Destination Seclusion

The sun was not up yet, but the pale morning light coming through the curtains suggested it wasn’t far off. Belize serves up some of the finest sunrises and sunsets to be seen anywhere, with orange and red hues that can’t be duplicated. After grabbing a cup of coffee from the galley, I groggily made my way to the aft-deck. The colorful horizon was certainly enough to clear my sleep-clouded vision.

Destination Seclusion

Spend a week aboard Meca and see what life is really all about.

The sun was not up yet, but the pale morning light coming through the curtains suggested it wasn’t far off. Belize serves up some of the finest sunrises and sunsets to be seen anywhere, with orange and red hues that can’t be duplicated. After grabbing a cup of coffee from the galley, I groggily made my way to the aft-deck. The colorful horizon was certainly enough to clear my sleep-clouded vision.

As I settled down with coffee in hand, I absorbed my surroundings. We were aboard the Meca, a wide-beamed 45-foot custom-built craft chartered out of Belize City. Meca is our mobile base of operations for the week and on this morning; we were comfortably anchored in a mangrove cove near Hicks Cay.

Two 22 foot pangas, used for our daily excursions, were tied off the stern. Dean Myers, the captain of the Meca and a native Belizean, was swabbing down one of the pangas. He is a meticulous captain and an outstanding fly-fishing guide. On this trip, Dean was assisted by Noel, an exceptional fishing guide in his own right. Carol, our chef and steward, rounded out the crew of three. She prepared our daily meals from scratch, spanning Belizean, Mexican and American cuisines.

Fishing Belize via mothership is a relaxing yet intense experience. You are living on the water without a concern, breathing the open ocean air, having all your needs met by a capable crew. Which day of the week it is becomes irrelevant. However, it is action packed in its fishing possibilities. Should you desire, you can tangle with local quarry from sunrise to sunset and beyond, and fishing from a mobile base allows for maximum efficiency and maximum ‘catchability!’

The long boat rides often experienced from land-based lodges are virtually negated, and you have the option of fishing a wide variety of coastal waters. There are shallow flats holding bonefish, permit and large tarpon. The roots of mangrove islands and channels provide cover for snook, snapper and juvenile tarpon, along with a wide array of species that thrive in the reef environment. The standard week aboard the Meca is what you make it; custom designed by you to meet your personal objectives.

This particular trip was a family vacation. While my dad and I had fishing as our top priority, my mom and sister had other ideas; snorkeling, beach combing and comfortable, sun-baked lounging topped their list. The barrier reef, which runs parallel to the coast, is the second largest in the world and provides a spectacular setting for aquatic activities.

As the family gathered around the breakfast table, we discussed our possibilities for the morning. The ladies opted for snorkeling at Gallows Point Reef, while my dad and I sought the big tarpon lurking on the flats near Hicks Cay. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find exactly what we were looking for.

“Tarpon!” shouted Dean. The vibrant exclamation caught my dad and I off-guard as we had just arrived on the flat and had yet to even stand up. “Twelve o’clock…One hundred feet…Quickly!”

As my dad prepared to cast, my eyes quickly found three dark shapes off the bow moving slowly, directly at the boat. It was an adrenaline-pumping sight. My father’s cast landed no more than five feet short of the lead fish. The tarpon tensed and then surged forward, inhaling the fly. After a hard hook-set, the fish embarked on one of the fastest runs I had ever witnessed, complete with the expected but always breathtaking acrobatics.

The reel howled in resistance and every element of his equipment was tested to its limits. Regardless, everything held true and 45 minutes later, he had boated about a 90-pound fish. No sooner had the fish been released than Dean proclaimed, “Let’s get another!”

It sounded easy, and I was confident. But three hours later, I was still standing in the bow holding the fly rod in one hand and my fly in the other waiting for something to shoot at. Sometimes it seems so easy; usually it is not. We decided to head back to Meca for lunch.

As Carol served some delectable tostadas, we shared our stories from the morning’s events. My mom and sister made an attempt at counting the various types of reef fish they saw, only to determine there were too many to figure. They also managed to catch two large barracuda trolling back from the reef and had collected some beautiful shells.

This trip was nothing new for us. We’ve taken well over 30 mothership trips to fish the coastal flats and mangrove channels of Belize over the years and were familiar with our possible cruise destinations. Some of our trips were just “hardcore fishing trips,” and others were like this trip, casual family adventures. Usually, we would plan on visiting two or three different environments during our seven nights on the water. We would begin our trip with a potential agenda in mind and then adjust to the fishing opportunities as they presented themselves. On this trip, we had planned on spending a few days at Turneffe Island.

In planning our afternoon activities, we discussed some options with our captain. For a change of pace, he recommended moving Meca to a string of cays about 25 miles south from our current location for some late afternoon permit fishing. Also, this location would reduce the amount of open water we would need to navigate during our visit to the Turneffe Islands the following afternoon.

The only potentially rough water on a Belizean mothership adventure is encountered if you opt to cruise to the Turneffes, as the stretch between the Turneffe Islands and the barrier reef is the open sea. During all other occasions, the mothership is anchored behind cays or cruising inside the reef, resulting in smooth trips and calm anchorages without any motion sickness discomfort.

The Meca is a very comfortable home away from home and the most recognized of all Belizean motherships. She features two cabins, each with two over-sized single beds and private bathroom and shower. These accommodations are cleaned and maintained daily by the cook who also serves as steward. Airconditioning is a welcome part of the package, especially on very hot days when a mid afternoon nap in the coolness of your cabin is a welcome way to recharge your batteries.

One of the great advantages of a mothership vacation is that you can steer a course for waters that aren’t easily accessible from land-based lodges. Going north from Belize City, the flats around Hicks Cay and Long Cay can provide some world-class sight-casting to tarpon.

Cruising south, there is an array of cays and small reefs continuing about 75 miles to Placencia, harboring the most productive permit fishing to be found anywhere.

After a pleasant cruise and securing anchor, everyone developed their own agenda. My sister determined she would do a little R & R on the boat for the afternoon, while my parents decided to scout for some permit tails with Dean. That left Noel and I to do some intense flats fishing.

Standing in the bow as Noel polled the boat along the edge of a grassy flat, I couldn’t help but become lulled into a relaxed physical and mental state by the surroundings. Trying to focus on the flat, I noted the various coral heads and their vibrant hues as we drifted by them. It was truly a divine setting. My response when Noel whispered “permit,” showed anything but preparedness.

“Where?” I replied. “At eleven o’clock, 70 feet, swimming toward the boat.” “I don’t see it.” “It’s coming right at us! 60 feet!” I peered into the water ahead of us, still seeing only grass and nothing more. “I still don’t see it,” was the best I could come up with. “It’s there! It’s feeding! 50 feet now!”

This sounded like a prime opportunity; I was ready to participate. Where was the damn fish? Then, abruptly, the master of disguise materialized before my eyes, less than 40 feet from the skiff. I had to act fast, but there was still time. I made a false cast and let it rip.

Whack! I nearly got sick to my stomach as I watched my Merkin wrap itself around the middle of my fly rod. Not a good show. The permit apparently didn’t like it either as it swam off for distant waters.

“We’ll get the next one,” said Noel assuredly. I was momentarily angry with myself, and I was determined to be ready the next time. We covered a few more flats without seeing any fish, so we decided to check one last area before heading back. The tide was beginning to slack and productive time in the shallows was coming to an end. As we started back, Noel immediately spotted a tailing permit in the deeper water near the edge of the flat. I saw it, too. I was on this one.

After two false casts, I laid out my best cast, gently setting the crab imitation two feet from the permit’s head. He dodged one short strip, then moved on it and with no hesitation, ate. The rod tip came up and I cleared the line from the deck as the permit screamed off the edge of the flat. He was on the reel and the drag began screeching.

“Right on, Scott!” whooped Noel. I gave an exalted yell of my own and as if on cue, the line went slack. After inspecting the frayed tippet, it was apparent the permit had obviously found something with a sharp edge upon which to part the line.

“I need a beer,” was my commentary. Noel popped the cap on a cold Belikin and passed it forward. The outboard fired to life and we turned toward the sanctuary of the Meca. Arriving back at the mothership, I was quick to read my father’s face before a word was exchanged. I asked, “You got a permit, didn’t you?” It was more a statement than a question.

“Yep,” and I proceeded to hear every detail about it over dinner. My mom was also proud to announce that she had caught a bonefish on fly, something she rarely attempts.

By all accounts, it had been a successful day, although I had to define my success in terms other than fish landed.

After dinner, Dean recommended a mangrove channel where he thought we might be able to stir up some tarpon action with fly-rod poppers. I was an easy recruit; the rest of the group opted for a game of cards.

For the third time in the same day, I found myself on the bow of a panga embarking upon yet another adventure. By moonlight, Dean confidently maneuvered the skiff through a winding mangrove channel. It was a beautiful, clear night with a nearly full moon illuminating our surroundings. “Cast out into the mouth and strip it back against the tide,” explained Dean.

The tide was running strong, streaming through the channel like a river. It created a perfect feeding area. Occasionally, I could hear baitfish erupting on the surface, no doubt trying to avoid a finned predator.

“Sounds like a school of jacks,” Dean stated. No sooner were the words uttered than a feisty horse-eye hammered my popper. Fish on! It felt good to be hooked up.

I felt the frustrations of the day ease away as the jack put a big-time bend in the rod. After a few more tugs, I boated and released the fish. I ended up catching a couple more in the five- to eight-pound range before the action ceased. As I lay in my bunk that night, my thoughts drifted back over the last 12 hours. What a wonderful day it had been. Trophy tarpon…tailing permit…cruising bonefish… toothy barracuda…aggressive jacks…and that was just the fishing side. I was tired. Good thing, otherwise the anticipation of tomorrow would have kept me up all night.

Scott Muelrath is a freelance fly-fishing author who has been published in leading national publications and internationally in four different languages. His publication efforts culminated in 2006 when he co-authored with his father the award-winning book, The Hunt – Fly-Fishing’s Greatest Adventures.

Where To Toss The Bags

Accessing Belize from the States is a fairly easy task. From Texas, it’s about a two and a half hour flight. From Miami, less than two hours. Continental has nonstop flights out of Houston. American flies non-stop to Belize City from both Dallas and Miami.

Belize Fishing Adventures operates two motherships headquartered in Belize City. Meca - referenced in this article - comfortably sleeps and fishes three or four fishermen. Seaduction - a 36-foot Sea Ray - accommodates two fishermen. Both boats operate basically the same way with a cook on board who spends the majority of his or her time preparing meals around the fishing schedule. Meca tows two flats skiffs and Seaduction tows one. All the sleeping cabins are airconditioned. Parties of six are accommodated by anchoring both boats together.

The route most often taken by newcomers to the Belize mothership experience is to radiate out from Belize City, beginning by heading nor th and then swinging south and ending up back in Belize City. In this area, the fishing environments range from bonefish flats, tarpon and permit flats, mangrove edges for snook and juvenile tarpon, and the reef. The standard trip is a seven night package that includes vir tually everything except liquor and fishing equipment.

There is a unique permit-focused adventure that begins in Belize City and works its way south. This trip accesses the finest permit flats on the globe, however, it is for dedicated permit fisherman only as the bonefish and tarpon opportunities become very limited as you head south.

Visiting the Belize page on www.flyfishingadventures.org will lead you to the Belize newsletter. Current pricing can be found as well as additional information.

Bring Your Camera

Tucked into the Caribbean coastline just south of the Yucatan, Belize is the second smallest Central American country occupying approximately 9,000 square miles. For travelers toting a camera, there are two basic options available – inland or the coastal waters and cays.

More than half of the Belize mainland is covered by tropical rainforest. The flora, fauna, and wildlife in this environment of fer their own set of photo opportunities. Set among this backdrop of tropical foliage are several dramatic Mayan ruins. The ruins dot the countryside almost to the Guatemala border to the west.

The main attraction for the majority of Belizean travelers is the 240-mile long coastline and the 175-miles of barrier reef which fronts that coastline, second in size only to the Australian Barrier Reef. In the protected waters inside this reef are literally hundreds of islands and small cays. There are also atolls outside the reef which harbor spectacular tropical settings. Among those atolls are the Turneffe Islands and, 58 miles due east of Belize City, the famous Blue Hole. Scuba divers and snorkelers from around the globe are attracted to the varied world famous dive sites.

There are a variety of resorts and lodges on these islands and cays, ranging from some very high-end operations to the more rustic and basic. These provide a temporary home to the sun-worshippers, divers and others interested in a distinctly relaxing and laid back tropical atmosphere.

Other Notes of Interest

About Belize:

• Official Name: Belize
• Area: 22,966 sq. km. (8,867 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Massachusetts.
• Capital: Belmopan
• Population: 299,000
• Government: Parlimentary democracy
• Religion: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, other Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist.
• Language: English (official), Creole, Spanish, Garifuna, Mayan
• Currency: Belizean Dollar ($2 BLZ = $1 US)