Providence Blog: 20 – 27 April 2021
Providence Blog: 20 – 27 April 2021
Sadly we were already at the beginning of the third and final week of the Providence April 2021 season. With two weeks of hardcore fly fishing action behind us, we were however excited to make the most of the remaining time we had on the atoll’s wild and abundant waters. Following our routine of tackle inspection, boat orientation, and guide’s meeting we settled in for the evening. Our minds whizzing, full of exciting thoughts of scores to settle and fish to be caught.
The first day dawned with dark skies and a stiff easterly wind. An early morning neap pushing tide allowed us to head straight for the flats with expectations of loads of tailing species and GTs following stingrays. The tough light conditions made the fishing tricky, however, we were still able to find the fish and land a total of 12 GTs, 2 Bumpies, and a few jumbo-sized Bonefish for the day. Michael and Tom got into the thick of the action when they encountered a massive school of GTs that were following several Nurse sharks along a shallow finger flat. Following a hurried approach to get into position both angler’s flies were delivered into the mass of boiling water and were exploded upon by two big GTs. Despite the amount of coral in the area both anglers managed to land their fish, Michael’s a monster of 113cm and Tom’s just as impressive measuring 107cm. The chaos continued for the pair when the school of GTs appeared again, this time following Lemon sharks. As before, both flies were delivered to the school and both Tom and Michael hooked up again and eventually completed the pair’s second double within 20mins. An incredible moment of GT fly fishing, well-done guys! The Bumpies were out in full force with large schools upwards of 25 fish encountered on the flats. After a few close calls, Brian’s fly fishing dream turned into reality when he hooked up with his first Bumphead Parrotfish. His dream catch charged across the flat tearing backing from the reel. Following a nervy tug of war, his Bumpie finally came to hand which led to an emotional celebration and a quick few moments in front of the camera. Well done, Brian! Tom, who enjoyed the wild GT action also managed to land his first Bumpie of the week, and a little later a few Bonefish securing his flats slam. Well done Tom! Tony also enjoyed some of the Bonefish action and went on to land a trophy of 10lbs, well done Tony. This concluded a wild day 1 one on Providence’s flats.
The second day saw the skies darker and even more ominous than day 1. Rolling sets of wind and rain hit the atoll constantly from the southeast. Despite the visibility being exceedingly difficult we were fortunate enough to encounter the fish whilst they tailed across the flats, giving us an indication of their whereabouts. A total of 6 GTs, 2 Bumpies, 2 Triggerfish, and several Bonefish were landed during the day. Top honors on the GT front went to Sean who encountered a school of large GTs that had rushed onto a shallow flat. The school then began tailing aggressively which allowed him to catch up and make his presentation. The first fish that spotted his fly raced across and crushed it. It then proceeded to blast off the flats taking loads of backing in the process. Sean eventually brought in his beauty which stretched the measuring tape to 105cm. He later went on to land a Triggerfish and several Bonefish completing another flats slam for the week. Well done Sean! Tony also got into the action and opened his triggerfish account with a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish, while Brian and Chris both made the most of their opportunities in front of Prov’s resident Bumpies landing one each, well-done guys!
Day three and finally we had clear skies, although a stiff southeast wind continued. Although the visuality had improved greatly it turned out to be a relatively tough day of fishing on the flats with 3 GTs, 12 Bonefish, 1 Triggerfish, and 2 Bumphead Parrotfish landed for the day. Tony however, experienced one of those days that only Providence’s diverse flats can deliver landing 4 of Prov’s 7 iconic fly fishing species. His day included a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish, a GT, and Bumpie before ending his special day and super slam with a turbo-charged Bonefish. Well done, Tony!
The fourth day dawned with clear skies and a move of our mothership for easier access to the flats better suited for the approaching spring tides. Our move delivered results on the GT front with a total of 12 landed for the day. Bryan and Chris enjoyed a stellar day landing several GTs between the pair. The largest fish of day 4 also fell to Brian who after spotting a GT moving along a lagoon edge presented a short cast ahead of the fish. Once his fly was spotted the fish wasted little time and after two hard tail beats, engulfed the fly. Following an intense battle, Brian eventually brought his beautiful 98cm fish to hand. Well done, Brian!
The fifth day saw a continuation of the clear skies and a stiff south-easterly wind. A total of 7 GTs were landed for the day with Brian encountering a lagoon-bound monster that attempted to eat his fly three times during the same presentation. The fish took hold of the fly just yards from the lagoon edge and what followed was 20 seconds of incredible power that eventually led to a broken fly line. Heartbreak! Claire and Sean enjoyed a great day taking on the various Grouper and Snapper species that call Prov’s coral gardens home. The pair landed several doubles of large Bohar Snappers, Bluefin Trevally, and grouper species which added numbers to their personal saltwater species tally.
The last day of the week and season dawned with a clear horizon and a full moon spring tide dictating the fishing schedule. The large volume of water moving over the flats resulted in short periods of activity during different stages of the tide. Our group landed 10 GTs in total with loads of shots at trophies throughout the day. Sean was in the thick of the action yet again. This time, while waiting in ambush on the outer rim of the atoll he had 3 trophy GTs approach his position. His presentation caught the attention of the largest fish in the school which unfortunately charged and missed his fly. The remaining two fish then shot towards the fleeing fly and crunched it at his feet. An intense battle ensued and after dodging the odd coral head Sean landed his second trophy Giant Trevally of the week, measuring 108cm. Well done Sean! Tony had a remarkably similar experience, however in a different area of the atoll. While in their ambush position on a bridge finger flat between two lagoons Tony had 3 giants push up onto the flat. He nailed the presentation, and the lead fish wasted no time inhaling the fly. After a long battle, the landed fish stretched the measuring tape to 109cm. Well done Tony!
This brings us to the close of a very exciting and productive 3 weeks of fly fishing Providence Atoll. A special thank you to all of those who made the journey out to join us this April. The fishing action lived up to our expectations and we can’t wait for what our October – December 2021 fly fishing season has in store for us.
Our catch tally between 7 anglers during week 3 was:
- GTs – 50 (5 over a meter)
- Bumpies – 6
- Triggers – 3
- Bonefish – 19 (1 of 10lbs)
Till next time, tight lines from the 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.
Another fantastic week of flats fishing has come to an end on Farquhar. We enjoyed great weather, with lower wind speeds and clear skies providing great sight fishing conditions.Tidal wise we start on neaps which built towards a new moon spring tide. This provided a variety of wading opportunities as well as large movements of water in and out of the atoll as the week went on.
Besides the great GT fishing, the rest of the flat’s species were active. Six Triggerfish were landed, including Craig’s personal best 60cm Yellow Margin. Mike landed a massive Moustache Trigger of 56cm. Colin got a 54cm Moustache Trigger which was his first and to top it off Jarret managed a Yellow Margin and a Moustache in the same day!
Thirty-four Bonefish were brought to hand during the week, the largest being a huge 68 x 38cm fish landed by Eric. Also, a big shout to Eric on his first ever Indo Pacific Permit…what a special fish! A personal best Bonefish was also landed by Colin.
