Elton Garbutt is a Belizean fly fishing guide whose family has fished the waters of the Turneffe Atoll and the Belize barrier reef for four generations. Growing up on the coast near Belize City, Elton learned to pole a skiff and read the flats from his grandfather, a commercial fisherman who transitioned into guiding as the sport fishing industry developed in Belize during the 1990s. Elton took up the guiding torch at age nineteen and has now logged fifteen years of professional service on some of the most productive saltwater flats in the Western Caribbean.
Elton's primary fishing grounds encompass the Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse Reef, and the extensive mangrove-lined flats inside the barrier reef. His knowledge of the tidal flows, seasonal fish movements, and micro-habitats within these diverse ecosystems allows him to consistently find bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook for his clients, often on flats that other guides overlook. He is particularly adept at targeting permit on the deeper sand-and-coral flats of the atoll's windward side, where these notoriously difficult fish feed on crabs and shrimp in water barely deep enough to cover their dorsal fins.
Elton builds many of his own crab and shrimp fly patterns, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the actual prey species found on the flats he fishes. His warm personality and genuine enthusiasm for sharing the beauty of Belize's marine environment make every trip feel like a fishing adventure with a knowledgeable friend rather than a commercial guiding transaction.
Contact Elton Garbutt — Belize Saltwater Fly Fishing directly to book your guided trip.
