Providence Blog: 16 – 23 April 2024
The penultimate week of our early year stint at Providence saw us welcome several old friends to the atoll, a mix from the US, South Africa and Zimbabwe, with Paul staying on for the second of his 2 weeks with us.
Day 1 had us endure severe wind from the southeast, gusting north of 30 knots from time to time certainly made fishing challenging. Our team of anglers and guides somehow managed to make the most of a tricky wicket and picked up loads of GT catches to start the week off with a bang! The fishing trio of John, Watts, and Dave got straight into the action from the moment their feet hit the flats… GTs tailing and bow waking all over the place resulted in returns of 2, 1, and 1 respectively. Good job, boys! The action carried on in other areas of the atoll with Chris C and Bruce chipping in with 2 and 1 GTs while Paul kept up his good form landing 2 GTs himself. Kris and Tim closed off the catch tally for the day with a single GT each. Well done to everyone for soldiering on through the tough fishing conditions.
Day 2 delivered an improvement in the weather and a bit more variety on the flats. On the tailing species front Dave, John, and Watts enjoyed some classic Providence Bonefishing with the trio each landing a Bonefish each. Joe added a bit of colour to the days catch report with the only Triggerfish landed for the day. John, who had spent 2 weeks with us in 2022 without any success was determined to land a Bumpie, and that exactly what he did. On the second day of trip with us this year he managed to tame a respectable Bumphead Parrotfish to settle the score with Providence. Attaboy John! Meanwhile the Sage team of Kris and Peter each landed a single GT while Watts, Jim, and Chris C followed suit each getting their hands on lively Giant Trevally.
The third day saw a continuation of the slightly improved weather conditions with stiff breeze from the southeast and the odd squall passing by every so often. Chris W got the GT catch report going early on landing a small fish that passed through a channel. A little while later he added another to his name and shortly after that, his fishing partner Bruce crossed paths with a powerful fish that was following a large shark across the flat. Good job chaps! The Bonefishing continued to be good with Paul landing 4 Bones himself, the biggest in the region of 8lbs and his fishing partner Kris managed to get 3 to hand for the day.
Day 4 saw us enjoy some of the impressive grouper and snapper fishing available at Providence with most of the fishing teams catching loads of large line ripping fish. Chris C, John, and Paul all managed a single GT. It was however to be Watts’s day in the limelight. While waiting at a drainage channel, and during a heavy downpour 3 large GTs appeared at his feet. A single cast ahead of them resulted in a massive bust-up and line ripping from his reel at a frighting speed. He was quickly put onto the boat and through a bit of good fortune his fish was landed in a large coral garden! A special fish of 105cm, a genuine trophy… Well done Watts!
Day 5 saw us enjoy the best weather conditions yet, with perfect sunlight and a slight breeze from the southeast. It however turned out to be a tricky one on flats with most of the anglers struggling to put numbers of the board. Bruce managed to land 1 GT while his fishing buddy, Chris W, landed 3. 1 of which a fish that Chris had been hunting for several years… a beaut of 118cm that was encountered late into the pushing tide in the surf. A long battle fulled with nerves eventually resulted in his prized catch resting firmly in his hands. A moment that we’re sure he, his fishing mates, and his guide will remember for a long time to come. Great work chaps!!
The 6th and final day of the fishing week saw us enjoy decent fishing for the atoll’s GTs. John ended his stay with us in true style landing 3 GTs while his fishing buddy Dave landed a single fish. Peter landed 2 while Bruce and Jim landed a single GT each.
That brings us the end of the 7th weeks catch report from Providence. Our catch tally for the week was:
- GTs 35 (2 of 100cm – Biggest 118cm)
- Bumphead Parrotfish – 1
- Triggerfish -2
- Bonefish – 11
- Group and Snapper – 155
Till next week,
The FlyCastaway Guide Team.
The first day of the week saw us experience a mild breeze from the southeast and high-altitude cloud which made for tricky visibility on the flats. On the fishing front, we still had several opportunities with some of them turning into catches. Tim got things underway early on and managed to get 2 GTs to hand on his first day, well done Timo! Andy also managed to open and eventually close the GT catch report with a single fish caught during the incoming tide. The boat team of Carlos & Patricio were very interested in the atoll’s Bumphead Parrotfish and they made the most of their opportunities each bringing 1 to hand. Great Job gents! Bryan, managed to sneak alongside a large school of these strange green creatures and after a couple of good presentations he felt tension through the line and set the hook. Chaos ensued and he was tight to a massive Bumpie, after a long battle he eventually landed his prized fish. That concludes the first days catch report. 
The second day saw a marked improvement on the GT front with loads of fish encountered in varied scenarios. Edgard managed to live his fly fishing dream, which was to catch a Giant Trevally in shallow water on the fly. While walking along an extensive turtle grass finger flat he was treated to several opportunities. Eventually, one of the bow wakes accepted the challenge and jumped on his fly. A moment we’re sure he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Well done, Edgard! Then, as if things couldn’t get any better, Dennis, on his first Indian Ocean fly fishing experience, managed to hook an absolute monster of a GT. The fish took loads of backing and eventually got wrapped around a large coral head and got stuck. Miraculously, his guide managed to unstitch the fish and eventually bring it to hand. Dennis’s fish pulled the measuring tape all the way to 109cm! His first ever GT and a moment of magic from Providence! Tim also got into the big fish action when hook and landed a beaut 106cm GT. Well done. Paul enjoyed some action too, hooking a monster but unfortunately losing it to a coral head, he later landed 2 GTs. Carlos, landed another Bumpie and Brian landed a particularly large Bluefin Trevally that measured 78cm. 
The 4
Day 5 and yet more blue skies but with a little more wind than the previous 2 days. Dennis finally managed to convince a Triggerfish to accept his fly, landing his first Yellow Margin which made him very happy. Brian and Andy enjoyed more action on the Giant Trevally front landing 3 and 1 GTs respectively while Tim had his way with the atoll’s Bonefish, bringing 4 to hand as well as a single GT. Patricio managed taste sweet success when he went tight on his first ever meter GT which was powerful fish of 104cm. His boat partner, who had been quietly going about his business did one better by landing a monster of 112cm! A special catch, Carlos, great job! 
The first day of the fishing week was warm with little wind. Due to the tiny tidal range and calm conditions, we experienced warm water throughout the atoll. Despite the tricky conditions we still managed to get a few good catches to hand. Rick, 1 of our few newcomers managed to open his GT account early in the day when he intercepted a GT that was following a shark. Peter W struck gold when a large school of tailing GTs crossed his path, a quick cast into the shoal resulted in a beautiful 96cm GT landed. He later added to his tally with a smaller fish that he convinced to jump on a crab fly on his 9wt. On the tailing species front, Kevin and Carlos each managed to get colourful Triggerfish to hand while Taylor managed to pick up a Bonefish late in the day to close of the catch tally. 
The second day was bright and with a slight breeze from the southeast. The day started particularly well for Taylor who managed to land her first ever GT early on when she spotted 2 fish cruising along the edge of a large sand flat. She later added to her tally in a similar fashion while her brother, Colby, wasn’t going to be outdone and landed his first and later another. Well done guys! Nico add his name to the score board with a powerful GT while Peter found himself in the action yet again, landing an energetic GT. It was however Kevin W’s Day, when he spotted 3 large fishing swimming along a turtle grass finger. His fly went down and 3 strips later he found himself attached to an turbocharged GT that pulled loads of backing off the reel. After some fancy boat work by his guide his fish was eventually landed. A trophy of 118cm! Awesome job, Kev! Jeremy, Carlos, and Scott chipped in on the tailing fish front with each of the landing large Yellow Margin Triggerfish. 
The fourth day saw a sudden change in the swell around the atoll with large waves breaking onto the outer banks of Providence. The highlight of the day was the exceptional fishing our group experienced for Group and Snapper with loads of large fish brought to hand. Noteworthy catches were Carlos’s 108cm and Kevin’s 95cm Napoleon Wrasse caught within minutes of each other. GTs were part of the returns too, with Carlos and Jeremy both landing GTs amongst the Group and Snapper chaos! Colby landed the only other GT for the day. 
The last day of the w
The first day of the fishing week dawned dark, with heavy rain and strong winds out of the west. With limited visibility and buckets of rain falling continuously throughout the day our team had to improvise and spend time on the few white sand patches available. Despite the torrid conditions we made the most of the day with most of the group enjoying phenomenal fishing for grouper, snapper and Bluefin Trevally. As for the iconic species… Dave, Paul, Doug, Ben, and Ian all landed a single GT each while Bruce managed to get 2 to hand. Derek got stuck into the bonefish, landing 4 with the biggest estimated to be in the region of 9 lbs. These were fantastic returns considering the trying conditions we endured. Well done, gentlemen! 
The halfway point of the week saw improvement on the weather front, as well as the fishing. With decent light, and more fish on the move our group made the most of their opportunities with Doug managing to land 2 GTs… Wayne, David, and Mark all got stuck into the action too with a 1 GT each. It was however Graham’s Day, when he crossed paths with a genuine trophy GT that was encountered while it patrolled along a lagoon edge. His cast went in and before he could get through his third strip, he was tight to 114cm of pure power. After a long battle he eventually got his beauty to hand, an impressive fish. Great going Graham! Dean later closed off the catch report with a respectable GT of 96 cm. 
The fifth day dawned bright and calm with no cloud cover to speak of. The picture-perfect conditions reminded us of the beauty of the place. Ben went tight early on landing a hefty 87 cm GT while his boat partner, Dereck went 1 better landing a fin-perfect 100cm GT just a few moments later. He wasn’t done there and landed a strong 94 cm fish in the dying moments of the day. Mark, Doug, Jo, and Bruce each landed a single GT while Paul tasted epic success while walking along a finger flat. He saw 2 large fish swimming along the edge of the flat and quickly chased them down, sent out a long cast, and went tight into something massive… After an epic tussle he eventually landed a beautiful 104cm GT. Paul’s PB, a special and well-deserved moment! Dean found himself in the hive of pufferfish and managed to land 4 which must be some kind of record. He also managed to land a 2 beautiful Triggerfish. His boat partners, Wayne, and Graham each landed 2 Triggers bringing the boats total tally for the session to 6 Triggers landed. A very special session, well done boys! 
The first day of the fishing week was 1 of education. A new marine environment, with new species resulted in us having to spend a few hours couching and tweaking technique before we could get into the action proper. Pat managed to get his first Yellow Margin Triggerfish while Bob, convinced not 1 but 2 Yellow Margin Triggers to his fly as well as a feisty GT. What a way to start, Bob, well done! Evert, meanwhile, got stuck into the Bonefish landing his biggest ever of 9 lbs. and a little while later, he added a colourful Yellow Margin Triggerfish. Dick closed off the catch report with a single Bone. 
The third day brought with it tricky conditions in the way of dark cloud and little wind. The diminished visibility on the flats really made the fishing tough and only a single GT was caught for the day. Evert, the man of the moment caught a brute 93cm fish that was spotted sitting in ambush position in a small drainage channel. Evert made a great cast and before he could get through his first strip the GT rushed forward and engulfed his fly. Following an epic battle and with a bit of luck going his way, the fish was eventually landed! Great job, Evert! 
Day 5 was an absolute scorcher. No wind and incredible heat made fishing conditions difficult to say the least. Despite this we soldiered on and managed a handful of decent catches with both Bob and Mike managing to fool a GT each. Dennis added a splash of colour to the day’s catch report with the only Triggerfish brought to hand for the day. Though we experienced difficult fishing the seascapes we were treated too were exceptional… As has been said many times before, a day’s fishing sure does beat a day in the office! 
All in all, the third week our season proved to be exceptionally challenging on the fishing front. A mix of hot water and difficult weather conditions culminated to produce the perfect storm so to speak… Nevertheless, we still thoroughly enjoyed exploring our favourite Seychelles fishery with our new friends and hope that they get a better set of circumstances the next time they visit us out here. As for our catch tally, we landed the following fish for the week:
Ominous cloud banks and showers on the eastern horizon set the tone, weather wise, for the entire week. The first day nevertheless delivered exciting fly fishing for several of Providence’s iconic species… The GTs were out in full force, and we managed to land 11 for the day with the standout catch going to Joern when he was visited by a lunch time GT that wasted no time in grabbing a bit of lunch itself, charging the fly twice before eventually smashing the little brush fly. Joern’s beauty measured an impressive 102 cm, and was a wonderful way to get things going. Brummy, Steve, and James also enjoyed some hardcore action landing 6 between themselves when a large school of GTs were found with several sharks. Piers chipped in with a colourful Triggerfish and Peter M finally, after several years of fishing Providence, managed to land his first Bumphead Parrotfish, great job and well-deserved Peter! 
Day 3 and the weather took a turn for the worse. With little light and no wind, visibility on the flats was especially limited. Despite this we managed to catch a couple fish. Piers, Steve, James, and Peter M all landed a couple GTs. Fred, managed to land a feisty Triggerfish as well as a large Bumphead Parrotfish. Peter O added a GT and Triggerfish to the tally while his son, Jack, chipped in with a colourful Triggerfish to bring an exciting close to the day. 
The fifth day of the week delivered scratchy fishing with little returns. Peter M landed 2 GTs, Joern a single fish, while Peter O got stuck into the action on the Triggerfish front, this time landing a beautiful Yellow Margin. It was however Peter Mcleod’s day. As he waited on the edge of the atoll on the slack tide, he noticed a slight disturbance and the caught sight of the tip of a fin protruding just above the surface of the water. He quickly sent out a prospecting cast and before he could get through the third strip of his retrieve there was a massive explosion on his fly and he was tight. With line ripping off his reel in a blur and by the size of the wake caused by the fish as it tried with desperate determination to reach the open ocean everyone knew it was a giant. After a long battle the fish was eventually landed and pulled the measuring tape all the way to 113cm. A beautiful fish, and a deserved catch for Mr. Mcleod. Well done to everyone involved! 
The final day of the fishing week saw the weather continue in the same manor that had abused us for the entire week. The dark conditions and subsequent cool water on the flats however delivered incredible Bonefish fishing for the team of Peter Mcleod, Peter O, and Jack. The trio landed 23 large Bones between them for the day with the largest going to Jack when landed a massive 29-inch fish which put it in the region of 10 lbs.! A great catch for the young man! James, also landed a real beast of Bone, which was close to the 10 lb. mark while Gerry, Piers, and Joren landed the only GTs for the day. Piers, as you probably guessed it, landed another Triggerfish, this time an absolute bus of a Yellow Margin to close off the fishing for the week. 
