St Brandon’s Blog: 11 – 21 Oct 2016
The third group of clients arrived on Raphael Island after a relatively smooth crossing. It was a pleasure to host Tony Hayes and Shaun McCain from Tongariro River Lodge on the North Island of New Zealand, and Matt McHugh and Toby Clarke from Fly Odyssey Travel. They had all been traveling for the better part of 2 days to get to the atoll so they were relieved to finally be on St. Brandon’s and to have a good rest ahead of the action packed week of fishing to come.
The first day started off in textbook St Brandon’s fashion and the reason why this atoll is rightly regarded as the finest Bonefish destination on the planet. We enjoyed some great skinny water Bonefishing to start off the day, many fish landed during the early morning low tide period. Our first Indo-Pacific Permit was also hooked by Tony Hayes who fought it perfectly only for the hook to pull a few agonizing feet from the net. As the tide pushed we went off in search of some ‘big nasty’s”, our plans working out perfectly with Tony getting a shot at a massive GT hugging a sand spit. His cast was spot on and after 3 long strips the fish ate his tan Semper and tore off into the lagoon. The fish pulled with incredible speed and power to the point where his fly line snapped. A sickening result but a reminder as to why fishing for trophy GT’s is not for the faint hearted. The rest of the day went to plan as the Bluefin Trevally were out in huge number smashing baitfish at will. Matt McHugh landed a solid 73cm fish and Shaun McCain also landed two very big Bluefin, one of 81cm and one of 82cm. Tony then got his own back by landing a stunning 83cm Bluefin that was wreaking havoc on a school of small mullet.
The Bonefish proved to be slightly tougher on Day 2 with the bigger fish slightly cautious out on the flats. The great Bluefin fishing however continued and a number of big fish came to hand. Matt McHugh caught the biggest fish of the day with a huge Bluefin weighing in at 17lbs. The fish did not hesitate when it saw his articulated popper and took the fly with a gentle sip. Matt had to fight the fish very carefully due to the lighter leader used to trick the fish into eating, not to mention the mine field of coral around where it was hooked. The fish of the day however undoubtedly belonged to Tony Hayes, who after the disappointment of losing an Indo-Pacific Permit the previous day, landed a stunning 15lb Indo-Pacific Permit that was tailing on a coral ridge. After a grueling 37minute fight Tony kept his nerve and the fish slid into Brendan’s net. The huge sense of relief was quickly eclipsed by ecstatic celebration and congratulations from all involved. It is truly a fish of a lifetime and a fitting way to get your own back on the tricky St. Brandon’s Permit!
Some superb Bonefishing resumed on Day 3, with all the clients all enjoying picking silver targets in ankle-deep water during our morning session. A number of good fish came to hand, the average around 6lbs. Along with the many Bonefish landed there were a few big Bluefin around, the guys managing to get a few to eat a well presented fly. Some big GT’s were also sighted but unfortunately the stars didn’t align and we never connected.
Day 4 was dominated by more epic skinny water Bonefishing and multiple shots at Permit …..we will leave it at that!
The awesome Bonefishing continued into Day 5 with Tony Hayes and Matt McHugh both landing very respectable 8lb fish. Many fish could be seen tailing across the flats and all the guys enjoyed picking individual fish to cast at. The Bluefin Trevally were out once again and although they seemed to be much more picky when it came to eating a fly, Shaun did manage to land a 70cm Bluefin that was once again smashing schools of mullet.
Good numbers of Bones were landed on Day 6, however the day belonged to the monster GT’s St Brandon’s has to offer. Sighting and opportunities presented themselves throughout and the day and although on the scorecard we did not make much of an impact it was a thoroughly thrilling day hunting down the alpha predators of the atoll. The Permit too were around in solid numbers and despite Matt McHugh hooking into one of the yellow tailed devils, the hook lost purchase and the fish swam away %$#^$%^%#$^! The Golden Trevally were also out, our guests landing 5 in the day and together with Shaun huge10lb Yellow Dot Trevally we wrapped up another thrilling day out on the flats.
Day 7 and Day 8 provided great Bonefishing as per usual, Shaun McCain land his personal best Bonefish with gorgeous a 9,5lbs specimen coming to the net and being weighed. In addition we had numerous opportunities at Permit throughout the two days but ultimately the fish had the final say.
All in all a very enjoyable trip with some incredible fishing. The blog probably does not do it justice, but how do you describe Bonefishing of this caliber week in and week out without getting slightly numb to it. Quite simply we are spoilt rotten! We would like to thank Tony, Toby, Shaun and Matt for joining us on St. Brandon’s for a very memorable trip and look forward to seeing them back out on the atoll with us in the foreseeable future.
Until next time
The St. Brandon’s Guide Team
The second week of our season welcomed a new group of friends hosted by Travis and Rance from Patagonia River Guides. Also joining the group from PRG were Alex and Ernst who have fished St Brandon’s with us previously. Considering many of the group had done very little saltwater flats fishing before, especially in the Indian Ocean we could not wait to get them out onto the vast array of flats, channels, lagoons and offshore options Providence has to offer.
Carrying on from the neap tides at the end of the previous week, the flats were accessible for most of the day. These tides typically make for excellent Bonefish, Triggerfish and Bumphead Parrotfish fishing. As it turned out this is exactly what we experienced. Most groups were met with tailing Bonefish in super skinny water on the first morning; the team of Rance, Yatin and Carl taking no prisoners as they plucked fish after fish out of schools of good sized Seychelles Bones that kept moving through their allocated flat. Double ups and triple ups were not a rarity, with most of these fish coming in between the 6lb-8lb pound range. Sadly the GT’s were unusually scarce during these first three days so a move with the mother ship was made to see if they weren’t on another area of the atoll.
The Triggerfish had all the anglers fascinated with the level of skill and finesse that is required to catch them. Follow after follow eventually led to a number of fish being hooked and landed. Rance managed a two in one, one of which was an exceptional Yellow Margin. After a pinpoint cast, the fish followed with intent and just a couple of feet away from the rod tip, finally chomped down on the fly and the fish was on. Fortunately for Rance there was no coral head in sight and the beautiful fish was subdued without any complications. Yatin on the other hand hooked a Moustache Trigger that headed directly back to his home in a big coral garden. The worry in the guide’s eyes said it all, as angler and guide both feared the leader would give way at any moment. After relentlessly chasing the Trigger through the coral, Warren (the guide) managed to wrestle the fish from within its hole to bring the fish to hand. It’s moments like these that make fishing for Triggers such a valued experience!
The weather, apart from a day or two of tough light, was pretty lenient on us. With flat seas, our friends the Milkfish were seen all over the western edge with gaping mouths breaking the water surface. On the high tides when the flats were no longer wadeable, the flats skiffs were seen scattered along the drop off of the atoll in search of the mighty Milkies. Alex, Travis, Baker and Ernst all managed to fool, tussle and land big Milkfish, each with all these fights taking in the region of an hour. Furthermore, two of the fights yielded broken rods that complicated the fights to a large degree. Ernst’s fish was at the end of its fight, holding up on the surface, when a large Hammerhead Shark came in looking for an easy meal. After a few intense moments however and a little bit of excessive pressure, the fish was brought to hand before being safely released.
As mentioned, we were struggling on the GT front, the fishing very much below average for Providence standards, due we think to the high number of swimming crabs sitting offshore. That said we still managed to sneak a couple. Alex had a stand out day under the circumstances and managed to land three fish on a single day, one of which was a fish just over the 1m mark. The team of Yatin and Carl got off to a slow start but finished really strong. Yatin managed two GTs while Carl managed four. The stand out fish for the trip however was Carl’s 113cm fish. This particular fish was holding out in a large pot just on the edge of a storm ridge. A short cast and a few quick strips enticed the fish into a very calculated eat. The fish screamed off into the backing and the fight that ensued was nerve racking as the endless amount of coral bommies had to be dodged before the fish could be landed. Well done Carl!
The Bommie Bashing fired this week, with the vast array of species keeping our guests royally entertained. In total, 23 species of fish were caught (or rather manhandled!) out of the “Coral Gardens”. This hand-to-hand combat entails a hit and hold technique as anglers try to stop these fish instantly before they reach the coral heads. The Boha Snapper were the most obliging of the species and never put down an opportunity to charge and engulf the fly. The myriad of Grouper species made up a large number of the catches as well and always made for a good tussle.
So despite a slow GT week, we enjoyed the diversity the atoll has to offer and ended up with some incredible species; Bonefish, Triggers, Bumpies Milkfish, GT’s and many more all playing their part in a highly enjoyable week with a new bunch of friends, a group we would love to fish with again!
After a highly productive and energetic open trip of the season, we were eager to give our new guests an equally enjoyable experience on the atoll which consistently produces some of the finest wade fishing for Bonefish and Permit the world has to offer. Day 1 produced some outstanding Bonefishing with many good sized fish in shallow water coming to hand, whilst on the species front Matthew Clarke landed a solid 55cm Bluefin Trevally while fishing to some much larger specimens on a coral ridge in the east of the atoll. A few good-sized Golden Trevally were also landed and although no double digit Bones or Permit were landed our guest were in the swing of things and our week was off to a positive start.
The excellent fishing continued on Day 2 with everyone getting stuck into a good number of fish averaging between 5-7lbs. Our fish are currently spread out across the atoll which provides guests and guides and multitude of flats and wading scenarios to target fish after fish which regularly see your backing knot exposed. Some of the other species came out to play as well, the Bluefin Trevally in particular found in high numbers with very impressive sizes. The GT’s are also starting to make more of an appearance and although none were landed their massive size ensured everyone secretly hoped to do battle with one of the St B monsters. Another great day in a very special place!
The Bonefishing on Day 3 continued in much the same manner, with everyone getting stuck into some solid fish throughout. On top of the Bonefish we also landed a few good-sized Bluefin Trevally and as luck would have it a rather large Yellow Lipped Emperor, a species that is never easy to land out here. Frikkie Botha landed a big Bluefin of 57cm that put up a very determined fight after it was found smashing into baitfish trapped against a coral ridge. The day however went from strength to strength with Frikkie Maartens landing his first ever GT, a beautiful fish of 90cm. He spotted one very large black fish from a long way off and sprinted ahead of it to get the shot. He sent out a pinpoint cast but there were 2 other GTs behind the lead fish and after one long strip a fish broke off from the pack and smashed the fly. The fish proceeded to tear off into the distance with Frik in hot pursuit behind it. After a solid fight and a quick boat chase the fish was landed. Landing a GT on St. Brandon’s is never an easy thing to get right, so to do so on your first flats fishing trip is an unbelievable achievement. Well-done Frikkie!
Day 4 brought with it some more variety. The superb Bonefishing continued with cold water pulling onto the flats keeping the fish happy and relaxed. A few Permit were spotted but the fish on this particular would day would not be fooled. Frikkie Maartens continued his good form from the day before and landed a 65cm Greenspot Trevally, a solid solid fish for the species. Some of other guests found a few tailing Golden Trevally scattered across the atoll, best of all these beautifully marked and charismatic fish were more than happy to eat a well presented fly. St Brandon’s once again reminded us that although the Bonefish are certainly the major target species, there is certainly enough diversity to keep you on the look out for something unique.
Day 5 was an action packed day. There were many bones landed, the fish averaging between 6-8lbs. Frikkie Maartens landed the largest fish of the day, a beast of a Bonefish tipping the scales at 9.5lbs. Matthew Clarke landed another solid 55cm Greenspot Trevally amongst some other very good sized Bluefin. GTs wise we are starting to see more and more fish, so despite no hook ups we are confident the next brute is just around the corner. More Permit were seen on Day 5 compared with any other day this week, however they continued to allude us.
The cooler water was a bit harder to find on day 6 but there were still areas holding good concentrations of Bonefish, the patchy overcast conditions enticing some really big fish out onto the flats. With some warmer water around some big Bluefin were out a smashing the client’s flies. Jules Fantarella started his morning with a big 57cm Golden Trevally. He then upped the stakes with a 9.5lb Bonefish before landing the Biggest Bonefish of the week, a huge and powerful double-digit fish that did its best to run him into the coral on more than one occasion. A few quick photos were taken before Jules enjoyed a memory special moment not many anglers get to experience during a lifetime. What a fish Jules!
The 7th and final day was once again dominated by some outstanding Bonefishing. Many fish between 6-8lbs were caught whilst tailing in some super skinny water. It never gets old watching a seriously big Bonefish see the fly and crush it before tearing off into the distance as it feels the prick of the hook. The Golden Trevally once again made a their way onto the flats and along with the Bluefin Trevally they kept reels screaming. One of the groups also encountered one of the great sights St Brandon’s is known to produce. A shoal of some very large GTs were witnessed feeding on a school of terrified Bonefish and although we nearly had our second fish for the week, the fish decided to refuse the fly just feet away from the rod tip.
With the trip drawing to a close, guests and guides had a chance to reflect on the past week over a great final dinner. This was a group of people from all of over the globe who had never met before the trip, in the end though St Brandon’s left it’s mark not only with the incredible fishing it produced but also with it’s ability to draw some adventurous and incredibly nice human beings together. Thank you to each of you for a superb week, we enjoyed spending time with you immensely and hope to do it again soon.
Joining us for the season opener was a group of familiar faces and friends from our St Brandon’s program. It would however be their first experience with us on Providence so we were eager to show them the array of species and intense sessions of fishing Providence produces….best of all we had nine days to do it in!
The trip kicked off with a pleasant surprise when we woke to large schools of feeding Milkfish at the back of the mothership on morning one. Excitement mounted even further as it was clear we had another species option for the group during the trip. After a strong cup of coffee and a solid Dugong breakfast, the skiffs shot off in different directions to get an idea which areas and flats were holding high concentrations of fish. It didn’t take long to see the GT’s were around in solid numbers, with singles, pairs and schools being encountered on day one.Father and son, Camillo and Juan capitalised early managing a nice double off the bat and Juan managing another three fish shortly thereafter. This sort of action was experienced by all the groups, most of the guests landing one if not a couple of GT’s during their first day out!
Juan’s good fortune did not end there though. After the tide pushed them off the flat they went in search of the Milkfish that had been seen feeding a current line close to the Dugong. A shoal that consisted of daisy chaining fish was located and five casts later Juan’s line went tight and a mammoth fish went greyhounding off into the sunset. Unfortunately technical issues with the fly reel meant that Juan had to battle it out for a further two hours, however with great patience and resolve a really big Milk was landed and photographed as the sun set at the end of Day 1. This set the tone for the next five days as numerous shoals of Milkfish were fished to in the morning and the afternoon sessions. Cast after cast resulted in a further dozen or so fish being hooked and lost by almost all the fisherman. Granted we didn’t we have a ton load of luck in landing the fish, but great action never to be forgotten was had by all.
The weather got progressively better throughout the week, with slick calm conditions making for very pleasant wading. All the species made regular appearances and despite our major focus aimed at GT’s, we encounterd some great Bonefish, Triggerfish, Bumphead Parrotfish sessions in between wielding the 12wt rods. On one particular afternoon Pat managed to hook and land four Moustache Triggers within an hour of wading time…incredible action for one of the most technical fish one can cast a fly to!
On the later part of the dropping tide, tailing Bones were spread unevenly across the flats. Ron took full advantage of the shots presented and managed to land a handful of fish that stretched in excess of 27 inches. Incidentally, while fishing for Triggers and Bones, the elusive Indo-Pacific Permit showed up regularly. On one particular morning, Dick had a shot at two of the biggest Permit we have seen on the atoll, both fish certainly in the 20lbs range and are now right in our cross hairs.
The GT’s were however at the forefront of our guests target species, and it is safe to say no one was left empty handed. Although everyone got great fish, special mention must go out to the following individuals and their impressive catches. Firstly to Scott who on consecutive days managed to land two fish over the metre mark. Pat who took full advantage of the opportunities that he had at bigger fish and landed a 103cm, 107cm, 110cm and a 116cm fish during his time on the atoll. And finally to Juan who landed the biggest fish of the trip, with a brute 120cm fish. This particular fish was a single fish that was seen cruising down a narrow gutter in the fading light on the second last afternoon. After a pin point cast, the fish with a very calculated approach engulfed the fly and sped off across the flat. After a solid tussle the fish of a lifetime came to hand. Congrats Juan!
All in all, an unforgettable opening week with some great friends. All the anglers adding new species, new memories and also new personal bests in their flats fishing repertoires. Species wise we landed good numbers of GT’s, Triggers, Bumpies, Bones, Bohar Snapper, Grouper, as well a Milkfish and a Sailfish and more Bluefin Trevally than one can even begin to count.
After a super smooth crossing onboard the two sport fishers, we welcomed our first group for the season, a jovial team from World Cast Anglers. There was plenty of excitement from both guests and guides as rods were rigged, leaders attached and flies strapped on….we were about to kick off the new season on St. Brandon’s with a bang!
The group couldn’t wait to get started and Day One began with legendary guide and angler Alejandro “Sandflea” Vega landing a stunning 8lb Indo-Pacific Permit, instantly making his mark on our beloved fishery! The good fishing continued with many 6lb – 8lb Bonefish showing our guests from the start why the Bonefishing is so highly regarded on St Brandon’s. Other notable species included Stephen Fitzsimon’s and Tim Shanley’s good sized Bluefin Trevally. Judging by the first day we were in for a really good trip!
Day Two proved tougher than expected, although “Sandflea” continued his good form by landing a really big Bluefin Trevally. Although still present, our Bonefish opted for a bit of an off day and proved more challenging than usual. Mike Dawes did however land his first Golden Trevally, which was a great moment to be part of. There were also 2 good shots at big GT’s but unfortunately we could not get them converted.
True to form the Bonefishing did not disappoint for long and on Day Three all our guests got stuck into many large Bones, most of them weighing between 7lb – 9lb. Mike Dawes landed the first double digit for the season, with the fish testing his backing on more than one occasion, congrats Mike! It was now clear to all the guests why St Brandon’s is most likely the finest Bonefish venue on the planet. The Permit too were around and although we had some close calls and near misses they won this particular round.
Incredible numbers of skinny water Bones was the recipe for Day Four. The bigger fish were up on the flats with the average size coming in around 7lb-8lb. The highlight of the day was without a doubt Zack Barrett’s first double digit Bonefish. Congrats Zach! Everyone had a great day – Steve Fitzsimon also managed to improve his previous PB Bonefish on not just one but THREE separate occasions during the day! The large numbers of Bonefish also attracted some big GT’s but they remained cautious by staying just out of reach.
Tim Brune added to the groups Permit tally with a fin perfect 5lb fish caught on a white sand spit on Day Five. The fish hit the fly with tons of aggression and after a nervy fight to keep the fish out of the coral Craig landed the fish. The day also brought with it some more amazing skinny water Bonefishing along with some really good-sized Bluefin Trevally. Often glossed over in favor of their larger cousins, St Brandon’s Bluefin are found in world record sizes are certainly one of the prettiest fish one can tussle with on a fly rod.
With the tidal cycle moving into neaps it allowed us to spend longer sessions wading the flats. Straight off the bat on Day Six Chris Littauer landed a huge 80cm Golden Trevally. The fish smashed his fly before it hit the bottom in ankle deep water. The fish sped off and 20minutes later the beast was landed. Chris was stoked! Tim Brune and “Sandflea” also landed their first Golden Trevallies later in the day. The insanely good Bonefishing continued and despite not landing any, good numbers of Permit were encountered. It was a great day with the Golden Trevally showcasing the atoll’s incredible diversity.
With this being an extended trip, the clients still had two more days of fishing left on St. Brandon’s. This was a great call on their part as the fishing exploded over the final two days! On Day Eight Mike Dawes landed a 70cm GT that was swimming on the back of a very large Thorny Back Stingray. His first cast got the attention of a Bluefin that shot off the back of the ray only for the fish to pull out at the last minute. His second cast was spot on and with a long fast strip of the fly line the GT shot off the ray and smashed into his mullet imitation. The fish headed for the reef but the reel was cranked down and the battle eventually won. The magnificent fish was revived, photographed and set free. As if the day couldn’t get any better, Mike later caught two solid Permit within a few minutes of each other. Both fish were in perfect condition weighing in at 8lbs and 10lbs respectively….a truly amazing achievement and something that will stay with all of us for a long time.
The final day brought with it some incredible fishing, with five Permit and many big Bonefish coming to our nets. First up “Sandflea” Vega landed a fin perfect baby Permit, bringing his tally for the week to three. Soon after Patrick Madden landed his first Indo-Pacific Permit, a great fish of 12lbs. This was a fantastic moment for “Patito” (as he is affectionately known) because during previous days he had hooked three but the fish had the final say. A great way to come back Pat! And finally, Day Nine delivered a hat trick of Permit for Mike Dawes with fish of 8lbs, 12lbs and 15lbs. Not only did he land these amazing fish all within an hour of each other but he did it on a flat that until then had been unnamed. At dinner that evening head guide Craig informed him that he had the naming rights for the new flat and without hesitation he named it “Patito” in honor of Pat and his intense battles with St Brandon’s own Indo-Pacific permit during the trip.
Quite frankly we could not have asked for a better opening week. Our previous record of 7 Permit landed during a trip, was smashed by the 10 caught by our friends from World Cast. These fish, together with many many large Bonefish (including 2 x 10lb fish), a GT, some large Bluefin Trevally and Golden Trevally will surely leave a lasting impression on everyone on the trip. It’s one we will never forget!
