Ken Watkins has established a new precedent in the world of saltwater fly fishing. During the summer of 2025, he reached a new milestone following a 10 year odyssey in shallow water angling – having succeeded in catching 1,213 permit (the most challenging shallow water species in Central America) in the nation of Belize, with 529 of those fish caught while fly fishing. This formally breaks the previous record set by famous sportfisherman Del Brown, who caught a total of 513 permit. This also exceeds the record of 514 permit caught, set by Mike Ward. This angling accomplishment is not to be taken lightly, as it is the culmination of hundreds of days on the water and thousands of hours invested in chasing the elusive permit on the flats around Ambergris Caye, Belize.
BY CHARLIE ELLIS
Ken Watkins found his passion for fly fishing after completing a course at the world famous Florida Keys Outfitters Fly Fishing School in Islamorada, a quarter century ago. Under the watchful eyes and patient instruction from instructors and guides such as Sandy Morret, Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, Steve Huff, Craig Brewer, and Tim Klein – Ken Watkins developed a dynamic fly fishing skill set that would ultimately evolve into an unparalleled angling ability. Ken fished mostly in the Florida Keys with Capt. Chuck Schafstall for bonefish and tarpon during the first 10 years of his fly fishing career.
Ken Watkins made his first trip to Belize in 2013 specifically to catch bonefish, permit, and tarpon. Prior to his first visit to Belize, Ken Watkins had caught a total of 6 permit – 3 on fly, and 3 on spinning tackle. During that first trip, he arrived to Ambergris Caye and promptly fell in love with the people, culture, and exceptional fishing. It was on that first trip that Ken Watkins met Captain Darrel Smith (Fly With Me Too Fishing Charters), who would ultimately become his exclusive shallow water fishing guide. Ken and Darrel have been fishing together, as of 2025, for over a decade.
In 2018, Ken Watkins purchased a condo at the prestigious Phoenix Resort in San Pedro, and has since spent most of his time there fishing the pristine waters of the lagoon and oceanside. Ken Watkins was always partial to a variety of rods and reels, but ultimately developed a professional relationship with Temple Fork Outfitters and Tibor Fly Fishing Reels (he is sponsored by both companies). This premium quality tackle enabled him to cast accurately and consistently up to 100 feet, which provided a distinct advantage in presenting meticulously crafted flies to large schools of tailing and cruising permit. Ken Watkins tied most of his own flies for the better part of a decade, but has since delegated the craft to Mason Smith, an aspiring Captain out of the iconic Bud n’ Mary’s Marina in the Florida Keys.
Ken Watkins utilized a variety of traditional leader types as part of his rigging for catching permit on the fly, but has recently adapted a configuration that was originally pioneered by iconic fly fisherman Flip Pallot. Adapting the proven leader configuration has enabled Ken Watkins to more accurately present flies at distance, particularly in windy conditions.
When Ken Watkins first became aware of Del Brown’s record of 513 permit on fly, that was reported by various fishing publications as an accomplishment to “never be broken”, he felt a great sense of inspiration and a deep desire to take on the challenge of surpassing it. Ken Watkins shifted his fly fishing efforts to focus exclusively on permit, learning countless nuances that enabled him to catch multiple fish, consistently, in the shallow waters around Ambergris Caye. As the pandemic wound down, Ken Watkins realized that to exceed Del Brown’s record, it would require a tremendous investment of time and patience, in addition to hundreds of days on the water. Ken Adopted the mentality that “Fly fishing is a challenge. Fly Fishing for permit is a greater challenge.”
Catching over 1213 permit, with 529 on fly, is a sport fishing accomplishment of truly epic proportions. To achieve this required exceptional patience, dedication, and relentless team work with Capt. Darrel Smith, one of the top fly fishing guides in San Pedro, Belize.
To achieve such a momentous accomplishment required the extreme commitment and support from Chris Watkins (Ken’s wife), who remained unwaveringly encouraging during the entirety of the endeavor. When discussing the time and effort it took to catch so many permit over the past decade, Ken Watkins reiterates there is “no telling” how many days he left his wife at the condo, only to be met by her at the door upon his return, asking how each day went. Ken attributes much of his success in fishing, and in life, to the enduring love he shares with his wife.
Ken Watkins also speaks proudly of the support he received from his friends, which helped to maintain his spirit and drive to see this angling endeavor through to fruition.
The Allure of Permit on the Fly
Few experiences in the world of angling match the challenge of pursuing a permit on the fly. Permit are elusive, selective, and capable of humbling even the most skilled fly fishermen. They are prized not only for their fight and wariness, but for what they symbolize: the pinnacle of saltwater fly fishing. Nowhere is the essence of this pursuit more profound, or the opportunity more compelling, than Ambergris Caye, Belize – an uncanny melange of flats, mangroves, and seagrass beds that create one of the most productive and ecologically significant permit fisheries on Earth.
Ambergris Caye: An Ecological Jewel
Ambergris Caye, the largest island in Belize, lies adjacent the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world. This reef acts as a protective wall, sheltering expansive seagrass meadows and shallow sand flats that serve as prime permit habitat.
What sets Ambergris apart is its mosaic of ecosystems:
- Turtle grass meadows provide nutrient-rich foraging grounds where schools of permit feed on crabs, shrimp, and small mollusks.
- Mangrove-lined estuaries nurture juvenile fish, protecting them from predators and giving them space to grow before venturing onto the open flats.
- Sandy shoals and coral heads create natural edges where tides concentrate food sources, drawing permit into predictable feeding lanes.
This unique layering of environments – reef, seagrass, mangroves, and tidal flats – forms a complete life cycle for permit, from juvenile nurseries to mature feeding grounds.
The Science of Permit Feeding Grounds
Understanding where to find permit requires more than just local knowledge; it demands an appreciation for ecological nuances. Permit are benthic feeders, using their underslung mouths to root crabs and crustaceans from seagrass beds and sandy bottoms. Around Ambergris Caye:
- Seagrass flats act as buffet tables, supporting dense populations of calico crabs and mantis shrimp – staples of the permit diet.
- Intertidal zones exposed by falling tides concentrate prey, offering windows of opportunity where schools of permit will tail aggressively.
- Patch reefs provide transitions between deep and shallow water, where currents flush food toward waiting fish.
Juvenile permit, by contrast, thrive in sheltered mangrove estuaries and brackish lagoons. These habitats provide calm water rich in plankton and small crustaceans, allowing young fish to mature away from heavy predation. Scientific studies confirm that the survival of juvenile cohorts is tightly linked to the health of these estuarine nurseries. Destroy them, and the pipeline of future permit dwindles.
Why Ambergris Caye Is the Permit Capital of The World
While permit are found throughout the Caribbean, Ambergris Caye has earned its reputation as the epicenter of permit fly fishing. The reasons are both ecological and cultural:
- Habitat diversity: The seamless blend of seagrass meadows, mangroves, and shallow flats provides year-round feeding and spawning areas.
- Accessibility: The flats are vast, shallow, and close to shore, making them accessible by skiff or even on foot in certain areas.
- Conservation-minded culture: Belize has historically supported catch-and-release fly fishing, fostering a local guiding community deeply invested in protecting the resource.
- Geographic positioning: Situated along the reef, Ambergris is a crossroads where oceanic currents and tidal flows deliver nutrients, fueling entire food chains.
For fly fishermen, this means an unrivaled chance to encounter not just solitary cruising fish, but also schools of permit – rare in most other destinations.
The Threats to Permit Habitat
As extraordinary as Ambergris Caye has remained through millennia, its ecosystems are under siege. The very habitats that sustain permit are being decimated by unchecked commercial development, driven by endemic political corruption.
Unchecked Coastal Development
Luxury resorts and dredging projects are rapidly altering Belize’s fragile flats. Developers often target seagrass beds and shallow shoals for land reclamation, stripping away the foundation of the food web. Once seagrass meadows are smothered by dredged sand, they cannot simply regrow; the ecological clock for recovery can span decades, if recovery happens at all.
The Case of Cayo Rosario
Cayo Rosario, a small rookery island west of Ambergris, epitomizes what is at stake. Once a sanctuary for nesting birds and a pristine flats fishery, the island became the focus of controversial development plans involving overwater cabanas and dredging. The construction project went ahead after a series of bribes were offered to politicians in charge of land use, which resulted in an all out assault on the mangroves, coral strewn shores, and delicate ecosystem of the island. Conservationists and guides sounded the alarm: the surrounding grass flats are critical permit feeding grounds. Yet despite local opposition, protests, and activist groups – government approvals were granted and construction on over-water bungalows commenced – highlighting how corruption and short-term economic interests can override ecological sustainability.
Corruption and Policy Gaps
Belize has strong conservation laws on paper, but enforcement often falters under political pressure or financial incentives. Mangrove clearance permits are handed out liberally, despite the known role of mangroves as nurseries for juvenile permit. Without stricter governance, the incremental destruction of habitats could lead to cascading declines in fish populations.
The Angler’s Role in Conservation
Fly fishermen have always been more than just sportsmen; they are witnesses and storytellers of the natural world. In Belize, their role takes on added urgency. Every angler who casts for permit becomes part of a narrative that stretches beyond personal triumph:
- Economic impact: The catch-and-release fly fishing industry generates millions for Belize annually, far exceeding the short-term gains of destructive development. Guides, lodges, and outfitters all rely on a healthy fishery.
- Advocacy: Visiting anglers amplify local voices, drawing international attention to threats like the Cayo Rosario controversy.
- Stewardship: By practicing ethical angling—catch-and-release, barbless hooks, careful handling—fly fishermen reduce stress on fish populations.
The permit’s very elusiveness is what binds anglers to conservation. To pursue them is to invest in the health of their habitat.
Experiencing the Pursuit
Fishing for permit in Ambergris Caye is an emotional and intellectual experience. Success requires not just technical skill, but patience, humility, and respect for the environment.
- The hunt: Spotting a tailing fish against the glare of the flats is a thrill that accelerates the pulse of even seasoned anglers.
- The presentation: Flies must land delicately, imitating crabs with uncanny realism while avoiding spooking the fish.
- The take: When a permit finally tips down, inhales the fly, and turns to run, it is an electrifying release of tension.
Yet even failure carries meaning here. Permit remind us that the wild is not ours to control, but to honor.
A Call to Action: Protecting Belize’s Uncanny Permit Fishery
Ambergris Caye is more than a fishing destination; it is an unrivaled ecological treasure – the true to life version of a saltwater fly fisherman’s dream. Its vast seagrass beds are expansive, its mangroves are storm buffers, and its flats are nurseries for countless marine species. To lose these habitats is to lose not just a fishery, but an ecological inheritance that belongs to future generations.
Anglers, conservationists, and citizens alike must demand:
- Stronger enforcement of environmental laws to protect seagrass and mangroves.
- Accountability for corrupt approvals that sacrifice ecosystems for short-term profit.
- Investment in sustainable tourism models that recognize fly fishing as a renewable resource.
The fight for Belize’s permit fishery is a fight for balance – between nature and development, between present profits and future prosperity.
Fly fishing for permit in Belize is not just about catching a fish; it is about participating in something larger. It is about standing on the flats of Ambergris Caye, surrounded by shimmering water and an endless horizon, and realizing that you are part of a fragile but magnificent system.
Permit will humble you. They will test your patience, your skill, and your resolve. But in their elusiveness lies their gift: they remind us why wild places matter, and why they must be protected.
