2015 Escorted Departure: Chasing Permit in Belize

Escor ted Depar ture Chasing Permit and Other Flats Species in Belize

Hosted by Mike and Kristene Fitzgerald Belcampo Lodge, Belize December 2 - 7, 2015

We Share Your Passion

Join Mike and Kristene Fitzgerald at Belcampo Lodge.

A Co-Hosted Frontiers and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Departure!

Belcampo is an Orvis Endorsed fly fishing lodge set in the verdant hills above the Caribbean coast in Southern Belize. This very unique jungle lodge, complete with an organic farm and a 12,000-acre nature reserve, offers the best in local food and culture, active adventures, wildlife viewing, and world-class hospitality. Most importantly for the anglers, it’s a short run down the Rio Grande to some of the most prolific permit flats in the Caribbean.

Belcampo Lodge is a fly fisher’s paradise. Guests cast for tarpon and snook on the river and in the mangroves, fish the flats for permit, or when the weather permits, head out to the white sand beaches of the Sapodilla Cayes for bonefish. The majority of the fishing takes place in protected marine reserves and national parks. Belcampo’s guides are all local to the Southern Belize region and are happy to accommodate your fishing preference and style. They are extremely patient, professional and understand this is your trip.

Early December is generally an excellent time to fish the Caribbean.

It’s usually well after the summer and fall storm season, before the cold fronts that we sometimes experience from January through March, and the flats have been well-rested since the busy spring and early summer. The moon and tides look great too!

During this trip, we plan to tag as many permit as possible with “spaghetti tags” allowing us to follow their growth and migrations.

The information collected is critical in the effort to help conserve and enhance this amazing fishery. Of course, we will also be tagging all bonefish and tarpon caught during the week, as well as taking fin clips and scales for genetic research.

A Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) scientist will be on hand to discuss and teach tagging and fish handling techniques and to answer questions about BTT’s research and conservation efforts. A presentation of recent scientific findings about our target species will be presented one evening. This will be a great opportunity to swap stories and learn first-hand about bonefish, tarpon and permit. Prizes will be awarded for tagging on the final evening.

With a myriad of “Discover Belize” activities and a spa, this lodge is the ideal destination for non-fishing companions. We have carefully designed a wonderful non-fishing program if you’d like to bring a guest to join you. Please join us for this exciting fishing and tagging trip to benefit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

The Fishing Itinerary December 2 Arrive Belize City. American Airlines flies from Dallas and Miami, Delta flies from Atlanta and United flies from Houston and Newark.

After clearing customs, proceed to the Tropic Air Desk to check in for the one hour flight to Punta Gorda. The group will be met and transferred to the Belcampo Lodge. You will be shown to your suite, followed by a short orientation, cocktails and a welcome dinner for the group.

December 3 - 6 Four full days of guided fly fishing. Southern Belize is best known as a world renowned permit territory, and while most anglers who visit the region are intermediate to advanced, the expert guides also accommodate beginners for a one-of-a-kind fishing experience.

With favorable weather and water conditions, tarpon and snook fishing is often available, as is bonefishing at the Sapodilla Cayes.

The last evening, the guests will enjoy a wonderful private cocktail party with Belizean music. We will present prizes to the group and say our thanks and farewells prior to our dinner.

December 7 Following breakfast, the group will be transferred back to Punta Gorda for our flight back to Belize City. Check in with the international carriers and depart for the United States.

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) is a group of concerned anglers and guides conserving and enhancing global bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and their environments through stewardship, research, education and advocacy.

Spaghetti Tagging and Fin Clipping

It was formed in 1998 by a group of fly fishermen, guides and scientists in the Florida Keys who wanted to learn more about bonefish, tarpon and permit in order to enhance their dwindling populations. Since then it has grown to include concerned anglers from over 20 countries, researchers from throughout the world, and guides committed to working with BTT in order to educate anglers and gather data while on the water.

Non-Fishing Itinerary The non-fishers will explore the lodge, the Nature Reserve, the wildlife, the farm, the local culture, the Mayan history and the Caribbean.

If anyone wants to stay back at the lodge, there are a number of self-guided activities (canoe / kayak on the Rio Grande, hiking, bird watching and mountain biking) and a wonderful spa.

Tentative Schedule: December 3 Snorkel with the Chef This guided day cruise out to the Gulf of Honduras takes place on the lodge’s quiet, comfy river boat with seating for eight. We’ll start out from the dock at 8 am sharp and proceed down the river with Captain Jackie Young, one of the expert guides, a barman and one of the talented cooks. Fish along the 45 minute route to Moho Caye, where you’ll enjoy a morning of snorkeling in warm, clear blue Caribbean Sea. You’ll see an impressive array of sea life and coral, and watch the crew dive for conch, lobster, crab and maybe even spear some lion fish, an invasive species eradicated by eating! The shaded river cruiser is outfitted with tables and benches, a Weber grill and easy access steps into the water so you can spend as much time onboard, in the sun, or in the water as you wish.

December 4 Punta Gorda Town and Market Tour Market days offer a great opportunity to immerse oneself in the region’s kaleidoscope of peoples, fruits, vegetables, spices and fish. Villagers and fishermen converge on the otherwise sleepy coastal town in school busses and boats laden with the bounty of the bay and rainforest farms. In many ways, the scene is reminiscent of ancient Maya Markets.

Nim Li Punit Ruins Dating from the Maya Classic Period and flourishing from the 5th Century AD to the 8 Century AD, Nim Li Punit derived its modern name from the elaborate headdress depicted on one of the largest stellas found in the Maya world.

Guided Jungle River Canoeing & Kayaking Rio Grande River which borders the property was an important trading route for the Maya who used it to transport salt, fish from nearby islands and agricultural crops from riverbank farms in the jungle. Guided canoeing and kayaking expeditions is a great way to explore the rich history and biodiversity of the area.

December 5 Introduction to Bird Watching If you have never been bird watching, you will get great pleasure on a morning walk before breakfast around the grounds with one of our certified birding guides. An outing with a knowledgeable guide generates new awareness for the rich diversity of life in the jungle. Learn how focus your binoculars and spot native and migratory species and listen for the commonly seen birds around the lodge in the early morning. Chances are you will even spot a toucan!

Following breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure to relax, take advantage of the spa, hike or mountain bike.

Following lunch, enjoy a full tour of the farm. Belcampo is proud to produce approximately 70% of the food they serve in the restaurant right there on sight. From the large organic gardens to the pasture raised chickens in mobile coops and their Eggmobile to their own free range rare breed pigs you will enjoy exploring the farm on a guided tour with the friendly farm staff guides.

The Bean to Bar Chocolate Making Class offers visitors a very unique opportunity to understand and participate in the entire process of transforming high quality organic cacao into chocolate. The lodge’s brand new Chocolate Workshop is air-conditioned and contains state of the art equipment for long-conch professional quality chocolate bars as well as large granite surfaces and traditional volcanic matate for hand tempering and grinding.

You will visit to the cacao nursery where you will see cacao seeds sprouting and watch expert hand grafters hard at work grafting rare, indigenous criollo cacao onto heartier high yielding varieties. We’ll crack open a pod and you’ll taste the pulpy, white, fresh cacao fruit. You’ll learn about the fermenting and drying process, walk through the Garden of Exotic Flavours and then, with the help of our Mayan staff you’ll learn to grind the dried cacao beans into a paste the traditional way, on a matate. Enjoy an authentic refreshing cacao drink and then return to the farm center where we’ll roast some cacao and you’ll see our universal concher churning out smooth, velvety chocolate liquor. Then roll up your sleeves and don an apron and our instructor will guide you as you learn to temper, both by hand and machine and mold your own chocolate bar to take home.

December 6 Toledo Culinary Tour Join a Belcampo guide in their safari style Land Cruiser for a fascinating inland tour to The Spice Farm in Golden Stream.

This 15 year old farm specializes in growing many of the exotic spices we know well, but have probably never seen growing, such as black peppercorns, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and cinnamon. Stroll through this beautiful edible landscape with a local guide who explains growing, pollination, harvesting and post harvesting techniques.

Afterwards you’ll enjoy lunch at Coleman’s Cafe then on to visit the charismatic Eladio Pop in the village of San Pedro Columbia. Eladio was featured in the documentary “The Chocolate Farmer”. You’ll visit his home and learn about how cacao is transformed to chocolate the traditional way, hand-ground on a metate and enjoy a delicious chocolate drink and meet some of the members of his family of 15 children! An authentic local experience you will never forget!

The Lodge Belcampo Lodge has 16 private suites offering the best in luxury and comfort. A testament to Belize’s natural beauty and craftsmanship, nearly every detail, from the woodwork to the tiles to the artwork, is sourced from local artisans. Whether you’re relaxing on one of the canopy beds or lounging on your own private veranda, you will experience the magic of the jungle within the comfort of your room.

Belcampo is also dedicated to developing lasting economic stability in Southern Belize through agriculture. Sugar cane, cacao and coffee are being grown organically by local people who are paid fair wages, fed healthy meals, and treated with fairness and respect. Belcampo produces on-site more than 70% of the food served to lodge guests.

Delicious, authentic food is at the core of the Belcampo experience.

Belizean cuisine is culturally complex like the Belizeans themselves, with influences from the Maya, East Indian, Creole, Mexican and Garifuna Cultures. The chefs do their best to offer a real experience of Belize flavors to our guests, based almost exclusively on ingredients from their own farm and using humanely raised meats and only sustainable seafood.

Mike and Kristene Fitzgerald As son of the Frontiers founders, Mike was brought up in the outdoor travel business. He has handled a number of sporting programs for Frontiers through the years. Today as President, Mike works closely with the Senior Management Team and the Department Heads and is quite involved with our saltwater programs. He is passionate about the outdoors and conservation. He has been on the Board of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust for many years.

Kristene has been with Frontiers for 10 years and she is one of our Senior Destination Specialists handling our fishing business in the South Pacific, The United Kingdom and Ireland, Spain and Slovenia. She is one of our certified divers on staff and she has enjoyed flats fishing in Mexico, Belize and the Florida Keys.

Mike and Kristene have hosted groups in Montana, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Africa. They look forward to joining you in Belize.

Package Price $2,995* per person based on double occupancy accommodations and shared guide in a Ridge Suite. For a single room and single guide, the rate is $5,051* per person. The non-fishing package is $2,735* per person. Other packages will be quoted on request. Longer stays are available. *Note: All packages include a $150 per person donation to Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. In addition, Frontiers and Belcampo Lodge will be making an additional contribution on behalf of the group and our companies.

Inclusions: Four full fishing days with a professional guide, guided tours daily for the non-fishers, a $100 spa credit for the non-fishers, round-trip Tropic Air flights between Belize City (BZE or TZA) and Punta Gorda, nightly accommodation for five nights, all meals, afternoon snacks, use of gym, laundry service, self-guided complimentary activities (kayaking/ canoeing, mountain biking, onsite hiking), ground transfers between Punta Gorda airstrip and lodge, tax and service charge.

Exclusions: International airline transportation to/from Belize City, gratuities for the guides, other optional activities and beverages.

The Frontiers Team Our team of highly specialized agents coordinate every last detail of your trip.

For this hosted departure, please contact: Mike Fitzgerald

President 800-245-1950 724-935-1577 mefitzgerald@frontierstravel.com

Denise Schreiber Senior Program Manager

800-245-1950 724-935-1577 dschreiber@frontierstravel.com

Belize Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret!