Farquhar 2014: Head Guide Report Back

After being stationed out on St Brandon’s Atoll over the last couple of seasons I was extremely excited to learn that I would be heading up the Farquhar operation in the later part of the year. Having spent only a handful of weeks on the atoll in the last few years I was really looking forward to the new challenge and to the tremendous diversity it has to offer. Each time I have visited the atoll I have always been amazed at the variety of fish and other marine life that inhabits the atoll and added to which, Farquhar has its own speed and one can’t help but get caught up in the rhythm of this breathing, living environment.

The season did not disappoint with countless species coming to hand: three species of Trevally including the infamous GTs, Bluefin and Golden Trevally, together with Bumphead Parrotfish, two species of Triggerfish, Napoleon Wrasse, countless Grouper and Snapper species and the ever present Bonefish. And these were just the species we encountered on the flats! Sailfish were seen on almost a daily basis, Yellowfin Tuna up to 60lb, some big Dogtooth Tuna and Wahoo all made an appearance when we spent some time offshore. Thinking back it was chaos out there on some days!

True to form the GTs were out and about, roaming the flats and in the deeper blue. They are rarely easy to land but with some hard work and determination we landed a heap of fish including some real brutes. The biggest for the season included specimens of 137cm, 136cm, 134cm and 124cm just to mention a few. Over and above the GTs were the outstanding numbers of ‘Slams’ that came out (almost on a weekly basis), this is an attribute unrivaled by any other destination I have fished in the Indian Ocean. Farquhar, in my mind, therefore remains one of the finest fishing experiences on the planet.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks to the IDC staff on the island who contributed to a very smooth season. In particular a huge thanks to Mona (affectionately named “Little Sergeant Manager”) and her guesthouse staff for ensuring our guests were well looked after. We have known Mona from our past mother ship operations on Providence so when we heard she would be heading up the guesthouse we knew we were in good hands; the guesthouse has never looked better, the food was great and judging by the feedback from our guests, all the hard work was well worth the effort.

From a guiding point of view the two new shallow running boats we had custom made proved to be a real asset to our guests’ fishing. No doubt they will continue to aid us in our quest to put our clients into fishing of exceptional quality! Of course we faced hard work and some challenges, however a big thanks must also go to the guide team who worked tirelessly as a unit throughout the season. They were the epitome of the word ‘teamwork’ and I am proud to call each of you a fellow FlyCastaway guide.

Last but not least – To all the clients who joined us this season, thank you for travelling from far and wide to fish with us. We enjoyed fishing with each and every one of you and without your support it would be not be possible for us to carry out the career we love so dearly.

From all of us at FlyCastaway, we wish you all the best for the year ahead!

TimBabich
FlyCastaway Head Guide

Farquhar Blog: 3 – 10 Dec 2014

A group of friends from Yellow Dog Fly Fishing, hosted by Jeff Currier along with three South African friends joined the FlyCastaway guide team for our last week on Farquhar until Feb 2015. With picture perfect weather and very little wind we were slightly concerned about the presence of some warm water, but everyone had high hopes and were itching to get started.

Apart from our major target species that Farquhar has to offer, these conditions generally add Milkfish to the equation. The warm water and slick surfaces allowing for the surface feeding activity we all dream about. Needless to say, the fish were there on day one, mouths open as the scoured the current lanes. Although most of the guys got a chance to fish for these ocean powerhouses, it’s never a done deal. Richard did however manage to hook a good fish, but sadly after a series of truly memorable jumps the hook pulled free. What can you say but tough one Richard…these things happen!

Next on our agenda were Farquhar’s infamous Bumphead Parrots. Having been fairly scarce by Farquhar standards over the past few weeks, the tide had turned and they were scattered around the atoll in really good numbers. As usual the sight of their huge purple and blue tails really gets the guys frothing at mouth and everyone made a conceptive effort to tangle with the mighty Bumpy. Six of the ten anglers (Terry, Tom, Mark, Ivan, Jeff, Garth) cashed in by landing fish, Garth and Jeff landing two each. Despite countless others being hooked, 8 fish landed during a week is really great going. Bumpy box ticked!

With the exceptionally low tides for the week we experienced some Triggerfish fishing as well. Brightly coloured tails would pop up frequently around the low tides and despite being fairly skittish in the ankle deep water made for some cracking fishing. Terry, Garth and Jeff showed us some classy casting and managed to entice and hang onto some nice Giant Triggers who had been tricked by their crab patterns. What made two of these fish even more special was that fact they completed Terry and Garth’s Farquhar Slams, with a GT and a Bonefish coming to hand in the same day. Congrats guys!

The high water periods allowed us to show the guys a bucket load of the other weird and wonderful species Farquhar has to offer. “Bommie Bashing” the countless coral outcrops and structure resulted in the anglers all adding new species to their catch lists. Bohar Snappers, Grouper, Bluefin Trevally, Napoleon Wrasse and countless others hug these small ecosystems and despite the fishing being particularly hard on the tackle it is awesome fun, even if it means we need to swim down and try a pull a fish out of its hole.

The GT’s too were still around in decent numbers, with most of the anglers capitalizing on the opportunities they were presented with. Brad topped the score board landing five GT’s, followed by Garth and Armand both of whom ended with four a piece. Terry landed three and Tom, Ivan, Rich and Bill each landed one. Two of the fish landed were over the one meter mark, Brad landing one of 104 cm and Ivan’s 108 cm being the largest. Congrats guys! In total we landed 20 GT’s for the week which considering the warm water around was a solid effort from all involved.

Despite some warm water being around, a good amount of fish were seen and caught which resulted in us ending our Sept – Dec 2015 season on Farquhar on a positive note. A great bunch of guys, some great weather and some truly memorable fish not a bad way to spend a few days by any means. We would like to thank each of this group and every angler who fished Farquhar this season for their support; we look forward to seeing you all in the not too distant future.

Until next season…cheers for now!

The Farquhar guide team

Farquhar Blog: 19-26 Nov 2014

From a guiding point of view a slight adjustment needed to be made for our second last week of the season. We quickly realized that although some quality fishing was on the agenda, our group of eight Russian guests wanted to treat the week more like a holiday and would be soaking up the Farquhar vibe. Typically the weather and tides played their part and with some exceptional conditions made for an exciting week.

An area we call Wrasse Hole fired on the first day, the GT’s pouring in from everywhere. A stingray and GT combination appeared on the flats every 10 meters or so and provided some truly exhilarating fishing to start us off. This set the tone and soon the anglers were slightly more focused on the fishing than just enjoying their time out on the atoll. A sense of urgency had hit home!

Old faces Dimitri and Sergey capitalized on the opportunities that were presented on the flats and landed four GT’s, a Golden Trevally and a Giant Trigger on Day 2. The biggest fish was a gorgeous GT of 97 cm. This spurred on the need to land a fish over a meter, with Gennadi and guide Tim Babich sealing our first with brute fish of 108 cm. This particular fish came in on a large Nurse Shark and quickly left the side of the shark to rapidly chase down and inhale the fly. Shortly thereafter, Alex landed our second fish over the meter mark, with his 105 cm prize guaranteeing he too would own a coveted 100cm red GT cap.

Andrey and his wife made it clear from the get go that the need for tuna sashimi was imperative. Thus most of their time was spent fishing the deep blue water off the shelf of Farquhar. They were rewarded with exceptional fish including two Sailfish, numerous Tuna, the odd GT and a 60lb Dogtooth Tuna. This sort of fishing spurred Andrey onto the flats where he was rewarded with an epic Bonefish session where every fish landed weighed in over 6 lb.

Seasoned fly angler Dimitri focused most of his attention on targeting and catching the wily Triggerfish. The finesse and subtlety he showed whilst presenting a crab pattern to some skittish specimens eventually resulted in a few fish chasing down and tailing hard on the fly. His hard work and solid casting skills ensured he was rewarded with three Giant Triggerfish and an exceptional Yellow Margin Trigger. A job truly well done!!!

On the Bumphead front, the large shoals kept Sergey enthralled throughout the week. Sadly however, despite countless casts and an opened hook, the Bumpies would win this round. Listening to Sergey however, I don’t think they should rest easy as he is determined to win round two.

All in all it was another great few days out on the atoll. A few great fish were caught and plenty of sunshine, good humor and some liquid refreshment ensured another truly memorable week on Farquhar. It was a pleasure guiding the group and we cannot wait to see you back soon!

Nostrovia !!!!!

Wesley & The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 12-19 Nov 2014

A closed group of 10 avid fly fishermen from the US joined the FlyCastaway guide team on Farquhar this week. Being the first week of full neap tides for the season, we were excited to fish some areas of the atoll that traditionally work nicely during these conditions.

It was also made clear to us from the get go that Farquhar’s notorious Bumphead Parrotfish together with the atoll’s undisputed king of flats, the Giant Trevally, would be our major focus for the 6 days of fishing. So when the father and son team of Eric and Dave both managed to land two Bumpies on their first day, we had high hopes for the rest of the group.

The week of firsts continued when Eric hooked and landed our first Yellow Margin Trigger for the season. The Moustache Triggers have been around in really good numbers but for whatever reason our pale yellow friends had eluded us to this point. Craig also managed to land the first Permit for the season, not a massive fish but a Permit nonetheless. Tony was next in line and came to the party in big way by landing our first Sailfish on fly for the season. There was no stopping the chaps now and when Craig continued his good form by flicking a Velcro Crab at a school of Golden Trevally tailing feverishly over a turtle grass flat, he hooked and landed our first Golden Trevally for the season. As so often happens the second was not far away, with Craig’s second Golden Trevally really putting his 9wt outfit to test. Craig’s partner Tony also boated a great Golden after being kept busy for almost 30 mins. Eager to join in on the action, Dave hooked our 4^th Golden for the day.

The following day Andrew landed two more Golden’s, one of which weighed 23 lb.…a real monster! This brought our tally of Golden’s to 6 for the week and proves yet again why Farquhar’s diversity is going to be difficult to match.

Given the tides for the fourth day it was decided that our beach barbecue would be held at ‘Hotel Royale’. The anglers then decided to put us guides to the test by saying that if 10 quality fish were not landed by the time we all reached the barbecue, the wine bill for the evening would be billed to the guides. Game on!!! The outcome was for us was less than ideal as we should have clarified which species constituted quality before accepting the bet. In any event it was good humor.

On the GT front, we GT front we were dealing with some unusually high water for this sort of tide. We were thus forced away from our traditionally walk and stalk and focused our efforts by drifting and cruising the likely entry and departure points. This in itself is an exciting way to fish, more along the lines of searching for Tarpon in Florida Keys. Robert drew first blood by landing a good size GT on the first day, which he followed up with a further three during the course of his stay with us. Dave kept up the good form by landing a 96 cm GT (the biggest for the week), followed up with a further two more fish later during the week. Craig added to his Trevally tally with another two GT’s, whilst Jeff, Andrew and Eric each landed a single fish. This brought our GT count up to a total of 12 GT’s for the week, which under the circumstances was a job well done.

Other notable fishing encountered included good numbers of Seychelles’ Bonefish as well as a myriad of reef fish, all of which kept our anglers rods bent and their reels working hard.

Looking back it was a fairly tough week on the GT and Bumpie front. No doubt the unusually high water over our neap tides playing a part. Despite this we enjoyed sharing this unique atoll with our new friends and if one considers the Bumpies, GT’s, Triggers, Bones and lets not forget the Golden’s we encountered, there were some pretty memorable fish landed.

Until next week

Wesley & the Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 5 – 12 Nov 2014

Wading and sight fishing the flats is hugely dependent on sunlight, an element which was sadly lacking for the first few days of our 5-12 Nov week on Farquhar. This made seeing fish very difficult often resulting in fish being seen right at the last minute resulting in numerous good fish being spooked.  Adding to the guides frustration is the fact that there are some really really good fish around at present.  Our group however included some fairly experienced anglers and with their positive attitude ensured we were in for a good week. Billy managed a 96 cm GT on the first day in adverse conditions, whilst our group from Apalachicola Outfitters wet their GT and Bumpy taste buds as they tested their skills against two of our favourite foes. Travis landed his first ever GT, whilst Patrick landed our first parrot for the trip.

As is often the case, attention and curiosity quickly shifted towards Bumpy fishing as the intrigue towards the big blue fish peaked. Tom and Michael set out with a clear plan to target them and were rewarded after countless casts with Michael landing two fine specimens. By this stage Gerald had met his arch rival.  After 11 …yes 11 hookups he showed some scary determination by landing a gorgeous fish on the final day. But this was not his only feat as he landed a very nice Moustache Triggerfish to boost our species tally.

With the weather still not doing us any favours, Matt showed us some classy angling by landing our first meter GT for the week, a stunning fish which measured 105 cm. Congrats Matt, welcome to the club! Craig and Billy, both of whom are avid fly anglers, also tried their luck with offshore fishing and managed to land some very impressive catches. Over and above the many small Gt’s fish that they landed they landed six fish over a meter. These included a 109 cm, 111 cm, 124 cm, 104 cm, 129 cm and 119 cm fish. Billy also managed to land a Sailfish which danced across the ocean before coming to the boat, as well as some Tuna up to 40kg. Obviously the Tuna was well received when one was brought back to the kitchen for Sushi!

In saying that, by the end of our second last evening all of the guides had had enough of the lousy weather. There is nothing more frustrating knowing the calibre of fish Farquhar has to offer only for an outside element to come and spoil party. Thankfully however the sky opened on our final morning with the first bit of sunlight in four days. After a short guides meeting we hurried off to our chosen areas with one thing on the mind…..to catch fish, many many big fish. By 10 o’ clock it was happening, Patrick had landed two GT’s (96 cm & 87 cm), Travis had three (91 cm, 82 cm, 76 cm), Michael had two (75cm & 85 cm) and Matt a fish of 72 cm. The cherry on top however went to Tom who had shown incredible patience throughout the week. His massive GT measured 135 cm from fork to tip and was a truly unforgettable sight to watch as it devoured the tan brushy fly in skinny water. Congrats Tom …a fish of a lifetime and I’m sure worth the wait!

In total  40 GT’s, 4 Bumpies, 1 Trigger as well as plenty of Bones up to 6 lb.  were landed during the course of the week. Considering the lack of light we endured, a truly solid effort and one that will not be forgotten in a hurry! Thank you to all our guests on the week. We thoroughly enjoyed having you out on the water…come rain or shine you were great to fish with!

P.S.We are starting to see good numbers of both Milkfish and Permit, so keep checking up on us as the weeks develop. As always Farquhar still has plenty more to offer!

Farquhar Blog: 22-29 Oct 2014

A multi national group of anglers arrived on the North Island rearing to get stuck into our fishy friends on Farquhar. Despite the odd rainsquall passing through, the weather was in our favor for the most part of the week which ensured we were rewarded with some convincing catches.

The Sailfish were around in good numbers and coupled with the early morning high for most of the week ensured we maximized our productive fishing time. At least an hour each day was spent raising these majestic fish from the deep, with a total of 28 Sailfish showing themselves before flies were sent out to greet them. The action was fast, furious and in a word “Unforgettable”, however every conceivable mishap plagued us during this time. Fly lines popped and hooks refused to stick. It was just one of those of weeks.

On the flats however, the Bumpies made their first appearance on our catch returns for the season. Three of these incredibly powerful fish came to our nets this week, one of which completed the first Slam for the week.

Roland completed the only Bumpy Slam for the week, when he landed a GT, Bonefish and his Bumpy in one day walking Farquhar’s productive flats. But we were just getting started as Four Trigger Slams followed shortly thereafter. John, Julian, Peter and a second slam for Roland followed, each of which consisted of some an impressive Trigger, GT and some large Bonefish. Roland almost completed a Grand Slam, unfortunately losing a Permit that popped the leader. A tough pill to swallow for all concerned!

Tony and Dave our South African counter parts were also into the thick of it, both on the flats and offshore. Tony’s massive GT of 132cm offshore ending up as our biggest fish for the week, whilst good numbers of GT’s were seen throughout the week. A total of 49 GT’s were landed on the flats and offshore during the 6 days.

All in all a fantastic week of fishing was had by all. Despite two rods being lost and two rods breaking on fish, all anglers were left contempt with what Farquhar had to offer. We look forward to our next week in an attempt to tame all the beasties on this incredibly diverse atoll.

Yours in fishing

The Farquhar Guide Team