Florida Keys Permit Fishing
A fish of much respect. The permit remains as one of the most captivating. Those who fish for them seem to never grow tired of it. In fact, those who fish for them sometimes give up all other fishing. Nothing else quite lives up to a large permit feeding in shallow water. Once witnessed someone may be able to understand. Yet, for some reason it’s truly hard finding words capable of describing the act of permit flats fishing.
A large, strong fish which at times inhabits depths of water less than they are long. Patience, and a respect for the hunt and environment are essential. Permit are plentiful in the lower Florida Keys, getting them to take a hook is the trick. Seen as one of the greater challenges in shallow water sight fishing, permit will demand the very best of an angler. When fished for with live bait, we have the upper hand. When fished for on fly, we give the permit the advantage.
Truth is, Keys permit fishing is in a class of it’s own because of where it all takes place. Some of the Keys best permit fishing flats are of the most beautiful. The lower Florida Keys are host to hundreds of these clear-water flats, which are surrounded by thousands of underwater reefs, ship-wrecks, and rock piles; a truly perfect environment for this fish.
Catching Permit on the Flats
A well placed bait or fly is ultimately what it takes from an angler. Though it’s the events leading a hook-up that make it all so challenging and unique.
The window of opportunity in successfully hooking a permit is small when considering the entire act of permit fishing. There are also many different scenarios when it comes to actually seeing permit in shallow water. All being said, the permit’s dead giveaway is it’s long, black, fork like tail. At times, that tail will pierce the surface of the water (a tailing permit). Most of the time, it’s underwater.
Learning to see the permit’s most revealing feature, it’s dark tail and fins against a current-swept shallow flat, takes a bit of concentration from the angler’s behalf. Though once seen in good sunlight, the permit can’t be missed. A novice angler can sum it up with a patient, practiced cast once the permit is seen within casting range.
Using live crabs to catch permit is the easiest method. When using a light-tackle spinning rod, casting a well placed live crab to an unsuspecting permit will ultimately result in a hook-up. The permit is very aggressive when comfortable. Once alerted by boat or angler, that’s it, the jig is up, and the permit never gives second chances.
Using a fly rod to catch permit is everything but easy. The angler must have a true sense of how permit behave when feeding in shallow water. There’s no way around it, catching permit on a fly is the ultimate when talking saltwater fly fishing. Experience will get you there, but only when preparation meets opportunity. The rest could fill a well criticized book.
