Dear Friends,

We would like to take this time to thank all of our guests who visited this season – thank you.  With you fishing, we had a spectacular fishing season, with some awesome catches.  .  .

Our fishing season started early this year with the big tarpon beginning to come in late November of 2009. Aaron and Mike from Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) returned this March with some friends and were able to satellite tag three of these big fish. The satellite tags were supposed to remain on the fish for approximately 5 months. Two of the tags popped off within a month and the last one is still holding, hopefully it makes it the entire 5 months – which is August to September. It will be very interesting to find out where the tarpon went after Central Belize – Cuba, the Gulf Coast, Florida?

At BRL, during the Tarpon migration, we tend to talk only about the big fish, 80 lbs and up. Yet, Centarl Belize is some of the best fishing grounds for smaller tarpon also. This has been a very good year for tarpon in general and many tarpon were also landed in the 15 to 50 lbs. Some anglers prefer the acrobatics of these smaller fish.

Bonefishing followed as it usually does here at BRL, with a new twist, we are trying to tag the bonefish. Landed bonefish are usually around 3 lbs, with bigger and smaller being seen and landed. This year, we had one landed and with the girth and length measured, it weighed 7 lbs; this was a beautiful fish! Also, in continuing to work with BTT, our Belize River Lodge guides are trying to tag 2000 bonefish in two years.  If you would like to help, all you have to do is come to BRL and catch bonefish – you fish and land Bonefish and the guide will measure, tag and record location and the angler’s name who landed the fish. More fun to add to already fun filled fishing!

This has been another really great Permit year.  On top of many more being seen, and some being fought and lost, (sorry Dee – the one that got away), BRL guests landed a total of nineteen Permit since February of 2010.  Permit sizes were between the range of 3 to 20 lbs.  And we had a big land of a 15 lb Permit in March, big as this was Mr. O’s 50th Permit landed in total – congratulations again Mr. O.

While we do not officially keep track of snook, many were landed this season with the biggest being about 20 lbs. We hear a lot about snook as BRL guest are trying to land a Grand Slam in a day and as the Permit is finicky and some people think that it takes too much time to fish for, anglers are able to get their “slam” with a Bonefish, Tarpon and Snook. The Snook is a hard and acrobatic fighter and keeps many anglers busy with a tight line.

We still have a few more weeks of fishing this season before the slow summer starts.  We look forward to hearing all the upcoming angling stories over appetizers during the next couple of weeks.  Belize is slow during the summer and early fall months, as the fishing in the North (Northern USA, BC and Alaska) is open and their season is short; however, BRL is open and our guides are working, so if you don’t have your summer fishing trip planned, there are Bonefish, Tarpon, Snook and Permit awaiting you in Belize and at a great summer/fall discount.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

Mike & Marguerite

PS

Below are pictures of tagging Bonefish.