Fishing in Belize for Bonefish

Ok, so your ready to experience the joys of saltwater fly fishing in Belize. Specifically the famous Belize bonefishing. Here are the things you’re going to need to know when planing your Belize fishing trip.

1st. While fishing in Belize is thrilling and you’ll get plenty of bonefish each day you pursue them. They aren’t like Bahamas bonefish. Bonefish in Belize are much smaller than their world-record setting cousins in the Bahamas and off the Florida Keys. However, they are EVERYWHERE in Belize. If you know how to spot these “ghosts” of the flats and where to look, you’ll find that it’s rare that you can throw a rock twenty yards in any direction along the shores of Ambergris Caye that you don’t hit or at least upset a school of Belize bonefish.

Belize Bonefish - Frontside Ambergris Caye

The average weight for a  Belize bonefish is around two pounds, that being said the average weight for a bonefish on the “front-side” of the island in Ambergris Caye is probably more likely to be three to four pounds. When you’re fishing in Belize and stalking Bonefish, especially on Ambergris Caye, there are what I and many others define as your back-side bones and your front-side bones. The vast calm shallow water flats behind the twenty plus mile island of Ambergris Caye provides an excellent fishery for bonefish to spawn, hatch, and grow under great protection from many predatory fish and birds. When fishing in Belize on the backside of Ambergris Caye your’ schools of bones will be larger following the old adage “Safety in Numbers”. On the front side of the island you’ll discover that fishing for bonefish is much different. The schools will be smaller and often you’ll see “pairing” this is where two or three bones of fairly larger size will often school or “pair” together and forage and feed as a small group. These guys are usually in the four to even five pound range and my favorite targets when fishing in Belize.

Typical "Backside Bone" in Belize

Now, how to catch and what to expect when fishing in Belize for bonefish. Specifically on Ambergris Caye and the out-side or inside. For the back-side of Ambergris Caye I suggest a 7 to 8 wt rod (I personally like the 7 wt myself for the back-side). If you’re a novice to saltwater fly fishing in the tropics, you may wish to take the 8 wt just for that extra line weight to punch through the tropical breeze that is almost always blowing, And you’ll certainly want the 8 wt if you’re fishing the front-side of the island. One visit of fishing in Belize will instantly tell you that the main “tourist season” the wind is always coming from the north-east.  Now, keeping in mind that the Belize bonefish are smaller in size, and so must your flies be as well. Try fishing in Belize with the classic “Crazy Charley” on a size 2 or 4 and they’ll turn their little missile shaped noses up at those big boys. Not to mention they’re not dining on shrimp all the time. Their are tons of small crabs in Belize, especially on the front side with all the turtle grass right next to shore. So tying up some small typical permit patterns on 6 or 8s will come in useful for you. And if you’re Belize fishing is going to mostly be comprised of fishing the vast turtle grass flats on the front-side of the island, you’ll want to tie everything with a weed-guard as well.

On to the best fly fishing patterns for your Belize fishing trip when targeting bonefish… Please find below a list of our recommended bonefish flies that will be best suited for your Belize fishing adventure. Each of our recommended flies also link to our Belize fly patterns page for you to take a look as the best Belize fishing flies for the Bonefish, Permit, and the Tarpon.