Fishing
Guanaja Fishing Information
Guanaja holds similar saltwater fly-fishing to Mexico and Belize. What makes Guanaja unique is we usually are the only ones fishing there. Guanaja is a diverse Caribbean fishery surrounded by sand, turtle grass, and coral flats. Although we mainly hunt bonefish, permit, and tarpon–we fish for other species in different venues. We wade fish about 65 percent of the time and fish out of the boat the other 35 percent.
Bonefish: The bone-fishing in Guanaja is phenomenal. We hunt big singles reaching 10 pounds right in front of the lodge. Guanaja has several flats surrounding the island and we see schools of 10-200 fish all day long. In general, the bonefish in Guanaja are bigger than most in Belize and Mexico. We regularly land 5-8 pound bonefish.
Permit: Guanaja is one of the few permit fisheries in the world. We see on average 10-50 permit a day and get several shots. Our permit range from juveniles to full blown giants over 30 pounds. We find permit tailing on the flats all over the South Keys (our lodge is one of these keys), and also fish them in river mouths and deeper water. We use 10 weight fly rods for permit.
Tarpon and snook: We catch baby tarpon and snook rivers meet the flats. Our baby tarpon range from 5-40 pounds and we sight-cast to them on the moving tide. We also have big resident tarpon reaching over 100 pounds. We often get into large schools of snook and land over 20 in a session. We use 8-10 weight rods for the baby tarpon and 12 weights for the giants
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Trigger Fish: Every flat has a couple of trigger fish all the time in Guanaja. The trigger-fish get up to 25 pounds and are a blast to catch on a fly. They are generally more forgiving than permit and put up a wild fight.
Barracuda: Guanaja is surrounded by barracuda ranging from 1-40 pounds. We fish barracuda on slack tides or when they are molesting our bonefish. We enjoy watching them explode on flies and also use conventional tackle when necessary.
Jacks: There are several different kinds of jacks around Guanaja. We see big schools moving fast and furious and cast flies to the boiling water. Check out this Amber Jack we caught last year!
BOATS: We have four fishing boats made custom for Guanaja. They are a flats boat/ponga mix that allows us to comfortably navigate around Guanaja while still being able to draft in under a foot of water.
EQUIPMENT OFFERED: We have a fleet of 7-12 weight rods and offer their use at no extra cost. Our fly tying table will beat any lodge in the Caribbean. Fly Fish Guanaja is run by experienced fly-fishing guides and we put a premium on our flies and fly-tying. Our table over-looks the flats and we tie flies while watching the fish they are intended for. Some clients enjoy learning to tie, while others simply enjoy the benefit of custom flies for a unique place.
FLIES: We have a custom fly tying table set up in the main lodge, you can actually see fish in the flats you are tying flies for. Although we tie locally, it is best to show up with some flies, we recommend at least 30 flies per person.
WEED GUARDS ARE CRUCIAL ON MOST FLIES. Many flies come without weedguards and we can install them at the lodge no problem.
BONEFISH FLIES
| NAME | SIZE | COLOR |
| Crazy Charlie | 6,8 | White, olive, pink |
| Peterson’s Shrimp | 4,6,8 | White |
| Gotcha | 4,6,8 | White |
| Kwan | 6,8 | Tan |
| Mini Puff | 6,8 | Pink, Olive, Red |
| Bonefish Bitter | 8 | Olive, White |
| San Pedro Crab, Austins (Umqua) | 6,8 | Olive, Tan |
| Borski’s Bonefish Slider (Orvis) | 6,8 | Tan |
| Worms | 4,6 | Tan, Red |
PERMIT FLIES
| Kung Fu Crab | 4,6 | Tan, Olive |
| Flexo Crab (Orvis) | 2,4,6 | |
| Anderson’s McCrab (Umpqua) | 2,4 | Tan |
TARPON FLIES
| Any big red and black tarpon fly | ||
| Gummy Minnows | 0,2,4,6 | Pearl, Light green |
Accomodations
THE LODGE: Our lodge is a private key in the middle of the best flats in Honduras. We take 4-6 anglers per week. The main lodge is a plush house with 2 bedrooms and two full bathrooms, with hot water. The interior is custom mahogany and the beds are new. We also have a guest cabin with two more beds and a bathroom. The deck on the lodge is expansive, lined with hammocks, and over looks the flats full of bonefish and permit. You can literally cast from the deck to tailing fish, or heckle friends as they pursue fish throughout the flat. We have shaded hammock spots around the island where you can chill out during a slack tide, waiting for tails to show up. We also have a white sand beach on our key that feeds into a bonefish hole. With a group of 4 or 6, you have the key to yourselves.
CUISINE: Our local chefs have been trained by several culinary masters flown in from the United States and have elevated the cooking scene to a profound level. Using local delights like lobster, shrimp, fresh fish, vegetables, and fruit, combined with extensive training, our chefs put together an exquisite menu. Local rum, beer, tequila, wine, and sodas are provided in the all-inclusive cost.
