Situated at the division between the shallow waters toward the mainland on one side and the 3,000-meter-deep Cayman Channel on the other, Roatán and the other Bay Islands are ideally located to go after a variety of different shallow- and deep-water species. Favorite game fish around Roatán are marlin, wahoo, tarpon, barracuda, kingfish, and jack, to name just a few. Waters around most major settlements are usually heavily fished by the locals, so more isolated spots, particularly on the north and east sides of the island, offer the best luck.

Captain Loren Monterrosa of Early Bird Fishing Charter (tel. 504/445-3019, or 504/9955-0001, www.earlybirdfishingcharters.com), in Sandy Bay, offers deep-sea and flats fishing as well as island tours and trips to Utila. Half-day deep-sea fishing trips cost US$350–400 (up to four people, including drinks, snacks, and fruit), and full-day trips cost US$600 (up to four people, including drinks, snacks, fruit, and lunch).

Fishing trips can also be arranged with Hook ’Em Up (tel. 504/9919-7603, www.westendroatan.com/hookup.htm), run by top-notch local fisherman Captain “O” Miller, who can also be found by asking at Diddily’s gift shop near the church in West End. He charges US$65–75 per hour for fishing trips, and also does snorkeling outings (US$20 pp per hour) and island tours (from US$300).

Eddie and Donna’s Fishing Charters (tel. 504/9653-1293 or 504/9553-3302), in West End, charges US$150 (up to six people) for six-hour trips on their small boat (a lancha) and US$350 (up to 10 people) on their larger boat, including snorkeling and drinks. On the smaller boat, a tour through the mangroves can be included as well.

Other fishermen in West End, West Bay, Sandy Bay, or elsewhere will also happily set up fishing trips for a negotiable fee.