I’m Marlon Leslie, a second-generation fly fishing guide working out of Placencia, Belize. I’ve been poling the flats between Placencia and Hopkins for 25 years. I’m a licensed and certified Belize tour operator, and I’ve guided over 100 grand slams.
I put you on fish. Multiple shots, every day.
That’s the deal.
Permit
to hand
Years
experience
100+
Grand Slams
guided
How I learned
My father is Charlie Leslie Sr. He guided at Belize River Lodge in the 1960s. Built Tarpon Caye Fly Fishing Lodge in the late 90s. Earned the title "Father of Belize Fly Fishing" because he was one of the first.
I grew up on his skiff. Started at the bottom: pulling the skiff, cleaning the deck, bringing drinks. Watched him pole. Learned to read water before I learned algebra.
He showed me where permit feed during incoming tides. Where tarpon stage in channels. How bonefish move across turtle grass. Which flats go off during spring tides and which ones stay dead.
By 2000 I was running tarpon trips out of Tarpon Caye Lodge. In 2002, I found permit feeding on a coral head that Hurricane Iris had rolled onto a flat. Landed one. Went back the next morning. Another. Third morning, another. After that third fish, my father handed me a boat and told me to start working.
Most guides spend years figuring this out. I started with a 25-year head start. These flats have given me a lot. I work hard to keep them that way.
What you get
When you book with me, you fish with me. Not a team of guides. Not whoever's available. I run one boat. I take one group at a time.
I check tides and moon phases before your trip. I watch weather forecasts and plan where we fish. Sometimes we wade. Sometimes I pole the boat. Depends on conditions.
I'll be calling shots when I see the fish, and we'll move carefully into position. I'll help with casting and targeting if you want it. I keep things relaxed on the water. Fishing's supposed to be fun.
The fish
Permit: My favorite species to chase. We fish Permit Alley off Placencia. April and May are peak. We catch them March through August and find them year-round. They’re hard. When you hook one, you earned it.
Tarpon: Residents mostly in the 10-25 lb range hold in mangroves all year. Big migrants 60 to 100+ lbs arrive mid-April and run through August, often into September. We fish channels, river mouths, and along the reef edge.
Bonefish: Always around. Most reliable species we have. Good for beginners. Fun for everyone. If permit aren’t cooperating and tarpon aren’t rolling, we’ll find bones.
Grand Slams: Possible. I’ve guided plenty. Never guaranteed. That’s what makes them worth it.
Straight talk
If permit are being difficult, I’ll say so. If weather looks questionable, I’ll let you know before we launch. If you need help casting or targeting, I’ll show you on the water.
Some days are epic. 50 permit shots, three hookups, fish on all day. Some days are tough. Wind picks up, water gets pushed off the flat, fish don’t show where they should.
I can’t control weather or fish behavior. I can control where we go, when we launch, and how hard we work to find them.
Why Placencia
Placencia sits in the middle of what we call Permit Alley. A 30-mile stretch of flats running from Dangriga south through the South Water Caye Marine Reserve.
These are shallow water flats with deep edges. Ankle to knee-deep on top, dropping to 50-100 feet just off the edge. Permit love this as they can feed in skinny water with deep water close for safety.
Hundreds of flats and cayes spread across 300 square miles. Channels cut between them. Turtle grass beds, coral patches, sand flats.
Most Permit Alley flats are wadable. I often pole to the spot, anchor, and walk. Quieter, better angles, and more shots.
You can fish permit, tarpon, and bonefish in a single day without running 40 miles. Tarpon in the lagoons at dawn. Permit on the flats mid-morning. Bonefish on sand flats in the afternoon.
I have limited dates available each month. Get in touch to check availability or ask me anything.
What happens next?
I'll respond within 24 hours
We'll discuss your dates, preferences, and any questions
Payment is due at the end of your trip
Who is Marlon Leslie?
I'm Marlon Leslie, a second-generation fly fishing guide in Placencia, southern Belize, with 25 years on the water. I'm a licensed and certified Belize tour operator and the son of Charlie Leslie Sr., one of the first fly fishing guides in the country. I started guiding out of Tarpon Caye Lodge by 2000 and have run my own boat since 2002. I guide permit, tarpon, and bonefish on the flats between Placencia and Hopkins, and every trip is with me, not a rotating guide.
What makes fishing with Marlon different from booking a lodge?
You fish with me, every day, not whoever the lodge has available that morning. I run one boat and take one group at a time, up to two anglers. A lodge rotates guests through a pool of guides and books you as a package with rooms and meals. I'm just the guiding, booked direct, which usually costs less and means the person who found fish for you yesterday is the same person poling today. The comparison of booking a freelance guide against a lodge covers the cost and the trade-offs.
Who is Charlie Leslie Sr.?
My father, and one of the first fly fishing guides in Belize. He started guiding in the 1980s and finished building Tarpon Caye Lodge in the late 1990s, which is where I learned. I came up working the bottom of his boat before I took clients of my own by 2000. The history of the southern Belize permit fishery covers how the fishery changed over those years.
Is Marlon a licensed guide?
Yes. I'm a licensed and certified Belize tour operator. Belize requires guides to be licensed, and it's worth checking, because not everyone offering trips is. Fishing with a licensed guide also keeps you right with the rules inside protected water like the South Water Caye Marine Reserve.
What species can I target?
Permit, tarpon, and bonefish, plus snook, jacks, and barracuda when we find them. Permit are the main draw and what I'm known for. There's a full guide to each one: permit, tarpon, and bonefish. Landing all three in a day is a grand slam, and I've guided over 100 of them. Here's how a grand slam comes together.
When is the best time to fish with Marlon?
You can fish here every month of the year. Permit peak in April and May, with good fishing March through August. Big migratory tarpon arrive mid-April and run through August, often into September, and resident tarpon and bonefish are around all year. The best time to fish page breaks it down month by month, and reading the tides matters as much as the calendar.
How much does a guided trip cost?
Half day is $475, full day is $650, and multi-day trips are $640 a day from three days up. That covers up to two anglers, so two people can split it. There's no package or lodge markup, you're paying for the guiding and the boat. The full breakdown of what a Belize trip costs covers flights, lodging, licenses, and tips so you can plan the whole thing. When you're ready, get in touch.
How many people can come, and can beginners fish with you?
Up to two anglers per boat. I take all skill levels, from first-time saltwater casters to anglers chasing a permit they've wanted for years. If you're new, I'll show you what you need on the water: the cast, reading the fish, the timing. If you're experienced, I'll put you on the shots and stay out of your way.
Where should I stay in Placencia?
You've got everything from simple guesthouses to full resorts within reach of the water. I fish out of Placencia and Hopkins, so either makes a good base. The where to stay guide lists places at a range of budgets that put you close to the morning run.
Where does Marlon fish?
The flats, channels, and mangroves of southern Belize, working out of Placencia and Hopkins. That covers the water from Dangriga south through the South Water Caye Marine Reserve: shallow permit flats, tarpon in the deeper channels and river mouths, and bonefish on the sand and turtle grass. The guide to fishing the region and the complete guide to fishing Placencia map out where each species holds.
Multiple shots guaranteed — 400+ permit landed —
