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Ain't no way,no how,them fish ain't going to see these

Well, unless somebody told a nose-stretcher yesterday, Big Cliff turns 78 today. Happy Birthday big guy! Doug PS) If somebody else already posted this, sorry for the double tap...

Just got back from a 2 week trip to Belize on Ambergris Caye (San Pedro)...Toronto to Belize City direct, then a 15 minute flight on a Cessna Caravan puddle-jumper to the island. I first went to San Pedro over 30 years ago...this was my 7th trip. Although it has become somewhat developed over the years...there is now one "paved" (if you call rutted and potholed paved) road (but still no stop signs to be found)...it's still like what the rest of the Caribbean was like 50 years ago. No big all-inclusive resorts, golf carts and bikes are the primary means of transportation, most restaurants and bars just have a sand floor, and the locals are super friendly. Belikin beer is $15 a square, local rum $12 a bottle, excellent locally grown coffee, and plenty of cheap seafood fresh right from the local boats...Snapper, Grouper, Snook, Shrimp, Octopus, Conch, and Lobster. The other nice thing about Belize is it used to be called British Honduras before their independence...so unlike the rest of Central America which is Spanish, they speak English (the Queen is still on their money, and they brew a Lager and a Stout). It has a British West Indies vibe with a blend of Reggae and Creole cultures... great food and good music. It also has (IMO) the best inshore fishing of anywhere down south. The world's second largest barrier reef (awesome snorkeling and diving through stunning coral gardens) protects literally 100's of square miles of very shallow sand flats and mangroves from the open ocean. Whether its from shore or a boat, we never fished water that's more than 3 ft deep and usually dead calm...that's what makes flats fishing for Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon (plus Snook, Barracuda and Jacks) so exciting. It's more like hunting than fishing...its almost 100% sight fishing. You have to be super stealthy, use light tackle with FC leaders, watch you shadow, have good eyes to spot fish, have very accurate casting skills, cast to lead the fish with a soft entry...and when hooked these fish pull hard...I swear that a 5lb Bonefish will pull drag harder and certainly longer than a 20lb Northern Pike. Fish that live in shallow water like this have only one escape mechanism from predators...swim like hell horizontally. A few buddies (and our wives) and I rented a 5 bedroom house right on the beach. The place had a beautiful pool too, and we also rented a couple of golf carts. We fished a few times with "guides"...basically local fisherman who took us out on their skiffs...most of which had 2-stroke Yamahas (the only brand you see on the island, if that tells you something). The rest of the time we just ran our golf carts up and down the beach and wet waded...there's miles upon miles of completely deserted beach with perfect sand for walking/wading. All beaches in Belize are open to the public...it is illegal to own beachfront. Fishing along the beach was like stalking a tiny Trout stream...you had to be cat-like or the fish would spook...a lot of fun. While the boys fished, the girls sat around poolside or on the beach working on their tans while sipping on Pina Coladas and Margaritas. They also went on several excursions to the mainland (by water taxi) to see the Mayan ruins, and do some guided walks in the jungle to see birds and wildlife. Well enough rambling...here's some photos...the Permit is an absolute trophy. Last photo was a house down the beach from us..creative sign...lol

That’s it, I’m sold! Thanks for taking the time to share paradise with us!

We aren't used to complete sentences here with proper grammar