The flats of Belize, generally, run in a north-south direction.   Typically, they are narrow flats, 50 to 200 feet wide that steeply rise from the bottom to a depth of 6 inches on the east side with a long taper to the west side to deeper water.  These flats can run 100 feet to 5 miles long.  The permit are usually tailing down that line throughout the high tide curve.

As the boat is poled down these flats, you can spot tails and dorsal fins and nervous water that give the permit away.  Normally, you step out of the boat on hard surface flats and position yourself for the right kind of crosswind or downwind cast.  It is not unusual to get many casts to the same fish. 

You cannot line these fish, that is, cast beyond them.  The cast must be close, but not too far.  Once hooked, you keep your drag loose and let them run off the flat.  Then you get back in the boat and fight the permit in deep water.

This is the toughest fly fishing in the world and not for the light hearted.  Blue Horizon Lodge is the only lodge dedicated to permit.  We know the flies and techniques to land these difficult fish.  We approach an average of 2 permit landed per angler per week every year.  This is truly your best chance at landing a permit.

Permit swim erratically, so casting close to the fish is essential. Many people believe that casting close to a permit will scare him off, and sometimes it might. But if you cast too far in front of him, he may turn before he gets to your fly and never see it. If you cast over him, he's history, or if you cast to the side of him, he might see your line or turn and run into it, which will also spook him. Regardless of what you may have read or been told, strive to drop your fly the length of the fish directly in front of him. If you scare him off, then so be it At least you'll know he sees the fly. You can't catch a permit on a fly he never sees, so listen to the guide and put it right in front of the fish - not to one side or the other - right in front of him !

Your drag must be set quite light - just strong enough to keep your line from free spooling. there are many coral formations in our waters and after you set the hook, you want to allow the permit to run as straight and as quick as possible off the flats into deep water where you will fight him. A loose drag is essential. If you tighten down on him, he will feel the pressure and zig-zag around the coral heads and cut you off.

Don't try to cast too far and sacrifice accuracy. Most permit are taken at about 40 feet. Your cast must stay between you and fish. Never line a permit or he will blow up and disappear. Immediately upon making your cast, point your rod at the fish and take the slack out of your line with long slow strips. When the guide tells you, or if you feel the slightest tap, set the hook with a strong short strip, while the rod is still pointed directly at the fish. Never try to set the hook by raising your rod tip. This ain't trout fishing!

After hook-up, raise your rod as high as you can, but don't pressure the fish. You'll probably be on the foot at the time of hook-up, so the object is to get back in the boat while letting the un-pressured permit run, and then follow him in the boat as quickly as possible to deep water. Keeping it all together is mayhem for sure, but all permit fly-fishing is mayhem.

Forget the idea that large numbers of permit means they will compete for your fly. You can only fish to one at a time - the one that is closets to you. If there are many permit in view, the closest fish may keep changing, which can be confusing. When there are many fish present, it is almost impossible to keep track of them all and cast without lining a fish you didn't see. Casting to one or two fish is much easier than fishing to a huge school.

Make sure you are looking at the same fish that your guide is seeing. A permit can pick up a fly, crush it and spit it out, and you won't feel a thing. That's why listening to the guide is imperative. His trained eye will know when the fish has picked up the fly, even if you aren't sure. Believe him ! When he says, "Cast" you cast. When he says "Strip", you make a long, slow strip. When he says, "Drop it," you point your rod a the fish and let the fly drop (stop). And when he say, "Set," you set the hook.

Lincoln Westby has been guiding for 31 years and you are not going to show him anything new. This is Belize, nor Florida, not Ascension Bay, Honduras or the Yucatan. Belize is very different. We know which flies work here. Believe me, we have tried them all.

Fly Fishing for Permit with Will Bauer Produced by Screaming Reel Productions Saltwater fly fishing's most difficult prize. The ever-elusive permit. A new standard in fly fishing videos. "Fly Fishing for Permit with Will Bauer" is an extraordinary 43-minute journey through the eyes of a legendary permit fisherman. Will has landed well over 100 permit on a fly and has been featured in many articles in fly fishing publications, most recently in the May/June 2004 issue of "Fly Fishing in Salt Waters". His innovative fly tying style has led to the creation of the Bauer Crab and the Bauer Mantis Shrimp, arguably two of the most effective permit flies on the market today.  When master permit guide, Lincoln Westby, owner of "Blue Horizon Lodge" and Will Bauer get together in Belize, you can be assured of amazing results. This video will show you the intricacies of fishing the flats in one of the most prolific permit fishing grounds in the world. Also included in this program is a step-by-step guide for tying the Bauer Crab, one of the secret weapons in Will's permit arsenal. Seasoned veteran or novice angler, if you love fishing the flats, watch "Fly Fishing for Permit with Will Bauer" today and spend 43 minutes fishing with a legend! Click Here  - www.theflyshop.com Or call: 1 800-669-3474, or (530) 222-3555 Title #205934 Running time: 43 minutes Format: DVD-R