It’s the moment you have been waiting for. A permit is swimming toward the bow of your skiff. As he gets closer, you realize it’s a BIG permit. Your heart rate jumps, your hands feel clumsy, and suddenly the fly rod feels unfamiliar. Big fish have a way of doing that to us. In this moment, you don’t want to mess up or lose it. So the work of keeping your head when a big fish shows up starts long before the fish ever does especially in a place like Xcalak, Mexico, home to world-class permit fishing, bonefish, tarpon, snook, and more with Xcalak On The Fly.
Preparation Before You Ever Step on the Flat
How do you prepare yourself to stay calm before a big fish shows up?
Confidence is built well ahead of the eat. Practicing your casting, really practicing it, might be the single most important factor in staying calm when a big fish appears. That means being able to pick up, shoot, and lay the fly down accurately without thinking. The more automatic your cast becomes, the less your brain has to process under pressure.
In Xcalak, shots can come fast and close, or long and into the wind. Practice those exact scenarios. Work on quick presentations, low backcasts, and accuracy at realistic distances. When you know deep down that you can put the fly where it needs to be, panic has less room to creep in. Preparation also means understanding your saltwater fly fishing gear. Know your drag settings. Know how your reel sounds when it’s working correctly. Make sure knots, leaders, and connections are solid before the day starts especially when targeting permit, tarpon, and other powerful flats fish.
Think Through the Steps Before It Happens
How does mental preparation help when a big fish finally eats?
One of the most effective ways to stay calm is to mentally rehearse what you’ll do when a fish shows up. Before the first cast of the day, take a moment to think through the sequence: the presentation, the strip, the eat, the strip set, the fish running, clearing line, and getting on the reel.
If you’ve already “been there” in your head, your body won’t react as if it’s a surprise. When the fish eats, you’re no longer improvising; you’re executing a plan. This simple mental preparation can slow everything down when adrenaline wants to speed it up. Professional athletes and the military alike use this mental tool to prepare for those high-stakes situations, and it matters when you’re on the flats of Xcalak facing a dream fish.
Listen to Your Guide
Why is trusting your fishing guide critical in high-pressure moments?
When things get intense, trust your Xcalak fly fishing guide. They see these moments every day, and their calm is earned through repetition. If they say “strip,” “wait,” or “let him run,” there’s a reason. Trying to outthink or override your guide in the heat of the moment usually leads to mistakes.
Let their voice be an anchor. Focus on it. In many ways, listening is what pulls you out of your own head and back into the moment. The guides with Xcalak On The Fly know these waters, know these fish, and know how to help you succeed on guided permit fishing trips and Caribbean flats adventures.
Slow Down and Enjoy It
How do you stay present and enjoy the moment when a big fish eats?
It’s easy to forget this part, but it might be the most important: enjoy it. That rush you feel when a big fish appears is why you’re there. The nerves, the shaking hands, the uncertainty, they’re all part of it.
Not every fish is meant to be landed. Sometimes the hook pulls, the leader pops, or the fish simply wins. That doesn’t mean the moment was wasted. On the flats of Xcalak, there’s always another chance, another shot, another cast. Staying calm isn’t about removing emotion; it’s about not letting emotion take control. Breathe. Trust your preparation. Listen. And remember that whether you land the fish or not, the experience itself is the reward. After all, if it doesn’t come together this time, there’s always the next cast.
Ready to Test Your Calm on the Flats?
If you’re dreaming of big permit, powerful tarpon, tailing bonefish, and unforgettable days on the Caribbean flats, Xcalak On The Fly offers guided fly fishing trips, permit fishing packages, comfortable lodge accommodations, and additional adventures like snorkeling, scuba diving, and wildlife tours.
Come experience Xcalak – where every cast has a story waiting to happen.