The Permit
Expectations for this year’s trip
were high. Feeling confident after last year’s successful do it yourself solo trek I was past the anxiety of part one of the learning curve. I was
comfortable with foreign airports, crossing borders, driving a rental car in a foreign land, staying in a countries most remote regions.I had learned enough of the language to order a beer, find fine cuban cigars, order a meal, purchase supplies, get a room, find a bathroom, ask directions and even mingle a bit the with locals. Most important I can now ask local anglers where palometa, macubi, sabalo and rabalo may dwell ? I felt more safe and comfortable in these countries compared to the few times I have been in large U.S cities such as Detroit and Washington DC. I felt as my demeanor this trek was now more confident but not arrogant.
Do it yourself fly fishing trips to a foreign land can be daunting. Learning where, what and how will encompass so many elements it is imperative you make it simple. What you anticipate will happen likely wont happen so being able to adapt is a must. For the most part my friend and I kept it simple and yes we adapted. Elements like incoming and outgoing tides and when the fish are during those tides became the main focal point of the trip.With a goal to catch permit, bonefish,tarpon, snook and cuda on a fly the worst possible scenario of the four we could have had on the onset was the permit. Within an hour of exploring a flat I encountered a rather very large permit. I had no shot at the fish as we both made eye contact at the same time. The encounter for me meant the trip just may change from a multiple species trek to an obsessive quest for permit.Detecting a tailing, feeding fish like a permit while wading can be a tricky proposition. These fish are easily startled and for a wading angler in new waters at close quarters the advantage sways to the permit. To sway a bit of the advantage back our way my friend and I purchased step ladders to use. We would wade less but stand high in the water searching for fish. In theory when we would detect permit or bonefish from a high vantage point and be able to see permit or bonefish in ample time to plan a perfect intercept point. The few locals who saw us standing on ladders in a flat thought we were crazy but this unorthodox tool proved to be very effective during much of our do it yourself trek.
Bonus fish of the week. On any trip one makes to a saltwater destination there always seems to be a species or two that are big surprises or what I call a bonus. This trip was no different. Roger landed a “Trunk Fish” and yours truly was floored with a surreal experience of hooking and landing a Black Grouper after an epic fly rod battle with fish and reef. I hooked the beast while casting a cuda fly off a rocky point. This catch would even excite a local angler that has since emailed me and said in the past 14 years he had landed only two and both were not on a fly rod . We took great pride in claiming and naming this beautiful point of rocks separating two classic permit and bonefish flats "Grouper Point"
Permit encounters were common during the week but getting a fly in front of one was not. One afternoon with an outgoing tide Roger and I witnessed a fair number of permit feeding on a flat.The fish disappeared almost as fast as they appeared leaving both of us with only one good opportunity each. Both our shots at permit ended with no fish to hand. We were encouraged.
Word
