This week brought our Allan Johnson school of fly casting down to Belize. Allan has been teaching fly casting professionally for over 14 years and will be hosting several group trips in the coming months. This trip was a large group of his students, many were seasoned bonefishers and some were new to the salt.
The giant cold front that dominated the states and Gulf of Mexico had very little effect on our fishing other than a dominant North West wind for the entire week. We fished the ocean side of the island in the lee for most of the week, and concentrated on the many tailing flats there.
One of the many bonefish caught while tailing up in 6 inches of water
All of the anglers were amazed at how many tailing fish were on the flats. Tide did not seem to matter, as there were fish feeding ALL DAY LONG. The seasoned guys who fish the Bahamas were amazed at the amount of tailers in Belize. They were used to casting to "cruisers" in their home waters and were delighted with the challenge of tailing fish. A few tips from Allan enabled these guys to learn how to spot, anticipate, and begin the stalk.
Casting precision was key to fooling these wary bonefish. When a bonefish is tailing, his vision is limited to only a few inches. If you cast behind or to the side, the fly simply does not even get noticed. Allan coached our guys into precise casting and we immediately were getting hook ups. Great job Allan. Allan will be returning on February 28 to host a Casting Clinic for 7 days. This will be a trip of a lifetime for anyone looking to improve on their skills as a fly caster and flats fisherman. The trip is filling up fast, so if you would like to join or see other dates that Allan will be hosting please contact us: mark@belizeflyzone.com
