Bonefishing in Belize varies from easy, relaxed angling for unsuspecting, schooling fish to hi-tech bonefishing for large wary fish that travel in singles and doubles.

For some reason, Belize suffers from the myth that it only has small schoolies and fish in the 2- to 4-pound range. There are, however, remarkable opportunities for big fish in Belize, including chances at some real monsters larger than 15 pounds. Over the past ten seasons I have seen many fish in the 5- to 8-pound class, and others even bigger. Guides have shown me many fish in the 10- to 12-pound class.

Belizean bonefish flats vary considerably, ranging from soft turtle-grass bottoms to hard-packed white sand. The are both ocean-side flats with cool offshore breezes and inside flats ringed by mangrove-studded cays and islands. Anglers can stalk fish on foot, or fish from a poled fly-fishing skiff.

During the past six years or so, Winston Cabral, along with Montana-based angler Craig Matthews (owner of Blue-Ribbon Flies) and others, have developed a system of fishing for bonefish that takes large, fussy fish in shallow water.

Cabral uses long leaders with strong, relatively thick tippets, combined with small flies. These flies are presented on leaders reaching 14 feet, with fluorocarbon tippets that have 14- to 18-pound test ratings and diameters of about .018". Lighter tippets cut too easily on the coral.

He also makes soft presentations with a well-known series of bonefish flies called Pop's Bonefish Bitters (See "Bonefish Foods" by Craig Mathews, FFM Feb. 1992). The flies are remarkable. Tied with little or no weight, a small tuft of deer hair for a wing, and tiny rubber legs, the small crablike fly descends softly and lands without disturbance. The #8 or #10 hook rides point up, its point masked by the deer hair that also acts as a weedguard. The fly can be placed on the nose of the spookiest fish without alarming it. Just as importantly, the semi-buoyant pattern can be carefully retrieved through a labyrinth of coral and turtle grass that would instantly snag typical bonefish flies. The fly works with stingy retrieves, sometimes with almost no movement at all, or just a slow crawl.

Standard bonefish patterns such as Bob Nauheim's Crazy Charlie work all over Belize in several colors: white, tan, pink, green, and in several combinations. I also use other traditional patterns such as The Horror, Chico Fernandez' Bonefish Special, The Yucatan Special, The Snapping Shrimp, Mike Wolverton's Flats Master, and the Clouser Minnow.

Crab and shrimp patterns are also used for both bonefish and permit. It has been my experience that a well-presented bonefish fly gets almost immediate results. After three or perhaps four refusals on the same fly, I change my pattern and choose a much different color and size. Make sure that you include various sizes and colors of weighted and unweighted flies in your selection. Unweighted flies can be presented effectively to fish tailing in very shallow, weedy water. Weighted flies (with lead dumbell or bead-chain eyes) can get the fly down to bones feeding in deeper water on higher tides but are often useless for fish tailing in very shallow water.

An 8-weight, 9-foot graphite rod is sufficient for bonefish. The Scientific Anglers Mastery Bonefish line is a hard-surfaced line that shoots superbly in a tropic environment. The new SA Striper line is an intermediate line made of monofilament with a sharp front taper. It shoots like a rocket with one backcast, allowing you to reach tarpon and permit quickly, and especially in the wind.