Glovers Reef And Hopkins Belize Pt 1, Isla Marisol And The Flats

reevesr1 · May 31, 2016

Picture this:

You are walking down a rocky flat next to a barrier reef. The water is ankle deep and there is a bunch of exposed rock mixed into the shallows. You see a group of tails just outside of casting distance off to your left just as you guide says "bonefish at 1 o'clock". You look to the right and spot them and say "I've got a group on the left that is closer." You start to move that way. crunch some shell, and spook a third group you didn't see right in front of you and they spook. As does the group on the left, the group on the right, because it's really just one group. Of several hundred fish. "Holy *hit" you say, and your guide says, just stay still, they'll regroup. And they do. You realize your problem isn't going to be finding fish, the problem is how to cast to one "group" without spooking all the other fish around. Not a bad problem to have. Have I mentioned the permit yet? The one's up to 20 lbs? Who love to turn on your flies but never actually take in some perverse mix of beauty and evil? How about the tarpon you are going to see while snorkeling. Or under the dock, causing you to toss your fly by hand under the dock to try to get a take. Or the group chasing sardines and glass minnows in the lagoons. The HUGE barracuda. Like diving or snorkeling? Those are maybe better than the fishing.

I got a bunch of bones, never hooked a permit, watched my brother land a tarpon. I caught bones, cuda, spanish macks, trigger fish, parrot fish, snapper, grouper and some others I can't remember. Almost all of them either sight casted or watching them chase and take. One time with my brother in the water snorkelling and watching the fish chase my clouser. Endless opportunities for fish, all day long. What could be better? The beer, the food, the company. The staff. The pace.

It was ok.

Here are a bunch of pictures:

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/rreevesr1/20160523_185643_zps6hyunkon.jpg~original

The Bar

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/rreevesr1/20160523_185731_zpsfrkk7bet.jpg~original

The people

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/rreevesr1/20160528_065919_zpsnaiv34jo.jpg~original

The Gear

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/rreevesr1/20160523_150705_zpswhouygit.jpg~original

The flats

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo1/rreevesr1/20160523_081814_zpsp7jq6gag.jpg~original

Hooked up on my first bone (or maybe my second!)