P.M Floats and the Permit Crab

Joe's transcendentalist piece: Revisiting Belize and the Missouri River... These two destinations share the ability to humble any fisherman.

I started my morning staring at the creole permit sculpture occupying my living room coffee table thinking back to the week I spent in Belize, about missed opportunities, and finding peace with blown permit shots.

I am very aware that tying more flies does not directly equate to catching more fish, and having many  flies is in no way a substitute for angling talent (my boss constantly reminds me). So I went into work and tied a single permit crab. Now it sits on the fly shop counter.

Fast-forward to 7 P.M.

I had this fish at 20 feet. He was happy and hungry. All I had to do was make the cast.

I didn’t make it happen. Matt did. One cast.

A heavy dose of harassment after the fish was released was coming, and I knew it.

   ***

Now I’m looking at caddis patterns in the shop bins, thinking I need to tie one.