The Watery Rave

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico–

From the city of Cancun, Mexico the coastline curves inward in the shape of a “J”  along fairly nondescript beachfront as it passes the island of Cozumel and hooks east to a point of land called Punta Allen. From there, the coast takes a sexy curve inland and the shoreline forms a bay of azure that sets men’s hearts on fire.

Called Ascension Bay, it is over 100 miles of pristine saltwater flats where bonefish tail and permit avail, and a day on the water is like a walk with God. There is a belief among some religions that on rare occasions people have ascended to Heaven directly without dying first. Five minutes on Ascension Bay can make you one of those individuals. Particularly if catching a permit is in your repotoire.

Permit are a peculiar fish to begin with, with an attitude like a French chef line at McDonald’s and the consistency of the price of a gallon of gas. For a long time, fishing guides on Ascension Bay have believed they were seeing the same fish on a regular basis, not necessarily on the same flat, but in the same general area. But so little is known about permit movements and migrations that no one could really be sure if that fish with the dark ding on its back was the same fish as the one with the light back around a dark ding. That’s where the efforts of Project Permit are paying off.

As of this date, 134 permit have been tagged in Mexico waters as part of the Project Permit Mexico program, a joint effort to learn more about the species. The Boca Paila Lodge, Pesca Maya Lodge, Palometa Club Lodge, Ascencion Bay Bonefish Club Lodge (ABBC), Casa Viejo Chac Lodge, Casa Blanca Lodge, Playa Blanca Lodge (Espiritu Santo Bay), Paradise Lodge, Costa de Cocos Lodge, several freelance guides on Cozumel Island and a handful of local fishing clubs have all put in the time to catch, measure and release the fish with a little additional shoulder jewelry in this tagging operation.

Now, the Costa sponsored project to tag permit throughout their range is starting to see some data return, as the first recapture of a tagged permit in Mexico was recorded on March 25, 2012. The 15-pound fish was originally captured and tagged in Ascension Bay on January 31, 2012, by fishing guide Alejandro Velazquez who fishes out of the Palometa Club Lodge. The fish was caught by one of his clients.

Mexico Permit Recapture #1 spent 54 days roaming the forest of azure before it felt the sting of a hook once again and was recaptured by Aqustin Beiceno about a mile from its original tagging point. While two months of freedom don’t show much in the way of long-term movements and growth patterns, it does show that the spring fish tend to remain in the bay area, evidence in the value of releasing fish back into the general population as opposed to inviting it home for a fish taco dinner.

As time goes on and more permit are tagged and recaptured, scientists hope to get a better feel for growth and migration patterns of the population and an idea of the health of the fishery and the survival rate of released fish. For now, that little walk with God that two anglers took has produced concrete data that Bonefish and Tarpon Trust scientists can build on as they await the information from the next Ascension in Mexico waters.

It’s been two years since the inception of Costa’s Project Permit through the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and in that time, 587 of the World’s Pissiest Inshore Saltwater Gamefish have been outfitted with new jewelry in the form of a white shoulder dart spaghetti tag. Anglers and fishing guides from South Florida to Belize have volunteered their efforts to tag these mysterious gamefish in an effort to learn more about their populations, movements, growth rates and favorite “Happy Hour” hangouts.

While 587 fish represent a minute portion of the permit population, three tagged fish have already been recaptured, which is either an indicator of the fishing pressure in those areas, the merits of catch-and-release, a testament that permit aren’t as selective as we all think, or a combination of none of the above. Maybe it’s just a sign that the “dumb ones” are the ones that are caught…repeatedly.

The first permit tag and recapture was done by the same South Florida fishing guide, Capt. Carl Ball, who originally tagged the fish in the Stiltsville section of Biscayne Bay, Miami on May 17, 2010. That same fish ate another crab with a hook in it on June 6, 2010, about ¼-mile from where it was originally caught, obviously proving that permit are creatures of habit that frequent the same waters, except when they’re not.

Capt. Bob Pelosi of Palm City, Florida a small town near Stuart, about 45 minutes north of Palm Beach on Florida’s East Coast and about 100 miles from the permit hub known as the Upper and Lower Keys and Biscayne Bay, tagged a 22 inch permit on October 11, 2010. That fish ate a live sandflea meant for pompano near the ocean side of the St. Lucie Power Plant, in St. Lucie County, Florida.

Pelosi’s fish was recaptured in Palm Beach on January 14, 2011 by Capt Tore Turney, and interestingly enough the fish was 20 inches long, which means it lost two inches in length on the drive down.

The most recent permit recapture was of a fish originally tagged by Wallis Higginbotham in the Content Keys, a series of mangrove islands bordering the open Gulf of Mexico just west of Big Pine Key and northwest of Key West. Higginbotham’s fish measured 29 inches in length, and “piled on the crab like a lion on a llama.”

That ubiquitous fish was recaptured five months later in January of this year by Lisa Weygandt who was fishing for permit in the Content Keys with Capt. Jon Milchman. The fish was exactly 29 inches, providing the scientific data that fish don’t move or grow once captured and tagged.

What we’ve learned so far from the tagging recaptures is that once a fish is captured and tagged it will do one of two things: stay in that location and cease to grow or move from that location and shrink. That leads us to believe that only fish that have never been caught before continue to grow, or something like that. Actually, the recaptures are such short-term that they don’t give much indication into permit movements, but they do show that permit seem to be slow-growing, which like tarpon is an indication that many of the larger permit in the population may be older than scientists think.

As time passes by in the four-year program the exposure of the program and popularity of tagging permit has grown and more guides and anglers are walking the rails in search of black tails and it’s just a matter of time before the tagged fish numbers reach into the thousands. From there it’s just simple math that the more tagged fish in the population the more that are likely to be recaptured, and as time passes those fish have more opportunity to grow, move to new locations and fall for the same dangling crustacean…or not.

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.