| I have been saltwater fly fishing now for over | | | | The second most mentioned fly is the Clouser's |
| thirty years and have had the opportunity to fish | | | | Minnow. It seems that a lot of people do not |
| with and talk to many fishing guides and other | | | | have the patients to work their flies slowly. If you |
| saltwater fly fishermen about the best flies to | | | | do not have the patience to work a fly slowly |
| use to catch Permit. | | | | that the Clouser's would be a good choice for you. |
| As a general consensus there seem to be three | | | | Because of the dumbbell eyes the Clouser's |
| different types of flies that are always mentioned. | | | | Minnow can be stripped fairly fast, but be careful |
| The patterns most often mentioned are, Crab | | | | not to strip too fast. The colors I would suggest |
| Flies, Clouser's minnows and Shrimp patterns. I will | | | | would be, chartreuse and white, yellow and white, |
| also discuss a fly pattern that is not often | | | | orange and white and orange and yellow. There |
| mentioned but that I have great success with, | | | | have been many nice permits taken Clouser's |
| the Lefty's Deceiver. | | | | Minnows. |
| Let's begin with the crab patterns. There are | | | | The imitation shrimp fly patterns are flies that can |
| many different types of crab patterns from | | | | also be very productive when Permit Fishing. |
| crabs tied with yarn, feathers, feathers and yarn, | | | | Again there are many different ways of tying |
| and my favorite, crabs made with foam. Probably | | | | shrimp lies. I prefer the ones that are tied with |
| the best known crab pattern is the Merkin Crab. | | | | the head of the shrimp at the back of the hook |
| This crab is tied with a yarn body, feathers on | | | | so that when you strip the fly it swims |
| the end, rubber legs, and dumbbell eyes. Because | | | | backwards like shrimp do. Also I look for a shrimp |
| of the weighted eyes, this crab can be worked a | | | | fly that has some type of coating on the back |
| little faster that many of the other crabs. The | | | | that will give the appearance of shell. Always |
| Merkin Crab is so well know among Permit | | | | select lighter colors from light brown to white to |
| fisherman that there are even permit | | | | even a light olive color. |
| tournaments named after it. My personal favorite | | | | Now for one of my favorite permit flies, the |
| crabs are the ones made with a coated foam | | | | Lefty's Deceiver. The Lefty's in many ways |
| body, and either foam or rubber legs and claws. If | | | | resembles the Clouser's minnow with a few |
| you can find foam crabs make sure the colors | | | | differences. The mail difference is that the Lefty's |
| are correct and there is enough flash in the body | | | | does not have the weighted eyes meaning that |
| coating to give plenty of reflection and flash in the | | | | you can work this fly much slower than the |
| sunlight. Because the foam crabs are not | | | | Clouser's. Again my colors of choice would be |
| weighted, you can either work them very slowly | | | | chartreuse and white, Yellow and white, green and |
| or you can add a split shot from five to twelve | | | | white and orange and white. |
| inches from the crab. The shot will allow to strip | | | | All of the flies that I have talked about will catch |
| your line to pull the crab under the water and | | | | permit once you learn how to properly present |
| then stop allowing the crab to float back to the | | | | and work the flies. I hope you find this information |
| surface. Great technique and you should give it a | | | | useful. |
| try. | | | | |