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Jack Trout's Belize Adventure - 2007 
Lloyd and his son Robbie are friends of mine that live in Belize, Central America. Lloyd has guided for me now for over 8 years and his expertise in sighting fish in the ocean flats as well as his knowledge about when to be out on the ocean water for the right tides, puts him at the top of the food chain as far as guides go. I really praise this guy and the three other guides we use for they are dedicated and will do what ever it takes to get our people into fish! 
Just 20 minutes away from where we stay are a series of atolls and cayes that are perfect for bones, permits and jacks! The water is so incredible, always in the 80's and the colors are amazing to say the least. The island of San Pedro, Madonna's "isla bonita" is ideal for snorkeling, fishing and swimming, as well as romance. For scuba divers, there's Blue Hole, the natural underwater well that Jacques Cousteau once explored on his televised program. In Pine Ridge, Francis Ford Coppola built cabins with so much design detail that Frommers has dubbed its style "World Chic Fusion." The mahogany, cedar, pinkwood and cacao forests originally attracted the English to these parts in the 1640's. Later, came pirates and escaped slaves. The country was part of the British Common Wealth - under the name British Honduras - until 1981, when Belize achieved its independence. The local people are called Garifuna, and Lloyd said that many of his ancestry came from the island of Saint Prince before settling here in Belize. I do know that the Garifuna folks are the dab-nab nicest folks I think I've ever met abroad! So mellow, caring and honest! Jack Trout 
So I got down early before my groups showed up to look things over and make sure my T's were crossed and I's were dotted! First to check out was the fly fishing! The fishing was great, bones were not too hard to find and daily we jumped permit and threw crab flies at them! Everyday we hit the flats to catch fish and keep up on what was going on!! 
These are the typical flies we used on a daily basis. 
Back on the mainland I could be found cruising the beach barefooted with a fly rod in my hand about 6am in the morning. Things start very early around here. It's Central America, so the sun always rises at 5:30am and sets at 6:30pm all year around. That's just what life is about here near the equator- no real changes in the season- except for the rainy months in Sept, Oct, Nov. 
I walked by the lodge and things looked great, but I wasn't ready to go in and check on rooms and food just yet. I wanted to fly fish a little from the shoreline. 
I casted from shore and hooked up on fish constantly. 
Nice fight, I think it's a barracuda... 
Wasn't huge but who cares from shore! One day a school of snapper and jacks came in near shore and I caught my lunch! I eat fish from the ocean but practice catch and release in the rivers I fly fish.. 
Back at home Lloyd, wife Clarice and daughter Claricia are hanging out watching the NBA playoffs! I like hanging out in the village everyone is so nice and the vibes are always good. 
Clarice's dinners were so good, like these fresh shrimp with a sweet pepper sauce, now a pleasant memory. One night she prepared a fried snapper that was so delicious I can't stop thinking about it! All that fresh wonderful fish and fruit is making me wish I was back there! 
Also in the village you get to see the local kind of things, like this 8 to 10 foot boa. 
Back out on the boat livin-large! 
Lloyd likes to be very stealth when jumping permit he sees some feeding over in the corner of this atoll so he approaches slow and precise. He pulls the boat over very quietly not to spook them while I shoot photos. 
That tail goes up in the air and your heart sinks-- I swear! It always one of the most exciting things I've ever witnessed fly fishing. Quietly we made our way over by the feeding pac~mans. 
Lloyd hooks one of the largest permits and it shoots off like a car door with a jet motor! 
What a beauty! A 17 to 18 lb permit! These all get released. We never keep a permit or bone fish. 
So this is one of the three boats we have available for you! 
This is one of the cabanas I offer while staying here in Belize. 
This courtyard and everything here is absolutely 5 star! This is a place for the diehard angler or the non-angler beach and snorkel extraordinaire. (Lounge Lizard) 
Looking out and hearing the ocean at all times makes the experience all the better. I loved the beautiful native flowers everywhere and Jesus Lizards could be seen walking on the sand and the water!. 
This is a standard room I offer in my standard package. 8 days - 7 nights - 5 days fly fishing for $2550 per person double occupancy. All meals breakfast, lunch and dinner at my 5 star beach front resort! The food is simply divine and some of the fish we catch the lodge will doll up for us for a world class cuisine! Of course, the best guides and their boats are also included. If you put together a group of four or more I will come down and take photos of your adventures and post your story on www.mtshasta.com. 
This is the room I offer for my elite package- even has a jacuzzi tub in the room! standard package. 8 days - 7 nights - 5 days fly fishing for $2950 per person double occupancy. 
The views are some of the best anyone could ever dream of having on the Carribean Ocean, and the tiki bar isn't that far away either- can you say Piña Colada ! 
I hope to see you here relaxing and fishing because you deserve it! 
The main lodge is perfect for the Gebhart group of 10, I have arriving later on in the week. 
One more look around everything looks perfect to me! 
Ah, the beach! Time to chill... 
The night before the Gebharts arrived, I cruised back by the lodge just to have one more look around. I looked up and saw all the tiki lights lit up and it was almost surreal. I felt so confident about this trip, I had all guides organized, the Mayan tour was organized, paid for and confirmed, as well as the diving and snorkeling. I looked around and thought to myself, could this be one of my greatest adventures ever? I was little nervous for only two in the group were fly fishers, the rest would need to be taught out on the flats... 
I turned a corner and thought to myself, I wouldn't have it anyother way. Teaching people fly fishing is what I'm all about! I've been doing it for years and I had total confidence in my guides Lloyd, Clarence, Terry and K.K. I knew they would be on top of their game! I went back to my room looked over my lists one more time and got ready for bed. For the Gebhart Families first day in Belize with Jack Trout International was tomorrow and I smiled as I thought to myself, "fate favors the well prepared". This was to be my largest group I had ever entertained for an international travel week and I felt ready! The fan played its fiddle into the night with the drum sound of ocean waves crashing on the beach in the background, as I thought my last good thought I fell back silently into a deep sleep. 
The next day, we fetched the Mercedes bus and drove it into the airport to pick up the troops. 
On the way into town I stopped the driver the to take a picture of the non-venomous green vine snake. Cool! 
The customers landed and all the baggage was safe and there! 
Everyone was so happy to be in Belize and we celebrated by having a beer together! Christina, Danny's girlfriend, was a hit with her flip-flops that sported a beer bottle opener on the sole of the shoe.. 
Then we stopped for more beers and the locals welcomed us! 
We arrived at my lodge and King, my dear friend gave the group an orientation while the group drank piña coladas! Jim Gebhart thought to himself, if a man orders a piña colada in Redding, California out a local bar he might get beat-up... 
Richard upgraded his package with me and stayed near the tiki bar in the high rent district. The kids all stayed in standard rooms which were very nice indeed. 
The native flowers on all the beds daily were a nice and unique touch. 
I could always find the gang near the bar talking about all the great things we had in store! 
The first day out we used three flats boats. Lloyd guided Travis, Cindy and Rick. You might recognize Travis in this picture from Asher Pet Hospital in Redding, California. I came along to shoot photos and give some casting lessons. 
Cindy and Rick had never fly fished. Travis? Maybe once or twice. So this was their introduction to fly fishing, out on a reef in the middle of the Americas. Kind of nice on the eyes~ wouldn't you say? Even if you didn't catch a thing- which is unheard of, you're still surrounded by all this beauty! The best part is if you want a break from fishing, you can always snorkel one of the worlds best places to see reef fish of every variety! 
After a short casting lesson Rick got a hit just leaving his fly in the water talking to Cindy. Cindy then hooked a barracuda while trying to recast and everyone seemed really interested in this fly fishing... We looked over only to hear Travis screaming and cheering as an apparent bone fish had nicked his fly and he was off for the ride of his life. 
Lloyd and Travis off fly fishing in the distance. 
Nice bone fish bros! 
Wow! This might go 7 lbs!! What a great bone fish~ Do you have boner envy? Nice hook-up Travis and Lloyd- that's what dreams are made of! 
Travis celebrates by taking a dunk!! He's happy folks! 
Lloyd then brings us to this spot where bone fish hung out and socialized. We caught so many bone fish it was silly! 
Cindy, her first day out fly fishing, caught 13! 
Rick thought these fish fought harder Than the underwriters at Freddie Mac! 
Nice first boner dude! I remember my first bone in the summer of... 
Cindy with another landed bone fish. Guess what folks- Cindy caught more fish that day with the least amount of experience (and even lower expectations when you take into account that she and Rick really thought they would just mainly snorkel that day)! I was so happy to see my people catching bones and having fun; it was one of my most rewarding moments in 14 years of hosting international travel. Lloyd was in his element taking us all over the cayes to different areas he had been fishing for over 30 years! 
Travis caught another ripper! 
Rick landed his 7th and he caught the fly fishing bug people! If you knew how much time and effort I spent planning this perfect trip, you would have felt the same way I did--elated! It was obvious- these sweet people deserved this trip and the weather, wind and tides were all cooperating that day. 
About 2pm we had caught so many fish, that the group said it was time to head for a bar along the many atolls and take a mid-day swim/drink break! |
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For more information
~ Call 530-926-4540 or Email: info@jacktrout.com
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