The ABC’s of Fly Fishing for Permit in Belize Part 1 Distribution and Size

The Reef
A large reason why Belize is one of THE best permit destinations is because of the extraordinary Barrier Reef, which runs down almost the entire length of the Belizean coast. The reef generates and sustains an enormous amount of sea life and permit take full advantage of this in terms of how and when they feed. Permit are migratory by nature and they will go where food is abundant. They use the Belizean reef as a highway, moving both north and south, looking for better feeding grounds. When they get hungry, they’ll slip inside the reef to feed for a few hours, or even a few days. When food is plentiful, permit will hold in deeper water cuts and channels near the productive flats, waiting for the incoming tide to allow them to get back up onto the flats to feed. But, when the food supply in a particular area dries up, permit will simply move on to a new location. I’ve seen permit pouring over the reef in less than a foot of water, coming in to feed at the beginning of an incoming tide. They turn onto their sides and actually swim over the reef in 3 or 4 inches of water, which is no small feat for a 20-pound fish! It’s an extraordinary sight and one I never quite got used to seeing.  

Distribution
Permit can be found everywhere Belize, from San Pedro in the north, down to Punta Gorda in the south. However, if you want to seriously focus on permit, Southern Belize is by far the better fishery and the south is where you need to direct your travel plans. The big difference between the two areas is that in the northern part of the country, virtually all of the permit fishing is done from a boat, targeting fish in deeper water. In the San Pedro region, there are several very productive areas where permit can always be found. Anglers can expect to be casting to fish that are either laid up or cruising in anywhere from 3 feet to 12 feet of water. The south is a completely different experience when targeting permit. This is because Southern Belize is one of the few places anywhere where you can wade to tailing permit on the narrow tidal flats that are found offshore. These flats consist of hard packed coral and offer anglers excellent wading. This skinny water fishing environment is the ultimate challenge for fly rodders to test their skills. I have fished in a variety situations and locations throughout the world, and for me, fly fishing for permit in shallow water is the most challenging angling experience I know of. The triangle shaped area from Tobacco Caye to Gladden Cut, and over to Placencia, is, in my opinion, one of the top two places in the world to fly fish for permit. I say this for 2 reasons:

1) The tidal flats in this area hold more permit than anywhere I’ve ever seen. The numbers of fish are excellent and new fish are constantly being flushed onto the flats from the reef.

2) This area represents the best location from which to wade, when fly fishing for permit. Personally, I much prefer to be wading when casting to fish, rather than fishing from the boat. My accuracy is better and I find that I have less to foul the line on when I’m in knee deep water.