“Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come.”
~ Melody Beattie

Belize River Lodge’s Belizean Paradise

January 6, 2020

2020 is Homecoming year for us at Belize River Lodge. After a few years of ups and downs, my surgeries in 2017 into 2018 and Mike’s knee replacement in 2018 into 2019, we are back at the Lodge and ready for this 2020 upcoming season. Mike and I are doing well and healthy and have been hosting our guests, friends and family again.

2020 makes our 34th year of running Belize River Lodge and we are again looking forward to the upcoming season and all it entails, including the return of the migratory Tarpon. It is always exciting to hear the large tarpon have come home and to be able to watch these Great Ladies feeding on shrimp in the mouth of the river. We are always amazed to see those big tails flailing up in the air like bonefish feeding on the flats. It doesn’t matter how many times you have seen them do this before, but it always never fails to get the adrenaline flowing with the anticipation of hooking, jumping and landing one of these silver giants. We welcome their arrival!

Belize is known to have smaller Bonefish than the Bahamas and there have been very interesting studies made by BTT about the Bonefish. Belize, Florida and the Bahamas have the same species of Bonefish, however, for some reason, Belize’s Bonefish have a much slower growth rate than in Florida and the Bahamas. Even with this, BRL guests who have been fishing yearly, for many years, have been reporting, seeing, hooking and landing much bigger Bonefish in the 4 to 5lb range on the flats. This is superb news and we also welcome these bigger Bonefish back to their home flats and feeding grounds.

We are very excited with the variety of species that is here all year! These are the resident species which make up of Tarpon, Bonefish, Snook, Permit, Jacks, Triple Tail, Snappers and many others. I am certain that they also welcome the migratory fish, and hoping to share with them the time being caught by anglers (smile). The fact is that both the resident and migratory fish (all Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon and most Snook) are released after being caught so that they can live, reproduce and survive to be caught again.

This Homecoming year is very important as we look forward to visiting with our return guests, who will be coming back to fish in 2020. We always enjoy their yearly visits and catching up on the past year and our guests look forward to their homecoming at the Lodge of their favourite guide, favourite room and the ladies in the kitchen who make their favourite meals. We also include a new homecoming for guests making their first trip to BRL, who will experience the “homey” experience of the Lodge.

As Mike and I are home, we look forward to seeing everyone and revisiting and catching up. At the start of this year of homecoming, we would like to take this time of reflection and wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020.
Happy New Year!
Warm regards,
Marguerite, Mike
& the BRL Family

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
~ Helen Keller