Belize- Glover's Atoll

Travis Bille

Travis Bille

I am El Asso Wipo!!!!!
Forum Supporter
Between moving to Oregon, selling my house, getting used to a new job, etc etc etc, I haven't taken a trip or done anything really really fun for a while.

I'm very likely booking a week at Glover's Atoll resort in Belize to do some DIY fishing. The place is pretty cheap and looks like a blast. Does anybody have any experience out here? Any pearls of wisdom? Thank!!

Glover's Atoll Resort, Belize

www.glovers.com.bz
 
Travis Bille said:
Between moving to Oregon, selling my house, getting used to a new job, etc etc etc, I haven't taken a trip or done anything really really fun for a while.

I'm very likely booking a week at Glover's Atoll resort in Belize to do some DIY fishing. The place is pretty cheap and looks like a blast. Does anybody have any experience out here? Any pearls of wisdom? Thank!!

Glover's Atoll Resort, Belize

www.glovers.com.bz
Click to expand...

Non fishing friends went there maybe 12-15 years ago and said it was cool. I’ve been to Belize but not there and loved it, loved the fishing. Belikin stouts go down easy and pack a bit of punch. So does One Barrel rum mixed with any number of tropical fruit juices and lots of lime, always the little key limes.
 
Matt B said:
Non fishing friends went there maybe 12-15 years ago and said it was cool. I’ve been to Belize but not there and loved it, loved the fishing. Belikin stouts go down easy and pack a bit of punch. So does One Barrel rum mixed with any number of tropical fruit juices and lots of lime, always the little key limes.
Click to expand...
I remember those Belikins, that's good stuff. I went to Caye Caulker a few years ago, it was fun. This seems more my speed though, I won't have to be as social. Thanks for the input, pal!
 
Travis Bille said:
Between moving to Oregon, selling my house, getting used to a new job, etc etc etc, I haven't taken a trip or done anything really really fun for a while.

I'm very likely booking a week at Glover's Atoll resort in Belize to do some DIY fishing. The place is pretty cheap and looks like a blast. Does anybody have any experience out here? Any pearls of wisdom? Thank!!

Glover's Atoll Resort, Belize

www.glovers.com.bz
Click to expand...
I've spent 3 years of my life there.... `I thought it was the perfect "anti-resort" we used to rent a skiff for a month and fish and dive throughout the atoll. Sadly it's so dysfunctional now that we'll never return. Depending on your expectations it could be a treat, or not .Read the reviews, and message me for more info if you want .
 
mr.badexample said:
I've spent 3 years of my life there.... `I thought it was the perfect "anti-resort" we used to rent a skiff for a month and fish and dive throughout the atoll. Sadly it's so dysfunctional now that we'll never return. Depending on your expectations it could be a treat, or not .Read the reviews, and message me for more info if you want .
Click to expand...
Wow, you might have just saved my nuts. Some of these reviews are unbelievably awful. I can't thank you enough for your advice

Are you aware of any other options in Belize with a similar type of vibe?
 
Last edited:
mr.badexample said:
I've spent 3 years of my life there.... `I thought it was the perfect "anti-resort" we used to rent a skiff for a month and fish and dive throughout the atoll. Sadly it's so dysfunctional now that we'll never return. Depending on your expectations it could be a treat, or not .Read the reviews, and message me for more info if you want .
Click to expand...
That sucks. It's on my Belize DIY list. Thanks for the warning. I'll be following to see what you do @Travis Bille
 
skyriver said:
That sucks. It's on my Belize DIY list. Thanks for the warning. I'll be following to see what you do @Travis Bille
Click to expand...


To call the recent reviews that I read “dogshit” would be putting it kindly. It sounds like the island is in disrepair and the woman that runs it is in a full blown mental breakdown.

A bunch people have said that she’ll steal money from bookings, scream at you and refuse to give you food, and demand extra money for the one boat off the island. With no phone service and no WiFi, it sounds like she’s essentially holding people on the island hostage. She’ll refuse to cook or provide food if she doesn’t like you. And apparently the kayaks are not fit for use. Dogs attacking children. On and on.

I knew this sounded too good to be true.
 
Last edited:
@Travis Bille , are you wanting to go somewhere in Belize and be able to walk and wade fish, somewhere where you don’t need a guide with a skiff?
 
Nitrile Glover's Atoll? I read a few Trip Advisor reviews of this place and was very entertained. I would go there just for the people watching!
 
My wife and I had an absolutely great time at Glovers in ~2018. The cabins were pretty rustic, but we were ok with that. The key piece of gear we brought was a 10'x10' sil nylon tarp to pitch low over our beds for some of the thunderstorms we got. They were thatched cabins so not entirely weather proof. Particularly against 30+ mph winds and heavy rain. We had a good time fishing for bones and barracuda on Glovers and also took the kayaks west to the island with the research station on it. I don't know what to say about the current dodgy reviews but I remember reading some weird ones before we went and we still had a good time.

My impression had been that if you aren't phased with a bit of weirdness and can roll with the punches a bit the place is great. But maybe sometimes the owner is just having a shitty time and you can't get around that.

If you go I'd HIGHLY recommend bringing a gear rod and some lime green Cuda Tubes for the barracuda. I kept trying to make it work with a fly rod and never could but watched another guy catch damn near every barracuda he saw with Cuda Tubes.

Edit: We brought all of our own food and cooked on a provided 2 burner stove in our cabin. We also did a guided half day fishing trip at the beginning of the week & were able to keep some of our fish in a propane powered fridge that was in one of the main buildings.
 
Last edited:
Matt B said:
@Travis Bille , are you wanting to go somewhere in Belize and be able to walk and wade fish, somewhere where you don’t need a guide with a skiff?
Click to expand...
That would be great! I'm also going with a friend who's not as fish obsessed as I am. So I think we settled on Caye Caulker. I've been there, I think there will be enough fishing to keep me happy and enough activities to entertain us both.
 
JohnB said:
My wife and I had an absolutely great time at Glovers in ~2018. The cabins were pretty rustic, but we were ok with that. The key piece of gear we brought was a 10'x10' sil nylon tarp to pitch low over our beds for some of the thunderstorms we got. They were thatched cabins so not entirely weather proof. Particularly against 30+ mph winds and heavy rain. We had a good time fishing for bones and barracuda on Glovers and also took the kayaks west to the island with the research station on it. I don't know what to say about the current dodgy reviews but I remember reading some weird ones before we went and we still had a good time.

My impression had been that if you aren't phased with a bit of weirdness and can roll with the punches a bit the place is great. But maybe sometimes the owner is just having a shitty time and you can't get around that.

If you go I'd HIGHLY recommend bringing a gear rod and some lime green Cuda Tubes for the barracuda. I kept trying to make it work with a fly rod and never could but watched another guy catch damn near every barracuda he saw with Cuda Tubes.

Edit: We brought all of our own food and cooked on a provided 2 burner stove in our cabin. We also did a guided half day fishing trip at the beginning of the week & were able to keep some of our fish in a propane powered fridge that was in one of the main buildings.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the input! I do think I'll bring a gear rod, I was tossing around the idea and you pretty much solidified it for me.

I can definitely roll with a lot of weirdness. I just don't like the idea of being held hostage out there or kicked off or whatever folks say can happen out there. And some of the reviews said the kayaks didn't even float, and kayak access was a big one for me. I don't think I'm going to risk it this time
 
Travis Bille said:
That would be great! I'm also going with a friend who's not as fish obsessed as I am. So I think we settled on Caye Caulker. I've been there, I think there will be enough fishing to keep me happy and enough activities to entertain us both.
Click to expand...
If you can swing a day guided by Ken, I recommend it.

Chasin Tail | Caye Caulker, Belize

Professional fly fishing guides on Caye Caulker, Belize
www.chasintail.bz www.chasintail.bz
 
it'd been years since i have been to Caye Caulker where I was known as "sting ray boy" after an unfortunate encounter while chasing bonefish one morning in front of Ignacios.... the fishing can be a treat once you learn where they should be ...don't forget to shuffle
 
Last edited:
Matt B said:
If you can swing a day guided by Ken, I recommend it.

Chasin Tail | Caye Caulker, Belize

Professional fly fishing guides on Caye Caulker, Belize
www.chasintail.bz www.chasintail.bz
Click to expand...

Here are a couple reasons why I think that might be a good idea.

image[2].jpg

image[1].jpg

Travis Bille said:
Thanks for the input! I do think I'll bring a gear rod, I was tossing around the idea and you pretty much solidified it for me.

I can definitely roll with a lot of weirdness. I just don't like the idea of being held hostage out there or kicked off or whatever folks say can happen out there. And some of the reviews said the kayaks didn't even float, and kayak access was a big one for me. I don't think I'm going to risk it this time
Click to expand...

Man it's been a long time since I've been there (CC) but I have always wanted to go back. Maybe when you hook three permit and land two on your first time trying, it has an effect on you. I'm sure the island has changed, and they were starting to develop across the split when I was there, but still. One day I rented a "canoe" (thing was thick fiberglass like they make the pangas out of and had to weight 150 lbs, but it floated great) because I was more comfortable in a canoe than a kayak and took it fishing on the back side, mostly around the mangroves because I was fighting wind and had no effective way to deal with it. I was tossing a gurgler into the sticks and got something to blow up big on it, and also landed a little baby 'cuda. It was fun riding the beach cruiser bike around town with a couple fly rods. especially super early, people were checking me out and shouting me out, like "Hey Fishing Man, going fishing? What you fishing for?" Etc.
 
Matt B said:
Here are a couple reasons why I think that might be a good idea.

View attachment 142891

View attachment 142892



Man it's been a long time since I've been there (CC) but I have always wanted to go back. Maybe when you hook three permit and land two on your first time trying, it has an effect on you. I'm sure the island has changed, and they were starting to develop across the split when I was there, but still. One day I rented a "canoe" (thing was thick fiberglass like they make the pangas out of and had to weight 150 lbs, but it floated great) because I was more comfortable in a canoe than a kayak and took it fishing on the back side, mostly around the mangroves because I was fighting wind and had no effective way to deal with it. I was tossing a gurgler into the sticks and got something to blow up big on it, and also landed a little baby 'cuda. It was fun riding the beach cruiser bike around town with a couple fly rods. especially super early, people were checking me out and shouting me out, like "Hey Fishing Man, going fishing? What you fishing for?" Etc.
Click to expand...
That’s so rad. I’m getting pretty excited!
 
When I was there over 30 years ago (St. Georges Cay), I was primarily interested in scuba diving...but did bring a 20 lb spinning rig. We stayed in an over water bungalow, and caught tons of small bones on plastic curly tales on jigs in front of my bungalow...and a lot of cuda's on plugs. Late at night, while nursing a cold Belikin, I could see scores of bones, conchs, lobsters and cuda's in the shallow waters surrounding the resort, and now could only imagine how good the fly fishing would have been. Spear fishing at that time on scuba was illegal, but the resort owner would let me dive with his staff to "collect" grouper and lobster for the resort meals, both spearing and using hand lines with bait and free diving with lobster "gaffs" to pull spiney's out of ledges. I got to dive Turneffe Reef before a single building was put there, watching large tarpon, permit and bones swimming about...and dove the Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef as well. I always wanted to go back, but somehow never did...I hope you make this trip...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top