Fly fishing
Permit fish: what they are, and where to catch one on the fly
Plenty of fly anglers spend years chasing their first. Permit see everything and turn away mid-cast. What a permit fish is, when your chances are best, and where to stay close to the flats in Belize, Mexico and the Florida Keys.
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The tail breaks the surface first, black and sickle-shaped. The fish is head-down, rooting for crabs in the sand. Your guide whispers a direction and a distance, you drop the fly a yard ahead of it, and the permit swims calmly away. That is how most days go.
The permit, Trachinotus falcatus, is a flat, silver fish of the jack family that lives on shallow flats and wrecks across the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Fish of five to fifteen kilos are typical. It is not the size that makes permit famous, but how fussy they are, which is why many anglers need several trips to land one.
In short
The permit is a Caribbean flats fish considered the hardest of the big three on the fly, alongside tarpon and bonefish. The best places are Belize, Ascension Bay in Mexico and Key West in the Florida Keys, especially from March to June. Bring a 9 or 10 weight rod and a great deal of patience.
Our first choice: Naïa Resort and Spa in Placencia, Belize, a short boat ride from the southern flats.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Naïa Resort and Spa
What is a permit fish?
Permit have a deep, compressed body, a long forked tail and large eyes. They feed on crabs and shrimp, digging them from the bottom with their heads down. That is when the tail shows above the water, and it is what guides scan for.
Permit are wary because they feed in very shallow water with plenty of predators around. The shadow of a rod or a badly placed cast is enough to send them off. That is why the permit is the final, and hardest, leg of a grand slam: tarpon, bonefish and permit in a single day.
Where and when
Belize: Placencia and Turneffe Atoll have some of the world's finest permit flats. The season is long, peaking from March to June.
Mexico: Ascension Bay near Punta Allen, south of Tulum, is often called the permit capital.
Florida Keys: Key West and the Marquesas Keys in spring, when permit hold on the edges of the flats.
Rules: Permit are almost always released. Belize and Florida have their own regulations, so check with your guide.
Sunset Key Cottages
From veranda to water's edge, with the Key West permit flats a short ride away. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Where to stay near the permit
Naïa Resort and Spa, Placencia
Naïa sits on the Placencia peninsula in southern Belize, with a Caribbean beach and its own jetty. Guides run from here to the flats and cayes to the south, where permit travel in small groups.
Ideal if you want to stay in comfort and fish every day. The spa is a good place to forget a fishless afternoon.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Naïa Resort and Spa
Turtle Inn, Placencia
Turtle Inn belongs to the film director Francis Ford Coppola, with thatched cottages facing the sea. Its restaurant serves Italian food with vegetables from the hotel's own garden.
A characterful choice for couples who want good food between fishing days. The cottages are open to the elements, so you hear the rain and the surf.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Turtle Inn by Francis Ford Coppola
Sunset Key Cottages, Key West
Sunset Key is a car-free island just off Key West, and guide boats to the Marquesas Keys leave from the harbour minutes away. Each cottage has a veranda facing the water.
The pick for trying for permit in Florida with Key West's restaurants close by in the evening.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Sunset Key Cottages
Frequently asked questions
What is a permit fish?
The permit is a flat, silver fish of the jack family that lives on shallow flats and wrecks in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Typical fish weigh five to fifteen kilos and feed on crabs and shrimp. Fly anglers rank it as the hardest fish to fool on a fly.
Where is the best place to fish for permit?
Belize is widely considered one of the best places for permit on the fly, with Placencia and Turneffe Atoll the best known areas. Ascension Bay in Mexico and Key West in the Florida Keys are also famous. The best months are usually March to June.
What fly do permit eat?
Permit usually take crab patterns that sink quickly to the bottom. Guides often have their own local favourites. The weight and colour of the fly must suit the depth and the bottom, so bring several options.
What is a grand slam in fly fishing?
A grand slam means catching a tarpon, a bonefish and a permit on the same day. It is possible in Belize, Mexico and the Florida Keys. The permit is usually the hardest of the three, and the one that most days end without.