Cayo Espanto a private island Bonefishing Belize Getting there Island Map & Accommodations Activities Details & Stuff

What to Wear
You want to be sure to have the right gear when you get there. Expect the weather to be hot and humid during most of the season so you'll need to take along some cool clothing. Tropical clothing is the right choice and don't forget to use your waterproof sunscreen. A hat will protect you from both sun and errant fly casts and Sun Gloves will keep your hands from turning into lobster claws.

The Optics
Too many fly fishers skimp on sunglasses when putting together their equipment. If you skimp on optics for bonefishing you will regret it. Optically correct, polarized glasses in a warm spectrum color such as amber or brown are the best choice f or bonefishing. The polarization is the only thing that cuts through the glare of the water and allows you to see through the surface to spot these fish. Flat lens polarized glasses work OK for a few hours, but the constant focusing and refocusing of your eyes to deal with the distortion they cause will give you a headache in short order. Optically correct sunglasses follow the natural curvature of your eyes allowing distortion-free and comfortable vision all day long. A warm spectrum color such as amber or brown significantly reduces the higher intensity blue light and enhances contrast without making the world look like a surreal kaleidoscope. Don't forget to take along some lens cleaner to remove the salt spots that accumulate during the day. It's tough enough to pick out bonefish without having to stare through spots.

The Rods
An 8 or 9 weight fly rod outfit is the best choice for bonefishing in Belize. The flies are not often large, but the wind is a constant factor and long casts are the norm. A tip-flex rod will give the seasoned saltwater flyfisher the best performance for the least amount of effort, but a mid-flex rod may be a better choice for those just hitting the salt for the first time. If you plan to travel often or to remote areas, a 4-piece version is the best choice. If you can carry it on the airline, it will always arrive when you do.

The Reels
If you expect to fish saltwater on an occasional basis, the Battenkill 8/9 reel will work just great. It has an extremely smooth disc drag and plenty of capacity for blistering bones. However, if you expect to do a fair amount of saltwater angling, the extra durability and reliability of the MP 7/8, the Odyssey+ III, or the Vortex 7/8 is money well spent. The Vortex 7/8 is particularly well suited to bonefishing because it is a large arbor reel and offers a distinct advantage when you need to recover large amounts of line quickly. This advantage becomes immediately apparent the first time a bonefish turns and decides to run towards you.

The Fly Line
The best choice for a fly line is the Wonderline in the Bonefish/Pedfish taper. The Wonderline is the world's slickest fly line and will shoot farther with less effort than any line on the market. In addition, the taper is specifically designed to meet the needs of fly-fishing for bonefish or redfish. The front taper, at 5 TT feet (plus a 6%. tip), is long enough to supply the necessary delicacy for bonefish while still transmitting enough power to turn the fly over with authority in windy conditions. It has a short belly section that gets most of the line weight out the tip-top quickly to load the rod for quick, long casts, yet the 10 foot long rear taper provides a smooth transition and prevents the hinging commonly found with short belly lines. In short, it is delicate, loads quickly, and shoots better than any line we've ever used. If there is a lot of chop on the water, an intermediate sinking line (1 1TT' per second) is a good alternative. It will sink very slowly and this will allow your line to get just underneath the chop before you start your retrieve. Then, because it does sink so slowly, when you start your retrieve it will still hop your fly off the bottom in similar motion characteristic of many crabs and shrimp found on the flots. A full floating line in this situation would bounce the fly up and down without much semblance of control.

The Leader & Tippet
Leader and tippet choices are critical when pursuing any saltwater fish. Unlike fly fishing for trout where you are imitating insects drifting in the current, you are imitating shrimp, crabs, and worms that either swim or crawl. So instead of dead drifting your fly, you are actively retrieving it. In this case, abrasion resistance is more important than suppleness or minimum diameter for highest strength. If you encounter particularly spooky bonefish, the addition of a Mirage tippet in the appropriate test gives you the extra bit of stealth that may just turn the trick. The Mirage tippet material closely matches the reflective index of water and is virtually invisible under water. For really spooky fish and glassy water conditions the more expensive Mirage Knotless Leaders in OX and IX are a good choice. An assortment of 9 foot 10 and 12 lb. test leaders and selection of 8 to 12 lb. test tippets will handle all the conditions you're likely to encounter while bonefishing in Belize.

Flies
As far as fly selection goes, if you're using a guide you should always follow his recommendations. Still, it's a good idea to have a basic assortment to fall back on and for fishing in Belize an assortment of Crazy Charlies, shrimp patterns, and crab patterns will do the trick. It's not a bad idea to also carry a few Clouser Minnows to fish for large cruisers in deeper water by the drop-offs found at the edge of the flats. Puoff's Bonefish/Permit selection is a good basis to build a Belize Flats assortment around.

Spotting bonefish: What Skills Do You Need?
Catching bonefish on a fly requires a variety of skills from the angler. Foremost of these skills is the ability to spot the bonefish in time to cast to them. Their silvery sides mirror the bottom of the flats and the darker area along their back is, usually, the exact color of the bottom that they're cruising above. It's no wonder they are often called the "gray ghosts of the flats". Spotting them is no easy task and a good pair of polarized glasses is an absolute must. When they are traveling in schools, nervous water will often betray their location long before the shape of the bonefish can be distinguished from its surroundings. This nervous water looks like patches of pimply or peaked water that moves faster, slower, or contrary to any currents that may be present. Another sight that will betray their presence is a pool of muddy water in an otherwise clear area. This muddy water will appear when a school of bonefish has happened upon a concentration of food and they stop to eat, rooting up the bottom and muddying the water in the process. This is known as mudding fish and they can often be approached more closely in this situation than in any other. One of the best opportunities you'll have to spot bonefish is when they are tailing. Because the flots where bonefish cruise are usually shallow, the top fin of their tail may break the surface as they root out shrimp and crabs from the bottom. This is visible by most people from quite a distance.

Casting to Bonefish
Another skill that will make or break your experience is the ability to make quick accurate costs from distances of 25 to 50 feet. Quick accurate casts in this range will catch bonefish in Belize - quick inaccurate casts will not. If you can cast quickly and accurately out to 75 feet you can take full advantage of all Belize has to offer and have an excellent chance of hooking a trophy size fish. Bonefish are constantly on the move across the flats looking for shrimp and other crustaceans. Ideally you will cast far enough in front of the fish to allow your fly to sink before they get to it. This window of opportunity usually presents itself for only a few seconds. You either make the cast or you miss the fish. If you cast too short, the fish may turn before reaching your offering. If you drop it behind them, the odds are miniscule that they will turn back to take it. If you drop your fly in the middle of them, the school will explode in all directions and you may as well move on. Time spent on the casting ponds honing your double-haul and line shooting skills will pay big dividends when pursuing bonefish in Belize. It is also well worth your time to practice a few casts with your guide so you and he both know exactly what he means when he says, Bonefish! 2 o'clock, 55 feet. Your idea of distance and direction need to match his.

Hooking and playing bonefish
Hooking bonefish is quite a bit different from the way a fly fisher would hook trout. If you set the hook on bonefish with a quick strike of the rod, you are almost guaranteed to break off the fish and lose your fly. To successfully hook bones, you should use a strip-strike. You my be retrieving your fly with medium speed 6-inch strips, or more quickly with 9 to 12 strips depending upon the natural you are imitating. When a bonefish picks up your fly you will feel resistance and that is your cue to give a quick, sharp strip with your retrieve hand. When you feel the hook set, immediately Iift your rod tip up. Don't try to set the hook with the rod - the strip already accomplished that. Then hold on tight, this fish makes explosive runs. Like any other fish, a bonefish has to follow its head. If you can turn the bonefish's head, you can control where he goes. This is virtually impossible to do on the first explosive run, and you may be well served by assuming the classic pose with the rod held directly up over your head. You have little or no control from this posture, but it does keep much of the line off the water, which reduces the drag and lessens the chance of breaking him off on the initial run. If he heads for a structure that my cut you off, move your rod off to the side, apply smooth steady pressure, and try to turn him away from the structure.  As soon as the initial run is spent, you need to recover line. A seven-pound bonefish will easily take you into your backing on his first run and you really want to get that line back inside the guides as soon as you can. This is where you use the classic pump the rod up and retrieve the line as you lower it back down. Never lower the rod so the tip of the rod is pointing directly at the bonefish. You lose all the shock-absorbing abilities of the rod if you do so, and he will break you off with almost no effort. Move the rod from side to side as you work the fish back in. This will help to disorient the fish, keep him off balance, and land the fish without entirely exhausting him. Don't be surprised if this freight train takes off on another run, or two, or three. They are amazingly strong fish and they will spend every bit of energy they have trying to beat you. That is part of the allure of sight fishing for bonefish! Once you have the bonefish to hand, unhook them gently and revive them if necessary. If you were able to move the fish back and forth during the fight, they should be in good shape and require little if any revival when you release them. Then your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to do it all over again.

What's The Best Approach?
Unless you have unlimited time and a flats boat at your disposal, your best bet is to hire a reputable guide for your bonefish excursions in Belize. An experienced guide knows the waters, techniques, and the patterns that will catch bonefish, and has fish spotting skills that you won't believe when you first go out. Cayo Espanto has a network of Endorsed Guides located throughout Belize.