Permit

Permit are full time residents of the Florida Keys waters. They can be found in large schools over wrecks. Large singles occur on and nearby the inshore flats around the islands. The average fish weigh fifteen to twenty pounds and a thirty pound permit is not all that uncommon.

The most common method of fishing for them is using live crab and a light spinner loaded with ten or twelve pound test line. Permit are probably the most challenging fish swimming to catch on a fly due to their extremely acute sight and vibration sensitivity. Some people just call them spooky.

The Spring and Summer seasons are the best time of the year to find permit in near shore waters. Stalking permit in the shallows requires fairly calm weather. Mostly because one must be able to see the fish before it detects the boat. The fight is usually punctuated with a fifty to seventy-five yard run and if there is any structure nearby you can expect the fish to try and tangle up in it.

The fish is edible, but I release all permit. I consider it strictly a sportfish. When conditions come together for permit they are one of my prime targets. I always carry small crabs in the live well and permit flies in the fly box so we are ready to capitalize on the flashy hard fighting permit.