Yesterday with Chris Robinson

Yesterday I fished with Captain Chris Robinson. While I’ve known Chris for a few years now, I had yet to spend a day on the water with him, and I was glad for the opportunity to fish with him. Our second day (today) was cancelled since the cold front that shook us yesterday still clinging on, but I look forward to fishing with Chris in the future.

We started a ways away from Key West, in water I have hardly ever fished. For nearly six hours, we saw permit: most of them were in large, fast-swimming schools. While we put some casts in their line I was, admittedly, not putting it where it needed to be most of the time. I had perhaps 20 shots at schools, singles, doubles–all acting strange and forcing us to make more than a few fly changes. After six hours of this we returned to the standby fly and stuck with it for one more stop, feeling the cold bear down on us as the hard edge of a front approached.

One cast was all it took (ok, fine: I had to cast twice. If I’m being honest, my casting was pretty shoddy) and we hooked a fish. After a long time between when he fed and when he cleared the line to the reel, the fight was relatively normal. Here’s what the capture looke like:

With that, and the impending upending brought on by the cold front, we left for the dock.

I’d like to thank Chris Robinson for a great day on the water, and while I’ve enjoyed all this permit fishing lately I am returning to tarpon fishing tomorrow, in preparation for the Gold Cup. I have a lot of ground to make up before next year’s Merkin, but I’ll worry about that in the summer.

Tomorrow with Sndy Horn and Howard Davis, report to follow.

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