The little fishing village of Punta Allen sits on sandy spit on the edge of Ascension Bay along Mexico’s Yucatan Penninsula. It was a government grant to the locals to be used for lobster fishing. But, as with any fishy destination boasting permit, bonefish, tarpon snook and a host of other game fish, the fly fishing community began to take notice. Today, Punta Allen is the jumping-off location for arguably the best permit fishing on the planet.
Ascension Bay Permit Tournament 2017- Official Film from Christian Ihrybauer on Vimeo.
I’ve been to Punta Allen a couple of times, and I caught and landed my first permit within sight of the Palometa Club’s back dock. It was the experience of a lifetime.
But the fly fishing community is doing Ascension Bay right. Lodges host anglers from all over the world, and the conservation ethic of the local guides keeps the bay intact, plenty fishy and it helps science understand the migratory movements and behavior of Carribbean permit. The annual Ascension Bay Permit Tournament is a prime example of how fly fishers the world over not only get the opportunity to experience some the most amazing permit fishing anywhere, but they get the opportunity to enhance a community that is forging its identity from the long-term, renewable natural resources that make it so very special.
Here’s to Punta Allen and the annual tournament. And, of course, to the permit, bonefish and tarpon that make this place a staple destination for worldwide fly fishers.
— Chris Hunt