Providence Blog: 31 Oct – 7 Nov 2023

The third week of our Providence fly fishing season saw only 3 new guests arrive as 8 of last week’s group remained to complete their 12-day stay with us. Our new arrivals, Rob and Dale, both Providence regulars were joined by Julius who was about to enjoy his first-ever saltwater fly fishing experience.

This week began with extreme winds and lousy light. Despite the adverse conditions, our group enjoyed fantastic fishing for GTs. Ed, Gary, and John made quick work of their opportunities and landed an impressive total of 12 GTs for the day. The action wasn’t limited to just one boat as, Dale, Mike and Wendy shared the spoils with 7 GTs, along with the standout catch of the day going Mike’s way when a powerful 105 cm trophy jumped on his fly. Dave, Steve, and Ron also added 7 more GTs to the total tally, while over on the other side of the atoll, Julius’s introduction to the experience got off to a great start when the young man landed his first-ever GT. Well done, Julius!

We were dealt with more tricky light and several cloud bursts during the second day. Our group soldiered on and added another 13 GTs to the total tally. Wendy, Mike, and Dale managed to boat 6 while the trio of Ed, Gary, and John continued to enjoy their good fortune with 5 large GTs landed all of which stretched the measuring tape to the mid-90s. The standout catch, however, went to Steve when he landed his first ever 100 cm GT. Well done, Steve.

We finally rose to a beautiful clear morning sky and set out, eager to see what Prov had in store for us. Day 3 turned out to be one for the books for Ed, Gary, and John as the trio were treated to some of the finest fly fishing available in Seychelles. Their flat was alive with action from the moment they arrived and by the time the day was over they had managed to land a whopping 19 GTs for the day. Great work, guys! Other than the GT action the atoll’s tailing species began to show up more regularly which resulted in a slam for Mike who caught a tiggerfish, bonefish, and a GT. Dale’s primary focus on this trip had been to catch a triggerfish, and he ticked that box when he landed a cheeky moustache triggerfish. Well done, Dale!

We enjoyed more of the same weather during the fourth day with almost no wind. Julius kept the firsts coming by landing his first sailfish with a beautifully executed bait and switch. Well done, Julius! Wendy, Mike, and Dale had a fantastic day by adding 7 more GTs to the tally. Wendy landed her biggest, 85cm, and Dale landed a beautiful 90cm off a stingray. Ed, Gary, and John added another 3 GTs to the tally landing 1 apeice which brought the day GT tally to 13.

By the fifth day, our group were very well settled into the rhythm of Providence and this showed in the catches. Dale landed a lovely yellowmargin triggerfish that wasted no time in gobbling up his strong-arm crab. A few bonefish started to trickle onto the flats, something that John, Dave, and Ron capitalized on, landing a few bones each. Those who added to the GT tally were Ed, Wendy, Mike, and Dave who all landed a single fish each.

The last day of the fishing week saw us enjoy the best weather of the week with good light and little wind. The action started almost immediately when Ed and Gary both hooked into absolute monster GTs, unfortunately, both fish managed to evade our longing hands when Ed’s fish shook the hook loose during its first run and Gary’s found the only coral head within 500 meters. Heartbreaking stuff but still very exciting! The pair redeemed themselves with a GT each to end the last day of their 2 weeks with us. Ron, Steve, and Dave ended their 2 weeks with us in style by landing 11 bonefish and 1 GT each. Ron’s fish measured 101cm, a fantastic way to end his trip. Well done, Ron! Rob and Julius had another week to look forward to and calmly went about landing another sailfish and 11 bonefish. Team Wendy, Mike, and Dale finished in style, with Wendy landing her first bonefish and 18 more amongst the team. The momentum continued, with the group landing 3 triggerfish and losing another 4. Wendy had really wanted to get a trigger to hand and she managed to do that on the last day of her 2 week stay with us… Well done, Wendy!

That brings another exciting week of fishing to an end. With most of our group heading home it was a bitter-sweet goodbye. Sad to see them all go but excited to see what the next week had in store for us on the fishing front.

Our catch tally for week 3 was as follows:

GT – 85 (3 of 1m plus) biggest 105cm
Bonefish – 54
Triggerfish – 6
Sailfish – 2
Total number of other fish caught – 122

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

Older posts

St Brandons Blog: 9 – 19 Oct 2023

Welcome to the report from our 6th week of the season. Our lucky group of anglers from the previous week had another 7 days on the flats to look forward to as they had all booked a 2-week back-to-back stay with us. With a bigger tidal range and clear blue skies predicted in the weather report, we felt excited to get out there and show them more of water the atoll can deliver

Week 6 conditions: Spring tides, clear skies, and little wind.

This week saw our guests enjoy the fly fishing experience St Brandon’s is most famous for; skinny water bonefishing. With cool water and loads of hungry bones around, our guests got stuck into the action from the moment their boots hit the white sand. Typical encounters included fishing for the bonefish while they tailed and worked their way up the gradual taper of the flats with the morning’s pushing tide. With productive fishing sessions enjoyed by everyone, we managed to rack up a very respectable catch tally for the week. As for the big fish, our standout catch on this front went to Trent when he hooked into a silver missile that not only ran him into the backing several times but also tipped the scales at 10 lbs! Great job, Trent!

Permit fishing is a cruel pursuit and although we had our shots, were only able to get 3 of these elusive creatures to hand for the week. Justin was the only fisherman this week who could convince the fish to pounce on a fly and he landed all 3 himself, 1 of which was a genuine trophy, weighing in at 15,5 lb! He managed to pick up this beauty while it followed a large stingray near a storm ridge. A very special catch late in the day. Well done Justin!

We experienced decent action on the trevally front as well, with favourable conditions in the way of good light and loads of baitfish found around the landmasses. This set us up nicely and we enjoyed several shots at large Giant Trevally. 1 of our anglers enjoyed all the spoils here, landing 2 beautiful fish, 1 of which stretched the measuring tape all the way to 105cm.

Our catch tally for the week was:

Bonefish – 113 (3 of 10 lbs)
Indo-Pacific Permit – 3 (1 of 15,5 lbs)
Bluefin Trevally – 31
GTs – 2 (Biggest 105 cm)

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

Older posts

Providence Blog: 17 – 24 October 2023

The opening week of the Providence Oct-Dec 23 fly fishing season saw us welcome a few Prov veterans as well as a couple of new faces to the atoll. Excited nerves served as fuel while our team quickly readied everyone’s gear while acclimating to the warm tropical atmosphere, that would be our home for the next 2 months.

The first day was themed by all things with teeth. Dave, Joe, and John set off on a mission for GTs and despite tricky light and strong winds they still managed to land their first GTs of the trip. Drew got on the board with his first and second GT ever while his boat partner, Jean-Christophe managed to tame a beautiful 97 cm specimen. Great work, JC! Over in the lagoons, Joern also got himself on the board with a respectable GT and enjoyed productive fishing for the atoll’s native grouper and snapper which brought a satisfying end to Day 1.

Day 2 and determined to make the most of the tides, we headed to the flats as fast as our boats would take us! There was much more cloud cover than expected, and the teams did very well despite the conditions. Dave, Joe, and John had a couple of good shots at GTs, but were a bit unlucky. Dave, however, landed his first GT on the flats and measured a respectable 80 cm. Well done, Dave. The returning trio of Mike, Keith, and André were hard done by with bad light and a few unlucky shots at GTs. Keith did however manage to get on the board at the end of the day with his first GT of the trip. Well done, Keith. Over in a small drainage, JC, Jacob, and Drew had a stella day on the GT front, coming home with many stories and a few fantastic GTs. Drew landed a monster of 105 cm, Jacob managed to land one of 95 cm as well as a massive fish of 112 cm. Well done, gentleman! Another fish hooked by Jacob was taxed dramatically by a bull shark close near the end of the fight, which got his and his guide’s heart racing and made for a bittersweet victory with just the head coming in to hand. Joern also quietly kept his tally going with another GT, he also sadly lost two bumpies after lengthy fights.

On the third day we arose to terrible conditions including 20-knot winds and total cloud cover. Undeterred, we headed out for the day’s fishing. Joern and Ron kept their good streak going by landing another GT each. Over on a lumpy coral flat, JC, Drew, and Jacob beat the conditions by getting stuck into 9 very large bonefish. They had a triple-up with all 3 bones measuring over 65 cm, 1 of which was a 10-pounder caught by JC. Another excellent catch JC, well done! They didn’t stop there, with Jacob hooking and landing 2 triggerfish, 1 of each species. A little further down the same flat, Drew fished brilliantly to 4 different pairs of Permit but sadly he couldn’t convince any of them to eat his fly. Mike and Keith also did very well to land 2 GTs, 1 apiece and a special moment shared between old friends. Towards the end of the day, everyone got stuck into grouper and snapper, some of which were exceptional in size.

We didn’t think the conditions could get any worse than the day before but they sure did. We endured 30-knot winds and zero sunlight for most of the day. Like true troopers and despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, Jean Christoph, Drew, and André all landed their first sailfish on the fly. Well done, gentlemen! Joern landed a trophy 101 cm Napoleon Wrasse as well as a Bumpy, both terrific fish. Great work, Joern! Elsewhere on the atoll Jacob, John, Ron, and Mike all managed to catch GTs while 2 teams found a couple of bones, landing a total of 11 bonefish for the day.

On day five, the conditions seemed to intensify. Fortunately for us, there were plenty of fish around. The trio of Jacob, Drew, and Jean Christoph added to the GT tally with 4 total for the day. Mike, André, and Keith enjoyed excellent bone fishing and landed 27 for the day between them; Andre tragically lost a permit that changed direction and swam towards him, causing a small loop to wrap around the tip of his rod. Heartbreak! On a happier note while walking along the beach, Joern, sighted a beautiful GT cruising the shallows and made a perfect cast that was graciously accepted by the 95 cm fish, making for a great fight and a beautiful photo. Toward the end of the day, John landed yet another sailfish. Well done, John!

The 6th and final day saw the conditions remain tricky though not quite as severe. Mike managed to land 2 GTs for the day, 1 of which was 111 cm. A terrific fish caught offshore. Well done, Mike! Joern and Ron kept the bonefish numbers growing by landing another 6 for the day. However, the real triumph for the day was a 14-pound permit landed by Ron, a genuinely remarkable fish, and a team victory as many of our group had had shots without managing to convince these picky feeders to accept the fly during the week.

That brings us to the end of an enjoyable opening week. Barring the absenteeism of the Milkfish we enjoyed the full spectrum of fly fishing diversity available in these warm waters. Hopeful and excited for the next week of fly fishing, we bid our guests farewell.

Our catch tally for week 1 was:

GT – 32 (3 over 1m and biggest 111 cm)
Bone – 56 (1 of 10lbs.)
Sailfish – 4
Bumpies – 1
Triggers – 2
Napoleon – 6
Wahoo – 1
Permit – 1 (14lbs.)
Total number of other fish landed – 196

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

Older posts

Fly Fishing for Bonefish in Seychelles and St Brandon’s Atoll

Bonefish are well known as one of fly fishing’s most famous saltwater targets and are responsible for most anglers’ introduction to the world of fly fishing travel and the thrills of sight fishing. The species’ tendency to feed in shallow water, its fondness for well-presented flies, and its lightning-fast runs make it the perfect fly fishing target. Learn more about fly fishing for bonefish, the best gear, how to improve your chances of success, and where to find the ultimate bonefishing experiences below:

A common sight of schooling bonefish on St Brandon’s Atoll.

Fast Facts:

The All Tackle World Record for bonefish stands at a massive 8.61 kg (19 lb), caught off the South African coastline. Remarkably, a bonefish weighing 17.5 lb was landed on St Brandon’s Atoll during our April – June 2023 fly fishing season which was certainly a highlight of our return to the atoll’s abundant waters. While these catches are extraordinary, typical catches of bonefish in Seychelles and St Brandon’s range between 4 – 6lb.
A micro-migration is witnessed each day as bonefish move in large numbers from deeper reefs and channels onto shallow water flats to feed. This behavior occurs during the incoming and outgoing tide flushes which creates the thrilling shallow water bonefishing experiences synonymous with St Brandon’s Atoll and some of the outer atolls of Seychelles.
The bonefish’s diet primarily consists of crustaceans, small fish, worms, snails, and mollusks. Check out our list of the best bonefish flies in our gear recommendations below.
Renowned as one of the fastest fish in the ocean, bonefish can reach speeds of upwards of 64km/h. Given their lack of major spines, tough scales or scoots, their incredible speed serves as their primary defence against predators.

A 17,5lb bonefish caught on St Brandon’s Atoll, Mauritius.

Rigging up for Bonefish

The best fly rods for bonefish are 9-foot 9wt fast action saltwater fly rods, with the 9ft 9wt G.Loomis NRX+ standing out as our top recommendation.
The best fly line for bonefish is 9wt tropical/warm water fly lines that match the recommended rod. We recommend the Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 flats Universal Taper 9wt fly line.
The best reels for bonefish have fast line retrieval, a drag system designed for wet wading in saltwater, and a minimum backing capacity of 250 yards of 50lb gel spun or casting braid. The Wade Albula fly reel is our top pick, designed to handle formidable fish like bonefish with ease.
While the best bonefish leader configuration may vary based on the fishery and flats conditions, we find 9ft 16 lb fluorocarbon tapered leaders to be adequate for most situations. In Seychelles, where various fish species abound, using heavier leaders can better prepare you for any surprises during your flat’s fishing adventure.
The best flies for bonefish vary depending on the destination. Our favourites include patterns that imitate shrimps and crabs such as; merkin crabs, fleeing crabs, spawning shrimps and gotchas tied in various sizes, weights, and colours, on good quality hooks with weed guards. Fly colours should be drab, white, tan, or a mix of these colours. Small pillow talks tied in chartreuse can be effective when dealing with warmer water conditions.

Well stocked bonefish specific fly boxes.

How to Catch More Bonefish in Seychelles and St Brandon’s Atoll

At home

Practice your casting at home before your fly fishing trip to Seychelles or St Brandon’s

Elevate your saltwater fly fishing game by honing your casting skills before embarking on your adventure to Seychelles or St Brandon’s. Success on the flats depends on delivering your fly precisely to the desired target, overcoming challenges like wind, line drag, and moving targets. Remember, distance is not the sole focus; a cast of 40-60 feet (half the length of the average fly line) is usually sufficient. Practice landing your fly accurately in a hula-hoop at 30ft, 40ft, 50ft, and 60ft regularly leading up to your trip. While hiring a casting instructor can help, consistent practice is the key to improving your casting technique and increasing your chances of success.

On the flats

The Presentation

FlyCastaway guide Tim Babich presents his fly towards a St Brandon’s Atoll bonefish.

Achieving the perfect fly placement depends on several variables, including the destination, water quality, fishing pressure, depth, and tide stage. Your experienced guide will provide invaluable insights into the fishery and instruct you accordingly. In Seychelles and St Brandon’s, during skinny water fishing periods aim to present the fly much closer to the fish than in other fisheries. Ideally, lead the fish by about 2-4 feet, you’ll know you’ve executed this correctly if you observe the fish acknowledge and swim towards your sinking fly. This expert technique ensures an enticing presentation that triggers a bite.

The Retrieve and Hook-set

Setting the hook while fly fishing for bonefish on a typical St Brandon Atoll flat.

Given the nature of the prey items that form a bonefish’s diet, a slow to medium retrieve is most effective. Always allow the fly to sink to the bottom before starting the retrieve, as most of the bonefish’s prey scurry along the seafloor. Keep your rod tip close to the water, removing any slack in the fly line between you and the fly. Often, anglers mistake a fish nibbling the fly when, in reality, the fish has already eaten the fly, and they are feeling tension only during the last part of the retrieve. To increase your chances of a successful hookset, slow down the retrieve as the fish follows the fly. When you feel pressure through the fly line, keep the rod tip pointed downwards and execute a firm strip strike to set the hook securely.

The Fight

A FCA guest enjoys a long run from a large bonefish on St Brandon’s seemingly endless flats.

Once hooked, be prepared for an adrenaline-pumping battle with the powerful bonefish. As the fish takes off at incredible speed, allow the line to run smoothly through your fingers without any sudden stops to avoid straightening the hook or breaking off the fish. The initial run is exhilarating, watching the bonefish create a rooster tail while taking your fly line and yards of backing across the shallow water flats is a scene commonly witnessed during the average bonefishing session on St Brandon’s and Providence Atoll. Keep your drag set light to medium, maintaining a 45-degree rod angle to apply constant pressure, especially if the fish starts its return journey. Reel in quickly and even walk backward if needed to keep consistent pressure on the fish.

Landing a Bonefish, Handling, and Release

Typical scenes at the end of the fight with a flats caught bonefish.

Landing a bonefish can be a challenge, especially when you are alone on the flats. Ideally, your guide will be nearby with a landing net. To land the fish successfully, guide it towards the net with a slow lift of its head just before it’s ready to be netted. Once in the net, the fish may thrash a bit, but it will eventually calm down. When handling a Bonefish, remember to wet your hands, and have your camera ready to capture the moment. Take a few quick photographs, remove the hook, and allow the fish to recover briefly before releasing.

Where is the Best Bonefishing Destination for You?

Bonefishing experiences vary significantly, and your choice of destination depends on factors such as the diversity of targetable fly fishing species, travel ease, and budget. Among hundreds of lodges, we recommend the following as the ultimate bonefishing destinations:

St Brandon’s Atoll, Mauritius

A trophy 12lb bonefish caught on St Brandon’s Atoll, Mauritius.

St Brandon’s Atoll is renowned as the world’s very best bonefish destination. The sheer number and average size of the bonefish encountered in its waters is nothing short of astonishing. The atoll’s unique structure and prevailing winds provide the perfect mix of conditions for bonefish to grow large and in impressive numbers with the average size of the bonefish caught on the atoll ranging between 5 – 6 lb with 10lb trophies caught regularly. Additionally, the atoll’s bonefish are encountered in a multitude of scenarios depending on the tide and water level allowing anglers to test their sight fishing skills while fly fishing for singles and doubles in as little as 6 inches of water to large schools of fish found during the high period of the tide allowing action anglers of every skill level to enjoy the thrill of fly fishing for bonefish. For a detailed perspective of what to expect on the atoll’s flats read our week-by-week catch reports here, visit our website for more information about St Brandon or get in touch with us via email – info@flycastaway.com

Providence Atoll, Seychelles

An elated FCA guest poses proudly with a large bonefish caught on Providence Atoll, Seychelles.

The best saltwater fly fishing destination on earth – Providence Atoll and its mind-blowing diversity will provide you and your fishing buddies fantastic opportunities to catch trophy bonefish. Providence’s bonefishing is dependent on several factors. It is therefore very important to speak to our team before booking your trip to make sure you are in the right place, at the right time to enjoy the Seychelles’ very best bonefishing. For a detailed perspective of what to expect on the flats, read our week-by-week catch reports here, visit our website for more information about Providence Atoll, or get in touch with us via email – info@flycastaway.com

We would love to hear from you

Choosing the fly fishing destination that caters to your preferences isn’t easy. These venues are often in the far-flung corners of the world and require a great deal of time and energy to get to. FlyCastaway has run successful fly fishing trips with the best guide teams in the Seychelles & St Brandon since 2003. Our knowledgeable team works day and night to ensure you have the trip of your dreams. If you’re planning to visit Seychelles or St Brandon’s Atoll or have any other fly fishing travel-related questions, get in touch with us via email – info@flycastaway.com or stay up to date with the fishing action on Facebook & Instagram.

Older posts

St Brandon Blog: 8-18 May 2023

The second week of our St Brandon’s Atoll May-June 2023 fly fishing season saw us welcome 6 new faces to the fishery with the exception of Steven, who was fortunate enough to be beginning the latter half of his 2 week stay with us. This week’s fishing began with full moon neap tides and almost perfect weather conditions which had us anticipating loads of shots to tailing Indo-Pacific Permit and trophy Bonefish in varying fly fishing scenarios.

Our guests enjoyed phenomenal fly fishing for the atoll’s resident Bonefish with favourable conditions aiding our efforts on the flats. Not only were the sheer number of bones encountered impressive but so was the frequency with which we happened upon the real trophies. Our group capitalized on their shots to the larger fish landing several beauties between 7 – 9.5 lb, caught in every Bonefishing scenario available on St Brandon’s. The atoll had more up its sleeve and delivered 4 fish of 10 lb plus, 2 of which went to Daniel who managed to land his first-ever 10lber!, and then another monster of 11.5 lb shortly thereafter. Great job, Dan. The remaining noteworthy catches went to Steven and Rob, who both ended their week’s fishing in the best way possible landing trophies of 10 and 12 lb respectively. Well done gentlemen!

The Permit fishing this week met our expectations with loads of large Indos encountered during the 7 fishing days. Daniel found himself in the thick of the action yet again, this time landing a beautiful Indo-Pacific Permit that tipped the scales at 10 lb. Steven had also adjusted to the rhythm of the fishery nicely and added another energetic 6.5 lb Perm to his tally while Rob managed to bag his first Indo of his 2 week stay with us. Great job, chaps.

The action for the toothy critters was encouraging with our guests enjoying several shots at the lightning-fast Bluefin Trevally as well as the odd encounter with schools of Golden Trevally. Dan landed a beaut of Bluefin that was encountered in St Brandon’s exciting surf zone, while the sole Golden Trevally catch of the week went to Faf and was caught while fishing to a large school of Bonefish. Chance encounters with Baracuda are always exciting, especially when the Barracuda is enormous. Daniel made the most of his shot and managed to tame an absolute monster that was found holding in an ambush position near a small sandspit.

That brings us to the end of the second week’s fishing report. We thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with this group and look forward to welcoming them all back to our favourite walk and stalk flats fishing program.

Till next time,

The Flycastaway guide team

Older posts

St Brandon Blog: 1 – 11 May 2023

Welcome back to our St Brandon’s Atoll blog. It’s been a long 3 years since we last had any fishing action to report from our favourite permit and bonefish fishery in the Indian Ocean. A very well-rested St Brandon’s welcomed 5 guests for the opening week of our season and the level of excitement felt among all involved was at an all-time high as we anticipated phenomenal fly fishing action for both hefty bones and quality shots at Indo-Pacific Permit. This is how it went…

Our guests were treated to perfect conditions for skinny water bonefishing with a typical south-easterly wind resulting in cool ocean water flushing over the flats. With some of the variables on our side, we just needed the fish to swim and swim they did with loads of bonefish encountered in several different fly fishing scenarios. The skinny water bonefishing for large singles and doubles was undoubtedly the highlight of the week and produced multiple bones of the 7-8lb calibre. Matt was lucky enough to enjoy a session that delivered quintessential St Brandon’s style bonefishing where walk and stalk fly fishing for large singles was the order of things. He went on to land several specimens of 8 lb. Well done, Matt. The high tide period of each day also produced the goods as our group racked up impressive numbers while fishing for the large schools of bonefish that congregate in certain areas of the atoll. The sheer volume of fish seen and hooked was encouraging and gave us an indication of a thriving fishery and has us very excited for what the rest of the season might deliver on the bonefishing front!

The permit fishing this week was also red hot with numerous opportunities offered during the 7 days of fishing. After 3 days of near misses, we finally brought the first golden trophy of our season to hand. William opened his and our St Brandon’s permit account with a beautiful 11,5 lb Indo-Pacific Permit! The momentum of this catch was infectious and the rest of our group followed suit with Steve and Steven tasting success during an exciting session where shots presented themselves as the fish were seen tailing along a ridge of broken marl. The pair went on to land fish of 6,5 and 10 lb respectively. Gerhard and Matt also managed to convert catches of Indos in the days that followed with each of them landing fish of 10 and 8 lb. which brought our catch tally to 5 landed for the week. Excellent stuff guys, well done.

Along with all the action on the tailing fish species front was the exciting number trevally encountered during each day on the flats. Although we were unable to convert the opportunities we had for the atoll’s massive GTs, the Bluefin trevally were more obliging with our group landing 5 trophies for the week. The standout catches on this front went to Steven and Matt who both landed fish that stretched the measuring tape to 75cm.

Our key takeaways from the opening week of the season were the impressive quality of the fish we encountered and the exceptional health of the atoll. Everything about St Brandon’s seems to be vibrating at an exciting level and we can’t wait to report on what the following weeks deliver from the world’s very best walk and stalk flats fishery.

Yours in fishing,

The St Brandon’s guide team.

Older posts

Sterkfontein Dam Blog: Jan – Mar 2023

The 9^th of January 2023 saw our team arrive at Sterkfontein Dam in preparation for a 9 week long fly fishing season to start our year off. As we prepped our fleet of Fusion boats during the early evening we were reminded of the beauty of the place, with panoramic views of lush green rolling hills and a skyline littered with puffy clouds illuminated in pastel colours… It was so good to be back at our summertime home!

Preseason Prep

This season saw us make yet more upgrades to our fleet of 3 boats, adding casting platforms to both front and back decks on each of the boats, as well as 2 brand new 4-stroke engines to ensure we traveled quickly and reliably to our chosen fishing areas each day. These new additions, especially the casting platforms made a desirable difference to the average day, raising our guest’s vantage point and allowing them better visibility which increased their chances of success. We also revised our fly selection for the season, adding 5 new patterns to our ever-expanding library of purpose tied dry flies to cover every condition likely encountered. Armed to the hilt with everything a guide team could possibly need we were ready to take on anything Sterkfontein could throw at us.

The fishing

Sterkfontein is, and always has been a challenging and technical fishery, where the margins for error are slim. 2023 turned out to be a testing fishing season due to several factors which included; particularly difficult weather conditions and inconsistent wind directions.

Despite the above, we still managed to deliver a successful fly fishing season. When the weather was bad, we caught fewer fish and when it was good, we caught loads. In tougher seasons one needs to adjust expectations and bank the small wins. This was critical this season, where the windows of opportunity could be a short 2-hour period and if you weren’t on the money, you were left scratching for answers. Planning, teamwork, and experience ensured that we were in the right place, at the right time, and most importantly providing sight fishing opportunities to Smallmouth Yellowfish for our guests. The next thing apparent this season was fly selection and the difference that made to our catch tally at the end of each day. Being a team certainly helped, as we could test several different patterns and if one happened to stand out we would then share this information amongst the team. It became evident certain flies outperformed others and were often the difference between landing 1 or 9 fish for the day. In seasons past we hadn’t had to be quite so selective in our choice of flies or as intentional in our decision-making.

Below are recollections of certain fish and sessions that stood out during our stint at Sterkfontein:

Early season we welcomed old-time friends back to Sterkfontein for the 3rd consecutive year. Zac enjoyed days of fly fishing bliss landing 10 or so Smallmouth Yellowfish each day under perfect bluebird skies with almost no wind to speak of. It was during Zac’s trip that we realized that the old staple fly patterns were not going to be sufficient and we needed to experiment.

Our first international visitor of the season, Gareth Jones, of Airflo Fly Fishing converted his opportunities in front of the Smallmouth Yellowfish. Gareth, a very competent angler, has won 2 silver medals at the Men’s World Fly Fishing Championships and is a master at his craft. He enjoyed a particularly productive morning session hooking and landing loads of powerful Smallies.

Another international visitor, Don, also enjoyed several days of action and reported catch returns in the double figures each every day of his trip with us. Having fished the world, and a lot in the US for trout, he caught onto the rhythm and vibe quickly and thoroughly enjoyed the sight fishing element of the fishery.

Riaan and Alecia joined us for the second consecutive year for an extended period and enjoyed a particularly special day where 9 fish were brought to hand before having to call the day short due to a brewing thunderstorm. The catch of the day went to Alecia, who managed to catch a 6 ½ lbs fish Smallmouth Yellowfish that she expertly sight-fished and threaded through a large weed bed before landing her prize. We’ve landed a fair number of Sterkfontein Yellows during the past 3 seasons and this is a very large fish for the fishery. Well done, Alecia!

Gerhard and Angelika, longtime supporters of our Sterkfontein Dam experience joined us on two separate occasions during our Jan – Mar season. They were lucky enough to experience a large flying ant hatch during 1 of their afternoons and Angelika struck gold and managed to land several powerful Smallies, one of which a real beauty of 4 ½ lb. Great job, Angelika!

The fishing, laughs, and evening shenanigans we shared with our guests this season were special. We enjoyed every moment and although Sterkies showed us her moody side at times, she still shone brightly when conditions lined up favourably. As such, the hope of a strong season next next year has us excited and already hard at work with the preparations!

Till next year,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

Older posts

Providence Blog: 25 April – 2 May 2023

In what felt like a blink of an eye, the final week of our March – May 2023 season was upon us. Change over day always seems to bring with it bluebird skies and moderate wind, however, the weather forecast for the week was ominous with fierce winds predicted from the south-east. Nevertheless, we were still excited to explore the atoll with our group which included first-time saltwater fly fishermen and a few return guests. After a quick orientation around the mothership and tackle setup, the group made good use of the change-over day to get to know each other on the mid-deck over a few cold beverages.

Day 1 had our guide team spread out to different corners of the atoll in pursuit of the tailing species, and of course, the atoll’s population of Giant Trevally. Jamie got off the mark early with his first-ever GT on the fly. Well done, Jamie! Mario also got stuck into the action immediately landing his first and best GT for the week on the first morning, a lovely fish measuring 96cm! Meanwhile, in another corner of the atoll, Chris and Steve did very well by landing 4 Triggerfish before lunch. The afternoon however turned out to be tricky, with low clouds causing very difficult sight fishing conditions. Despite this, our team persisted and added another 2 more GTs to the tally.

Everyone was up to speed with the daily program by day 2 and we set off for the flats with high expectations. Catches of note included an energic GT caught by Tom, who managed to convert his fish from a school that had corralled a school of baitfish into a channel. Derek, a wanderer, had made his way into some fishy-looking water when he spotted 3 GTs swimming down a lagoon edge. He presented his fly and watched as the 3 fish made a violent approach towards his baitfish imitation, what followed was a successful hook-up and a short but intense tussle between some coral heads. He eventually landed his first Providence GT. Well done Derek! Jim tasted sweet success on the Bumpie front when he landed the group’s first of the week. Great going Jim!

The 3rd day brought with it powerful winds blowing out of the southeast. The severe wind made for challenging fly fishing conditions, however, the atoll still delivered a diverse set of fly fishing scenarios for our guests, with a total catch tally of 6 GTs, 15 Bonefish, and 3 Triggerfish. A special mention goes to Mike who managed to land his first ever GT, which was a special moment for all involved as Mike had traveled the world on several occasions without any success. Congratulations, Mike, we can only imagine how good that must have felt!

We endured wild weather and exceptionally rough seas during the 4th day of the fishing week. The conditions saw us have a delayed start with our team heading for their chosen areas for the day when the weather lightened up a tad. The short delay had little bearing on our catch tally with our group tallying 42 Bones, 3 of which were over 10lb! John, Chris, and Derrek are the lucky anglers to land those hefty Bonefish….way to go guys! Meanwhile, Jim found himself connected to a personal best GT that was picked from a small shoal of GTs that were encountered while they dropped off the flats during the falling tide. His beauty measured an impressive 98cm. Great job Jim! Last, but not least, was Jamie’s Bumphead Parrotfish…CONGRATS!

Day five saw an improvement in the fishing conditions, with better weather and more good fish encountered across the board. Our total catch tally for the day was 10 GTs, 1 Bumpie, 11 Bones, 2 Triggers, and a single Milkfish. Chris found a rich vein of form and landed 3 GTs, while Steve and Kurt kept the Bonefish numbers ticking over by landing many more good-sized Bones. At the end of the day, Tom stepped into the house of pain when he hooked a monster Milkfish in the early evening, which we’re sure he still regrets. After a brutal one-hour battle, he finally brought the fish into the net. Well done, Tom!

The 6th and final day of the season saw us enjoy fantastic conditions, with a light south-easterly breeze and good light. Ken, had been unlucky on the GT front, not from any fault of his own, but rather some bad luck. He however managed to rectify this when he made a cast at a school of GTs working across a small finger flat and much to his and the guide’s joy, a bigger fish parted the youngsters and viciously accepted his fly. After a good fight, he landed his best for the week, a specimen measuring 94cm! Well done Ken! Tom, however, landed the top catch for the week, a strong GT that measured 102cm! Well done Tom! As the final whistle blew on the final evening, Jamie landed his first Milkfish, while at the same time Mario hooked but sadly lost a Sailfish.

Thanks for a great week guys, we really appreciate your support and hope to see you back out there in the coming seasons!

The week’s tally was as follows:

• GT – 32 ( 1 – 102cm )

• Triggerfish – 10

• Milkfish – 3

• Bumphead Parrotfish – 3

• Bonefish – 70 ( 3 of 10lb)

• Other species – 156

A special thank you to all our guests that were a part of this fantastic season, we made memories, shared laughs, and learned yet more about this outlandish fishery. We can’t wait for what October – December has in store for us!

Until then,

The Providence Guide Team

Older posts

Providence Blog: 18-25 April 2023

We welcomed a full group of guests for the penultimate week of our March – May 2023 fly fishing season. While some of the group were onboard the trusty Maya’s Dugong for their second time, others were first-time visitors of the Seychelles, some even enjoying their debuts in the saltwater.

Having first-timers aboard our mothership was a welcome reminder for our guide team how truly novel the Providence experience is to our guests. The excitement and disbelief that reverberated through the vessel during our routine of catching Yellowfish Tuna during our crossing to our chosen anchorage for the week will put smiles on even the most harden of the guide teams! Once safely anchored and the week’s sushi supplies in check, we bedded down for the evening ready for the upcoming week.

The 1^st day saw us focus on all the dos and don’ts pertaining to fly fishing for GTs on the flats. This preparation done right often spells a successful week of fly fishing and despite periods of exceptionally challenging weather our group managed to tally up 5 GTs catches for the day. Our returning guests Bill, Don, and Joe wasted no time and quickly landed decent GTs each. Two new comers, John and Tim also tasted GT success. Great work, gentlemen!

The 2^nd day brought with it moments of magic on the GT front, with 6 GTs landed, one of which a real monster that measured 109cm! Our team set to work in their quest to find the hot zones on the atoll, which resulted in each boat travelling to completely different areas of the atoll. Randy, Joe, and John experienced the chaos that is GT fishing when they encountered several brutes during an exciting surf session. The chaos unfortunately saw most of these larger fish lost due to a number of different reasons, however, Randy managed to stay connected to one of his which measured an impressive 90cm… well done, Randy. The catch of the day however went to Adam when he opened his GT account for the week in the most emphatic manor, landing an alarmingly strong 109 cm specimen. Way to go Adam!

Day 3 delivered a reality check for reasons we will never know, as we can only speculate. The atoll went on strike, but not from a lack of effort from our group. We limped our way back to our mothership with just 1 GT landed for the day. On a brighter note, we enjoyed phenomenal bommie bashing catching loads of colourful and interesting species between the numerous coral heads distributed throughout the atoll.

Day 4 was much better by Providence standards and provided Don and Hardy the kind of fly fishing entertainment that the atoll is renowned, the pair bagging a total 9 GTs between them! Hardy landed the fish of the day and his personal best measuring 103 cm. Great work, Hardy. The wild deep blue offered action too, as we added more Tuna to our rapidly-dwindling sushi stocks thanks to Mike, when he landed a good Yellowfin Tuna on the fly. Thanks, Mike!

Day 5 saw our group enjoy their best day on the flats yet, with a total of 14 GTs brought to hand. The standout catches included a beautiful 108 cm GT landed by Bill after it was hooked in a thin channel and subsequently required some nifty boat work by his guide to weave it out of the nearby coral garden. Jim also found himself in the right place at the right time converting 4 GTs consecutively during a very busy session in the surf. The largest of the 4 was a handsome 95 cm fish that fought well above its weight class, well done Jim!

We set out for the final day with hopes of building on the momentum of the previous day. By now, our guests were all familiar and comfortable with what they needed to do. Given the less than desirable conditions, our group did very well with a total of 6 GTs and 2 Bumpies landed for the day. Don enjoyed the perfect send off when he landed a fantastic fish that measured 108cm; this fish had to be chased down through a network of channels in the boat to get to a place where it could be safely landed…well done gents! The action didn’t stop there for Don! He and Sekhar hooked 6 Bumpies during a busy session on a large turtle grass flat. Unfortunately, most of these large flats dwellers managed to get the better of us, though when it was all said and done, each were proud anglers with a Bumpie to each of their names. Hardy was in the thik of the action again and ended his time with us on Providence in style when he landed a 102 cm GT!

And so ends another week on Providence. Despite the challenging conditions our group enjoyed a successful week of fishing and we can’t wait to welcome them back in the not so distant future!

The total tally for the week was as follows:

GTs – 42 (5 of 100cm plus)
Bumphead Parrotfish – 2
Napoleon Wrasse – 3
Tally of other species landed – 247

Until next week,

The Providence Guide Team

Older posts

Providence Blog: 11 – 18 April 2023

We welcomed eight new guests onboard our mothership for the 6th week of our season, as Paul, Dan, Bill, and Tom were lucky enough to have another week of fly fishing bliss ahead of them on Providence. We quickly set up our 8 new guest’s gear and set for the open ocean with a few large conas in tow hopeful of an encounter with the large schools of Yellowfish Tuna seen on the outskirts of the atoll.

The first day of the fishing week provided high-quality action with a total of 22 GTs and 7 Triggerfish landed for the day. The trio of Dan, Bill, and Paul enjoyed a particularly special day sharing 10 GTs between them, with old-time buddies Dan and Bill landing a 100cm and 102cm GT respectively. Well done, chaps! The Triggerfish were out and about in good numbers which provided our guests with numerous sight fishing opportunities to these charismatic flats dwellers. Tom, Rex, Rio, Bryan, Mike, and Chris all tasted success on this front. A strong opening day, great work, guys.

On day 2 we were dealt with tricky conditions with heavy cloud cover and diminished visibly. Despite this, our group persevered and managed to convert 1 Barracuda and 8 GT encounters into catches. Catches of note during this day included first-time GT success for the father-son combo of Rex and Rio, well done, gents! Meanwhile, Mike and Dave enjoyed excellent success while fly fishing in the teeming coral gardens, landing loads of new and interesting Grouper and Snapper species. This being the duo’s first-ever saltwater fly fishing experience, it made it that much more exciting!

The tricky conditions continued into day 3 and made for challenging fly fishing conditions on the flats. Nevertheless, 5 GTs, 6 Bonefish, and 2 Triggers were still brought to hand for the day. Highlights were a slam for Dan consisting of a Bonefish, Triggerfish and GT. Bryan got stuck into the action on the GT front and landed a very respectable 92 cm specimen while Mike managed to land a monster 9ft Lemon shark.

The fourth day had our guests enjoying some exceptional fishing for large skinny water Bonefish, with a total of 41 brought to hand during a very busy session on the flats that included personal bests for most of our group. A special mention for young Rio, only 12 years old, and already a proud member of the Providence 10lb Bonefish Club! As for the other iconic species available on Providence, there were 3 Triggers and 4 GTs landed for the day, with John landing a slam consisting of a Bonefish, Trigger, and GT. Great work, lads!

The fifth day of the week delivered slightly more challenging opportunities for Prov’s iconic fish species with just 6 GTs and several Grouper and Snapper landed for the day. Paul did however experience a moment of GT fly fishing magic when he hooked a powerful fish of 89cm in water no deeper than the shin. His fish rooster tailed its way down the flat towards deeper water taking loads of backing in the process. Eventually, the fish succumbed to the pressure of the drag and Paul had his beauty firmly in his hands… a moment and memory we’re sure Paul will remember for a long time to come.

The 6th and final day of the fishing week saw us wake up to glorious conditions. The catch of the day went to Chris, who encountered a pair of large GTs while they slowly patrolled down the edge of a lagoon. One cast and as many strips is all it took for him to connect to his beautiful 96cm GT! The boat team of John, Dave, and Mike enjoyed Prov’s diversity scenarios, with plenty of Grouper and Snapper species landed. They also got stuck into the action on the flats with Dave converting his first-ever Bumphead Parrotfish catch, as well as his first GT catch on the flats. Great job, Mike! Dan also concluded his 2 weeks of fly fishing in style with a feisty GT.

That brings us to the end of the 6th week of our season. Memories were made and smiles were shared during a wonderful week of exploring and fishing. We look forward to welcoming our new and old friends back to Prov soon!

Our catch tally for the week was as follows: