Mango Creek Lodge

December for Mango Creek proved another excellent month for our anglers.

Conditions for the the first two weeks were pleasant, with calm seas and sunny skies. This, combined with favorable tides first thing in the morning made it easier for spotting bonefish and permits on the flats.

We were joined by high school teacher Jeff Tonac for a day fishing at our lodge. Although lots of fish were spotted, unfortunately none took the fly, and he struck out.

Our next guests were Stella and Ben Khan, all the way from London, England, who dropped by to take a look at the place. They were soon out fishing, and Ben was thrilled to land his first permit!

Stella jumped into our new Hobie sea kayak (which is powered by peddling instead of conventional paddles) and had a blast exploring, while her husband battled on the fishing flats. At the end of the day, they both had smiles on their faces.

Our next visitors were Eric Lider and his son Lars. They were with us on a windy and overcast day. They saw lots of bonefish, but the casting was difficult for them because of the wind. A large tarpon was landed, however. The next day, another father-and-son team landed their first permit in sunny, calm, perfect conditions. The son, 15, had never been saltwater fly fishing before, and so they were both very happy with their day.

On Dec. 27, a cold front arrived at Mango Creek, bringing with it more difficult fishing conditions. Day fishermen Kent LeMonte and his son Travis decided to give it a try anyway. Bones were spotted, but none landed. Undeterred, Kent returned for 2 days with his family (6 all together). He liked the place so much he wanted his family to see the lodge. He figured that there was so much to do here it would be a good spot to bring the troop while he fished. We are looking forward to seeing the LeMontes back here soon!

That cold front that hit us toward the last week in December had a negative effect on our fishing only for about 2 days.

Tony Hughey and his wife, Lauren Kerr, from Washington DC, arrived on Dec. 23 for a 1-week visit. Tony arrived with enthusiasm. We are sure he didn’t even get his bags unpacked before he was off to the flats with his guide, Kessel.

An hour later he returned, excitedly reporting “There were so many bones on the flats you could practically walk on them.” The next day, he caught one bone before breakfast and another two that afternoon.

Tony was excellent at casting and continued to catch fish every day he went fishing. He did, however, take time off to spend with his lovely wife, Lauren. That included snorkeling with our guide Randy and kayaking.

All in all, we considered the month of December a success. We also added a 32-foot Albermale Sport fishing boat to our fleet. This could add a whole new dimension to our fishing fun here at Mango Creek! Stay tuned!

The month of August in Mango Creek was hot and sunny. Winds were light predominately coming from the east at about 10 knots.

Tides were low allowing for frequent easy access to the flats. All of this provided excellent conditions for fishing.

Although August is considered towards the end of Permit season there were still plenty of them spotted on our flats. Bonefish are in abundance year round and August was no exception.

September saw a continuation of August weather conditions. We were visited by Jake and Lee Sinna. During their stay they landed numerous bonefish and Jake caught his first ever Permit. (He wrote: “I don’t have a vocabulary rich or deep enough to adequately describe the awesome experience you and your staff provided Jake and me at Mango Creek. A very heartfelt thank you. Dr. Lee Sinna”)

October and November are generally considered our rainy months. October this year was better than average, but November was worse than average. There were plenty of fish of all species spotted during this period.

Fishing conditions were dictated by weather. If it rained hard, it became difficult to see the bonefish and permit tailing. Tides were also high.

On the other hand, when the weather was clear, the fish were seen and caught. Adam Olmstead, a professional guide from Colorado, managed to hook up with four permit and landed two in difficult conditions. He also managed to land snook and bonefish.

Thomas Horton was successful landing bonefish. He also hooked up on tarpon and is looking forward to returning.

The last week of November has been encouraging. Both weather and tides have returned to normal. Large schools of permit have been reported by all our guides, and bonefish are more abundant during this month than any other month of the year.

Weather conditions were variable during the months of June and July. The first half of June was calmer with easterly breezes between 5 and 10 mph. Later in the month until now, the wind has increased in strength but has been steady. This whole period, we’ve had regular passing thunder showers occurring at night, which has been great for keeping the water cool. As a result, the fish are staying on the flats for longer at low tide and are more active. The large schools of bonefish and permit are still seen every day.

Early in June, angler Trent Shepherd and his wife had some good bonefish catches and were amazed at the wonderful sight of large numbers of tailing permit on the flats. He wrote:

Sunday, June 11, 2006 11:17 am
Subject: Thanks for a great trip!

We’re back home and still glowing from such a great trip to Honduras. Thanks … for the best fishing trip we have been on to date. Both my wife and I landed our first bonefish (and several more after that), had a chance at some permit, and even some tarpon. Can’t wait to go back to Roatan and the Mango Creek Lodge – the hosts were so friendly, the service great, and the fish aplenty.

Cheers, Trent

Angler, Al Winzerling landed good size bonefish each day, as well as 2 permit in one day. He said:

… Thanks again to you and your staff for a great trip. … Fish, fish, and more. There are so many Bonefish and Permit on the flats, there is hardly a break during a day of fishing. Most of these fish were spotted by Perry, my guide. Long before we spotted the tailing Bones or Permit’s dorsal fins, Perry picked out the “nervous water” way out there. Not to mention the rolling Tarpon in the Mangroves.

Variations of shrimp or crab were the fly to use.

Flats fishing for these amazing fish will tax the stalking, presentation, and landing skills of the best fly fisherman.

Al Winzerling
Durango, Colorado
(Trip dates June 3-11, 2006)

Paul and Bryan Shepard had good catches every day. They caught at least 6-8 bonefish on the flats daily, plus another 3–6 in deeper water, between tides. All were between 4 and 6 lbs. They each landed a permit (10 lbs and 5 lbs). Of course, there were jacks and snappers caught along the way, too.

Mike Holeman, too, was very happy with his bonefish catches, saying they were the biggest he has caught to date. He also commented on the large numbers of fish on the flats. He praised the guide on correcting his mistakes with helpful advice and instruction, leading him to bring in all the fish he hooked.

The weather is warming up, but we’re staying cooler than all the places suffering heat waves to the north! Come to Roatan and cool down!

Tight lines!
Mango Creek Lodge

My son, Bryan, and I spent the first week of July at the Mango Creek Lodge for a fly fishing vacation. The folks at the lodge could not have been more pleasant or accommodating. The food was great! Most importantly to us was that the fishing was great also. We caught many bones during the week.

Bryan’s favorite pattern was the Agent Orange and mine was a bitters. Lightly weighted or no weighted flies were the choice.

We each were able to catch a permit during the week. Bryan caught his on his first day of saltwater fly-fishing. Perry estimated Bryan’s at about 10 lbs and mine at about 5 lbs. I can’t say enough good things about our guide, Perry. He would meet us at 6 a.m., and we would wade fish until around 9:30 and then come back to the lodge for breakfast and to collect packed lunches and then off again to fish from the boat until the tides were right again for wading.

We would usually return to the lodge around 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., where drinks were served and then a delicious dinner. Our last day, we fished for 14 hours with Perry. I have never been to a lodge before where the guides would spend a 12+ hour day with you. At other lodges I have been to, the guides would always have you back at the lodge by 4:30. Since I caught my permit at about 5:30 in the evening on the flats, I would not have had that opportunity at any other lodge. We greatly appreciated Perry’s skill and his dedication to our having a great time and catching a lot of fish.

Overall, we had a great fishing week and look forward to returning.

Paul Sheppard

Roatan Honduras may not be for you if…………

If you don’t like walking the flats at high tide (knee deep) and casting to pod after pod of 8 to 12 lb tailing permit, you might not like it here.

If you don’t like walking the flats at low tide (ankle deep) and casting to pod after pod after pod after pod of tailing 7 to 10 lb bonefish, you might not want to go here.

Since the fish are in shallow water and are extremely wary, be prepared for a reel screaming, mind erasing, explosion of a run well into your backing if you hook either of the above.

If you don’t like fishing from sun up to sun down with guides that are dedicated and enthusiastic, you might not like it here.

If you don’t like poking around the mangrove swamps looking for snook and tarpon between tides, you might not like it here.

If you don’t like cruising the deep flats between tides looking for 20+ lb permit or 100+ lb tarpon, you might not like it here.

If you feel you need to pay twice as much to fish, you might want to stick with the Yucatan.

If you would rather have your alcohol added to your trip expense rather than included in the price (no limit), you might not like it here.

If you would rather your guide demand a cast beyond your current skills, you might want to consider other options. The guide we worked with, Perry, evaluated our skills and worked to find us the best fish we were able to reach, rather than finding a fish and waiting for us to figure out how to get to it. There was no huffing or eye rolling when we fumbled.

If you can’t sleep in a custom made cabaña decorated with hand-carved mahogany furniture and accents, complete with a constant sea breeze, you might not like it here.

However, if any of the above feels right for you, I strongly suggest you contact Mango Creek and book some time on the flats. They truly care that your experience is exceptional.

Cheri and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. We collapsed each evening after the full day’s fishing and a couple of cocktails. It was hard work of the
best kind.

Jerry Poole

P.S I attached a copy of the fish again, I just don’t get tired of looking at the picture. For all of you with scale problems, the fish was in excess of 23 lbs.

P.P.S. I get to brag about this one for the rest of my life.

P.P.P.S. Eight years, and the last couple were more than two trips a year.

P.P.P.P.S. Thanks for letting me share.

The fishing has been consistent on the flats during March, April and May, with everyone catching bonefish (2 – 5 lbs) and even a few permit and baby tarpon.

Two anglers, Darrell and his father Donnie, managed to catch a pair of permit … one after the other (5lbs and 6lbs, both on Turneffe crabs). Their photo shows them side-by-side, each with a permit in hand, and grins from ear to ear! They tell a great story of how guide, Perry, worked this trick.

Buzz was here last week, and apart from bonefish he had a “mini grand slam.” The permit was a tiny baby the same size as his hand, and the tarpon was about 5 lbs. Brooke, also here last week, had a nice permit, about 10 lbs. The really big permit (20-30lbs) are still visiting the flats, but lately no one has landed one on a fly. They have been breaking off and getting away after a good fight. However, June, a tiny lady from Manhattan caught a permit of 23 lbs on a spinning rod. The fish looked almost as big as her! Jacks, snappers and barracudas have been caught regularly too.

The weather has been consistent, though temperatures are rising (77 F-89 F), and we are getting some fairly strong breezes (from NE, 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph).
There are still plenty of bonefish and permit visiting the flats when it’s windy, and a bonus is that they are less spooky than they are in flat calm water. It’s worth practicing casting in the wind.

Tight lines,
Mango Creek Lodge

This past week saw good fishing on the flats around Roatan and Guanaja, Honduras. Weather was good with light winds and for the most part sunny skies and temperature in the eighties. There were a few cloudy afternoons and the occasional light shower.

There were a few bonefish to be found on the home flat Monday afternoon. This flat holds a solid population of bonefish but not too many permit. The occasional triggerfish can be found cruising and tailing on top of the reef. Cloudy conditions combined with chop from a northeast wind and the high tide made it tough to spot fish unless they were deliberately tailing. More fish were spooked than caught.

Tuesday morning the wind continued and this helped push more water on to the flat near Helene. The deeper water meant prime conditions for permit! Before we even landed the boat on the flat, we saw black tails glistening in the morning sun. There were permit everywhere! Larger schools of smaller fish (8-10 lbs), schools of 2-3 fish, and larger singles covered the flat. We had many shots but only managed to hook one fish that promptly screamed off the flat, wrapped the leader around a coral head and shredded it. Best flies were Turneffe crabs in cream and olive, size #6
and lightly weighted.

Tarpon fishing was also good around the docks of Helene. Angler Don Wilkerson jumped three, landing one of about 20-25 lbs on an orange grizzly Cockroach. Capt. Ted Lund also landed one tarpon of 6-8 lbs on the flats of Barbaret. We also found agreeable mudding bones in the same area. We had shots at some smaller snook on one of the beaches of Barbaret as well.

Wednesday we were off to Guanaja. The winds had calmed which made for a smooth ride over to the island. As we approached the first flat at the eastern side of the island, we were greeted by hundreds of waving bonefish tails! Bonefish populations on the flats of Guanaja are outstanding! The day’s fishing produced a number of bones from 2-4 lbs. Best flies were Bonefish Bitters of any size or color. Our best shot at permit came mid morning, two 10-12lb fish were following the Turneffe crab before a Yellow Jack sped in front of them and mowed it down.

Thursday found us back on the flats near Helene looking for permit. We found a good school cruising the smaller flat east of Helene. A good cast in front of them sent them scrambling to find the fly but upon stripping the fly so the fish could see it, it hooked on some turtlegrass and the fish quickly lost interest. There were also some tailing bones in the same area. We moved to the larger flat, where we had good shots at schooling perms but no takers. There were a host of triggerfish, 3 foot lemon sharks, barracuda of all sizes and also 3 fully grown(3-4 ft) Rainbow Parrotfish on the flat as well. Look for permit working behind the triggerfish. The largest fish we saw that day (20 lbs) was following one of the larger triggers.

Friday was the day after the full moon. Winds were calm and the tide was not as high as it had been. We saw one school of fast cruising permit on the flats that wasn’t very interested in eating. There were some larger bones tailing but the calm conditions made them tough to approach and cast to. The triggerfish and parrotfish had moved from the flat to on top of the reef in the fly line snagging coral. We also saw a few lemon sharks and a four foot cuda crashing bait. This day proved best for a few Port Royals and rum cocktails and stories about sea monsters and the elusive
Easter leprechaun.

Jason Balogh

What a fantastic trip. It was one of the best fishing trips I have ever experienced. I have fished in many locations and I found the service of the Mango Creek Lodge staff to be superb. Perry (guide), Pam and Graham (managers) and the staff at Mango Creek Lodge were excellent. The fishing was challenging which required good fly casting skills. I would recommend any fisherman to take fly casting lessons suitable for flats fishing. I enjoyed the diversity of fishing; bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook. My fishing guide, Perry, was excellent.

I fished for five days with Perry and I was the only fisherman. It was singular experience not to see another fisherman. My wife and I stayed at the Reef House Diving Resort in Oak Ridge. My wife was getting her diving certification. I wish we would have stayed at Mango Creek Lodge.

As to the fishing, the weather was not cooperative. We had two rainy days and every day was windy. I thought I could fly cast adequately, but in the wind it was a humbling experience. The first day I had a bunch of missed opportunities. My problem was presenting the fly properly especially in the flats. I think Perry was getting frustrated with me. And when I did hook up, I did not perform the strip strike correctly. By day 3, I was getting better. The other problem was spotting the fish. Perry would tell me to cast and I could not see the fish. Perry actually hooked up the largest bonefish (8lbs) and I landed it. My largest fish was 5 lbs and it was one of those ideal times where I saw a single fish, made the perfect cast and hookup. We bonefished some areas where Perry poled the boat. The spotting and casting was much easier and I could catch more fish.

I did fish for Tarpon with bait (Sprat fish; looks like a minnow) around the docks in St. Helene. I hooked up with four Tarpon, but only landed one fish about 15 lbs. I also caught a Snook and a number of Barracuda. I did not have a heavier fly rod for Tarpon fishing. Also I did not get a chance to go to Guanaja due to bad weather.

I am ready to go back to MCL. I went to Christmas Island twice, traveling with a fly shop in California. By the way, in comparing the two locations, I could catch more bonefish (10-20/day) at Christmas Island, but it was difficult to find larger fish. At Roatan, every day I had an opportunity to catch fish 5 lbs and up. I also enjoyed the Tarpon fishing.

I liked the remote setting of Mango Creek and dedicated fishing. I love to fish and when I take a fishing vacation I want to fish as much as possible. At Christmas Island, I was limited to the amount of fishing time and the flats open to fish. I can understand their position, since there were 25 – 30 fisherman. Perry and I fished from sun-up to sun-down for five days.

Edward Kim

I initially came to Roatan for the diving. It’s great! I then became interested in flats fishing and have been trying for a couple of years to find someone knowledgeable who could show me the ropes. I was thrilled to discover your lodge and meet your experienced guides.

My last trip fulfilled all of my objectives. I caught both bone fish and permit and I greatly improved my flats fishing technique. There are some great differences between fly fishing for salmon on narrow bear streams in Alaska and fishing for bones in windy conditions on the open flats. I found that I’m hooked on flats fishing in part because of the stalking aspect. To stalk the flats looking for bone fish and permit, to spot them and make a successful cast is thrilling.

My most memorable moment was when I hooked and landed my permit. I was separated from our guide and my fishing partner who were locked onto some tailing bone fish. I spotted a school of permit approaching! They were coming quickly directly towards me so I knew that I would have limited chances. As they got closer, I crouched low on the water to reduce my profile and was able to make a good cast ahead of the approaching school. I stripped the line a couple of times, felt it tighten and set the hook.

Immediately after hooking the fish, the school bolted, right at me. They passed right by me, on both sides. I couldn’t strip fast enough to keep up with my fish as it blew by but caught up with it on the other side. I was still facing where the fish were and stripping the line over my head until it tightened and I was able to turn towards where the fish were heading. I could see the school of fish moving towards the deep with my fish in the middle. After 125 yds- 150 yds, I turned him and the school moved on.

About this time I caught the eye of my guide who was still stalking the bones. He gave me a big thumbs up as I continued to fight the fish. After landing the fish and taking my celebratory photos, I released him to go find his buddies. I was amazed at how quickly this fish recovered and swam off. They are strong and powerful fish!

Since I’ve returned home, I’ve thought about fly fishing for permit & bones versus salmon. They are very different sports. But it’s kind of like asking what’s your favorite meal; steak or fish? I enjoy them both. I’m hooked on flats fishing and I’ll see you next spring.

Marv

My wife and I spent a week at Mango Creek Lodge on Roatan, Honduras, the week that straddled January and February. The trip was arranged for us by an outfitter. We were told to expect very pleasant accommodations and flexible guides who were willing to work very hard and very long. We were not disappointed.

We stayed in one of two cabanas built on stilts over the water, making it possible for a morning pick up or evening drop off literally at your doorstep. Two more of those structures were under construction during our stay. Another alternative would have been to stay in the lavishly decorated main lodge. The owners, Terry and Patrice, are fanciers of fine woodworking and woodcarving, and everywhere in the main lodge, in the casitas and in the restaurant are beautiful examples of these art forms. The grounds are equally impressive with 4 full time groundskeepers and could be highlighted in some sort of landscape digest.

The fishing is somewhat unique in that flats exist within only a few hundred yards of water that may be 300-400 feet deep. Though I would prefer not to admit this, in the spirit of full disclosure, I took off a morning of fly fishing to go trolling. The guide and I caught a wahoo that yielded 73 pounds of meat. Not my idea of sport, but the taste of fresh wahoo was more than worth the sacrifice. That afternoon, I caught a bonefish. I spent a total of 5 days fishing and landed at least 1 bonefish per day with the largest being about 4 pounds. Access to what was considered the best bonefish flats was denied by constant windy conditions. Of course, the morning we left was dead calm.

An email note on my computer indicated that the only other angler, a beginning fly fisherman, caught 23 bonefish this day. He, by the way, was the only other sport fisherman I saw on the flats all week. I had only one shot at a permit which rushed the fly but didn’t take, and hooked and lost one tarpon. I also caught and released at least 10 other reef species in relatively brief periods of fishing.

The flats are mostly covered with turtle grass, so weedless flies and knotless leaders were helpful. The two flies I used most were bonefish bitters and small Clouser’s deep minnows. My personal feeling is that fishing should improve as netting has recently been outlawed and as more is learned about this developing fishery.

Other activities include diving and snorkeling which we were told is exceptional. The owners have sailed extensively and offer the use of a small sailboat here along with instruction for beginners. Picnic lunches on small remote islands and my wife’s favorites – hard core loafing in a hammock, reading a good book and walking the grounds with an occasional trip to town for shopping are also possibilities.

The bottom line – Would I recommend Mango Creek? Absolutely, if they understood the niche that Mango Creek fills. It does not offer world class fishing for any one species. It does offer a good and diverse fishery along with multiple other activities in a beautiful setting with pleasant people.