Well… not a place I would have expected for someone to log a Grand Slam, but one lucky angler did just that on Little Cayman.
A guest at the Southern Cross Club guest achieved something many fly fisherman only dream about last month when he landed a Permit, a bonefish and a tarpon within a 24 hour period to complete the Little Cayman Grand Slam. Considered the world championship of saltwater fly-fishing, this is the stuff of lore in the shallow flats and beach bars of the island. “I’m pretty excited,” said Schofield from his home in Traverse City, Michigan, “but I’m more excited about catching the Permit than the Grand Slam because you can go your whole life and not catch a Permit on fly.”
The Grand Slam. Pretty cool when it happens. I understand that a Grand Slam comes down to luck, in the end. Usually, it comes down to “Will the permit eat?” I was lucky enough to get a Grand Slam in Belize in 2010 and I was on the short side of one in Cuba in 2012 when the permit followed, but didn’t take the fly. Timing. Skill. Luck. The three pillars of the Grand Slam.
I may never get another, but if I do, I hope it comes with a bigger permit.
Permit. Not a world record, but a frigging permit!
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Tags: grand slam, Little Cayman Island
The “Grand Slam” is catching a bone, tarpon, and permit on the same day. Usually this requires that they all be caught during the same outing. If you catch a permit and a bone one day, and a tarpon the next morning, that’s NOT a “Grand Slam”. That is exactly what happened in Little Cayman.. I was there, and know everyone involved. Pretty sure, unless the definition has changed, no slam occurred. Sorry to shoot it down, but for those who have caught all 3 in a day, not 2 days, and it is a much harder accomplishment.
Wow. That’s pretty funny. Were they trying to argue a 24 hours technicality?
yup Tom himself has fished little cayman for a while and he hasnt been this close to a grand slam!
Tom Provost…?
Now there’s a name you can trust. Not.
Guy wouldn’t know what a Permit was if it slapped his arrogant face.
Pity he feels the need to claim friendship with the parties and sports involved and yet try to discredit them all. Pathetic.
Thanks for sharing this story Bjorn! I am an avid angler and my partner and I are both keen scuba divers. We really struggle to find vacation spots to suit us both where both sports are equally good, equally embraced and the accommodations are comfortable. We have been to Belize and the Bahamas, both of which we enjoyed. I saw this story and then read the article further, what a great story! It is all so circumstantial; the guide happening to spot the permit and thinking to call out to the guest and this guy Ross landing the permit right in front of the resort for all his friends and family to see. You can just tell how excited this guy was from his comments, also very cool of the resort owner and fishing guide to comment and share their excitement with their guest. We have been looking more into Little Cayman and Southern Cross Club and we think we might make it our next vacation destination…..it sounds first class all the way.