St Brandon’s Blog: 31 Oct – 7 Nov 2017
St Brandon’s Blog: 31 Oct -10 Nov 2017
The high winds and rain which we had experienced on the atoll leading up to our final trip of the season had hung around the atoll for the first day with our new guests. This made spotting fish more difficult than normal which was disappointing as there were some good Bonefish present. We did however still manage to land in excess of 35 fish with an average size of 6.5lb, which got the guys eyes in and their reels screaming. The numbers of Bluefin Trevally around was however the highlight, the pushing tide being particularly productive. Austin Harris capitalized on some of the bigger fish hunting and landed a huge Bluefin measuring 80cm. It was a sign of things to come!
Day 2 thankfully brought sunny skies and much calmer conditions. We enjoyed some good Bonefishing during our morning session, the group landing 40 fish averaging 6lb. The big Bones for the day went to Guy Gardiner who landed two 8lb fish and an 8.5lb specimen, whilst the biggest was landed by Iain Abercrombie who caught a tank 9lb fish. The Bluefin were around in large numbers and many of the guests got well and truly stuck in. There were many Permit shots had cross various areas of the atoll. Austin Harris hooked and unfortunately lost his first Indo Pacific Permit, showing again how tough these fish can be to catch. Charles Brooks however made the most of his chance and landed a beautiful 11.5lb Permit that was snaking down a sand depression on the most famous flat on St. Brandon’s. Well done on your first Indo- Pacific Permit Charles, it’s a special moment!
The Bones were out in good numbers on Day 3 and the clients all got stuck into some good numbers of fish, over 35 fish were landed during the day at an average of just over 6.5lb. The largest Bone for the day went to Graham Watt and James De Penning who both landed 8.5lb specimens. The Atoll’s Permit were out in good numbers once again with 2 being hooked during the day. Richard Smithers unfortunately lost his fish but Iain Abercrombie managed to land his first Indo with a solid 8lb fish caught on a coral ridge on the Eastern edge of the Atoll. The Trevally action was just getting better and better as the week continued and this was evident in the number of Bluefin seen smashing bait around the high water areas. The Bluefin of the day undoubtedly went to James De Penning who landed a monstrous 83cm fish that pushed aside all the smaller fish in the school it was cruising with to crush the fly. That was not the only impressive trevally to be landed on the day though as Charles Brooks, who continued his great run and landed an 80cm GT that was sitting just off a coral garden in ambush. A GT is always a special fish and to catch a GT on St Brandon’s is even more impressive.
As the fourth day rolled on the guests were all well and truly into the swing of things and 
this was evident by the number of fish landed during the day. The Bonefish were landed in good numbers as in excess of 35 fish at an average of 6lb came to hand. There were some great Permit shots had as well with Graham Watt making the most of his shots by landing his first Indo Pacific Permit, a respectable 6lb fish that beat a hungry Bonefish to the fly. The trevally fishing was in full swing with some of the guests enjoying shots at some very large GTs but the fish had the final say. The Bluefin Trevally seemed to be everywhere on the atoll with large numbers of these apex predators being hooked and landed throughout the day. Austin Harris came out on top with the largest Bluefin of the day, a solid 73cm bruiser.
The great Bonefishing continued into day 5 as the clients collectively caught around 35 fish in the 6.5lb bracket. The Bluefin Trevally fishing went from great to phenomenal. It seemed as though any area that would hold bait on the high water also held large numbers of big, hungry Bluefin. This was evident when in one session during the afternoon – on only one of the islands 22 of these lighting fast fish were hooked. Many of them got the better of the anglers but there were still some great numbers of fish brought to hand. Graham Watt landed the largest for the day with his 73cm goat fish eating machine.
Day 6 would prove to be a very special day indeed. There was some incredible skinny water Bone fishing to be had during the morning low and pushing tide. The insane Bluefin Trevally were around again as all the clients got stuck into great numbers. One angler in particular, Charles Brooks landed around 15 of these brutes by himself during the day, all in the 65cm-80cm range. The day was however capped off with a truly amazing effort from Graham Watt who managed to get the first Grand Slam on St Brandon’s in 4 years. Graham landed a few Bones during the morning, the biggest being 7lb. During the push he was fishing around a coral ridge when his guide spotted a GT cruising the edge towards him. Graham cast out his popper fly ahead of the fish and with 2 pops the GT ate. A few minutes and some muscle aching runs later the fish was landed, a beast 94cm GT. Some great photos were taken before the fish was sent back on its way. About 20 minutes passed before Graham’s guide jokingly said all he needed now was a permit and low and behold the fish appeared ahead of a small pod of Bonefish. Graham stuck a cast out to the right of the fish and with Bluefin-like aggression the fish engulfed the fly. A nervous fight ensued and eventually the fish was landed and the Grand Slam confirmed. Graham also caught a few large Bluefin during the day so you could almost say he got a super slam. Very well done Graham, a Grand Slam is a rare thing and something you are sure to treasure for a very long time!
The last day of the season brought with it some tough conditions as low light, rain and wind was the order of the day. There were shots at some very large GTs that unfortunately were not converted. There was still some good Bone fishing to be had by the guests. Although the last day was tough, the fishing that was had during the week was incredible. This will definitely be one week to remember, not just for the guides but also for all the guests who joined us out on this wild place.
This brought an end to another cracking season out on St. Brandon’s. There were some incredible moments during the season that will not soon be forgotten. We all look forward to March when we will be heading out for another season on this very special place. Till then tight lines and screaming reels to everyone.
The St Brandon’s Guide Team
More carefully laid out and specific plans were put in place for day two. Vladimir started the day off in fine form and after a long chase got a GT to turn and rush the fly, the fish eating the fly a few inches off the rod tip. The team of Ben, Richard and Thomas had a day which really epitomises what Providence is all about. The start of the pushing tide saw Ben landing two GTs off the bat, Richard following shortly after when he hooked and landed a fish which was hugging the back of a shark. Later Thomas hooked and landed his first ever Bumpy and once the tide pushed them off the flats completely they headed offshore where their team located a school of feeding Milkfish. Richard was the first go tight and after a swift 15 minute battle he landed his first ever Milkfish. Ben then followed suit and in the dying minutes of the day hooked into his MilK. The initial acrobatic behaviour of the fish soon receded and the fish sounded into the depths. Finally after some intense moments circling the boat the fish was finally netted. Mark also took advantage of the feeding Milks and hooked and landed his first ever Milkfish. Tony Hayes became the second guest to narrowly be denied the one-metre mark when he unbelivevably also landed a 99cm GT. Good fishing friends Doug and Tony both caught GTs shortly after each other, whilst Shamal continued his fine form and landed a very nice looking Yellow Margin Trigger. The highlight of the day however had to be the monstrous GT he landed. This fish had his name written all over it! It all started whilst wading a sand drainage area. The free-swimming GT slowly meandered out of the deep right up to the shallow bank he was wading. The cast was set in the right area and the fish charged only to refuse the fly. Two more strips and the fish turned and came again. At this stage, the leader was already through the front eye when the fish ate the fly. After the hook set, the fish sped off taking Shamal’s 12wt rod tip with it. The running line then proceeded to wrap around the mid-section, and before he knew it the mid-section was gone leaving him with only a butt section and screaming reel. Thankfully things improved and despite some nerve wracking moments a 121cm behemoth was brought to hand. Just an incredible moment!
After an action-packed Day 2, the overcast conditions on the third day made fishing pretty tricky from a spotting point of view. The team consisting of Thomas, Richard and Ben however could not put a foot wrong. Ben and Richard quickly found themselves in the thick of it once again, each of them landing two GTs a piece. Thomas hugged an area which was holding some Triggers where he was rewarded with a beautiful Yellow Margin specimen after it pinned his crab hard against the sand. Ben subsequently swapped over to his 9wt and in typical Providence fashion what should apear…a GT swimming on the back of a stingray. Without any time to change back to his 12 weight he had no choice but to pitch the crab fly at the GT. The fish broke off from the stingray and snatched up the crab imitation and the rest is history. Vladimir started the day fishing for the Milkfish daisy chaining literally meters off the back of the mothership. Within a couple of mins he pinned one and off it went. The fish fought like a gladiator and eventually after being towed around for more than a kilometre he landed his prize. Shamal continued his good form when he landed his fourth GT for the trip, Mark also getting in on the action before the end of third day on the flats.
Determined to make up for the tricky fishing previous day, we set out with some seriously promising plans. Shamal stepped up yet again and landed three GTs, the largest being his second metre plus fish at 106cm. Tom, Tony, Tony, Richard and Thomas all made valuable contributions with a GT a piece, whilst Vladimir and Grigori concentrated their efforts on the currently elusive Bumpies for the first half of the day. Unfortunately luck was not on their side when the guys hooked three of the green giants and a Trigger, before becoming unbuttoned. A species focus change of heart ended and with a nice cold water push and they were rewarded with three fish. Besides the good GT fishing the group encountered numerous groupers, snappers as well as some solid Bluefin Trevally. Doug only just missed out on landing his first Sailfish when a really hot sail came tearing through the prop wash and tried multiple times to engulf the fly.
Moving to an area which is renowned for producing big fish during the bigger tides we headed out with plenty of optimism. Mark who thus far had had a reasonably quiet trip went hell for leather to rectify things. His first GT was hooked off a tailing nurse shark, the fish measuring a very respectable 93cm. Moments later he hooked and landed another fish that literally ripped backing off the reel before being subdued. Tony was very unfortunate to lose an absolute brute of a fish after his backing snapped during the fight, this also resulted in half the rod being torn off as the line snapped and disappeared. Shamal capiltised yet again with another three GT haul, including another trophy fish measuring 110cm. His boat partners Tony and Doug also found themselves in the thick of it, Tony landing two and Doug one. Ben and Rich also brought home good news as they both managed to entice two fish sitting in pots to race out and eat their flies. A really exciting day out!
We normally like to get our new groups into some great Bonefishing on the first couple of days, however Day 1 strangely produced some tricky fishing for them. Despite seeing decent numbers something obviously had made them spooky, which made getting close to them tougher than usual. We did however manage to get the guys into some good Permit and Bluefin Trevally action, most guests getting shots at both species. Jim capitalised on one of the shots and landed a small but fin perfect Permit. The fish of the day however went to one of the David’s when he landed our first trophy Permit for the week, a gorgeous 11,5lb fish. Congratulations David!!!
Strong winds greeted us as we headed out on Day 3, which certainly cooled the water down a bit. As such the Bonefishing improved, the slight chop on the water and extra oxygen providing more favorable conditions. Around forty Bones were landed between the guys, the fish averaging 5-6lb. Things were looking up!
The excellent Bluefin and Bonefish fishing continued into Day 5, along with some great opportunities at the atoll’s infamous Indio Pacifc Permit. Charles capitalized on one of these chances when he landed his first ever Permit. Well done Charles!
Day 6 saw good numbers of GTs around which is always exciting to experience first hand. The Bonefishing too continued to improve, over average in size and the numbers going up which kept our anglers enthused. The Bluefin Trevally fishing this season has been nothing short of spectacular, David’s 77cm brute the puck of the fish coming to hand. Jim who was busy with his third week on the atoll opted to take a rest day, but during a brief walk around the lodge island he managed to land two Indo’s, the first a reputable 7 lb fish and the second a gorgeous 12 lb gem. Outstanding Jim!
The Bones were well and truly out on the last day, with over 45 fish in the 6lb range landed by the guys. Tyson landed his largest Bonefish to date, a chunky and solid 7,5lb fish whilst David landed our largest Bonefish for the trip when his 8lb slab of silver eventually slid into the net. The Bluefin fishing was on fire, these electric blue bolts of speed smashing into balls of bait in all the likely hotspots. It was frenetic! Don hooked a very large Bluefin, however as it began to tire a massive shark appeared and swallowed it whole. Hard luck there Don.
It’s with a great sense of excitement that we write this report from Farquhar Atoll. After nearly 18 months of clearing and rebuilding, the new lodge is now officially up and running and it looks terrific! The new layout offers more privacy for our guests when they want it and the large social dining and bar area is sure to impress all future guests, including those wanting to kick back whilst enjoying a cocktail and a chat about that great day out on the water. It really is so good to be home! Joining us on this momentous week were Rich, Millie and Jon from the Trouthunter along with a group of great friends. Despite some of them having fished St Brandon’s with us, this was to their first trip to Farquhar and they were clearly excited to get stuck into some world class flats fishing and enjoy their own private atoll for a week!
Day one had a strong south easterly wind blowing over the flats which kept the water cool and the fish hungry. Solid numbers of GTs were sighted across the atoll and despite it being the first GT fishing for many of our guests we managed to land a few, John and Ben both landing their firsts. One of the fish proved to be the fish we all dream about! A large fish was spotted cruising away over a white sand flat in the south, and after a few attempts the fish turned towards Robert. Robert made another cast and after two strips the fish tracked and inhaled the fly. It instantly bolted off for deeper water but after an incredibly powerful battle the glorious specimen came to hand. She was all of 120cm and a cracking way to start the week and our season! Congrats Robert! The Bones were around in good numbers on the eastern side of the atoll and provided good sport, whilst the Triggers too offered up some opportunities, it was just our friends the Bumpheads which were a bit scarce, the big tides no doubt keeping them off the shallower flats. All in all a great way to start our season!
Clear skies greeted us as we head out on day two, the last bit of the drop and the full push providing an extended GT session. This worked a treat and congratulations must go to Richard, Scott and Grant, all three of them landing their first ever GTs on a fly rod..awesome! The Bones were still around in good numbers which provided some great action, however despite multiple shots at our our friends the Triggers, they had the final say on day two. But Farquhar is never to be underestimated in terms of the species options it can deliver, firstly Gerhard landed a couple of Milks from the beach, following which Heidi managed to hook and land a beautiful Indo-Pacific Permit and finally Jeff enticed and most importantly landed a 92cm Napoleon wrasse. It was another really special day out on water!
Sadly day three dawned dark & menacing, the blustery conditions deteriorating as the day progressed. With intermittent cloud bursts and brief patches of sunlight, making the most of opportunities was going to be the key. Our guests took up the challenge and were rewarded with some good fish despite the trying conditions. More GTs were landed, special mention going to Grant and Scott for their double up on a GT and a Napoleon Wrasse. The Bones continued to feed aggressively in the icy cold water, and eventually our first Trigger of the season went to Ben. He didn’t stop there though and managed to land our first “SLAM” for the season by ticking off a GT, Bonefish and Trigger despite the very difficult conditions! Great job Ben!
Sadly the tough conditions did not improve. A dropping tide and extremely high south easterly winds made the lagoon and the outer reaches of the atoll inaccessible by boat, so with our guests still eager to head out we waited for the mid day low tide and took the tractor to the runway flat where we could fish on foot in safety. Conditions however had the final say and despite a few small fish coming to hand, the warm and obviating atmosphere of the lodge proved too great and we headed back!
Conditions improved slightly on day five which at least enabled to us head out across the atoll. The Bumphead Parrots made their first real appearance on the week, large pods being spotted tailing across the atoll. Rich stepped up to the plate and landed our first fish of the season, his 90cm specimen coming in after an epic battle. Good numbers of GTs presented themselves and despite too many departing prematurely, we did land some good ones. Grant in particular landed a great one, his 105cm specimen our second meter plus fish for the week. The fish was spotted hugging the back of a Lemon Shark, this time the bigger fish getting to the fly first thankfully! After a lengthy fight this incredible fish was landed. The Triggers continued to provide opportunities but proved skittish, the Bones however anything but with huge numbers of fish encountered!
Thankfully the break in the weather arrived on our final day on the water. With a midday low we had the chance to fish and it was phenomenal. Large schools of GTs had arrived in the lagoon from the open ocean, one particular group enjoying some mind blowing GT fishing. Wading the turtle grass flat Rich and Millie saw their flies chased and smashed continuously, some epic battles ending with broken fly lines but at the end of of it 10 fish between them. A special shout out to Millie for her perseverance! During the course of the week she had hooked plenty but things had not gone her way, this changed though with her tally for the day ending at 5, the biggest of which was a gorgeous 97cm fish! Truly a great session to be a part of and a great way to end our first week back.
The second trip of our season saw some truly exceptional Bonefishing take place on St Brandon’s! With over 30 Bonefish in the 6lb range landed during the first morning session everyone got a chance to shake off the cobwebs and get the crossing well and truly out of their system. We also managed to get the guys into position for some great shots at Permit but none of them stuck unfortunately. They also enjoyed some memorable Bluefin Trevally action with Ian landing the largest fish of the day, an ‘ice blue’ 72 cm fish hooked only a rod length from the shore after it tore in and devoured his fly. After a tough fight the fish was brought to hand, capping off a great first day on the atoll!
With some icy cold water spread out across most of the atoll the superb Bonefishing continued into Day 2, with well over 25 fish landed at an average size of 6lbs. Various Trevally species were encountered throughout the day as well, the Bluefin fishing in particular really heating up; many Bluefin were landed throughout the day. Don Armstrong landed the largest fish of the day, his highly aggressive fish measuring 71 cm nose to fork.
The third day proved to be a very special one, full of action. We landed forty Bonefish at an average weight of 6,5 lb. The crazy Bluefin Trevally action continued and by the end of the day we had landed 10 fish measuring over 60cm. Our arch rival the Giant Trevally provided us with an opportunity when Ian Bailey hooked a very large fish! The fish charged and ate the streamer in an extremely ferocious manner before turning straight towards some coral. Sadly there was no stopping this monster and with his fly line and a substantial amount of backing off his reel, the line went limp as the fish cut him off. Heartbreaking for Ian and his guide! The day however did end with one very special fish being landed, Jim hooked and landed his first ever Permit. After fishing at three separate pods of tailing fish for well over an hour, Jim sent out a perfect cast and on his third strip the fish tailed hard on his fly, before he came right and the fish tore off into the distance. A long and anxious fight ensued, but finally a trophy 15 lb fish was landed much to Jim and his guide’s relief. Congrats Jim!
There were multiple shots at the atoll’s very large GTs on Day 4, sadly however these top predators coming out on top on this occasion. The Bonefishing however provided phenomenal fishing for our guests once again, with over 35 fish landed during the day. The Bluefin were all riled up and making pigs of themselves due to large numbers of baitfish around the raised areas on the high tide and the clients got stuck into good numbers of these aggressive predators. A few of the anglers had some great shots at Permit, but by the end of the day the fish had had the final say.
With the great conditions continuing into Day 5, the fishing proved nothing short of spectacular. There were over 40 Bones landed during the day with the average weight stretching the scales to 6.5lbs. Many of the anglers also enjoyed great shots at the Permit, possibly due to some lower tidal movement, but Permit being Permit, shots aren’t always enough to get it done! The Bluefin Trevally fishing kicked up a gear with many coming to hand, five fish in particular of special mention as they weighed between 12 – 14 lb. With the Bluefin being around in such abundance it was only a matter of time before someone would get into a tussle with a very large GT. Sean proved to be the fortunate angler, the monster 111cm fish hooked and landed very close to the eastern reef edge. After an intense battle and some serious running from his guide, the beast was tailed and some great photos were taken before the fish was sent back to harass the high numbers of baitfish and Bonefish which were congregating in the surf zone. What a great fish Sean, well done!
Day 6 started off with some more phenomenal Bonefishing, with 40 fish between 6-7lbs landed by the clients. It must sound monotonous saying this almost everyday, but that really is special fishing anywhere in the world and if one considers all of it is done on foot in ankle to knee depth water you know you are in a special place. The Trevally were out in force once again, with many good sized Bluefin coming to hand. Unfortunately Don lost our second large GT for the week while fishing a section on the eastern edge of the atoll. His day did improve though! Firstly he landed two trophy size Bluefin Trevally, 71cm and 74cm respectively, however his major consolation came in the form of his first Indo-Pacific Permit, the fin perfect fish weighing 10lb! Well done Don!!!!
The final day of the trip brought a fitting end to a great week on St. Brandons. Over 60 Bonefish were landed throughout the day, on average the fish weighing an impressive 7lb. Jim pinned a super strong 8,5 lb fish, before Doug stole the show with a 10lb beast. The fish was spotted and cast to as it slowly snaked it’s way up a turtle grass finger, a few short strips and he had a solid connection. It ran him deep into backing before steady pressure eventually brought about it’s entry into the net. A few quick snaps were taken and the fish was swimming off in no time. A truly special fish Doug, congratulations!
The Permit were out in good numbers again and with his last cast of trip, long time Seychelles client Rob, hooked and landed his first Indo-Pacific Permit. After having a few good shots at tailing fish, Rob put in a spot-on effort and within three strips he went tight. The fish fought hard but Rob would not give an inch and soon the 5lb fish was safely in the net. Awesome job Rob! There was plenty of Trevally action as well, most of the clients enjoying some excellent shots at GTs and ferocious Bluefin Trevally. Ian landed our largest Bluefin for the day, the electric blue specimen measuring 76cm. With this great moment the second week of the season came to an end. We had a great time hosting some old friends and making a few new ones and look forward to having them out with us on the atoll in seasons to come!