Farquhar Blog: 8 – 15 March 2019
Farquhar Blog: 8 – 15 March 2019
Our second week of the March – May 2019 season treated us to great weather, with very little wind and clear skies being the norm for the majority of the week. We started the week with spring tides and midday lows. As the week progressed we experienced neap tides with late afternoon lows thus giving our guests a great mix of flats fishing opportunities.
The GT fishing this week was exceptional with 47 fish hooked, 36 of these being converted and coming to hand! Anglers Joe, Andrew, Kevin and Lurii all landed trophy GTs measuring a meter or longer, largest of the week stretching the measuring tape to an impressive 118cm.
A special mention for anglers Steve and Kevin for completing slams this week. Both anglers managed to land GTs, Bonefish, and Triggerfish all in the same day. Well done guys!
The outstanding fishing continued with 20 Triggerfish hooked, sadly only 6 coming to hand but still some truly exciting skinny water fishing. Of the 11 Bumpies hooked our first of the season was landed by Olafur, well done Oli!
Our Bonefishing was a little slower from a numbers perspective this week, however several quality Bonefish were landed. Andrew who enjoyed an incredible run of form on the flats of Farquhar landed an exceptionally large Bonefish, well done Andrew.
The Species fishing was good with our first Yellowfin Tuna of the season landed by angler Matt. A couple of Dogtooth Tuna and Jobfish added to the bluewater tally. The numerous Grouper species caught throughout the duration of the week such as Bohar Snapper, African Marbled Grouper and
Camouflage Grouper contributed to a fantastic Farquhar experience for our guests this week.
Thanks to our guests for a super special week on the exciting flats of Farquhar.
The Farquhar Guide Team
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This week we enjoyed generally calm conditions throughout the week, with blue bird skies and very little wind. Visibility was good and the days heated up quickly. On the last day of fishing we did however experience a morning squall but it passed by 9:30am and it was back to fishing as usual shortly after. Early on during the week we had neap tides with early morning lows, whilst towards the end of the week we experienced midday lows as we moved into spring tides.
14 GTs were landed this week out of the 36 fish we hooked. Angler Brian landed the largest fish with a specimen of 92cm, he also landed the most with a tally of 4 to his name. Brothers Wes and George landed their first GTs, whilst Mike completed a Slam with a GT, a Trigger and a Bonefish all successfully landed in the same day.
The Bonefish fishing this week was great with all anglers landing multiple Bones. Large schools of fish were seen cruising the flats with one school of up to 2000 fish seen! Anglers Brian, Gary, Geoffrey, Joe and George all landed Bonefish over 60cm with the largest measuring just under 70cm.
Our species fishing was great! 3 Triggerfish were brought to hand this week out of the 12 we hooked, and despite us hooking 5 Bumpies sadly none were landed. Anthony landed a Napoleon Wrasse whilst Alex landed a very special Farquhar Permit. Congratulations! 4 Dogtooth tuna were landed (the biggest 20kg), several Rainbow Runners as well as Grouper up to 81cm. Out of the ordinary Jonathan also managed to land a 9 foot Nurse Shark after it ate his grouper!
Day 3 – The GTs were around in really good numbers. Saul landed his first GT for the trip. A short while later he landed a second, this fish charging off a stingray and ate the fly so close to him that the fish just about bit the end of his fly rod! A lovely 92cm GT, well done Saul. Dale also managed to hook and land an awesome fish that was sitting stationery just off the edge of a sand bank. This fished missed the fly twice before eventually engulfing the whole thing. Allan and Mike enjoyed the good fishing too by landing a GT each. Mike added a lively Sailfish to his list whilst Jim also landed his first ever Sailfish on fly. Well done Jim!
Day 4 – Although we had a number of shots at some really special fish today, we unfortunately didn’t make the most of these opportunities. Mike and Allen, however kept their good run going by landing a couple GTs each. The species fishing however continued to impress. Amongst others there were good catches of various Groupers, Emperors, Snappers and Bluefin Trevally which always bring a smile to those interested in the lesser known species of Providence Atoll.
Day 5 – Dale and Mike landed two GTs each for the day while Allan almost broke the meter mark with a beautiful GT of 98cm. This fish launched out of the water to eat his fly and then tore off into a channel that was full of coral heads. After some quick boat work, the fly line was freed from the snags and the fish was landed, photographed and sent back to see another day. Jim also managed to get a GT to his name whilst Pat chipped in with a fine GT to end the day. We hooked and lost quite a few fish today, but it was encouraging to see good numbers of fish on the flats.
Day 6 – Both Mark and Pat started their final day on the flats in style by landing a GT each. Team Mike and Allen enjoyed fine fishing with the pair landing two GTs each as well. The species fishing too was great, with loads of big Groupers and Snappers coming to hand. This was a fun week which was definitely enjoyed by all. With that we concluded our final week of the 2018 season. It was a memorable one and we look forward to our next stint in March 2019 on the atoll. Our fish tally for the week was as follows:
Day 1 – The GTs were seen in good numbers on the flats with some really great fish coming to hand. Dick who had fished the Seychelles before but hadn’t landed a GT yet managed to get it done within the first 20 mins after hooking an awesome fish cruising on the back of a stingray. Skip managed to get a fish of a lifetime in the deep south dungeons of the atoll, his beautiful GT measuring 117cm. The action continued with a second fish of a meter plus landed by Bjorn. At 103cm, it was his new personal best. There were also some Triggerfish and Bonefish seen moving around the flats, but we looked forward to fishing to them later in the week.
Day 6 – We were treated to some awesome Bonefishing with shots at large single fish tailing in skinny water. The GTs were around in decent numbers as well, however the overcast conditions made it tricky to spot them in time. Mike did not let anything stop him on the last day and managed to get a couple GTs to hand. Dick also made the most of his last day on the flats by landing an incredible Moustache Triggerfish and finally he added a beautiful Sailfish to his catch list for the week. This meant two new species for Dick on the last day, well done! Thank you to everyone who joined us this week, we had loads of fun on the flats and look forward to catching more great fish together in the future. Our fish tally for the week was:
Day 1 – We started the day with mid morning low tide which allowed a short period of time to fish the dropping tide as well as a full pushing tide as the day continued. Chris, a first time visitor to the Seychelles took full advantage of the good numbers of GTs seen on the flats by opening his account for the week early into Day One. He later hooked and got a second to hand, good job Chris! John and Tom also managed to get a GT each for the day, whilst Christiaan who wasn’t letting opportunities swim by, set the hook on a great fish and eventually got it to hand. Our first meter plus fish had arrived on the first day. Congratulations Christiaan! Nick also managed to get an awesome Yellow Margin Triggerfish while Mike fooled a great Moustache Triggerfish, which he landed after a spirited fight. The Sailfish also showed up to the party, which resulted in a hooked and landed Sailfish on fly for Chris G. With the flats looking as good as they were the excitement levels were high as we ended Day One!
Day 2 – The GTs were showing up all over the place, which kept everyone focused and scanning the flats for any movement or wakes. Nick, keeping calm and collected managed to fool a beautiful GT as it slowly swam up the flat on the incoming tide. A special note here for Christiaan who came to Providence Atoll with the hope of getting a Bumphead Parrotfish on fly. He managed to tick this one off the list on Day Two by landing a real beauty, well done Christiaan! Shilo, Joe and Mike all got into some Sailfish action. These special fish should be on everyone’s ‘must catch’ list as their acrobatic jumps and blistering runs are just incredible to experience!
Day 3 – Another great day on Providence, Dick and Bruce managing to land their first GTs, both fish measuring around 80cm. John meanwhile managed to break the magical meter mark with a great GT picked out of a school of around 30 which were marauding across the flats. The coral heads were full of life, which provided great fun for everyone landing a bunch of Snappers, Groupers and Emperors. The diversity on the flats of this atoll is certainly unlike any other place in the Indian Ocean.
Day 4 – Chris G managed to land his first GT for the week, an episode which wasn’t without drama. A knot in the fly line after hooking the fish resulted in three sections of his rod going for a swim. Fortunately, he was able to land the fish and retrieve the rest of his fly rod! Bruce and Chris after a display of jumps and hard runs got their first Sailfish each to the boat, Christiaan also managing to hook and land a lively Sailfish before the day came to an end. The Milkfish were around in good numbers daisy chaining in the blue water, Christiaan, who was focused on getting one this trip unfortunately lost his fish after getting it near the boat. We win some and we lose some and unfortunately the Milkfish won this battle.
Day 6 – The fishing was again on top form, Randy managed to get a massive Barracuda and 5 GTs for the day. Christiaan made the most of his last day on the flats by landing two fish over the meter mark, a 101cm and 105cm. Great job! Bruce, Shilo and John all managed to get two GTs to hand, Shilo who was making the most of the final day got our second Bumphead Parrotfish for the week. Mike landed a fine GT on the last day whilst Nick landed an awesome Napoleon Wrasse which is a special catch anywhere in the world! Joe ended his Providence fishing experience with a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish. This was a great week with lots of fun and laughter enjoyed by all. Thank you to all of the guests for joining us…we look forward to seeing you again soon. Our fish tally for the week was:
The 7thweek of our September – December season on Farquhar saw the return of the prevailing South East wind and with it a few heavy downpour. For the most part however, the weather was fair with good light , elements essential for spotting fish. Tidal wise we started on neap tides heading into the early stages of springs as the week progressed. All of our guests enjoyed some solid Bonefishing with everyone landing good numbers, sizes ranging from 45 – 65cm. As 6 of our guests this week were new to salt water fly fishing getting their first Bonefish on fly was really special and enjoyed by all.
The Triggers were seen tailing during particular periods of the tides and of the 4 hooked 2 were successfully landed. Father and son Ferdi and Eugene got a Moustache Trigger each within a short period of each other during a surf walk. Eugene landed a solid 58cm Moustache Trigger after having seen the fish tailing hard on a turtle grass patch, he put the fly close to the fish and it crushed the fly. Ferdi’s fish was caught in the same area ,a 55cm Moustache Trigger giving them the perfect start to the day.
The diversity of this fishery ensured our guests rods remained bent throughout the week, as the species fishing was particularly good including some very large Groupers. Justin who has been coming to Farquhar for years and trying to catch a Napoleon Wrasse finally ticked his box landing a Napoleon Wrasse of 73cm. Epic fish Justin, well done!
Day 1 – We started the week on neap tides which are ideal for tailing fish, less water movement allowing the fish to spend more time on the flats feeding and feeling relaxed. The team of Vladimir, Grigori and Sergei P all of whom had fished in the Seychelles on several occasions before had come to Providence Atoll specifically to target Bumphead Parrotfish. The trio of anglers didn’t waste anytime in their quest with each of them landing a Bumphead Parrotfish on the opening day. The GTs were around in good numbers, John R enjoying his first experience in the Seychelles managed to land an amazing fish, breaking the meter mark and measuring 107cm. This GT was taken from a school of around 50 fish who were busy harassing the numerous baitfish in the area. Once hooked it tore away with incredible speed and gave his gear a seriously thorough testing. Bevan who waited all of 15 minutes into his first morning managed to hook and land his first ever GT on fly, a great way to start the week for him. The Bonefish were on the flats doing their thing in good numbers, which provided some of our guests with amazing skinny water Bonefishing. Tony who was another new face to the Seychelles was able to land a special Yellow Margin Triggerfish, not to be out done by this Mike managed to get a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish to hand, ending day one with a bang!
Day 2 – With the tides allowing us to access the flats for just about the entire day it kept those interested in chasing the Bumpies very busy. Vadim and Sergei G who were also focusing their efforts on the Bumpies this week both managed to hook a few. Sergei G managed to tick the right boxes and land his first ever Bumpy on the fly. Sergei P managed to fool a fin perfect Yellow Margin triggerfish with a well-presented cast. The GT fishing was slower than normal however we were still able to get a few to hand, John F’s GT of 92cm was the highlight from that front. The Sailfish were also around in good numbers but unfortunately we weren’t able to get any to hand.
Day 4 – Grigori who was enjoying a great week managed to get another two Bumpies to the net whilst Sergei hooked and landed his third Bumpie for the week, great job gentlemen. Vadim was also able to get an awesome Yellow Margin Triggerfish, which are always a satisfying catch. The Sailfish are still around in good numbers; both John R and Keith landed a sailfish each. John F was able to land two GTs for the day, which was good going considering that these fish had been a little difficult to come by this week.
Day 6 – With the week coming to an end our guests were keen to make the most of their final day on the flats. The Milkfish were around in good numbers during the morning period, Vadim made the most of his opportunity and managed to get one of these powerful fish to the net. The Triggerfish were seen on a number of occasions which eventually led to both Sergei G & Keith landing Yellow margin Triggerfish each on the last day. Whilst the GT fishing was challenging, we suspect the presence of easy food offshore might be the reason that the GTs were not around in their usual numbers, despite this we managed to land a huge number of Bumpies and a couple other exceptional fish. We look forward to the coming weeks on Providence Atoll. Our fish tally for the week was:
With the sudden change in weather the GTs were reluctant to come onto the flats and as a result the GT fishing was tough by Farquhar standards with only 8 fish being hooked and 5 landed. Sean managed to land 2 fish of 78cm and 82cm respectively, Ferdi and David also landed a GT each of 65cm and 77cm. The fish of the week was however a really good one, Tom’s first ever GT on fly a 115cm slab. The fish was seen cruising a turtle grass flat on the back of a Nurse shark. Tom made the cast just off the shark and a few quick strips later he got the eat. Epic fish, well done Tom! A few sizable Bluefin Trevally were also landed including Sean’s 78cm fish and Mary 72cm.
The species fishing this week continued to impress, the grouper species in particular smashing anything that came near their coral head. Jonathan landed a 55cm Napoleon Wrasse, whilst Tom’s 80cm African Marble grouper were two of the better ones landed. Unfortunately it was a tough fishing week by Farquhar’s standards but a few superb fish did come to hand and with a great bunch of people ensured good times were still had by all.
Day 1 – our first day out and the GTs were around in good numbers. It wasn’t long when Mike was onto a solid oceanside fish whilst Mel, Bomber and Matt also enjoyed landing their 1st GT on fly. All the guys were was also very keen on adding to their species lists…they had come to right place land 14 different species on their first day out alone. The Bumpies are back and happily tailing on the flats, John managing to present a perfect crab imitation to a fish which kicked it up. He got a huge shock as to how strong these fish are, but after a good tussle the fish was finally netted and measured at 108cm!
Day 5 – The flats were a little slow but the guys managed to capitalise on the shots that did come our way, everyone now having landing a GT during the trip. The coral heads which are full of life continued to provide action full of life, a huge variety of grouper snapper and emperors ensuring a great day out was still had by all. The bluewater fishing has also been rewarding on the high tides with some nice Tuna, Barracuda, Rainbow Runners and Green Job fish coming to hand.
This week on Farquhar we welcomed back our great group of friends from Austria hosted by Stefan and Alex Haider of AOS Fly Fishing. This week started with morning neap tides which progressed to midday springs towards the end of the six days of fishing. The weather was perfect for 4 of the 6 days with clear skies, lots of sunlight and a light breeze which kept us from getting too hot on the flats. The wind picked up the tempo for the last couple of days and made the opportunities a little more challenging. The fish were out and about and plentiful this week, with the GTs being present in good numbers on the flats.
First timers to the Seychelles and Farquhar Atoll Christian and Helmut were treated to some fantastic fishing with numerous Bonefish landed. Christian managed to land his first GT on fly with a very respectable fish of 98cm. He also managed to hook and land a large Barracuda, a Golden Trevally, Bluefin Trevally, Sailfish as well as a massive Indian Mirror fish which is a very rare and special catch.
Also first timers to the flats of Farquhar were couple Sophie and Stefan. They started their week in style with a GT hooked and landed with Stefan’s very first cast of the trip! Stefan had a good week landing 2 GTs, lots of bonefish, countless groupers – of which one a giant Goliath Grouper and a couple of very decent Bluefin Trevally. Sophie managed to hook and land (amongst others!) two very special fish; a large bonefish of 68cm and on the last afternoon of the trip she managed a monster GT measuring out at 114cm, what a way to end her trip and land her first ever GT on fly.
Alex and Stefan both managed to bag some incredible groupers, Boha Snappers, Napoleon Wrasse as well as a couple GTs a piece. In total we hooked 40 GTs as a group and land 27. We saw a good number of larger fish on the flats which is a positive sign for the weeks to come. The Triggerfishing was tough this week, sadly none of the 4 we did hook coming to hand. The Bumphead Parrots also proved difficult, but we still managed to land two of the five hooked – one a piece for Alex and Micheal; this was Michael’s first Bumphead on fly which made it extra special.
