Christiaan Pretorius, proving to potential Abaco Lodge [lodge destroyed by Hurricane Dorian – August/September 2019] visitors that Trachinotus falcatus is a regular seasonal Bahamas visitor. Cortland/Abaco Lodge
Looking Back
By Skip Clement
With many game fish, they are fish of a thousand casts – romancing those who blindly beat the proverbial bushes all day in hopes of their invitation getting even a nod of receipt. Those famous fish types, salmons and steelhead, have been reserved for the past regal among us with nothing ever earned to have such a résumé. Some qualify as regal among us because they made catching skills reason for their title catches legally fostering the yelp, “Fish on.”
Still, other fly fishers, who will never be regal in any sense of the word, are worthy players because they support the still beautiful habitats in which their tormentors choose to confound
Christiaan Pretorius. Abaco Lodge principal at the time this video taken, goes over his preferred permit set up in the Bahamas. Mako Reel.
My admission to the “other fly fishers” category is because in 65 years of fly fishing the world I’ve never ‘landed’ a permit caught on the flats. Catching them over wrecks with fast sinking lines on 12-weights, wire bite guards, not IGFA rigged, and on random GPS sweeps does not qualify, but fun for sure.
Who would not want a bar room brawl in open water with a 40-pound [Trachinotus falcatus] sewer cover that has a 90 HP rated forked tail?
NOTE: The guy in the film [pictured left], qualifies as regal in the sense that he knows how to, and has for a long time, been able to catch and land big falcatus’ on strictly IGFA fly rigged weapons – or so it seems.
There is also a Bahamas bonefish video, which was supported by Abaco Lodge [before Hurricane Dorian destroyed it], Cortland Line, Mako Reels, and Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods.
Abaco Lodge permit video . . .
