This is Chris with the latest news from Steppingstones, here in Southern Belize.

Well our last guests of the winter/spring season, Ken and John, have been and gone. A week dominated by strong winds and choppy seas. Quite unusual for us, but despite this the fish were obliging as usual. Ken had his first ever permit, a fish of around five pounds and both he and John had plenty of bonefish to report, including respectable fish to the four pound mark. They also jumped their share of tarpon which seem to be going back to their old haunts in Monkey River. Just before they left, Ken and John got a wave goodbye from two huge dolphins that cruised by just off the end of our dock one morning.

So now we enter what is laughingly called our low season. May to November is the traditional quiet time for guests to this part of the world. Thing is, no one told the fish! The permit are suddenly not being chased all over the flats, so they shoal up and just hang about. Ditto the bonefish who seem not to be bothered enough to spook even when we do have guests. The lack of fishing pressure during our summer months means plenty of top class fishing. Snappers are feeding like crazy out on the cayes, so much so that some of the reserves are restricting entry! We have lost count of the number of times our guides have come up to Steppingstones in their boats through shoals of baitfish being hit by tarpon, snook etc, asking where the fishermen are. Still it does give us a chance to do all those maintenance jobs that got put off. It also gives yours truly and Sue a chance to get out ourselves and chalk up some decent fish.

Sue has been busy taking cuttings and planting seeds ready for the start of the rainy season when she has big plans for garden expansion. Everywhere we go we seem to come back with another bunch of purloined branches, sometimes even clipped from the wild.

Rambo has been working hard on the path and found a little friend out there one day. She was put back undisturbed of course.

Big news at the moment is that we are in the early stages of organising a Monkey River Village Festival to be held on August 18th this year. The central feature of the Festival will be a fishing competition open to all and sundry. This is our first attempt at this, but already the Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young has agreed to attend as guest of honour. Apart from the fishing competition itself there will be children’s and adult games, a football tournament, Jankunu Stick Dancing (no, we don’t know either), face painting, a massive fish and lobster Bar B Q, and an open air dance in the evening.

The fishing competition will be by boat, and we hope to have some substantial cash prizes. Besides all the local boats turning out, we expect to see boats from surrounding villages, and perhaps from further afield. We intend to make this an annual event. Anyone interested in taking part should contact us for details as accommodation is going to be limited.