Day 6. Last day. Last Opportunity
Lets get some!
Everything felt right for the last day with Omar and my father. The wind was right, the coulds were right and every time you fish with Omar....he's got a new secret spot
Out we went about 10 minutes outside of San Pedro to a flat that "had dem big tailing bones" We split up, my dad with Omar and I went with Omar's understudy, "D".
Nursing a legit hangover and slogging through DEEP mud is tough, but when big tails are breaching out of the shallows just on the outside of casting distance is a big motivator. This particular flat had places were my big butt sank almost up to mid thigh. True quick sand
D and I battled the mud and got over to the fish. The biggest we caught came all the way 70 feet out following my shrimp pattern. It hit right on my last strip as I crouched and got as low as possible so it wouldnt see me. It blew up right at my feet as I strip set the hook solid
This fish put me into the backing 3 times. After the fight was done, he just sat there and allowed me to take a few more pictures
What happened next seemed pretty damn unreal after it all unfolded. We left that flat, and on our way to another, we slowly cruised along, looking for a school of permit that inhabit this particular area. Then it happened, we all saw the flashes of the school ahead of us, parked on a deeper trough on the flat.
Instantly the boat sprang into hurried motion. I wanted my father to take the first shot, so he hops out with Omar while D and I ready the boat and get out ourselves. In 2 feet of water, my dad bombs a cast into the school. Stripping through it caused barely any reaction, but it put the school on the move. D and I waded furiously to get ahead and turn the fish back around towards my dad...and it worked
The school or juvenile permit were headed right to my dad and Omar. He placed his Crystal Shrimp pattern to the nose of the school and instantly, his rod bucked with a fleeing permit on the end of his line. Shouts, hoots and hollers rang out, as hooking ANY permit is an accomplishment
Breaking out of my daze of seeing OMR connect with La Palometa, I refocused with the help of D to get my shot. Amazingly these fish didnt spook out of the area when my dad connected with his....they just kept circling
Moving as fast as I could, we got in line with the school for a shot. I put the fly on the edge of the school and three shot off to battle for my fly, only to refuse and rejoin the school.
One more shot presented itself. One lone soldier broke off the school and busted for my fly.
Now I would like to say I played it by the book, strip set and then up. But shit, when you're hooked up to a ghost, you just hope for the god damn best
Into the backing the permit ran, and at the same time, OMR was still fighting his fish. I couldnt farking believe it, a father / son double on permit
About five minutes into the fight, I remembered I was fishing with a debarbed hook. A note to the wise...dont debarb your hooks for saltwater. The guides just laughed at me when I told them this "These arent trout" they would say. So I prayed to the fish gods that my hook set was good
Finally after about 8-10 minutes, we both tailed our fish.
UN............FREAKING..............REAL
Omar said it's the first time in 14 years of guiding he's ever had a father-son double on permit.
So what do you do when you hook permit...you take shitpot of pictures
Ahh huh, you know this
That's the look of on uber happy flats fisherman.
Sadly, the trip had to end. Back to shitty weather and real life.
But what a way to go out!
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