Providence Blog: 6 – 13 April 2021
Providence Blog: 6 – 13 April 2021
After 13 months of COVID-induced limbo, the MV Maya’s Dugong finally dropped her anchor on the shallow exterior of Providence Atoll. Ahead of us lay 419km² of pristine flats, wild lagoons, and all the iconic fly fishing targets that frequent its waters. Aboard our mothership for the opening week of the April 2021 Providence fly fishing season was a group of 10 anglers from the United States, all but 2 were newcomers to Seychelles and its abundant waters. The excited chatter around the dinner table on the eve of day 1 fitted the occasion – the fly fishing playground that we had all been dreaming of for just over a year was now a reality. It was well and truly go-time!
Day 1 – Providence welcomed us to its abundant waters with clear skies and an early morning neap tide low. Conditions were just right for us to access the flats immediately and fish for a wide range of targets including, GTs, bonefish, triggers, and bumpies. Our expectations were met emphatically with 21 GTs, 7 Bonefish, and 2 Triggerfish landed for the day. Highlights from day 1 included guest Brian’s first ever GT on the fly and the first meter GT of the season, which stretched the measuring tape to 102cm. Peter’s feisty Moustache Triggerfish and David’s beautiful Yellow Margin Triggerfish added a splash of color and a change of pace to the day’s antics.
Day 2 – Bright sunshine and a gentle south-easterly breeze made for yet another day of saltwater fly fishing bliss on the flats with 16 GTs, 3 Triggerfish, and a handful of Bonefish landed. Brian broke the meter mark for the second time in 2 days by landing an incredibly strong 107cm GT. Malik landed his first Moustache Triggerfish of the week while Mark and Justin both landed their first Yellow Margin Triggerfish on the fly. Steven, Dave, and Charles all managed to land both Bonefish and GTs during day 2.
Day 3 – The third morning saw a move of our mothership to an area that provided us more convenient access to the flats better suited for the looming spring tides. A total of 17 GTs, 1 Milkfish, and a few Bonefish were brought to hand for the day. Steven and David made quick work of the bonefish as they waded the beautiful white sand flats of Cerf Island. The pair also managed to hook into a Milkfish each in the last hour of the day. Unfortunately, any thoughts of a double were quickly squashed as David’s fish came unbuttoned early into the fight. Steven however, managed to stay connected and after a titanic battle and with just a few minutes of sunlight remaining, brought his first-ever Milkfish on the fly to hand. A beautiful catch and the best way to end a busy day on Providence Atoll.
Day 4 – The spring tides were now in full swing resulting in a change of pace on the flats for our guests. Our group managed to land 13 GTs for the day with Malik’s GT measuring 93cm, the largest on day 4. This fish was picked from a large school of GTs as they pushed onto a shallow finger flat in hot pursuit of a shoal of baitfish. Stephen ended his day by taking on the atoll’s resident Milkfish and following a few close calls he finally managed to get a good hook set on an absolute monster that fought into the early evening. After what felt like a lifetime and in just about total darkness, Stephen’s fish was finally brought to hand completing his first-ever Milkfish catch. Well done, Stephen!
Day 5 – The fifth day dawned with a couple of ominous squalls coming from the southeast on a light breeze. A total of 13 GTs were landed for the day with Charles becoming the second guest for the week to break the meter mark, landing a beautiful 101cm GT after a titanic tussle in a shallow coral garden. Justin experienced a stellar day on the flats landing 4 GTs before tasting success on the Milkfish front, landing his first Milk, and bringing the week’s tally to 3 for the week.
Day 6 – Our guests were treated to some of the finest saltwater fly fishing action available in Seychelles on the final day of the fishing week. Our group landed 33 GTs, of which angler Mark landed 13 himself. Well done, Mark! Although the bumphead parrotfish action had been scarce by Providence’s standards, father and son, Brian and Stephen managed to land one each, at the same time, in different areas of the atoll. Angler Peter also enjoyed a stellar day on the flats, landing 8 GTs and a powerful bumphead parrotfish which brought our first week of fly fishing action of Providence Atoll to an epic end.
Week 1 on the flats of Providence Atoll was a resounding success. We enjoyed a slice of solitude from a complicated and uncertain world together. We shared smiles, laughter and made memories that’ll last a lifetime. A special thanks to all of those who made the long journey to join us. We had a blast!
Our total catch tally for week 1 was as follows:
- GTs – 113 (3 over a meter)
- Bumpies – 3
- Milkfish – 3
- Bonefish – 16
- Triggerfish – 5
- Species – 287
Yours in fishing,
The FlyCastaway Providence Guide Team
Two Bumpies were landed this week, a huge 103cm fish landed by Mark with Chantel getting our second. Two Sailfish were also landed this week, one by Alan and one by Andrew. In addition to the Sailfish caught offshore, George landed a nice Yellowfin Tuna and Genkel landed a nice big Wahoo.
A continuing trend of strong south easterly winds greeted us on the first morning with our new group of guests as the boats headed out. It was an eventful day on the flats with six GTs being landed. Congratulations to David, Peter, Peter, Kay and Mark for opening their accounts. With the cooler water being blown onto the flats there were a good number of Bonefish being hooked and landed, with an average of 6lbs for the session.
Day 2 dawned very windy but with clear skies the boats headed out with high hopes. With a slow neap pushing tide in the early morning the triggerfish were out in numbers. Chuan, Rob and Peter W managed to hook and land one of these feisty fish each. The Bumpies too showed us their massive tails and Mark hooked and landed his first Bumpie, well done Mark. The Bonefish were up and tailing hard again, with Dave and Rod managing to catch a Bonefish each to complete their Flats Slams of a GT, Bone and Trigger. Rod’s Bonefish was a monster, the fish weighing 10 pounds…Congrats! 5 GTs were landed, the day belonging to Dave, who after holding up on the apex of the flat with his guide, saw a monstrous commotion coming towards them in the shallow water. After getting in the perfect position the fly was presented in front of the pack of GTs. In unison the fish charged in the direction of the fly and a gargantuan mouth opened, inhaling the brush fly, the hook was set and after a massive tussle through a lagoon the fish was landed. With a fork length of 127cm, it was truly the GT of a lifetime, well done Dave!
Day 3 saw a shift in the weather conditions with high altitude cloud cover rolling in, obscuring the direct sunlight, making the fishing a little bit trickier. Due to the light conditions the Bumpies highlighted themselves as the targets for the day. A total of 6 Bumpies were landed for the day, the happy anglers being Mark, Kay, Chaun, Alfredo, Rod and Dave H. A great Bumpie day!!!! The GTs did manage to present themselves, Pete and Dave capitalizing on their shots. A special mention goes to Dave H whose fish came in at 105cm. With big seas comes great Sailfish fishing and Rob, Rocky and Dave F taking full advantage, Rocky and Dave landed theirs after doubling up from a pack attack.
Day 4 dawned gloomy with lots of cloud cover and high south easterly winds. After making a shift south to the midway point of the atoll the boats set out. A total of 3 GTs came to hand; well done to Peter getting 2 and Alfredo 1. Rocky managed to double down and land 2 Moustache Triggerfish. Kay and Dave R later joined the Sailfish club, landing a fish each. The day however belonged to Dave H who hooked and landed the first Milkfish for the week as the sun was setting, well done Dave H.
Day 5 saw a lessening of the cloud cover and with a mid-morning low tide the boats set out. The day was a well-rounded one on the species side with 5 of our 7 recognized species being landed. Pete E managed to land the Milkfish, whilst Rob and Dave R landed a Bumpie each. Rocky managed to land a Triggerfish of each species and Dave R managed to land a Moustache Triggerfish. Pete W landed a monstrous Sailfish, whilst Kay, Chuan, Dave R, Mark, Pete W, Pete E and Dave R each landed GTs. The day belonged to Dave R though, who after landing a Bumpy and Triggerfish in successive casts, saw a big bow wave coming up onto the flat. Despite a long chase to get into position, the fish dropped back into the deep water. Dave set up patiently above the area the fish had dropped off from. A couple of minutes later the bow wave reappeared and after presenting the fly it was engulfed on the second strip. The hook was set and the fish tore the line off the reel and ran straight back to the lagoon from where it came. After crossing the lagoon and reaching shallower water the fish was landed. At a fork length of 121cm it was another GT of lifetime for the week. Great fishing Dave!
Our sixth and final day of the week dawned with clear skies and dropping south easterly wind. With a morning dropping tide the Milkfish were up in good numbers around the edge of the atoll. Dave R and Pete W managed to land a fish each, bringing the Milkfish tally to 4 for the week. A total of 6 GTs were also landed. Rob and Dave R landed 2 fish each, with Chuan and Pete E landing a fish each. This brought the second week to a close. Some tough conditions, but as per normal some incredible fish and fishing was enjoyed by all!
This week weather conditions were a little tough. High winds and multiple passing fronts unfortunately made things more challenging them normal. Tides started off on springs, with lots of water movement on and off the flats, and we ended the week in neaps. 
In true Farquhar style, we did however enjoy some other great species fishing. Fifty Bonefish and three Triggers were landed. Craig landed one Moustache and one Yellow Margin, with Jarrett landing a large Moustache. Congrats guys! Three Bumpies were also caught this week, with William, Kris and Jason each landing their first. Well done chaps! And for the second week in a row, Eric landed an Indo Pacific Permit. This week he landed a trophy class fish of 73cm. Amazing fish Eric, well done!
The first day dawned with excitement and a slight south easterly breeze. With an early morning low tide the boats were straight onto the flats and with that the GTs came. Chris, Christiaan, Tom, Shiloh, Nic, Jordan and Jeorg managed to open their GT accounts, with Tom landing a great fish of 96cm and Chris landing a fish of an even 90cm. The Bumpies were up on the flats and Nic, John, Ron and Joerg manged to each land a fish. A special mention goes to Joerg, who, after landing a GT and Bumpy, managed to land an impressive 141cm Barracuda on the flat. With the water high on the flats later in the day we enjoyed a Sailfish session, with Tom and Joerg both landing a fish each before the day came to a close.
The second morning saw another enthusiastic start and the rewards were reaped as Tom, Chris, Shiloh, Jordan and Christiaan all landed GTs. A special mention goes to Christiaan and Jordan who managed to land twin GTs of 118cm each; Christiaan spotting his fish late on into the pushing tide crossing a turtle grass apex, he managed to present the fly in the perfect place and the big fish engulfed the fly on a second attempt. Jordan’s fish was an exceptional tale of the magic of Providence. After teasing up a sailfish offshore he presented his fly to the fish, it was engulfed as it landed but instead of the customary Sailfish jumps, the fish sounded and after a tug of war was brought up to the side of the boat. He rounded off his remarkable day by managing to pick a Moustache Triggerfish out of a school of tailing Bumpies.
The fourth day dawned clear and breezy. With some higher water on the flats in the morning, the boats had access into the unique inner lagoon systems of Providence. It proved to be fruitful as Joerg, Giles, Shiloh, Jordan, Nic, Tom and Joe managed to all land GTs. Tom finally being able to break the one-meter mark with a beautiful fish who was bow waking in super skinny water. Joerg managed to continue his stellar week landing 4 GTs before lunchtime. With access to the lagoons there is the potential for amazing Triggerfish fishing, and this was the case as Christiaan managed to land 3 Yellow Margin Triggers and Mike managing to get his first Moustache Triggerfish as well.
With the tides starting to move towards the neaps, the fifth day brought some more lagoon fishing. A total of 8 GTs came to hand with congratulations going out to Mike, Joe, Christiaan, Jordan and Ron. Christiaan managed to land another Yellow Margin Triggerfish and Shiloh managed his first Triggerfish. This was welcomed with great excitement after many previous disappointments. Joerg tamed another Sailfish in the morning to add to his incredible week.
Day 7 dawned breezy again but with the mothership moored close to the flats the boats spread out for another day of fishing. A total of 8 GTs were landed, a special mention going again to Jeorg who managed a beautiful fish of 106cm. He wasn’t done there though and managed to land his first Yellow Margin Triggerfish, almost completing his list of targeted species. It was a day for the tailing species and after landing two GTs Chris managed to land 2 Bumpies as well, finally catching a Bonefish to round off the slam. Christiaan also managed a slam, landing a GT, a Bonefish and 2 Triggers. John ticked the Yellow Margin Triggerfish off of his list to round off another stellar day out on the atoll.
Dark skies and gloomy weather greeted us on the last morning of the trip. After launching off the mothership a large school of Milkfish were found feeding for the first time this week. The boats quickly got into position and it wasn’t long before Giles managed to hook and quickly land his first Milkfish. After a few near misses, Tom and Christiaan managed to land their first Milks as well. A few pods of GTs were found in the eastern coral gardens and Joe, John and Mike managed to land 4 fish. A special mention goes to Mike whose fish came in at 102cm. With the high cloud cover the water on the flats cooled off and brought with it some epic Bonefishing. A great session was had on the falling afternoon tide. With the fish tailing hard, Shiloh, Nic, Christiaan, Joe, John and Mike capitalized, landing many fish. Christiaan and Shiloh managed to land two great fish both going 10 pounds, a great way to round off the first week of the season.
Despite the weather it was a week of big fish. A Seychelles regular, Joern kicked things off with an absolutely massive GT of 134cm, the largest of the season so far! In addition to that giant Joern landed another 3 more GTs. Andrew captured 2 GTs while James managed his 1st GT along with Tim, Murray-John, Andrew and Hilton all landed a GT each.
An amazing Permit was caught this week by Andrew. Measuring 84cm it is the largest caught on Farquhar to date, and a truly special fish. Our group managed 29 bonefish this week with most anglers landing large fish. Alan caught his first bonefish, which was also his first fish on a fly. He went on to catch a bonefish of 66cm.
Day 3 – We encountered good numbers of GTs patrolling the flats, these fish were found to be following sharks or on the back of stingrays. Dominic enjoyed good fishing and managed to land 2 while George also managed to get a GT to hand. Dominic then chipped in with a strong Yellow Margin Triggerfish to add to his day’s exploits. Tim, after travelling to the Seychelles previously and not having the best of luck with the Bumphead Parrotfish, managed to get one to the net, well done a beautiful fish Tim! The highlight of the day however was the amazing Bonefishing our guests were lucky enough to experience. Both Stephane and Bertrand were able to land fish over the 10lb mark, well done guys!
Due to the strong winds we couldn’t use our boats for 3 of 6 fishing days this week. Although this was certainly a difficult situation for us as well as our guests, we still managed to make the most of the situation by fishing around the north island of the atoll on foot. In total we managed to land 12 of the 19 GTs hooked this week with 2 of these fish measuring a 100cm plus! The largest was landed by angler Derrick, a monster fish that stretched the measuring tape to 107cm. It should be mentioned that 6 of our guests managed to land their first ever GTs on fly which is impressive considering the less than ideal conditions we were dealt with.
