So, after stumbling about the beaches near San Pedro with not a whole lot to show for it besides wind chapped faces and a few close but rejected encounters with bonefish cruising the boat cuts, we hopped on the water taxi again and headed for Caye Caulker.




On Caye Caulker the motto or mantra is "go slow." They mean that literally and figuratively. Caye Caulker is quite a change of pace from San Pedro much smaller and more intimate, far fewer people, and a super chill vibe that is easy to tune into. The locals were more than friendly and always easy going.



For those that want to go just slightly faster than slow, bikes are the preferred method, most walk here.




On our first afternoon on the caye we took a canoe out to cruise the shorelines and look for fish while we were at it. Happened across a school of baby tarpones, 15-40 pounders in a small lagoon near town. As it turns out they are fairly resident and kind of looked upon as pets by the dock owners close by. Glad we didn't fish for them!














We were on a bit of a shoestring budget but I had planned on throwing down for one guided day while we were in Belize. As things turned out and in keeping with the theme of the trip so far, I happened to pick probably the windiest and most cloudy day of the trip to pay a guide to fish me. Long story short, between the white caps, poor visibility, and my inability to put a cast where it needed to go, it was probably the most frustrating day of fishing of my life. Right off the bat we did manage to spot a school of fish in the big water while looking for permit. I got three casts at the school before the wind made it impossible to track them. In this case cast meaning a long bomb quartering with the wind and then stripping, literally, as fast as I could back to the boat. I landed one Lady fish and hooked a jack before we gave up fighting the swell and moved inland to look for bones. We found quite a few and a couple managed to eat a fly, but none came to hand.




Picking up a few sardines on the way out. Didn't wind up using any, maybe we should have?




The pelicans were kicking our butts, 3 to 1 by the time we connected with a good toss.




Reeling up a lady fish. Does that count as a smile?





For the next few days on Caye Caulker I walked the beaches in the mornings and evenings looking for bones. I wanted one bad after getting blanked thus far in the trip. As luck would have it, I found one mini-flat that the bones seemed to like quite well. I fished it for two days in a row at first and last light and managed to land my first bonefish. It was beautiful and of course as with many of my favorite fish, I have no photo to remember it by.

Can you see the bonefish?

No?







You have to look closer.












This was the only calm morning we had on the entire trip. I had been cursing the wind for fouling my best efforts thus far. The water was so calm and air so still on this morning that every fish I cast to spooked before my line even touched the water. Bonefish are easy is what I was told. If you find the fish, they will eat anything, just get it in front of them. My experience couldn't have been farther from that.

I actually found the shore based fishing opportunities here better than on Ambergris, perhaps because the islands features were smaller and easier to get to know. I found a few mini-flats that consistently held fish and local infrastructure, access, and help that was far more enjoyable and conducive to fishing than on Ambergris.

A few more images from around Caye Caulker






One of my favorites from the trip













From here we would hop on a boat for the next three days and two nights and do a little island hopping, snorkeling and fishing on the go.