Our friend and Cobb neighbor, John Siegler, is an avid fly fisherman. We met in the basement storage area when I spied about 100 fly rods in his locker. I was digging through my climbing gear, and he spied about a dozen ice axes, crampons, backpacks, ropes, etc. He said I guess we both have our passions. John organizes an annual fly-fishing trip to the Belize River Lodge, a historic lodge on the banks of the Belize River. Carter and I are novice fly fishermen, but we could cast a rod. We were looking forward to a different type of adventure with a nascent friend.
After gearing up at the lodge, we set off in the small fishing boats to our destination. We would be staying on a small island known as Long Cay, situated in the shallow waters of the Caribbean, nestled in the reef about a mile from the deep waters of the Atlantic.
Belize fly fishing offers opportunities for target species like bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, and tarpon. The “big four”—tarpon, permit, bonefish, and snook—make for what is known as the Grand Slam, catching all four species in a single day.
Endless Emerald Waters
We spent a lot of time on the water looking for fish. Fortunately, the endless emerald waters offered plenty of photo opportunities. I never tired of being on these waters.
We settled into the cabin for the night. The staff prepares a daily dinner based on the catch of the day. We enjoyed some good conversation and libations in anticipation of an early day on the water.
We rotated through guides and boats on the trip. Today, Carter and I will be fishing together.
Some of the staff went diving off the reef for conch and brought back a bounty that was later made into conch cerviche.
I never tired of the ever changing waters.
Carter and I took back six of the beauties. Although the guides cleaned them of most organic matter, we learned that they would need a good soak in bleach water. We had to check them at the airport, and when we returned and opened our bags, they reeked of death – the worst smell I had the displeasure of experiencing. I nearly booted. The shells were soaked in a bucket of bleach, and the bags were tossed. We had some lovely souvenirs.
On the last day of fishing, I got to go out with John, a true master fly fisherman. I was looking forward to improving my casting.
At the end of each trip, John had gifts for his guests. This year it was hats and themed to the personalities of the fishermen. Unsurprisingly, I received the Bad Boy hat – sometimes I am referred to as Le Chien Mechant – wicked evil dog 🤣
