Turneffe Reflections - By Vince Tobia owner of Cattaraugus Creek Outfitters

Turneffe Flats Reflections
(Winter 2009)
By Vince Tobia


It's cold and the temperature is in the single digits here in WNY this week. We're getting snow just about every day now. The streams are mostly locked up with ice, so I have time to reflect on my 1st trip to Belize, where I spent 3 wonderful days at Turneffe flats lodge, on Turneffe atoll.

This atoll (island) is located approximately 30 miles off the coast of Belize. We arrived at the lodge after an hour and 40 minute boat ride from the mainland aboard the Miss Ellie, a 42' jet propelled cruiser that enabled us to skirt across some shallow water (3') on our journey to the lodge.

The beautiful and immaculately maintained lodge sits on the shore overlooking the ocean and the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. Bonefish can be seen tailing from your room, along with the occasional permit too!

The lodge caters to anglers, but has expanded to offer a top notch diving program, as well as other fun programs for non-anglers. In fact, there were several other non-anglers staying at the lodge while we visited, participating in the dive program or atoll adventure package. The activities for non-anglers include snorkeling tours, manatee & dophin tours, a flats walking tour, turneffe birding tour, sea shell & starfish tour, the maya and Turneffe, sea kayaking, crocodile tour, lighthouse Atoll - snorkeling and birding tour, night snorkel tour, a belizean cooking class & a discover SCUBA diving course

Dinners were excellent, bordering on gourmet, and there's a fully stocked bar, with a selection of quality wines. Breakfasts and lunches were great too!

The fishing: the weather was not exactly great from a fishing standpoint during our three full days of fishing. It was warm, but clouds and even some rain were the norm, though we did have a few breaks where the sun shone thru. Nevertheless, the fishing was pretty darn good. As luck would have it, we got to fish with guide "Pops," probably best know for developing the pops bonefish bitter with Craig Matthews from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana. Pops is a great guide, and just a fun guy to spend the day with fishing.


Bonefish are everywhere. We saw them at each flat we visited, and never went more than 15 minutes without seeing bones and having shots at them. Granted, they are not pushovers, mainly because we're fishing skinny water, with tails and dorsal fins visible, but they can be fooled. They average a good 2-3 lbs, and we caught some up to 5 lbs, and saw several larger ones too.

Permit--we hooked two, and landed one, and had some other good shots during our three days. My partner Dr. Steve Pericak lost a big permit after it was on for a few minutes, well into his backing. We would have done better too, I believe, if the weather had been more cooperative. On the last day, we found a large school of permit that we worked for close to 10 minutes, but a storm blew thru and the water went from glass smooth to a 2' chop, and that was the end of our permit fishing for the morning. We decided to chase bones at that point in some more protected areas.

There are lots of 'cudas for those who like to chase them, and starting in May the big tarpon begin showing up, so the chance for a grand slam is very good then.

The atoll environment has lots to offer the eyes. Besides the myriad shades of blue that make up the water, there are ospreys, egrets, heron and many other birds, saltwater crocs, dolphins, manatees & sea turtles. Plus the underwater coral and other sea life there is amazing.


The owners, Craig and Karen Hayes, are at the lodge most of the season and they dined with us each evening. The staff, which was probably the most attentive I have seen anywhere, were all fun to hang out with during cocktail hour before and after dinner.
It's simply a great place to hang out, for anglers and non-anglers alike, with tons of fun stuff to do.

I plan to host a trip in May 2010. Stay tuned for details and dates.

- View pictures from Vince's trip here: http://www.cattarauguscreekoutfitters.com/belize2009.html

Last Minute Special

We are extending our 2-for-1 Special for two prime weeks in early 2009 – January 10-17 and January 17-23. Two anglers can book a week at TF for the price of one Single Supplement Package: $5,279 plus taxes of $347.77. Also, during these two week only, we are extending our Off-Season Special of one free Atoll Adventure trip with a fully-priced Fishing Package.

Turneffe Flats Rebate and "Living Legends" Hosted Weeks

A group of fly-fishing experts – “Living Legends of the Sport” – will host week-long excursions to Turneffe Flats in search of permit, bonefish and tarpon beginning in early Feb. In addition, Turneffe Flats guests for the weeks between Jan. 31 and May 30 will qualify for a $500 rebate to assist with airfare.

According to Craig Hayes, the resort’s owner, “Fuel prices have dropped and so have our expenses. We feel it is only fair to pass some of our saving on to our visitors.” The rebate will provide free or nearly-free travel from many U.S. cities.
Angler/hosts and the dates of their trips are –

• Brian O’Keefe, Feb. 7-14;
• Craig and Jackie Matthews, Feb. 21-28;
• John and Amy Hazel, April 4-11;
• Cathy and Barry Beck, May 16-23; and
• Chico Fernandez, June 6-13.

Besides the $500 rebate for fishing guests, Turneffe Flats offers a $300 rebate for divers and a $200 rebate on Atoll Adventure tours.

Details:

Turneffe Flats Wk Long Package Rates w. Rebate for travel dates Jan 31-May 30

Regular Fishing Package (double occupancy): $3,859.00-$500.00 rebate=$3,359.00 +$256.11(taxes) =$3,615.11 per person

Single Supplement Fishing Package: $5,279-$500.00 rebate=$4,779.00 + $347.77 (taxes) = $5,126.77 per person

Combination Package (Fishing & Diving): $3,999.00-$500.00 rebate=$3,499.00 + $265.63(taxes) =$3,764.63 per person

Diving Package: $2,519.00-$300.00 rebate=$2,219.00 + $164.99(taxes) =$2,383.99 per person

Atoll Adventure Package: $1,929.00-$200.00 rebate=$1.729.00
+ $124.87(taxes) =$1,853.87 per person

For information and space availability, phone Turneffe Flats directly toll-free at 888 512 8812 or visit www.tflats.com .

John Dietsch Founder/CEO HOOK.TV comments on trip to Turneffe Flats

John Dietsch Founder/CEO HOOK.TV tells story about his first permit caught on a fly at Turneffe Flats. Check out Hook TV and join their fishing community to share movies, photos, and talk on their forum.

Belize « on: December 20, 2008, 05:20:50 PM »

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Just returned from fly fishing and shooting video in Belize for our Outdoor Channel TV series, Adventure Guides: Fishing Edition. We visited Turneffe Flats Lodge and proprietor Craig Hayes. I caught some nice Bonefish using flies and my friend Ed used conventional gear to get some nice Bones as well as a 10 pound Barracuda.

We learned that Belize is on the verge of passing a law that will require that all Bonefish, Permit, and Tarpon are released whether using conventional gear or flies..... This is truly a watershed moment for saltwater fishing! Thanks to Craig and the other powers-that-be in the region for making this historic event happen!

I honestly struggled with the Bonefish down there as I am an old trout guide from Colorado and even after all these years focusing on the salt it appears I still have a tendency to do a "trout set" which tends to pull the fly out from the crusher mouth of the Bone. You would think after using flies to catch more than two dozen Corbina, that also have crusher mouthes, that I would know how to strip set better!!!!

We caught 6 or 7 Bonefish between us, but there were way more failures than successes. However that makes the following story about Permit all the more meaningful.

On the final day, we ran into a school of Permit and they thumbed their noses at me as well. Just seeing and casting to my first school of Permit was a thrill. There was a gentleman at the Lodge who had spent forty years in pursuit of a Permit as well as other species).... He finally caught his lifelong pursuit for the first time while we were there at the Lodge -- congratulations Warren!). Anyway, I was standing on the bow of the boat getting ready to leave and to admit total failure when suddenly another school of Permit swam by the boat. Dubs yelled out "Permit." I could barely make out the dark images as Dubs turned the boat. He obviously saw them better than I did, but I threw to the just in front of the dark spots -- just as I had to hundreds of bonefish that previously thumbed their noses.... This time it was different. I kept the rod tip in the water and focused on where the line entered the rod tip waiting to feel the pull of the Permit. As I made small strips with my wrist I felt a pull on the line and I made the strip set as Dubs had instructed. I was hooked up. It had only taken me six casts to hook up the most difficult fish to catch on a fly rod thanks to Dubs and a lot of sheer luck (OK maybe a little skill; it was a money cast)....

Time stood still for the first few moments, and when I played the tapes back I was amazed to see that I said nothing.... I was in another world with my laser focus on making the right strip set, lifting the rod just right afterwards and embedding the hook to ensure the connection to this fish -- obviously afraid of jinxing the whole thing. My elation at being hooked up to this Permit was delayed and finally I let out a hoot like never before!

Looking back I still feel like I was "visited" by this fish. The fish was so beautiful and mystical that I could not help but feel this way. It turns out that only moments before, the cameraman, Robert and my fishing buddy Ed, and I, had just been talking about the loss of members of our family, and in that moment playing that fish it was as though that they were all there for a brief time surrounding us, reminding us what is important.

Ed, who is a fireman in Seattle and has seen his share of tragedy, later said that as he watched me he felt like he was witnessing Grace. For one brief stretch of ten minutes, while I fought this valiant fish, everything faded away and all that was left was this moment of perfection.

Landing that fish was pure and unadulterated joy. It was amazing to hold this precious fish that I immediately dubbed "Princess of the Ocean." Photos and video of Permit simply do not do it justice. It is truly the most amazing and graceful looking fish I have ever held. I really did not imagine that I would be able to catch a Permit on camera considering the struggle I had hooking and landing bonefish, and considering how so many anglers that I know have spent lifetimes trying to catch Permit only to be rebuffed again and again.

Against the backdrop of struggle for the Bones my impending success with the Permit was all the more meaningful. You don't need to be religious to understand the power of these moments. In the end perhaps this is the real reason we fish.

When it was all said and done it took me only six casts to get my first Permit. The veteran guide at the Lodge, Eddie, who also witnessed the event, said that in thirty-five years guiding on the island he had only seen one other angler have success like this on his first attempt for Permit.... After that disclosure from Eddie we decided to quit while we were ahead and I flew home yesterday. There is nothing quite like the knowledge that the last cast I made with my fly rod produced a Permit, arguably the most difficult fish in the world to catch on a fly.

If only I could recapture the moment, the lesson, and that joy. Then again, I can share this amazing moment with all of you in our TV series that launches this Spring on Outdoor Channel! Tight Lines! John Dietsch, Founder Hook.tv

To watch Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition tune in this Spring on the Outdoor Channel. Dates and times to come.

To find out more about fishing for Permit at Turneffe Flats Lodge go to: http://www.tflats.com