About Blue Horizon Fly Fishing Lodge

Blue Horizon Fly Fishing

Founded in 1997 by legendary Belizean fly fishing guide Lincoln Westby, Blue Horizon Fly Fishing operates inside the protected waters of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, in an area known as “Permit Alley”. This epicenter of the flats fishing is known as the finest permit fishing in the Caribbean, attracting anglers from around the world to our fabled flats.

Over the years, Lincoln and the guides he has trained himself, have developed into some of the most knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and fun guides to fish with in Belize. With literally thousands of permit, bonefish, and tarpon landed over the years, you can’t go wrong when you book a day, or a week, or more with Blue Horizon Fly Fishing. We offer half day and full day trip options from Hopkins, Placencia, and the surrounding cayes.

If you are looking for a dedicated fishing vacation, then you’ll love our newly remodeled and rebuilt Blue Horizon Lodge. For decades, Blue Horizon Lodge was known as ‘THE’ destination for hardcore permit anglers attempting to catch their 1st or 100th permit. With the rebuild of the lodge, we retain the title of the “Best Permit Fishing in Belize”. The lodge is located on the exact same footprint that Lincoln established his original lodge those many years ago, to maximize being on the flats during the best tides, with the best guides, during the best times of the day.

The Fishing

Fishing Overview

The South Water Caye Marine Reserve, locally known as Permit Alley, is home to prime pancake flats and many schools of permit, bonefish, and cruising tarpon. The nearby Meso-American Reef is home to many permit and tarpon, as well as jacks, snapper, barracudas, and some other species. Tarpon are present year round and found on nearby cayes, channels, and in the large Placencia lagoon, which is also home to healthy populations of snook. From late April through the month of August, anglers can cast their flies at the larger migratory tarpon. These fish can reach to 150+ pounds.

Besides the vast experience of our talented guide staff, the next best reason to come fishing with Blue Horizon Lodge is the proximity to the most productive permit flats in Belize. It is very common to travel less than 10 minutes from the lodge and be casting to tailing permit. Occasionally, our guides will make longer runs, but only if they are 100% confident they will find un-pressured fishing. From the mainland, you should expect to have 30-45 minute boat rides before and after fishing. From the lodge, you will hardly have to travel at all.

Permit

The vast majority of anglers come to Southern Belize to pursue permit. Permit are plentiful and are found on the pancake flats and the outer cayes of “Permit Alley”. You can expect plenty of shots at 5-20 pound permit on any given day. There are few places in the world you can expect to have more shots at permit. What makes Permit Alley so unique, is the number of tailing permit you will encounter in a given week. The majority of the permit shots will be to tailing fish. A tailing permit is a feeding permit. And you should expect to have 80% or more of the permit you see to be tailing.

Bonefish

While the area is most well known for the permit, there are impressive numbers of bonefish. The most common place to see bonefish is on the flats near the cayes or on select reef flats. On an average day on the flats, any time of year, you will see and fish to schools of bonefish in the 2-5 pound range. These fish tend to be in large schools; however, there are singles and doubles if you are interested in more challenging casting. Our guides can consistently find schools of bonefish, even during low tides and weather conditions that limit the encounters with permit.

Tarpon

Tarpon are present in the fishery throughout the year, in select channels and protected island lagoons. The tarpon migration is generally from late April through August in this part of Belize, with the channels and cayes in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve getting robust schools of tarpon during the migration. There is considerably less pressure in these waters then in the more famous reaches of Northern Belize. The tarpon in this fishery tend to be ‘eaters’ not ‘lookers’.

Other Game Fish

Barracuda, jacks, snapper, sharks, jacks and trigger fish are all available and add to the angling experience. We recommend that you come prepared to at least try for some of these other species during your stay.

Accommodations

Blue Horizon Lodge

Accommodations above the Others

The intimate Blue Horizon Lodge is ideal for all vacationing anglers. Blue Horizon Lodge officially re-opened in 2020. The new lodge features many of the original buildings with a fresh redesign that incorporates the modern comforts this generation of traveling anglers has come enjoy and expect. The goal of the redesign was to create an atmosphere that honors the heritage of Lincoln Westby’s original lodge, while rejuvenating it with contemporary luxury elements. During reconstruction, much of the old lodge and guest cabins were salvaged and have been incorporated into new furniture, accents elements, and decor of the lodge and guest rooms. For those anglers who visited Blue Horizon Lodge in the 1990’s, there is no doubt you’ll recognize the remnants of the old lodge and you will certainly savor the updated and greatly improved accommodations.

The main lodge integrates an open air design, so that you may fully appreciate the beauty of the marina environment setting. Our unique shutter system allows us to have the lodge fully open to the natural world, or to quickly close-up the shutters to protect interior when inclement weather threatens.

The five guests cabanas, for a maximum capacity for 10 anglers, have been completely refurbished and deliver a surprising level of sophistication for such a remote location. Each room is furnished with two full size beds and a private bathroom, complete with on demand hot water showers. Air conditioning is standard in all of the rooms, giving our guests the option of enjoying the ocean breeze or a controlled climate. Rod racks, shelving, and hangers will help you organize your gear during your stay.

Two of the five guest rooms are stand-alone units, and offer the most privacy. The other three units are contained under one roof, in the new from the ground up, triplex. This unit is perfect for parties of six. The large shared deck makes a convenient gathering space for relaxing and sharing the day’s stories. But don’t worry, we’ve insulated the walls so you won’t hear the neighbor snoring in the night (unless you’re sharing the room… pick your bunk mates wisely).

Internet

The island has wireless internet access covering the majority of the property. Your room and the main lodge are 100% covered. Cellular service is limited, but available to most US carriers. We have installed a next generation internet system that allows for accessing the internet at fiberoptic speeds. WiFi calling, emails, internet browsing, text messaging, social media, and even high speed streaming of live TV and movies is not just possible, but standard. We expect you to be pleasantly surprised by the speed and consistency you’ll be able to access the internet.

Room Amenities

• Two Full-Size Beds

• Private Bathroom

• Air Conditioning

• Internet

• Fly Rod Racks, Shelving, & Hangers

• Balcony

• Towels

• Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash

• Drinking Water

Food with the soul of Belize

Cuisine

Belize is known for a wide variety of delightful and savory fare, influenced by the diverse Caribbean culture. Our culinary program incorporates traditional Belizean ‘home cooking’ with bold flare of modern cuisine. Meals are served both family-style and plated, and will never leave you asking for more. We capitalize on our closeness to the ocean as the foundation to the menu. Seafood of all types is served, along with fresh produce, meats, and forage from Muy’Ono Farms on the mainland. A few of the highlighted dishes are Seafood Serre, traditional Sunday dinners, conch fritters, ceviche, grilled lobster, and homemade desserts.

Breakfasts are served continental style, so anglers can come and enjoy at their convenience. Self-serve coffee is available starting at 5 am each morning, with the breakfast buffet opened shortly after. Breakfast consists of coffee or tea, fruit juice, fresh tropical fruits, pastry, muffin or sweet bread, and a savory option of quiche, stuffed fry jacks, or other to go breakfast items.

Depending on the best times for fishing, your guides will be ready to depart as early as 6 am (sometimes earlier).

Lunch is served on the island when low tides occur mid-day. During a mid-day high tide, you’ll take lunch to go and enjoy it on the boat.

Dinner is a three course experience, starting with appetizers, followed by the main course and finished off with a fresh, homemade dessert.

All Inclusive

Fishing packages are all inclusive of meals, drinks, lodging, guided fishing, and transfers between the island and the airstrip. Our self-serve bar and drink cooler is open at all times of the day. The bar is well stocked with local rum and mixers. Each evening a different “happy hour” cocktail is featured… be sure to try the “Pesky Permit”!

If you want to enjoy other libations, such as bourbon, scotch, tequila, specialty wines, or other liquors, please bring those to the island. The duty free store in the Belize airport is a great location to purchase those items.

Drinking water is supplied in each guest room and in the main lodge, in five gallon jugs of purified water. Drinking water is supplied on the boats in large reusable coolers. Upon check in, you will be given a water bottle for drinking water. Please help us reduce the use of plastic by using that water bottle during your stay. We utilize a state of the art water maker for all non-drinking water uses. While this water is 99% safe to drink or brush your teeth with, we provide the 100% purified water as a convenience and guaranteed safety of our customers.

Travel Details

How to Get to Blue Horizon Lodge

Arriving at the Belize International Airport

Belize International Airport is a small airport that provides excellent signage to help you get through customs and transfer to your in-country flight to Placencia. At the point of entry, a passport and proof of return or onward ticket are required. When booking your international flight, please be aware of your landing time. For commuter flights, we recommend arriving to Belize City no later than 3:00 pm, as the last flight to Placencia departs at 5:00 pm. For a ground transfer on Muy’Ono Explorer, we recommend arriving in Belize City no later than 1:00 pm.

Transferring to the Placencia Airstrip and your Final Destination

You have a few choices on how to travel from Belize City to Placencia, the closest town to our island resort. You can take the Muy’Ono Explorer for $150 US round trip, per person. This is a 3.5 hour tour throughout Belize with a welcome drink, air-conditioned van, tour guide, and refreshment/bathroom stops. You can also choose to take the breathtaking 30 minute commuter flight down the coast of Belize to the Placencia Airstrip. We are happy to arrange your connecting flight. The flight is $225 US round trip, per person. If you would like to book your own transportation, please verify times of flight before booking.

As you arrive in Placencia, one of our teammates will be waiting to bring you to our sister property, The Placencia Resort and Marina, where you will catch the boat to Blue Horizon Lodge. Enjoy the 20 minute, 9 mile boat ride from The Placencia Resort to our island. The boat ride to and from the island is included in each package.

Departure times will be arranged on island and will vary based on all departing guest flight times that day. We do our best to minimize wait times for local flight departures. Depending on the schedule of other guests arriving or departing, you may be asked to relax at The Placencia Resort for a short time… and you are required to enjoy the pool, bar, and/or restaurant while you wait.

VIP Arrival Service

Receive VIP treatment upon arrival to Belize International Airport by your own personal Blue Horizon/Muy’Ono airport concierge! You will be met right after you go through Customs by your concierge who will assist you in making the connection to your separately booked commuter flight or land transfer, which can be purchased through our pre-arrival team. This is no stress traveling at its best, just sit back and relax while we take care of everything.

Please contact our Adventure Travel Team for pricing and availability [email protected]

Fly Fishing Package

Be prepared to develop a passion for chasing the Grand Slam: permit, bonefish and tarpon. Packages are perfect for the experienced anglers and first fly casters alike.

FLY FISHING PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• Accommodations and all meals, snacks, local beer, local alcohol, and non- alcoholic beverages

• The number of full days of fly fishing in the package

• Ground transfers between airstrip and marina

• Boat transfer to and from the island

• WiFi & Marine fees, hotel taxes, and GST

DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• International flight, In-country commuter flights or ground transfers from BZE

• Extra tours or Purchases in the pro/gift shop

• Fishing guide or lodge staff gratuities

DEPOSIT/PAYMENT: 

A 50% deposit is due within 10 days of booking your trip. Full payment is due 90 days prior to scheduled trip.

CANCELLATION POLICY: 

• All cancellations must be received in writing.
  Prior to 90 days 100% of deposit may be transferred to another date/angler or refunded minus the cancellation fee
• Between 45 – 90 days 50% of package may be transferred to another date or angler or refunded minus the cancellation fee
• Less than 45 days may not be transferred or refunded
• All cancellations will be charged a 5% cancellation fee
• The unused portion of these packages by guest’s choice are not refundable.
• Trips cancelled or shortened as a result of inclement weather and/or acts of nature including hurricanes or due to airline delays, strikes or political unrest are not refundable.

We strongly encourage all guests to purchase travel insurance. 

FRA Cancellation/Refund Policy

At the time of booking 50% of the trip is due and payable. At 90 days the remainder plus all VAT and taxes are due. Cancellation greater than 90 days from the date of trip, all monies refunded less $100 fee if a replacement angler is found. Cancellation within 90 Days, no refunds are provided unless a qualified replacement angler is provided. No refunds are provided for trip cancellation due to Weather, Acts of God, Airline/Travel issues.

Travel Insurance

Front Range Anglers recommends all anglers to have Medical Evacuation Insurance- we recommend Global Rescue, and we HIGHLY recommend Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance. FOR ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT: Jessica Minard at 617.210.8106 (direct) or email [email protected].

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FRA GENERAL TERMS & CANCELLATION POLICY

Trip  Insurance is strongly advised & recommended!