Project Permit: Tag, You're It

The most prized game fish on the flats, or maybe anywhere, for the saltwater fly fisherman, is the permit. Permit are also in trouble. recent efforts to protect permit from net fishing have been rejected by the Florida Wildlife Commission because of "lack of information." This may be a bogus argument, but, to use the parlance of our times, it is what it is.






Fortunately, our friends at Costa sunglasses have teamed up with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust to begin to gather the information needed to protect our beloved permit.

Project permit has been launched and can be found at http://www.projectpermit.com. The idea is to provide anglers with tagging kits to better understand the habits and patterns of permit. Project Permit will kick off on March 14 in Key West at the March Merkin fishing tournament. But anglers can start requesting their tagging kits now by e-mailing at bonefish@mote.org or by going to the Web site.

Below is the official Press release from Costa.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Costa Partners with the Bonefish Tarpon Trust to Tag Permit throughout Florida

“Project Permit” is First of its Kind in Florida, Will Help Guide Future Conservation Policy



Daytona Beach, Fla. – Mar. 5, 2010 – Permit are often referred to as one of the most elusive game fish in the Atlantic Ocean, captivating salt water flats anglers for years in their quest to catch them. And yet, little is known about this mysterious species. What are their spawning and migration patterns? How healthy is the fish population? What regulations are needed to ensure adequate stock for future generations?

Costa® and the Bonefish Tarpon Trust (BTT), a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research and policy support to ensure healthy populations of bonefish, tarpon and permit for future generations, have teamed together to launch the first known extensive permit tagging program in Florida. Working with anglers and conservation partners statewide, the group hopes to tag and monitor data of more than 6,000 permit over the next five years, with hopes to expand Caribbean-wide.

“There’s never been a stock assessment of permit in Florida,” said Aaron Adams, president of the Bonefish Tarpon Trust. “The research results we receive from this tagging project will allow scientists to uncover never-seen-before data, and help us form policy recommendations with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission to ensure we protect permit and allow them to thrive in their natural habitat.”

The success of the tagging program relies heavily on angler participation throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Currently, it’s not known whether permit caught in the Florida Keys are from the same or different populations that those caught as far north as Tampa. And if research findings from tarpon and bonefish are any indication, it’s not to be assumed that permit are homebodies: tarpon tagging research has shown migrations as far north as the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid Atlantic, and bonefish tagged in the Florida Keys have been recaptured 150 miles away in The Bahamas – much farther than ever anticipated.

“Anyone who has permit fished before can tell you about the art and skill needed to catch them,” said Al Perkinson, vice president of marketing for Costa. “It’s something we want to make sure future anglers have a chance to try, which is why the data from this tagging program are so important. We want to help form policy that protects and conserves permit for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”

Costa is supporting the program through a grant to the BTT, and is donating a portion of proceeds of its new sunglass style, Bomba, to the permit tagging project.

All recreational and sport anglers are open to participate in the permit tagging program. The initiative officially kicks off at the March Merkin Permit Tournament in the Florida Keys, March 15 – 18, 2010. There, anglers will be able to pick up tags and learn more about the BTT’s initiatives.

Anglers can also request permit tags by e-mailing the Bonefish Tarpon Trust at bonefish@mote.org, or call 239-283-1622. Learn more about the program at www.projectpermit.com.


About Costa®

As the leading manufacturer of the world’s clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology, unparalleled fit and durability, and a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects on all of its products. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa creates what has been referred to as the highest quality, best performing sunglasses on the planet for outdoor enthusiasts.


For Costa, conservation is all about sustainable fishing. Many fisheries that should be vibrant and healthy are all but devoid of native fish because they have fallen victim to poor fishing practices, unregulated development, lack of watershed protection or all of the above. Costa works with partners around the world to help increase awareness and influence policy so that both the fish and fishermen of tomorrow will have healthy waters to enjoy. Costa encourages others to help in any way they can.


For more information, contact 1-800-447-3700 or visit the company’s Web site at www.costadelmar.com, or join in the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/costadelmar.com or Twitter @CostaSunglasses.


Media contact

Liza Jones, 864.672.9615 (office), 864.270.0722 (cell)

liza@fullcirclepr.com

Jimmy Albright and The Costa C Channel

One of the true legends of salt water fly fishing is Jimmy Albright.  He's a legendary guide in the Florida Keys and a true pioneer of the long rod.

If you ever tied an Albright Knot to connect your fly line to your backing, or your leader to your line, or for any other reason, thank Jimmy next time.

Costa Del Mar has a great addition to its Web site called the Costa C Channel and it has some great videos.  There is a series of fishing classics from the IGFA including one on Albright.  

Check out a video of Albright bonefishing here.

More of these videos to come.

Drum by WorldANGLING

I had a chance to check out the promo clip for the movie Drum by WorldANGLING on my iPhone during a trip last week.  These guys do not dissapoint.  This movie is about red fishing in Louisiana and has a lot of great shots, great tunes, and big fish.

Be sure to check out their movie and if you're in the Keys, give um a call and go fishing with Dave or Will.


Drum preview by WorldANGLING from WorldANGLING on Vimeo.

Quick Hells Bay Update

One thing I neglected to mention in my previous post is the commitment that Chris and Wendi Peterson made to Hells Bay customers and the Hells Bay brand.

When the company was purchased three years ago, they contacted everyone who had put a deposit on a boat and offered them $10,000 toward a new skiff which they went on to build with no deposit.

Customers accepted the offer and received their Hells Bay skiffs.

This really shows the companies commitment to us, the boat owners and anglers, to make the finest skiffs in the world.

Walkers Cay Jackpot--Thank you Hells Bay

My favorite "fishing" celebrity is without a doubt Flip Pallot.  The Walkers Cay Chronicles was the best Sunday fishing show ever.  Period.  Why the show went off ESPN is beyond me, but it did and so all we fans can do is go fly fishing.

I was just surfing on Hell's Bay Web site and I hit the jackpot.  The site has many "lost" episodes of Walkers Cay so be sure to check them out.  The link is HERE. 

I've been a fan of Hells Bay for a long time and have followed the company for some time.  The company was started by Flip and Hal Chittum and was noted as a boat for captains and anglers very serious about shallow water fishing.  A few years back the company fell into bankruptcy and has emerged bigger and better than ever.  Not really sure what happened, but the company went under and lots of people lost out on boats that had been ordered.

Not good.

Fast forward a few years and Captain Chris Peterson bought the company and has turned it around.  The boats are better than ever with Peterson having brought back Tom Gordon, a master boat builder, to the company.  Gordon was one of the original builders but left during the turmoil years and founded his own company, Gordon Boatworks.

Some day I WILL have a Hells Bay Marquesa.  In the meantime, I'll keep wearing my Hells Bay shirt and dreaming.

Save the Chesapeake Bay

Below is a picture from yesterday's Washington Post of the dead zones of the Chesapeake Bay.  According to new reports, there are over 200 dead zones in the Bay now.  To put this in perspective, in the 1950's there were 16.  Why is this happening?  

Almost a quarter of the dead zones are a result of chicken poo, cow poo, and other livestock and poultry fertilizer.  There is a great article from the Washington Post here that really details what is going on along with legislation pending in the U.S. Senate to help clean this up.  It seems like the problem is that farming now consists largely of mega farms and fewer mom and pop operations.  Perdue has built a plant to take care of some this problem, but more needs to be done.  

Be sure to read the article and learn a bit more about how what we eat from the store affects how we fish.  Remember, most of the Rockfish/Striped Bass on the East Coast spawn in the bay.  


One of the first things we can do is begin to notice where our food comes from and start thinking about how many people there are and how many mouths to feed.  

Tying McVay's Gotcha Bonefish Fly

The Bonefish Flat is now up and running with video.  I have started a channel on youtube so feel free to check it out.  The first video is one on fly tying and features McVay's Gotcha.  If you're going fishing in the Bahamas, you'll need these.

I hope folks enjoy.  If you have questions, just let me know.

More flies to come.  I'm still experimenting with the best way to tie and film this.