St Brandon’s Blog: 18-30 Sept 2017
St Brandon’s Blog: 18-30 Sept 2017
Calm sea and weather conditions ensured the first crossing of the 2017/2018 season was a really comfortable one for our guests. On the trip were Mike Dawes and Tim Brune from World Cast Anglers and a bunch of their friends, some of whom had joined them the year before on their annual extended stay on the atoll. To say we were excited would be lying. We were itching to get underway, this group containing some seriously skillful anglers who had on the previous year’s trip landed ten Permit and two double digit Bones between them. On top of it, they are just a great bunch of guys to fish and hang out with!!!!
Day one lived up to everyone’s expectations with many memorable fish landed. The day kicked off with some phenomenal skinny water Bonefish fishing, with just over 45 fish averaging 6-7lb landed during the day between the 7 anglers. Zack Barrett and Mike Dawes got the biggest specimens for the day, both fish tipping the scale at 9lb. The day got even better when Mike Ward landed our first Permit for the trip, with a 7lb fish coming off a coral ridge. The fish was hooked in very skinny water and after a nervy fight it slid into the net. Congratulations Mike! But this was not the only Permit of the day, Mike Dawes who is one serious Permit junkie and in fact the 2017 Del Brown Permit Tournament grand champion landed an absolute ‘stonker’ of an Indo-Pacific Permit, the fish weighing just over 15lb. Congrats Mike! Our day was not done though…not by a long shot! Tim Brune showed his experience by capping off the day with a 105cm GT. The GT was spotted harassing a school of Bonefish, following which Tim placed the fly between the GT and the Bonefish and made two long strips. The fish charged in and ate the fly, Tim setting the hook as it turned. Tim fought the GT very strongly, to the point where his rod separated at the first ferrule, but this did not stop him from landing his largest fly caught GT to date. Well done Tim! It was a great way to start an amazing trip.
After a cracking first day out on the atoll our guests were all very keen to get stuck in on the action as you can imagine. The great Bonefish fishing continued with many fish in the 6-7lb range landed during the morning session. There were numerous Permit shots as well during the day, with Alejandro “Sandflea” Cruz pinning a respectable 6lb fish to bring our tally to three in two days. Some of the atoll’s large GTs were also out and about on the flats, but despite some near misses none were tempted into biting.
The third day out started with a cracking Bonefish session with approximately 50 fish in the 6-7lb range coming to hand. There were many Permit shots during the day as well, Mike Ward improved on his fish from Day 1 when he hooked and landed a beautiful 10lb Indo-Pacific Permit. Mike Dawes followed suit soon after and by the end of his third day he landed our third double digit Permit for the trip with his fin perfect 13lb specimen. It was another incredible day of fishing out on St Brandon’s.
Day four saw all the guests getting well and truly stuck into the Bonefish during the morning low tide. We enjoyed some amazing skinny water action with in excess of 40 fish in the 6-7lb range landed. The biggest of the day went to Mike Ward who landed our first double digit Bone of the season, a truly beautiful trophy 10lb fish! Good numbers of Permit were seen again throughout the day and by the end of it, two more had been added to the ever-growing list. Tim Brune, who has now caught a Permit on all three expeditions to the atoll he has been on landed a 6lb fish and Mike Dawes once again showing more of his great skill by landing another fine fish of 11lb. Congrats guys!
The fifth day proved to be one of the tougher days of the trip with bad light and some rough weather the order of the day. The fish were still about but challenging conditions made spotting them in advance and then presenting to them more challenging than normal. Nevertheless there was a silver lining to the day when Mike Dawes landed his fourth Permit in five days. The 10lb fish was spotted tailing in a pod, which was made up of 6 individuals. He cast straight at the lead fish and it aggressively ate the fly. After a quick fight and a few photos the fish was sent on its way.
The Bonefishing improved on Day six as the weather conditions was infinitely improved from the previous day. The average size of the fish landed was a very credible 6-7lb and in total +/- 35 of these silver bullets came to the net. Mike Ward later got his third Permit of the trip when he spotted a fish slowly snaking through some slack water. He sent out a pinpoint cast and the fish followed for a good 9 feet before eating the fly. Intense to say the least but a memory surely never to be forgotten. The fish fought hard but Mike held firm and after a brief battle we weighed another 10lb Indo-Pacific Permit. The day got even better for Mike Dawes who continued his hot streak when he hooked and landed a 13lb Permit that was spotted swimming with some Bonefish. Mike weathered a really tough fight after the fish headed for the coral before he eventually got it to the net. There was also some great Golden Trevally action across a few of the flats which added some great spice to an already very enjoyable day out.
The Trevally action really picked up on Day seven. The Goldens were thick across many of the flats and thus the anglers landing a number of respectable fish between them. On top of these gorgeous fish, two large Bluefin Trevally were caught during the day. Alejandro “Sandflea” Cruz caught a super strong 72cm fish on his 9wt after the fish took him deep into his backing and almost into coral on more than one occasion. Tim Brune then landed the fish of the day with his 75cm Bluefin Beast. The fish was spotted slowly cruising the shore of an island. As the fish approached Tim sent out a cast, leading the fish by a solid five meters. As the fish came closer to the fly Tim gave one long strip and the fish raced across to eat the fly. The fish fought very hard but Tim was on him from the start and made light work of the big fish. Some incredible Bonefish were once again landed throughout the day, the average size still very high around the 6lb or 7lb mark. Mike Dawes continued on his merry may with his sixth Permit of the trip breaking the record for the most Permit caught by a single angler on a trip to St. Brandon’s. He had to work very hard for his 6lb fish, having to make numerous casts at the slow moving fish before it ate. So granted not the biggest he has landed by any stretch, but a special one nonetheless!
Day eight and nine saw some challenging tidal scenarios, nevertheless we worked hard and were rewarded with many shots at Permit and big GTs. Sadly our hookup and landing ratio was not very high, but still some incredible moments were enjoyed by all. The Bonefishing however was out of this world, the average size fish moving up to 7lb-8lb. Over the two days we landed just over 50 fish between the group, Kelsey Ward and Mike Dawes both landing fish a mere pound off the hallowed 10lb mark. It was a reminder that despite some incredible Permit fishing, one can never forget the unbelievable Bonefishing this atoll produces week in and week out!
This brought an end to an incredible first trip of the season on St Brandon’s, which included eleven landed Permit, a 105cm GT, one 10lb pound and five 9lb Bonefish, some great Bluefin and Golden Trevally and many many 6-8lb Bones. We would like to thank everyone in the group for once again joining us out on the atoll….we look forward to seeing them again in just under a years time!
Until next week
Tight Lines
The St Brandon’s Guide team
Having spoken to friend and fellow operator Dan Vermillion from Sweetwater Travel on numerous occasions about their operation in Mongolia, I knew it was a trip I just had to experience first hand. Our busy Indian Ocean schedule, a young family and other work commitments had delayed my visit since my first discussion with Dan, but that changed in early September when, finally, after some lengthy travel, the chartered Caravan banked sharply and began its descent into a breathtakingly picturesque valley. I was finally there and now had six and half of days to absorb the Mongolian wilderness, the Eg and Ur Rivers and hopefully the infamous Taimen (the largest salmonid species) which have put Mongolia on the world’s fly fishing map!
The final drive from the strip (in this instance an enormous open field) into camp on one of these remote trips is often done with reluctance, however this one was both invigorating and interesting! The scenery, a large portion of it along the aqua blue Eg River, only heightening Pat, Tom, Tony and my excitement. Arriving in camp we were welcomed by the guide team, two of whom I have known for some time (both Jako and James starting their careers with FlyCastaway), along with Steve and Ghana (who had driven us into camp). After a very tasty lunch and some tackle set up, we headed out onto the Ur River for our first taste of Taimen fishing. It was everything I had hoped it would be, an expansive yet easily wadeable river, snaking its way though mountainous valleys, which were sporting their early fall colours. Before the day closed out good friend and client Tony Czura had landed our first Taimen of the trip…on a surface pattern dubbed the “The Tuscan Squirrel”! It was a great start to the trip and it was clear we were in a very special place!
The next 6 days of fishing produced more of the same. Every bend of the Eg and Ur rivers providing a pircture perfect almost better than the last, so much so I often found myself staring at the countryside before the urge to tussle with the Taimen shook my casting arm into action. Don’t get me wrong, you work and cast hard for fish, but there are certainly enough to keep you motivated and wanting more, plus these rivers offer anglers the very real chance of hooking and landing a truly enormous Taimen. A true trophy is a fish over 50 inches long, which are likely to be in the region of 25 – 30 years old. Besides the images of some of these monsters circulating in both print and online media, one only needs to glance down at the outboard jet engines on your boat for the day to see where the guides have recorded these special moments, by engraving the size of the fish, the date it was landed and by whom i.e. 52” – 2016/09/14 – Mike Buchanan. On average we received between 5-7 Taimen strikes per boat per day, some days landing a couple of fish amongst us but on others we landed up to 6-10 fish per boat. Most of the fish averaged between 25-29 inches, although each of us landed beautiful Taimen over 37 inches during the trip. Although not noted for searing runs, the spectacular takes as they crashed into a skating deer hair mouse or foam fish pattern is certainly something to behold. This together with the fact that the Taimen is a truly majestic looking creature, has an incredibly hard jaw and is not the easiest fish to stay tight on, makes it a truly special gamefish. A definite attraction from a fishing standpoint 
was the style of fishing we enjoyed, large amounts of our time spent wading and casting surface flies, although we did swing some truly monstrous subsurface streamers from the boats when a really deep and fishy pool emerged. It was enthralling! I for one felt you could raise one of these truly magnificent fish on every section of river we fished, such was the amount of good looking water and natural Taimen food (Lenok, Grayling, Mice, Ground Squirrels and Ducks). Both the Eg and Ur rivers are chocker block full of Lenok and Grayling. Lenok are an Asian trout species which are said to be the oldest trout species on the planet, who love nothing more than a skated hopper or other largish dry fly and provide great sport on a 5wt during the lunchtime break or whenever you feel like a bit of change. Many enjoyable moments with our friend “Lenny the Lenok” added some great variety to the week….Pat and Tom in particular harassing them for an hour or so at the end of each evening in the home pool riffle before a hot shower and cold beer called too strongly .
Our truly special fishing moment arrived late afternoon on Day 4 after an already productive day. We were fishing a large slow flowing run from the boat, Tony covering every inch of the bank whilst I covered the open water seam. As we neared the tailout of the pool, the bottom structure came into view, large holes and gutters in the streambed, mixed with some big boulders grabbing my attention. As is his way, Tony calmly covered every inch of the bank side water, the mouse wiggling it’s way down and across before an eruption just behind his fly jolted us out of an intensely silent period. A large surface strike, followed another on his deer hair mouse called the ‘Verminator’ eventually saw his line go tight. I saw the fish roll subsurface and it was clear straight away it was bigger than anything we had encountered or at least had seen eat the fly. Experience, good rod angles, solid pressure and patience from Tony ensued for the next five minutes or so as Ghana manoeuvred the boat expertly towards the opposite bank which was shallow enough to drop anchor and allow him off the boat. The fish fought doggedly and hard, it’s head thrashing violently above the surface on more than a few occasions. Eventually however 
Ghana had the right angle on it and slipped the huge net under it, the fear of losing such a creature thankfully faded, instantly replaced by feelings of relief and then joy by all three of us. Tony hopped out of the boat and made his way to Ghana and the fish. Although Tony clearly knew it was a nice fish, i don’t think he had any idea how big it really was. The first significant visual of the fish’s full size was impressive, Tony clearly a little shaken and probably a bit suprised saying “Wow…that’s a really nice fish!”, to which Ghana replied “ No…that’s a MONSTER fish….it’s a MONSTER fish !!!! Great care to look after the fish was taken, as with all the landed Taimen, and I shot a few dozen images to try and do some sort of justice to this incredible fish and fantastic moment. The fish measured 48.5 inches (1.23meters) nose to fork, so not quite reaching the magical 50 inch mark but no one was worried about that and rightly so. It was a magnificent fish, in prime condition and it had fought like any great warrior associated with Chinggis Khan and the Mongol empire. It is a fish I will never forget, with a great client and friend who even before this moment had on more than one occasion told me this trip was for him already a huge success!
Our final two days on the river flew by in the blink of eye sadly, Tom and Pat on one of the days enjoying our best day numbers wise when they landed an incredible 10 Taimen between the two of them, before we all sat down for another tasty meal and couple of cold Borgios’s (a Mongolian Lager) around the comfortable central dining area. The tour had been a great success! In total we had landed 40 Taimen, between the four of us including Tony’s very special fish, but the trip was about a lot more than just fishing. The entire experience, including the incredible rivers and scenery, an extremely well run camp including the unique experience of living in one of the comfortable traditional Gher tents, the tasty and varied meals (the lunch time soups on the rivers were incredible) and of course the extremely warm and hospitable people (including our own private concert by a traditional local band on the final evening) making it a fishing trip and life experience I feel privileged to have shared with some really great friends. So much so I am already looking into dates for 2019!
With the rebuild to Farquhar’s lodge progressing at full steam during the months of March and April, the atoll’s incredible fish population for the most part carried out their daily existence without the presence of anglers or guides. I say for the most part, as we were fortunate to sample at least one week of incredible flats & offshore fishing on Farquhar, albeit from Maya’s Dugong at the end of our Providence atoll season. It was a week I had been really looking forward to, this incredible atoll and fishery holding a very special place in my heart and which thankfully will again become my home for two 3 month stints per year starting October this year. But back to the fishing a bit later.
During every weekly changeover on our Providence season I got to spend an hour or two on Farquhar as we waited for the plane to arrive. I was amazed by the pace at which the IDC building team has worked on Farquhar. To give you an idea, the cleanup of the area between the slipway and the airstrip had been completed in less than 5 months, an incredible achievement considering the size of the area and the amount of fallen trees and other debris that was originally left over from the cyclone. On the building front, the staff have been on top of their game here as well. Every week new buildings were erected whilst others received their finishing touches, in a style and layout that I believe will make a huge impression on our guests. Anglers will now be accommodated in three separate duplex style chalets that overlook the lagoon. Each chalet contains two air-conditioned bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, the new layout certain to provide additional privacy and that finishing touch to a week of incredible flats fishing. The former guesthouse has been converted into a large dining and lounge area, which together with the new bar area is sure to provide an extremely comfortable and relaxed environment for our guests whilst enjoying a cold beer or nice glass of wine with their evening meals. All in all, it looks terrific and I cannot wait to welcome our guests in the new format this coming October!
And now back to the fishing during that one week. Our guests from England, Germany and South Africa had arrived with high expectations, especially considering the atoll hasn’t been fished for nearly five months. The good news is Farquhar did anything but disappoint! Plenty of GT action took place on the outer reefs as well as on the flats inside the lagoon, with all our guests sampling the thrill of GT’s charging in and eating a rapidly stripped streamer. This is clear proof that not only has the cyclone refreshed the system, but also that the rule of zero plugging and teasing for GT’s offshore, as well as on the atoll which has now been in effect for the last two and half seasons is really paying dividends. We are also seeing bigger and bigger GT’s coming onto the flats on a regular basis, so for guests looking for that real trophy GT, Farquhar is tough to look past. Our friends the Triggerfish were also around in good numbers, their colourful tails providing many memorable walk and stalk moments between guests and their guides. The hungry Bonefish were in good numbers and provided superb light tackle sport in some super skinny water. Farquhar’s infamous Bumphead parrotfish are present in good numbers as well, and despite us losing more than we landed provided some intense wade fishing sessions never to be forgotten. I for one cannot wait to spend hours and hours stalking these gentle giants come October! The reef species we encountered really have me excited for the coming season, the group enjoying some superb “Bommie Bashing” for Bohar Snapper, Groupers, Napoleon Wrasse, Bluefin Trevally, Emperors…the list just went on! So as you can tell, the fishing lived up to our expectations….in fact it was great!
So if I consider the fishing we experienced now, together with those three weeks in November last year, it’s little wonder I’m counting down the days until I strap on my wading boots for another gloriously long season on Farquhar. Below is a selection of images taken from the two periods. Myself and the rest of the guide team are really looking forward to this new chapter on Farquhar and hope to see you all out there someday soon!
The action kicked off on day one with some excellent Bonefish fishing on the low tide. There were many Bones out on the flats and the guests landed good numbers, Justin and Danie each landing beautiful 8lb specimens. There were also large amounts of big Bluefin Trevally around the atoll and the guests enjoyed many shots at these impressive predators. Riaan and Mike landed big fish, beautiful specimens measuring 74cm and 70cm respectively. The fish of the day was however Danie’s 78cm (16lb) Bluefin Trevally, caught while a pack of these fish were harassing and eating a school of Goatfish. Congrats Danie! There were also shots at the atolls’ larger and more elusive Giant Trevally but sadly no takers this time round.
The second day brought with it a new sense of anticipation among the guests after the stories of the previous day had been shared around the dinner table. The Bonefishing continued where it had left off, with aproximately 70 Bonefish coming to hand, the average size a very impressive 6lb. Denton and Pieter managed some larger fish when they landed a 7lb and 8lb fish respectively. Great fish anywhere in the world! The Bluefin were on the bite again, Riaan landed a decent 70cm fish and Mike continuing where he left off when he stuck a 72cm Bluefin. The Permit were around in good numbers as well and there were many shots to be had. Justin (who is a serious Permit angler) hooked two but unfortunately one came unstuck. He did however keep his cool after the disappointment and shortly after landed a beautfiful 5lb fish. Justin was racking up an impressive Permit tally during his stay with us!
The weather sadly turned sour on us during Day 3, with low light and high winds being the order of the day. These low light conditions can however lead to some amazing fishing for large Bonefish and the big guys were certainly out and about, despite conditions making it a challenge to get the casts where they needed to be. The rough weather did little to deter this eager group, everyone enjoying some tricky yet rewarding Bonefishing. Danie and Ben both landing 7lb fish, whilst Riaan brought in a beautifully conditioned 8lb. There were shots at Permit as well but no red caps were dished out that evening.
The weather settled on the fourth day, our guests enjoying some exceptional skinny water Bonefishing. The weather from the previous day had brought with it some icy cold water and this got the Bones feeding aggressively. In excess of 50 Bonefish in skinny water were landed by the guys, the average size a very credible 6lb. Peter, Ben and Danie all landing fish of 7lb. No monsters but the image of chunky fish slinking their way onto the flat in ankle deep water certainly left an impression. Justin who was fishing almost exclusively for Permit got stuck into some more opportunities and converted his 4th fish for the week. Superb angling!
The incredible Bonefishing continued on Day 5 with some larger bones coming to hand. The fishing was fairly technical but very rewarding in the super skinny water and considering we landed over 70 fish at an average of 6.5lb it was a day not to be sneezed at that’s for sure! Justin continued to show his angling skill and experience landing Bonefish of 8.5lb & 9lb as well as his 5th Permit for the week, the 8lb fish coming right in the death and close to the lodge!
Day 6 was full of action, our guests enjoying multiple shots at Permit and the large Giant Trevally. This was also the best Bonefishing day of the week with the guests enjoying some of the finest skinny water fishing this planet has to offer. Everyone got well and truly stuck in and in the end we had wracked up 83 Bonefish before the sun had sunk below the horizon. It’s hard not to get numb when dealing with the numbers and impressive sizes of our fish, but when you think about it, where else in the world can you experience Bonefishing of this calibre on a regular basis? It is just insane!
Sadly our last day did not match up with the previous, tough light and some warmer flats water making things trickier than usual. That said, there was some extremely exciting and technical Bonefish fishing on offer. We landed 20 fish during the day, some of which were particular memorable as they required some spot on presentation and careful wading. Judging by our guests reactions, it was clear they had enjoyed the day nonetheless but were sad to be leaving.
And so ends our early 2017 season on the atoll. It’s always a sad occasion, but looking back we had enjoyed a great season, with exceptional Bonefish and Permit angling. We had also danced with our friends the Trevally, including some monster Bluefin and barn door size GT’s, including the 127cm & the 128cm fish. It was just another incredible season, the level of fishing providing further evidence why St Brandon ranks as one of the finest fisheries on the planet. Thank you to all our guests this past season for their adventurous spirit and the time we spent on the water together. We are counting the days until the 18th of Sept later this year!
The action kicked off hard and fast on day one with some excellent Bonefishing in the morning to settle everyone down. With the cooler water temperatures we were experiencing, the average fish caught during the day weighed between 6 -7lb and in total we landed +/– 45 fish. There were many Permit around as well with most of the guys having good shots at fish. Terry and Andrew both capitalised on an opportunity, landing fish of 5lb and 3lb respectively. The day also saw many of the atoll’s GTs and Bluefin Trevally hunting on the flats. Andrew had a tussle with a GT but sadly the hook pulled during the fight…heartbreak!!!! He did however get his own back landing a thumping 75cm Bluefin later in the day. All in all we enjoyed a cracking first day and it really set the scene for what would come later in the week.
Day 2 brought with it more cold water and more exceptional Bonefishing, all of our guests getting well and truly stuck into good numbers of fish in the 6-7lb range. There were some large Bluefin Trevally around as well, but sadly we were unable to convert some of the opportunities which presented themselves. Rich and Andrew both hooked into good sized GTs but for both of them it ended in heartbreak with their flies coming unstuck….we were not enjoying much luck on the Trevally front!!!! The Permit were around in good numbers again and Justin who was now into his second day of what by the end of it will be a three week trip, landed a beautiful 7lb fish. Congrats Justin! The fish was spotted cruising a few feet from the shore around a sandy island and the rest is history. Awesome! Continuing where he left off on the first day, Terry hooked and landed his second Permit. He spotted his fish tailing on some marl around an island, presented the fly exactly where it needed to be and the fish ate. After an intense battle trying to keep the fish out of the coral, the fish was landed and stretched the scale to a very impressive 12lb. Well done Terry!
Day 3 provided some really tough weather conditions with high winds, rain and cloud cover hanging around for most of the day. This however had little impact on the fishing with Andy landing a tank Bonefish of 9lbs after some seriously strong runs. Justin, who had come to St Brandon’s primarily to target Permit landed his second fish of the week. The fish was spotted tailing at the edge of a flat close to a coral garden before Justin put in a great cast given the windy conditions. The fish saw the fly, raced over and 3 strips later his line went tight. After a nervy fight to keep the fish from swimming into the coral it was netted and Justin was holding a fin perfect 7lb Indo Pacific Permit. Congrats!
Clearer skies and a somewhat calmer wind greeted us on Day 4, the brighter conditions a sign of things to come. We enjoyed some sublime skinny water Bonefishing around the low tide with +/- 40 fish in the 7lb range being landed. The Bonefish of the day went to Kobus Fourie who caught his largest Bonefish to date, a very strong 9lb slab of silver. Great job Kobus. The Permit were out in large numbers once again and Rich got in on the action landing his first. Well done! Justin was on a hot streak and landed his third Permit in as many days with a beautiful pearly white 12lb fish on one of our more famous Permit flats. Fish of this size really are special! We also managed to get our own back on the GT front as Gene hooked and landed a beast 95cm GT. A pod of fish were spotted just off a sand spit after which Gene made the cast. The fly hit the water and immediately got the attention of the fish. A few strips later and a fish broke from the pack and ate his fly, tearing off into the coral garden and wrapping his fly line up. After his guide had gone for a few swims to free the line from the coral Gene broke the fish’s spirit and his guide tailed his first ever GT on the flats. Well done Eugene…it’s no mean feat landing a St Brandon’s GT! All in all a stellar day out on the water.
Day 5 would prove to be one to remember for a few people on St Brandon’s. The morning session saw good numbers of Bonefish in skinny water come to hand with a solid 6lb average. Andrew J later landed a fin perfect 5lb Permit to take his tally to two for the trip, but the highlight of the day and a moment that will not soon be forgotten by all involved occurred when, for the first time in St. Brandons history, a Permit double up was landed by best friends Justin and Andrew. These fish can be truly fickle even if just one person is fishing at them, so to get two fish at the same time on the same flat is just out of this world! Justin’s fish was cruising along the left hand side of a turtlegrass edge; he put in a pinpoint cast and was soon tight into a 7lb fish. As soon as Justin had his fish on the reel Andrew spotted a pod of fish moving up the right hand edge of the same flat. He sent out a deadly accurate cast and he too went tight on a 7lb Permit. After one of the most nervous moments in a guide’s life both fish were netted and the celebrations began. With a total of 14lb of Permit in the net and smiles all around some great photos were taken and both fish swam off oblivious to what they had just been a part of. A Permit double is something that we all dream of but few get to experience. It’s a once in a lifetime experience enjoyed by two best mates in an amazing and special place. Well done and enjoy guys!
The solid Bonefishing enjoyed during the week continued into day six with +/- 50 fish of 5-6lb fish landed, despite some really big fish being spotted. The guests were however on a hot Permit streak and it was becoming infectious. Gene got in on the action when he caught his first Indo Pacific Permit on foot. The fish was spotted in a pod moving up a turtle grass finger, following which Gene put in a cast just ahead of them. He stripped the fly away from the lead fish and the largest fish in the pod broke off and inhaled his fly. As Gene went tight not a sound was made by angler or guide. To his credit he fought the fish like a pro and only when the fish slid into the net did he celebrate. He had come to the atoll in the hopes of landing a Bonefish, Permit and GT and he had been rewarded!
There were many very large Bones around on the final day of the trip, most of them seen in super skinny water. Unfortunately the fish did not give the anglers the easiest shots, nevertheless +/- 30 Bonefish averaging 6lb came to hand. We also had shots at some of the atolls very big GTs but no biters today! Andrew however made up for this brief disappointment when he capped off a superb week on St Brandon’s by landing a 15lb Permit, a true trophy and the biggest of the week! Justin spotted a single fish moving up a turtle grass finger. It would have been his shot had he not lost his fly on a Bonefish a few moments earlier, so the shot went to his buddy Andrew. Andy stepped up and calmly sealed the deal with a pinpoint accurate cast, three long strips and he came tight. After a long dogged fight including some very anxious moments trying to land the fish, it was netted and the guys went crazy. What a fish!
This brought a very fitting end to and incredible week on the atoll. We had broken our Permit record, landing 12 fish in 7 days including a very rare double up on Day 5. St Brandon’s surely had met all our guests expectations and more, once again showing what a world class Bonefish and Permit fishery it is. With lots of cool water around and the SE wind blowing, there is surely more to come.
Day 1 – As is usually the case on the first day, everyone was eager to get into some good Bonefishing and the atoll as it more than often does, did not disappoint. We landed around 50 Bones during the morning session, everyone appreciating the solid average size as well as the fish’s incredible power. Bonefish on the Atoll with +/- 50 Bones landed on the first morning! Some big fish too came out during the session, Van got a fat 8lb fish, whilst Rowan saw backing more than couple of times before landing a 9lb bus. The biggest fish of the day however went to Jonathan with a beast Bone of 9.5lb. Sadly it was not quite a double-digit fish, but a real trophy nonetheless. The rest of the day saw the clients experiencing some of the other species found on the atoll. Cansin landed his largest Bluefin Trevally to date, his fish having a fork length of 65cm and weighing 13lb fish. A great looking fish! There were five Golden Trevally landed as well during the day, with Steven getting his hands on his first ever Golden, this specimen weighing 9lb. There were also some shots at some seriously big GTs and the odd Permit so all in all, it was a great start to the week.
Day 2 – We had some warmer water pulling pushing onto atoll, so finding areas and flats that had cooler water was key. Where we did find the right conditions, we enjoyed some fine skinny water Bonefishing, the average size fish weighing a credible 5lbs. As is often the case, the number of Trevally encounters increased with the warmer conditions, with Cansin having a large GT eat his fly only for the hook not to connect. Bummer…. but he would get his own back later in the week. There were also good numbers of Bluefin landed with some notable catches going to Rowan, Stephen and Van getting big ones, Van’s measuring an impressive 74cm. Congrats!
Day 3 – We enjoyed cooler water for most of the day and with it some more consistent Bonefishing, many of the fish landed in 65cm range. Scott caught his biggest Bonefish of the trip so far when he landed a solid 7lb specimen and Van Rollo saw backing multiple times on his 8.5lb fish. The various Trevally species again provided opportunities, with some large GTs in particular moving across the flats. We had one almost eat the fly but at the last minute it turned away. Close again!
Day 4 – Day four provided some great Bonefishing which took up most of the day. In total we landed around 60 fish, the average a solid 6lb. There was some great Bone fishing to be had on day 4 with +/- 60 fish landed throughout the day. Jonathan however managed another cracking fish when he landed our third 9lb fish for the trip so far. The Permit also made more of an appearance on Day Four despite no connections, many fish seen tailing in pretty skinny water which is always great to see.
turned towards him he sent out a spot on 15m cast and with one slow strip got the GT’s attention. He made one more slow strip and the fish gently sipped the fly …incredible to
Day 6 – We started off with some more incredible Bonefishing, with around 70 fish coming to hand. One of these another fish a pound shy of the double digit mark. Stephen continued his blue streak and landed our first Permit for the trip. This was his first and another fish undoubtedly never to be forgotten a 7.5lb Permit. The day however belonged to another monstrous GT and fortunate angler. Cansin, who had lost a big fish earlier in the week landed our second 120cm plus fish, his fish coming in with a fork length of 127cm. His guide set up a drift towards a coral ridge and spotted two big fish swimming onto the sand. He made a close range cast and one of the fish broke off. With a solid kick of its tail it came up and ate the fly. As it turned Cansin set the hook and the fish tore off into the coral garden. It was an epic tussle as the fish ran him into coral on three separate occasions, his guide swimming on each occasion to clear the line out of the razor sharp coral. Cansin applied maximum pressure on the fish and after a quick fight the fish was beached and landed! Congrats Cansin…. an amazing fish! So yes, St Brandon’s is certainly not a GT numbers fishery, but when it comes to the big ones …well….here’s more proof!
Day 7 – Our final day had arrived and with it our guests enjoyed some more solid Bonefishing. There were also shots at Bluefin Trevally as well as some Permit (frankly the only species which really did not much feature heavily during the trip). Nevertheless our guests all had a pretty fishy time and a nice way to cap off a very special week on the atoll.
The new lodge on Farquhar is really coming on nicely, and although we will only begin operating out of it in October this year, it was great to see the progress that has been made. The layout from one central house has changed, whereby our guests will now be accommodated in three duplex style chalets, the large central house being converted into a common area that will include a lounge, dining area and bar. It’s going to be terrific!
Day 1 – We were on neaps and the atoll looked in great shape, cold blue water for as far as you can see. With that came the fish, including good numbers of GT’s and is Farquhar’s way some really big ones! We managed to get stuck into some straight away, including two special fish for Christopher and David, the two of them landing their first ever GT on the fly. Congrats guys! The Triggers were also around in solid numbers during our first day out, but despite a couple of hook ups we were going to have to a little longer before photographing our first for the trip. Strangely enough the Bumpies were a bit scarce, only a handful of shoals spotted during the course of the day. The species fishing was however off the charts and a great sign that the atoll is in fine shape. We subsequently landed good numbers of Bohar Snapper, various species of emperors, groupers and the ever-exciting Bluefin Trevally. A really positive start!
Day 2 – Weather wise we enjoyed text book conditions, the clear sky and a light breeze providing optimal conditions. The GT’s were around in good numbers again and some of our guests managed to capitalize, another first on fly going to Robyn who has fished other Seychelles atolls previously. Congrats Robyn! As if that wasn’t enough, he then managed to break the magical meter mark on the same day with his second GT stretching the tape to 108cm. The fish was spotted cruising around a small coral island on the western side of the atoll and after a well presented cast and dedicated strip, it picked up speed in a split second and smashed the fly. After taking a good amount of string Robyn put the breaks on and the fish was eventually landed. Congrats sir! Although not mentioned previously, the Bonefishing has been nothing but spectacular and today was no exception. Often overlooked by guests coming to Farquhar, it is a reminder that Farquhar is certainly more than a GT fishery. The Triggers too presented themselves in good numbers but still seem to be winning the battle…at this stage! The species fishing continued to impress all our guests, the coral heads and other structure teaming with life! Another great day of fishing!
Day 3 – We headed out on a morning dropping tide and a bit more wind blowing throughout the atoll. The GTs presented themselves again in good numbers and the guys managed to get a few to hand. Sadly we hooked some really big fish in the surf but the end results were not in our favor. The Bones were still around in good numbers and were there for the taking for any guest who was in the mood to target them. The Bumpies also started to show themselves in better numbers and were often seen feeding lazily over the flats. A huge congrats to Ivan on his outstanding day of fishing, his Bumphead Parrotfish, Bonefish and GT earning him a coveted Farquhar Slam. Needless to say spirits were high as everyone relaxed onboard after yet a another great day out on the water.
Day 4 – The fishing continued to impress, with good numbers of GTs prowling the flats ready to smash any well-presented baitfish imitation. We managed to land a couple for the day which is all you can ever ask for, but today will be remembered for an enormous fish lost (one of the biggest we have ever seen) whist guide an angler were fishing the surf section on the Eastern side of the atoll. Heartbreak…but further evidence that Farquhar is fishing well and it remains one of the best places to encounter monster GT’s on foot! The Bonefishing remains outstanding and with good numbers of Triggers around as well provided some superb light tackle action.
Day 5 – The weather continued to hold and with it so did the GT fishing GT, individuals and small pods feeding hard when the opportunities presented themselves. Congrats to Jeremy for getting our second slam of the week, his GT, Bonefish and Triggerfish rounding off a day he will not forget! After some really near misses during the first few days we made it count on the Trigger front. Jeremy, Christopher, David and Agostino each landed one during another superb day of fishing!
Day 6 – Our final day on Farquhar and our season had arrived and sadly so to had the weather. High winds and tough light made sighting and presenting to fish a bit more challenging, but some of the guests still managed to get stuck into some great fish. Congrats to Christopher on landing our second GT over a meter mark for the trip, his 102cm prize something he had been chasing the entire week. Another hugely special fish was landed by Jeremy, his 117cm Bumphead Parrotfish certainly being a fish of a lifetime and without doubt one of the largest fish you can tussle with on a 9wt.
Welcome to the final report of our March/April 2017 season on Providence. We greeted nine very friendly and excited guests onboard Maya’s Dugong for what could arguably could be the finest saltwater fly fishing tour on the planet, this group booking one of our highly coveted extended 10 night/9 fishing day experiences. Imagine that…9 full days of the most exciting and diverse flats and offshore fishing the planet has to offer. No wonder everyone was excited!
Day 1 – We started on a full moon spring tide, the massive tidal fluctuation on the flats giving us the opportunity to access certain spots of the atoll that are only fishable on these spring tides and focus our attention on the predatory species who enjoy the bigger tides. We had some bad weather for a good chunk of the day which made for some tough sighting but some of the group still managed to capitalise on some of the GTs prowling the flats. Best of all some of the large resident schools were moving around, these fish rampaging across the flats with one thing in mind – to eat anything they come across. A huge congrats to Ismo, who on his first Indian Ocean flats fishing trip, landed a 90cm GT when he and his group came across one of the schools tearing their way across the flat. The fish of the day however went to Michael who on our first day out landed the first fish over a metre, his prize measuring 105cm. Congrats Michael! The Bumpies were around in decent numbers too, but the super strong current associated with the tides made targeting them effectively a bit too difficult. Other than that we enjoyed some great species bashing, with loads of Snapper and Grouper coming to hand during our first day out. A solid start!
Day 3 – The weather was a little up and down during the day, but the group still managed to get stuck into some good fish on the dropping tide. A huge congratulations to David for breaking his first fish over a meter with a 101cm on the wild side of the atoll where head guide Tim Babich decided to risk it for the biscuit! His two guests managed to hook nine GTs through the day, 5 of which were landed. We also enjoyed some great species fishing with loads of big Bohar Snapper and some Grouper coming to hand. Some good Bumpie fishing was thrown in, this time Tom managing to hang onto one, a beautiful specimen which measured 103cm. Congrats Tom!
Day 4 – Most of the group headed off to the wild side to do some more exploring and boy did it pay off! Good numbers of GTs as well a smorgasbord of other species jumped onto our flies, the Bohar Snapper population unreal and making it hard for the GTs to get to the fly in time! A huge congratulation however goes out to long time client and friend Tony for landing his 117cm GT….what a fish!
Day 5 – We enjoyed some more stable weather and with it a drop in wind speed. This allowed for calmer offshore conditions which provided some nice scum lines for our Milkfish. They were around in huge numbers, feeding off the surface which provided excellent opportunities which four of the group capitalised on. Congratulations to David, Tony, Ismo and Tom for landing their firsts on Providence Atoll. No doubt they won’t forget the incredible power, speed and stamina of the Milk. The GTs were a bit scarce with only a few coming to hand, the pushing tide bringing with it an influx of warm water. The Triggers however made more of an appearance with the weaker tides, with Nicole breaking the ice and landing her first ever Trigger on the fly.
Day 6 – We headed out to make the best of the dropping tide in the morning and Kevin made it count with a bus 113cm GT. The monster was spotted cruising slowly along the edge of a lagoon and Kevin threw the fly well ahead of it. The fish spotted the fly and instantly charged in and engulfed the fly, taking a few hundred meters of string and giving an intense tussle before finally coming to hand. The GTs in generl were around in better numbers today, many of which were spotted on sting rays. We had some great fun! The Bonefish too were around in good numbers and we managed to enjoy some great fishing, the average fish weighing a very respectable 6lbs or 7lbs. The good Triggerfishing continued, Tony really making his shots count by fooling two of the wily little devils! We also enjoyed some great bluewater action during the course of the day with both Dogtooth Tuna and some Sailfish making an appearance. Congratulations to Ismo and Michael for landing their first ever Sailfish on the fly, no doubt they are fish never to be forgotten and were yet another reminder why Providence is so highly regarded as a complete saltwater fishery.
Day 7 – We enjoyed some really great GT fishing during the course of the day, with good numbers landed by all of the teams. Although one can be tempted to become blasé when you’ve encountered fishing of such a standard, days like this should really be appreciated. The spotting, moving into position, the cast, the eat and of course the camaraderie shared with the end result a huge privilege each and every time it occurs. The excellent bluewater fishing continued this time on the GT front. Ismo landed the fish of lifetime when after a long tussle, a 134cm fish was tailed next to the boat. A special mention must also be made of David’s “Grand Slam”, landing a Milkfish, GT and a Bonefish in one day – not something which occurs every day. The Milks were still around and feeding hard, Kevin and Tyler finally landing their first of the trip after a number of them had been lost earlier on during the trip. Well done guys! All in all it was a great day out on the atoll and one we are sure the guests will not forget in a hurry!
Day 8 – The GTs continued to provide opportunities during the day, however some slick calm water and clear visibility made it tough to present the large streamers to the fish without them spooking. Nonetheless we still managed to get a few to eat and enjoyed them as much any other so far. The same could be said for the all species to be honest, good numbers of Bones and Triggers provided consistent targets but the slick conditions requiring some really skilful angling to get the job done. We did however get one of our highly prized Napoleon Wrasse during the day, these incredible colourful and almost clown looking fish never easy to pull away from structure once hooked.
Day 9 – The final day of our stay on Providence Atoll this season had arrived and with it mixed emotions. Although everyone was excited to head out and make a big last effort, a sense of disappointment lingered knowing we only had a few more hours on this very special fishery! Nonethless we went to it and enjoyed some really special moments. Dan landed 107cm GT, the fish taken out of a school, his two team mates also coming tight to smaller fish in the school at the same time. Exquisite chaos! Kevin also managed to get his first Triggerfish and minutes later a second one, with Tony managing another couple before his day came to end. To finish off the day Kevin managed to entice, hook and land a tank Barracuda, the 131cm crocodile putting up an incredible aerial display to close out a truly memorable 9 fishing days!
All in all it was a great trip to end our season. Granted we had enjoyed better GT fishing during earlier weeks, but we still enjoyed some great fishing for them and together with the huge numbers of feeding Milkfish, solid numbers of Triggers, Bones, Bluefin Trevally, Bohars, Napoleon Wrasse, Grouper, the odd Sailfish and Doggie….it would be wrong to want for more. In closing, we would like to thank everyone on this trip as well as everyone who joined us throughout this season for their continued support. We had a blast fishing with you all and hope to do it again in the not too distant future!
Welcome to our first report back from St Brandon’s for the April – June 2017 season, where we enjoyed some great fishing. St Brandon’s once again showed why it is considered to be the finest Bonefish destinations on the planet. Joining us for the week were artist and general legend Jeff Currier 
After arriving at the guesthouse and settling in the group tackled up. Gerhard took Ben for a walk around the island and immediately found a small shoal of tailing Permit just 100 yards from the lodge! Ben made a couple of great casts but didn’t hookup. This was Ben’s first trip to the Indian Ocean, he had heard all about the fabled yellow Permit but never imagined that the first fish he would see and cast at would be one of them! This set the stage for the rest of the week and the group was really excited when news about the Permit on our doorstep came out over dinner!
We enjoyed some superb weather on Day One with the guests capitalising on some solid Bonefish despite the warm water. It was a special day for Ben Smith and Andrew Topman each of whom caught their first ever Bonefish. Welcome to the club guys! Their excitement was contagious and got the rest of the team in high sprits. Scott Smith also had a day of firsts, although his with mixed feelings when he lost his first Indo-Pacific Permit but thankfully made up for it by landing his second. After losing the first a second was spotted soon after, slowly snaking across some marl onto a sandflat. Scott presented his fly one metre in front of the fish and with one strip the fish tailed hard on the fly and the hook was set. After a fight the fish was landed and Scott held a fin perfect 7.5 lb Permit in his hands. A few quick photos were taken and the fish was released. Each and every Permit is special but this one will no doubt not be forgotten in a hurry by Scott.
The warm water was still hanging around on Day Two, which made our choice of flats and the eventual presentation more important than usual. Nevertheless there was some excellent skinny water Bonefishing to be had during the day. Ben Smith caught a slab 9 lb fish that was spotted rooting around the shallows with its whole back out of the water. After a blur of white water and searing initial run which tore into the backing, Ben held his trophy with a smile that would last a few days. Jeff Currier who is a self proclaimed species junkie caught his first Yellow Dot Trevally and Green Spot Trevally. The guys also had a good number of shots at some big Bluefin Trevally on the coral ridges.
The fishing improved on Day Three with a good number of species landed. The guests enjoyed some exciting skinny water Bonefishing in the morning with good numbers of fish landed, finding the cooler water was certainly the critical factor over the first three days. Andrew Topman and Ben Smith later both landed their first Yellow Dot Trevally while Jeff Currier landed a large Green Spot Trevally. Scott Smith got in on the action as well landing a solid 76cm Bluefin Trevally. However the highlights of the day were undoubtedly the two Permit landed, Ben Smith’s 7 lb fish being his first and Gerhard’s 12 lb fish – our largest for the trip so far. Ben spotted a “shadow” just off the edge of a turtle grass flat, sent out a perfect cast and as soon as he picked up the slack the fish was on. Gerhard landed his beautiful double digit fish despite a Noddy Tern getting in the way of his first casting. Staying calm he picked up the line and got the fly where it needed to be before getting picked up. A truly memorable fish!
Shortly after landing the Permit Gerhard spotted two big Bluefin Trevally; he hooked one fish on his 9wt and as he was about to land it the second fish joined the first one and was very aggressive. Using his free hand Gerhard unclipped his 12# and slapped the GT fly in-front of the second fish…the huge Bluefin surged forward and immediately ate the fly. He now had two fish hooked on two rods, a 12 lb fish on the 9# ready to be landed and a 17 lb+ fish heading for a coral garden on the 12#. Needless to say there was very little he could do – not having a free hand meant he couldn’t set the hook or tighten the drag or really do anything, how he thought he was going to land both fish no-one knows but it did make for a very funny action packed scene! Sadly about 20 yards into the backing the hook fell out and the big Bluefin was free. Gerhard focussed on the fish on the 9# landed a beautiful 12 lb Bluefin. If only that hook had stuck!
Day Four was a tough one, the warm water building up and limiting the fish to deep water. But St Brandon’s is no ordinary Bonefish venue and although the average sizes were not up around the usual 6 lb-8 lb mark, there were still decent numbers of 4 lb – 6 lb fish on some of the flats. We did encounter some big GT’s and Bluefin during the day but sadly none of the fish committed to the fly. Chris had a monster size fish track his fly with an open mouth and he swears from where he was standing he could see that the fly was actually inside the huge fish’ mouth! The giant fish never closed its mouth and as quickly as it happened it was over…if only it closed its mouth. Those are the moments that makes us do it again and again and no doubt Chris will be back one day to get that fish!
The Trevally action continued on Day Five with a good number of opportunities at some very large Giant Trevally. Although none of the chances were converted, we certainly had some heart stopping moments! Andrew Veglio did land a good-sized Golden Trevally of 65 cm. There was a good number of Bonefish landed throughout the day and most guys had shots at the elusive Permit.
With the extremely warm conditions continuing into Day Six, finding cooler flats water was the order of the day. We moved our attention onto the eastern side and the rewards were quickly realised. Good numbers of 6lbs-7lb Bones were caught through the day, Ben Smith’s solid 8 lb fish the largest. The Permit were around in decent numbers but the right shots eluded us. We did enjoy some exciting Bluefin Trevally fishing, Jeff Currier’s large Bluefin on his 9wt being a real highlight.
Day Seven and the wind just would not blow. The result being the warmest conditions of the week and subsequently the toughest fishing, most notably on the Bonefish front. Shots at Permit and GTs did present themselves but the flat conditions making getting close and getting the fly to them that much harder. Matt Topman did however get a great Bluefin Trevally which measured 66cm.