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Belize

Even Photographers Fish

July 29, 2022 By Jess McGlothlin

Sometimes, on rare, special occasions, the photographer gets to fish. And it’s a wonderful thing.

Last week in Belize I got to sneak out from behind the camera.

Image: courtesy of Robert Wells.

Filed Under: Fishing, Jess McGlothlin Media Tagged With: Belize, Caribbean, El Pescador, fish, fishing, flats, fly fishing, saltwater, tarpon, travel, woman

You Booked a Saltwater Trip… Now What?

May 15, 2022 By Jess McGlothlin

As a general rule, anglers are passionate folks. Often our identity rolls right up into our passion for fishing… it becomes a core part of our being. But I’ve found that passion often doesn’t correlate directly into a willingness to put into the work. Spending more time working at saltwater lodges over the past years, I’ve been curious to see a lot of people showing up to their “trip of a lifetime” with no idea of what lies ahead.

There’s something to be said for the unexpected. But it also pays to do a little bit of research before hopping on a plane and flying to another country to fish (or to do anything, really). And I’d argue that if you’re spending a good bit of change on a trip, taking up a guide’s time, and just generally want to have a decent time on the water, a bit of preparation is going to help.

Bonefish fish caught while fly fishing in Belize at El Pescador Lodge.

I’ll preface this piece with the fact that I did not grow up in the salt. I’m a Montana trout girl, who grew up chasing trout and grayling in the waters of the West. I had a few chances to chase salty species as a teen, and then — strictly due to photography work and the place sit takes me — I’ve been able to fish the salt around the world as an adult. For the past decade and a half, I’ve taken notes, learned from guides, and spent many long hours casting in Montana parks trying to perfect my double-haul. I didn’t grow up fishing salt, and I’m still learning. But like all good things in life, it’s worth the effort.

So here are five quick tips to keep in mind if you’re heading to fish the saltwater for the first time:

1) Casting Practice

At least have an acquaintance with the double haul. It’s okay if you can’t do it well, but watch a few videos online, play with it, and understand the benefits of increased line speed and control. Lay a few hula-hoops at 30, 40, and 50 feet and practice casting into them, so you’ll have an idea of distance when your guide tells you, “Ten o’clock, 50 feet!” and the boat’s in chaos. If you’re crushing that drill, string in hula-hoop vertically from a tree, and practice shooting line forward through the hoop. The more you can compress your loop, the better control you’ll have.

2) Understand Gear For the Destination

Not all saltwater fisheries are the same, just as all trout fisheries are a little different. Know what gear is requisite for the place you’re going to fish. I like to travel with a 8 and 10-weight rod — at minimum — both ready with floating and intermediate or sinking lines. I keep both coldwater and tropic saltwater boxes stocked. There’s some overlap in patterns, of course, but have a divide by location helps prevent me from having to pack the entire kit for every trip. Come prepared with terminal tackle (leaders, tippet, etc.) as well… do your research into the location’s fishery. Will you need wire? Maybe. Will you need 80-lb. mono? Possibly. Lodges and booking agencies should supply you with a packing list including suggested tackle, and if you’re on a DIY trip, research online. You’ll likely find some ideas. 

Two men fly fishing in Belize from a panga boat beside a mangrove island.

3) Educate Yourself on the Fishery

Come prepared with at least a basic knowledge of the fishery. There are very few locations these days where you can’t find information online about the fishery and the location… and when I’ve gone on a few exploratory trips with no information online, I’ve still been able to research other waters in the region. Know if there are crocodiles around. Are blacktop sharks an annoyance? What are the tides like? What kind of weather patterns can you expect, and what will the wading conditions be like? An hour of research can help you understand what you’re getting yourself into.

4) Take Care of Yourself on the Water

This seems to be a sticking point for a lot of anglers I’ve seen over the years. It’s easy to geek out over your gear, obsess over the fishing, and then forget that your physical ability is a key part of that equation. Tip number one? Hydrate. Drink a ton of water on the boat. (Side note: get used to peeing while out on the water. Guys, you have a big advantage here. Celebrate it.)

I get through at least one packet of electrolytes on the boat, along with a lot of plain water. I also limit myself to two boat beers a day… it’s too easy to become dehydrated otherwise, and I’d rather be on my top fishing and/or photography game. (There’s always the bar once you’re off the boat, if that’s your cup of tea.) I love bringing along a few caffeinated electrolyte Clif Shot Blocks and sticking them in the cooler. Midday, when it’s hot and miserable, they’re hard, frozen little bursts of caffeine and salt. Voke Tabs are also a great little caffeine hit, and take up virtually no space in your bag. Cover up skin with either clothing or sunscreen, and reapply the latter often. (Especially on the triangle of skin between your thumb, pointer finger, and wrist. That skin somehow always gets burned.)

Permit caught while fly fishing in Belize.

5) Be a Smart Traveler

Common sense seems to be very uncommon these days. Practice basic security measures. Keep only the minimal amount of cash in your wallet, and have at least one backup stash spread throughout your bags in unexpected places. (It’s a good idea to keep a backup credit card in one of these places as well.) Keep both hard and digital copies of all your travel paperwork — passport, visas, booking information, health information, etc. Don’t drink any unbolted water unless you’re absolutely certain it’s safe. Carry a decent medial kit with you (I detailed mine in this two-part blog post); even if you’re in a country where you think you can buy first-aid supplies if needed, what happens if the store is closed? Be prepared to take care of yourself and others. 

6) Bonus Tip: Don’t Be That Guy

By its very nature, fishing is a hit-or-miss activity. When everyone gathers at the bar at the end of the day, the guy next to you might have landed a Grand Slam, where you hardly saw anything other than a single school of bonefish. It doesn’t mean you had a bad guide. It doesn’t necessarily mean the other guy is a better angler. Some days it’s just not your day, no mater how much work you put into it. Fish will be fish. Don’t get pissed off about it. Don’t blame your guide because you “Didn’t see fish.” (Chances are the fish were there, and your guide saw them, but knew you couldn’t cast that far. At the end of the day, the guide can put an angler into fish, but the responsibility of catching falls to the angler’s skill. (Hence Tip #1 being at the top of this list.)

This is all common-sense stuff… just use your head. Most of all, enjoy the trip, and be willing and ready to learn from your guides (to this day, I still carry a little notebook and jot down casting tips or learnings every day I’m on the water). Fishing and travel on their own are two very good things, and when combined, they’re one of the very best things about life. Go forth and enjoy!

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: Belize, destination, fishing, fly fishing, help, lodge, saltwater, tips, tips & tricks, travel, travel tips, tricks, tropical, tropics

Back to Belize

March 10, 2021 By Jess McGlothlin

Two men talking on a flats fishing panga boat in Belize while fly fishing.It’s been a hectic Q1. (Okay, really it’s been a hectic year, since the world went topsy-turvy in March 2020.) Now, a year later, we’re still muddling through it.

I was fortunate enough to kick off 2020 with another visit down to Belize’s El Pescador Lodge to continue shooting saltwater fly-fishing imagery. Between hosting a group of anglers for a week, working as a producer for a videographer, and shooting my own work for El Pescador and several editorial clients, it was a hectic visit but—as always—a good one. (Stay tuned for two editorial features about to drop, covering the reopening of Belize and what both travel and fishing look like there now.) The weather was uncooperative for the most part, but we made the most of it and our rain gear got plenty of mileage.

Then it was back to Montana, settling back into what’s become my routine of lap swim in the early morning, come back to the apartment to work until lunch, go for a walk or run, work the afternoon, then rinse, repeat, and do it all over again. It’s feeling an awful lot like Groundhog Day, but there’s light on the (far) horizon.

Two flats bots pangas at the dock at El Pescador Lodge in Belize ready to go fly fishing.

I’ve been asked to head back down to El Pescador in May to fill-in as Fishing Director for a few weeks. Excited to get back down into the salt and slip into the now-familiar routine of what’s become rather a second home. (What is home, anyway? It’s an incredibly fluid concept, and mine certainly isn’t Missoula.)

So, if you’re looking for an escape, come hang and fish at El Pescador in May. I’m not hosting, nor giving a photo school, but would love to see some friendly faces in the tropics. Shoot me a note and I’ll give you the details!

Two Orvis fly fishing rods being rinsed clean after fly fishing in Belize in saltwater.

Filed Under: Fishing, Travel Tagged With: Belize, El Pescador, fishing, fly fishing, travel

What Travel to Belize Looks Like Right Now

October 18, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

I’m just back from a shoot at El Pescador Lodge in Belize—my first international travel since March. This trip was a long time coming; I held a total of five different ticketings since July, as the reopening date for Belize continued to shift back. Finally, on 1 October, the country re-opened and I hopped a plane to head south.

Here’s a brief look at what international travel looks like right now:

  • Step 1: Get a rapid PCR COVID test within 72 hours of your originating (departing from your home destination) flight. I was able to do this in Montana, so the odds are you can do it where you live, too. There are also a number of companies now offering rapid tests by mail.
  • Download and fill out the Belize Health App. You’ll go through a quick questionnaire (it felt similar
    to a customs form, but with additional health questions), and be given a QR code, which you’ll have to show several times upon arrival at Belize City Airport. It took about five minutes to fill out the questionnaire and get my code. This must be done no less than 72 hours prior to your arrival in Belize.
  • My route to Belize was this: Missoula to Denver, Denver to Houston. Overnight in Houston. Then Houston to Belize City. Right now only United and American are flying to Belize (Delta supposedly will resume flights in late November). I’m not a fan of United, but the routing wasn’t bad and the overnight was easy in Houston; I was able to book a Hampton Inn near the airport for about $70. Even before the COVID era, I didn’t have an option to get from Montana to Belize in a single day; my normal routing is on Delta with a red-eye through Atlanta. I’m a die-hard Delta flyer when possible, so I’ll resume that route when Delta is flying to Belize once more.
  • Honestly, I was just very, very happy to be flying and traveling once more. There are a plethora of sanitizing stations in most airports, and I felt very relaxed flying. Airports were still more quiet than they used to be, but are looking far busier than in April and May. I’ve always loved airports, and that certainly hasn’t gone away, even in this weird era we find ourselves in.
  • Upon landing in Belize City, we deplaned and queued up on the tarmac near the airport. Officials were very careful about spacing travelers out on the “social distancing” dots that had been placed on the concrete. I was the sixth from last person out of the airplane after a seat change from United that left me 14 rows away from my Pelican case in the overhead bin (thanks, United). Being at the very end of the line, I waited outside for about 50 minutes before making it inside the terminal.
    • Once inside the terminal, we moved through a “Hospitality Meet & Greet” room, where Belize Tourism Board team members greeted travelers, and verified that we’d downloaded the Health App and had a negative COVID test to present. Those with a negative test and healthy temperature were given a slip of paper with a green star on it. A red mark on the paper indicated that someone would need to take an on-site COVID test (available at a cost of $50 for those who chose not to test in advance).
      I did have a friend not receive his test results in time, and therefore was required to test in Belize City. He said the process was easy, quick, and pretty painless.
    • We were also given bight yellow bracelets to wear during the duration of our stay in Belize. These bracelets let locals know that the wearer is from outside the country. For a while Belize was only allowing travelers to stay at “Gold Star approved” lodgings that met rigorous health requirements, and the bracelets would help identify if anyone strayed off-property. As of mid-October, however, it appears travelers are no longer tied to the Gold Star properties.

      • After the health screening room, we were sent down a long hallway where test results and the Health App QR code were once more verified.
      • Once passing this secondary check, travelers proceed through Customs & Immigration as usual. This part of the process was quick and easy. All told, I was through the airport in about one hour and 45 minutes.
      • I was traveling on with Tropic Air to San Pedro, and so carried my luggage to the Tropic desk. I love this little airline; they accepted my three heavy bags full of photography gear with no questions, and I was sent on through to security for the domestic terminal. There was no line in security, and I quickly passed through.
      • In domestic departures, there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out and relax. I grabbed a cold water and waited about 20 minutes for my Tropic Air flight.

All in all, travel to Belize was easier than I’d expected. People were happy and friendly. I was last in Belize in February, and while the process feels quite different now, eight months (and what feels like several lifetimes) later, it was very doable and an encouraging first international experience after the arrival of COVID.

El Pescador is one of my favorite lodges around the world—it’s homey, and the staff and guides are like family. I’m planning a return trip this winter, and will readily jump through the travel hoops (we’ll see what the world presents us with) to get down to the saltwater flats once again.

And you know what, after seven months of not seeing angling pressure, the fish seemed pretty damn happy to see us, too. See a few images here.

New friends! We were very lucky to have a fun, savvy group of anglers at El Pescador for the opening week.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: airport, Belize, Belize City, Caribbean, COVID, current, fly, process, requirements, steps, travel, where

On Island Time in Belize for the U.K.’s Fieldsports Magazine

February 9, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

Image of tropical Belize from airplane window. Jess McGlothlin Media.

“The air is heavy with humidity and the playful scent of tropical flowers, mixing languidly with the scent of aviation fuel and the general bustle of Belize’s largest airport, Philip S. W. Goldson International, in Belize City. The open-air stroll into customs provides a welcome glance at what’s to come: Belize is delightfully casual. Things move on ‘island time’ in this Central American country, and the airport experience is a part of that. I’m quick to find a seat at Jett’s Bar, the bustling airport bar run by diminutive, wizened Jett, and settle in to wait for the short Tropic Air flight to San Pedro.”

The U.K.’s Fieldsports Journal is one of my favorite publications to work with. The magazine itself is gorgeous—thick, heavy paper printed with intense colors, the binding sturdy. Each issue reads more like a mini-book than a magazine, and shows in my mailbox carefully nestled in cardboard packaging. Quality, all around. The editors are lovely, and I delve through each issue—whether or not I have an article placed—with excitement.

Story and images about fly fishing in Belize at El Pescador Lodge.

In this most recent issue, I wrote up a few words about Belize escapes. I’ve been down to the Central American country three times now, each time bringing very different experiences and new lessons both on and off the water. But there’s a relaxed “go slow” island vibe I fall in love with a little more each trip. I tried to sum it up in the closing paragraph of this most recent article:

“After a long day on the boat (most full-day fishing trips run eight hours) it’s back to the lodge for Permit underwater and the dock of El Pescador Lodge, Belize.appetizers and cold drinks. Bartender Mariano runs the bustling El Pescador bar, serving up a mean Belizean Painkiller crafted from pineapple juice, orange juice, and spiced rum, with a few special additions. As is traditional at any fishing destination around the world, fish stories are exchanged over drinks and bar games; tales of near-misses and photo proof of the ones that didn’t get away. Later, dinner is served informally at the open-air tables dotting the deck, and newfound friends find themselves seated at the long tables, exchanging fishing tales from Belize and beyond. The tropic air of the Caribbean softens at night yet rarely loses its warmth or humidity, and once the revelry at the bar ebbs anglers find their way back to their rooms, ready to rise again in the morning and do it all again.”

Filed Under: Fishing, Published Tagged With: article, Belize, El Pescador, England, Fieldsports Journal., fishing, fly fishing, Jess McGlothlin, Jess McGlothlin Media, lodge, photography, travel, UK, writing

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It’s always worth waking up before dawn when I’m on a lodge shoot. (Coffee tastes better when it’s still dark out, too.)

Last week in Belize for @elpescadorbelize.
I’ve got just one spot left to join me from Febr I’ve got just one spot left to join me from February 2-7, 2025 in Argentina on the @goldendoradorivercruiser! This mothership-based golden dorado program is a great winter break and offers some of ridiculously fun fishing, excellent cuisine, and comfortable quarters with good company. DM me for more info to grab this last spot; it’s well worth the $4,200.

📷: me and @martinanderssen, last season.
Grateful for wide open waters and the people who c Grateful for wide open waters and the people who choose to make their living on them. 

Image: Belize last week for @elpescadorbelize.
Despite the pretty massive challenges 2024 has bro Despite the pretty massive challenges 2024 has brought, I’ve been so damn grateful to have gotten to meet and work with incredible folks all over the world, in some pretty stellar fisheries. January and February were Argentina, visiting lodges I can’t wait to get back to in a few months to see friends. March was Baja and Las Vegas. April and May were the Darien Gap in Colombia. June brought me back here to Montana to shoot a friends wedding and a couple fishing jobs, and then it all came to a screeching halt with an injury. I canceled eight international shoots in all, spending August and September in Texas having surgery instead of abroad. But November’s brought me back to the road with a return trip to Belize, and I’m keenly looking toward to what 2025 brings. It’s going to be a sprint… and a marathon. A sprinting marathon? We’ll see.

I just know I can’t wait to be back on the water with both new and old friends, capturing stories and chasing fish. 

Thanks for following along, all. Grateful for you.

(Photo credit on the final shot goes to the awesome @highpeaksrep, who caught me on the other side of the camera this past May in Colombia.)
Posted @withregram • @elpescadorbelize Well, tha Posted @withregram • @elpescadorbelize Well, that’s all from me, folks! About to board my flight back to the States. Thanks for following along this week as I’ve been shooting and fishing at @elpescadorbelize. If you’re looking for a fishing getaway this winter, put Belize on your list. This crew will take good care of you. 

If you’re seeking more on fishing, travel, and what happens when the two combine, follow along at @jess_mcglothlin_media. Thanks for joining me this week, and I hope to run into you all down in Belize one of these days!
Ten weeks ago I was learning how to walk normally Ten weeks ago I was learning how to walk normally again after endoscopic spine surgery at @texasback. Four weeks ago I started to slowly add weight workouts back into my PT and training routine. Today, I am on the tail end of my first trip back on the road, on a shoot down in Belize for @elpescadorbelize. Though I’m still a bit limited on my activity, I’ve grateful to have snuck in a few days fishing with friends. This tarpon, caught while fishing today with @jrflyhighbaby and @portillomariano7, isn’t my biggest by a long stretch, but it’s going to forever be a memorable fish as it marks a (still slow) return back to work. 

Some things are meant to be. We were about to reel up and check another spot, and I asked Junior to wait a moment; I wanted to throw one more cast… something just told me it might not hurt. And you know what? It didn’t. This tarpon came up out of nowhere and smashed my home-tied purple-and-white tarpon toad. 

Thanks @jrflyhighbaby for the picture and the day, to @peterdermanmd and his team for a surgery very well done, to @epicflyfish for making a very fun fiberglass rod for tarpon, and to the entire @elpescadorbelize team for welcoming me back… always feels a bit like coming home.
I’ve learned it’s best to embrace and work wit I’ve learned it’s best to embrace and work with the conditions on any given day—with the cameras, fishing, and just about everything else. So when the light is bright, hazy, and full of glare, we adjust and work with it. 

@elpescadorbelize manager @ebenschaefer hooked into a snook a few days ago here in Belize.
Awesome to be back to work, back on the water, and Awesome to be back to work, back on the water, and back in Belize. I’m down at @elpescadorlodge this week doing a bit of photo work and an Instagram takeover for the lodge. 

Yesterday was my first day fishing since injuring my spine in June, which led to surgery September 10. I’m incredibly grateful I’m able to be back on the water (saltwater flats, no less) at 10 weeks post-op—we had this snook (and a lot of his buddies) in the first hour on the water! I’m still on very modified duties (careful of fast boat runs on choppy water, twisting while casting, and bending awkwardly), but being back on the water is good for the soul. 

Y’all know me… I’m usually behind the lens, not in front of it—and I’m happiest there. But consider this post proof of life. 😆 I’m slowly getting back into the field once again. 

Big thanks to guide @mikey_so_fly and Shawn for a good first couple days back on the water. Working at the lodge tomorrow for an architectural shoot, and then have a few more days of fishing. All’s well here in Belize.
And off we go again. I’m finally (and very car And off we go again. 

I’m finally (and very carefully) back on the road, (slowly) resuming work after a summer / fall of injury-surgery-recovery. I’m still somewhat limited in my activities, but am thrilled to be heading to familiar waters at @elpescadorbelize for a week of photography and fishing. The fishing program won’t be quiet my usual—no targeting the big tarpon this trip—but I’ll be plenty happy to play around with other critters. Belize just had Tropical Storm Sara pass through last night, so we’ll see what the conditions hold. Stay tuned this week here on IG for daily IG trip report stories as I get back to work on the flats of Belize.

And if you’re in an airport and see a tall girl with a tan @pelican case covered in fishing stickers, say hello! I have a day of flying and five airports to hurdle through before I hit the dock at the lodge.
Getting close to final call on this trip! If you’re looking for a winter escape or feeling a bit celebratory, come fish Argentina in January. I’ll be at @estancialagunaverde on Lago Strobel January 25 - February 1, 2025, and have a few spots open for anglers. (I’ll also be offering basic photo instruction for those who are interested.) Join me as we fish for massive rainbow trout, enjoy the stunning scenery and epic fishing, and relax with excellent food and lodging. 

Pricing is $7,500 (7 nights / 6.5 days fishing); private room and shared guide. DM for more info.
Cheer on your people. And if the air temp’s belo Cheer on your people. And if the air temp’s below freezing, it just means your beer stays cold longer.

Image: @katmai_sky toasts to a fun, frigid girls’ day on the Missouri River. Montana, March 2023.
Happy 135th birthday, Montana. Image: Missouri Ri Happy 135th birthday, Montana.

Image: Missouri River, Montana. Summer 2013.
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