The flies are in their boxes, the rods and sunscreen are packed for five days of fishing and eight nights spent in Belize. This little country south of Mexico boasts some of the best tarpon, permit, and bonefish fly fishing opportunities on the planet. This is also my first saltwater fly fishing experience ever and I am beyond stoked to enjoy the ocean breeze and catch a few fish along the way.
I'm flying out with one of my best college buddies to Caye Caulker and I wanted to give a rundown of what I'm bringing and my gameplay for traveling to a fly fishing destination. While I haven't been to any salt destinations, I have done large multi-day float trips to Alaska for coho salmon, leopard rainbows, and char so I was familiar with trying to fit everything you need into a bag or two and jumping on the plane.
Packing Fly Fishing Gear for Airplane Travel
The rods, reels, and flies are the most important pieces when you are traveling to a fly fishing destination. If the rods don't show up it means you could be missing out on precious hours on the water. So if at all possible, it is important to travel with those items. Anything else, like socks, underwear, or clothing can most likely be easily obtained if needed at the location, but oftentimes the rods and reels are much trickier to find.
Fly Fishing Gear Carry On the Plane
This means you need a bag that can be a one-stop shop for all your fly fishing needs. Be careful of large hooks though, some airlines will not let you travel with them in your carry-on, so consider putting the flies in the checked baggage. I chose to use the Orvis Carry-it-All which has some cool features that you don't see in other similar products. The Carry-It-All has a separate zippered compartment in the lid of the case that is designed to hold your fly rods and has ample space for around four rods in their socks. The case isn't soft so it does a good job of holding your rods in place and limiting the chance of them getting crushed during transit.
Additionally, the pack has fully customizable dividers in the lower portion that can hold all the reels, tippet, fly boxes, or sunglass cases you could need on a fly fishing vacation. There are additional mesh pockets that hold leaders or any small odds and ends that you can't leave home without. This trip will be its first use but it appears more than capable and durable for its intended purpose.
Leaving the rod tubes at home can be a great space and weight saver, especially when you are bringing a variety of different rods for varying species and setups. Bags like the Carry-it-All help maximize your space. That is the only bag you need that is specific to fly fishing. You can buy the Patagonia, Fishpond, Simms, or Orris luggage but it really won't serve you any better unless you desire a waterproof bag or something of the like. Otherwise, I am bringing a duffel bag with some clothes and sandals. The packing for this trip sure beats preparing for the wind, rain, and flooding in Alaska.
Packing Flies for Travel
My strategy for packing flies was to condense them into the smallest space they would fit and I was able to put most of them into a single fly box except for my largest flies. This allows me to pick up and go without having to think about which boxes I need for the day. If you have a ton of flies or simply like being more organized by species, patterns, or size then a multi-fly box kit is for you. I shot for ease and simplicity but the one danger of doing this is the chance you lose your box. Make sure it stays safe and dry.
For this reason, I also opted for a water-tight Large Fish Pond Pescador fly box. It provides space for flies with larger hooks and more volume while still keeping a tight hold on your smaller hook sizes. The waterproof construction is necessary in my mind when it comes to saltwater fishing. The last thing I want to happen is my flies getting doused in salt water and the hooks corroding before I can rinse or clean them.
This means you also need a spare container for any spent flies that were used throughout the day. you don't want them intermingling with the clean flies that haven't been used in the saltwater. Bring some spare pucks or boxes from home to toss the used flies because you don't want to just throw them away considering they cost 4-10 dollars a pop.
Eyewear and Sun Protection for Fly Fishing Belize
Protecting your skin and eyes while out on the water developed into a major priority over the last few years of fly fishing and guiding. The sun is not kind to my skin and I want to limit the damage whenever I can. Belize will be especially brutal considering I am jumping from April in Oregon to the mid-80s on the beach. Sunburn can be a true vacation ruiner when heading to tropical locations so I am coming prepared with plenty of coverage and sunscreen.
Costa Del Mar are my glasses of choice, I use the Ferg Xl because they fit my unique nose the best out of all their models, even if they are not perfect. The 580G lenses they use provide awesome clarity in clear, shallow water which is essential when the guide is pointing out cruising fish on the flats.
Not only are they good sun protection and glare reducers, but they also protect your eyes from large-sized hooks turning your fishing trip into a nightmare ER visit. High wind, long casts, and sharp hooks can do some damage so I made sure to find some with good coverage. Additionally, I have a spare pair to bring along in the event I lose or break my first pair of glasses.
For clothing, I plan to take the same approach that I do on the trout streams in Central Oregon. I will be fishing in exclusively long sleeves and pants because I know that I am too lazy and too excited about the fishing to bother putting on sunscreen every few hours. The usual fishing hoodies will be a part of the arsenal, along with a few buffs as well. The Skwala Sol Pant has been my favorite due to their stretch and comfort. They are by far the best pants I've used for wet wading or even under the waders during warmer months.
Gloves will be a part of the wardrobe as well but I am unsure whether I will use them consistently considering I don't love the feel of casting or stripping line with them. But they will also help serve as stripping guards.
The last piece is the Orvis Christmas Island booties made for ease and speed. They have a single zipper and slip-on so you can quickly jump out of the boat to stalk a permit or bonefish.
Rods and Reels for Belize
The rods and reels you bring to Belize or any saltwater destination need to be up to snuff when it comes to stopping power, holding backing, durability in the salt, and casting in the wind. This usually means fast action rods paired with fully sealed drag reels. Since this trip was on a relatively low budget I opted for value over name and brand. The new Orris Helios looked awesome but Echo's prices and functionality were calling my name.
I opted for the 9wt Echo EPR and the 11wt Echo Boost Blue to compliment my CTS Affinity X 8wt. This lineup of rods should cover the full spectrum of fish I could come across in Belize and chances are I'm overly optimistic about the size of tarpon I plan on encountering but better to be prepared for the best. These rods are all very fast action and designed to deliver lines at high speeds with accuracy. Echo is known for making extremely high-quality rods that cast high above their price point.
The rods are paired with Orvis reels lined with RIO Fly Lines. The Hydros IV and V are paired with my 8wt and 11wt and the Orvis Mirage for my 9wt. The Hydros is one of the best value reels in my opinion whether you are trout fishing or tarpon fishing. They have a smooth drag and large arbor that picks up the line efficiently.
Leaving for Belize April 12th
As of writing this, I am 9 days out from leaving for Belize. I will return with any updates on the gear as I test them out for the first time in their intended environment. Tight Lines.