Multi-repeat Tailwaters client and friend, Steve Henriksen, and crew (Mark Godvin, Cary Williams, Curtis Baker) enjoyed a short week post-Easter at the Club and had this to say about his trip and his 11th hour birthday permit.  I learned later he did not remember it was his birthday until his wife informed him upon his return home.  Permit fishing will do that to you.

Reminds me of when Frank the Tank forgot this birthday. Photo by: Cary Williams

Dear David,

Thanks for steering us down to the Palometa Club. Despite the tough conditions, we were already talking about a return trip on the way to the airport. All of us we’re in total agreement. The fishery is outstanding. Dick and Kay are unbelievable. The accommodations and food are great. The two guide system and the guides themselves are the best we’ve ever seen. Next time we are at the Club we promise not to spike Mark’s margarita’s!!!

After hunting Permit all morning it was nice to have other options on the windy/cloudy afternoons. All of us caught bones and cudas nearly every day. Our mission late each day was to put a cuda in the boat for the guides to take home for dinner…Mark set the bar pretty high with a 40-45 lbs fish the first day. Anyway, on the last ½ day fishing heading up to the bridge for our noon pick-up to the airport I was lucky enough to be on the bow for a shot at a “hungry” Permit. The pictures don’t tell the entire story of how the fish was landed…

It was Sunday and it was my birthday. After blowing a perfect shot at a close range feeding fish, within minutes I had a cruising fish swimming straight on at 12 0’clock. Easy cast, good instruction from Pedro…wait, wait, ok slooow strip and the sucker just pounced on the crab. Four nice runs and 15 minutes later, as we’re working the fish in, the backing to fly line knot broke. As you can imagine the video Cary was taking will need some serious editing!!! I guess the Permit knew it was my B-Day because laying in the water was the end of the line. Pedro jumped in the water and grabbed it and Koreano poled the boat hard to gather enough line, I stripped enough backing, and while Cary kept just enough tension to keep the hook set the guide re-tied. Ten minutes later we were taking pictures and tagging my first Permit. It was a total team fish!!! The balance of the day Cary had the bow and I just sat and enjoyed what became an absolutely perfect “HVD” (high value day).

Thanks again David for all your assistance.
Steve

Photo by: Cary Williams

Photo by: Cary Williams

Photo By: Cary Williams