Today it was Tim, Gerhard and I hitting the flats together. The only way I could have been better surrounded by top yellow permit anglers was if Ryan joined us also. But Ryan went with a couple of the other guys to shoot photos. One of the reasons all three owners of FlyCastaway are here together is to update photos for their website. Gerhard has helped me fill in gaps on the blog with excellent pics on all the trips we do together.
We shot right back to Julies flat like Tim and I did yesterday. Julies overall hasn’t been fishing well this season for whatever reason. This being said, the guides have been avoiding it and therefore we feel it gives us a better chance at a hungry Indo-Pacific permit. We parked then the three of us spread out and searched the flat slowly – step by step.
Things seemed better right from the get-go. Gerhard landed a bonefish two minutes in and for the next few hours he and Tim each landed more than a dozen of the oversize bones. I saw bones but in order not to mess up any chances at a yellow permit, I kept my fly in my hand and let them pass.
I won’t lie, watching the boys pluck bonefish all around me killed me. But this is how much I want my Indo permit. I saw several. The only one I felt I had a good shot at got messed up when this handsome yet pesky spangled emperor stole my crab before the permit had a chance to see it. Fly fishing for permit can be frustrating in so many ways.
We walked Julies until around noon. Neither of us saw many permit so without hesitation Tim said, “Ok, time to get Currier his permit”. We headed for the north where heaps of small permit schools flourish. It’s where friend Scott Smith nailed his last year on our first day.
I remembered the numerous small permit up north last year and felt as assured as Gerhard and Tim at me getting one. But when we walked for over and hour without seeing a one my confidence began to fade. Eventually I broke the rules and cast to a bonefish.
The best permit anglers in the world likely wouldn’t have reached over the line and cast but I had to. This fish was likely about the 100th I saw today. Honestly the night would’ve been far too long had I not landed one.
After Gerhard flicked the photos I felt better. The tug is the drug as they say. I went back to searching for permit. At around 3 pm they came. Lots of little yellow permit in that 3-7lb range started tailing around the three of us. But they had PhD’s in “crabology”. While Tim and Gerhard each had an eat none of us were able to connect and for me the yellow permit continues to elude.
While Tim, Gerhard and I didn’t catch a yellow permit, Ryan did on Paul’s Island. According to Ryan there were many there and perhaps tomorrow they will take me. They are such stunning looking creatures!
The rest of our group which includes six other anglers had fantastic days. My friend Terry Graham of Australia has been keeping an eye on the elusive permit like me but most the others are having a blast fishing for everything (I’m jealous!). One of the most eye-catching catches came from Terry’s friend Robyn Hides. This is the yellow dot trevally also known as the island trevally. We picked off a few last year.
It’s the end of another amazing day here at St. Brandon’s Atoll. I’m this deep into this yellow permit hunt so I suspect I’ll go full on again tomorrow.
Remember, if you want to go to St Brandon’s Atoll feel free to contact me or my friends at Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures.
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