Fish commonly caught in Roatán include wahoo, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, barracuda, blue marlin, white marlin, permit and bonefish.

Honduras Fishing License - No license required.

On Roatán, spearfishing is illegal, save for one fish - lionfish. While they are a welcome sight in Southeast Asia and Australia, they are an invasive species in the Americas, throwing off the natural balance of the reefs.

February to July will give you the best chance of a Permit. Although fishing can be good all year round, the most significant numbers of fish turn up during Fishing season in the months of February and July. Spawning season runs between March and April, and these months see the fish at their most aggressive and willing to take a fly.

October to January is best for the Tarpon, although they are present all year round like the Bonefish. November, the usual start of the rainy season, can often be the most productive.

The calm seas of the island are considered one of the best sport fishing spots in the Caribbean. Fish commonly caught in Roatán include wahoo, yellow fin tuna, mahi-mahi, barracuda, blue marlin, white marlin and sail fish.

More specifically, the months from June to September (and, some years, even October) are when you can strike gold as you go fishing in the deeper waters of the sea.

Fish generally prefer early morning and evening sun to the bright midday rays. In midday, the surface temperature of the water is also hotter, forcing the fish to move deeper.

TACKLE: It is important to come prepared, our recommended gear list. Recommended Permit Tackle

• Rods: 9 or 10 weight

• Reel : Saltwater reel holding a minimum of 200 yards of 20 pound backing • Fly Line : Tropical Weight Forward Floating

• Leader : 9-12 feet

• Tippet : 12-20 pound test -fFluorocarbon offers an advantage Recommended Tarpon Tackle

• Rods: 11 or 12 weight

• Reel : Saltwater reel holding a minimum of 200 yards of 30 pound backing • Fly Line : Intermediate or sink tip (350-500 grains sink tip).

• Leader : 4 - 6 ft. butt section, 16 - 20 pound class tippet and 60 - 100 pound

shock tippet

Recommended Bonefish Tackle

• Rods: 7 or 8 weight

• Reel: Saltwater reel holding at least 200 yards of 20 pound backing • Fly Line: Tropical Weight forward floating line

• Leader: 9-14 feet - depending upon the fishing situation

• Tippet: 2X-0X 8-12 pound test - fluorocarbon offers an advantage

may choose to tie or bring a selection of flies. We recommend 2-6 of each pattern below.

Permit Flies:

s Crab - Olive and Tan size 6-8 (sometimes size 4) Camo Crab - Olive size 4 and 6

Del Brown's Permit Fly (Merkin) - Tan size #2 to 1/0 Enrico Puglisi's EP Crab - Olive, Tan, Tri, size 6, 4, 2 Various other Crab patterns in olive or tan - size 6-1/0 Smaller, lighter variations for the shallow flats

Bauer’ Bonefish Flies:

Pops' Bonefish Bitters, #6 & #8 (Olive and Amber)

Crazy Charlies - chartreuse, white, pink & brown (unweighted for outer flats) #6 & #8

Gotcha’s - white, pink, tan , #6 & #8

Tarpon Flies:

Gummy minnow - size 2, 2/0

Apte-style tarpon flies in various color combinations. Dark colors tend to be better

in the early morning

and brighter colors work best when the sun is bright. Deceiver patterns - various colors

EP - Peanut style flies - various colors All tarpon flies in sizes 3/0 to 4/0

PACKING LIST: Roatan is a tropical country where the average temperature is 84oF. Dress is informal at the island resort, so bring light, comfortable clothing. You may wish to consider packing the following:

• Lightweight rain gear for tropical showers

• Light jacket or sweater for cool mornings/evenings

• Light quick-dry shirts, shorts, and pants for protection from the sun

• Polarized sunglasses for spotting fish (amber, copper, or green mirror work best on the flats)

• Wide-brimmed hat for protection from the sun

• Personal medications

• Small waterproof bag for carrying extra gear

• Camera, batteries, plenty of memory/film, and lens cleaner

• Sunscreen, lip balm, and moisturizers (SPF 30+)

• Insect repellent (we recommend OFF brand spray with the orange cap)

• Hand towel/rag for fishing use

• Wading shoes or boots for stalking flats fish, if desired - We recommend HARD SOLES BOOTS. Simms, Patagonia, or Orvis make the Zipit Style or Flats Sneakers that work very well. Normal wading boots can be very clunky and heavy to pack,

• Fisherman’s pliers, clipper, and line cleaner

• Optional: binoculars and snorkeling gear

FISHING OVERVIEW: The nearby Meso-American Reef is home to many permit and tarpon, as well as jacks, snapper, barracudas, and some other species. Tarpon month of August, anglers can cast their flies at the larger migratory tarpon. These fish can reach 150+ pounds.