North 40 Hosted Trip: Sighting Permit - Belize - Day 4

I went back at it today with fellow angler, Jim. Our guide from before, Darrel, was under the weather, and we had to fish with a different guide. Jim and I were definitely apprehensive, as our chances to catch a permit were halfway done for the week.

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We started on a windy flat first thing. Clouds were blocking the sun overhead, making sighting the dark tails of the permit even more difficult. Plus, the wind chop also made it difficult to see nervous water and push-water. It seemed that, right off the bat, our guide was getting discouraged, making Jim and me just as worried.

Sighting Permit

We decided to relocate to a flat and hunt around for a school of permit. The clouds and wind still plagued us. After motoring around for a good 45 minutes, using the best sun angle when available to spot fish, suddenly, we were right on top of a school of about 30 permit. Our moods changed, and our spirits gained a little spark.

We followed them for about 30 minutes until a long cloud blocked the sun and gusting winds caused us to lose sight of the fish. We played this chess game back and forth almost all day long. Jim and I each took turns spending a few long hours on the bow, waiting for at least one legitimate chance to cast at the school.

It was during this time, when I was up on the bow, that my first (and only) chance came. I watched as the school angled right to the port quarter of the boat. Then, immediately, they turned at about 50 feet after spotting the boat. So, without hesitation, I fired a cast about five feet in front of the school and let my fly sink. I slowly stripped the fly along the bottom waiting for a fish to turn down and tail on it. Not a single fish looked at the fly, and they swam straight over it without batting an eye! The school was no doubt spooked, and headed quickly up into shallow water, splitting and blowing off the flat. We spotted the same school maybe twice the rest of the day. The weather definitely took our spirits down, and the day left me and Jim disappointed, but we persevered. More chances were yet to come…

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Later that night at dinner, Calvin took his boys down to the lighted docks to look for tarpon. Tarpon are drawn to lighted areas where baitfish congregate. Fellow angler, Marty, and I decided to tag along. One of the guides told us that tarpon like french fries. Calvin thought to give it a try. Why not, right? We spotted a few tarpon off the docks. Calvin tossed a few fries in the direction of the tarpon, but they pretty much ignored everything that was going on. Slightly disappointed, we still enjoyed watching these big fish feed and roll in the lighted waters, glimmering some excitement for the remaining days of fishing. We returned to our dinner and drinks and shared stories of the day.