Fly fishing, fish stories, bbq’s, breakfast, lounging, libations, relaxing, rejuvenating, gardening, puttering, pottering, paddling, swimming, reading, camp fires, star gazing, and lazy, lazy dogs.
Cayo Frances Farm & Fly
Cayo Frances Farm & Fly is a remote, off the grid, fly-fishing and SUP camp and small farm on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye, Belize. One by no means however has to be a fly-fishing or paddle sports enthusiast to enjoy the camp. The camp is well suited and outfitted for any slightly adventurous folks looking for a place to relax and escape.
Location
We're located approximately 12 miles north of San Pedro on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye, a 30 minute boat ride from town.
Home Waters
The property sits on a small peninsula at the entrance of the Cayo Frances lagoon system, in the midst of some of the most scenic waters anywhere.
MapPricing
There are a range of rates and plans to accommodate virtually every budget and travel schedule.
We're Easy
From day use to week long fully guided trips and everything in between. Come see what the other side of Ambergris Caye has to offer!
Plan
We're officially OPEN!!!
And pretty excited about it!
Give a holler and let us help plan the perfect itinerary for you.
The Story
Fourteen years ago, with an ever practical English degree in hand and having run a punk rock record label for a decade, it seemed like a great idea to pack up my things, sell my house and move from San Francisco down to Belize. “Why, I’ll open a small resort and beach bar and teach myself to be a chef, how hard could it be?” Ha. Over the decade to follow, it’s safe to say, I learned a ton… then a ton more, and experienced, endured and enjoyed scenarios I could not have predicted in my wildest dreams. Best of all, I made lifelong friends along the way.
Well, 10-odd years in the kitchen proved long enough for me. The island also, had grown and changed. The small fishing village I had originally moved to was now a bustling hub of tourism. Quiet sandy streets were replaced with pavement, trucks and traffic and what was once “way outside of town” did not seem all that out of the way anymore.
Over the years there was a place I’d take haven at on my days off… a small property way up north on the back of the island. “The farm” we’d call it, as we grew stuff for the restaurant there (the entirety of the property is black soil, an anomaly on the island.) It’s a supremely peaceful place… a place to fish, read and think and simply enjoy being at, as you escape from everywhere else. The property, we decided, was too special and unique not to share a bit. So for the last year and a half we’ve worked on setting up a camp there to host adventurous folks, anglers and their guides. We know the camp is not for everyone. But for the right folks, we think it’s just about perfect.
— Jeff Spiegel
How to Get Here
There is no road to the camp!!! Access is by boat only. If you are coming to the camp with a guide, we will greet you there, cold drinks in hand, after your day of fishing.
If you are coming to the camp DIY, we will pick you up/meet you in town and transfer you to the camp by the de-facto flats boat of Belize, a 23’ panga.
If you are spending the entirety of your stay on Ambergris with us at the camp, we will greet you at Tropic Air, Maya Air or water taxi upon your arrival.
Things to Do
Fly fish, spin fish, paddleboard, kayak, swim, lounge in a hammock, pet a dog, lounge in a hammock with a dog (Ginger likes this), read a book, take a nap, putter in the garden, potter in the garden (if you are a Brit,) bird watch, bbq, enjoy a cold beer, sip a cocktail, nurse a mug of strong coffee, star gaze, listen to tarpon roll, sit by the campfire and escape.
Accommodations
The camp has two simple, comfortable cabanas each with 2 twin beds (you can push them together if that’s your thing) a dresser, desk and deck with Adirondack chairs. There is another building with two shared modern full bathrooms with hot & cold water. The main house has an inside kitchen, breakfast area and screened in porch for lounging. There’s an outdoor kitchen and bbq, deck and dining palapa, dock and a fire pit by the water’s edge for nightly bonfires. We also have lots of great books, hammocks and a couple of good fer nuthin’ lazy dogs.
The camp is on solar power with diesel back up. We make our own water with an R/O system so we ask that you conserve as best you can (no Hollywood showers please.)
Yes, there IS internet access at the camp, though if you are on your phone all day long, we might just accidentally knock it in da wata.
What to Bring
In short, bring as little as possible. You are not going to need a lot.
General Vacation Stuff
- Lightweight breathable shorts and shirts
- At least one or two lightweight LONG sleeve shirts for longer days in the boat/sun
- Good polarized glasses
- Flip flops
- Wading booties or boots
- A hat
- An extra hat
- A sun buff
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm with sunscreen
- Lightweight breathable rain gear
- Bug spray
- Camera
For Fly Gear
- Rods, 7 and/or 8 wt for bones, 9 and/or 10 wt for permit and 10 and/or 11 wt for tarpon
- Large arbor reels saltwater reels with a GOOD DRAG and floating line with 200 yards 20# backing (we oft over line our reels by +1 wt.) For tarpon, it’s nice to have a set up with an intermediate line for when you’re trying to quickly get the fly down a bit and 200 yards 30# backing.
- Saltwater tapered leaders of 9-12 feet
- Shock leaders for tarpon
- Tippet, 2X-0X for bones/permit
- Nippers
- Flies, all the usual suspects…
Guides & Gear
At the same time we realize lots of folks enjoy a DIY fishing experience and/or might not have the means to hire a guide every day. Thus, we have a fleet of SUP’s and kayaks, all set up for sight fishing for folks who want to give it a go on their own.
We know that most folks travel with their own gear. That said, we also realize that s#@! happens, so we have camp gear that we are more than happy to lend: Scott and Sage fly rods, Hatch and Nautilus reels and Shimano and Daiwa spinning outfits. We’re also incredibly excited to offer a HUGE selection of flies from our friends at Steelie Bros Fly Co.
For paddling, the camp has a fleet of a half dozen of the newest boards from the AMAZING folks at Bote Board, including three Rackham “Bugslinger” models with tackle racs and bucket racs. The camp also has one solo and one tandem NuCanoe fishing kayak.
Fishing Licenses
Sport fishing licenses ARE required in Belize. Bonefish, permit and tarpon are ALL catch-and-release and require a license. If you are between 16 and 65 years of age a license is required. The Sport Fishing license is available for one (1) day at $20 BZ or (1) week for $50 BZ. Purchase of a Sport Fish license is available online at www.coastalzonebelize.org.