Permit Fishing
- This topic has 18 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated Feb 25, 2009 at 5:58 am by
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Hey boys –
I’m going to be on a bit of a whirlwind tour next week that will have me in California, Mexico, and Ohio all in the course of six days. I’m flying out to California on Monday to cover an assignment with American Angler. On Tuesday that assignment will take me to Ascension Bay, Mexico, for some permit and bonefishing. On Saturday I am flying all the way back to Cincinnati, Ohio to give a talk to the Buckeye United Fly Fishers group there (Cincy residents should come out!) I’ll get back to Atlanta on Sunday.
At any rate, most of you know that my experience with the big leagues of flats fishing is pretty limited. I got to fish on assignment in the Bahamas about a year back and had a very good experience with some very stupid bonefish. Ascension Bay is likely to be pretty different.
I have never thrown a fly to a permit, have never even seen a tarpon. My understanding is that bonefish will be the prime targets down there with some good chances of permit and some weak chances of maybe a tarpon or two (which will be small).
I am pretty squared away on the bonefish deal; either these ones will be in my league or they won’t. I know what I am up against.
With permit, however, I know next to nothing. I had a very informative talk with the Fish Hawk’s owner Gary Merriman (an experienced saltwater dude) about permit and what he said surprised me pretty good. He told me that permit, unlike bones, are known for being more aggressive, and that you can “bring out the jack in them” by plunking them square amidships, letting them pivot to find the fly. He strips flies away when the permit stall out on the take at a pretty good clip. This differs quite a bit from how I targeted bones in the Bahamas, which involved either “leading the receiver” and puffing up the silt (just exactly like carp fishing, incidentally), or just slapping the fly down on a long cast into a huge school of bones and letting the ones that didn’t spook pick up the fly.
I’m willing to try anything once and I am hoping some of you who have experience with permit fishing will be willing to chip in with some tips and pointers. I guess the one thing I have going for me is the ability to cast without some of the limitations that many new saltwater anglers bring to their first trips (which is probably why I was successful with a fair number of Bahamas bones despite my inexperience).
Thanks,
ZachWatch Chasing Silver Andy’s Return. He makes it look easy. Drop me a PM if you’d like to borrow my copy; I’ve only watched it 30+ times.
Zach, your casting skills will certainly serve you well out there. Watching a school of permit come in will send your pulse to 130 in a drop dead second. That’s when my marginal casting skills fall to crap but you will weather it nicely.
BTW, I have always been somewhat intrigued by the cult of personality that goes along with permit fishing. The hard core guys I’ve met certainly have a focused desire to chase this species and they seem to be a different breed themselves. As a reader, I would enjoy a brief blurb or picture that captures that certain something about these fisherman.
I second that Neal. My boss this summer was a very well traveled angler and a total permit fanatic. Hearing him talk about fishing for them was inspiring. Definitely a different breed of angler.
JL
Carter –
It’s a good point, but I really have only batted .500 on guides who have previously guided fly anglers while on assignment abroad.
Zach
From what I’ve seen on a couple of shows it seems the permit in Mexico are smaller and more likely to be in schools than those in the Keys. I wouldn’t be surprised if broadsiding them worked in those conditions.
you didn’t tell them you’re an ambassador?
Ha! Yeah, that would have gone over well on that Brazilian Indian reservation.
Zach
Hello Zach,
Just read your post regarding Ascension Bay.
I would strongly suggest that you call a good friend of mine in Indy.
Derrick Filkins manages the Flymasters of Indy shop and has worked and guided there for many years.
317-570-9811
He just returned from his annual trip to Ascension Bay, and I believe is headed back again very soon.
He says their shop books one of the lodges down there for 4 or 5 consecutive weeks every year, so he knows it well.
Great guy (he is from the Ozarks), and one of the best technical fly fishermen you will meet in fresh or saltwater.
Have a great trip!
Bill
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