(Photo courtesy of the Blue Horizon)
June 01, 2021
By Fly Fisherman Staff
One of the oldest, most historic lodges in Belize has been resurrected. The new Blue Horizon Lodge opened for business in 2021 on the same little spit of sand where Lincoln Westby and his wife Perline established Belize’s first fly-fishing-only lodge in 1997. And although the new lodge that sits in the original footprint is now owned and financed by Texan Bill Poston and his company Muy’Ono, Belize’s legendary permit guide Lincoln Westby—who turned 80 in 2021—is still the head guide.
Westby, who started as a chef at Belize River Lodge in 1967, has been a guide for more than 50 years, and his guests have landed more than 1,500 permit. Muy’Ono owns or operates 15 different businesses in Belize ranging from high-end private resorts like Thatch Caye to organic farms and fishing, scuba, and snorkeling facilities, plus zip lining and Mayan ruins tours.
Permit master Lincoln Westby is the head guide at the newly rebuilt Blue Horizon Lodge. He turned 80 years old in 2021. (Photo courtesy of Earl Harper) The tides continue to flow back and forth under the new Blue Horizon Lodge and cabins—they are on stilts—and the buildings have an open-air design so you can sit above the water and enjoy the ocean views complete with sharks, bonefish, and tailing permit.
Salvaged materials from the original lodge have been turned into cabinets, shower doors, shelves, benches, and other decor. Chef Sherrian (Lincoln’s daughter) serves local Belizean recipes using fresh local conch, lobster, and fish. The 700-square foot main lodge and cabins host a maximum of 10 fly fishers at a time, and now have modern bathrooms with hot freshwater showers, onsite laundry service, high-speed Internet, and an Orvis pro shop. To learn more about the history of Blue Horizon Lodge, read “Lincoln Westby: The Father of the Fish .”
