Species: Permit
Permit are perhaps the most elusive of all the flats species and the hardest to fool. They occur on the same flats as bonefish and tail in the same way when foraging on the bottom for food. The occurrence of reefs, rocky shores, pilings, oyster bars or any other semi permanent structure all add up to Permit habitat. Found in the western Atlantic, Permit occupy a variety of near shore locations. They call channels, flats, holes, reefs, and even submerged wrecks home, and will perhaps use all these areas in the same day. When these fish enter a flats environment is when fly anglers have a reasonable opportunity to catch them on the fly.
Favorite prey of the Permit consists of several varieties of crabs, shrimp, mollusks and baitfish. Much like the bonefish, Permit use plates in their mouths and throats to crush their victims. They also tend to travel in small schools, becoming slightly more solitary as they grow older and bigger.
Permit grow quickly through the first five years of their lives, at which time the growth process slows considerably. The maximum age for these fish is around twenty three years. Males and females grow almost at the same rate with males reaching sexual maturity at age two and females at age three. They are generally between nineteen and twenty two inches by the time this happens.
Juvenile Permit are mainly planktivorous eaters, larger juveniles will eat small clams, crabs and shrimp. Adult Permit eat clams, adult crabs, shrimp, bait fish, and even sea urchins. Most fly patterns represent crabs when fishing to Permit and are weighted in the front, in order to give the appearance of retreating bait heading for the bottom.
The men's fly rod record is 51 pounds while the women's stands at 29 pounds. Almost any Permit is considered a trophy, although Permit over ten pounds are really what most anglers are after. Not only is the Permit elusive, but once hooked it can fight with the best of them. Long, hard runs are nearly impossible to stop, but it can be done. For such a difficult specimen to catch, plenty of people try. Hooking fighting and landing an adult Permit is a point of pride in many angling careers and also becomes a personal passion.
Equipment
- 8-10 Weight Fly Rods
- What we use: Sage TCR, Sage Xi2, Winston Boron IIX
- 8-10 Weight Saltwater Reel
- What we use: Tibor Everglades/Riptide, Abel Super 8-10, Galvin Torque 8-10
- 8-10 Weight Floating Saltwater Line
- What we use: Scientific Angler Mastery Series, Rio Bonefish Line
- Leaders from 9 - 12 feet tapered to 12 - 16 pound
- What we use: Seagar Fluorocarbon Power Taper Leaders
- Flouro Tippet Material
- What we use: Seagar Tippet Material 12 and 16 pound test
- Highest quality polarized sunglasses
- What we use: Action Optics by Smith
- Flies
- A variety of crab patterns is the normal fly arsenal for the Permit hunter. Ragheads, Velcro Crabs, Bauer Crabs and Ultra Shrimp are all good Permit flies. Being able to present the fly at a variety of depths is paramount. Fly sizes range from #2 to #6, with smaller sizes being favored.
Technique
The two circumstances an angler will find Permit in is when they are feeding or traveling. The common technique for traveling fish is to try to lead them with the fly, perhaps giving it the slightest twitch, but for the most part allowing the fly to sit still until the Permit has found it and consumed it. The feeding Permit are targeted close, with presentations in the Permits small window. Putting the fly as close as one dares without spooking the fish.
Fishing for Permit from a boat is the best way to tangle with these fish. Very long, very powerful runs are what these fish are known for and being able to pursue them in a boat helps a great deal. Wade fishing for them allows for close proximity and little noise but after the hook up a stationary angler is at a big disadvantage.