WHERE TO CATCH A PERMIT ON FLY IN THE BAHAMAS
Traditionally better known for its bonefish, the Bahamas has some amazing permit fishing if you know where to go, and who to go with.
Permit… It’s the one fish every fly-angler worth their salt wants. It’s the proverbial holy grail. Mostly this is because they are just so difficult to catch on fly. They are an intelligent fish, with a very particular sense of food and not many people have been able to master the art of successfully pursuing these fish consistently.
Not every permit is equal, with the location adding much to the mystique and prestige of the catch. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the Bahamas, is that it is an epic permit fishery.
<subhead> Species of permit found in the Bahamas
In very broad terms, there are two main distinctive species of permit found across the tropical fisheries of the, namely the Indo-Pacific permit and Atlantic permit (Trachinotus Falcatus). Indo-Pacific is further divided into various distinct subspecies (Blochii, Africanus, and Anak) and is what you would target in the Seychelles, Oman and Australia.
The Atlantic permit ranges from North Carolina all the way down to Venezuela and is what we target here on Abaco in the Bahamas.
The Atlantic permit is found all over the Bahamas and throughout the year, but on many islands their numbers have been considered not high enough to make for a worthwhile target, with guides preferring to bank on bonefish. At the Delphi Club the permit is a prime target, and, as we mentioned earlier - not every permit is equal: A permit from the Bahamas, is a special permit.
Where to target permit in the Bahamas
The gin-clear, warm waters and world class mangrove flats around us make for the ideal habitat for permit. Permit share a habitat with the bonefish, but have far different habits and are encountered mostly in areas close to deep channels. The Marls, Cherokee Sound, Moore's Island and Sandy Point all present permit opportunities on the right conditions.
Gear needed for permit
Permit are a hard-fighting fish so a 9 or 10wt with a good-quality matching saltwater reel is required. In the Abacos they can grow to over 20lb but are more commonly caught at around 8-15lbs. We have a range of the very best Orvis fly-fishing tackle for rental and purchase available on site at Delphi, should you arrive and find yourself possibly equipped only for bonefish.
Our fleet of Hell’s Bay Skiffs are geared toward targeting permit and our guides well versed in getting fly-anglers shots at this most finicky of flats fish. In addition, because our fleet is road-mobile, rather than moored, our boats can be trailered to the best part of the island’s coast for the day, where guides can take advantage of optimal tides and conditions for the session. This means an angler has the convenience of being able to cover a large amount of fishing area to capitalise on this highly diverse fishery.
When to target permit in the Bahamas
Permit are found in the Caribbean waters year-round, but as with most flats fish, certain parts of the year can be more productive than others. In very general terms, the best season for permit is through the warmer months of May through October.