April 19, 2024
Guest Post by Mike Concordia aka Na’do
I am honored to provide a quick write up of a wonderful fly-fishing trip the Bucknell boys made to Placencia, Belize. I know the many Jim Dickens fans will cherish every word as they follow him on his many adventures around the world.
We had two groups of three people each. The first group Jim Dickens (Slim), Jon B (Baumer) and Pete M (Buzz)) arrived on Saturday April 13th to significant winds. They fished Sunday in difficult conditions which challenged their casting skills. They had many laughs but caught no fish. A few Belikin beers and our dog friend Coral made everyone feel better.
The second group included Chet S (Scoop), David B (Boomer) and Mike C (Kid Coronado or simply, Na’do). It was a cool flight in on a small Tropic Air flight that made Chet’s anxiety scream. We needed a quick stop at the Big Titty Rum Bar to calm Chet’s nerves.
The group fished on each of the next three days and unsurprisingly we got better each day. Some key moments to share are:
Blake the fishing guide took Chet and Pete to a “honey hole” loaded with Permit fish. They each caught a couple but the guide wanted to keep the spot a secret. Chet and Pete rightfully blew up his “secret” on day two. The other guides were pissed at Blake – the drama was significant. Boomer and Blake had words and almost came to blows on day two. Baumer had to settle things down. Boomer would have taught the youngster a lesson.
Jon B claimed he has been fishing for over 50 years and has never once broken a fishing rod. He broke Pete’s rod on day one and Boomer’s rod on day two. Needless to say, he earned a lifetime of criticism from our group which will stick with him forever.
We met a cool father and son from Canada. Josh, the son, is now a doctor in Boise, Idaho and organized the trip for his father’s 70th birthday. Josh fished for 20 days in different parts of Belize but could not catch a Permit. On the last day, he went to the “honey hole” with us and tied the lodge record by catching five Permit. We all sang Oh Canada or at least the first few words in his honor.
Boomer became our local sommelier. He carefully paired the various types of Barefoot wine to match our courses during dinner. The wine never tased so good…at least that’s what we told ourselves after a dozen Belikin beers!
Slim is known as a relentless and tireless fisherman. So on the last day when his boat was late getting in we all assumed he was catching one more fish. Alas, we were mildly surprised that he and Boomer made the fishing guide stop at a local bar for various drinks. The fish stories got even better as the booze flowed.
The last day was awesome in that everyone in our group caught at least one Permit by then which is a significant accomplishment. Additionally, Chet and Slim hooked Permits at the same time and captured the moment with “kissing Permits” photo.
Amazing times were had by all. Thanks to Jim and Pete for organizing the trip. Next there is talk of Cuba and Bhutan. I will be coordinating onshore operations to extract them from communist jail cells…
R1T Tour 