Permit Flies

[Seth]

Can anyone give input on flies that they have had good success with when targeting permit, other than a Merkins crab imitation?

[Seth]

Nobody on this board fishes for permit with flies? Strange, oddly strange...:dunno:

[Bender]

The only one day i spent for catching permit in Mexico A.Bay i caught one in 8-10lbs and broke another with a #6 crazy Charly with brown body and tan tail made of marabou, this fly was just horrible to me but.....important it was appreciate by the fish!

[ssflies]

Just joined and noticed your question concerning permit flies. Crab imitations are by far the best, most common fly for permit. Most effective flies are like Merkins in how the body is tied but the tail feathers can make a big difference. Cree or ginger barred grizzly feathers are the best, they look like crab claws, don't get flies with wide feathers, they should be shaped more like ... crab legs. Also the body material has to be tied so the fly fishes hook up. Tan is the most commonly effective color, sometime olive, guys in this years Del Brown were casting flies with chartreuse.
There are two other notable patterns especially for Central America; the Raghead Crab and Bauers Fur Crab. These are good where the crabs a little smaller.
I hope that helps.

Peter

[Seth]

I really appreciate the responses, thanks!

[irishman]

There is no 1 good fly for permit .all the flies will work . It is up to the fish and the conditions.
If the permit are tailing on the flats and they are feeding on crabs.You might have to change your crab flies 8 or 9 times and might still not work.
If the permit are not tailing just swimming around .dont use a crab imitation as they are after baitfish or shrimps.
DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO ANY ONE TYPE OF FLY.

[ssflies]

Ya, permit will eat other flies, I was tarpon fishing with one of our Fox Fur Tarpon flies, saw a big single permit hanging high in a deep hole, stuck the fly in front of him, the fish ate. Our I.P Bone catches quite a few permit, that thing looks more like a shrimp. Almost all the guides we tie for use nothing but crabs, there are a few adventurous guys who will throw something else with good success. Permit in some of the central American fisheries eat shrimp and baitfish regularly.

Peter