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![]() Permit Fishing with the MerkinBy Capt. Tom RowlandThe most interesting aspect of the Merkin is that it is truly a fly that changed the sport. Before Del Brown created the Merkin and began to regularly catch some of his 370+ permit on fly, anglers and guides would just take passing shots at the wary fish. Capt. Nat Ragland created a fly called the Puff, which was responsible for a few fish, but not until Brown’s creation did permit fishing take off. Del Brown, guided by Steve Huff, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that permit fishing is not only effective, but also a worthy way to spend the day. The two routinely caught permit, came in with world records and days that they caught numerous fish. At the time, these statistics were staggering because the number of anglers who had caught a single permit on fly was amazingly low. Pioneering flies and techniques for permit, the pair created quite a stir in the Keys and elsewhere. We can all thank Del Brown for the sport we now know as permit fishing with a fly.
Weather plays an important role in the success of permit anglers. The ideal day for permit is not the ideal day for other fish. I like 18-25 mph winds with a crystal clear sky. Higher winds allow me to pole the boat to within 30 feet of a tailing permit and the high sun gives us the visibility to track a fish from 100yards away. Spotting a fish at such a great distance and beginning the stalk is the epitome of sporting challenge. Poling in heavy wind seems effortless when we are watching a 30 pound fish tail repeatedly along the flat. As I approach the fish, my angler gets ready to make the difficult cast. Timing is everything in this situation. Casting too early is the most common mistake that my anglers make. With the high winds, cut your estimated distance in half and wait for your guide to tell you when begin the cast. The boat position is equally as important as the cast and windy days make it exceedingly difficult to set up the shot. A good guide will pole into position and tell you to begin your cast. At that moment, he will slowly swing the boat to allow a clear casting path while remaining in position to chase the permit if necessary. When the cast is made, watch the reaction of the fish. A well-presented fly will get the fishes attention, while a cast too far away from the fish will go unnoticed. I tell all my anglers that I would rather see them spook the fish by casting too close to the fish than having them never see it. Tremendous amounts of fish are spooked as the angler tries to recast a short cast. If all goes well, the permit will rush over to your fly, tail up on it and ease off. Your line will come tight and you will be hooked to the most prized fish on earth. It sounds easy; it is not. While not easy, it is certainly not impossible and permit are caught on fly regularly. When an angler achieves the confidence that a permit will eat every fly that is thrown to them properly, that angler will begin to catch a lot of permit. Achieving such a high level of confidence is developed through long hours chasing permit. I can not think of a better way to spend the day.
Key West offers the best accommodations in the Keys and most of my anglers choose to stay on the island. There are accommodations for every budget and taste from the chain type hotels to elegant guest houses to five star resorts. Generally I give a few recommendations of some of my favorite places and my anglers may choose which one is best suited to their vacation. Key West also plays a great host to any non-fishing companions with its museums, shops and fabulous cuisine. Tying the Merkin
Tying InstructionsStart by running your thread from the eye to the tie in point and completely cover the hook shank. Return to the eye and tie in the eyes by making figure 8 turns with your thread and finish by wrapping around the base of the eyes with turns parallel to the hook shank. This will build a nice support for the eyes and prevent "roll-over". Make sure to leave enough room for the weed guard if you choose to install one. Return the thread to the rear of the hook shank. Begin the tail with a small clump of marabou to match the rest of the fly. I prefer my tails a little longer than normal using about a 1-½ inch piece to make most of them. Tie this in on the top of the hook shank. Tie in about 3-4 strands of flashabou or other matching flash material on top of the marabou. Now select your hackles and pair them. I use 2-3 hackles per side. Splay the hackles like a tarpon fly so that the feathers curve naturally outward.Begin the body by cutting yarn into lengths of 2 inches. The original Merkin calls for alternating bands of brown and tan yarn, but I like to be creative with both color and amount of each color in the fly. If I want an overall lighter colored fly, I might use a few more pieces of tan yarn than brown. To create the Merkin’s body, tie in a single piece of the yarn crossways to the hook. Secure the yarn in the middle with figure 8 turns. Tie the next piece in as close as possible and secure with figure 8’s. Continue tying in yarn pieces until you reach the eyes. If you would like to install a weed guard you can do that now. Cut a 3-inch piece of Mason 20-pound monofilament. With pliers, flatten one end for a more secure tie-in. Just behind the eye, tie in the weed guard and wrap around the mono so that it extends almost straight up. Cut the weed guard to extend just beyond the hook point. Whip finish the fly.
When you are happy with the shape, you can now install the rubber legs. If you choose to use white with red tips, a neat trick is to take the package of rubber legs and cut the entire strand the length that you desire. While the legs are still held together, use an indelible marker to color the tips of the entire strand of rubber on both the top and bottom. Somehow you will get full coverage and you will have lots of legs the right size and already colored. Simply thread the leg through the body and tie it in a single overhand. I have never had one of these come off and it looks better than tying a granny knot on the legs. Tie in 3-4 legs throughout the body. You may have noticed that I did not call for any glue or head cement on this fly. Permit are very difficult to catch because they have an incredible sense of smell and I don’t want to take a chance of them smelling any glue on the fly. Incidentally, be very careful with sunscreen and bug repellent. A tiny bit of sunscreen on the fly will ruin any chance you might have had to catch a Permit. Click on the photos above to view full-size. Remember to use your browser's "back" button to return.
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