The big tarpon have been here for a few weeks.
Catch of the week:  The group leader, who said his biggest fish to date was a 16 pound steelhead, got into big tarpon on the first day.  He jumped three and landed one.  By measurement this fish calculated to be 160 pounds.  The fly was a 4/0 Tarpon Glow.  Not bad at all for a man?s first day in salt water!
Other action for this party included:
3 backwater grand slams, (tarpon, snook, bones);
About 40 small tarpon 10-50 lbs. were jumped with 8 landed;
one permit landed but many more opportunities, though permit were not really targeted.

Joe Rossi’s camera recorded this action on the flats: three large tarpon in the air and one 100 pounder boated, one backwater grand slam (tarpon, bone and snook, by one angler same day), more than 15 bones one day, four snook 6-10 pounds one day.
Up river 6 tarpon 10-20 pounds jumped, only one landed.
Tarpon as usual have luck on their side as ?many are jumped but few are landed?.

A week of MANY firsts for most anglers at BRL.

First GRAND SLAM for Mike C,
(3 Permit, 2 bonefish & a 70 lb. tarpon)

First GRAND SLAM for Allan C, (tarpon, permit, bonefish)

First PERMIT for Mike, Al, Art

First TARPON for Kerry, Al, Art, Barry, Marsha,

First BONEFISH for Kerry on her pink Scott rod,

First SNOOK for Barry,

First BARRACUDA and first SNAPPER for James,

First FLYING FISH in the chest.

John from South Africa got his first Belize 90 pound tarpon and a 15 pound permit on his second day.  Two days later, a 120 pounder.

?NAPs? (Non Angling Persons) accompanying their angler partners enjoyed easy day- tours from Belize River lodge to several Mayan sites, the Belize Zoo, the Museum of Belize, the barrier reef and snorkeling and the Princess Casino.

Today was like a dream come true, I can hardly believe it? said Greg S. at the end of his very first day of fishing at Belize River Lodge.

*  Greg hooked his big fish which measured out at 105 pounds.
*  Mick K. hooked his fish, a 95 pounder.
*  At 11:15 AM Sarah A.  hooked her 120 pounder.
These three fish were all landed and successfully released after being photographed.

Other fishing highlights this week:
Greg S.: Two Grand Slams and one Super Grand Slam in 6 days.
Mick K.: Super Grand Slam, (Permit, Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish),  15 snook one day, one tarpon about 150 pounds that was lost after 15-20 minutes, with about four spectacular jumps and 3 long runs that required boat chases to recover line.

May 7 – Three Grand Slams, and three permit,

one 90 lb. tarpon
May 8 –  One Grand Slam and 115 & 135 lb. tarpon May 10 – 150 lb. tarpon
May 11 – 120 lb. tarpon
May 14 – Grand Slam,
May 15 – Two permit and a 135 lb. tarpon
May 18 – Grand Slam
May 21 – Grand Slam
May 22 – 100 lb. tarpon
May 23 – 130 lb. tarpon
May 24 – 90 lb. tarpon

Whether fishing from the LODGE or from the BLUE YONDER live-aboard, no long runs were necessary to find Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish or Snook.  (A few days during this time frame, boats from as far away as 30 miles also showed up to fish BRL?s traditional areas ? big Tarpon anyone??)  Other catches included a 26 ?  lb. Tripple Tail, many bonefish, many small tarpon 8-40 lbs., snook to 15 lbs., Jack Crevalles, Barracudas, Cubera Snappers and other snappers.  Variety is the name of the game, fishing in Central Belize with BRL.

DAY 1. I’m hooked on bones?.
DAY 2. I’m hooked on tarpon?.
DAY 3 I’m hooked on big tarpon?.

Four tarpon landed in a twenty minute tarpon blitz.  In one of our prime fishing areas, hundreds of small snook were seen just floating up but showing no interest in flies or plugs. This is a good sign that young fish are very abundant and will be there in the near future.  Next day a fat 16 pound snook and a few small ones were landed.  Two days in a row big ladyfish were landed, about ten each day.   On the full moon two 70 lb. tarpon were landed.  This is still ?hurricane season? but the weather has been spectacular and the fishing good.  Wish you were here too.