Nathaniel Linville was named Grand Champion at the 2014 Del Brown Invitational Permit Tournament in Key West Florida. Linville with Captain Aaron Snell caught and released five permit during the three-day tourney. There were fifteen permit caught and released by the fifteen angler/captain teams.
Linville and partner Captain Aaron Snell both of Key West accumulated 800 points including the largest permit of the tournament measuring 32 inches to the fork. The nearest competitors had won the event three of the five previous years but could only score 300 this year. Linville caught his permit on one-piece Hardy Proaxis X 8-foot 10 inch 8- and 9-weight fly rods.
The Del Brown Invitational is dedicated to the man whom made permit fishing with a fly rod famous. The late Del Brown caught 513 permit on a fly rod during his lifetime the only angler to record 500 permit on a fly.
The tournament operates on a set of very strict rigid catch and release rules. Fish are boated measured photographed and released alive. Only traditional flies with a single hook are allowed and IGFA rules apply to all tackle and leaders. Fishing is conducted only on the flats with water deeper than 8 feet being off limits. Winners are determined by a point system based on length of each permit.
The first Del Brown Invitational Permit tournament was held in 2001.