The saltwater flats of the Turneffe Islands Atoll make this vacation a fly fishing experience to remember.

Each angler package includes: 908-4 Tip Flex ZG Helios rod, Battenkill Large Arbor IV reel, Orvis Wonderline, leaders, tippet and 12 flies.

Legendary Turneffe Islands Atoll off the coast of Belize in Central America is an ideal location for you to learn the art of saltwater fly fishing with the help of an Orvis saltwater expert. The warm waters, number and variety of fish, and the option to either wade the shallow flats or fish from a boat give you an ideal open-air classroom to practice casting flies to bonefish in clear water. This is a hands-on field instruction seminar that packs a lifetime of saltwater experience into a week, and everyone on staff is dedicated to making this a memorable vacation.

The trip starts on Saturday evening with a welcome reception, and the next morning you’re learning the fly fishing fundamentals of casting, spotting fish and working with a local guide. You will fish with a Turneffe Flats guide daily, while the host rotates among the group to assist members as needed.

We supply each angler with a free brand new bonefish fly rod, reel and line that can be taken home at the end of the week. We will also supply leader, tippet and a dozen flies to each angler.

Non-anglers are welcome, and this warm, sunny atoll is famous for snorkeling, diving and relaxing in the sun. The Atoll Adventure package is the standard choice for non-anglers.

Equipment
Each angler will receive a free saltwater rod, reel, line, leaders, and 12 bonefish flies for your trip. We will send you this equipment prior to your trip. Make sure to bring it with you as well as appropriate clothes and flats wading shoes. A Trip Planner and a Clothing & Equipment list will be sent once your deposit has been received.

Weather
Belize temperatures usually range from 75-95 degrees (average 84). Water temperatures average 79-80 degrees in the winter and 83 in the summer. There is a southeasterly trade wind throughout the year. The winds usually pick up in March and April. June is called the "rainy season" in Belize but this relates primarily to the mainland and has little effect on Turneffe Flats fly fishing or diving. There are generally more squalls on the islands during this time rather than prolonged rainy periods. The weather in the fall and early winter can be affected by "northers" or cold fronts, occasionally dropping the temperatures into the 60’s. These periods of lower temperatures usually last for only a few days. Of course, Belize is subject to tropical storms, which can affect the weather any time between June and October. Hurricanes tend to track north of Belize, so it is somewhat less susceptible to major storms.

Location
Belize is a small, extremely diverse, Central American country with some of the world's most pristine and productive marine habitat. Air travel to Belize from the United States is easy with direct flights from Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Newark and Miami.

Belize is home to three of the four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere. Turneffe Islands Atoll is the largest and most diverse of Belize's atolls. The atolls of Belize provide a unique, pristine marine eco-system with an extensive coral system as a backbone.

Many travelers combine a stay in the Maya Mountains to explore the inland of Belize. Orvis Travel will be glad to arrange a short extension that works nicely with your fishing trip.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
800-547-4322/802-362-8790 fax: 802-362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

Itinerary At A Glance

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
800-547-4322/802-362-8790 fax: 802-362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

The Fly Fishing
The Turneffe Islands are known as a premier flats fishing vacation destination. The ocean side flats at Turneffe offer miles of pristine, wadeable flats, whereas the inner soft flats are best fished from our custom built flats skiffs.

The Turneffe Atoll is noted for its variety of saltwater fishing. The availability of bonefish, permit and tarpon make Turneffe Flats one of the rare spots in the world offering a legitimate shot at a GRAND SLAM. In addition, Turneffe offers an opportunity for several less-traditional saltwater species. We encourage you to be prepared for a wide variety of fishing opportunities. Fishing is catch and release.

Bonefishing
Turneffe Flats offers something for anglers of all levels of experience. Novice saltwater anglers see hundreds of fish per day providing a great opportunity to learn the basics of flats fishing. Experienced saltwater anglers find plenty of challenging fishing, particularly fishing to smaller schools and larger singles. Bonefish are present in equal numbers throughout the year.

The ocean side flats are some of the most picturesque, wadeable flats anywhere, containing large schools of bonefish as well as smaller schools and singles. Fish in these large schools average 3-4 pounds with some 8-12 pound bonefish.

Turneffe Flats was named as one of "The World's Best for Bonefish" by Dick Brown (author of Fly Fishing for Bonefish) in Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine (Feb-Mar. 1997)

Permit are a primary objective of many anglers at Turneffe Flats. On the bars and flats within the Turneffe system, you can expect plenty of shots at permit averaging 10-15 pounds. You can also expect to see some 20-40 pound permit. Permit are present throughout the year. Permit fishing tends to be more consistent from March through November when the prevailing trade wind is most consistent.

Tarpon inhabit the creeks, channels and lagoons of the Atoll. Most tarpon jumped are 60-90 pounds, with some fish in the 100-130 pound range. Most of our tarpon fishing is to rolling fish with limited sight fishing.

Tarpon fishing is quite seasonal, as tarpon are migratory. Tarpon numbers begin to increase in April or May and drop off in September or October with peak tarpon months being June, July, and August. There are a few "resident" tarpon around Turneffe throughout the year.

Grand Slam Season: June through September are the best overall fishing months primarily because there are good numbers of all three species available. Summer temperatures are in the low to mid 90's and a steady trade wind generally makes it quite comfortable. Air-conditioned rooms make sleeping comfortable throughout the summer.

Guides
Top-quality guides are essential for a great flats fishing experience. All fishing at Turneffe Flats is guided by experienced, knowledgeable, English-speaking guides, many of whom have guided on the flats in Belize for over 30 years. The guides are some of the most experienced and dedicated flats guides in the Caribbean.

Fly fishing Skiffs
You will fish from 16' Dolphin Superskiffs that were custom built in the U.S. These are comfortable skiffs with a large casting deck and rod holders. All guide skiffs are equipped with VHF radios and first aid kits for safety.

Daily Schedule
The fishing schedule is as flexible as possible. A standard day's fishing is about 8-9 hours. Generally the fishing day begins after breakfast and ends in the late afternoon.

You will have the option to take a picnic lunch or return to the lodge for the noon meal each day. Your guide will discuss the next day with you before returning to the dock. Lodge management will confirm these arrangements and coordinate lunches and other details each evening before dinner.

Early morning fishing, particularly for tarpon, can be very good. Arrangements to go tarpon fishing before breakfast are easily made.

To ensure that the ocean side flats are properly rested and that you have an opportunity to fish a wide variety of areas, you may fish a different system of flats, creeks or lagoons daily. These other areas provide a multitude of fishing opportunities, in fact, some of the best fishing at Turneffe. Alternatives to the ocean side flats include the inner bonefish flats, most of the permit flats, all of the tarpon areas, most of the barracuda fishing, and the mangrove and surf fishing areas.

Non-Fishing Activities
Non-Fishing activities If you have a non-fishing companion, Turneffe Flats is a great place to take them. The non-fishing package, “The Atoll Adventure”, offered by Turneffe Flats was developed for non-fishing companions.

The Turneffe Atoll is the largest of only four coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere. It is a ring of islands, 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, surrounded by pristine coral reef. During your week at Turneffe Flats, you will explore this beautiful island wilderness with diverse marine life, extensive mangroves, and beautiful coral flats.

The non-fishing program is fully guided and a 25 ft., twin engine boat is dedicated to it. This is a very flexible program and can be tailored to fit your interests. The Atoll Adventure program provides a daily activity and also allows plenty of time for relaxing, sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling.

Atoll Adventure Activities:

• Guided snorkeling, tours of Turneffe Atoll, birding and natural history walks. The naturalist is Mayan who is also knowledgeable about Mayan culture and history.
• Manatees, dolphins, reef life and 60 species of birds are some of the natural attractions.

A mainland tour is also an option. If you wish to do a mainland tour you will travel to Belize City on Tuesday or Wednesday to visit a Mayan Ruin, the Belize Zoo, or rain forest. The mainland tour is an additional expense, which is paid directly to the tour operator. Tour costs depend upon the tour chosen, but usually range from $50-$75/person.

Activities are generally scheduled for 6 to 8 hours per day, with plenty of time for resting, reading, sunning and enjoying the beauty of the island. Your guide may suggest taking a lunch along with you or returning to the lodge for a lunch break in the air-conditioned lodge. Since interests vary considerably, your specific itinerary will be discussed and planned with lodge management and the Atoll Adventure guide upon your arrival at Turneffe Flats.

SCUBA Diving:
Turneffe Flats has an excellent dive program with fully certified professional instructors and dive masters on staff. Anglers that are also certified divers may purchase a combo package for a small upgrade charge, allowing them to choose daily between fishing on the flats or exploring someof the best SCUBA diving in the world. Non-anglers that purchase a dive package can expect 3 boat dives per day with a trip to the world famous Blue Hole if weather permits as well as a night dive. A resort course is an exciting option for guests who wish to experience an introduction to SCUBA diving. It consists of some basic instruction followed by alimited number of shallow supervised dives. The course only takes a day to complete and you will be in the water the same afternoon. All SCUBA activities require advance notice.

Kayaking:
Two Ocean Kayaks are available for your use.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
800-547-4322/802-362-8790 fax: 802-362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

The large, comfortable guestrooms are located on the beach with a panoramic view of the reef. CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING is standard in all rooms. Each room is furnished with one queen size bed and one single bed. All rooms have private baths with two sinks and a shower. There is also a three-bedroom “Reef Villa” available. This villa has three separate bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, television and kitchenette; making it perfect for families or small groups. Air conditioning is not available in the rooms during the day when guests are typically fishing or exploring.

Main Lodge: The social center for Turneffe Flats is the main lodge building where meals are served. A pre-dinner gathering for hors d'oeuvres and drinks is customary. The large breezy verandah is a wonderful place to enjoy the evening.

Meals
Meals are a tasty combination of Belizean and American dishes served family-style. Fresh fruit, fresh seafood and fresh baked pastries are standard fare. A hearty breakfast of fresh fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage and fresh baked goods is served from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. Your lodge hosts will have talked with you the prior evening about whether you prefer to take lunch or return to the lodge for lunch. Lunch at the resort is a fairly substantial meal. Box lunches usually contain a sandwich, chips, fruit, cookies and freshly squeezed lemonade or soft drinks. Dinner is served family style, usually around 7:00 p.m.

You will be awakened at 6:30 a.m. with fresh coffee or tea served on your cabin verandah. A hearty breakfast of fresh fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage and fresh baked goods is served from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Your lodge hosts will have talked with you the prior evening about whether you prefer to take lunch or return to the lodge for lunch. Lunch at the resort is a fairly substantial meal.

Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails are served at 6:30. Dinner is at 7:00.

Bar: The bar is well stocked with Scotch, Bourbon, Gin, Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Vermouth and several liqueurs. In addition, there is red & white wine as well as local Belikin beer.

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
800-547-4322/802-362-8790 fax: 802-362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com

2010 Fly Fishing Seminar Dates and Prices
7 night, 6 day trips with a Saturday to Saturday schedule

January 30 - February 6, 2010
April 10 - 17, 2010

$4995 per angler, sharing a room and boat (2 anglers per boat)
$1995 non angler, sharing a room with an angler
$2740 non angler in a private room (if available)
$5830 per angler in a private room, sharing a boat with another angler
$6152 per angler, sharing a room, fishing alone in a private boat
$6470 per angler in a private room, fishing alone in a private boat

Traveling alone? We will attempt to match you up with another member of the group if you are traveling or fishing alone but there are no guarantees. If you don’t have someone to share a room or boat with when you book, you will be charged accordingly. If we can pair you up later, you will receive a refund for the difference. We recommend bringing a buddy to share with you if possible or booking early to improve your chances of being paired up.

We can arrange longer stays at the lodge or a jungle extension before or after the seminar. Please inquire for details and pricing.

Included:
7 nights lodging, 6 days instruction and guided fishing (2 anglers per guide/boat), meals, taxes, transfers in Belize. Each angler package includes a 908-4 Tip Flex ZG Helios rod, Battenkill Large Arbor IV reel, Orvis Wonderline, leaders, tippet and 12 flies.**

Not Included:
International flights to Belize City, fishing equipment other than that provided, drinks, tips.

** If you prefer an alternate outfit to the one provided with this package, we will send you a $900 Orvis gift card instead. You can then use the gift card in conjunction with your Orvis Travel VIP discount for an upgrade or purchase of your choice. Equipment and gift cards will be shipped after final payment has been received.

Customer Review:
Turneffe Flats was a great choice. The owners and the people working at the lodge were very nice. The guides were very good and polite, spoke good English and were very helpful. Our guide was great with my wife. She caught more fish than anybody else. Todd, the Orvis Travel host, was very nice and very helpful.
- Tunc Togar, seminar participant, January, 2008

Orvis International Travel 178 Conservation Way Sunderland, Vermont 05250
800-547-4322/802-362-8790 fax: 802-362-8795 e-mail: OrvisTravel@orvis.com