Permit Fishing in the Marls of Abaco

When fishing to permit on Abaco, you can expect a large fish feeding erratically around the stingrays. The fish don’t sit with them for fun, if they’re on the ray they are feeding. Most of our permit average 20-30 pounds, so come prepared to do battle with a flats giant. A 9 or 10-weight rod will get the job done, and I prefer fishing 20-pound fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. I would rather fish heavy leader and get rejected than fish light leader, get an eat, and break the fish off as the permit here are quite large.

We have caught permit on a wide array of flies here. From large spawning shrimp to floating crabs, the fly tends to be less of a factor than the cast itself. As mentioned above, if the permit is with a stingray, it wants to be feeding. Making the first cast count is absolutely critical. If the first cast is good, these fish will almost always come and give the fly a look. More often than not, if the fish doesn’t spook you will have a chance to change flies multiple times. As a general rule, light-colored crabs are the ticket. We have also found that these fish have a liking to floating crabs or unweighted crabs. This is because when crabs come out from under the ray, they usually swim to the surface in an attempt to run away from the stingray, unaware that a black-tailed devil is up there waiting.

When presenting the fly, I like to land the fly about a fish in front of the ray or a foot off the inside wing of the ray. This way, when the ray gets near the fly, you can strip it and make it seem like the crab is running from the ray. With floating crabs, the same cast applies, but as soon as the fly lands the slack must be stripped out and the fly needs to slide across or just under the surface. Be prepared for an eat that will blow your mind. You won’t feel it, but you’ll see a permit with its eyeballs out of the water and mouth wide open.

Finally, once that fish eats the fly, give it a hard, but smooth strip-set. Once hooked, I always hit the fish really hard two or 3 more times before the first run to bury the fly. Due to the large size, the fish usually won’t take off immediately as they won’t feel the hook, so getting 2 or 3 more strip-sets in before the first run ensures a better chance of keeping the fish buttoned.

I’ve crafted an impressive collection of lightweight flies that are guaranteed to elevate your fishing game, and you’ll find them readily available at our lodge. Whatever you need, rest assured we have you covered.

These permit are big, some of the biggest in the world in terms of average size. Don’t forget to keep your cool, listen to your guide, and enjoy watching these strange, strange animals do their thing.