Fly Fish Key West Permit

Permit get placed on a pedestal as the “holy grail” of saltwater flats fish by those in the know for a few reasons. First, permit are an “offshore” fish and only spend a fraction of their time on the flats, thus finding catchable permit is a true hunt. Second, permit are notoriously wary in shallow water and getting in range of a permit is a challenge. Third, permit are notoriously picky feeders, and properly presenting a fly to one takes some skill. Permit have emptied many wallets, accounted for numerous grey hairs, and even destroyed many relationships. Permit fishermen are usually the addictive personality types, and rightfully so – fly fishing for permit takes a certain level of commitment.

Permit can be targeted consistently in Key West and the Lower Keys year-round when the weather is stable and the water temperature is warm to hot. They can be found in singles, small groups, and big schools floating in the wide open, swimming the edges of banks, pushing and tailing across the shallows, and cruising the channels between flats. Permit can be caught with conventional tackle, but it is the challenge of catching them on the fly that brings most informed anglers to Key West.

As gritty as it can be, fly fishing for permit is a civilized game. Mornings rarely start in the dark as a key ingredient to the perfect day of permit fishing is the sun. Days may be split into multiple sessions based on optimal tides. Generally speaking, permit can be found on the flats when there is enough water to accommodate them, and around the flats when there isn’t enough water. Finding actively feeding fish is key to catching permit on the fly in the Lower Keys. Once fish are located, a coordinated team effort ensues. The guide is responsible for positioning the boat and calling the shot and the angler is responsible for executing the shot and selling the fly. The optimal shot at a permit is when the fly lands right in its face with a light “plop” with no slack in the fly line and the fly is slid away from the fish. Most fish will react to the fly the instant it hits the water, and if it doesn’t, cast again. “Spook ‘em or catch ‘em” is the rule many permit fishermen adhere to.

Most permit fly fishing in the Lower Keys is done with a 10 weight, a floating line, and a large reel, but a 9 weight may be necessary on calm days and an 11 weight on windy ones. The majority of permit that are caught in Key West are persuaded to eat a naturally colored crab fly, but sometimes they are keyed in on other things and prefer a shrimpy bug.

Those who wish to target permit on the fly in the Lower Keys can do so year-round, but the best permit fishing happens when there is warm stable weather. March-October are the best all around months with a bit of a lull in the action in April and May due to offshore spawning aggregation. November-February are typically the coolest and slowest months for permit fishing, but in between cold fronts many fish are caught on the warmer calmer days.