July 19, 2011

Key West Del Brown Permit Tournament

The Del Brown Permit Tournament is underway this week. Today was day two of the tournament. Hot water and flat calm, oily slick conditions have made fly fishing for permit extremely difficult. Guys are finding good numbers of fish but getting good shots has been tough. So far no permit have been caught so the tournament is wide open and one fish could very well win it.

The Del Brown is a fly fishing for permit only tournament named after one of the greatest permit fly anglers in the world, Del Brown. Del Brown caught over 500 permit on fly which still stands as top rank.



Captain Mike Bartlett http://www.keywestflats.net/

Key West Tarpon and Bonefish

Tarpon fishing has been spectacular this last week in Key West. I've been getting out very early in the morning and finding feeding fish busting bait. Most of the tarpon are babies with a few bigger tarpon mixed in. My wife and some of my clients have caught tarpon on fly and artificials. The bite has shutdown as soon as it starts to get light out.

This morning we found a guppy hatch so tarpon fishing lasted a bit longer. My clients Steve and Vern from New Hampshire had several tarpon eat soft plastics with one big fish staying on for a couple of jumps.

We then went to look for bonefish and permit. The guys caught four small bonefish and a bonnethead shark. We had permit around, but with flat calm conditions it was very difficult to get close enough to get a bait near them.









Captain Mike Bartlett http://www.keywestflats.net/