Our Check List

for Turneffe Flats Trips

As you know Turneffe Flats Loge is located on an atoll some 30 miles off the coast of Belize.   There is a small gift shop at the resort,  where they have a small selection of flies, leaders and tippet, but for most part you will want to bring just about everything you'll need for a week of fishing and exploring the Turneffe Island system.  This checklist will help you in packing all the things that you need to bring.  Please read our other newsletter on tackle, gear,flies, and clothing for Turneffe Flats.  This will give you our recommendations on exactly what you will want to have along, especially if you are fishing. 

General Checklist for everyone

• Roller bags or other luggage including carry-on bag

• Passport (Required to enter Belize)

• Xerox copies of passport in each piece of luggage

• Plane Tickets

• Cash, include small bills for tips in Belize City

• Visa, MasterCard, check, or cash to pay bar and gift shop tab

• Itinerary with important Belize and US contact information (leave a copy at home too)

• Hotel reservation information in Belize City (if applicable)

• Underwear - enough changes for the week
• Socks - enough for the week
• Shirts and T-shirts
• Lightweight pants and shorts

• Casual eveningwear for dinner

• Sandals or beach type shoes

• Cap for sun protection (dark under brim is best)or broad brimmed sun hat

• Cap strap to keep it from blowing away in boats

•  Breathable Rain gear (the rain can actually be cold down there)

• Insect Repellent for sand flies

• Camera, batteries, charger, film or extra digital cards

• Underwater camera housing (optional)
• Video camera, charger, underwater housing
• Spare Video tapes

• Polarized sunglasses

• Cleaning solutions and cloths for your glasses. We recommend those pre-packaged cloths for cleaning your gasses as you can use several a day.
• Croakies or cords to keep your sunglasses around your neck

• 30+ Sunscreen and 15+ sun block for lips

• Alarm Clock.  The resort doesn't always have them in all of the rooms.  They do knock on the door with coffee but an alarm clock does come in handy.
• Swim suit

• Snorkeling gear (fins, mask and snorkel recommended)

• First aid medications.  Bring some Dramamine if you think you might need it.  Also, consider some anti-itch cream for bug bites.

• Prescription medications

• Toiletries (shampoo, shaving gear, etc.)

• Your regular Glasses or contact lenses
• Wetting solution for contacts, spray and cloth for cleaning your glasses and sunglasses

• $50-$100 cash, per person for resort staff tips, this is in addition to the tips you will give to your guides at the end of your stay.

• Recently, the resort installed a wireless network that guests are free to use to access the internet.  If this is something you think you might want to do, bring a wireless ready laptop or PDA.  Apparently, there is now a computer available in the main lodge that guests can use on a first come, first served basis.

• You need a Belize Telecommunications Card to make phone calls in Belize.  These are reasonably priced and can be purchased in Belize City or from the resort.  There is one phone on the island that is available to guests (and staff) around the clock.  Try and avoid having to make a bunch of calls if possible.  However, if you have to, you will be able to.

Fishing checklist

If you have the time and interest, buy or borrow a good book about saltwater fly fishing.  Below we'll give you our favorites. Chico's new book on bone fishing is simply terrific and will give you a great foundation on the things you need to know for fishing at Turneffe Flats.  The guides at Turneffe Flats do a great   job but if you go with some basic knowledge of flats fishing, and especially what bone fishing is all about, you'll be able to team up with your guide and fish a lot more effectively.  The guides work hard to help their anglers, especially ones that eager to listen to them and want to learn more about flats fishing techniques.   Even if you are an expert angler, it's often better to act like you don't know too much and gain the confidence of your guide by catching fish.   

Here are some good books we recommend:

• "Fly-Fishing for Bonefish" by Chico Fernandez.  This book just came out in 2004 and has a lot of great information about bone fishing.  The book covers everything from the biology of bonefish, through equipment selection to the actual cast to a tailing bonefish.  You can read the review of Chico's book on our web site.  read the review...

•  "Permit On a Fly" by Jack Sampson.  This book will get you pumped up for, or completely intimidated, about fly fishing for permit.  This book is mostly stories with some technique stuff mixed in.  There is even a chapter about Turneffe Flats (back in the old days before air conditioning and fresh water showers).

• "Fly Fishing in Salt Water" by Lefty Kreh.  Lefty's book covers a lot of different aspects of fly fishing for saltwater fishes.  There is more information than someone going to Turneffe will ever need and you may find yourself skipping some chapters to get to the more relevant information.  However, this is a great book to have in your library and there are some things in the book that you will not find elsewhere.

 Fly Fishing Checklist

In addition to the normal things above in the general checklist, here are the things that anglers want to think about bringing on our trip.   Remember, that these are our suggestions, and some of this gear you may not need or want to bring along but they are all things that we have found helpful over the years.  

• Rods for bonefish, permit and tarpon

• Back-up bonefish rod
• travel case for rods

• Reels and spools with lines

• Back-up lines.  At least one for bonefish

• Bonefish Leaders and tippet material

• Permit leaders and tippet material
• Tarpon Leaders with shock tippet
• Wire or pre-rigged Cuda flies

• Flies and fly boxes

• flats wading shoes and socks
• fanny pack with water bottle or chest pak
• boat bag
• Vented Fishing Shirts -short and long sleeve
• Lightweight Flats wading pants
• Shorts with briefs for wading
• flats wading shoes and socks
• Sun gloves
• Sun mask or bandana if you use one

• Breathable rain jacket and rain pants
• Binoculars
• Zip Lock bags for your camera etc.
• Nippers on a zinger
• Large, heavy duty forceps
• Boga-Grip with scale for landing cudas, sharks etc
• Diamond hook hone
• pair of smaller locking pliers
• tape measure
• scale for weighing fish.  You can get your scale IGFA certified before the trip if you like, in case you hook that world record permit!  

• If you want to bring gifts for your guides, I would suggest things like hats, t-shirts, inexpensive sunglasses, tools like a Leatherman, tippet or other fishing gear. Also, other nice things they can share with their families.  Most people don't bring this stuff, so don't feel that this is necessary. 

• Tips for your guides.  You should tip your guide if he has worked hard for you and has done a good job.   At Turneffe Flats, Tips for the guides average average $40-$60 a day, or about $240-$360 a week (US$).  This is total for the week, for two anglers.  It is best to tip your guides in cash.  Bring some smaller bills, as it is sometimes difficult to break large bills ($50’s and $100’s) at the resort.

Diving Checklist

If you will be doing some diving on this trip here are our ideas on what to bring.  Some of the following items are available for rent.  We will be happy to check with T.Flats for you on availability.

• Dive Certification Card (mandatory)

• Dive Log

• BCD. 

• Weight belts and weights are available at the resort.

• Regulator

• Dive Computer

• Dive Skin or Wetsuit.  Although the water is typically in the upper 70's to lower 80's, a suit can make your diving more comfortable and is recommended.  With skins or a suit you can avoid most problems with the fire coral that is common on the reefs in Belize.  I often dive without a suit but you must be careful, especially of the coral.  

• Snorkel, mask and fins.  You will  want to bring your own gear that fits you perfectly if possible, but you can rent this gear also at the resort.

• Underwater camera or housing.

• Silicone for camera housing.

• Dive light for night dive.

• Tips for Dive Staff.  I recommend tipping the dive staff based on the level of service you feel you received.  They typically get $10-$20 per diver per day.  This will cover both the dive master and the dive boat captain.  As with all of the tipping, this can be done at the end of the week.

Atoll Adventure checklist

For those people doing the Atoll Adventure package, here are our suggestions on things you will want to bring along.  Again, some of this  equipment like a mask, snorkel and fins are available for rent but be sure to let us know before the trip if you are thinking of renting these so that we can advise the lodge on sizes etc.  

• Swimsuit, Snorkel, mask and fins.  This package typically involves a fair amount of snorkeling so it is far better if you bring your own gear that fits perfectly, functions well and is comfortable.  This could make or break your trip if you intend to participate in the snorkeling.

• Dive skin or light wetsuit (if desired).  This isn't mandatory but helps to reduce coral scrapes and protect you from what little fire coral you might bump into. 

• Binoculars come in handy when searching for birds, manatee, dolphins, etc.

• A pair of comfortable shoes that you can get wet or dirty if you need to.

• A beach bag or mesh gear bag for carrying your gear around is very handy.

• If you have a pair of wading boots  or flats booties, described in the fishing section of the list, bring them with you.  They will make wading the coral flats more comfortable.  Typically, the resort has some that you can use, but you are better off bringing your own if you have them.

• Long sleeved shirts and pants to protect you from the sun and insects.

• A notebook for recording things.  Most people end up wanting to record the different things they see or write down recipes from the kitchen.

• A book of Caribbean reef creatures can make the trip more interesting.  The gift shop has some books like this available, if you don't pick one up before the trip.

• There are some really nice gift items available in the gift shop that are reasonably priced so bring some money to shop for your friends and family back home.

• Tips for your guide:  I would plan on tipping your guide $10-$20 per day, depending on the service he provides.  Typically, the Atoll Adventure guide is the most knowledgeable and friendly guide at the resort.  His job, every week, is guiding the Atoll Adventure guests.  I think that you will find him very professional and will probably have one of the most interesting times of you life with him.

We hope that these check lists have been helpful in your preparation and packing for the trip to Turneffe Flats.  in preparing for your trip to Turneffe Flats.  If you have any additional items you think we overlooked, or should be on this list, please e-mail us, and we'll update these lists.   

If you have any questions before the trip, just give us a call or e-mail us.   We'll do all we can to help make your trip a huge success and a lot of fun. 

Jamie Anderson

Jamesd@yellowstoneangler.com

406-222-7130

P.O. Box 629

Livingston, Mt  59047