(SpecialSection) 2OTOTRAVEL PLANNER
FamilyF$ishing -
VacatxbnsGefuways Economic retractions have an impact on us all. Discretionary purchases are usually the first cuts, and those yearly fishing trips enjoyed with friends and co-workers may be tapered back or go by the wayside. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it's bright. At the lodges, ranches and other exciting venues we present here you can combine your familyfun time andyour annual flshing vacation. By TomKeer
whereyoucancatchRioGrande ffi"Iff",herearen'tmanyplaces '+, cutthroat,but you'llfind theselittlegemsin the fisheryof the **ffi lodge and Ranch at Chama, in NewMexico.Whilethe the theyareprobably troutmaynot be the largeston the property, parts prettiest. you'll most spectacular in some of the And find them rivers that andhigh-canyon the springcreeks of theranch,namely 7,000to 11,000feetup. arebetween snowmeltuntilthe thirdweekin August, Fromthe earlysummer's lakesand Thereare13 high-country fishingis in highgearat Chama. the bestway to fish the open water is in a jonboat or a float tube, both of which are provided by the ranch.The browns,rainbows,brookies and cutts run to big sizes,so a 9-foot, 5- or 6-weightrod is ideal. Go to the Lodgeand Ranchat Chama for the small riversand streams.On the eastern side of the ranch are the headwatersfor the BrazosRiver.You'd neverknow this smallstream b e c o m e sa n e n o r m o u s l yw i d e f i s h e r ys o m e 1,200 mileslateras it dumps in to the Gulf of Mexico.Up here,the rivervariesbetween 18 inchesacrossand deepto 10 yardswide, perfect for makinga short castwith light tackle,like a and 3-weight.The fish aren'theavilypressured take dry flies readily.On the ranch'swestern slopeis the UpperPosoCreek,a tiny riverwhere 68 Spring2010
you'llfind thoseRioGrandecutthroats.Driftingsmalldry fliesto these fish is amongthe mostfun you can haveon the ranch.The mainbody of PosoCreekgainswidth about every 100 yardsor so, and the lower stretchis gorgeous,with bends,pocketsand pools. ltb chock-a-block with rainbows,brookiesand browns. the magnificence Guidedranchtoursare a greatway to experience of the ranchand its nativewildlife.You'llseeelk, deet bear,mountain lionsand raptors.lf you don't want to ride,don your hikingbootsand follow one of the two trailsfor a 1lz mileand 3-mileloop.
riverwith theirinstructor andhaveexcellent opportunities at catching rainbow fly gearandallmeals andbrowntrout.Lodging, areprovided. program Theall-inclusive costs$750percamper, andscholarships are available. Attentionparents-feelfreeto explorethe MountShasta yourvacation after areawhileyourkidslearnfly-fishing andcontinue the fly schooliscomplete. TheFami lFi y shC amp fol l ow sa si mi l ar bu t it s or ient ed curri cul um Andsincemost towarda familythatwantsto learnto fly-fishtogether. FishCamp lastsfor a 5-day/4schools areonlya few dayslong,Family nighttimeframe.Occasionally, two or threefamilies bookthe entire schoolandcorporations usetheschoolfor team-building exercises. Fami l Fi y shC amp i s al sohel dat the A ntel ope C reekLodge."Fish campi s a w onderfulopportuni ty for fol ksto spenda weekin t he mountains lovelyNorthern California andto learnthe terrificsportof "And fly fishing," says. what speaks volumes of the schoolis Caranci Sp o rt s m an als oc om eto C h a m ato s h o o t,c h o o s i n gb etw eena that eachyearwe havestudentsreturnto helpstaffthe schools first camera to capture the beautyof the ranchor a shotgunto useon the asi nterns andl ateron ascounsel ors andgui des." Forfishermen who birdhunt,the lastweekin sporting-clays course. Northern isa good California, andtheMountShasta areaspecifically, Augustis reserved for a combined troutandbluegrousedouble-deal. betfor a familyvacation. TheGallery at MountShasta deserves a visit; Big-game hunters willfindsomeof the largest elkandtrophymuledeer whereyoucanstudyhealwill andalsotheWhiteThunder Medicine School, in NorthAmerica. Chamaisa bordertownandoff-ranch activities ingmethods fromLynette Schmidt, a Cherokee shaman andmedicine Historic SantaFeis takeyouaroundNewMexicoand intoColorado. a Robert aredrawnto the LakeShastina GolfResort, withintwo hours.lf you'rean artfan,checkout TheGeorgia O'Keefe woman.Golfers TrentJonesdesigned course; andthenthere's thecourse Museum and at the Mount there.Takethe familyfor a ridethroughthe mountains Resort. Visitthe MountShasta Farmfor a tour. Lavender valleys on the Cumbres ToltecRailroad, oneof the few narrow-gauge Shasta trainsstillin existence. In nearbyLosOjos,TierraWoolscontinues a ocatedin the mountains aboutan houranda halffromDenver w e a vi ng t hat be g a ni n th e 1 6 thC e n tu ry1 4 a rtistsshear, t r adit ion istheC Lazy U Guest Ranch& Resort, hostingguests since rugs,jacketsand card,wash,spin,dye,designandweaveblankets, 1919.Anglerscometo fishthe mile-long stretchof the Fraser otherproducts. lf youwanta naturalhot-spring experience, Colorado's River of thatoutstanding fisheryWillow HotSprings aswellasthetwo-mile stretch Pagosa is45 minutes away.Withfulldayspaactivities and yourfamilycanrelaxwhileyougetto fish! Creek;bothwatersarewadable, with a mixof riffles,runs,poolsand naturalhotsprings, pockets. Run-off isshortandsweet,typically between May15andJune Eve ry t hing . ro mth e 3 6 ,0 0 0 -a c re ranchto s eem sbig a t C h a m aF during ranges stonefly, caddis andmidgehatches mountain to thetroutin the lakes to the27,000square- 6. You'llfindstrongmayfly, diverse paradise mostof the year.Bothriversoffernymphanddry-flyfishingfor browns foot lodgeto the mealsto the elk.lt'sa sportsman's fit for a andrainbows, averaging between17to 19 inches. fly-fishing kingandqueen-andtheirfamily. A longhaymeadowrunsalongonepartof theWillow,sobesureto .{ ' : he mountains hopperseason. Anotheroptionisto renta cabin hit it duringAugust's of Redding, California, arehometo someof the with a 3O-acre lakein yourfrontyardandfishit with floattubes, state'sbesttroutfishing.And for familieswho want to take ,,'.. advantage And watchfor fishingat the C LazyU to justget better."Weare orjustto enjoythearea,The Fly Shop of thefishing, project in the middleof a $500,000 that for kidsor the Family currently streamrestoration offersa couple of options including the FishCamp to i mprovethe fi sheri es habi tat,"saysB rianG ar dner , FishCamp. Botharebasedon theteaching methods of MelKrieger. Take i s desi gned "Flyschools ranchgeneral " Theproj ect program: w i l l enhance an a lr eady excelit fromMichael manager. Caranci, director of theFishCamp " programs. l entfi shery." t her e! havebeenan integralpartof allof ourtravelandoutreach S ummer andfal larethe mai nfi shi ngsea sons; FishCamp wasfoundedin 1997andallfacetsof fly-fishing amountto do here.Startwith a matchof tennisand arecovered a tremendous at theAntelope California. Theprogram followit up with a swimor a soakin the hot tub-or the spaoverCreekLodgenearMountShasta, lookingthe river. runsfromearlyJunethroughmid-August. program Theequestrian with set up? Morethan 175 horsesareavailable, FishCamp is a 5-day/4-night for kids.Students arriveat four differentprograms. Skillsaretaughtin the 12,000-square-foot the th e ra nc hf or lunc hon M o n d a ya n d ,fo l l o w i n ga n o ri e n ta ti on, in the ridingrings,paddocks andtrails. instruction, andoutside agendaincludes dailycasting seminars on reading thewater, indoorridingfacility gamesandfly-tying Learnhowto rideyourhorsewhileworkingcattle,or get readyforthe entomology andknot-tying. Therearefly-fishing eventduringwhichriderscanshowwhatthey've instruction Shodeo, a rodeo-style at night. learned. The ranch welcomes children withthreekids'programs-play Hands-on fly-fishing instruction moving water, as well as the on groom on horseback, ridea pony,learnhowto saddle, actualfishingportionof theclass, occurs on Antelope Creek, a private hide-and-seek andcarefor a horse. 1.S-mile river. Here,beginner andintermediate anglers canwalkto the 70 Spring2010
orldCast Anglers hastheir headquarters at Orvis JacksonHole but the baseoperationsare on the South Forkof the SnakeRiver.Thisstretchof riverflows for 66
pin ballandslots;otherfun ameniretrogamingmachines including include tieson the property a hottub, groupfirepit with surrounding Adirondack range. chairsanda shooting/skeet
Fork.Epic milesacross ldahountilit runsintothe HenryS southeastern Interior of The High Lonesome Ranch hatches, andin particular thegigantic hatch,shouldbe on every salmonfly it with angler's bucketlist.Combine tre me ndous t er r es t r iafils h i n gfo r gulping trout...there isn'tmuchmore youcanaskfor in a trip.TheSouth Forkof theSnakeRiveriswell-known for bigtroutandin particular itslarge population WorldCast of cutthroats. Anglersoffer eitherwade or float daytrips for anglers shorton time. F a m i l i essi g nu p f o r t h e u n i q u e two-dayovernighttrip to both the SouthForkHiltonand the Cottonwoodcamps. Thefloatrunsthrough h i g h -mount ain v alleyas n d ru g g e d pas t t he lar g e s ct o tto n ca n yo ns woodforestin the West.You'llfind PHOTOGRAPHCOURTESYOF HIGH LOI{ESOME RANCH morethan 100 differentspecies of henyoutravelto The High Lonesome Ranchto fish, Floatthe riverandyou'llseean abundance birdsaswellas21 raptors. yougettwo ranches in one.Thefirstranchisin Debeque, of wildlife,with deer,elk,bobcats,coyotes,otter,beaver,mink,fox, goat s , quick m oun ta i n l i o n s w i l l At themain mo u n t ain a n d b l a c kb e a rsN . o n -angl ers Colorado, a drivefromGrandJunction. fish. ranchanglers havethe opportunity to fishthe ranch's 18springcreek enjoythe driftasmuchasthosecatching HoleislocatedbetweentheTetonandSnakeRivermountain ponds,whicharefull of brookies, Jackson browns,rainbows, andcutthroat and ranges, andoffersyear-round activities. Outdoorsactivities include cuttbowtrout.Afteryou'vesight-fished to yourheart'scontent,head h o rsebacrkiding,s wim m i n gmo , u n ta i nb i k i n g h , o t-a i rb a l l ooni ng, downto theirsisterproperty, the historicK-TRanchin Meeker. You'll w i l d l i fev iewing,as t r on o my a n dw i l d l i feto u rsa l o n gw i th spasand haveaccess to about7 milesof the WhiteRiverandthe threespring affiliatethe Teton creekson the property. Fishing culinaryevents.Or consider a visitto WorldCast's on the WhiteRiverisgreatyear-round. LodgeandSpa.Playgolfat the Headwaters GolfClub.Here Run-offis betweenmid-Maythroughthe endof June.Theriffles,runs, Springs poolsand pocketsofferoutstanding you'llfindan 18-hole course, and fishing.Toroundout the experichampionship a 9-holepar-3course facility. And don't missa trip to GrandTetonNationalPark, ence,anglers a practice canadda floaton the Roaring Forkor the Colorado. prowhichfeatures hornsof the highTetons. TheconiAnd there'smuchmoregoingon at the ranch.Theequestrian the 13,000-foot-plus gramis organized fer forests,lakesandsagebrush flatsarethe homebison,moose,elk, aroundhalf-and full-dayridesthroughoutmiles raptors. coyotes andpronghornantelopein additionto the countless of trails.Therearehorses andtrailsfor ridersof allabilities andages. Theranchguidesareknowledgeable aboutlocalhistoryaswellasthe offersfly-fishing on regional floraandfauna,andwillpointoutwildlifealongtheway.Seriossum Creek Retreat in Tennessee fisherythat'sa clear, ousridersarewelcometo bringalongtheirown horses. Riders the SouthHolstonRiver,a world-class stayat per mi l e. McKayForkCowCamp,andwithin20 minutes c oolt ailwat erwi th b e tw e e n5 ,0 0 0to 6 ,0 0 0fi s h the HLR's of completing you'llbe on yourway up the valleyand beholdviewsthat The averagetrout caught on the Holstoncan range from 10 to 20 breakfast inches,but everyyearwild brownsare caughtin the 10- to 20-pound spanfromthe BookCliffMountains to the distantLaSalle Mountains nearMoab,Utah.Birding range.Near Bluff City,Tennessee, the river boastssome of the larghasbecome oneof the ranch's mostpopular est trout this side of the Mississippi. lt regularlyyieldsfish that rival andsought-after activities, and members from Audubonhavevisited the ranchto searchfor an enormous varietyof species. those of Arkansas'sWhite River,New Mexico'sSan Juan Riverand TheHighLonesome Ranchliesin the heartof Colorado's famous Montana'sBig Hole Rivetthe lodgetellsus. Apresfishing,the Possum mountain-biking racer, Creek RetreatConferenceCenter providesmany advantagesin one country.Forthe novicecruiser to the advanced distraction-free location,allowingyour attendees(or family!)to bond thevariedterrainof the ranchanditssurrounding areaoffersenjoyment in executivesummits, for allskilllevels. as a team. The ConferenceCenterspecializes andchallenge Dirtroadsanddouble-track trailswithin gentle board meetings,salesconferences,training and more. Familieswill the ranchvaryfrom downhillcruises to lung-busting climbs, l o v et h e g a m e r o o m , w h i c h h a s a p o o l t a b l e , p i n g - p o n gt a b l e a n d allthe whileofferingspectacular scenery andamplewildlife-viewing 72 Sping2oTo
bakeries,art galleries,and specialtyshops.West Yellowstoneis an activity-orientedtown. Takea white-water rafting trip down the Yellowstone,hikeor mountainbikein the Gallatinor Yellowstone National Parks,horsebackridenearthe ContinentalDivideor alongthe foothills of the FrontRange,paddlea kayakon the riveror lake. And the Federationof FlyFisherman's Conclaveis coming to West Yellowstonethis year.The event runs from August 26 to 28, a great reasonto bring the family.Visit the YellowstoneNationalParkand Old Faithfuland the Grizzlyand Wolf Discovery Center.At the end of the day,relaxat the NorrisHot Springs,which featuresMontanas last wooden-poolhot spring,wherethe mineral-rich water bubblesup from PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HIGH LONESOME RANCH
underthe boards.When you'redone soaking,enjoya bisonburger,a beerand the houseband.
o p p o r t u n i t i e sT. h e B u r e a uo f L a n dM a n a g e m e n tl a n d ss u r r o u n d i n g the ranchprovidean abundanceof mountain bike trails.The world-
n Philipsburg, Montana,the Ranch at Rock Creek's 10 square
r e n o w n e dm o u n t a i n - b i k i n M g e c c a so f F r u i t a ,C O , a n d M o a b , U t a h ,
milesof propertyis impressive. How many placeshavetheir own
arewithin shortdrivingdistances Whetherselfof ranchheadquarters.
indoorduck-pinbowlingalleyin additionto a privatetheater?The
guidedor accompanied by an expertnaturalist,theseoutingsprovide
mainattractionto anglers,though,isthe 4.5 milesof pristinewild-trout
an excitingway for gueststo experience the ranch.
river-Rock Creek.
There'sgolfingat The RedlandsGolf Course,billedas "like playing
The fisheryboastsone of the Montana'shighestfish countsand
golf alongthe bottom of the GrandCanyon,with a coupleof sojourns
is one of the few placesin which you can catchsevenspecies: West-
to the Gardenof the Godsthrown in." And there'sBattlementMesa, rankedas one of the "BestCoursesin AmericaYou Can Play"by Golf
slopecutthroat,rainbow,cut-bow brown, brookie,bull and the Rocky M o u n t a i nw h i t e f i s h T . h e " C r e e k " i s f a m o u sf o r i t s s a l m o n f l yh a t c h ,
Digest.The routingtakesfull advantageof its one-of-a-kindsetting:a
which startsin late May and laststhroughearlyJuly.Fishingcontinues
high plainsplateauoverlookingthe ColoradoRiver.
throughoutthe yearwith numerousmayfly,stoneflyand caddishatches.
Whats more?WhitewaterRaftingon the RoaringForkor the Colo-
Indicatorrigswith a bead-headnymphas a traileraccountfor mostof
rado...wine toursarein the neighborhood... and culinary classes with the
the dailycatches;but streamerfishingand dead-driftnymphingwill
ranch'sExecutive ChefJordanAsherare popular.You'llalsofind seasonal
alsobring out the big fish, particularly in the fall.
wing-shootingfor five speciesof birdsas well as big-gamehuntingfor
Fivespring-fedtrophy trout ponds are locatedin hay meadowsand
elk, muledeer,Merriams turkeyand mountainlions.Or shootsporting
pine-mountaindraws.Eachpond has its own uniqueecosystem and
clayson the ranch'sfive-standPheasantWalk or Flurrycourses.
trout species.Some ponds have Westslopecutthroats;othershave browns;stillothershavecuttbow hybrids.Much of the fishinghereis
'',,,: an Stoddardis no strangerto good fishing.As the marketingdirec;t tor for the West Yetlowstone Ghamber of Commerce, she's j: surroundedby it. Fly-rodders know the areaSriversby names,and
on the surface,so bring some stout leadersand dry flies;mostof the fish in the pondsare trophy-size. Floatfishingis availablethrough nearbyoutfitters.Someof the coun-
tfiey've readabout them over the lastsix decadessinceJoe Brooksbegan
try's best-knowntrout rivers,like the Bitterroot,Clark Fork,Blackfoot
writingaboutthem.TheFirehole. TheGallatin. TheMadison.HebgenLake.
and Big Holeare a driveaway.The drivealone,likethe one throughthe
Legendary watersareall within a shortdrivefrom WestYellowstone.
SkalkahoPass,is as picturesque as the riversthemselves.
Stoddardworks with eachof the localfly shopsand guideservices to pairfishermenand familieswith their specifictastesand preferences. "We havesomeof the verybestfly shopsand guidesin the area,"she told us. "Bud Lilly'sTrout Shop,CraigMatthew'sBlueRibbonFlies,Bob JacklinbFlyShopand Arrick'sFlyShopare all world-renown." One of reasonsto loveWestYellowstone? lt harkensbackto a quieter time. The simplelife of a smalltown is a fantasticalternativewhen you're not on the water,and the areaoffers lots of activitiesfor friends who haven'tbeenbitten by the fly-castingbug. For instance,anyonecan participatein the MemorialDayor Fourth of Julyparades,you just needto show up. The Wild WestYellowstone Rodeorunsall latespringthroughsummerand its groundsare4 miles from downtown. Finishoff a day of watching ropingand ridingwith localHuckleberry lce Cream.Takea ride on the Union PacificRailroad strolldown the town's main streetsand poke in the stores,restaurants, 74 Spring2010
Whenyou'renotfishing, takea rideon oneof theranch5 45 horses, parts Rides arehalf-andfull-day andgo throughsomeof the prettiest pol e - bending and of Montana.Learnarenaski l l sl i kebarrel -raci ng, roping-andif you'regoodenough,youcancompete in barrel racing in the ranch's weeklyrodeo.Sporting claysis offeredon a fivestand andtwo courses. TheAntelopeDrawis a walk-upcourse for novice to intermediate shooters, andtheWildcatGulchoffersmoretechnical gunners. shotsdesigned for advanced Mountainbikingisoneof the morepopularactivities astherearebetween30-40milesof oldlogging roadsandsingletracks. Youcantakea guidedhikeor graba mapand pre-programmed a GPSandclimbto someof the ranch's bestviews. Philipsburg isa restored Westerntown that hasretained itsoriginalityoverthe years.Checkout the OperaHouseTheatre, oneof thefew venues Rodeo remaining cultural of theOldWest.TheDrummond PRCA is heldup the road;therearewriters's workshops, Shakespeare inthe
Park,carshows,5O'sSockHopsand lotsof barbe-ques.And within a shortdrivingrangeof Philipsburg, you'llfind 11 ghosttowns,mostof w h i c hs t i l lh a v eo l d b u i l d i n glsi k et h e J . K .W e l l s
ffieldilrc
Hoteland mines,too. i n c e 1 9 6 6 ,B o c a p a i l a i n M e x i c o , s Y u c a t a nP e n i n s u lhaa sb e e na s o u g h t a f t e r d e s t i n a t i o nf o r i n s h o r et r o o i c a l fly-fishing.Bonefishand permitare the most abundantspecies, but thereare alsoseasonal t a r p o na n d s n o o k ,t h e r e b ym a k i n gB o c ap a i l a a g o o d c h o i c ef o r a G r a n d S l a m .T h e r ea r e o t h e r f i s h t o c a t c ha s w e l l , w i t h b a r r a c u d a . j a c k sa n d s n a p p e cr o m i n ge a s i l yt o h a n d . l f y o u ' r e l o o k i n gf o r a s l a m ,y o u ' l l s t a r t b y t a r g e t i n gt h e m o s t d i f f i c u l tf i s h f i r s t :t h e
a shortdistance from Roseburg, fust Oregon,you'llfind 33 milesof water J justfor fly-fishing, designated all of it locatedalongthe wonderfulNorth UmpquaRiver,knownfor its Steelhead run. FrankMoore,Ambassador for fly-fishingthe North Umpquaasks, "What areyou waitingfor?,,
permit.A combinationof freshwatercreeKs m i x i n g w i t h t h e b r a c k i s hs a l t w a t e rc r e a t e s a r i c h e c o s y s t e mf,u l l o f s h r i m p ,c r a b sa n d baitfish,so thereare good schoolsof permit. A f t e r a p e r m i t i s l a n d e d ,m o v e o n t o t h e c h a n n e l sa n d m a n g r o v et a n g l e st o l o o k f o r a t a r p o n .T h e " t a r - p o o n s "t e n d t o h a n g i n the deeperwater duringthe day as well as in theshadeU . p o nw o r k i n gy o u rp o o nt h r o u g n h i sj u m p s ,y o u ' l lf i n i s ht h e d a yw i t h b o n e f i s h .
For a free visitorsguideto our land, call 800-440-9584 or visit www.LandofUmpqua.com
The bonesat BocaPailaaverageabout three pounds,with good numbersof fish in the 5t o 6 - p o u n dr a n g e . W h i l e t h e f i s h e r yh a s b e e n i m p r e s s i vfeo r s o l o n g , t h e r ea r e a n u m b e ro f o t h e r a c t i v i t i e s t h a t t h e f a m i l y c a n e n j o y .T h e f i r s t i s k i t e - b o a r d i n gt h , e c o m b i n a t i o no f s u r f i n g w i t h a s a i l .T h e o n s h o r ew i n d s a n d s h a l l o w w a t e r c r e a t e sa s l i g h tc h o p , a n d B o c ap a i l a h a s a g r o u p o f p a t i e n ti n s t r u c t o r sr e a d yt o g i v e y o u y o u r f i r s t l e s s o no r t o w o r k y o u through more advancedmoves.lf you learn d o w n h e r e ,i t s a s k i l lt h a t y o u c a n t a k e b a c k home to other strongfisherieslikethe North Carolinacoast,the JerseyShore,Rhodelsland a n d C a p eC o d . A n i m a l -a n d h i s t o r y - l o v e rcso m e t o B o c a Pailafor on-the-water and on-landexcursions. Snorkeling the nearbylagoonisa highlyattractive activity.Diversenjoy the diversemanne l i f e ,w h i c h i n c l u d e st u r t l e s ,r a y s ,b a r r a c u o a , parrotfishand a host of other interestingsea creatures. A seriesof underwatercavesano v a l l e y s i t i n t h i s s h a l l o ww a t e r l a g o o n ,w i t h t h e d e p t h s r a n g i n gb e t w e e n 6 - t o 1 5 - f e e t deep.Locatednearthe lagoonarethe Turum
FlyRod&Reel 81
Mayanruins,which standon
D o l p h i n E x p e r i e n c eo, n
a b l u f f f a c i n gt h e r i s i n gs u n .
which guestscan swim with
T h e s p e c t a c u l a rC a r i b b e a n
Atlantic-bottlenose dolphins.
viewsare appealingbecause Tulummeans"wall" in Mayan
T r i p sa r e s h o r t o r l o n g a n d
and there were not many
t h e d o l p h i n so r a s i n v o l v e d
walledcitieshere,makingthis
as working with a trainerto
a uniqueexperience.
feed and train them.
can be assimpleaswatching
T h e C o b a R u i n s ,P u n t a
A t H 2 O b o n e f i s h i n cgo, n -
Lagunaand CenoteTourare
v e n i e n c ei s k i n g . A l l w a t e r
orientedaroundtwo lagoons.
sporlsdepartfrom the marina
Stoneand plasterroadsmove
that's a stone'sthrow from
along the monkey reserveof
the waterfront. Boats leave
P u n t a L a g u n a .A s y o u w a l k
the docksand offer parasail-
arounda beautifullagoon in
ing, glass-bottom-boat tours
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF
the jungle,the monkeysjump
a n d s a i l i n g .O c e a n k a y a k s
from tree-to-treeaboveyour head. Visit the Coba archaeologicalsite
and iet Skisare available,as well. lf you've had enough of the wateL
guide,and rent bicyclesto explorethe jungle and with a professional
head inlandon a Jeeptour, a tropicalbird-watchingexpeditionor comb
seethe highestpyramidof the Yucatanpeninsula.Finishthe tour by
the beachesfor shells.And if that doesn'tsuityou, then layout on one
swimmingin Zacil,a crystalclearblue hole.
of the privatebeachesor by one of the three pools.
Reserve The SianKa'anBiosphere is a 1.3 millionacreareathat featuresMuyilas a post-classic citywith buildingsthat date backto 1 100
he fact that El Pescador Lodge on AmbergrisCayein Belize
AD. Thisuniquesiteeven has numeroussubterranean chambersand
is run by threegenerations of the Spirofamilytellsyou that the lodgeis well-managed. Add the fact that well-knownfly-fisher
has a differentfeel from other Mavan sitesin the Yucatan.
Lori-AnnMurphyspearheads the fishingprogramand you can be sure 'ii
has been fish-
the fishingwill receivetop billing.The BritishbegansettlingBelizein
ing the flatssince2000. You'llfind a combinationof soft sand
the 1600s and Englishis the countrys nativelanguage.Since1974,El
. and grassto white sandand marl flats.While the average-size
Pescador's reputationas a year-rounddestinationfor completingthe
ocatedon Grand Bahama,H20bonefishing
bonefishis betweenfour and five pounds,the recordfish caughthere
Holy Grail of tropicalsaltwaterfly-fishing,the bonefish,permitand
is a whopping 14.5 pounds.Permitare encounteredeverymonth of
tarpon GrandSlam,is solid.JunethroughSeptemberis primetimefor
the yearbut are besttargetedfrom April to September.A bonusto the
migratorytarpon.
bonefishand permit is the potentialto catch migratorytarpon from jacksand tailingtriggerfishare May to September. Barracuda, snapper,
ableto accommodateentirefamilies.El Pescadorcan hosta totalof 72
lf you'd liketo includesomeoffshore other commonlycaughtspecies.
guests,so no worriesabout consideringan offsite business meeting
action,schoolsof yellowfintuna, blackfintuna, skipjackand dorado
at the resort.The lodgeis surroundedby beachand lagoon,andthere
areconsistently available from Aprilto September. Combinea morning
are two saltwater,and one freshwater,pools.
of flats fishingand an afternoonoffshore. Roundingout this dynamicand exceptionally variedfishingprogram, "No programthat makes H20bonefishing alsoofferstheir Boundaries"
In additionto the individuallodgerentalrooms,eightvillasareavail-
Try snorkelingor scuba-divingalong the barrierreef or in the Hol Chan Marine Park,an underwatersanctuary.Historybuffswill enjoy exploringthe Altun Ha MayanRuins;wildlifeand naturetourstakeyour
useof a custom-rigged flatsskiff.Theseskiffsenablea longerrangeand
group to the BelizeZoo, the CrookedTreeBirdSanctuaryor to seethe
fasterridethan the typicallyused17-footMavericks. Fishingduringthe
West Indian manatee.And how about cavetubing-where you float
summertimeis outstanding,and H2Obonefishing offersdiscountson
in an innertube through a rainforestand into caveswith stalagmites
theirfishingpackages from July1 through September30.
andday and crystalformations.Golf,tennis,catamaraning, snorkeling spasare alsopopularon the island.The lodgetell us "FromJune1 to
H2Obonefishing's locationis adjacentto Count BasieSquare,the island's mainentertainment area.lt'll literally takeonly a minuteto walk
D e c 1 8 , 2 0 1 0 ,w e ' r e r u n n i n go u r ' 2 H e a d sf o r 1 ' s p e c i aol n o u r s t a n -
to the square,where you'll be in the middleof islandentertainment. '18 Foodiescan choosefrom the restaurants, which offer just about every
dard non-activitypackagesand our fishingpackages. On thisspecial,
culinarystyle.Fornightlife,thereare severalbarsthat arewithin walking
room the first guestcomesfor the singleoccupancyin a beachfront (and singleangler)priceand the secondguestsharinghisroom(and
distance. lf you'vegot a little007 in you, headto the new casino,another
boaVguide)is free.
two minutewalk away.Justmake sureyou leavea winner. The world-famousUnderwaterExplorer'sSocietyis situatednext door. Hereyou can find skin- and scuba-divinggalore.From lessons to rentalsto trips, the UESoffers it all. One noteworthy trip is the 84 Spring2010
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