Golden-yellow fins with big, black eyes are the most striking features of an Indo-Pacific permit. Apart from that, they are well camouflaged on the backdrop of white sand, turtle grass, or coral flats. Their body is a silver, almost mirror-like colour that reflects their habitat, making them nearly invisible to the untrained eye.
“Serious fly fishermen are all aware that catching a permit marks a personal epoch in the sport” – Thomas McGuane
Permit generally like to frequent and inhabit the same particular areas, which makes targeting them easier. The Alphonse guide team has certainly figured out the best spots to locate them throughout the various destinations! Each of the different atolls around Seychelles has its own unique style and approach when targeting permits. Rays act as magnets on the flats, pulling in several different types of species, and permit definitely falls into this category as they are often targeted and caught off rays.
Out of all the species we target around our atolls, permit species are the most skittish of all, and it is crucial that a very subtle presentation is made when presenting the fly to them. Once hooked, the battle is still not won and permits fight hard right up to the net, so it’s important that the rod you are using can match the fish’s power and durability. We, therefore, found that either a 9 or a 10-weight rod works best.
Here are 3 flies that will always be in our guides’ fly boxes.
An Alphlexo Crab fly has been revolutionary in terms of landing Permit! This fly is extremely realistic in size, colour, and even texture. When targeting Permit, these flies are absolutely crucial to have in your box. A must-have in any Permit-enthusiast’s box
The fleeing crab fly imitates exactly what its name suggests, i.e., a crab that is on the move. It is a simple pattern but highly effective. It can be tied in various colours and sizes. However, the most common colour is barred tan and white with orange rubber legs.
A nice, bright fly that draws the attention of a Permit from some distance away. It can be fished by either retrieving it along the bottom or mid-water column. The big eyes of these flies are a dominant feature, acting as a great trigger to attract and entice a Permit to eat it.
Like all flats fishing, the tide plays a massive role when targeting these saltwater fish. Generally, the best time to attempt to target permit is over the Neap Tide cycle when the water movement is slower.
We believe this is because they can feed more comfortably, as opposed to Spring Tides when the water is moving faster over the flats, causing a greater current, thus making it harder to feed as they look for morsels of food along the bottom.
After seeing your permit, your first task is to fire off a quick prayer to the fishing gods. Permit species have not obtained the reputation of being the fish of a thousand casts for no reason! These saltwater fish are extremely sensitive to their surroundings and spook more easily than any other fish. Everything has to be perfect in order to land a permit. A Stealthy Approach Firstly, your approach has to be stealthy. Your cast has to be deadly accurate in terms of fly presentation, as anything too close will scare the fish, and anything too far will not get a response from the fish at all. If a re-cast is needed, lifting the line off the water too vigorously will again make noise and inevitably result in a spooked fish. Permit Fish React Differently To Flies All permit to react differently to flies, mostly depending on their mood. Some need to be caressed into eating the fly by specific stripping techniques, others need a few casts or, if possible, a fly change or two, while yet others need no enticing at all as they can very aggressively inhale the fly the moment they see it. Once hooked, they fight right to the bitter end and often struggle to get into the net, so patience all the way through the fight is vital!
Some of the big ones that did not get away.
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