We spent Christmas on Caye Caulker in Belize, visiting a friend from the Peace Corps. I spent Christmas Eve fishing, and a bit of Christmas morning. While I was ultimately successful in catching a few fish, I will say right at the start that I do not recommend Caye Caulker as a DIY fly fishing destination. (If you are headed that way I recommend budgeting for a guided trip to Turneffe Atoll, an hour or so away by boat.)
I found the shoreline access on the island to be disappointingly limited, and there was a lot of soft, deep mud. In addition, the mangrove lagoons are home to American Crocodiles which, while not considered particularly aggressive by “crocodile standards,” are definitely large enough to eat you.
I was able to get to some slightly deep but still wadable flats by crossing un-fenced construction sites on the west side of the island. On Christmas Eve I walked several miles along a narrow strip of turtle grass. There was a lot of bait along the mangroves. I managed to catch a snapper and some small jacks that were patrolling for a meal, including one particularly striking fish. I also saw small barracudas and one cute little nurse shark, but no bonefish.
On Christmas morning, while Tara took in a beachfront yoga class, I went for a walk. Down near the airport, again across a large construction site, I found a small flat that looked more promising than any I had seen so far. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped into the water I spooked a small bonefish out of the glare and watched it flee somewhat lackadaisically toward deep water. I explored the shoreline in both directions but did not see any more fish. The tide and wind were both rising and when I could no longer really see the bottom, I returned to that first spot and began blind-casting across a large patch of sand. I chose a fly that was brighter than I would usually use for sight-fishing, and heavy enough to get to the bottom quickly and move well through the wind-driven current. Within half a dozen casts I got lucky and hooked the most adorable little bonefish in the world!
The Fishing Dojo 