Marshal is the driving force behind MidCurrent - fly fishing’s leader of the blog pack.
He’s also a recovering flats guide (note the irony), and we commiserated a bit recently over the number of things we’d like to write for our respective blogs, but haven’t found time to do amidst the pressures of making a living and engaging in the rare bout with personal hygiene – that kind of thing.
Still, Marshall clearly fired up the word processor and gave us his Permit Primer, a passage from which I’ve included below.
During more than 12 years of guiding in key West, I watched fly fishermen make more mistakes on permit than on any other species, perhaps because there are more mistakes to make with this finicky and often exasperating fish. From that, I’ve developed a sort of Top 10 list of the essential skills, techniques, and tactics necessary to pursue permit.
Del Brown with a 32 pound permit. (Marshall Cutchin photo)
Read Marshall’s Top 10 Permit Tips (my favorite is #3: Learn to cast a heavy fly in the wind…. like, where’s the adventure in that??) See you on the salt, Tom Chandler.
[tags]fly fishing, midcurrent, permit, fly fishing for permit, marshall cutchin, top 10[/tags]
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I would love to try this some day. But I don’t think I’m good enough yet to justify the expense of a trip. I’ve heard that people practice for flats fishing by fishing for carp. Something I can do for free very close to my house. It’s on my to do list this summer. Ed.(Quote)
Maybe you could ease yourself into flats fishing by starting with a gulf coast redfish trip. A little closer to home and more shots at more fish – but a similar style of fishing (sorta).
Frankly, it sounds like a hell of a lot of fun to me. I just can’t figure out how to make it happen… Tom Chandler(Quote)
Good post, TC.
And in response to Ed, yes, fishing for carp is quite similar to flats situations (well, that is if yr particular carp happen to live on flats like mine do.) ass hooked whitey(Quote)
Redfishing on the flats is very similar to what he describes. The fish are tougher to spook and if you get it in front of them they will eat. But the approach and knowing what is going on are similar. We have had great fishing in NC the past couple years. The article by Cutchin is the best I have ever seen. Capt Gordon(Quote)
Yeah, when that Cutchin guy is sober, he writes pretty well… 8-) Tom Chandler(Quote)
Marshall,
I hope you and the family are well. Give me a hollar sometime. My number is still 470-3554
Always’
Al hoffacker(Quote)