IGFA Permit Invitational opens in the Lower Keys through Oct. 2

The IGFA Permit Invitational starts today in the Lower Florida Keys. The invitation-only fly tournament runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 2, 2026, out of Hilton Key West Resort & Marina on Stock Island. Tuesday is the guides meeting and kick-off: registration and cocktails at 5 p.m., tournament meeting at 6 p.m. Both the angler and the guide are required at the captain’s meeting.

Fishing days are Wednesday, Sept. 30, through Friday, Oct. 2. Lines go in at 8:00 a.m. and come out at 4:30 p.m. A fish hooked before lines-out may be fought and released after. Teams check in at headquarters by 6:00 p.m. whether they have a release to report or not. Scoring closes at 6:00 p.m. The field is capped at 25 anglers. Entry is $1,500 per team. Teams bring or charter their own boats. Proceeds go to IGFA conservation programs.

It is a release tournament scored on an official IGFA measuring device. Each centimeter is one point, measured to the rear center of the tail, with no minimum length. Only fly tackle allowed under IGFA rules is legal. No bait, no spinning or casting gear on board during fishing hours, and no electric or trolling motors. Fishing is limited to poleable water, defined for this event as eight feet or less. The champion is the angler with the most points over the three days. Ties break on time.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: IGFA — IGFA Permit Invitational (Sept. 29–Oct. 2, 2026).