DEL BROWN 2025 TOURNAMENT
July 7-10, 2025
Stalking Permit Since 2001
The Del Brown Permit Tournament is the original permit fly fishing tournament in the Keys and the longest running tournament of it’s kind in the world. This invitation only tournament memorializes the late Del Brown who caught 513 permit on a fly rod in his lifetime. The first Del Brown Permit Tournament was in 2001 in Key West. The tournament has been held annually ever since.
| ANGLER/GUIDE | 0-46cm | 46-76cm | 76cm + | DAY 1 | 0-46cm | 46-76cm | 76cm + | DAY 2 | 0-46cm | 46-76cm | 76cm + | DAY 3 | GRAND TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bendele, P | Register | |||||||||||||
| Bolander, I | Friedman | |||||||||||||
| Carruthers, E | Benson | 300 / 46cm, 46com | 300 | 100 / 43cm | 100 | |||||||||
| Christian, S | Huff | |||||||||||||
| Cruz, A | McKay | |||||||||||||
| Del Bosque, T | Irvine | |||||||||||||
| Dudlar, G | Hamlin | |||||||||||||
| Harkins, S | Thompson | |||||||||||||
| Henderson, W | Snell | |||||||||||||
| Katski, T, | Odell | |||||||||||||
| Kaufman, S | Rust | |||||||||||||
| Lee, M | Stells | |||||||||||||
| Lichstein, P | Horn | |||||||||||||
| Lynch, M | Phinney | |||||||||||||
| Morrissey, D | Sellers | |||||||||||||
| O'Brien, T | Dini | |||||||||||||
| Packo, C | Becker | 150 / 56cm | 150 | |||||||||||
| Ucan, J | Rea | 100 / 43cm | 100 | |||||||||||
| Vallilee, K | LaBadie | 200/43cm, 39cm | 200 | 200 / 35cm, 33cm | 200 | |||||||||
| Ward, M | Cyr |
Congratulations to the 2025 March Merkin Winners!
Grand Champion
With 114 centimeters total (2 fish)
Angler, David Mangum
Guide, Greg Dini
Largest Permit
Angler, Jose Ucan
Guide, Justin Rea
69 centimeters
1st Runner Up
Angler, Jose Ucan
Guide, Justin Rea
1 fish, 69 centimeters
2nd Runner Up
Clint Packo, Angler
Simon Becker, Guide
1 fish, 28 centimeters @marchmerkin @lowerkeysguides
Congratulations to the 2025 March Merkin Winners!
Grand Champion
With 114 centimeters total (2 fish)
Angler, David Mangum
Guide, Greg Dini
Largest Permit
Angler, Jose Ucan
Guide, Justin Rea
69 centimeters
1st Runner Up
Angler, Jose Ucan
Guide, Justin Rea
1 fish, 69 centimeters
2nd Runner Up
Clint Packo, Angler
Simon Becker, Guide
1 fish, 28 centimeters @marchmerkin @lowerkeysguides
March Merkin Day 2 - three permit released by two different teams. David Magnum and Capt Greg Dini released two fish, Jose Ucan and Capt Justin Rea released one. #permitonfly #flyfishingnation #marchmerkin #permitfishing #keywest #keywestfishingtournament
March Merkin Day 2 - three permit released by two different teams. David Magnum and Capt Greg Dini released two fish, Jose Ucan and Capt Justin Rea released one. #permitonfly #flyfishingnation #marchmerkin #permitfishing #keywest #keywestfishingtournament
Scenes from the @marchmerkin Invitational Permit Tournament in #keywest Florida. Celebrating 20 years!
Scenes from the @marchmerkin Invitational Permit Tournament in #keywest Florida. Celebrating 20 years!
Another beautiful morning! Happy Friday! Good luck to everyone in the IGFA Permit Invitational
View from the bridge of the shotgun start of the IGFA Permit Invitational in Key West, FL @theigfa @chittum_skiffs #permitonfly #allpermitmatter #flyfishingjunkie
View from the bridge of the shotgun start of the IGFA Permit Invitational in Key West, FL @theigfa @chittum_skiffs #permitonfly #allpermitmatter #flyfishingjunkie
Final day of the IGFA Permit Invitational in Key West, FL. The leader board has Alejandro Vega Cruz “Sand Flea” and Capt Shawn McKay in the lead with two fish and 105 points. Good luck to everyone today! @theigfa @shawn_mckay @mrsandfleaholbox #permitonfly #flyfishing #permitfishing #flyfishinglife #keywest
Final day of the IGFA Permit Invitational in Key West, FL. The leader board has Alejandro Vega Cruz “Sand Flea” and Capt Shawn McKay in the lead with two fish and 105 points. Good luck to everyone today! @theigfa @shawn_mckay @mrsandfleaholbox #permitonfly #flyfishing #permitfishing #flyfishinglife #keywest
Day 2 of the IGFA Permit Invitational - two permit released yesterday by two different teams - good luck today! @theigfa #permitonfly #permitfishing #floridakeys #keywest #flyfishing #flyfishinglife #saltwaterflyfishing
Day 2 of the IGFA Permit Invitational - two permit released yesterday by two different teams - good luck today! @theigfa #permitonfly #permitfishing #floridakeys #keywest #flyfishing #flyfishinglife #saltwaterflyfishing
First day of the IGFA PERMIT INVITATIONAL! Good luck to all! #igfa #permitonfly #permitfishing #keywest #keywestfishing @theigfa
First day of the IGFA PERMIT INVITATIONAL! Good luck to all! #igfa #permitonfly #permitfishing #keywest #keywestfishing @theigfa
The 2023 Del Brown Invitational is a wrap! Very warm weather made this tournament extra tough but several teams prevailed. A total of 12 permit were released over the 3-day event. The field consisted of 22 anglers and guides.2022 Tournament Results
Congrats to all our winners and so many thanks to everyone who came out to fish! The final results are: 19 permit released and one bonefish over the three day event. Seventeen boats participated this year. Grand champions Mike Ward and Capt Brandon Cyr with 900 points and 6 fish, second place went to Robert Dougherty and Capt. Nick LaBadie with 600 points and 4 fish, third place went to Clint Packo and Capt Simon Becker with three permit and 450 points. Third place went to a tie breaker by total inches. The largest permit was awarded to Robert Dougherty and Capt Nick LaBadie with a fish measuring 30.25” to the fork. The bonefish release category was won by Tom del Bosque and Capt Scott Irvine.
Grand Champions
Mike Ward, Spokane, WA
Capt. Brandon Cyr, Big Pine Key, FL
6 Permit Released – 900 points total
First Runner-Up
Robert Dougherty of Dallas, TX
Capt. Nick LaBadie of Key West, FL
4 Permit Released – 600 points total – Largest permit – 30.25″
Runner-Up
Clint Packo of Littleton, CO
Capt. Simon Becker of Cudjoe Key, FL
3 Permit Released – 450 points total
Largest Permit
Robert Dougherty of Dallas, TX
Capt. Nick LaBadie of Key West, FL
30.25″ to the fork
Most Bonefish Releases
Tom del Bosque of Boca Raton, FL
Capt. Scott Irvine of Key West, FL
2025 Del Brown Dates
July 7-10, 2025
Sugarloaf Key, FL
Many thanks to YETI, Patagonia, Papa’s Pilar and Simms Fishing for being our title sponsors along with our gracious hosts for the event at South of the Seven restaurant on Sugarloaf Key. #delbrownpermittournament
Many thanks to all the supporters of the Del Brown, both past and present. We appreciate your generosity greatly!
About Del Brown
The Del Brown Permit Tournament is dedicated to the man who made permit fishing with a fly rod famous, the late Del Brown. Brown caught 513 permit on a fly rod in his lifetime. Brown tied a fly called the “Merkin” that was a close enough representation of a crab that permit rushed to eat it. Today there are many styles of the Merkin fly, most of them are a representation of Brown’s crab. The Del Brown Permit Tournament was established in 2001 and continues to honor the late Del Brown with this annual event in July. The Del Brown makes a contribution to Bonefish Tarpon Trust annually to the Jon Ain Memorial Fund for continued permit research.
