Belize's claim as the permit capital of the world is the product of geography, water quality, and a guide culture developed over decades. The flat complex along Belize's coast and cayes, fed by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, produces permit populations unrivaled in the Caribbean. The fishery spans ocean-side flats for tailing fish, backcountry lagoons with resident permit, and reef cuts harboring large permit alongside tarpon.

Belize fly fishing is productive year-round, with March through June generally regarded as peak permit season. Tarpon migrate through in significant numbers from spring through early summer. Bonefish are present in excellent numbers throughout the year, and the grand slam — all three in a day — is a genuine possibility here.