| Casa Blanca Lodge |
| Casa Blanca is a first-class light-tackle and
flyfishing lodge located on a private island, located at the south side of Ascension Bay,
on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The flats of Ascension Bay, which begin right at Casa
Blacnca's shoreline, are loaded with wiley permit, bonefish, tarpon, barracuda, jacks, and
snook. The well-appointed resort has room for approximately 20 clients per week, with 99
percent of the clients travelling there to fly fish for permit. For a more family-oriented trip, which included world-class flats fishing in Laguna Santa Rosa and Espiritu Santo Bay to the south and activities for non-fishing guests, there is new luxury lodge at the south end of the private island. This new lodge is called Playa Blanca, meaning 'white beach', which accurately describes the beautiful white-sand beaches in front of the private luxury bungalows. These beaches are a perfect place to entertain the non-fishing guests in your party with activities such as kayaking, canoeing, snorkling, biking, exploring Mayan ruins, and plain old sunbathing. You can get more information about Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca at their website: http://www.casablancafishing.com, or by calling Outdoor Travel at 1-800-533-7299. You can also email Outdoor Travel at outdoor@insync.net . |
| Florida Shops |
| Lobster traps in this region were basically a four-by-four foot contraption that is made of wood and sits on the sand bottom, with openings around all four sides and a plywood 'roof' about six inches off the bottom. (SEE PICTURE) The idea was that lobsters could come and go as they please, but they would eventually make the traps their homes. When it was time to harvest the lobsters, divers would extract lobsters with a stick. |
Reel-Time Feature
Cursed from the Beginning
I have to begin this article by first stating a fact-I have never caught a permit on the
fly. There, I've said it. It has been said that the first step on the road to recovery
from addiction is admitting that you have a problem. I have a problem, all right. Oh, I've
tried. And tried. And tried. And tried, to no avail, to stick a fur-covered, heavily
weighted, sorry excuse for a crab, in the mouth of the king of the pompano family. And
I've had more shots in one year than most flyrodders have in their whole life. I've been
cursed from the beginning.
And yes, I am very addicted--addicted to stalking permit on the flats with the flyrod.
Addicted enough that last year I quit my professional career as a web designer, rented out
my new house, put the new car up on blocks, and left suburban Washington D.C. behind. I
was to start my new life as lodge manager at one of the world's premier permit fishing
destinations- Casa Blanca Lodge, in
Ascension Bay, Mexico.
Having admitted that I have never caught a permit after more than 100 shots, a little
history is in order. My first instructional skunking came in 1993 when I was guided by
Capt. Randy Brown to a total of 0 fish in and around Marathon. We weren't only targeting
permit, bonefish were also on the menu but as you may have heard, the giant Keys bonefish
can be a little skittish. Since that time however, when I was understandably a
green beginner, I've gained much more experience...in fact, I've been skunked dozens of
times all over the world and can now safely consider myself an intermediate permit
fisherman.
One a positive note, after running a lodge for a season where my guides' clients'
regularly caught over a dozen permit on the fly in a single week, I spent a lot of time
with my mouth shut and my ears wide open. Here is some of what the experts had to say.
What the Experts Say About Permit
Capt. Edward (Ted) Johnston
On the subject if selecting a crab pattern, Ted wrote says that, "...although there is much debate over the best permit pattern, my best advice is to stick with the "Jan Isley" rag head crab. Don't screw around with this one, you need these flies!" Captain Johnston has caught 67 permit to date and 65 of the permit were caught on the Rag Head Crab! He also mentioned that crab flies tied out of the new EZ-Body and Corsair will work sometimes. In his opinion, the most important thing to remember is "match the hatch" and that, "Permit are a hell of a lot pickier than bonefish. You want your fly to resemble something the permit like to eat." For this reason, most of the crab flies that we use in Mexico are made with a tan or cream/tan body. Hints of chartruese thread under the body also seem to really make a difference.
On the subject of delivering a large, weighted crab fly to a permit, Capt. Johnston has pretty strong thoughts about fly rods for permit: "The ideal permit rod is a 10 wt. You can catch a permit on a lighter rod but you need a 10 wt. rod to cast the fly properly. Use a lighter rod and you will loose distance on your cast." I have had similar experiences, having used a 9 wt. for a whole season. It is really tough at times to get that crab in the right place at the right time with a 20 knot wind in your face with anything less than a 10 wt. Most text that I have read on fly fishing for permit suggest a 9 wt...... And as far as reels go, you know the drill at this point--any good quality reels that will hold a full fly line and approx. 200 yards of 30-lb backing will do just fine. Capt. Johnston was also pretty adiment about leader: " Permit are too hard to come by to lose them on a light tippet. Use a slightly stronger tippet section than you would use for bonefish (approximately 15 lb)."
Guide Augustin Garcia
The last week I was in Mexico I fished with Augustin for three days. We were fishing strictly for permit on flats that were basically white sand and about 3 feet in depth. About a half and hour on the first flat, Augustin said, "You see the permits!? Next to the lobster trap?" I scanned the flat and my eyes caught the black tips of the two permit that were tailing directly over a spiny lobster trap.(SEE SIDEBAR) I quickly loaded my line and deftly wrapped the leader and fly around my head. Knowing that I speak Spanish, Augustin said, "Como un chango jugando futbol!" Translation: I looked like a monkey playing football!
Well, the permit split as the boat approached the lobster trap. About 10 mintes later, as we approached another lobster trap, Augustin pointed out another large permit with his nose in the lobster trap. Needless to say, I blew the shot, but I could the pattern that was emerging. We were basically moving accross the flat in a zig-zag pattern, going from one lobster trap to another. I asked Augustin what the deal was and he said that he believes that the permit are feeding on juvenile spiny lobster as they come and go from the traps. Hmmm...too bad I didn't have any baby lobster flies! -
Guide Tomas Hernandez
Fly Tying |
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When Tomas was not guiding, you could always find him on the dock practicing his casting and presentation. One great way to practice taking your shots is to stand on a dock or the shore with line stripped out, the fly in your hand (use the heavy crab to get used to the weight), and have a buddy stand behind you and toss stones out in front of you. As quickly as you can, make one double-haul of the line and shoot the line and the crab where the rock landed and made a splash.
Former CB Lodge Manager Nick Zoll
| Other Florida Resources |
**FL Keys Guide Capt. Frank Garisto** Some choice words about permit fishing came from Capt. Frank Garisto of Miami, who primarily fishes Biscayne Bay:
(Permit) "They eat shrimp too, which are much easier to cast for the novices than a heavy weighted crab. Like in all fly fishing, a good presentation is more important than the fly being used. I have caught permit on many different patterns of bonefish flies as well as a few tarpon varieties and in one instance, a large, 5/0 bullet shaped lure festooned with grizzle hackle and weighing an ounce and a half. Also, permit don't seem to be as spooky as bonefish. I have seen more than my share of "too close" casts get taken by a permit. Seems to me that they are a bit more aggressive than a bonefish. As far as fighting the fish after they are hooked goes, they will "belly up" sooner when fought from a "dead" boat than if the boat chased the fish. Of course this has a lot to do with the tackle being used."
Other Links:
Fly Tying |
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**Lodge Owner Bobby Settles**
Section 4. Beginner's Luck & a 1000 Excuses
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Beginner's luck: story about the guy(s) who knows nothing about permit and SWFF, comes to
the lodge, lobs a crab fly at a hungy 30lb permit, lands it, then at the dinner table say,
"I don't know why everything thinks catching a permit is so difficult". Add why
this drove me nuts...Why I didn't catch a permit (my varied excuses)--buck fever/too much
build-up, new guides, fished spots near lodge, flyline around my head, etc.
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FishWire Report this week Florida Bulletin Board |