Testimonials

Col. Dave Nuss
A year without going to Tarpon Caye Lodge is a wasted year.

Mike B.
Thanks for a fantastic trip. I've been meaning to sit down and write to you ever since I got home. I'm already looking foreword to another trip next year, especially now that I have a little experience under my belt. I have been on a number of fishing trips in the last ten years, and this trip ranks at the top of the my list. You guys are great. Charlie, please give a special thanks to Kevin for me. I really enjoyed being on the water with him. He work very hard every day to give us the best experience possible. I do believe he was happier then I was when I caught my first Permit. A truly great guy. Hope you are all well.

Pat F.
Greatly enjoyed my recent trip to Tarpon Caye: the fishing AND the staff are first rate. Looking forward to another visit at your wonderful fishing camp.

Steve G.
Wanted to drop a line to say how enjoyable Tarpon Caye was a couple weeks ago. The staff were great (especially Marlon and Paul), and I had a great time, even though I only caught a few fish (BUT one was the biggest!).

Jeff Perin - The Peak Fly Shop
We caught a ton of fish during the week and left the lodge feeling like we had made some really good friends with the Leslie family and their staff.

Robert R.
I would like to thank all of your team for a great fishing trip. This was the first time I fished for Tarpon, Bone and Permits and I’ll never forget it. I think I’m hooked on Tarpon and Permit fishing. I should call it Permit hunting and not fishing. I couldn’t believe the level of anticipation hunting permits. I can only compare it to riding a biggest and fastest rollercoaster:

• Spot fishing is like standing in line for this rollercoaster, you are trying to imagine what the ride will be like or how the permit will strike and run


• creeping up to the Permit and casting is like the long slow ride up the fist hill the tension is now increasing the further up the hill you go


• finally the strike and run is like go down the fist large hill and going through all the turns Permit hunting is amassing and want to thank your team again for setting me to get my first 10 pound permit. I don't know how many times I’ve repeated both my Tarpon and Permit catches to all my friends and co-workers.

Permit hunting is amazing and want to thank your team again for setting me to get my first 10 pound permit. I don’t know how many times I’ve repeated both my Tarpon and Permit catches to all my friends and co-workers.


Col. Dave N.
"Everything you ever dreamed of...and even more!"


Jonathan R.
"You provided an amazing experience and even cooked up the barracuda that my wife caught."


Thom P.
"Thanks again for a wonderful trip."


Robert F.
Just a note to express my gratitude for the wonderful trip to Tarpon Caye over the Christmas holiday 2007. Having been to a number of fishing lodges I can tell you Charlie’s hospitality is second to none. By some standards Tarpon Caye is rustic but you will want for nothing. I was just as comfortable and felt more at home than at any other place I’ve stayed.

Marvelous local style food with fresh catch of the day everyday. Honest, simply prepared and absolutely delicious. I ate at least ten different fresh fish during my stay including fresh lobsters, shrimp and conch. I have to say the conch chowder, conch ceviche and the never to be forgotten fabulous conch fritters were my favorites. Stuffed jacks, fried beans and fish hash for breakfast; it doesn’t get any better than that!

The fishing is fantastic. Charlie does right, fishing the tides. Imagine that, fishing on the fishes schedule not the lodges. Marlon is an experienced and knowledgeable guide and is above all extremely enthusiastic. I felt as though I did three days fishing per day. Instead of being stuck in a boat for 8-9 hours a day, several of those hours spent making long runs to fishing grounds and staring at empty water because the tide isn’t right, facing a cold sandwich for lunch and searching for a suitable piece of Mangrove swamp for a bathroom Tarpon Caye allows the angler a chance to feel comfortable and refresh oneself and have a great meal back at lodge. Tarpon Caye is in the middle of the fishing grounds surrounded by flats teeming with fish. No long runs. On the first morning I caught my first ever Kingfish right in front of the lodge not two minutes from the dock. A typical day was trolling or chasing Tarpon very early, back to the lodge for a great breakfast, mid-day stalking Permit on the flats, back to the lodge for lunch and maybe an hour in the hammock, and out again in the evening for Tarpon or deep troll the reef for Grouper until dark. Followed by dinner and refreshments, this is a fisherman’s perfect day.

I had never fished for Permit on the flats prior to this trip. Marlon consistently put me on fish each and every day. I had at least 10-12 legitimate shots at Permit every afternoon. Stalking permit with Marlon is and intense and exciting experience. Success? On the fifth day, dead calm, overcast with an unusually high tide we had perfect conditions for sighting aggressively feeding Permit. On one tide, from 9am to 1pm we boated 5 PERMIT from 4 to 10 lbs.. After catching one and experiencing the incredible battle it was to land a Permit I didn’t think there could be anything better. But to be able to get four more and take five in a day was out of this world! Top that!

I will return again and again to Tarpon Caye. Hard-core fishing is what I’m all about and Tarpon Caye is the best of the best!

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Peggy & Gary K.
Dear Charlie and Staff,
      We just wanted to Thank you for the great time we all had at Tarpon Caye Lodge with you for the week. We're still laughing at some of the stuff everyone did and said, and I have a picture of Gary wiping the tears from his eyes, he was laughing so hard he cried the last night we were there and he was sitting at the picnic table with you guys!

Peggy & Gary K.

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Linda S.

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Greg K.
I wanted to thank Marlon for his patience and good spirit during our day of fishing with him. My son, Matt, and I had a chance to try several types of fishing as we chased them down between the rain! Our trip out to Tarpon Caye was a great way to get a look at the fishing camp and learn the possibilities.

Although my fly fishing is terrible, I've come to appreciate the sport and will want to invest more time in becoming better. Thank you again Marlon and I hope all is well.

Greg K.

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Scott N.
Just wanted you to get this photo of our trip from June '06. I am forever grateful to Nikki for setting this up. What a great time that was in one of the most beautiful settings to fish in the world. We were spincasters in a flyfisherman's world, but Charles Cabral put us right on the fish and we did well. It wasn't his fault that our massive hooked tarpon jumped right at me. ( They stopped laughing after about a half hour or so) That trip was way back in June and I swear not a week goes by that I don't think of that trip. Get this photo to Charles Cabral and tell him that he is still our favorite cork-soaker.(inside joke).

A much overdue thanks for everything guys......TRIP OF A LIFETIME..I will be back..


Scott N.

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Ewing Philbin
Hi Marlon,
      Thank you, my friend, for your patience and excellent guiding. I hope to return to Tarpon Caye next year.

Ewing

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Eric C.
Charlie,       What a week. I feel compelled to tell you you what a fantastic time I had at Tarpon Caye last week. First of all your Guides and Staff are top notch. The Guiding was second to none, insightful, educational, entertaining and energetic. The Food: OUTSTANDING. The Accommodations: Perfect. The fishing: nothing shy of spectacular (even if I never got a picture of that big Permit, and pulled the fly away from the big Tarpon). My expectations were exceeded. Thank you.

Marlon, Thanks for getting me into my first Permit...you are a hell of a guide.

Charles Cabral, Hope the rod serves you well and you too are one hell of a guide. Mel, Can you send Box lunches to my office in Madison Wisconsin? I plan to see you all again soon.

Eric C.

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Wyn E. & Wife
My wife and I had a terrific time on Wednesday. When it comes down to it, most guides are competent, but what really sets one guide apart from another is how much they enjoy their work. You run into too many guides where you get the feeling that they are just doing their job and the thrill of the sport is a thing of the past. Or they are just meat hunters and all they are interested in is bagging a lot of game or fish. Marlon had none of these tendencies; he was just a lot of fun to fish with, and that is really what it is all about. Wednesday was one of the best fishing experiences I have had, mostly because of Marlon’s expertise and enthusiasm for the sport.

Wyn E.

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Fraser H., second visit to Tarpon Caye Lodge:

I am an experienced fly fisherman, both salt and freshwater, and have fished for bonefish, tarpon and permit at several great lodges in the Bahamas, Florida, the Yucatan, and Christmas Island, among other destinations. I have now had the pleasure of fishing with Charles Leslie and his guides at Tarpon Caye Kingfisher Lodge, off Placencia, Belize, on two separate trips, in 2005 and 2004. I can say unequivocally that it is one of the best fishing experiences of my life. Tarpon Caye is unique in several respects. It is situated right in the middle of some of the world’s most prolific and relatively untouched permit and tarpon fishing grounds. The permit flats are only a stone’s throw (literally) from the lodge – two of which you can actually walk to. It also lies several miles off-shore, unlike most of the other lodges which are at least a one-hour boat ride away from this remarkable water. Instead of a one-hour bash to windward you have a leisurely glide of five minutes with a cup of coffee in your hand to the Home Flat, where you will have an excellent chance of seeing several permit tailing on most mornings. And the permit fishing is remarkable. Given that these are extremely difficult fish to catch, and success is often measured in terms of fish seen, or number of “shots” taken by casting a fly at one, if you are a competent caster and possess a good fly rod and a hand full of crab flies, you probably have a better chance of hooking one here than you do in many other places. It is not unusual to sight as many a sixty (60!) fish on a flat at any given time. Taking ten or twelve legitimate shots at fish in a morning is normal, and sometimes as many as twenty tailing or cruising fish present themselves within casting range in a day.

Many of them are quite large as well, going twenty pounds or more, though the biggest I have caught was about twelve, which seems to be about the average, and is plenty to handle on a nine weight rod. Charlie also has an unusual method for catching permit, taking advantage of his advantageous location to these shallow pancake-flats which arise abruptly from deep water. Because of his location, he is able to “fish the tides” in ways which most lodges are not, or will not. Charlie waits until the exact opportune time (usually a rising tide) to find these elusive fish on the flats in feeding mode, fishing for other species or simply returning to the lodge for lunch and a siesta until the tide changes. Often, Charlie will take a boat-tender along, an assistant-guide who will bring the boat along behind you as you and Charlie or one of his excellent guides fish the flats on foot. Charlie also has a remarkable sixth sense about permit, and is able to talk you through what is otherwise a daunting prospect of actually casting to, enticing, hooking, fighting and landing a permit. If the permit cuts across the reef for deep water, you have only to hop in the boat and fight the fish to (one hopes) a standstill in obstruction free water, increasing your chances of putting one in the boat, and releasing it unharmed, enormously. There are other excellent species to fish for, including bonefish and, primarily, tarpon, which roll in the lagoon on the very backside of Tarpon Caye, fifty yards from the lodge, and give the island its name. You can fish for tarpon right up until dark, and beyond, if you have the stamina for it, and Charlie has developed several effective techniques, including some very effective flies for these remarkable large game-fish. He also has a fly-tying vise and ties local patterns he has developed which are deadly for permit, or you can tie your own. Finally, the accommodations are delightful. Though I would describe Tarpon Caye as a fisherman’s lodge, for serious fishermen (there being not much else to do besides snorkeling) the lodging is very pleasant in simple cabanas on stilts, right on or over the water, with shaded porches enjoying lovely views of the home flats where you can literally watch fish tailing fifty feet from your hammock. And go out and catch them. Showers are hot (freshwater is adequate, gathered from rainfall-catching cisterns) toilets work and are clean, the rooms are cleaned daily, electricity is dependable, and beds are comfortable. Food – often prepared by Charlie, an experienced chef and restaurant owner – is excellent local and traditional cuisine; huge egg & bacon breakfasts, fresh vegetables, seafood, lobster, conch, or whatever you have caught that day and want to eat. There is an open bar and Charlie can pretty much produce anything in the way of food or drink that you could wish for. I had a hankering for margaritas when I was last there, and within twelve hours, a bottle of tequila, limes, triple-sec, ice and a blender was made to appear – Jimmy Buffet himself could ask for no more! Lastly, Charlie and his entire staff, guides and family are delightful people, a pleasure to spend a few days fishing with. You feel more like a favored guest in a Belizean home than just another “client”. I would not hesitate to recommend Tarpon Caye Lodge to any keen fisherman. Sincerely, Fraser C.

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Richard N.: To any fishing enthusiast:
I've fished with Charlie for eight years and he has my unqualified recommendation as both a superb guide and fishing resort operator. These comments are coming from someone who is an ardent but not expert fisherman and also not a fly fisherman. However I would enthusiastically give Charlie a top rating for both the expert and amateur and any one in-between.

First of all, Charlie is fun to be with and is someone who has spent his whole life fishing these waters. He loves what he's doing, is willing to share his knowledge as well as teach and works at being a true professional. He brings his experiences of 50 years to the boat, adding to his ability to put his customers onto fish. It is a little hard to put into words, but it is a more intimate style of fishing than the norm and to me, a much more complete and satisfying experience.

Second, is the new fishing camp on Tarpon Caye. Before we arrived this year, I was apprehensive about "camping out" on a caye; no water, toilet, bugs, etc. What we found was a complete self-contained fishing camp and 100% first class. As contrasted to staying in Placencia, you are right on the fishing grounds everyday. It saves many hours of boat rides to and from town. But even better, the two cabanas, the clubhouse for cooking and eating combined with the fantastic waterfront setting can't be beaten along with running water facilities and an electric system. If you fish with Charlie, stay out there.

Third are the fishing opportunities. There is really something for everyone. Southern Belize waters are truly unspoiled and the variety and availability seems unlimited. Outside the great reef, are the bigger fish and a chance to catch tuna which surround a whale shark. Inside, trolling you never know what will turn up next. The flats, which go for miles, are consistently rated world class by Saltwater Sportsman magazine. This is where Charlie excels for fly fisherman. Tarpon are resident not more the five minutes from the camp and also can be found along with snook and cubera snapper in the lagoon behind Placencia. Finally a day on the Monkey River offer a trip into a jungle world with an infinite variety of birds and monkeys howling in the background as you fish for tarpon and snook.

If you gather I've enjoyed my eight years fishing with Charlie, you are correct. It is not like charter or guide fishing in the U.S. You need to bring all the equipment you expect to use and also expect to be more involved in each phase of whatever your target of the day may be. For me that's the extra bonus that makes fishing with Charlie so much fun. If anyone has questions, I'd be glad to answer via Email at

Richard Neiley

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Neil G.:
I have been fishing with Charlie the past six years and have enjoyed each and every trip. The fact that it's been six trips in six years speaks a lot for Charlie's expertise.

Charlie is the owner of Kingfisher' Tarpon Caye Lodge which entails more responsibilities. However, it's very clear to me that his first love is guiding. When I think of a guide in strange waters to me I think of a number of aspects. First is safety which includes a number of elements, which are the boat and equipment and knowledge of the waters and tides and navigational expertise. He is top notch and knows the waters like the back of his hand. I only remember one instance of the motor breaking down which he fixed with the tools on board in no time.

Second, is fishing expertise which includes knowing where the fish are and at what times and tides, what rods and lures to use, knot-tying, identification of fish species and helpful hints on how to fish the specie in question. His first love is permit and he gets as excited as us when there's a hookup and subsequent netting. We definitely would still be looking for our first permit without his expertise in finding them, getting us into position to cast and coaching us on their capture.

Beyond my expectations are his knowledge of plants and birds which he shares with us, especially when we fish the Monkey River. He also has concern for the fishery and ecology. No undersized fish come aboard and of course we catch and release the grand slam species. No damage is done to any caye and nothing goes overboard to spoil the ecology. More to the owner than the guide, Charlie has built cabanas on Tarpon Caye. Without seeing them, I was concerned for the quality, pests and animals. There are no pests or animals and Charlie has done a good job on construction with showers and toilet facilities. The food served on the caye is excellent. We have asked to go directly from the airport to the caye on our next trip. There's nothing like casting for tarpon when you are two minutes from the dock.

Obviously I feel Charlie is a top guide and hard to be equaled in Placencia. While I'm at it, I'd like to say that the people in Placencia are very friendly, eager to help tourists and a pleasure to talk with. I'm looking forward to many more fishing trips with Charlie. I would be happy to answer any questions via email at

Neil G.

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Neil Graham
Guess I'm spoiled by your guiding and the amount of fish we get there. I really recommend the Kingfisher experience. It all starts with our guide and owner, Charlie. He knows the waters like the back of his hand and he loves to see us catch fish. I believe he gets more excited than we do when we get a permit or a tarpon. We concentrate on the grand slam with permit first, then tarpon and bones. Charlie gets us multiple opportunities at them all. When the tide is not right for them, he gets into trolling for numerous types of fish like king mac's, jack crevalle, barracuda, yellow tail snappers. etc. He supplies all our food and refreshments and does an excellent job. On Tarpon Cay he has a cook that provides us with very nice meals and snacks. The fishing camp is fairly new with fresh water showers, flush toilets, and great sleeping with the waves lapping around your cabana. I have fished a lot of places in our world and if I had to pick one, it would be Kingfisher Adventures.

Neil G.

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Dave P.:
Generally, I think Charles was the best, most professional guide I've ever worked with, I liked particularly the way he explained what we were doing and why, relative to the tides and wind. He was the best I've seen at placing me where I could make a cast to the fish- the guys I've worked with in the Bahamas seem disappointed that I can't cast 60' into a quartering wind, and adapted to my left hand cast without having to think about it. He has a passion and affinity for the Permit that is really impressive. Dave P.

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