Anchored Outdoors: The Truth About Fishing For Permit

[@SultanofSpey]

I remember Tarpon fishing near Bahia Honda for a week in May 2016. I must have seen 1,000 fish that week but only got 5 to chase and 1 to actually eat. So he eats, I drive the hook, home he jumps 4 or 5 times, and is gone. I was so dejected because I had thrown all I had at it for an entire week and it wasn't good enough. About halfway back to the dock, the guide drops the skiff off plane suddenly and shoves a 10 wt in my hand and screams PERMIT! I threw a 50 foot dart, three strips, and he crushed it. I landed that fish and to this day I'm still amazed how it happened so fast. I've returned to BH every year that same week for Tarpon and haven't seen a permit since. That's one fish I think I'm gonna leave alone for a bit longer. They're spooky.

[@darrenclarke972]

Awesome video Will. As a full blown addict to hunting Permit that was a perfect description on all levels. “Permit fever” only gets stronger!

[@jonallen6626]

After seeing this video, I have no choice but to travel to Belize to Fly Fish for these fish. And the video quality is great, I can feel the excitement in the hunt. Post more of this subject please. It gives me ammo to present to my wife for a trip down there.

[@elslagle]

Wil Flak: love your intensity

[@samdeyton5449]

Nothing quite like stalking these amazing fish, took me 5 trips to Belize to land my fist, a decent 15 lbs, still on the hunt for that 30+ serving platter. Belize is amazing, kudos to you for realizing your dream and making the move happen. A steel head fisherman to boot, tight lines!!!

[@danfloros4267]

Great vid Will..just got back chasing Permit here in Weipa, North Queensland Australia....challenging every time but we love it...if it were easy it wouldnt be worth chase...more power to ya from DOWNUNDER Mate..

[@Fishmt1986]

Love the brutal honesty!

[@backwoodsadventures9649]

Wil talked about fishing terrace bc and Smithers bc. I've got some awesome memories from fishing both those places as well.

[@ReelForReel]

Permit fishing can ruin your life haha I just love it

[@Superdada]

Great edit. But the mix of dramatic war music and the intensity of it all made me almost forget fishing is supposed to be a fun hobby 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Duschbag]

Heard of the Yucatan Peninsula while in Islamorada when asking where to fish for Permit. Went to Boca Pilia two years later and caught five in one week but... Not on Fly. I cheated and used Spinning Tackle. I learned a LOT about these Squirrely Devils. I found out that they like to rub their noses in the uber fine sand flats and it'll fray and break your line in just a few seconds... 😫 What an EPIC place to hunt them. He was right when he said the scenery was "easy on the eyes" It looked as if those Coral Flats wrapped around the earth. 👀 Saw and caught many Cookie Cutter Bonefish as well as some Baraccuda and one BIG Cubera Snapper. 😲

[@brianstillmanjr2293]

One of the best fly fishing videos on KZbin!!!

[@riverrightoutdoors]

Very well done . This is definitely on the list of thing to do 👍

[@andrewbrickhill4096]

This video is simply superb. Bravo!

[@mikekuczynski1552]

So much fun , the stalking , making the cast they come up on it take a sniff then they turn away . You change flies repeat then all of a sudden they take your fly and that’s when life goes into overdrive. The next thing you know you looking at your guide and you both have a smile on your face that says , wow that was great let’s do it again. It’s is very addictive . If you can’t take rejection you will have a hard time fishing permit they can be very picky and have driven many a man to insanity .

[@pugilist102]

Then you drop a fly right in front of a school of about 20 permit and they all ignore it. 4 different flies and about 20 casts later, one decides to grab it out of sheer pity. Then the next day, you drop a fly on top of their heads and get a hook up on the first cast. There's no rhyme or reason.

[@punkindrublic14]

I'm obsessed with the black tailed devil!

[@govbradford]

Your content is exceptional April!

[@riverwalker2173]

Looks like the hookup odds for Permit are even less than for wild steelhead.

[@layeronebyshadowcarry]

Permit see all kinds of things like solid black shorts on the guide (or the angler), a black push pole, or anything color-wise that doesn't break itself up in the background. Black shorts look like a cormorant or any other fish-eating bird to the fish below. Solid colors are the antichrist of fly fishing.

[@TheFishingDoctorsAdventures]

Oh Dang! I never realized it was that intense. Guess i'll go Bone Fishing!

[@joeycardenas5126]

Longest reef but lets not forget belize was once mexico property and mexico is the capital of fishing for me and im from florida, and mexico hs amazing monsters of any kind of fish

[@patrick_d2115]

Too much sargassa this year man last week I was at xcalak and they were there but never wanted the fly, creates an addictions for just one to hit the fly. I also dialed in my double haul which was nice. Casted into a school of 25 permit, mf blue Jack (shit kind) are that shit and I was livid. I need one now🎣

[@gregorykjones]

Sitting in Honduras Guanaja after 5 10 hour days with a few great shots but no permit. This video is 100% accurate. The addiction is real but it is all worth it when you grab that forked tail. Hopefully tomorrow!

[@ihaveapwner3863]

Didn't get a fish for the video and had to use old footage. lol.

[@karlmurphy3090]

Arrg! I need to go back! I shouldn't have watched this...

[@almorrison2040]

So it's not just me that can't catch these little buggers then....

[@barbouradam]

Fish for permit with guides raised in Belize..

[@joeycardenas5126]

Crazy but beliz ws once owned by Mexico. And also theres alot of permit in mexico

[@howler_bros]

Will! The dude ⚡⚡⚡⚡

[@MyPancho1]

Damn! Now I'm all jacked up to go Permit fishing and can't do it! AAARRRGGGHHHHHH

[@adosskey]

Unreal.... No words

[@k-roc5832]

self admittedly the greatest permit guide to ever hold a push pole.

[@neilgordon8145]

Very frustrating for the guide!

[@smwoodbu1]

Must say, I was expecting to see at least one fish caught. Maybe you get enough clients, and I’m no marketing guru, but that doesn’t seem like the best enforcement for your service. I guess you were warning me to expect a lot of driving around and not a lot of fish catching if I sign on to a trip? Beautiful scenery though, and very well produced vid

[@frenchcleat]

Truly hunting singles and doubles on fly is as hard as it gets. Those that love this approach like Will know its rarely about landing the fish.

[@Benpeterscode1337]

DO NOT recast until the guide tells you to pick it up! Just keep stripping..

[@beachfishin]

Why not throw him a live crab with a light tackle setup? I caught a big Permit on Fort Lauderdale beach with a live crab. I was probably just lucky though.

[@nielse6229]

Thats like bringin a 44' into a boxing ring. Youll definetly be last man standing but pretty boring

[@benl5672]

It's about the challenge. Permit on a live crab is very easy. I've been trying to get my first on a fly for over ten years now...been so close a few times. I've caught almost every fish on a fly (tarpon, tuna, billfish, sharks, bonefish, etc) but permit still elude me. Fly fishing is all about the challenge. Very accurate video...

[@gtr4ws]

in Barbados we catch permit often with crab, he is making it hard for no reason

[@rainnants]

@@gtr4ws In the keys we catch permit with 1200lbs of plastic explosives, why bother using hooks?

[@jeremyfinger843]

The challenge, man. The challenge.