The Watery Rave

As part of their Permit Tagging Program, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust are hosting several fishing trips during 2012 to some of the top permit destinations on the planet where scientists will interact with anglers to tag and release as many permit as possible. A portion of the proceeds from the trips will go towards the Costa Project Permit Tagging Program.

A complete list of the upcoming trips are listed below, so if you’re looking to break up your winter by traveling to a tropical fishing paradise to chase permit, please think about attending one of these trips and supporting permit research. With sand between your toes and the warm sun on your back, the excellent permit fishing at these lodges are sure to cure the winter doldrums.

Pesca Maya Lodge Permit Tagging– March 31 – April 7

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures are partnering for a unique traveling angler program trip to Pesca Maya lodge in Punta Allen, Mexico for a week of permit fishing and tagging. Trip dates are March 31-April 7 2012, participating anglers will be fishing for permit with the goal of tagging as many as possible in ongoing efforts to gain a better understanding of rates of growth and movement patterns. In addition to great fishing, the travel angler program provides a great educational opportunity to work with a scientist and gain better insight into understanding fish behavior and their environment. Plus, funds will be raised for BTT’s mission.

BTT scientist Aaron Adams is scheduled to be in attendance and will teach tagging and fish handling techniques and answer questions about BTT’s research and conservation efforts. Adams is the Director of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and a Senior Scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory. He received a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College in Maryland, a Master’s from the College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He has lived, worked, and fished on both coasts of the US, as well as throughout the Caribbean, where he has been conducting fish research for more than 25 years. In addition to his research publications, he spends considerable effort translating science into fishermen’s terms, and has authored two books, many magazine articles, and has been part of TV shows applying fish science to recreational fishing and fish conservation.

To find out more information or to sign up please contact Brita Shaw at Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures, (1-888-777-5060), brita@yellowdogflyfishing.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Cost for the 7 night, 6 day trip is $3,575 and is based on double occupancy and a shared boat.

Frontiers/Belize River Lodge Bonefish and Permit Tagging Challenge– May 12-18

BTT, Belize River Lodge and Frontiers Travel are pleased to announce the inaugural Belize River Lodge Bonefish and Permit Tagging Challenge to be held May 12-18, 2012. Anglers participating in this special research event will spend plenty of quality time fishing and will be rewarded with great memories and the knowledge that they have made a difference in conservation – all while staying at one of the Caribbean’s best fishing lodges. There will also be a number of chances to win new gear donated by top manufacturers.

During this trip (which is exclusively offered by Frontiers), we plan to tag as many bonefish and permit as possible with “spaghetti tags” allowing us to follow their growth and migrations. The information collected is critical in the effort to help conserve and enhance this amazing fishery. In addition, we will place at least one satellite on a big tarpon.

BTT scientists will be on hand to discuss and teach tagging and fish handling techniques and to answer questions about BTT’s research and conservation efforts. A presentation of recent scientific findings about our target species will be presented one evening. This will be a great opportunity to swap stories and have a chance for a one-on-one talk with a BTT scientist to really get into the “why” and “how” of bonefish, tarpon and permit biology – and angling. Prizes will be awarded on the final evening to those who tagged the biggest bonefish, biggest permit, most bonefish and most permit.

Fishing opportunities at Belize River Lodge are second-to-none. The lodge was one of the hosts for the BTT television show “Buccaneers and Bones” and is one of the top locations in the world for catching IGFA registered inshore Grand Slams and Super Slams.

To sign up for this fantastic adventure contact Denise Schreiber at Frontiers Travel (1-800-245-1950; dschreiber@frontierstravel.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). The cost of the 6-night/5-day fishing package is $3,199 per person based on double occupancy and a shared guide. Please note that Frontiers and Belize River Lodge will be making a donation on behalf of each trip participant to BTT. We hope that you will join us for an exciting week of fishing and tagging to benefit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

Permit Research Week at the Palometa Club–May 18-25

The Palometa Club has teamed with the BTT in conducting their new permit research on the Yucatan. Join David Leake from Tailwaters Travel and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust board member, John Ain, for an enlightening week of fishing and science on Ascension Bay. Anglers will participate in the tagging and data collection of permit and witness Dr. Ain provide guide staff training in tagging and tag recovery. Guests will also enjoy evening seminars educating us all on the facts and myths of permit, bonefish and tarpon throughout the Caribbean – as well as learn about the fascinating research being done by BTT to protect these marvelous species. Guests will also receive a FREE $100 membership to BTT.

About Jon Ain:
Jon grew up in the Northeast and attended Cornell University where he obtained a BS in Zoology. His Honors advisor was Dr. Perry Gilbert, the famous shark researcher, who went on to become the longtime head of Mote Marine Labs. Jon then attended Harvard Medical School and after a couple of years as a GP on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona/ New Mexico moved to Colorado where he did a residency in Diagnostic Radiology and practiced in a large group setting for many years.

In addition to BTT Board membership, Jon runs the March Merkin Invitational Permit tournament in Key West each year which has raised over 70,000 dollars for charities over its brief existence. Jon is the non-guide member of the board of Lower Keys Guides Association and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Psilos Funds, a group of venture capital funds.

Everything permit from the way a fish follows a fly to how its vision might lack depth of field much like a camera lens was cast towards the audience during the permit panel discussion at the IGFA Headquarters in Dania Beach, Florida last week. Over two hundred fifty scientists, anglers and fishing aficionados came together for the 4^th Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Symposium which featured scientific presentations and data sharing on tarpon, bonefish and permit, along with three of the most dysfunctional fishing panels ever to share a room.

Tops among the list was the permit panel, headed by angler John “Mit Me” Ain, which focused its discussion around the well-established populations of Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys (the panel was mostly composed of fishing guides from those areas). At times, the topics bordered on mystic, but also ran the gamut of weird, egotistical and astute, with a full 15 minutes dedicated to whether a fly line should be clear or colored (colored won, with obscenely brightly neonistic the preferred).

Among the panelists debating permit fishing and current populations were Capt. Will “Focal Eyes” Benson, Capt. Greg “It’s better in the Bahamas” Vincent, Capt. Dexter “I’ll take my platform off” Simmons, Capt. Bob “Always Strip It” Branham, Capt. Paul “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before” Tejera, Capt. Mike “You’re Doing It Wrong” Holliday, Capt. Carl “Man I Can’t Get A Word In Edgewise” Ball and Capt. Raul “It De-e-pends On The Bottom” Navarette.

One of the cheekier discussions centered around how anglers should strip a fly for permit, with individual observations relayed for fishing crab and shrimp flies. Most felt that the crab flies really needed to fall until directly in the path or “view” of the fish, then as the fish approached, it was to be hopped away from the fish like a crustacean with a dissimilar pelagic magnetism. The same went for the shrimp flies, which should be cast to the side but into the path of approaching fish, then hopped from the strike zone like a live shrimp on the barbie.

Everyone on the panel agreed that the essential technique for catching the fish was for the angler to take the fish off its pedestal and realize it’s as hungry as any other member of the jack family, although with a somewhat pissier attitude. “Ignore the cavalier, and you can relax and bring out the jack,” seemed to be the agreed upon philosophy.

Project Permit and the tagging of permit in South Florida are part of a panel discussion on permit this Friday, November 11 during the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust 4th International  Bonefish and Tarpon Symposium November 11 – 12, 2011 at the IGFA Headquarters in Dania Beach, FL.  Scientists from around the world will be on hand to present new thoughts and research on bonefish, tarpon and permit populations from around the globe.

The discussion of Project Permit will take place at 2:00 p,m,, Friday, November 11. Also taking place on Friday is a dedicated Permit Panel Discussion from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Among the panelists are Will Benson, Bob Branham, Mike Holliday, Dexter Simmons and Paul Tejera.

The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust 4th International  Bonefish and Tarpon Symposium is expected to draw huge crowds, among them many of the legendary anglers, fishing guides and conservationists from the sport. For more information on the BTT 4th International  Bonefish and Tarpon Symposium  visit their website at http://www.tarbone.org/component/content/article/318.html

The 4th International Bonefish and Tarpon Symposium has been slated for Friday-Saturday, November 11 – 12, 2011 at the IGFA Headquarters in Dania Beach, FL. The event features two days of scientific research, conservation updates and discussion panels on bonefish, tarpon and permit.

The permit panel is scheduled on Friday, November 11, 2011 from 10 a.m.-noon, with the goal to have the panelists share strategies and experiences on fishing for permit to educate anglers in the audience, but also to include aspects of conservation (how is the fishery now compared to before, what is the future of the fishery, what are the biggest threats). Jon Ain will moderate the permit panel, which includes Florida fishing guides and some of the top taggers in Project Permit Bob Branham,
Will Benson, Carl Ball, Mike Holliday, Paul Tejera, Richard Keating, Dexter Simmons and Dustin Huff

Scientists from around the world will present their latest research findings, and angling legends will share their knowledge of the flats, while the event culminates with an Evening with the Legends banquet, where legends will share some of their favorite stories of fishing the flats.

An Evening with the Legends banquet will round out the Symposium. Emceed by Andy Mill, the banquet will feature: Joan Wulff, Bill Curtis, Lefty Kreh, Flip Pallot, Stu Apte, Chico Fernandez, Sandy Moret, Mark Sosin, Ralph Delph, Steve Huff, Rick Ruoff and George Hommell. You can even reserve a seat at the table of your favorite legend. The  Evening with the Legends banquet will also include an action of guided trips and special fishing adventures, thanks to the generosity of the guides, anglers, and lodges donating these trips to help support BTT’s mission.

Space is limited, so be sure to register early. Daily tickets are $50, the banquet only is $100 or both days, social and banquet are $125. To register or for more information, call (239) 283-4733 or e-mail info@tarbone.org.

New Special Permit Zone extending into Federal Waters to decrease permit harvest

Florida Wildlife Managers finally approved a new management plan for permit, separating the fishery into two zones, one catering to the catch-and-release flats anglers who regularly release their permit, and the other focusing on the beach and wreck permit anglers who often harvest the species.

 On Thursday, June 9, 2011, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enacted new laws to protect permit in Florida waters. The final action on the Draft Permit Rule took place during the FWC meeting this week in St. Augustine, Florida.

 The new rule which goes into effect August 31, extends current regulations into Federal Waters which extend beyond nine miles from shore in the Gulf of Mexico and three miles from shore in the Atlantic Ocean.  Previously, there were no regulations regarding the harvest of permit in these adjacent federal waters.

 To more efficiently manage the Florida permit population for different user groups, the FWC has established a Special Permit Zone which includes all state and federal waters south of a line running due east from Cape Florida and south of a line running due west from Cape Sable. The remainder of the state (north of these lines) makes up another management zone.

In the Special Permit Zone, the commercial harvest of permit will be prohibited. In this zone the recreational fishery has a minimum size limit of 22 inches fork length and a daily bag limit of one permit per person and two per vessel. Also, recreational anglers are allowed to use only hook-and-line gear, except that spearing for permit is allowed in federal waters in the zone. Additionally, a May, June and July harvest closure applies in this area.

Outside this zone, a recreational slot size for permit of 11-22 inches fork length and a daily bag limit of two fish per person applies, with an allowance for one permit over 22 inches in length. A vessel limit of two permit larger than 22 inches in length also applies. Also, recreational anglers are allowed to use only hook-and-line gear for permit, except that spearing for permit is allowed in federal waters. No commercial harvest for permit is allowed, however, commercial fishers who are targeting other species with nets outside of the Special Permit Zone are allowed an incidental bycatch trip limit of 250 fish.

Many permit anglers believe the FWC was too lenient in their permit regulations, and suggested allowing no spearfishing or incidental commercial harvest. Others believe permit to be too valuable economically to the sportfishing industry and that there should be no harvest of the species whatsoever.

The phone call went something like this:

 Caller: “Hey, do you know what the World Record is for permit?”

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “No, but it’s somewhere around 52 or 54 pounds. Why?”

Caller: “We just got one that has to be at least 50 pounds. Do you have a scale?”

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “Yeah.”

Caller: “We’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

 That was a call that took place two summers ago at Finest Kind Tackle Shop in Stuart, Florida. True to their word, the caller and a friend appeared a half hour later with a massive permit, but upon closer examination, the fish had a HUGE hole in its side right behind the gill.

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “Man, that’s a huge ‘mit! Where’d you get it?”

Caller: On a little piece of rocks about a mile out.”

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “Dude, what happened to this fish. It looks like you gaffed the meat?”

Caller: “No man, we shot it with a spear gun.”

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “Um, I don’t think that’s legal. You might want to get out of here.”

Caller: Geez, okay. Do you want it?”

Tackle Shop Slave Boy: “Huh?”

Caller: “Do you want the fish? I’ve got 10 more in the boat.”

 While the ban on spearfishing permit in state waters remains in effect, new rules regarding the sale and commercial harvest of permit in Florida waters are about to change this June when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meet to vote on the Final Draft Rule for pompano, permit and African pompano. Included in the proposed rule is the targeting of permit in state waters (within three miles of land) with hook and line only.

 Also among the new rules are the establishment of a Special Permit Zone in state and federal waters south from Biscayne Bay on Florida’s East Coast and Cape Romano on Florida’s West Coast. The new SMZ covers the flats of Biscayne and Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, some of the most targeted permit areas in the state. The new rules establish a 22 inch minimum size limit and one fish per person or two per vessel bag limit inside the SPZ. Permit are closed for harvest inside the SPZ during the months of May, June and July.

 In other state waters, anglers are allowed two permit with an 11-22 inch slot size, only one of which can be over the slot limit along with a vessel limit of 2 permit over the slot limit. Commercial sale of permit are prohibited and the spearing of permit is allowed in federal waters.

Costa Del Mar’s involvement in Project Permit began in March of 2010 with the kickoff of the Del Brown/Key West March Merkin Permit Tournament, and in the first year, we’ve seen some incredible results. The majority of taggers in the project are fishing guides, primarily because they’re dependant on the resource for their livelihoods, and thus tend to have a vested interest in the health of the fishery, but also because they’re the ones who are least likely to drop a fish in the boat.

 You’d think that the majority of permit tagging in Florida waters takes place in the Florida Keys, but after the first year of permit tagging, Joe Gonzalez of Miami, Florida was the top tagger with 38 releases. Gonzalez receives a complimentary pair of Costa’s and a hearty “Atta Boy!” as the program’s top tagger.

 Along with Gonzalez’s 38 tagged permit, three others used their first set of 25 tags, with a fourth utilizing 24. The interesting perspective is that none of the top taggers fish in the Florida Keys or have pony tails. The Keys are known throughout the world for their permit populations and fishing guides that never wave back at passing boats.

Gonzalez sight fishes his permit in the waters of Biscayne Bay, Ball sight fishes his fish in Biscayne Bay and off the beaches to the north, Holliday tagged his permit on the reefs and wrecks north of Palm Beach. Capt. Phil Pica of Naples, Florida, stung most of his fish on the offshore wrecks.

 Below are the top five taggers in the first year of the program.

Capt. Joe Gonzalez, Miami, FL – 38 tags
Capt. Carl Ball, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 25 tags (first to complete 25 tags)
Capt. Mike Holliday, Stuart, FL – 25 tags
Dave Sanderson, Miami, FL – 25 tags
Capt. Phil Pica, Naples, FL – 24 tags

 So there’s this weird dichotomy of permit fishing that takes place on the southern half of the Florida peninsula, with fish free-roaming the flats, beaches, and wrecks from Tampa south to Florida Bay on the west coast, and Fort Pierce south to the Florida Keys on the east coast. That information alone shows how widespread the permit population is in Florida waters, as well as the diversity of the fishing pressure.

 Along with the first year taggers comes the first tag return. There’s around 100 people tagging permit in Florida right now, and at this point a few hundred fish have been tagged. The first recapture came from a fish that was tagged in October off the St. Lucie Inlet. That fish was recaptured on January 14^th off the Palm Beaches, and had moved about 42 miles.

 That was the first ever recapture of a tagged permit and was a 20 inch fish tagged by Bob Pelosi, who has tagged over 200 bonefish in that area for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.  Pelosi caught three permit in three days, with that one being the largest. He caught those fish on the beach while pompano fishing.

In 2010, the BTT Costa Florida Permit Project kicked off the tagging efforts at the Don Hawley March Merkin Permit Tournament in Key West, an event dedicated to the “Holy Grail” of fly fishing where participants would rather have their butts deep fried in peanut butter than throw a live crab at the fish. Tournament organizers asked participants to voluntarily tag the permit they caught to help with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust project, a request that saw a lot of tagging kits sitting on the dash boards of tow vehicles.

 Cool temperatures during the event limited catches to just two fish—proving that karma can creep up your graphite and kick you right in the push pole. Greg Smith and Scott Collins won the 5^th annual event.

 Hoping to inspire the anglers and guides in this year’s event, tournament organizers changed the point system as an incentive to encourage anglers to help collect research data on the fish. Normally, anglers score four points per inch for any permit caught and released, but this year’s March Merkin Invitation Permit Tournament offers an extra 25 points for any fish photographed with the angler along with tagging and collecting basic information. A second photograph of the tagged fish also will be required, to show that it was done properly.

 The permit get 15 minutes of fame in the local and fly fishing press, plus extra jewelry to show off for the next few years. Points will be subtracted for improper tag placement, butt tagging, and darting the fish’s back with all the tags so that it resembles a roosterfish.

The extra 25 points are significant enough that all the guides are carrying tagging kits, that and the fact that they handed them out during the free drink period of the tournament kick-off. Actually, the sentiment has been that these fish are too important to the guides and their livelihoods to overlook, and all the guides were ready to dart enough fish to win.

 The BTT Costa Florida Permit Project is part of a five-year tagging study on the species in hopes of learning more about their movements, populations and growth patterns, and to also put to rest the rumor that permit have struck a deal with fishing guides not to bite until their client’s bank account has been drained of every last dollar. Anglers and fishing guides have been pushing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to protect permit by prohibiting spearfishing for the species, and setting new size and bag limits, along with the possibility of closed seasons. Some anglers have even asked that taking a photo of a permit or having it show any interest whatsoever in a fly count as 1/5 of a catch, so that after five of these occurrences they can count it as catching a fish. The FWC is supposed to release new rules on the species sometime in April.

 The 2011 March Merkin kicked off with copious adult beverages at the Key West Harbour Yacht Club and following three days of hardcore (with intermittent bouts of profanity) fishing ended up back for more libations and serious noshing. Permit aficionados know fishing them on a daily basis offers anglers a distinct advantage, which is why the winner, Mike Dawes, was from Victor, Idaho, which must be home to the single best unknown permit fishery in North America. Dawes was fishing with Capt. Don Gable of Key West, and also Victor.

            Ten permit were caught and tagged during the event, three (count ‘em…one, two three) by Dawes who was fishing the event for the last four years, proof that the word “no” is not in the vocabulary of a permit fisherman. In second was Tournament Director Jon Ain, fishing with Capt. Doug Kilpatrick, while third place (second runner up in also-ran tournament lingo) went to Doug Behrman of Tallahassee fishing with Capt. Kevin Guerin. Behrman also caught the largest fish of the event, a 29 inch slob. Participants said they could hear Behrman cheering all the way to the Marquesas Keys.

 Costa’s Watery Rave got in five quick questions with winning guide Don Gable, prior to the man-datory adult celebration ritual of smack talking and beer spraying. Gable also spends time guiding hunters in Idaho during the fall and early winter.

 Watery Rave: What fly were you guys throwing?
Gable: On day one we were throwing an S.S. Crab-type pattern tied by Mike Dawes (my Angler). Day two and three, we saw the wind drop a little and we went to a lighter dearhair type fly pattern I had Nick Granato from the Drake Magazine message board wrap up for me(I hate stacking hair!). It’s the same pattern I started fishing last season and had great success with.
Watery Rave: Did you tag any of your fish? Comments on the tagging process?
Gable: We tagged all of our fish. I feel like the Costa Tagging Program is very important tool that will help protect our permit stocks down the road. The tagging process is very quick and easy. In addition 25 points were received for each fish that was properly tagged. No doubt this tagging should be something each and every permit fisherman and Captain should be doing.
Watery Rave: Feel any pressure to win?
Gable: Mike and I have been working at winning this tournament for four years now. We pre-fished three days prior to the tournament and went into day one extremely focused but relaxed. If that makes sense….! It took every ounce of energy to stay focused for three straight days of tournament permit fishing. Going into day two in second place was huge. I would rather be in second going into day two than first. Leading after day two was exactly what Mike and I had talked about. At that point we both felt that winning the tournament was solely in our hands.
Watery Rave: Anything weird happen during the event?
Gable: We went into the final day feeling like we needed at least two fish to seal the deal. The ideal plan was to get one very early, work super hard to get another by noon, and then fish the rest of the day hard. 

Well, the morning started out a little rough. Justin Rea beat us to the flat (by 50 yards) we had been fishing all day each of the two days prior, so we moved to plan “B” which was to fish the flat just 300 yards east of Justin. We were on the flat for 15 minutes when we found a tailing fish and landed him at 9: 30 a.m. We later found out that Justin saw us stick, land and release the fish. 

We thought we had lost the tournament at 4:00 p.m. when we stuck and lost what would have been our largest fish of the week. He just came unbuttoned. Talk about heartbreak! In the end we didn’t need a second or a fourth fish on the last day to win it.

Watery Rave: Mother Nature in March can be a windy girl, what were the weather conditions like?
Gable: The winds were 10 to 15 mph out of the east for most of the tournament, with partly cloudy to clear skies. Water temperatures started day one at 67 and warmed to 74 by the end of the tourney.

Costa Del Mar Permit Tagging Research Program permit tagging instructions

             It’s difficult to know exactly how to put a tag into a fish without having done it before. With the popularity of piercings these days, you’d think most people would have a good feel for how it’s done, yet popping a spaghetti tag along a spinal column is akin to picking the largest syringe in the lot for a cortisone injection—in other words, if you’re just a little off, there’s going to be a definitive knee-jerk reaction. 

            That being said, the only way to get good at tagging permit is to send a few fish off with some extra jewelry, and the best way is to avoid the learning curve that comes with trial and error and have someone who’s done it before walk you through the process. If the fish had a vote, I’m guessing there’d be a landslide for that option as well, which is why you’ll find the video at the end of this post.

            Below is the recommended technique for tagging permit using the applicator and tags distributed through the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Costa Del Mar Permit Tagging Research Program. Keep in mind that there’s a reason you’re pausing in the middle of your fishing trip—one that’s important enough that it’ll even get the needle-shy anglers on board involved. The information from tagging and recapture of tagged permit will provide information on movement patterns and growth rates of the species, so it’s worth taking your time and doing it right, as opposed to needlessly injecting a tag that’s going to fall out and join the sands of time on the bottom of the Atlantic or Gulf.

            Once you get a few tags under your belt, the process will become second nature. Most taggers develop their own step-by-step process, and usually write the tag number down before inserting it into the tagging stick, because in the excitement of the moment it’s common to release a tagged permit only to find that you forgot to record the tag number. That leads to examining every tag closely to determine the missing tag number, which for anyone over 40 means the kind of squinting that leads to crows feet and your friends asking if you just finished watching a Clint Eastwood marathon. Also, you have to remove the fish from the water to read the number once the tag is inserted, and when you do that, the constant opening and closing of the fish’s mouth is it’s way of saying, “water, dude, I need w-a-t-e-r.”

            There are times when you can’t keep the fish in the water. To weigh the fish, you’ll have to remove it, and some of the larger permit can be difficult to hold onto at the side of the boat, particularly if you’re the one who just fought and laded the fish and have the jelly arms and cramped, claw hand that go along with the process. If that’s the case, have the information sheet and measuring tape out, tag number written down, tag in the applicator and hand scale ready, then rip through the process. If done efficiently, the fish should be back in the water in less than a minute with a story to tell the other fish about the ugly guy in the blue hat who gave it some new shoulder jewelry.   

The BTT Costa Del Mar Permit Tagging Research Program Tagging Kit          

            When you apply to help with the permit tagging program, you’ll receive a kit that includes: tags, a tag applicator, datasheet for recording tagging, a pencil, measuring tape and tagging instructions. Weighing the fish is optional, but it can provide additional growth information, so it helps to have a hand scale on board.

            The information below is provided to help with the tagging process.

Tagging a Permit 

• It is best to have two people present when tagging permit to reduce time needed to tag and to reduce handling time. Some anglers and captains experienced in tagging are able to tag permit solo.
• Have the tag inserted into the applicator and ready to go before landing the permit.
• If possible, keep the permit in the water during the tagging process.
• Measure the fish.
• Use the tip of the tag and applicator to scrape away one or two scales. This provides easy entry of the tag.
• Push the tag applicator into the fish with a swift motion.
• Insert the tag far enough to allow the barb to become lodged in the bones (called pterygiophores) descending from the dorsal fin. Sometimes a slight “click” can be felt as the barb slides over a bone and locks behind it. Please be sure the barb on the tag is fully inserted into the bones.  A tag that is only in the meat of the fish will eventually fall out.
• Pull back on the applicator to remove it from the fish. Give the tag a slight tug.  If set correctly, you should see a small section of dorsal musculature move on the other side of the dorsal fin.
• Make sure you note the tag number!
• Record the data on the enclosed data sheet

Tagging location

 Care and Storage of the Tags

The tags should not be subjected to heat (such as prolonged direct sunlight). Keep in a location protected from prolonged sun exposure and heat.

Care of the tag stick

The tip of the applicator should be kept sharp to a V point. Store the applicator so the point is protected to prevent bending or dulling the point.

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust–How to tag a permit 

The Florida Peninsula, Southern United States–

 THE STORY:

Donations from Costa and a four-year commitment to Project Permit from Bonefish and Tarpon Trust will put 6,000 spaghetti tags in the hands of Florida’s most talented, experienced and under-financed fishing guides. It’s up to these professional fishermen to slow down the assembly line fish haul of their clientele to measure, weigh and tag permit caught in Florida waters, the theory being that through numbers the feeding habits of the local bull shark and Goliath grouper populations can be out-flanked so that enough permit survive for recapture.

 By comparing catch and recapture data, BTT, the FWC and Florida fishing guides can learn more about permit movements in Florida waters, hopefully leading to new data that will provide insight into the overall Florida permit population. Then everyone can use this data to formulate the fisheries management rules that will protect the species and improve permit populations for future generations.    

All this means the “Holy Grail” of fly fishing will always be out there, and whether you use fly, spin or plug tackle you get to fish for permit with the potential to catch one, even if your abilities considerably decrease the odds (Big Tip: Costa 580 lenses in Sunrise or Copper Mirror will help you here).

THE ADVENTURE:

The Florida Keys have always been Ground Zero for permit (at least in the United States), yet even though the economy of the entire island chain is based on tourism, much of which is fishing related, the people who depend on this fish really know very little about them. Once you leave the Keys and travel up either coast of the Florida peninsula, you’ll find less of an Island attitude and more tropical coastline than a small Central American country. And in the bordering waters…even more permit.

 From Sebastian Inlet on Florida’s East Coast to Ft. Myers on the West Coast, permit are snapping rods and breaking hearts off the wrecks, reefs and beaches, and no one has any idea where these fish come from or go when not in town. When you don’t know any of the habits of a species, it’s difficult to estimate the overall health of a population, much less who is impacting their numbers and how. 

 With little knowledge comes even less protection, which is why Florida’s indigenous (possibly) permit population has limited regulation and protection from those wanting to exploit the culinary side of a fish that’s worth way more alive than covered with tartar sauce and flipped on a bun. Yet, how do you monitor a fish population that roams from the Gulf of Mexico through the Florida Keys and along the Atlantic Coast? That’s where the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust come into play.

 The brainchild of a handful of hardcore anglers wanting to protect the future of fish that have doled up an equal serving of joy, pain and humility, the board members of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust read like a Who’s Who of angling legends. But this isn’t about ego or ability, it’s about knowledge, or a general lack thereof. What started as a organization designed to collect data on tarpon and bonefish and hopefully lead to the protection of the species from commercial and recreational exploitation has morphed into one of the leading scientific data collection groups in Florida marine fisheries (and in particular those of tarpon and bonefish).

 Their willingness to take on permit, a fish not in their namesake title, yet like the bonefish and tarpon one of the most coveted species on the flats and the third member of the Flats Slam, has proven to be an invaluable link to the resources and the credibility of the effort to learn more about a fish with twice the number of nostrils (four) as eyes and a penchant for never letting the fat lady sing until literally in an angler’s grasp.

THE PLAYERS:

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT):

A unique combination of anglers, fishing guides and scientists whose core involvement are dedicated to research and dissemination of the behaviors, life cycles and overall conditions of the populations of bonefish, tarpon and permit, BTT is quickly becoming the wealth of fishery knowledge on the “Big Three” of saltwater light tackle and fly fishing. The majority of members work voluntarily to protect and preserve the fisheries you spend sleepless nights remembering and willing to do anything to experience.

 Having spent more than $1 million on research, this group of fervent fishermen have transformed a passion into a fishery—one that is supported by scientific research and a vocal army with the single goal of protecting, monitoring and promoting healthy populations of these premier gamefish. So why aren’t you a member yet?

 Florida’s Fishing Guides:

From Capt. Crusty to the Capt. Newbie every Florida fishing guide knows a single permit can make the day a success. But not every fishing guide has the knowledge to locate permit on a regular basis, and most that do target permit for their clients aren’t real keen on sharing the locations where they regularly find fish to the point that a GPS app on your cell phone will get you and your high-tech electronics an unexpected swimming lesson. Combine that with competition for business, reputation and time on the water, and you have the perfect group to strong-arm into adding some extra jewelry to the local permit population.

 Fishing guides are only as good as their last day on the water, so when you live in a world of a daily performance-based clientele you learn over time that the fish you depend on to make your day successful are more valuable alive than dead. Release a fish today, and you can catch it again in the coming weeks, and if someone 60 miles away catches it four months later, you know more about the habits of the fish that make your living than you did the year prior. And when you fish for a living, knowledge is more often the key to success than making things up.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC):

The regulating body of fisheries within the Sunshine State, the FWC is tasked with enacting and enforcing the rules and regulations within state waters. Tops on their list of jobs descriptions is protection of the resource and creating regulations that ensure the continuation of the species and future fishing opportunities.

 A hodgepodge of scientific, administrative and law enforcement bodies who have opted for public service and dedication to the resource over financial solvency, the members of the FWC are the state’s last line of defense against exploitation, whether that comes from commercial, recreational or the long list of profit-motivated sectors. There is no time for humor when you’re trying to ensure the existence of a species, and it’s even easier to promote, enact and enforce these protections when you have the scientific data to back them up.