FLY FISHING IN GUANAJA, HONDURAS
When people hear the word “Honduras”, bonefish, permit, and tarpon don’t usually come to mind. Violence on the mainland takes up the media while the Bay Islands remain a safe Caribbean paradise, surrounded by flats.
The Bay Islands of Honduras are special, and many organizations have been formed to keep it that way. However, the most powerful conservation force in the islands is the will of the people. Catch and release ethics developed because tourists came to support local jobs. The more anglers come to the islands, the more natural conservation will happen. The permit and bone fishery in Guanaja has multiplied since anglers started coming in 2008.
Saltwater fly-fishing is as much about the people and place as the fish. The Bay Islands offer an off the beaten fly fishing vacation in paradise with friendly people.
The Bay Islands of Honduras are special, and many organizations have been formed to keep it that way. However, the most powerful conservation force in the islands is the will of the people. Catch and release ethics developed because tourists came to support local jobs. The more anglers come to the islands, the more natural conservation will happen. The permit and bone fishery in Guanaja has multiplied since anglers started coming in 2008.
Saltwater fly-fishing is as much about the people and place as the fish. The Bay Islands offer an off the beaten fly fishing vacation in paradise with friendly people.
Guanaja is home to similar saltwater fly fishing scenarios as those found in other popular areas throughout Mexico and Belize.
What makes Guanaja unique?
You are generally the only one fishing the entire island as we are the only Fly Fishing operation.
Guanaja offers a diverse Caribbean flats fishery where the shallow flats comprise of hard sand, turtle grass and coral. We mainly fish for permit and bonefish but also hunt tarpon, snook, various species of jacks and trigger fish.
When fishing Guanaja, you can expect to wade fish about 65 percent of the time and fish out from a boat the other 35 percent.
Our boats are all custom flats boat, made locally in Guanaja by the local boat maker, a rare trade to be found within such a small community, which makes the connection when fishing in these boats special. Being built locally means the knowledge that goes into the dynamics of one of our flats boast is specific for the flats around Guanaja.
Our guides are highly trained and are some of the best in the Caribbean who will teach casting, tying and the finer elements of Caribbean flats fishing.
What makes Guanaja unique?
You are generally the only one fishing the entire island as we are the only Fly Fishing operation.
Guanaja offers a diverse Caribbean flats fishery where the shallow flats comprise of hard sand, turtle grass and coral. We mainly fish for permit and bonefish but also hunt tarpon, snook, various species of jacks and trigger fish.
When fishing Guanaja, you can expect to wade fish about 65 percent of the time and fish out from a boat the other 35 percent.
Our boats are all custom flats boat, made locally in Guanaja by the local boat maker, a rare trade to be found within such a small community, which makes the connection when fishing in these boats special. Being built locally means the knowledge that goes into the dynamics of one of our flats boast is specific for the flats around Guanaja.
Our guides are highly trained and are some of the best in the Caribbean who will teach casting, tying and the finer elements of Caribbean flats fishing.
PERMIT FISHING
If you are in search of the elusive permit, you are coming to the right place.
The permit fishing in Guanaja will have you looking at real estate and wanting to move to the island.
There is an abundance of permit that frequent the flats of Guanaja and it is likely to see between 10 - 50 permit in a day with multiple opportunities at shots.
The tropical waters surrounding the island are shallow with mud, grass and hard bottom flats and the variety in characteristics around the island gives the angler a diverse fishing experience.
We fish the river mouth, lagoon and flats of the Northside of the island as well as the lush sandy beaches that stare at raised grass flats.
It is incredible to watch tailing permit tight up on a sandy beach feeding off an old set of wooden dock beams sunken into the sand. Your concentration will be tested when you see tails cruising deeper water and then slicing up onto the flats or appearing out of nowhere in the brackish water in front of the river mouth.
Anglers attempt the perfect cast to divert their attention from the delicacies of the sea to hand tied imitations, there is a prolific amount of food available to the fish including a variety of crabs and shrimp.
The East side of Guanaja is lined with 10 small cayes that each hold fishable flats. Pushing up onto the reef the flats holding tailing permit in search of their next meal. Grass flats between islands lend the perfect feeding ground and walkable terrain for anglers.
Anglers have reported the Permit in Guanaja are more apt to eat than permit elsewhere in the Caribbean as they are only fished for a limited season by our small operation.
The permit fishing in Guanaja will have you looking at real estate and wanting to move to the island.
There is an abundance of permit that frequent the flats of Guanaja and it is likely to see between 10 - 50 permit in a day with multiple opportunities at shots.
The tropical waters surrounding the island are shallow with mud, grass and hard bottom flats and the variety in characteristics around the island gives the angler a diverse fishing experience.
We fish the river mouth, lagoon and flats of the Northside of the island as well as the lush sandy beaches that stare at raised grass flats.
It is incredible to watch tailing permit tight up on a sandy beach feeding off an old set of wooden dock beams sunken into the sand. Your concentration will be tested when you see tails cruising deeper water and then slicing up onto the flats or appearing out of nowhere in the brackish water in front of the river mouth.
Anglers attempt the perfect cast to divert their attention from the delicacies of the sea to hand tied imitations, there is a prolific amount of food available to the fish including a variety of crabs and shrimp.
The East side of Guanaja is lined with 10 small cayes that each hold fishable flats. Pushing up onto the reef the flats holding tailing permit in search of their next meal. Grass flats between islands lend the perfect feeding ground and walkable terrain for anglers.
Anglers have reported the Permit in Guanaja are more apt to eat than permit elsewhere in the Caribbean as they are only fished for a limited season by our small operation.
adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience
"They are everywhere. LIterally had 45 shots at permit within 10 minutes of arrival and within a 2 hour time frame. What is this place?"
BONEFISHing
Guanaja is the eastern Bay Island and the wildest. Fly Fish Guanaja came to Guanaja in 2008 and found a prolific fishery waiting to be re-opened. Guanaja bonefish average 4-7 pounds with some fish reaching 10 pounds. There are several big schools around the smaller islands on the South of Guanaja, and big singles feed around the entire coast. Looking for bonefish in Guanaja is a treat because they are everywhere, always seeing tails. Guides are crucial is most parts of Guanaja as the best parts are accessed by boats. The bonefish are big and plentiful in Guanaja, but they are not easy to catch. Guanaja offers a perfect challenge for genuine bonefishers who seek challenge Guanaja will disintegrate the angler looking for big numbers of easy fish. It’s almost worse to see fish you can’t catch than to not see them at all! Flats are varied with sand, turtle grass, and coral. Although one can focus entirely on bonefish in Guanaja and have shots all day, it’s a diverse fishery best experienced with a wider lens. Permit, tarpon, triggers, barracuda and jacks live with the bonefish. Fly Fish Guanaja developed professional guides and custom flies for this unique fishery.
Bonefishing in the Bay Islands is possible all year long. The rainy season is Oct-January, so these months can produce Northern storms that will shut down fishing for a few days. These rainy months can also have phenomenal fishing in between storms so trips longer than a week make the most sense.
Bonefishing in the Bay Islands is possible all year long. The rainy season is Oct-January, so these months can produce Northern storms that will shut down fishing for a few days. These rainy months can also have phenomenal fishing in between storms so trips longer than a week make the most sense.
TARPOn fishing
Guanaja baby tarpon range from five to 40 pounds, and it is common (when they’re found) to sight cast to them on moving tides. There are schools of them that live in the flats in front of the small community of Mangrove Bight. Cruising the flats like they own them, skimming their reflective bodies from the deeps and back into the turtle grass, the sight of these monsters makes you look twice. They are stealthy but when a well presented fly flashes in their feeding zone the temptation is too great for them to resist. Huge mouths wide open, smacking down just in time for the angler to set the hook. Bow to the silver king and hold on as the power these beast have is incredible.
Surrounding the island there are small coves and pockets that hold Tarpon and always worth the hunt. We also hunt baby tarpon around the island which is super exciting no matter what level or age of an angler you are.
Not a prominent species to target but when they come out of the darkness they give the angler an opportunity to take a cast.
Surrounding the island there are small coves and pockets that hold Tarpon and always worth the hunt. We also hunt baby tarpon around the island which is super exciting no matter what level or age of an angler you are.
Not a prominent species to target but when they come out of the darkness they give the angler an opportunity to take a cast.
Other Species
Snook: Guanaja also holds a snook fishery that if explored deeper on the anglers daily list will end up with an unexpected amount of hookups. Not prominent on the list of expectations but super enticing and fun! Snook can be found in schools within the same terrain as fishing for permit or tarpon. However if you are after them, then you will find yourself in different terrain popping top floaters under abandoned docks and having it get smashed by Snook power.
Jacks: With an abundance of different species of Jacks you are sure to find your fly stripping through a school of power houses at some point during your trip. They rip through the shallows with lightning speed and once hooked up your line is being ripped into your backing faster than you know what to do and the only thing you can do is hold on for the ride.
Triggerfish: Sneaky fin flappers of the flats. Triggerfish are highly underrated. Generally snobbish and ignoring your umpteen amount of presentations triggerfish saunter through the flats with knowledge deeper than the anglers gives them credit. Give a well presented fly to a triggerfish and you will find yourself in for a battle. The trick is tricking them and then out tricking them outta the coral heads. A battle into the shallow flats can send them diving under coral heads and triggering themselves on lock down with no chance at coming through with a land. Try to navigate the prevention of snapping your line on the coral heads and lead the triggerfish to manageable depths and you might have a chance. The flats in Guanaja are full of triggerfish and they are a blast to fish for!
Barracuda: Its hard to imagine why any angler would want to go after such a gnarly, toothy fish that harasses bonefish on the flats, but once you experience the ferocious takes on these predatory ray-finned fish, you will be either wide eyes and freaked out or totally into it. Fearsome appearance and savage behaviour, the barracuda will move after your fly faster than you can blink your eye. Pay attention, hold on when hooked up and watch these fish take their attitude to another level.
Randoms: It's inevitable that you will hook into total random fish on the flats. There have been times when your fly gets sucked up at the river mouth by a monster mullet. Realizing only when he takes off that you have hooked into something that would never have made your bucket list. Unexpected and massive, they are not easy to catch but fun when you hook into a big one. Snappers might try to snag your fly from a lost opportunity at a spooked bonefish or tarpon in the mangroves. Throw a fly right into a cruising needle fish and watch them race at the opportunity to eat it up. Annoy a box fish long enough with a slow retrieval, giving him enough time to suck your fly up and you've got yourself a beautiful patron of the flats on your line. Point is, be prepared for anything, you never know what you're going to catch. It's all fun, it's all exciting and it's all in Guanaja.
Jacks: With an abundance of different species of Jacks you are sure to find your fly stripping through a school of power houses at some point during your trip. They rip through the shallows with lightning speed and once hooked up your line is being ripped into your backing faster than you know what to do and the only thing you can do is hold on for the ride.
Triggerfish: Sneaky fin flappers of the flats. Triggerfish are highly underrated. Generally snobbish and ignoring your umpteen amount of presentations triggerfish saunter through the flats with knowledge deeper than the anglers gives them credit. Give a well presented fly to a triggerfish and you will find yourself in for a battle. The trick is tricking them and then out tricking them outta the coral heads. A battle into the shallow flats can send them diving under coral heads and triggering themselves on lock down with no chance at coming through with a land. Try to navigate the prevention of snapping your line on the coral heads and lead the triggerfish to manageable depths and you might have a chance. The flats in Guanaja are full of triggerfish and they are a blast to fish for!
Barracuda: Its hard to imagine why any angler would want to go after such a gnarly, toothy fish that harasses bonefish on the flats, but once you experience the ferocious takes on these predatory ray-finned fish, you will be either wide eyes and freaked out or totally into it. Fearsome appearance and savage behaviour, the barracuda will move after your fly faster than you can blink your eye. Pay attention, hold on when hooked up and watch these fish take their attitude to another level.
Randoms: It's inevitable that you will hook into total random fish on the flats. There have been times when your fly gets sucked up at the river mouth by a monster mullet. Realizing only when he takes off that you have hooked into something that would never have made your bucket list. Unexpected and massive, they are not easy to catch but fun when you hook into a big one. Snappers might try to snag your fly from a lost opportunity at a spooked bonefish or tarpon in the mangroves. Throw a fly right into a cruising needle fish and watch them race at the opportunity to eat it up. Annoy a box fish long enough with a slow retrieval, giving him enough time to suck your fly up and you've got yourself a beautiful patron of the flats on your line. Point is, be prepared for anything, you never know what you're going to catch. It's all fun, it's all exciting and it's all in Guanaja.
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