes together, stays together, Gene and Michael R. of CO, met at Turneffe Flats by family members, Suzy and Jonathan S., of WA. This family of return guests, excited to be coming back for what was their 4th stay with us at Turneffe Flats. Fishing with guides Daniel and Michael, the anglers often changed angler pairings throughout the week and worked a bit of good natured competitiveness into their fishing day. Although the entire group reported seeing permit each day, Jonathan came out the victor as he landed the groups only and his personal first permit on Thursday with Michael. Turneffe Flats has become their annual angling pilgrimage and I’m sure we’ll see them again next year.
Pictures of Jon’s first permit and others from the week can be seen on our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turneffe-Flats/174002965953110
Tom and Mary M., of TX, visited Turneffe Flats for the first time. These two anglers arrived ready to tackle the bonefish and had dreams of permit in their future. Mary would usually fish the morning for bonefish, returning to the lodge for an afternoon of rest and relaxation while Tom would head back out for an afternoon of fishing. Mary was amazed at the number of eager bonefish and on Thursday morning had landed 8 before lunchtime. With guide, John’s, patient instructions this angling pair skills progressed as the week went on and skills culminated with Tom landing his first permit on Friday morning! Congrats Tom! On Friday morning, Mary also spent some time with our cooking staff learning to make empanadas, a dish she had struggled to make in the past.
First time flats anglers Nick F. and Jon G., of IL, had one heck of a trip here at Turneffe Flats. Over the first few days, fishing with Dion, these anglers honed their bonefish radar under near perfect conditions. Both anglers hooked two permit during the remaining days with each landing one. Both permit were their first! Their partners, Stephanie and Amy, enjoyed searching for Manatee’s with guide Abel and the Atoll Adventurers as well as lounging poolside.
Carrying over from the previous week, Jon and Estelle B. spent a total of ten days angling with us after travelling from Australia. Jon spent most every waking sunlit hour fishing the flat in front of the lodge before getting in the skiff. Although he had spent the previous week with guide, Willie, this week he fished with “Dubs,” and joined another return guest, Doug C. of CO. for part of the week. These two anglers fished for several days together, and split their day between bonefish and permit. Doug carried on with his stay after Jon left by focusing his efforts on permit. He spent much his days “on the hunt” for permit by poling the outer and interior flats. He reported that he “had his shots,” but did not get a permit to cooperate.
Angling legends, . Steve & Gina Abel of CA, joined us for another week at Turneffe Flats. They are many time return guests’ and have been visiting Tflats for over 20 years. They also brought angling friends, Greg & Tina S., with them to fish the flats for the first time as well as Diane and Bill C., who joined our Atoll Adventure program. The four anglers often mixed daily pairings and fished under the watchful eye of veteran guides, Pops and Willie. The anglers enjoyed walking the flats for bonefish and both Greg and Tina landed their first bonefish here during the week. Steve reported hooking several large bonefish on Tuesday afternoon and lost a huge fish as the hook straightened out after the fish ran around a coral mound while fishing with Pops’ We enjoyed hearing the tales of past fishing at Turneffe as well as the excited chatter of the stories from the present day from this group. We look forward to their return.
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April 28-May 4, 2013
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and warm with some hazy skies
Air Temp: Warm with highs in the mid-80s to low-90s
Water Temp: 80-82
Wind: ESE wind 5-15mph changed to ENE on Mon. and back to ESE on Wed., winds changed to North on Fri.
Tides: High tide of 2:07 pm on May 1 had high tide during mid-day.
Moon Phase: Last quarter moon on May 2
This was a busy and somewhat international week with guests from Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Father and son Gary and Eric T. of Colo. have fished, but both anglers had little in the way of flats fishing experience. They spent the first couple of days honing their skills on bonefish. With guide Dion, they switched to permit and mid-week and both anglers had landed their first. They then split their remaining days between chasing bonefish and fishing for permit. Pics of Eric’s first permit and others from the week can be seen on our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turneffe-Flats/174002965953110
Junichiro A. visited from Japan after spending a week tarpon fishing in Costa Rica. On Mon., he hooked a big migratory tarpon with longtime TF guide Capt. They played the tarpon, estimated at 90-pounds, for nearly half an hour before it surged under the boat and broke the line. Jun also landed a permit earlier that same day and they came very close to a slam. On Fri., Junichiro landed two more permit in the afternoon and ended his week by playing a large barracuda on Fri. afternoon.
Pat T. from Ariz. and Dan C. from NZ arrived via Cancun on Sat. to fish with veteran guide, Pops. They had great bonefishing, primarily using his Bitters pattern in amber and olive. They had a great time and were looking forward to using the skills they learned under, Pops in the future.
Jon B. and his wife Estelle traveled to Turneffe Flats from Australia to celebrate Jon’s recent birthday. His birthday wishes were answered on his first day when he hooked three permit and landing one. What a day! On Thurs., John landed his second permit, a larger fish in the 25-30 # class. He also enjoyed wading the “home flat” in the morning and evening, and landed several bonefish before getting in the skiff for his fishing day. Estelle enjoyed our Atoll Adventure program.
Return guest Adam T. requested TF guide Dubs on his permit mission. Adam arrived on Sat. and departed on Wed., spending nearly all of his time hunting for permit. He had many good shots and several “follows,” but no permit in hand. Three days was not enough on this permit quest.
Dubs then switched gears for the rest of the week to fish with Doug of Colo. and Steve B. of Me., both return guests who arrived on Wed. afternoon. They spent most of their time looking for permit and reported seeing a goodly number; all, unfortunately, with lockjaw. There were plenty of bonefish for both, however
Kirk and Jim H. from Ga. also fished Sat. to Wed. Fishing with our guide John, this father-son pair concentrated mainly on bonefish. Under the tough sight-fishing conditions during the end of the week, the pair made the best of the situation by fishing the flats north of the lodge and focusing on bonefish. They had their best fishing on the second day of the stay, finding a pod of cooperative fish.
Our four friends and return guests Ira I., Stacey G., Jeff M., and Howard G., brought “gifts from the East” each night at dinner to share with the entire lodge, in the form of babka, pignoli cookies, and halava. Hailing from the NYC area, the group rotated their pairings and requested guides Daniel and Michael. Howard and Ira had a “magnificent day” bonefishing with Michael on Mon. They even broke out a 5-weight rod to land a few bonefish. The group mostly fished for bones and permit and enjoyed looking for barracuda and jacks on the way back to the lodge each afternoon. On Thurs. afternoon, Stacy and Howard both hooked permit with Stacy landing his. It was good times for all with this group and we all are looking forward to their next visit.
Rod, Alice, and Clay M., all of NY, joined us here for a Wed. to Sat. stay. Clay is a fly-fishing guide based in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and he fished with guide John. Mainly focusing on permit, they had only marginal sight-fishing conditions with the haze and clouds. Rod and Alice used their time to wade the outer flats in search of bonefish and Alice landed her first bonefish with long-time guide Eddie. They reported seeing large schools of bonefish and enjoyed targeting them.
The only way fishing could be better is if you were here.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at www.T-Flats.com with questions or our DVD.
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April 6 - 12, 2013
Weather Conditions: Sun dominated throughout the week with a few clouds on Friday
Air Temp: Mean temperature in the low to mid eighties each day
Water Temp: 80 - 82
Wind: Wind from the ESE of 5-15mph
Tides: A high tide 8am on the 7th amde for high tides in the morning all week
Moon Phase: New Moon April 10th
Turneffe Flats had a slightly European feel as a world-traveled group of anglers based in London, England visited to sample our fishing. Coupled with anglers from the US, Turneffe Flats sent out 8 boats each day this week for a total of 16 anglers.
Bruce M. and Lefty W. of MI, wasted no time getting down to business fishing with Dubs. They have fished together for nearly 15 years and have stayed with us at least 5 previous times. Bruce’s landed his first permit on his on 3rd cast and the hot permit action continued throughout the week. They hooked permit nearly every day with Bruce landed a big fish on Friday afternoon to put the icing on a great week.
Doug P. and Malcolm H. of the U.K. fished with Daniel for the week. Malcom landed permit on consecutive days with his 1st permit on Monday and a second, a larger fish, on Tuesday. Doug and Malcolm split their time casting to bonefish on the flats and poling for permit. Malcolm landed his third permit on Friday!
Our European group of anglers also included Yves M., of France, and Duncan W., Gerry S., Alexander K., Andrew W., & Ronnie B., from the U.K. This energetic group of anglers rotated guides and fishing partners each day and were fishing with oft-requested guides, Michael, John, Capt., & Willie.
Yves, hooked his 1st permit on Tuesday fishing with guide, Michael. With the fly line sizzling through guides, they noticed a loop at the back end of the fly line which resulted in an “early release”. They poling after the school of permit and found the fly line… with fish still attached. While they were trying re-attach the line to the backing , the fly pulled out, leaving angler and guide with nothing but a good story to tell. On Thursday, Yves and Duncan had some good permit fishing with Yves landing his first permit! They spent the afternoon searching for tarpon, but to no avail. Yves’ picture of his permit (as well as other pics of the week’s fishing) are posted on our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turneffe-Flats/174002965953110
Ronnie had some tough luck in that he hooked several permit during the week but failing to get one to the boat. In addition to bonefish and permit, the group caught a variety of other species including snapper, barracuda, jacks and even a kingfish. The group relaxed post-dinner each evening with a sip of rum on the veranda.
John B. and Lenny B., of MI, enjoyed their first flats fishing trip fishing with Dion. They made progress each day and after beginning the week targeting bonefish, they spent the latter half of the week fishing for permit. Although they did not land the permit, they did report seeing and casting to fish, especially on Wednesday and Thursday. We hope to see them back next May.
Todd and Gary E., of WY, split their week fishing with Capt. This father-son duo had no prior flats fishing experience and they were anxious to spend time on the flats.. After bonefishing the first couple of days, they focused on permit for the rest of the week and reported seeing large schools of permit in the lagoon. Under the tutelage of Capt., Todd landed a very nice permit on Friday afternoon - his 1st on a fly. Congrats Todd!
Return guest Mark S. of TX paired with Geoff A. of MA, for the week. Led by veteran guide Pops, these anglers mainly focused on bonefish. They reported consistent fishing action throughout the week and also mixed in a bit of snorkeling and diving. Geoff spent part of his week working on his Open Water Diver Certification with Emi which he completed on Friday. Mark’s wife, Cherie, was part of Atoll Adventure program and also joined him on the fishing skiffs for an afternoon.
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March 16 - 23, 2013
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny
Air Temp: low- to mid-80s
Water Temp: 78-80
Wind: Winds 5-15 mph from the ESE
Tides: High tide around noon on the 16th, with an afternoon high throughout the week
Moon Phase: 1st quarter moon on the 19th
We had a nice mix of Turneffe Flats veterans and some first-time guests. Fishing was consistent with cooperative tides and weather.
Texas native Jerry B. landed his first Grand Slam with guide Daniel. He landed a total of three permit during his week and also targeted barracuda in addition bonefish, permit, and tarpon. Way to go Jerry! See and “like” Jerry’s fish here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turneffe-Flats/174002965953110?ref=hl
Jim P. of NY, who has fished with us many times over the years, stayed with us for two weeks to fish with Dubs and Dion. Jim spent the vast majority of his time hunting permit and had multiple opportunities, but no “eaters.” He landed many bonefish and shot some awesome point-of-view video of his fishing with his new GoPRo camera. He also saw a rare golden bonefish.
Scott D. from the Northwest Territories learned the basics of bonefishing with TFlats veteran guides, Willie and Pops. His skills quickly progressed and he landed several bonefish each day. His wife Yvonne was part of our Atoll Adventures program.
John and Marcia S. of NH and John and Emily S. of Mass. returned for their second visit. Fishing with Capt. and Michael, the family fished hard for bonefish and mostly waded the flats in search bones. John and Emily often broke up their afternoon with a quick snorkel during their fishing day.
Ed B. from NY landed several nice bonefish including a 6-pounder on his first day. During his first few days, he focused his efforts on bonefishing. On Wed., he was joined by Scott D. Scott proclaimed that he had no interest in chasing permit, but he would be happy to watch Ed land one. Ed joked that he was content with that arrangement and rose to the challenge, landing his first permit that afternoon. Scott and Ed finished off their week with a nice bonefish double on Fri. Ed’s permit can be seen on our Facebook page and was shared on the Drake Magazine page as well.
April D. and Tom B. of Colo. spent half the week here with us fishing for permit and bonefish. April landed her first bonefish with guide Michael and Tom primarily fished for permit. April also enjoyed spending some time on the Atoll Adventure boat.
Many-time return guests Florence and Rick M. of Calif. were back for their annual stay with us. Fishing with Dubs, they had consistent bonefishing and spotted permit daily.
If you haven’t already seen them, there are two very special magazine articles out about Turneffe Flats, the Turneffe Atoll Trust and our conservation work. Be sure to look at the April/May Fly Fisherman Magazine article by Ross Purnell and the Fly Fishing in Salt Waters Magazine piece by John Frazier. If either of those stories doesn’t get you prepped to come fish with us, you need to check your pulse.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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March 2 - 9, 2013
Weather Conditions: A cold front passed through on Mon., then turned sunny for the rest of week
Air Temp: Low 70s early in the week gradually increasing to high 70s
Water Temp: 72-76 degrees
Wind: Winds 10-20 mph from the North on Sun./Mon., with variable directions 5-15 mph during the rest of the week
Tides: High tides in the afternoon, shifting to morning
Moon Phase: Last quarter Moon on March 4
For upcoming tides and moon phases, go to http://destinationsbelize.com/belize-ti ... t-year.htm. They are for Belize City, but pretty close to what we get on the atoll.
February 23 - March 1, 2013
Weather Conditions: Sunny and pleasant most of the week, with a cold front arriving on Fri.
Air Temp: Highs in the mid-80s during the week; cooler on Fri.
Water Temp: 77-82 degrees
Wind: 5-10 MPH from the ESE, switching to 5-15 MPH from the NW on Fri.
Tides: High tide in morning with low becoming later in afternoon throughout the week
Moon Phase: Full moon on Tue., Feb. 26.
We had a nice group here this week, with some very experienced fishermen and a few new saltwater anglers mixed in. Fishing was steady, but the bonefish were reported to be a bit fickle at lower tides. We did, however, experience a Double Grand Slam! A cold front brought clouds early on Fri. morning and provided limited sight fishing opportunity during the anglers’ last day.
Return guest Matt T. of Oregon fished solo all week with guide Dubs. He exclusively targeted permit and landed four during the week. He also hooked and lost a couple of other fish over the course of the week and reported seeing numerous schools of permit daily.
First-timer Matt M. of Fla. and returning guest, Paul B. from Tex., combined diving and fishing during their trip while their partners, Jill and Jeanine, enjoyed our Atoll Adventure. Matt is an experience trout angler and caught his first bonefish with guide John on his initial day of saltwater fishing. The majority of Paul’s fishing was spent pursuing bonefish, but he also spent some time hunting for a willing permit.
Friends Dave S. from Tex. and Roger F. from Fla. primarily targeted bonefish. They fish together annually and have made multiple trips together. Fishing with guide Daniel, they landed a good number of bonefish and Dave had a brief encounter with a permit, but the fly failed to find a home.
Carl, Don, Doug L., Al L., Steve C., and Rodgers D. from Colo., the State of Wash., Md., and far-off Australia are experienced anglers who have travelled the world over. They take an annual trip and chose Turneffe Flats this year. They had mixed fishing over the course of the week primarily targeting bonefish and permit. On Thur. Steve had the highlight of the week, with a Double Grand Slam (bonefish, permit and tarpon twice!) fishing with Michael. The group also landed several other species including multiple barracuda and a king mackerel. Rodgers took one afternoon off from fishing to refresh his dive skills in our Discover Scuba course.
Rock and Whitney O., from Tex. and Hawaii respectively, came looking for bonefish. The father and daughter team started the week slowly, but progressed each day with regards to hooking and landing fish. Rock fished hard each day, while Whitney took in some of the other Turneffe activities including Atoll Adventuring and diving. Rock had a great shot at two tailing permit, feeding side-by-side, on Thur. afternoon while wading one of the ocean-side flats.
Fran and John E., of Alaska enjoyed fishing with veteran guide Pops. John is an experienced angler and former Alaskan fishing lodge owner. They had some very good bonefishing and John also hooked and fought a large permit one afternoon until the hook pulled loose. He was amazed at the strength of the permit. John iced his week with a nice pre-breakfast bonefish off the beach in front of his cabin. He hopes to bring a group of friends next fall.
Tom T. and return guest, Brian F. from Seattle, partnered to fish with Dion while Tom’s wife, Lynn, went on an Atoll Adventure. Tom and Brian spent the vast majority of the time bonefishing and split their time between fishing from the skiff and wading. Brian landed a large barracuda towards the end of the week.
There are two very special magazine articles out about Turneffe Flats, the Turneffe Atoll Trust and our conservation work. Be sure to look at the April/May Fly Fisherman Magazine article by Ross Purnell and the Fly Fishing in Salt Waters Magazine piece by John Frazier. If either of those stories doesn’t get you prepped to come fish with us, you need to check your pulse.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at www.tflats.com with questions.
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February 16 - 23, 2013
February 9 -16, 2013
Weather Conditions: Sunny and nice most of the week.
Air Temp: Highs in the low-80s all week
Water Temp: 77-80 degrees
Wind: 5-15 MPH from the ESE
Tides: High tide early morning to early afternoon
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Feb. 3
We had a very pleasant week of weather, aside from some strong trade winds, with some very good fishing this week. A highlight was a double grand slam.
Mark C. from Ill. mostly fished alone this week as his wife Kris elected to enjoy the snorkeling and diving along with her fishing. Fishing with Michael, Mark landed two grand slams which he finished with smaller tarpon from one of Turneffe’s many lagoon systems. Mark also had some excellent bonefishing this week.
Al G. and Stewart P. from Texas spent a good bit of their week chasing permit with Dion. Al hooked three permit and landed one. Stewart wasn’t as lucky with the permit, but had some good bonefishing.
Wolf C. from Cabo San Lucas, Mex. and Mark T. from Conn. had a good time hunting permit with Dubs. They both had excellent bonefishing with Wolf landing one 6-7-pound bonefish and many smaller fish.
Tony F. and Gerry M. from Calif. finished their 10 day visit fishing hard for bonefish and permit with Daniel. No 30 fish days this week like last week, but they both had great bonefishing.
Ed L., Cherie L., and Pat S. from Wash. were visiting primarily to dive, but upgraded to a Combination Fishing and Diving Package at the last minute. Fishing with old pros Willie and Pops, all three landed their first ever bonefish and hopefully will be back for more.
TURNEFFE FLATS honored with TRIP ADVISOR AWARD
Turneffe Flats Resort has been named a top honoree in the Small Hotel Category by TripAdvisor in its 2013 Travelers’ Choice® awards. The fishing, diving and eco-adventure resort was selected as the 6th best Small Hotel in Central America.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at reservations@tflats.com with questions.
February 2 - 9, 2013
Weather Conditions: A couple days of passing fronts on Feb. 2 and 3 intermittently produced squalls and passing clouds throughout week’s early days. The weather broke on Feb. 4 and the week ended with stable conditions: Consistent sun and variable winds.
Air Temp: 70-82 degrees
Water Temp: 72-77 degrees
Wind: From the E and SE ranged from light and variable to 15 mph.
Tides: Tides at the beginning of week showed a high tide most afternoons with the high exchanging into the mornings by week’s end. A minus tide showed at noon on Feb. 4, and the tide exchange was roughly 0.5 foot per day.
Moon Phase: New Moon on Feb 10.
After a front passed on Sunday, the weather broke with sunny days throughout the rest of the week.
Our anglers mainly concentrated on bonefish, although everyone had some daily shots at permit. Guests spent the night of Feb. 3 watching Super Bowl via satellite. Conch fritters were served with dinner at half-time.
Tony F. and Gerry M. from California had a great time fishing with Dubs. They have been guests of ours many times over many years. Tony and Gerry had good fishing every day, but Tony had one exceptional day with more than 30 bonefish one afternoon on the flats on the incoming tide. Lightly weighted Bitters in Amber and Olive were the flavors of choice that day.
Joe M., another return guest from Nevada, had plenty of good bonefishing with concentrating on some mudding fish in deeper water, primarily on an incoming tide. He also fished hard for permit, but didn’t manage to land any. He vowed to return for another visit to pursue the chase.
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January 26 - February 2, 2013
Weather Conditions: Overcast skies and a north wind Sun. morning and then sunshine.
Air Temp: 75-82 degrees
Water Temp: 77-79 degrees
Wind: 5 -10 MPH from the N early in the week and then 5-15 from the ESE
Tides: Rising tide in the A.M. all week.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on the 26th
TheJan. 25-Feb. 2, 2013
Jeff G. and Allen L. from Calif. spent the week with us on a Combination Fishing and Diving Package. Both fished and dove hard, then went home pleasantly tired. They had good bonefishing and plenty of shots and permit fishing with Willy. One highlight was their trip to Lighthouse Reef to dive the Blue Hole.
Ralph, Jamie and Cooper B. as well as North G. from Mont. and Ga. also spent the first half of the week fishing and diving with us. Cooper landed his first permit and squeezed in a Discover Scuba Diving Course as well. Ralph concentrated on bonefishing and Jamie tried hard to land a permit. He had one brief hookup, but didn’t manage to land it.
Barry H., Chip. B., Bill S., David T., David O., and Phil S., friends from Fla., Mich. and NY enjoyed three days of fun and fishing from Sat. to Wed. The spent most of their time either wading the flats for bones or poling for permit. David O. landed a nice 15 pound permit – his first on a fly. Everyone else had good opportunities, but no eaters.
Return guests Rick N. and Philip W., childhood buddies now from Mass. and Va., fished hard for bonefish and permit. On Fri., they decided to look for a tarpon. Their guide Dion located a small pod of fish and Phil hooked, but lost, a tarpon. Phil split his time between diving and fishing.
TURNEFFE FLATS HONORED
Turneffe Flats Resort has been named a top honoree in the hotel category by TripAdvisor in its 2013 Travelers’ Choice® awards. The fishing, diving and eco-adventure resort was selected in the Top Ten of all resort hotels, lodges and vacation destinations in Central America, said owner/operator Craig Hayes.
The TripAdvisor recognition is based on reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.
Turneffe Flats was cited for its outstanding service, value and quality.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at www.tflats.com with questions or our DVD.
For upcoming tides and moon phases, go to http://destinationsbelize.com/belize-ti ... t-year.htm. They are for Belize City, but pretty close to what we get on the atoll.
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January 1 9 -25, 2013
Weather Conditions: Rainy, cold and sometimes windy
Air Temp: 67 - 78degrees
Water Temp: 75 – 78 degrees
Wind: 5 -15 MPH from the N
Tides: High tide mid-morning to early afternoon
Moon Phase: Coming to a Full Moon on the 26th
After a beautiful week of weather last week, it turned cold and rainy this week. Both of our anglers this week were somewhat new to saltwater but in spite of the weather they did very well.
Dennis B. from Colorado and Jack M. from Nebraska had a great time fishing in the rain with Dubs. In spite of difficulties seeing fish, they had some very nice bonefishing and both landed multiple bones on the flats each day. Bitters and Gotchas were the preferred patterns this week. Both Dennis and Jack hoped to do more permit fishing but conditions just didn’t cooperate.
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January 12-18, 2013
Weather Conditions: Beautiful weather most of the week
Air Temp: 67-85 degrees
Water Temp: 75-78 degrees
Wind: 5-10 MPH from the E/SE until Thurs., then from the NNW 10-20 MPH
Tides: High tide mid-morning to early afternoon
Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon on Jan.18
We had beautiful weather and excellent fishing most of the week with several return anglers. A cold front entered the area on Thurs. with a NNW wind Thurs. afternoon and Fri. with less-than-ideal conditions. A crew from Cabela’s was with us filming a television show for the Outdoor Channel.
Charlie and Donna G., Maryland, returned to fish with Mike and had some excellent bonefishing. Charlie also landed the only permit of the week on Wed.
Earl M., South Carolina, returned for his 3rd or 4th trip over the past year. As usual, Earl fished hard for permit with Dubs. Although he had several good shots each day he was only able to hook one permit which resulted in a premature “long distance release.” Earl mentioned several times that he saw a number of bonefish that looked to be larger than 10 pounds and he landed a couple of bones near that size.
Greg and Linda M., Arizona, also returned for another fishing trip with Daniel. They maintained a leisurely fishing pace throughout the week, but managed to land their share of bones wading on the flats.
Brent C., Jason M. and Rick W., from Colorado, Mississippi and Arizona, filmed bonefish, permit and a variety of interesting aspects of the Turneffe Atoll for an upcoming Cabela’s television show. A couple of highlights were the time spent learning about the lobster fishing from a couple of local fishermen and the close-up underwater permit footage. We very much look forward to the show.
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December 29 - January 5, 2013
Weather Conditions: Several short rainy squalls passed through making certain times better for fishing than others.
Wind: from the E. at 7-12 mph most of the week. Some calm periods as well as brief squalls during the week.
Air Temp: From the upper-70s to the mid-80s.
Water Temp: 80-82
Tides: High tide from early afternoon to late afternoon during the week.
Moon Phase: Last quarter on Jan. 4
Everyone enjoyed a happy New Years with us this week. Highlights of the week were the first Grand Slam of the year, two nice permit and several large bones – a couple of 10-pounders. We don’t normally keep such records, but we think the Slam was the earliest in the year we’ve ever experienced one, which hopefully portends a great tarpon season.
Randy and Will L., from Colorado, spent New Year’s fishing while the rest of their family enjoyed our Atoll Adventure Package. Will spent nearly every waking hour during the week fishing and landed multiple species including a 15-pound Horse Eye Jack from the dock! On Fri., Randy landed a very nice 22-pound permit and then a bonefish and finally a tarpon to complete his Grand Slam.
Preston and Sam D., from Colorado, joined us for a Wed.- Sat. fishing trip. Pops put both anglers on large schools of bonefish everyday while wading the flats and they landed some large ones.
Andy P., from Wyoming, enjoyed fishing all week and his son, Trevor took advantage of our Combination Package enjoying both fishing and diving. Andy welcomed in 2013 by landing his first permit with Dubs; and Trevor landed several nice bonefish. Mostly they enjoyed spending the New Year Holiday with their extended families.
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports. Or e-mail us at www.tflats.com with questions or our DVD.
For 2013 tides and moon phases, go to http://destinationsbelize.com/belize-tides-next-year.htm. They are for Belize City, but pretty close to what we get on the atoll.
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December 22-28th, 2012
Weather Conditions: Calm and sunny most of the week with a mild “Norther” on Thursday
Wind: From the E at 5-10 mph most of the week briefly changing to the N Thursday, then back to the E Friday.
Air Temp: Upper 70's to the mid 80's
Water Temp: 80-82
Tides: High tide ranged from early evening to late morning throughout the week.
Moon Phase: Full moon December 28th.
We had a very nice Christmas week with a full lodge and a mixture of fly fishermen and spin fishers. In addition to bones and permit, a diversity of fish were landed including grouper, snapper, cuda and even a rare Christmas tarpon tried to eat a fly. Several anglers landed their first bonefish with us this week, and several permit were landed as well.
Christian M., from New York, an experienced permit fisherman, spent a good share of his time poling for permit with Willie. He had good shots at permit nearly every day and landed two, both on #2 Merkins. Midweek, Willie and Christian located a school of feeding tarpon and two tarpon tried to eat his fly but the line didn’t come tight. Christian’s also assisted his young daughter Aisha in accomplishing a “dock snapper slam landing a grey, yellow, and red snapper from our dock.
Donald K. from an experience fly angler from Ottawa, came to enjoy some great weather and fish for permit. On his first morning with Pops Donald land a dozen bones as well as a nice permit on a #4 Merkin. Donald had some exciting casts to a large feeding school of jack crevale and landed his second permit on day three.
Tom, Laurie Steve and Mike A., from South Carolina, took the lead of son Steve’s recommendation to fish Turneffe Flats for Christmas. While fishing with Daniel, Steve landed his first bonefish, a cuda, and a permit. Mike added a large black grouper and a big red snapper which were a nice dinner treat. Laurie and Tom both landed their first few bonefish as well as barracuda with Capt. Tom also hook, but lost, a very large black grouper
Jeff B. from Colorado, discovered the beauty of salt water angling this Christmas week while his wife enjoyed our Atoll Adventure package. Jeff caught his first bone on day one, and didn't stop there. Dubs also put him on a number of permit during the week, but didn’t manage to land one.
George B. from North Carolina and George B., Nate B., and Ben B. from Louisiana joined us for a family fishing and snorkeling trip. Though George and George spent a good bit of his angling time watching his grandchildren/children enjoy fishing, they both managed to land his share of bonefish.
Neville, Hilton, and David B. from North Carolina, all landed their first bonefish during their short Holiday visit.
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December 15 - 22, 2013
Weather: The weather was very nice most of the week with sunny skies and a mild breeze making for good fishing. A cold front developed on Friday bringing North winds and more difficult fishing.
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December 8 - 14, 2012
Water Temp: 78-80 degrees
Wind: 5 to 15 MPH from the E early in the week and the NNE late in the week
December,1 - 8, 2012
Weather Conditions: We had unsettled weather with N - NE winds most of the week. The weather improved for the last two days with the wind switching to the east. Temperatures were mild and generally very comfortable.
Air Temp: 78-84 degrees
Water Temp: 78-80 degrees
Wind: 5 to 15 MPH mainly from the NNE
Tides: Rising tide throughout the morning all week
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Dec. 6
We had a fun group of anglers this week with plenty of laughs and some John Prine tunes courtesy of Clell G. In addition, we had an important birthday party for return angler Jon T. Fishing was mediocre at best, with a persistent N-NE wind throughout most of the week. However, there was some good bonefishing and two “first permit” were landed. On Fri., the skies cleared and, as is sometimes the case, it was beautiful on departure day.
Dove G. from Ore. fished hard for permit most of the week and was assisted by her husband Clell, who graciously passed on a few fishing turns. On Fri., Dove was successful in landing a very nice permit – her first of many we hope. Clell had a couple of great bonefishing days and some permit opportunities.
We were privileged to be part of Jon T.’s birthday celebration. Jon had a great time bonefishing with Pops, landing several fishing each day including a couple of 8 pounders on Bonefish Bitters patterns. Jon had some good permit opportunities as well.
Jeff and Tina P. from Ore. spent most of their time hunting permit on the flats with Dubs. They had several good shots each day, a few “follows” and at least one “eat,” but didn’t manage to land any. Although it wasn’t fully verified, the word was that Tina spotted a couple of permit even before Dubs did. Jeff and Tina also had some good bonefishing between permit opportunities.
Evan P., a fishing guide from Mont., fished with Dion and new TF guide, Kimbral. He also spent part of the week enjoying some atoll adventuring with friend, Julia and our adventure guide Abel. Evan landed his first permit – a very nice fish which took a Merkin Crab pattern. He also did well on the bonefish flats, including the Turneffe Flats home flat. Julia K., also from Mont., took a casting lesson on the home flat and then landed her first flats bonefish on a flyrod.
Win F. and Mike S., both from Ore., landed bonefish every day and also took a day off to join our Scuba divers at Lighthouse Reef for the Blue Hole and some wonderful diving. Win and Mike also had several permit opportunities, but didn’t manage to get one to the boat.
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November 10 - 17, 2012
Weather Conditions: A mild cold front persisted throughout the week. Mostly sunny skies prevailed with winds from the North.
Air Temp: 78-83 degrees
Water Temp: 78-81 degrees
Wind: 5 to 12 MPH mainly from the NNE
Tides: Tides were unusually low with the persistent north winds. Low tide was in the early tomid-morning with a high mid-day
Moon Phase: New Moon Nov. 13
We had a great group of mostly return anglers this week. Bonefish and permit were the main targets and some big bones were landed. The permit enthusiasts had plenty of opportunities. Three permit were hooked, but only one was landed.
Earl M., from South Carolina, returned for his third trip this year and spent a good share of his week stalking permit with Turneffe Flats guide Dubs. Earl had lots of good permit opportunities and also landed some big bonefish.
Walter M., from South Carolina, shared a part of his week with his son Charlie. Charlie was new to saltwater fly-fishing, but he caught several bones and also fought and lost a large permit when his leader broke at his butt section. Wally landed his permit although it wasn’t as large as Charlie’s. Both caught their share of bonefish.
Matt H., from Alaska, and Chad M., from Idaho, fished hard all week targeting the home flat early in the early a.m. and in the evening where they caught some nice fish. They then spent the rest of their days fishing the flats around the atoll with longtime guide Pops. Both had good luck with bonefishing and also had some good shots at permit.
David H., from South Carolina, was new to saltwater fly-fishing, but learned very quickly from Dion. David landed several nice bonefish each day and also had some good permit shots. He hooked and lost one permit.
Jacques T. and Art H., both from South Carolina, have fished a number of places around the world. Art landed the only permit during the week and also caught a number of bones. Jacque had enjoyed some good bonefishing and hooked a number of nice fish. Art and Jacque remained a constant source of information around the dinner table sharing many good stories involving a lifetime of angling.
___________________________________________________________________________________________November 3 - 10, 2012
Weather Conditions: Windy and mostly cloudy
Water Temp: 78-81 degrees
Wind: 8 to 18 MPH mainly from the NNW
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October 20 - 27, 2012
Weather Conditions: Beautiful weather all week
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: 4 to 12 MPH mainly from the E and NE
October 13 – October 20, 2012
Weather Conditions: Nice weather all week with an occasional rain strorm.
Water Temp: 81 – 83 degrees
Wind: 2 to 8 MPH mainly from the E and NE
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Weather Conditions: Mostly nice with a few scattered showers. We had some N and NE wind related to an early cold front.
Air Temp: 82-88 degrees
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: 2 to 10 MPH mainly from the E and NE
Tides: Rising tide mid-morning through the early afternoon
Moon Phase: Last quarter moon on Oct. 8
The lodge had several experienced anglers this week. Bonefishing was good throughout the week and most anglers had plenty of permit opportunities.
David H. from Arizona finished his second week with us fishing with Mike. David spent time in the mornings fishing the home flat (right in front of the cabanas) before heading out with Mike for most of the day. He often hit the home flat again in the late afternoon where he caught several large bonefish and had daily shots at a couple of large permit that terrorized him all week.
Pat G. from South Carolina had a productive week of bonefishing with his Daniel. Pat fished by himself and had several very nice days on the flats. Pat has been bonefishing for several years, but declared this his “most productive bonefish fishing ever.” Wade fishing was his preferred tactic which he did for most of the week. In addition to bonefish, Pat got had some permit opportunities while wading.
Pablo N. from Chile visited us once again with his friend Veronica S. from Ecuador. Pablo is a well-known photographer and spent a good part of his trip taking photographs. He did, however, manage some bonefishing with Dubs and also had several good shots at permit on the flats. Veronica’s goal was learning to fly fish, which she did and caught her first bonefish with Dubs. We are anxious to see the photos.
Just about two months more of our Summer/Fall Special. These Special prices are in effect from now until Dec. 22; then it’s That’s All, Folks!
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax)
= $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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September 29 - October 6, 2012
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: 2 to 10 MPH mainly from the E and NE
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Weather Conditions: Sunny to partly cloudy all week
Water Temp: 80 – 82 degrees
Wind: Variable winds 5 to 10 MPH mainly from the E and SE
September 1 - 8, 2012
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees
Wind: Variable winds 5 to 10 MPH mainly from the east, southeast, increasing to 15 MPH late in the week
August 25-September 1, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny to partly cloudy for the week, occasional evening rain.
Air Temp: 80-92 degrees
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees
Wind: Variable winds 5 to 15 MPH mainly from the E and SE
Tides: Rising tides from late morning to mid-afternoon throughout the week
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Fri., Aug. 31
We had another good week of bonefishing with large numbers of fish caught including some big bones. Rolling tarpon were sighted, but none jumped. Two anglers landed permit, including John’s first on a fly, and one boat took time to target some big barracuda.
John and Nikki P. from Pennsylvania really enjoyed their week fishing with guide Daniel. They landed several bonefish each day including some of our bigger specimens. They also cast to permit every day and although they hooked a couple of fish, they weren’t fortunate enough to land one. John and Nikki also occasionally targeted barracuda and landed one fish close to 40-inches.
John F. from Florida and Scott S. from Texas had a great week fishing and photographing with guide Dion. John, the editor of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine, and Scott, a renowned photographer, did a little bit of everything, catching the true essence of the atoll. They landed plenty of bonefish, but spent a good share of their time targeting permit. Both landed permit; John’s was his first permit on fly. They took super underwater photographs of schools of bonefish and permit and also photographed some “texture” – plant life, marine life and some reptiles. They captured the true beauty and spirit of Turneffe.
Fall Specials
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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August 18 - 25, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny to partly cloudy, no rain for the week.
Air Temp: 82-92 degrees
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: Variable winds 5 to 15 MPH, mainly from the east, southeast.
Tides: Rising tides from early morning to late morning throughout the week
Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon on Fri., Aug. 24
Bonefish were still eating very favorably all week. Again, large numbers were caught by a small group of dedicated anglers. Very few tarpon sighted, none were jumped, but large schools of permit were found along the mangrove edges in the lagoon. The barracuda were also in abundance with several hooked and landed.
Jamie and Charles N. from Virginia, had a fantastic week fishing with guide Dubs. Jamie caught several bonefish every day and landed his first permit. His son Charles was the Permit King, landing three plus hooking a number of barracuda and landing three. He also had days of double-digit catches of bonefish. Snapper were also in his catch column.
Mario V. from Italy, had a fun week fishing with guide Dion. Permit were his target species and he looked for them every day. He managed to get into some schools and one large fish on the flat, but the ones he found did not cooperate. On breaks from permit hunting, Mario cast to large schools of bonefish, landing several for the week.
Please keep in mind that our Summer/Fall Special prices are in effect from now until Dec. 22.
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August 11 - 18, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny and mild weather with some cloudiness late in the afternoon with a few late evening showers.
Air Temp: 80 – 89 degrees
Water Temp: 80 – 82 degrees
Wind: Light winds 5 to 10 MPH throughout the week, mainly from the east, southeast.
Tides: Rising tides from noon to late afternoon throughout the week
Moon Phase: New Moon on Friday 17, 2012
We had a small group of fishermen who had a great bonefishing weeks. Also, several permit were landed. Only one tarpon was jumped and we had a good week for alternate species. Some large trigger fish were caught in the surf and several snapper and barracuda were landed in the mangroves.
Alex and Steven G., from Virginia, had a fantastic week fishing with Dubs. Alex had double digit bonefish days with fish up to 8 pounds. Steven jumped a 100 pound plus tarpon and caught four permit.. His new species on the fly was a trigger fish and he caught several along with barracuda and snapper.
Greg and Linda M., from Arizona had a nice week fishing with Daniel. Greg focused on bonefishing catching several nice sized fish every day. Linda, who was new to flyfishing, greatly improved her casting through working with Daniel. She was able to catch bonefish every day including one 7 pounder. She also lost one larger bonefish and also hooked a large barracuda which she broke off.
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August 4 - 11, 2012
Weather Conditions: The week’s weather was dominated by the threat of Hurricane Ernesto, which went ashore slightly north of Belize. We tracked the storm closely and did not evacuate due to the prediction of it being only a Tropical Storm or a Category 1 Hurricane. This turned out to be a good call as we really only missed fishing part of Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Prior to Ernesto, we had sunny and mild weather on Monday and Tuesday and fairly good weather on Thursday and Friday We did have a fairly high surge with the storm causing some beach erosion. Maximum winds with the storm were 15-20 MPH aside from a few gusts during squalls after the storm.
Air Temp: 79-87 degrees
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees
Wind: Light winds Sun. and Mon. at 8-10 mph from the East and Southeast. Ernesto brought variable winds, but nothing very strong. We had some wind gusts after the storm passed on Wed. and then fairly strong trade winds on Thursday and Friday
Tides: Rising tides from early morning to late morning throughout the week
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Moon on Thurs., Aug. 9.
Our group this week was primarily interested in permit and tarpon. Three anglers accomplished their main goal by landing their first permit. Probably due to Ernesto, only a few tarpon were sighted and only one was jumped. Bonefishing was very good with a couple of 8 pound fish landed. The mangrove action was also good for snapper and barracuda.
Joe I. and Ron G., returning guests from Colorado, fished with Dion. Joe and Ron caught several bonefish to around 5 pounds and they had plenty of casts to permit, but unfortunately didn’t land one.
Jordan F., from California had a good week with Daniel. On Jordan’s first day he had a great shot at a Grand Slam. After catching a bonefish, he hooked and lost both a permit and a tarpon. During his week, he nailed several bonefish including two very nice ones estimated to be about 8 pounds each. He also hooked and lost a couple more permit and threw to several rolling tarpon. He was able to get some nice under water video of the releases of his two large bonefish.
Motoharu T. from Japan had a good week fishing with Dubs. Moto, looking only for permit, landed his first on a fly on Sun. Although he only fished a short week with us, he hooked and lost a couple more permit.
Rob W. from Texas also came primarily to fish permit. He and Dubs had a successful week with Rob also landing his first permit on a fly. He also hooked a couple more during the week.
Mike M. from Ohio fished the week with guide John. Early in the week, Mike hooked many bonefish, but had a hard time landing them. By the end of the week he had the strip-set down and caught several bonefish ranging from 3-5 pounds. He also fished the mangrove and had a good time catching other species.
Summer/Fall Angler’s Special:
Great prices are in effect from now until Dec. 22.
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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July 28 - Aug. 4, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny to partly cloudy with mild winds
Air Temp: 83-92 degrees
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: Light winds most of the week at 8-10 mph from the East and Southeast.
Tides: Rising tide in the early a.m. throughout the week
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Wed., Aug. 1.
We had a small group of anglers this week who were primarily interested in permit and tarpon. Several tarpon were jumped and one large tarpon was landed. Another angler accomplished his main goal of landing his first permit. The mangrove action was also very good with several snapper and barracuda landed. Bonefish action, as always, was pretty good.
Tim and Valarie L. from Virginia had a great week fishing with guide Dion. Valarie caught several bonefish and also landed barracuda and some very nice snapper along the mangroves. Tim had several permit eat and landed his first – a nice 15-pound specimen. He also caught several nice-sized bonefish and had good fishing for barracuda and snapper.
Return guest Frank R. from Tennessee came primarily to fish for tarpon. He and longtime guide Dubs had a successful week, with Frank landing his first large tarpon on fly – a 130-pound fish that took him two hours to land. He also jumped several other tarpon during the week. When he wasn’t concentrating on tarpon, Frank landed several nice bonefish between 3- and 5-pounds. He had shots at permit, but couldn’t get any to eat.
If a shot at tarpon on the fly is on your bucket list of things to do before you can no longer do them, this has been a great season at Turneffe Flats. In addition to the ones jumped or landed, we’re seeing lots of fish rolling in the channels just a short run from the lodge
The Summer and Fall Angler’s Special
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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July 21 - 28, 2012
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny with some rain, mostly at night.
Air Temp: 75– 85 degrees
Water Temp: 80 – 85 degrees
Wind: mild ESE breeze most of the week with one windy day.
Tides: Late morning to early afternoon rising tide all week
Moon Phase: First Quarter, July 26th
We had a small group of anglers this week with a couple of new saltwater anglers. Most anglers spent a good share of their time fishing for bonefish while learning about saltwater casting, seeing the nervous water and developed their fish-spotting skills. Everyone had multiple bonefishing opportunities with all anglers also landing their first permit.
Josh R and Andrea M., from Mexico, had a good time fishing with Dion. They started the week wading for bonefish and landed several, including one 10 pounder. Josh also had multiple opportunities for permit and caught a nice 25 pound fish.
Return guest Paul H., from Florida and son Jeffrey H., from Pennsylvania, had an excellent week fishing with Dubs. They spent quite a bit of time fishing for bonefish and landed several. They were, however, more interested in permit and tarpon. Both landed a permit but they didn’t have any luck with the tarpon, although the saw several. Jeff also had some fun fishing for barracuda.
Successful flies this week for bonefish were the “Pops Bitters” Crazy Charlie’s, Micro crabs in tan. Permit flies getting action were the Del Brown Merkin, Rag Head Crabs and EP Descendant Crabs.
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July 14 -21, 2012
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny with a couple early morning rains.
Air Temp: ranged between 76 – 84 degrees
Water Temp: Between 75 – 83 degrees
Wind: Moderate breezed from the E and SE for most of the week with one windy day.
Tides: Early morning rising tide all week.
Moon Phase: New Moon, July 19th
It was an exceptional week with four guests landing their first bonefish and bonefishing by the other anglers being pretty good. Throughout the week, the anglers had good opportunities at permit with total of eight permit landed. The tarpon fishing continued to be good with several big fish jumped and three landed - one more than 125 pounds.
Capt. Dexter S., from Florida, had an exceptional week fishing with Dion. One of the better known guides in the Florida Keys, Dexter again brought and great group of his clients to fish with us.. He dedicated his fishing week primarily to stalking permit and hooked seven. Dexter enjoyed fishing with several different anglers in his group during the week.
Father and son Bob and Dave V., from New York, had an excellent week fishing with Dubs. This was Bob and Dave’s their first salt water fly fishing trip together with Dave landing his first bonefish, permit and tarpon on a fly. Bob had a great time watching Dave land the big three and also landed a nice permit and a tarpon weighing a little more than 125 pounds.
Gerhard V., from South Africa, had a super time fishing with Mike. Gerhard landed his first bonefish as well as several others and had several good shots at tarpon and permit. He spent most evenings fishing off the dock landing jacks, snappers and barracuda.
Mario C., from British Columbia, fished only two days with us but managed to hook and land a large tarpon. He also had a good time fishing the creeks, channels and flats on the Turneffe Atoll.
Pete P. and Kelly K., from Colorado, visited us for a second time to fish with Daniel and John. Kelly landed her first bonefish on a fly followed by several others. Pete landed several bonefish including a large fish that was weighed close to 10 pounds. He also had multiple permit opportunities permit and caught a large fish weighing around 25 pounds.
Bill W. Sr., Bill W. Jr. and Katherine W., from Florida, fished the week with Eddie. The bonefish were plentiful and they took advantage of it by investing most of their time hunting larger bonefish. They also had some good shots at permit but could not get any eats. This was Billy Jrs. first salt water fly fishing trip and he landed his first bonefish and several other bonefish on a fly. Bill Sr. and Katherine had a good week and concentrated on bonefishing.
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July 1– 6, 2012
Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, some windy days with a couple evening and early morning rains.
Air Temp: ranged between 75 – 86 degrees
Water Temp: Between 81 – 83 degrees
Wind: Light to moderate wind gusting between 10 – 20 mph blowing mainly from the East and South East.
Tides: A high tide started on Sunday at 7:14 am and changed 40 minutes progressively to 11:33 am on Friday.
Moon Phase: Full Moon was on Tuesday July 3, 2012
It was a great bonefish week with everyone catching several fish, a few permit caught and tarpon were sighted rolling. The anglers were able to get a few tarpon takes and jumps, and one caught a tarpon close to 130 pounds. It was also an exceptional fun week with five father and son teams.
Chad and Doyle H., from California, had a great week fishing with Capt. Doyle was on a terror for the first three days landing a bonefish, permit and a 130 pound tarpon. His son Chad shared his time diving, but loaded up on the bonefish while fishing during the week.
Robbie and Bruce C., from Arizonia, they had a very good week fishing with Mike. Robbie had his lucky hat with him and he got into bonefish, his first on fly. He managed many more before the week was over. He also caught barracuda and some jacks on the flat. His Dad, Bruce, also caught several bonefish, threw to several schooling permit, but none wanted his fly offering.
Ken and Christina C., from Colorado, had a super time with Dion. Christina thought she would have to use a spinning rod for bonefish, but got right into them on the fly. She had a successful week while fending off the barracuda chasing her fish. Ken, who wanted to do a little diving, had so much fun fishing that he had to wait to the last day to get a dive in. He caught several bonefish, caught two very nice permit, lost three others and had a take on a tarpon. Next time he’ll have to book a little more time to work in his diving.
Tony and Sam B., from Illinois, this father and son team fished with guide John. Their fishing experience had been mostly with freshwater trout, but found bonefishing on the flats to be a very exciting experience. They caught several bonefish and a few were in the 4-5 pound range. They learned a lot about saltwater fishing and casting to these gray ghosts on the flats.
David and Brenda F., from Texas, fished the week with Danial. They were into bonefish for the whole week catching multiple fish most every day. They threw flies to permit schools and David managed to entice and catch a very nice permit. Brenda, also managed to catch a permit on the flat just outside of their cabana. Well done Brenda, those fish are tough! David and Brenda had a very enjoyable week catching those permit and many larger bonefish.
Dennis and James P., brothers from California and Oregon, fished the week with Dubbs. They tried hard to find tarpon, but saw only a few rollers. Bonefish were their best catches and threw flies at some permit schools. The bonefish were plentiful and they took advantage of it.
Scott and Joseph S., from Texas, were another father and son team and fished with Willie. They were an experienced saltwater team of anglers and son Joseph caught his first permit on fly. They both landed many bonefish and had multiple fish days, catching some of the larger bonefish. Dad, Scott, broke into double digit catches of bonefish during the week. They were also into barracuda and managed to land a couple. Joseph had a very tough time getting back on Ms. Ellie for the week ending boat ride back to Belize City.
Dan and Sam A., from Texas, yes another father and son team, fished with Eddie. They found the bonefishing to be a great experience, but found the barracuda’s to be a real thrill. Dad caught a 4 foot plus fish that gave him quite a ride. The barracuda were in trouble when these guys left the dock. Sam, like his friend Joseph had to struggle to get back on the boat to Belize City on Saturday. You could find him fishing off the dock right up to the time to of departure.
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Weather Conditions: Mostly nice sunny days with moderate winds later in the week
Air Temp: Highs mid- to high-80s
Water Temp: 81-83 degrees
Wind: Moderate trade winds from the East and Southeast
Tides: Tides were less than optimal with a rising tide during the day with highs from mid-day
to late afternoon
Moon Phase: First Quarter Tues., June 26
We had a fun week with two anglers catching their first permit, others landing tarpon and everyone enjoying the bonefishing. Some anglers spent part of their time targeting jacks, snapper and barracuda, landed a couple of huge snappers and several ’cuda. The tarpon jumped ranged from 40 to nearly 150 pounds.
Spenser and Sara P., from Georgia, had a nice week fishing with Dubs. They have fished for permit in a number of places around the world and Spencer landed his first one this week – a nice fish over 30 pounds. The cocktail hour toasts lasted quite a while. Spencer also landed a huge tarpon estimated by his guide to be around 150 pounds. Spencer and Sara saw an even bigger fish near the boat while one came over to their boat during the fight. Sara landed several bonefish, but didn’t have any luck with permit. They both caught barracuda and snapper to round out their week
Scott and Camille N., from Texas, had a super week fishing with Daniel. Scott landed a nice tarpon whose aerial feats were caught on camera by Camille. We are not sure who was more excited. Both caught plenty of bonefish, some over five pounds, and tossed to several permit. They also enjoyed fishing to big snappers along the mangroves.
Randy and Clara G., from the North Carolina, have fished many times for redfish and found the bonefish experience to be challenging. After the first day with Dion, they got the method down and caught several bonefish, a couple around seven pounds. Randy also was introduced to the language of the tarpon fishing with several looks, takes and jumps – “pure excitement!” Clara caught several bonefish, including one big fish, and lost one even larger. The couple caught many snapper including one nice cubera. The highlight, however, was Randy landing his first permit on fly on the last day.
The Summer and Fall Angler’s Special
It looks like the big tarpon and our summer/fall special arrived about the same time. Great prices are in effect from now until Dec. 22.
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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June 16-23, 2012
Weather Conditions: Overcast skies for much of the week with rain off and on.
Air Temp: Highs from 81 – 85 degrees
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees
Wind: Mostly light at 4-5 MPH from the E with some gusty periods from the N and NW
Tides: A rising tide through the morning most of the week
Moon Phase: New Moon was on Tues., June 19
We had a good week in spite of mostly overcast skies and generally poor visibility, making the permit fishing tough. In spite of the conditions, four permit were landed and several others hooked. Multiple tarpon were jumped including one near 150 pounds. Everyone landed bonefish with some fish well over five pounds.
Adrian L., Kim L., Chuck H. and Ryan M. from Alberta, had a super week fishing with, Daniel and Capt. They were here to film a segment or two for The Real Canadian Joe’s television show which airs primarily in Canada. Adrian, a very accomplished angler, fished hard for bonefish, permit and tarpon. He landed several bonefish, with the largest being 6-7 pounds, had good shots at permit and had some exciting moments jumping tarpon. He jumped several and lost his largest tarpon when his backing broke.
Chuck was the permit master this week. He has fly-fished in saltwater only a few times, but landed three permit over the course of the week. Additionally, he caught several bonefish and jumped a very nice tarpon. Kim and Ryan spent most of their time behind the camera and hopefully they will put a nice show or two together. In addition to the fishing, they filmed dolphins, manatees and a variety of other fun things around the atoll.
Enrico P., from New York, fished with Dubs as usual. Enrico, a very accomplished and master fly tier, concentrated solely on permit. Light conditions made it very tough and although he had a few good shots, he didn’t land a permit. He took what the flats gave him landing a few bonefish and also tested some of his newly-designed flies, which worked well for bonefish. At Turneffe Flats we are a big fan of Enrico’s flies as most of our tarpon landed this season have been on his patterns.
David N., from Oregon, returned to Turneffe Flats with his wife, Jean. Jean dove all week and David split his time between diving and fishing. He mostly hunted bonefish and permit on the flats casting to several permit and plenty of bones. On Fri., he also jumped a nice tarpon. David and Jean first visited Turneffe Flats many years ago and were thrilled to see former lodge managers Kevin and Tina Hayden, along with their daughter Lilly, who arrived for a visit on Wed. They had not seen each other since the early ’90s; it was a nice reunion for everyone.
John J. and Peter H., from the UK, enjoyed their week of fishing with Dion. Using both conventional and fly tackle, they managed to catch several bonefish and one permit. They also fished hard for tarpon, but didn’t get any to the boat.
Milton V. from Montreal fished with Willie and he was joined briefly by his son Gary who was here diving. Gary brought his father on this trip for his 80th birthday. Fishing conventional tackle, Milt did an exceptional job with the bonefish and also caught snappers and jacks and cast to a few permit. Tarpon were also on his wish list but, he didn’t have much luck.
The Summer and Fall Angler’s Special
It’s barely summer, but we’re getting numerous fall and pre-Christmas reservations for our Angler’s Special, June 23-Dec. 22.
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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June 9 - 16, 2012
Water Temp: 80-82 degrees
Wind: Winds 10-13 MPH mainly from the East/Southeast with high winds on Friday
Simon S., James F., James D. and Tom G., all from Atlanta, visited us for the last two days of the week to fish with Alex and Willie. Unfortunately, they ran into two days of marginal weather and had some tough fishing. Two of the group landed their first bonefish. They had some shots and rolling tarpon, but no eaters.
The Summer and Fall Angler’s Special is Officially Here!
June 23-Dec. 22, 2012
Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) - $3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package - $2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
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June 2 - 9, 2012
Weather Conditions: Our weather was mostly cloudy with periods of sunshine. We had unusually low tides related to the moon and a strong high-pressure system.
Air Temp: Averaged 78 degrees with a high of 85
Water Temp: 80 degrees
Wind: The wind was variable, but mostly from the East and Southeast.
Tides: Due to the weather conditions and a near-full moon, our tides were extremely low. We had a rising tide in the morning, but even the high tides weren’t very high.
Moon Phase: Full moon was on June 4.
Although the weather was less than ideal and the tides were exceptionally low, we had a pretty good week. Anglers had several good opportunities for permit, but they weren’t eating very well and we managed to land only one. Likewise, several tarpon were jumped, but none were landed. Bonefishing was often difficult with the unusually low tides. Some of the more productive flies included small and unweighted Pops’ Bitters, Crazy Charlies, Micro Shrimps and Micro Crabs.
Bob C. and Wendy O. from Kans. had a great week fishing with Dubs. Bob and Wendy dedicated most of their time to hunting for permit; they had several great shots and a couple of hook ups – but no landed permit. They spent the rest of their time fishing for bonefish, landing several nice bones.
John and Sarah H. from the UK fished with Daniel and spent most of their time site fishing for tarpon and permit. John landed his first permit and both John and Sarah landed several bonefish while wading the flats.
David H. from Ariz. fished with Mike and caught over a dozen bones to start the week. David also jumped three tarpon and then landed a Spanish mackerel, a nice mutton snapper and two barracuda. David also spent a sometime each day on the flats in front of the lodge where he had some good bonefishing.
Winner of the Costa Sunglasses trip to Turneffe Flats Deleigh H. from Tex. was accompanied by her friend and fellow Texan Hannah C. They spent a couple days learning about fly-fishing with guide Eddie and both Deleigh and Hannah landing their first bonefish on a fly. They then decided that they had enjoyed enough of the fishing and spent the rest of the week with our Atoll Adventurers experiencing the world-class snorkeling and eco-adventuring around the Turneffe Atoll.
Mark W. from Atlanta had a good week fishing with Dion. Mark, spent most of his time sight-fishing for permit. He had plenty of shots, but wasn’t able to land any.
Matthew and Lindsey K. from Denver fished with guide Alex E. Lindsey hooked her first bonefish on a fly while Matt had a good time watching Lindsey with her first bonefish and landing several himself.
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May 26-June 2, 2012
Weather Conditions: We had some rain showers early in the week and sunny skies mixed with overcast the last half.
Air Temp: 75-80 degrees
Water Temp: 78-80 degrees
Wind: Mostly mild wind from the Northeast early in the week and shifting to East and Southeast Tides: High tide at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday resulting in rising tides during the midday most of the week.
Moon Phase: First Quarter was on May 28
It was another great week of fishing. Nearly all of our anglers jumped tarpon and those looking for permit had plenty of chances with two of the elusive critters landed. Bone fishing, as usual, was steady with a couple of double-digit bonefish landed.
Long-time friends Terry C. and George R. from Colorado and Indiana had a Boat Grand Slam fishing with Dubs when George landed a tarpon, Terry landed a permit and they both landed several bonefish. They spent a good part of their week fishing for permit and had multiple opportunities, but only the one fish landed. Both Terry and George landed large bonefish and both jumped tarpon.
Ulf, Mikael and Matthias L. from Sweden had a great week fishing with guides Capt and Daniel. They concentrated primarily on tarpon with Matt, Mikael and Ulf all jumping several fish. Matt, however, was the only one in the family to land one. They all caught several bonefish and got some nice shots at permit with Matt hooking one that he wasn’t able to land. In addition to long days on the flats, they often fished until late in the evening for jacks and barracuda. They will be staying over for a portion of the next week and, thus far, Matt is in the lead to receive the family jacket for the best fishing results.
Doug C. from Colorado fished with guide Eddie. Doug spent most of his time bonefishing and landed several between 6 and 8 pounds. Doug also hunted for permit and had some great opportunities, but no hookups.
April V. and Ben from British Columbia and Colorado fished a few days with guide Mike. Ben landed his first bonefish weighing about 6 pounds; and April also landed several bones. They spent a good share of their time hunting permit, but the weather wasn’t ideal. Both April and Ben jumped tarpon and Ben had one a fish on for 15 minutes before losing it.
Father and son Robert and Eddie O. from California fished with guide Dion. They concentrated on bonefishing for the first part of the week and then spent some time looking for permit. They had several nice shots at permit and Ed managed land one on his second to last day.
Good friends Ed Z., Helmut A., James F., and Mike S. joined us for the second half of the week. They mainly targeted bonefish on the flats and ended up landing a couple of double digit bones.
Summer and Fall Angler’s Special.
Double Occupancy Fishing Package
$2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
Single Supplement Fishing Package (single room and private boat/guide) -
$3,808 + $284.48 (tax) = $4,092.48 per person
Combination Fish/Dive Package
$2,856 + $220.71 (tax) = $3,076.71 per person
Phone toll-free 888.512.8812 for space availability, reservations and up-to-date fishing reports.
For 2012 tides and moon phases, go to http://destinationsbelize.com/belize-tides-next-year.htm. They are for Belize City, but pretty close to what we get on the atoll.
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May 19 - 26, 2012
Weather:
We had some rainy (but fishable) weather early in the week and intermittent sunny skies the last half.
Air Temp: 80 to 86 degrees
Water Temp: 80 – 82 degrees
Wind: Mostly mild breeze - Northeast early in the week shifting to East and Southeast later on
Tides: Rising tide in the AM to just after midday as the week progressed.
Moon Phase: New Moon May 20th
It was a very good week of fishing but not quite as spectacular as the past two weeks. Several tarpon were jumped and two anglers landed permit. Bonefishing, as usual, was steady with a couple of double-digit bonefish landed.
Tom and Joyce G., from Oregon, had a great week with Dion. Joyce concentrated primarily on learning about all of the small creatures on the flats and Tom had a good time bonefishing and casting to permit. Tom jumped several tarpon early in the week, including three on day one, and also landed 3 permit during his week.David K. and Allen C, from Connecticut, fished with Dubs and concentrated on variety. They landed 8 – 10 different fish including a large red snapper that made a great dinner. David also landed 3 permit during the week and both had good bonefishing.
Chuck W., from Wyoming, had good bonefishing with guide, Michael, and also jumped one big tarpon. He hunted permit part of the week but didn’t manage to hook one. At one point, he handed his rod to Michael for a few casts and Michael hooked and landed a huge tarpon of around 150 pounds.
Wade G. and Luke C., from Tennessee, both enjoyed their first saltwater fly fishing trip. Both concentrated on bonefishing with Pops landing their first bonefish and many more. They spent some time looking for permit and tarpon. They had shots but no tight lines.
Mick and Scott D., from Michigan, switched between fly fishing and spin fishing during the week with Daniel. On day one, they jumped 3 tarpon and managed to jump a couple of more during the week. They also had some excellent bonefishing with both anglers landing large, double-digit bonefish during the week.
Chuck Y., from Alabama, visited the second half of the week for his first saltwater fly fishing experience. He caught on quickly fishing with Alex and landed his first bonefish as well as several others on day one. Day two was even better with a couple of nice fish on the flats.
All in all, another good week.
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Water Temp: 80 degrees
Wind: East South East for the first half and variable with some rain later in the week.
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May 5 - 12, 2012
Weather Conditions: Warm and sunny with a light breeze
Water Temp: 82 degrees
Wind: Mild breeze from the East most of the week with a 8-10 MPH breeze on Friday
Water Temp: 82 degrees
Wind: from the East at 5 – 10 MPH
Water Temp: 80 degrees
Wind: Predominantly WNW 10-15 MPH
Double Occupancy Fishing Package - $2,656 + $203.72 (tax) = $2,859.72 per person
April 7 - April 14, 2012
Weather Conditions: Warm and sunny with a light breeze
Air Temp: Averaged 81 degrees F with a high of 89.5 F
Water Temp: 82 degrees F
Wind: Dominating from the East
Tides: Rising tide throughout the week with a high tide around 3:30 p.m. by the end of the week
Moon Phase: Last quarter on Friday
The week was characterized by warm, sunny days. The prevailing breeze from the East helped keep the temperatures comfortable and did not affect the fly-fishing. Clear skies and good visibility made it worthwhile targeting permit on the flats. The migratory tarpon are arriving and numerous poons in the 80-120-pound range were seen rolling. The flats fishing was exceptional for bonefish with some nice ones landed by all the anglers.
Greg S. and John T. from California were teamed up with guide Daniel. Greg and John spent their week fishing for permit and had great success, landing five permit between them. This was the first time fishing permit for both. Greg and John also lost a few fish and this just made them hungry for more. Both guys also took some time during the day to snorkel and explore the surrounding area, enjoying all it has to offer.
Adam T. from Chicago targeted permit on the flats with guide Dubs. He was successful in his pursuit and managed to land two great permit in the 15- to 25-pound range. Adam and Dubs had some shots at bonefish and landed a handful, but this was not their main target species for the week. This was Adam’s second trip to Turneffe.
Bernie S. from Nova Scotia spent the second week of his trip with guide Michael, Bernie is a multiple time return guest and spends most of his days looking for tailing bonefish, reminiscing with the guides and spending time with his “adopted family” here on Turneffe. For Bernie, the fishing is always great and if you ask him he will tell you the same.
Long time friends and business partners Jeff C., Matt B., Allan P. from Toronto and Charlie P. from Chicago came on a saltwater fly-fishing exploration. They spent most of their time hunting bonefish and permit with guides Pops and Willie. They all landed bonefish and Matt caught his first. They found some schools of permit and had multiple shots. Matt and Charlie also spent some time trolling outside the reef for barracuda and other alternative target species.
Ralph L. from Alberta primarily dedicated his week to landing a barracuda on the fly. Ralph fished with guide Alex E. Changing his strategy throughout the week, he finally managed to land one and is determined to come back and try to land a bigger one. Ralph also waded the flats successfully for bonefish.
Californians Tony F. and Gerry M. fished with guide Capt. Tony and had a great week landing a handful of bonefish each day, plus hooking up with the first tarpon of the season – only to have it break off after jumping a few times. Gerry, not to be left behind, was on her A-game, showing that the bonefish can be tamed in her own way. Tony and Gerry also spend some time fishing outside the reef and managed to land a 21-pound black grouper.
Successful flies this week for bonefish were the “pops bitters” Crazy Charlie’s, Micro crabs in tan, and Christmas’s island specials.
Permit flies that were getting action was the Del brown Merkin, rag head crabs in size #2 and EP descendants in #1/0.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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March 31 - April 7, 2012
Weather Conditions: Hot and Sunny
Air Temp: Averaged around 82 degrees F, with a high around 86
Water Temp: 82 degrees F
Wind: Dominated from ESE
Tides: Falling tide throughout the day, with high tide around 10 a.m. by week’s end
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Fri., April 6
This week was characterized by another blast of warm and sunny weather. And, although tides were falling throughout the day, a lot of water remained on the flats. Anglers found large schools of bonefish, as well as many permit on the flats – including our great flat in front of the lodge. Bonefish were taken on Pops’ Bitters, Crazy Charlies, Micro Shrimp, and Micro Crabs, while anglers had success fishing for permit with Merkin and large crab patterns as well as large shrimp patterns. Our guests this week included multiple return visitors, as well as many Turneffe Flats first-timers.
Joel and Marla A. of North Carolina targeted bonefish and permit with guide Dion. Between the two anglers, they had multiple shots at permit, and landed three throughout the week; including Marla’s first-ever permit! Joel landed two permit, one of which weighed in around 20-pounds. They also spent a lot of time wading the outer east hard-bottom flats for bonefish with Dion.
Tunc and Nancy T. had quite an interesting week with guide Michael. When not chasing bonefish and permit with flyrods, Tunc and Nancy spent time hand-lining for barracuda and spin-fishing for large reef fish. The highlight of the week was when Nancy landed a 20-pound grouper on the outside of the reef.
Tor Inge D. of Norway dedicated most of his time on the water poling for permit with guide Eddie. An experienced angler, Tor was successful in landing his first permit. He also spent quite a few hours chasing tailing bonefish, and introducing his son, Frederik, to the sport of saltwater fly-fishing
George and Michelle C. fished with guide Daniel for the week. We celebrated George’s 83rd birthday on April 4, a day filled with bonefish for the avid and experienced angler. George and Michelle had a couple of days when they landed bonefish after bonefish with Daniel.
Fishing buddies, Roman S. and Martin B., of Slovakia and the Czech Republic (respectively), targeted bonefish, barracuda, and permit with guide Capt. They had many good days wading the flats for bonefish, and also caught a couple of barracuda, both trolling and sight-casting.
Joining us from Sat. to Thurs. were Ed C., Alex B., and Bud H. Experienced anglers, these three gentlemen fished with guides Pops, Willie, and Alex. The highlight of their week was when Bud landed a permit with Willie on Wed.
Mark S., and John and Kay S. were also on half-week packages. Mark fished with guide Pops and dedicated most of his time wading our expansive flats for bonefish. While he was here, he landed many bonefish, including a couple of large ones. John and Kay fished with guide Alex and also spent most of their time wading the flats for bonefish. Experienced freshwater anglers, John and Kay hooked into a couple of very nice bonefish while with Alex.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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March 24 - March 31, 2012
Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny
Air Temp: Averaged around 82 degrees F, with a high around 85
Water Temp: Around 82 degrees F
Wind: Dominated from E
Tides: Rising tide throughout the morning for the beginning of the week, with high tide around 4 p.m. by week’s end
Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon on Fri., March 30
Good weather and ideal tides led to a good week of fishing for both bonefish and permit. We welcomed back a few familiar faces as well as some Turneffe Flats first-timers. Bonefish were found feeding rather comfortably in large numbers on the flats; and permit were chased while poling the flats and in the Central Lagoon of the atoll. Most anglers had success landing bonefish on Bonefish Bitters (#6, 8), Crazy Charlies (#6, 8), Micro Shrimp (#8), and Gotchas (#6, 8). Hot flies for permit were Bauer’s Crab (#2), E.P.’s 3-Tone Crab (#1/0), and a variety of larger (#2-1/0) shrimp patterns. Most of the permit landed this week weighed in between 15- and 25-pounds.
Jim B. of Silverthorne, Colo., spent most of the week chasing permit with guide Dubs. After dedicating countless hours of tying new patterns and fishing various parts of the Caribbean over the years, Jim was successful in landing his first permit! In fact, he landed two for the week and hooked into a handful of others. On Wed., Jim was joined by his wife Dee for a half-week of fishing. Dee was able to land some bonefish in the flats while wading and also had some shots at permit on Thurs. and Fri. We would like to thank Jim and Dee’s fly shop, Cutthroat Anglers, for their business and hope to see them again in the near future.
Another fly shop owner and outfitter, Victor B., and friend, John S., fished a full week with guide Dion. There was no doubt Victor and John showed up prepared every morning, toting 8 rods with them on the skiff (there’s a great photo of John on our Facebook page). When they were not targeting bonefish or permit, Victor and John fished deeper water for snapper, barracuda and other alternative species. While on the flats, both anglers landed multiple bonefish, and John landed his first permit.
Longtime fishing buddies, Gary P. and Kim O. fished with guide Michael for the entire week. These two laid-back, fun-loving gentlemen enjoyed chasing bonefish on the flats as well as hunting for permit. Throughout the week, they landed many bonefish, and Gary successfully landed a nice permit.
Darrell and Linda W. also spent much of the week hunting permit, while with guide Daniel. Darrell successfully landed a nice permit, and both he and Linda had multiple shots all week. When not looking for permit, the two anglers waded the flats for bonefish.
Rob G. and John R. of California dedicated most of their time stalking bonefish on the flats with guide Pops. Each angler had success in landing multiple bonefish throughout the week, and found that they had their best bonefishing days on the northeastern flats of the atoll.
Greg J. and Bob M. spent the week targeting permit and bonefish with guide Willie. Longtime freshwater anglers, Greg and Bob learned much in their first saltwater experience. On Mon., Greg landed his first permit. Both anglers also chased tailing bonefish on the flats.
Joining us for a half-week of fishing were Sean D. and Allyssa L. of Silverthorne, Colo. They chased bonefish on the flats and permit in the Central Lagoon with guide Capt. Sean, Allyssa, and Capt. even found some large, rolling tarpon at the beginning of the week, which is an exciting indication of the upcoming migratory tarpon run!
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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March 17 - March 24, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny with variable winds
Air Temp: Averaged around 80 degrees F, with a high around 83
Water Temp: Upper 70s
Wind: Dominated from ESE
Tides: Falling tide throughout the day with high tide around 10 a.m. by week’s end
Moon Phase: New Moon on Thurs., March 22
This week, we welcomed back longtime friends as well some new faces. The beginning of the week was a bit windy; however, it did not stop the bonefish from feeding on the flats. As the wind lay down, fishing conditions were ideal by the end of the week. Anglers had success with our go-to flats flies – Pops Bitters #6, 8 (Olive and Amber), Crazy Charlies #6,8, and Gotchas #6, 8, as well as E.P.’s Turneffe Micro Shrimp #8 (Pearl/ Light Olive and Pearl/ Tan).
Tim and Joanne L., outfitters in Troy, Mont., have been fishing with us for eight years and it was a pleasure to have them back on the island. They devoted most of their time to hunting permit with guide Dubs around the cayes in the Central Lagoon, as well as around the southern portion of the atoll. Both Tim and Joanne were presented with multiple shots at permit, and also enjoyed chasing tailing bonefish throughout the week at Calabash. And, even though they were not properly equipped for the occasion, Tim, Joanne, and Dubs were fortunate enough to find some rolling tarpon while poling for permit. If these large tarpon were any indication of what’s to come in the next few weeks, we will be looking forward to an exciting and interesting summer season.
Another pair of TF veterans, Gerry B. and Tom U., spent the week on the flats with guide Pops. They enjoyed chasing bonefish on Grassy Caye and the northeastern flats as well as at Calabash. Although Tom took a day off to relax on Friday, Gerry had his most successful day of the week, in which he landed nine large bonefish.
Michael G., of Brooklyn, enjoyed his 8th trip to TFlats. Michael, along with his guide and longtime friend, Capt., dedicated their days casting to tailing bones and hunting for permit. Along with catching multiple bonefish, Michael and Capt. found themselves on a large school of permit for an entire morning during the middle of the week.
Saltwater newbie Mike M. fished with guide Michael for the entire week. Despite being new to the sport of saltwater fly-fishing, Mike had much success fishing for bonefish on the flats, as well as in some deeper pools along the eastern side of the atoll.
Keith S. and Dick S., of Seattle, Wash., spent the week with guide Daniel. Both Keith and Dick were successful landing multiple bonefish, and also enjoyed fishing for barracuda. We wish Keith (author) and Dick (editor) best of luck in the release of their new fly-fishing book.
Joining us from Denver, Colo., were Tom, Liz, and Matthew B. The three spent the week fishing with guides Dion and Willy, but also enjoyed a day with guide Abel and the Atoll Adventure. Tom, Liz, and Matthew were successful in landing multiple bonefish throughout the week.
It was a pleasure hosting many old friends, and also having the opportunity to get to know our first-time guests. We wish the best of luck to everybody and hope to see all again in the near future.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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March 10 - March 17, 2012
Weather Conditions: Warm and sunny with variable wind
Air Temp: Averaged around 79 degrees F
Water Temp: Mid-70s
Wind: Dominated from ENE
Tides: Rising tide throughout the day
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Moon on Wed., March 14
This was quite an unconventional week for us here on the island. We hosted a group of six families from San Antonio and had anglers of all ages. Anglers chose to both spin- and fly-fish, which led to a wide variety of fish landed. Permit, bonefish, snapper, grouper, barracuda, and various other reef fish were caught on a daily basis.
Not only did all 27 guests fish, but they also enjoyed snorkeling, SCUBA diving, and kayaking. It was a great way for everybody to enjoy all aspects of Turneffe Flats.
We had a handful of notable angling moments throughout the week. Ten-year old Henry T. courageously fought a permit for over two hours! According to guide Dubs, the permit weighed in at around 25-pounds. Henry’s tireless enthusiasm and willingness to learn led to a great week of fishing for the young man. Henry’s brothers James and Tommy also enjoyed fishing for permit as well as barracuda, bonefish, and snapper. Christine T., the boys’ mother, was successful in landing the largest barracuda of the week, weighing in around 30-pounds.
Harry M. also boasted a big permit day, landing three in one outing. Jay R., Bracken B., and Stella M., also managed to land permit throughout the week. Cecilia N. had an exciting day on Fri., landing 20 different species.
Tom H. enjoyed fishing with guide Dion and landed two permit on the fly on Wed. Tom, along with his wife, Elizabeth, son Thomas, and daughter Ceci, also chased bonefish on the flats. They also enjoyed SCUBA diving during the week.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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March 3 - March 10, 2012
Weather Conditions: Variable, with some rain at the beginning of the week; sunshine and warm weather by week’s end
Air Temp: Averaged 75 degrees F for the first half of the week, with temperatures around 80 from Wed. to Sat.
Water Temp: Mid-70s
Wind: Dominated from N and E
Tides: Falling tide throughout the mornings for beginning of the week, with high tide around midday by week’s end
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Thurs., March 8
At the beginning of the week, an unusual cold front moved through Belize which brought rain, cloud cover and some cooler temperatures. However, by the middle of the week, the front moved out and sunshine and warm weather prevailed. And, even though conditions were not ideal for the first few days, bonefish were found feeding on the flats – an appealing sight for our anglers.
Chuck B. of California dedicated most of his time to chasing permit in the lagoon and on the flats with guide Dion. The cool temperatures in the beginning of the week kept the permit in deeper water, but Chuck and Dion did not give up. Once the sun began to shine and temperatures rose, schooling permit were found throughout the Atoll, and Chuck was successful in landing his first and then second permit.
Return guests, Alan Y. and Cheryl F. of Calgary, Alberta, spent the week fishing with guide Dubs. They were successful in landing bonefish and had a few shots at permit as well. We would like to wish them the best on their month-long fishing tour of Belize!
Brian and Gloria C., who last visited us in 2000, spent the week chasing tailing bonefish with guide Daniel. They were successful in landing bones throughout the week; however, Friday seemed to be their most notable day when Gloria landed an 8-pound bonefish.
Pete M. and Ken H. of British Columbia also joined us for a full week of fishing with guide Willy. Masterful freshwater fisherman, Pete and Ken enjoyed chasing and landing bonefish on the flats and also had some shots at permit.
We also hosted a few half-week anglers this week. Adam R. and Cara F. of NYC fished with guide Michael and concentrated on fishing for the “ghosts of the flats.” Both were successful in landing numerous bonefish. Rick V. spent the first half of the week fishing with guide Pops. Rick had his mind set on landing a permit, but tough weather conditions kept him on the flats landing bonefish. And although he never got his permit, Rick had multiple shots on Tuesday.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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February 25 - March 3, 2012
Weather Conditions: Clear skies
Air Temp: Averaged around 81 degrees F, with a high around 85
Water Temp: Mid- to Upper-70s
Wind: Dominated from ESE
Tides: Rising tide throughout the mornings for beginning of the week, with high tide in the late afternoon by week’s end
Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon on Wed., Feb. 29
Ideal tides and clear skies led to some good fishing this week. Permit were found feeding both on the flats and in the lagoons; bonefish were tailing on the outer hard-bottom flats all week. Anglers landed bonefish on Micro Crabs, Micro Shrimp, and small Bitters, and had permit follow Merkin patterns as well as Micro Crabs.
Wes O. and Jerry R. of Colorado fished with guide Michael for the week. The anglers devoted time on the flats seeking out bonefish and pursued permit both on the flats and in the Central Lagoon. Wes and Jerry hooked six permit and also landed multiple bonefish. Hot flies for Wes included Charlies and small Bitters, as well as San Pedro Worms.
Mike B. of Chicago spent his week chasing bonefish and permit with guide Daniel. Mike was successful in landing his first permit ever on a fly! An experienced conventional fisherman, Mike learned a lot about fly-casting and presentation from Daniel, which allowed him to not only land the permit but multiple bonefish as well.
Also joining us for a full week of fishing was Dave H. of Arizona. Dave pursued bonefish and permit with guide Dion. Plagued by an unfortunate pre-trip back injury, Dave made the best of his situation by spending a lot of time casting to tailing bones on the flat in front of the lodge – and loved every second of it.
Chris R. spent half of his week fishing with guide Dubs and half of his week diving with Dive Instructor Alex. In his few days of fishing, Chris managed to land a permit as well as a handful of bonefish.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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February 18 - February 25, 2012
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Air Temp: Averaged around 80 degrees F, with a high around 84
Water Temp: Mid- to Upper-70s
Wind: Dominated from ESE
Tides: Falling tide throughout the day for beginning of the week, with high tide around noon by week’s end
Moon Phase: New Moon on Tues., Feb. 21
This week we spelled “Turneffe” – P-E-R-M-I-T! Anglers and guides found singles and schools of permit nearly every day, both on the flats and in the Central Lagoon. Not to mention, most of the permit caught were of substantial proportions, ranging anywhere from 12- to almost 25-pounds. Bonefish were also feeding readily in the flats throughout the week. Hot flies for permit were various shrimp patterns as well as the Turneffe Crab (tan #8). Anglers were successful with bonefish using Crazy Charlies and small Bitters patterns.
Anne B. celebrated her birthday this week by landing bonefish and a permit (while wading!) with guide Daniel. Anne was joined by family members David, Cindy M., and Marshall S., as well as David’s girlfriend, Lisa P. Throughout the week, the anglers also fished with guide Capt. David and Marshall landed numerous permit and bonefish as well as a snook. Cindy was successful in landing her first of many bonefish with Daniel, and Lisa landed bonefish and hooked a couple of permit.
Traveling all the way from Russia were Egor C. and Stas G. Fishing with guides Willie and Dion, Egor and Stas landed four and five permit respectively. They had most of their success with shrimp patterns, but also had permit eat Merkin crabs.
Our “characters of the week,” Phil, Joel, and Dave C. spent the week fishing with guides Michael and Pops. Joel was successful in landing a permit as well as multiple bonefish, and Phil and Dave landed bonefish as well as snapper and other alternative species. Joel’s daughter, Hali, also fished for one day and managed to land her first bonefish.
We also hosted a good number of half-week anglers.
Friends John R., Pete D., Bob S., and Dick C., fished with guides Dubs and Eddie for the beginning of the week. Each angler was successful in landing bonefish, and Pete landed a large permit on Mon.
Richard “Rick” E. of Vancouver, B.C., fished with guides Pops and Michael. Rick landed a nice permit on Mon. along with a handful of bonefish over the course of three days.
During the second half of the week, Greg and Will H. fished with Dubs. Both anglers were successful in effectively targeting bonefish on the flats.
Not only was this week filled with a lot of permit (21 to be exact), but also a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.
For fear of running on too long with this report, I will end by quoting our honorable guest, Phil: “Constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth can sometimes be fatal.”
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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February 11 - February 18, 2012
Weather Conditions: Warm and sunny with intermittent cloud cover
Air Temp: Averaged around 80 degrees F, with a high around 84
Water Temp: Upper 70s
Wind: Dominated from E
Tides: Rising tide throughout the day for most of the week
Moon Phase: Last Quarter Moon on Tues., Feb. 14
Another week of warm and sunny weather as well as good tides produced ideal fishing conditions. Large schools of bonefish and were found on the flats throughout the week. Permit were also spotted cruising the flats and schooling in the Central Lagoon. Anglers had success with our “go-to” flies – Crazy Charlies (Brown, White and Pink sizes 6 and 8), Pearl Gotchas (sizes 6 and 8), and, of course, Bonefish Bitters (sizes 6 and 8). We also had some anglers land bonefish on flies hand-tied by guide Michael.
Dave P., of Concord, NH, had a great week of fishing with Michael, landing many bonefish with a number of shots at tailing permit. Dave, who had previously fished for bonefish in the Bahamas, made a point to tell us that he had never seen so many bonefish as he did on our flats! Dave landed his largest bonefish ever.
Our other Dave of the week – Dave M., of Bend, Ore. – fished with guide Pops. Dave and Pops spent the week chasing tailing bonefish with success on the northeast flats of the Atoll as well as the expansive flats at Calabash Caye.
John D. joined us from Canada and had the pleasure of fishing with guide Capt. as well as one day with Pops. His first time ever bonefishing, John was successful throughout the week. He had the most success with Pops’ Bonefish Bitters patterns (Olive and Amber, sizes 6 and 8).
Chip and Charlie G. spent the first half of their week working on their Advanced SCUBA certifications with Turneffe Flats Dive Instructor Alex and passed the test. They fished with guide Daniel for the last two days of the week. First-time saltwater anglers, both Chip and Charlie were successful in landing bonefish on Thurs. and a handful of large barracuda on Fri.
We also hosted a few anglers on half-week packages. Robert G. and John L., of the Big Apple, fished with guide Daniel for the first half of the week. This was also the first saltwater fly-fishing experience for both anglers. After getting a feel for fighting a bonefish in deeper holes, each had success stalking tailing bones on the flats. Robert and John made the best of their few days with us by also enjoying a couple of midday snorkels off of Daniel’s skiff!
Joe and Debbie C., of Rochester, Minn., spent a day fishing with guide Capt. Equipped with a pair of 8-weight rods and a handful of flies, Joe and Debbie made the most of their fishing day and landed multiple bonefish on the flats.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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February 4 - February 11, 2012
Weather Conditions: Consistently warm and sunny throughout the week.
Air Temp: Averaged in the upper 70s
Water Temp: Upper 70s
Wind: Dominated from ENE
Tides: Falling tide throughout the day for most of the week, with a rising tide throughout the mornings by week’s end
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Tuesday, February 7
The warm and sunny weather that followed last week’s cold fronts had bonefish and permit chasing flies both on the flats and in some deeper pools. As surface waters warmed with the sun, large schools of fish were found along the outer eastside flats of the Atoll. Anglers fared well with old standbys Crazy Charlies, Gotchas, and Pops’ Bonefish Bitters.
This week, we hosted anglers of all skill levels, and all were successful in landing bonefish as well as various other species, including barracuda, snapper and jacks.
Bill “The Kingpin” S., Bob S., Lynn M., and John L., of California joined us for a full week. They mixed it up, fishing with guides Dubs and Michael and targeting various species. John, who had previously fished with us, targeted bonefish, but also enjoyed fishing deeper water for snapper and jacks.
Bob, an avid angler, ended the week with a bang by landing numerous bonefish. He also had numerous legitimate shots at permit in the lagoon, but unfortunately, could not get them to chase a fly. His wife, Lynn, had a great week bonefishing on the flats. With keen eyesight, natural talent, and assistance from Dubs, Lynn was targeting tailing bones like a pro by mid-week.
And then, of course, was Bill – also known as “The Kingpin.” At 81, Bill did not skip a beat when it came down to fishing. Using a 6-weight and fishing deeper water, Bill was successful in landing numerous bonefish, snapper, and a large barracuda.
Hailing from the “Land Down Under,” Mike M. joined us for a half-week. Mike landed many bonefish in his few days fishing and also had a couple of shots at a school of permit in the Central Lagoon.
As a matter of policy to ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.___________________________________________________________
