Farquhar Blog: 4 – 11 April 2012

Like a tide eager to begin its initial surge, our new group of guests arrived on the shores of Farquhar champing at the bit to explore the multitude of flats and species Farquhar has on offer.

After our customary quick briefing and some hasty rigging of tackle, the group which consisted of 9 men and one hard core fisherwoman set out to get a brief taste of what was in store for the rest of the week. The weather was set to be stable …we were hoping for an absolute cracker!

And what a week it proved to be. Yves quickly enticed his first Trigger to eat the fly. Jeff joining the action as he got stuck into Milky….epic, they are still here and feeding hard! Clare quickly showed the boys she was here to do business by landing the first GT, sadly her Dad. Finally after countless attempts, Wayne O finally managed to land his Trigger which has been eluding him for years. And it didn’t end there for Wayne as he recorded our first Farquhar Slam, that being GT, a Bone and a Trigger in one day. Now that’s some serious angling and bragging rights!

But back to the rest of the week, the Milkies were still hanging around and after and epic battle, Alex landed his first Milky, awesome fish Alex! His action didn’t stop there either, he also managed to land a GT and a Bone in the same day, quite an achievement. Good fishing was being experienced by all, although we did have afir number of large GTs lost due to hooks pulling and lines breaking. Clare however had the pink touch (literally), and landed another good GT. Things were heating up and the pressure was on to get the desired species.

Ian subsequently also made his way in to the record book by landing all three of the species and Yves just failing to qualify by losing his GT. Wayne, Dean and Jeff had one truly memorable day whereby they landed 5 GTs, although Wayne did get smoked by a Yellowfin Tuna which tore off 300m of backing in less than 20 seconds late in afternoon!

2 Slams in two days. Let’s make in 4 in three days. Dean and Jeff decided they also wanted a taste of that action and had no trouble landing a Trigger, a Bone and a GT. Piece of cake, all in a day’s work at the office….these were the comments around the dining room table each evening. Steve continued his species count and landed a truly impressive Napoleon.

Last day out on the flats and Ian once again showed his metal landing a 98cm GT which was the largest of the week. Jeff and Wayne muscled in some Bumphead Parrotfish, whilst Steve braved “THE WALK” and reaped the rewards, landing Bones, Bluefin and two Blackfin Sharks. It was really good to have Steve out fishing with us after months of preparations and planning!

An amazing week of fishing with 4 Farquhar Slams, 15 GTs, 6 Triggers, 2 Napoleons, some Bumpheads, a Milkfish and countless Bluefin, Grouper and Snapper. That is what Farquhar is all about!

P.S. Thanks to everyone on this trip…it was real pleasure guiding each and everyone of you!

The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 21 – 28 March 2012

Another week out on Farquhar Atoll and with the arrival of our new guests made up of old fishing friends, there was great excitement to get out and see what this magical atoll had in store for us.

First day on the flats and things were looking promising to say the least. Henry and David each landed a Yellow Margin Trigger, with Ken landing his first GT, an impressive specimen of 94cm fork length. Barry and Max spent the day smashing the Bones, with a few over the 8lb mark.

Our second day was equally productive with the Bonefish fishing taking centre stage although Dave was fortunate enough to land one of favoured quarries that being a good sized Napoleon Wrasse, always a great fish to catch no matter the size. We did have one sad story for the day when Henry managed to hook into a monster GT who was terrorising a shoal of feeding of Bones…sadly we could not get it to hand… but that’s fishing.

With the weather looking good and some decent current lines forming outside the lagoon, a few guys headed offshore in search of the infamous Milkfish. And find them they did! Dave and Rob hooked four within an hour although the fishing gods were not playing fair, with all four specimens breaking free prior a single pic being taken. The rest of the guys who fished exclusively on the flats did however mange to land some good GT’s and some of Farquhar’s odds and sods before the day finally came to end.

The next few days saw Milkfish fever spreading throughout the group with a large emphasis placed on targeting these immensely powerful fish as they cruised the scum lines. Dave managed to hook 3 one of which he had on for 30 minutes before pesky shark honed in on the action and spoilt the day. Dave did however put this out of his mind later that day when he landed terrific GT of a 107cm. We were also treated to some of the finest skinny water Bonefish fishing the Seychelles has on offer and a few of the guys really went to town.

When the last day arrived, expectations for landing a Milky or a trophy GT were running high considering the excellent fishing experienced! Once again Dave hooked into his Milky…but we sadly he will have to wait until his next trip with us before finally hosting a specimen up to the camera. Back luck Dave…there is no justice in this world! Henry and Chapman then joined in the action sadly with the same result. Milkies 5 – Farquhar Group 0…..oh well these things do happen. Max however saved the day and landed another good GT for the week!

What an amazing week with over 26 species landed, 11 of which were GTs, 2 of them breaking the meter mark, some great Triggers, a Napoleon Wrasse, countless Bones and over 15 hooked Milkfish. Simply put, an awesome week with an fantastic group of guy.

Until next week….tight lines.

The Farquhar Guide Team (Jako, Brad, Rhett & Cameron)

Farquhar Blog: 23 – 30 November 2011

The last week of the season has unbelievably arrived. With a group of guys from the U.S.A, Scotland, London, Italy, Botswana and South Africa, we knew we would be in for a good time. As you can imagine, they were all excited to get their tackle set up and pursue the countless species Farquhar has to offer. Bonefish and GTs were on the top of the list, but as the week progressed, they quickly realised the numerous other species found on Farquhar and their priorities changed.

The first day on the flats and all hell broke loose! Chris Brown and Dale Wigley landed eight GTs between them, with the biggest coming in at 100cm and 105cm. Their day got even better when the carnage continued as they landed about 20 industrial sized Bluefin, all between 10lbs-20lbs.

Day two and the action showed no sign of slowing down. Once again Chris and Dale were in the hot seat, landing another eight good size GTs (all by 11am). Not to be outdone, Antonio Riccardi bagged a 102cm GT after which a further eight GTs came to hand….sadly however many more being lost. The Bluefin hung around and the guys took full advantage of these beautiful and powerful fish. I might add, we were also being treated to some terrific Bonefish, with some fish in the 8 – 10lb range impressing the guys.

Another notable mention must go to Ian Stuart, who skilfully managed to land three Napoleon Wrasses, one of them weighing close to 40lbs. Stuart Brown narrowly missed the meter mark with a GT of 99cm, however we were still in for a special treat when Antonio landed the largest fish of the week, with a gorgeous specimen of 108cm. Congratulations Antonio!

A crazy week of fun and incredible fishing was had by all, but sadly as with all things it had to come to an end. Thirty six GTs, 6 Napoleons, monster Bluefin Trevally, Bones up to 10lbs, two Bumpies and some enormous Bohar’s, made for a truly outstanding final week of 2011.

Pulling the covers onto our boats and climbing onto the IDC flight, it is hard not to get excited for our next season. Farquhar is undoubtedly one of the finest saltwater fisheries…roll on 2012!

Farquhar Blog: 16 – 23 November 2011

Another week on the magical atoll of Farquhar, and this week we had some good friends and long time clients (the Georgiades and Ackerman group) along for the ride. For some of the guys in the group, this was to be their first flats experience and what a destination to get started on…they were in for a treat!

All the boats were loaded and the boys headed out in determined fashion, looking to capitalize on the excellent GT, Bumphead Parrotfish and Bonefish fishing Farquhar had produced throughout the season. Pat Georgiades was off to a flying start when he landed the first GT over a meter, a fish of 101cm. Justin Williamson followed suit shortly after with a real beauty of 103cm. Welcome to the ‘meter plus’ club guys!  A Further eight GTs were quickly landed amongst the group, as well as the first Napoleon Wrasse for the season, courtesy of Marc Truman who managed to entice this crazy looking fish. Pat was soon again in the action, bringing another really respectable fish of 97cm to hand. Between himself and Donovan they landed another 4 good sized GT’s in the first 2 days.

On the Bumpie front, it is fair to say we were not having much luck! Alan and Jack can certainly testify to this, hooking eleven between them but unfortunately losing each and every single one. Mark on the other hand, only needed one cast and that was that…Bumpie landed.

Some tough light conditions made the next few days slightly tougher than usual although some more good sized GT’s and some impressive 8lbs Bones showed why Farquhar is so highly regarded amongst the guides. In total 23 GT’s, 2 Napoleons, a Golden, a Bumpie (many more lost), some really BIG bones and a bagful of other species made another week on Farquhar impossible to forget. Thanks to both groups of guys who are always such a pleasure to fish with!

Farquhar Blog: 26 October – 2 November 2011

After a truly memorable first week of the season on Farquhar, we were super keen to get our second group of clients into some big fish. The group consisted of guys from Canada, Europe and South Africa, and being truly avid fly fishermen they were ready to catch whatever we put in front of them. We were also fortunate to have world renowned fishing photographer and friend Henry Gilbey with us to showcase the impressive we were bound to catch. Starting the week on a new moon spring tide meant one thing for sure, there was going to be loads of water movement which would lead to short but explosive sessions on the flats, ideal for the highly prized GTs and Triggers which Farquhar has become synonymous with. To say we were ready to go was putting it mildly!

The GT account was opened by Bruce Schenk who landed a 115cm GT off the bat…. not bad for his first effort at throwing a fly, nice work Bruce. A total of 7 GTs where landed on the first day along with a bag of other different species. We were off to great start!

But how would the rest of the week develop? The GT’s provided with opportunities on a daily basis and although a few fish managed reclaim their freedom prematurely, the guys experienced some quality fishing. Billy Boucher landed our second fish which topped the meter mark with a fine specimen of 106cm. Bruce was again in the action a few days into the week when he landed his second fish over the 100cm mark.

Then to show it’s diversity, Farquhar offered some truly memorable Bonefishing with some great single and double tailing fish being encountered in the surf. Although the Triggers were strangely erratic and reluctant to eat the fly, we did manage to get one or two. As for the Bumpies, John Gregory & John Munro managed to land some great specimen, with John’s in particular being an enormous fish of 70 lbs. To say we were all chuffed is a complete understatement!

Sadly as with all trips, they need to come to end. We had enjoyed terrific fishing with an amazing group of chaps who we hope to see again in the not too distant future. A total 22 GTs were landed on the flats, with 3 going past the 100cm mark. We had landed some great Bumpies, a few Triggers and had some classic Bonefishing. Add some large Bluefin Trevally and a host of Grouper and Snapper species, it is little wonder the group are keen to return to Farquhar in the not too distant future!

Hope to see you on Farquhar soon.

Brad

Farquhar Blog: 19 – 26 October 2011

It was absolutely fantastic to be back on Farquhar for the start of our 2011/2012 season. Expectations were high to say the least after the fantastic fishing we experienced last season. Our guests for this week were Craig Anderson and the gang, most of whom have fished with us on numerous occasions…we were sure to have a super week!

No sooner had we arrived on Farquhar and run through the guys tackle, they decided to take a stroll around North Island with rods in arm whilst we prepared the tender boats for the week ahead. Even though the arrival day is not classified as guided fishing day, Craig Jensen promptly landed a 97cm GT, with the rest of the guys landing a good mix of species including nice sized Bluefin Trevally and some solid Bones. If this was how things were going to start, we were in for a real treat.

First full day on the flats and Grant Dryden landed an impressive GT of 114cm, with another 5 coming to hand amongst the group before the days end….not bad for a neap tide you might say. What happened on the second day however cannot be described accurately enough with words. One of the groups had chosen to fish around Goulette and what they witnessed will be forever etched into Farquhar folklore. After seeing some enormous explosions just off the flats and some initial guessing, the group was soon to realise that it was in fact enormous GT’s launching themselves into the air trying to bring down the low flying Noddy Terns which were returning to their island after feeding out at sea. On more than one occasion the guests witnessed birds going down….hard to believe but believe me it happened. That day 5 good sized fish were landed, with Mark Jensen pinning another trophy of 109cm. The mayhem continued for the next 2 days with 7 more GTs being landed and many more lost. Farquhar and Goulette in particular were on fire!

Not to be outdone, Dipose consistently produced the goods and handed Craig Jensen a gorgeous 120cm GT, but the fish of the week went to Mark Jensen who muscled in a 134cm monster! To say we were being treated to a GT feast is the understatement of the lifetime!

On the species front, the Triggerfish were unusually scarce and skittish, but with the tidal levels and our focus on the GT’s that is to be expected. We did however manage to land two really good sized Bumpies during the week, with Craig landing a fish of 45lbs and Grant one of about 20lbs.

What a way to start the season! Forty one GT’s, seven of which broke the meter mark and many more in the 90 cm range. Nothing gets us more excited than getting guys hooked into quality fish, and if the season continues on the way it has started, our guests are in for one hell of a season.

Cheers

Brad

Farquhar Blog: 26 March – 3 April 2011

It’s the last night of our sixth trip on Farqhuar Athol in 2011. Under our palm thatched outdoor dining area guides and clients quite stack of the day just pssed. It’s a warm evening and the cold and refreshing beers are certainly going down a treat. Its been – for want of a better expression- a helleva week.

This was mainly because the GT’s decided this was their time to shine. Each morning as soon as the tide began to push, the GT’s erupted onto the flats. If you were in the right place at the right time, everything was completely manic. Radio’s would crackle to life as each guide spotted GT’s coming on to the flat at different parts of the atol. Sometimes they’d be seen 150m from the boat and there would be a shambles of rods and equipment as everyone jumped back on to the boat to chase them down. Sometimes the fish would come right up to the boat, bow waves streaming forward as the fished pushed through the skinny water. sadly not all fish in these situations are landed…let alone hooked, with GT “fever” claiming more than it’s fair share of victims.

Then there were the days where everything came together. The result was a 135cm monster caught by Richard Mukheibir. To put it into perspective it’s one of the biggest GT’s we’ve landed on the flats. That includes Assumption, Cosmoledo, Providance and St Brandon’s. Paul Imperia’s end of week tally was 5 fish, exceptional concidering how easy it is to miss a shot at a fast swimming fish such as a GT. By the end of the week we had landed close to 30 GT’s, a good number of which were over a meter.

Of course there were moments when the GT’s were quiet, but Farqhaur caters for those moments exceptionally well. Many Yellow-Margin and Moustache Triggers were caught on the flats, as well as a sack load of Bones. Some of the Bones were pretty sizable, with Jim Mair landing a fish of 8lb on the first day. Most notably two large Napolean Wrasses were also landed. Consequently we named a certain spot the “Wrasse Hole” ….which certain got a couple giggles throughout.

So while we sat around the dinner table under the stars, each of us sunburned, with sore casting arms and cut up hands, dinner was unusually quiet. This was in stark contrast from the previous nights, but tonight everyone had thoughts of fish caught and as always about the one that got away. I think its safe to say those thoughts will be with them for a long time to come.

Farquhar Blog: 5 – 12 March 2011

Ambush – sometimes it pays off. Not many people are a fan of standing in one spot and waiting for the fish to come to you. It takes unwavering confidence. I tried it once at a bar. I saw a pretty girl at the other end of the room so instead of walking over and introducing myself I thought I’d be original and wait for the tide to turn and hopefully she’d come over. Everyone needs to come over to the bar for a drink once in a while right? Well as it turned out she finished her drink just in time for a trendy skinny jeaned chap to take notice. Skinny jeans came right, I stayed at the bar and drowned my sorrows.

On to the venue.

Depose Island, more popularly known as Rats & Mice is a tricky place to try an ambush. It does have all the essential ingredients for a classic GT ambush – close deep channels, schools of Bones and Mullet balling themselves up in panic and a high sloped beach for excellent visuals. But there are other channels further out; you just never know if the big boys will choose yours.

We gave it a shot though, and after a long push and many laps around the island it paid off. Gabriel spotted a ball of mullet being harassed and lobbed his fly in front of a monster GT. A few seconds later we were looking at the 100 meter colour change in his backing shoot through the rod eyes. A few minutes later I was on my way back to the action with the boat, ready to chase a GT that was plainly hell bent on reefing us, despite the reef being about 400meters away. Arms aching Gabriel managed to turn the fish without the aid of the boat and ultimately land a 125cm GT. Gabriel is 16, and it was his first GT ever. There’s a joke in that somewhere, I’m just too jealousto work it out right now.

The fishing was just as impressive for the rest of the week. We caught the Milkies in the act (of feeding) and Tony Siddle was the one to take action. Successfully hooking and landing a beautiful Milky is an accolade few fly fishermen can claim. Tony made it look like it was his pre lunch routine.

The boys found some large bones and plenty of triggers, not to mention Dave and Mike catching large Bumpies. Those who’ve encountered this incredible fish know how much of a mission it is to land one. Posing for a photograph is always a comedy of errors, which left us all in hysterics later that evening when we saw the results.

It was a hell of a week, with great company and some impressive fisherman. Best of luck to Gabriel, who will no doubt spend the rest of his life trying top his first GT. Judging by his skill, it shouldn’t take too long.

Farquhar Blog: 26 February – 5 March 2011

Many, if not most, of our clients treat their fishing trips as a present to themselves. A boys week so to speak. This week was refreshingly different. We had three couples joining us, which kept the rest of the chaps in line. If there are any wives reading this it might be time for my disclaimer- on boys only fishing trips the men involved DON’T drink too many beers and swing from the rafters in monkey suites, that’s just what they tell their mates when they get home. It heightens the appeal for the listener, you understand…

While the wives either accompanied their gentleman for a days fishing, snorkelled around the coral close to the lodge or just relaxed in the air conditioned lodge, the men went forth. They would return each evening not with carcasses as with our prehistoric ancestors, but with photographs and tales of close encounters with monster fish. I submit an example:

Husband: “The Triggerfish had us completely surrounded, all I had was a 9wt and some crabs”

Wife (Shocked): “Crabs? What on earth do you mean?”

Husband: “Velcro crabs honey, tan ones to be specific. Anyway, as I was picking them off one by one, when a huge Napoleon Wrasse came out of nowhere and engulfed my fly. It must have weighed150lb’s”

Wife: “That’s incredible honey, I am concerned about your fly though, does the zipper still work?”

Husband: “No honey, the Wrasse ate the crab I was using”

Wife: “Your wrasse now has crabs? This is beginning to remind me of your Bangkok business trip last year, what on earth has this got to do with today’s fishing?”

Husband looks confused and gets up to get another beer.

On a serious note though, some beautiful fish were caught this week. The weather stayed true, in fact a few of us prayed a slight breeze would arrive to help cool us down. I am happy to report that the wives all had a fantastic time and looked very relaxed by the time of writing.

Oh, by the way, the Napoleon wrasse got away….it really was about 150lb’s!

On a serious note though, some beautiful fish were caught this week. The weather stayed true, in fact a few of us prayed a slight breeze would arrive to help cool us down. The Tides were almost perfectly set for a full day of action. At mid week it was dead low by mid morning, giving us plenty of time on the flats. Here the guys had a complete plethora of fish species to choose from. Tailing triggers and bones, to shoals of bovine looking Bumphead Parrotfish. As soon as the tide began to push, GT’s would strut onto the flats looking to cause harm to any baitfish pattern that happened by. Soon we’d get pushed off the flats by the high water. In most locations this means the end of the action for the day, but at Farquhar it’s far from over. We’d then target corral heads or ‘Bommies’ – what we call Bommie Bashing- which produces a staggering amount of fish you’d otherwise never be able to target on a fly rod. The list is endless, but just to give you a taste- Groupers (saddle back; Marble; African; Swallow Tail); Bohar Snappers; Bluefin Trevally; Baracuda- like I say its endless and and a constant source of hilarity watching guys try hold of for dear life as a grouper “Goes Home”.

This week we also did a lot of Island and wreck hopping, where we teased and cast to the reef and wreck structure dotted around the athol. Jako Spotted a collosal Napolean Wrasse (yes, the affore mentioned) around an old abandoned bouy. Don had a cast, and by Jako’s description the strike resembled Bikini Athol’s Nuclear trials as the fish sent a plumb of water high into the air, followed by a gut wrenching run for home, which as it turns out, was very very far away. The fish was lost, but to make amends Greg shortly after caught a lone GT. The backslapping and laughing lasted longer than the fight, and it was a long fight. The wives gave it a crack too, and While Tyson Jackson was explaining the current status of salmon fishing in South West Dorset (which I really enjoyed by the way Tyson) his partner Gill quietly caught a beautiful single Bonefish, making the whole action seem entirely trivial, even though it was her first Bonefish ever. I was exceptionally impressed by Athony and Sandra’s teamwork, whereby Athony would hook a grouper and hold on for dear life while istructing Sandra to kindly reel in his running line. Although in theory this sounds like a good system, practically it had it’s floors. For one communication between husband and wife becomes somewhat erratic when there’s a fish at the end of the line. I was very very privilaged to watch such a spectacle when I wasn’t blinded by tears of mirth.

I am happy to report that the wives, fishing or otherwise, all had a fantastic time and looked very relaxed by the time of writing, although whether it had anything to do with the exceptional behavior of their husbands over the course of the week is an uncertainty. *****
James

Farquhar Blog: 19 – 26 February 2011

There are a plenty of people out there who’d like nothing more than to be a professional guide. The thought of living in tropical destinations year round and fly fishing for a living is enough for any family man to reconsider his homely situation. In truth it can be a gruelling job. Our guides spend many months away from their loved ones. They work seven days a week, from early in the morning to late at night in harsh environments. You average guide also doesn’t get to fish much.

This week was different however. Everyone from HQ flew to Farquhar (except for poor ol’ Hammond who had to hold the fort). The objective this week was for all the guides to catch as many fish as possible. Christmas, ladies and gentleman, has come early this year. The ASFN film crew would be there to record the carnage.

So with Malcolm Dodds and Grant Dunbar, old friends of FlyCastaway- as well as our chairman Dirk Ackerman- keeping us in check we headed off to the flats, fly rod in hand. Soon we’d found parts of the atholl that few had explored, and judging by the quality of the fishing, few had fished. We had spring tides so even though our window of fishing the flats was shorter than usual, it was very intense. Triggers were everywhere. GT’s cruised the edge over pure white sand. Truly enormous milkies fed erratically carefully watching us with their oversized eyes. Guides tried hard to open their “Christmas Presents” slowly taking care not to tear the wrapping. However the shackles had come off and guides were pinning fish furiously as if their sanity depended on it.

Malcolm and Grant didn’t let us down. Between them they caught a fair amount of GT’s, Bones, Triggers and had great success offshore. Grant caught a beautiful Wahoo and “upgraded” from a Bonito to a massive Dogtooth Tuna. Unfortunately the Doggie bit him off after a long and herculean battle. Malcolm provided moral support and hysterics.

At the end of the week while all us guides scrubbed our boats for their weekly spring clean we had much to reflect on, the previous day’s killer bonefish session for one. Standing on a blindingly white sand flat waiting for big single bones to creep up on you, while all around the Athol dramatic clouds stacked atop one another like a Michael Angelo painting; a ring of black squalls almost within reach and single rays of light highlighting spooky bonefish. On your hands and knees scrubbing a boat, you can’t help the grin that comes with the feeling that you really love your job.