Southlake Style's Rafe Hembree resolves to catch the elusive Permit fish
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Great Outdoors by Rafe Hembree
Does anyonebreven make New Year's Resolutions anymore or am I the only one left on thebrplanet who wants to start off with a declaration of what I'm going tobraccomplish for the year? After all, the definition of a resolution is: A firm decision to do or not to do something. Some of my resolutions arebrrepetitive, such as going fly fishing to at least two out of state destinationsbrper year. Usually, I throw in a few new concepts or ideas and make sure theybrhappen or at least give it my best shot. Val Kilmer made famous a phrase in thebr1988 film Young Guns, and it was thebrsimple one-liner, “I’m your Huckleberry.” He was challenging a gentleman to abrgun fight in Doc Holiday’s true form. Resolutions can sometimes be challengingbrin the same manner to try and accomplish, especially if you set some loftybrgoals – though what’s the fun in making resolutions too easy, right?
Abrcouple years ago my good friend, let's call him Zack, called and invited me onbra trip to Belize to catch Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit on the fly. “I'm yourbrHuckleberry,” I said….of course after I cleared all social calendars and tookbrthe wife on a nice date to explain to her why it was so important that I go onbrthis more than short notice trip of a lifetime. As it turns out, that's exactlybrwhat it was and I'd do it again if given the chance. There were six of us andbrwe all caught plenty of Bones, Baracuda and Jacks. Most of us had shots atbrTarpon and Permit too and there was at least one landed.
Onbrthe trip, Zack had told me about how many times he'd been fishing in Belize andbrhow he'd never caught a Permit. He also mentioned that it was his constant NewbrYear's Resolution and during this trip, he was determined to catch one. This was a three day trip and day one hadbrcome and gone. No sight of a single Permit. It must be pointed out that thisbrfish is the most sought after target for saltwater fly fisherman because (and I'll just be blunt) it's simply thebrhardest to catch. The Permit is very elusive and very picky about what it eats.brIt can follow your fly for 20 or 30 feet and then deny you as if tormenting youbrwas its purpose all along.
Onbrthe second day, I had my heart broken several times due to denials from thesebrpicky Permits, not to mention my horrible casting skills that seemed to bebrfalling apart all at the wrong time. Hey, we all have our moments, but minebrseemed to be occurring when I had legit chances for a hook up. Zack, however, was on the mark that day andbrfor once he made the perfect cast to a willing Permit. It ate his fly and thebrfight ensued. It was a proud moment and of course it was a memory for abrlifetime. Finally, that year, he closed the door on that particular resolution.br
Resolutionsbrare fun and if you're a goal oriented person, then they can be fulfilling. Ibrdon't get lost in them too much, but if I say I'm going to do something, I'mbrgoing to move Heaven and Earth to see that it gets done or die trying. The pathbrmay not always be pretty, but if the resolution is complete, then I'mbrsatisfied. Get creative and dare to get out of your comfort zone. Be abrHuckleberry and make a resolution that will carry a memory. You'll be glad youbrdid.
Southlake's Rafe Hembree is a born and raised Texan, husband and father of four. Rafe, a Texas Tech alum, has been hunting and fishing since he was knee high to a prairie dog. A true outdoorsman and conservationist, he travels the world in search of the best hunting and fishing locales, especially for his favorite activity - Saltwater Fly Fishing. A volunteer guide with Reel Recovery, Rafe looks forward to sharing his experiences with family, friends and readers of Southlake Style.