Good Conditions and Permit Prevail

The inestimable Joe Seelig with yet another palometa perfecto!
Here are two other great first-time permit caught that week...

Despite a short cold front that made misery out of two days, the rest of the week the sun shined bright. And as is always the case, that means permit 'o plenty!

It finally felt like a normal, crazy, full-house of fun lovin' fishin' fools at The Palometa Club this week. Dr. John Searles did his annual two-day stint tacked on to the back of a Playa del Carmen medical conference, bringing some fellow docs along for the experience. John finally landed his very first tarpon on a fly and then boated two snook as well. Congats to the good doctor!

"Suerte Joe" Seelig followed up his amazing Club-record-setting performance of last season with two more nice permit to add to the total. His response, "A little slower than last year, but the fish were there - they just didn't want to eat! Good number of shots and some really nice (BIG!) fish seen. Had all the fish that LOOKED at my fly eaten..." Too bad this guy isn't very enthusiastic about permit fishing.

Joe's fishing partner for the week, fellow Alaskan Dave Coolidge, managed a beautiful permit on his last day, while first-timer Will Stephens, a Johnson&Johnson exec en-route to Mexico City on business, landed two permit during in his two-day drive by!

Then there was Greg Granken of Waterford, Mich and 87-year-young Tom Nixon from Austin TX. These two came down as single anglers, hooked up to fish together, and worked their butts off. They and had some good shots but it just wasn't meant to be. Next time boys!

Rounding out the group was Rhodes Robinson and his pal Howard Marshall. Howard got on the board with a great palometa on the last day. but Rhodes was resigned to wait for his return trip in May to even the score. We thought we could hear Rhodes wailing some blues tune as they drove away up the jungle road back to Cancun, and sure enough, he sent us this email the next day...

My buddy and me got back last night

From a fishing trip that was quite a site

My friend does no often get to go

So, I let him catch our palometo

My heart is breaking

My soul is aching

I have returned home with real bad news

Bones and permit , a double case of the blues

We enjoyed our hosts Dick and Kaye

In their fine lodge on Ascension Bay

We went out for a good days fishing

They stayed at home margarita’s they are fixing

My heart is breaking

My soul is aching

I have bad, bad news

I have got the permit blues

I am going to fix this malady of mine

Headed back to the Club another time

Me and my buddies need palometo

We are sitting around getting ready to go

My heart is breaking

My soul is aching

I have bad, bad news

I have got the permit blues

Now I know how to tie the right bait

I am eager to return, can’t wait

Just let me know if I need to prepare more

Soon I will be headed out the door

My heart is breaking

My soul is aching

I have bad, bad news

I have got the permit blues