I just returned from the Palometa Club in Punta Allen, Mexico on the northeastern end of Ascension Bay. Tailwaters Fly Fishing put together a group of 12 great guys for a week of hardcore permit fishing to end the season for the club. With total of 19 permit caught (many of which were in the 20-25lb range), the trip was a monumental success.

Once again, I traveled as Tailwaters’ staff photographer. After hearing so many wonderful things, I was stoked to finally arrive in Mexico to start shooting and experience what the Palometa Club has become known best for – permit fishing. While fish and underwater photography were a high priorty, I really wanted to capture the prized asset of this operation – the Palometa Club’s guides. These guys are what make the difference and it shows. On Thursday (the last day of the season), the Palometa Club wrapped up the season with a benchmarking 159 permit. Incredible! You might also remember that they hit permit #500 back on April 14 of this year. Such an incredible accomplishment for only it’s 6th (6 month) season.

Hunting Permit

The Difference

The Palometa Club’s success is a direct result of their approach to permit fishing and their family like atmosphere at the lodge. Having two sets of trained eyes is always better than one, which is why they use a 1:1 guide/angler ratio. This is not to be confused with one guide serving as a boat driver and the other acting as a “head” guide. Both are professional and are equally skilled. When a permit is spotted, guide #1 will position the boat with his push pole. The other guide and angler will then slowly step out from the boat and begin to position themselves to intercept the fish. While both angler and guide are in the water, guide #1 is continually feeding information to the guide next to you – making sure they are both on the same page. When it’s time to present the fly, your guide is right next to you explaining exactly what to do – all while managing your line so it won’t tangle. It is truly an incredible approach that increases your confidence and chance at landing a permit.

Guides at Work

Permit release

While most anglers visit the Palometa Club to catch a permit, those that seek variety, other species are available to catch. Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish, Cuda, and even shark are all plentiful. That being said, we had three gentlemen Grand Slam (permit, tarpon, and bonefish in one day) this past week. A 40lb lemon shark, and a monster toothy cuda were also landed. Yes – there are permit, bonefish, tarpon, ect. from Ascension Bay down into Belize, but the difference between a good trip and the trip of a life time is the unique operation the Palometa Club has to offer.

For more information on the Palometa Club, please visit www.palometaclub.com or
contact their US Booking Office: 888-824-5420 or email permit@palometaclub.com

Tarpon

Go Mavs!

To add an extra spin to our trip, the entire group was eagerly anticipating the Mavericks vs. Heat playoff games – games 3, 4 and 5 to be exact. Being that we were in the small town of Punta Allen, our viewing options were limited. For games 3 and 4, we ended up in a small, “hole in the wall” joint. It’s walls were piled high of empty beer boxes, the lights were dimmed, and there was a single 19″ tele to scream and cheer at for hours on end. For game 5, we were a few minutes late and were lucky enough to see the 4th quarter. The only legitimate bar in town – equipped with a 50″ flatscreen, was showing the Mexico vs. Cuba futbol game. Luckily, Mexico was slaughtering Cuba 5-nil, and with a few free rounds of beer the locals granted us access to the tv. I’m now proud to say that the Dallas Mavericks are NBA Champions after an incredible journey. GO MAVS!