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Perhaps
one of the most difficult and greatest accomplishments
in fly fishing is to catch the wily Permit. More nervous
than the bonefish and nearly as fast, the Permit is
exceedingly stronger, bigger, and has significantly
better vision. For many years it was thought impossible
to take a Permit on fly, but as the years progressed
we learned it was indeed quite possible and it has become
one of the supreme flats challenges.
The
Permit is a unique looking fish with a round, silvery
body. Their back and fin edges are a rich deep blue
that provides the perfect camouflage and makes them
extremely difficult to spot. No matter what type of
bottom they are over, the Permit's silvery flanks reflect
his surroundings allowing him to seamlessly blend into
turtle grass just as easily as white sand.
The
Permit's strange shape and personality have evolved
through time as a result of his environment and feeding
habits. Permit's favorite delicacy is crabs. Their rounded,
blunt heads help them forage through all types of terrain
to flush out crabs and other crunchy morsels which they
quickly devour with a set of powerful crushers.
Permit
are found around deep water wrecks as well as on the
flats, where they seem to prefer a depth of 24 to 60
inches. They have a tendency to work the ridges along
a flat where they try to herd crabs along the edge of
the ridge. Permit have also been known to lay up in
the flat's white sandy depressions on calm days.
The
20 lb. average size of a Permit combined with their
long sickle shaped fins make them an overwhelmingly
powerful adversary not to be underestimated. To land
a Permit on fly is a rare feat to be proud of. Permit
are a third of the coveted Grand Slam and they are undeniably
one of the greatest joys of fishing the flats.
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