The trick is to try to keep the fish interested, catching its attention and then leaving the fly motionless. The majority of the time, permit prefer to take a motionless fly. The ideal permit rod is a 9 or 10 wt. Those reels discussed in the bonefish section should fare well against permit, but make sure your reel has at least 200 yards of 20-lb. In most cases, a floating line will suffice because most permit flies are heavily weighted.
Crabs are a permit's one and only vice.
Is the same as for fly fishermen but remember that the sound of a live-bait rig crashing into the water can scare the appetite right out of the most voracious permit. Place your cast no less than 25 feet from a cruising fish, allowing the crab to regain its wits before the fish gets to it. If the fish is hungry and the crab survives its airborne launch, the permit will usually pounce on the fly immediately. The mouth of a permit is very tough and leathery, so set the hook repeatedly and never allow the fish any slack line or the hook may become dislodged. Can also be productive but, like fly fishing patterns, must be presented and retrieved perfectly.