The ABC’s of Fly Fishing for Permit in Belize Part 2 Weather and its Impact on Fly fishing for Permit
Barometric Pressure
Permit do not like weather changes, particularly if this change takes place quickly. A rapid drop in barometric pressure will always push permit off the flats, and when fishing for them in deeper water, off the bite. If the pressure rises or falls in a short period of time, permit will act edgy and nervous when working a flat. (more so than usual!!!) If you’re familiar with how permit act when feeding on the flats, you can actually see this increased skittishness and it will signal a coming change in the weather before the external conditions do. If you are stuck in the midst of a few consecutive days of rough weather, don’t lose faith! It pays to get out there and work the flats. Permit will feed in bad weather, just so long as it’s not raining.
Rain
Permit absolutely hate rain and will fade off the flats as soon as it starts to drizzle. One of my guides has speculated that they don’t like the fresh water on their backs and fins and it’s difficult to refute this. My theory is that the fish do not like the noise and vibrations caused when the rain hits shallow water. Whatever the reason, permit will disappear when it starts to rain and will not feed. So, if it’s raining, you may as well pack up and wait it out somewhere dry.
Recently, I was with a client and we had been stalking a school of permit for about 20 minutes, trying to get into the right position to make a good cast. When the fish finally started to cooperate and come our way, the skies opened up and it began to pour with rain. We just stood there helplessly watching the school of about 30 fish slip off the edge of the flat into deeper water. I thought the client was going to break his rod over his knee!
Wind
While most saltwater anglers curse the wind, when you’re chasing permit, the wind is actually your ally. Permit have extraordinary eyesight and can see an angler wading on a flat from a long way off, especially if the angler is wearing the wrong colors. Yes, you can wear your loud shirt with the parrots on it, but just not on the flats. Save the fashion statements for the bar when the fishing day is done. You should be avoiding white, orange, red and pink. Bring shirts and shorts and pants in neutral colors for fishing on the flats.
Wind helps the angler in that it creates a chop on the flat that serves to obstruct the permits long range vision. The ideal wind conditions are about 8-12 miles per hour. This will create a chop on the flat that will hide the angler, while not making overly difficult casts necessary. Permit will also feel safer with waves and a chop on the flat because they are more hidden from their predators (sharks and barracudas) in this weather environment. The end result of this is that permit are more relaxed and will feed more aggressively in these conditions as opposed to the water surface on the flat being calm. Heavy winds of 20 miles per hour and permit will still come up on the flats to feed. The downside of this situation is that presenting the fly accurately becomes extremely difficult. The first thing I’ll do in these conditions is turn to a heavier rod. I normally fish with a nine weight for permit so I’ll switch up and use a 10 weight in strong winds. I also like to overload my heavier rod with an 11 weight line, which further enhances my ability to punch a crab fly through a stiff breeze in these tough conditions, I like to shorten my leader by a couple of feet, from 12 feet down to 9 or 10 feet. This gives me better control of the fly in terms of accuracy when the wind is really ripping.
Sun
In terms of staying out of a permits’ line of sight, and not being seen while wading a flat, an overcast day will work to your advantage far more than a sunny day will. The lack of light brought on by a dull horizon will drastically reduce a permits ability to see anglers and his/her false casts. Overcast days also eliminate errant shadows, which will definitely spook a permit off the flats. That said, I much prefer to fish for permit on a clear day with few clouds, even though an overcast day is the more optimal situation. I say this because there is just something magical to wading a flat and searching for permit when the sun is shining. The incredible colors of the water get magnified, with the different shades of green and blue being dramatically enhanced in sun light. I also see a lot more wildlife on the flats when it’s bright and sunny and this is a big part of what makes wading for fish on these flats so special. It can’t be just about the fish! Belize’s ecosystem is so rich and varied that if you only focus on the fish, you’ll miss some phenomenal sights and experiences.
I once had a 500-pound manatee surface near the edge of a flat I was wading, not 6 feet from where I was standing. It lazed on the surface for about 10 minutes, with no idea that I was near by. I forgot all about the tailing fish on the flat and just watched this beautiful and strange animal. I was fascinated! Twice I’ve watched a school of bonefish rise from the ocean like trout. No one can explain why they do this and very few people have ever seen it. And once, while working a permit flat in the Sapodilla Cayes, I had to stop and sit down on a washed up log to get a small piece of coral out of my boot. As I was working to get my flats boot off, I noticed some unexpected movement to my left. A six-foot boa constrictor calmly slipped from the log into the ocean not 2 feet from where I had chosen to sit down. It can’t just be about the fish!
