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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 24 – 31 October 2023

Providence Blog: 24 – 31 October 2023

The second week of the Providence season was upon us, and with it, a fresh group of anglers including some newcomers and some familiar faces. The variables looked good with exceptional weather, sunshine and little wind.

We headed out with urgency on the first morning to make the most of tides and the species that frequent the flats under these conditions. As such we focused on the tailing species and mother and son team of Wendy and Mike, joined by Matt capitalized early, landing 6 very good bonefish between the 3 of them. Matt also did very well in landing his first yellow-margin triggerfish. Well done, Matt! Dave and Steve also got stuck into the bonefish, as well as the triggers going on to land 15 bones, 2 triggers between the pair – An awesome way to start the week!

The second day saw a vast improvement on the GT front with most of the group off the mark with a few good fish. Gary landed 2 GTs, while his boat partners John, and Ed, landed 1 apiece. A special mention for Anthony who managed to land his first GT ever on the fly, a special feeling and moment shared between him and his guide. The rest of the group managed to chip in with 4, bringing the day’s tally to 9 GTs landed. To top off the improved GT fishing was the exceptional fishing we experienced in the coral gardens with loads of line-ripping grouper and snapper brought to hand.

The third day gifted us with more sun and little wind. The team of Gary, Ed, and John did very well for the day, landing 6 GTs between them, including a massive 114 cm fish caught while it patrolled the edge of a vast sandy flat. The man of the hour was Gary, who made a great cast into the wind to intercept this giant! Joe also joined the 1-meter club by landing himself a beautiful 102 cm GT while Matt over on the sandy stretch wasn’t to be left out and connected to and eventually landed a 102 cm GT as well. Well done, gentleman! This brought our day’s tally to 12 GTs landed, with 3 measuring over that fabled 100 cm mark.

The weather began to take a turn for the worse during the fourth day, but the GT fishing certainly didn’t. In the thick of the action yet again, the team of Ed, Gary and John, managed to land 7 Giant Trevally all measuring in the 80 to mid-90s range. Wendy and Mike shared the spoils during their day by landing 1 each with Wendy’s being her first of the trip and her personal best. Well done, Wendy! Ron had indicated that he really wanted a bumpy and on this day he got his chance. He fished at several large schools and catastrophically lost all 4 bumpies… That’s how it goes with those mean green machines.

We enjoyed favourable conditions for Giant Trevally during day 5 and therefore focused our efforts almost entirely on this species. Mike, Wendy, and Matt had a busy day with loads of shots but only managed to land 1. Mike, unfortunately, lost a monster that managed to get snagged around some coral, the 1 that got away kind of story. Joe, Anthony, and Ken kept their good streak going and landed 6 fish very respectable GTs in the surf. Ron, Steve, and Dave all landed 1 GT each with Ron’s fish the standout catch for the day, measuring a whopping 112 cm! Well done, Ron.

We endured cloud cover and rain with terrible light and multiple storms rolling over the atoll during the 6th and final day of the week. Despite the adverse conditions, Ed, Gary, and John managed to land 5 GTs between them for the day. John joined the 1-meter club with a fin-perfect 111cm GT caught while waking the edge surf flat. Over on the other side of the atoll, team Anthony, Ken, and Joe manage to land 12 GTs between the three of them, with four a piece which made for a perfect end to their 2 week adventure to the outer atolls of Seychelles.

All in all a busy week with loads of Giant Trevally action. With most of the group staying on for another go at the atoll we felt excited about how things would go during week 3 of our season. Keep an eye out for this report.

Our catch tally for the week was:

  • GT – 56 (5 over 100 cm & biggest 114 cm)
  • Bonefish – 21
  • Triggers – 4
  • Total number of other fish landed – 296

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway guide team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 17 – 24 October 2023

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

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Featured Image - Farasan Banks Blog: 2-16 September 2023

Farasan Banks Blog: 2-16 September 2023

Hours spent huddled around a computer looking at satellite imagery of vast flats and interesting-looking islands, eventually matured into five different exploratory trips totalling 10 weeks in Saudi Arabia between July 2019 and April 2023. What we’ve experienced during those initial trips to Saudi Arabia left us excited to tell the world that there’s a saltwater fishery in this modern era, largely unexplored, with sight fishing opportunities for all of the species you’d expect to encounter in the Red Sea.

A hidden gem in the fly fishing world until now, Saudi Arabia flaunts over 2000 kilometers of Red Sea coastline, accompanied by an additional 1150 islands and islets. This expansive aquatic venue offers loads of potential for targeting many iconic saltwater fly fishing species including Bones, Triggers, GTs, Info-Pacific Permit, Golden Trevally and others. Venturing into such a vast fishery is however no small feat, requiring the procurement of a nimble and comfortable liveaboard vessel, as well as assembling a team of intrepid anglers and seasoned fly fishing guides. These essential ingredients set the stage for our two week exploratory season with guests in early Sept this year.

This two-week expedition provided us with invaluable insights for the future and over the course of 12 days at sea, we charted an impressive 840 kilometres aboard our comfortable and spacious 131ft liveaboard vessel. The vessel, equipped with Wi-Fi, 2 large saloons and 12 independently airconditioned cabins ensured our guests were treated to loads of space and their own rooms during their stay, a rarity for most fly fishing liveaboard operations. In addition to the infrastructure were the delicious meals and warm hospitality of the crew which all contributed to making our time in the Red Sea as enjoyable as possible. 

The character of the flats varied significantly from one location to another, offering coral-adorned expanses, turtle grass patches, pristine white sands and lush mangroves. In contrast, some areas featured small coral atolls, where we waded amidst broken marl, rolling surf and inviting white beaches. Although we encountered challenging conditions during Sept, we enjoyed encounters with GTs, Bones, Indo-Pacific Permit, Golden Trevally and Triggerfish…in fact loads of Triggerfish.

Saudi Arabia’s smaller tides were however a new dynamic for us, with the air temperatures and water levels playing more of a role on these two weeks. The prime fishing window extended from early morning until midday, as such we used the mid-afternoons to either go diving or steam to the next piece of water we had earmarked on our satellite map.  

Now, let’s delve into what we found:

Bonefish

We encountered Bonefish in areas boasting expansive sandy flats. Often sizable, they would tail in the extremely shallow water during the early morning sessions. The windless mornings, paired with low light conditions did however present challenges when presenting flies to these elusive fish. On a positive note, some of the Bones encountered during our exploration were very sizeable and although they managed to elude us this time round, we were left feeling energised by the thought of a 12 lb. plus fish coming to hand in the seasons to follow.

Golden Trevally

Whether encountered singly or in schools, the Golden Trevally provided an exceptional shallow-water sight fishing experience. Certain areas we explored offered truly world-class opportunities for this species, with some sessions yielding double-digit catches shared among the group. Alex and Stefan of AOS Fly Fishing had a particularly productive session, each landing 3 and 4 Golden Trevally, respectively. The consistent attributes of the areas where we found Golden Trevally ensured a steady flow of fly fishing opportunities. When we walked specific substrates, we anticipated several Goldens and once you spotted one, you knew another would follow.

Triggerfish

Our encounters with Yellow Margin and Mustache Triggerfish had their ups and downs, but like the Goldens, we learned specific substrates and conditions dictated the size and density of Triggerfish populations in various areas. Certain islets offering exceptional opportunities!!!! As such, the abundance of Triggerfish sightings and hook-ups left us brimming with anticipation for our next season in the Red Sea.

Giant Trevally

Conversations about GTs always ignite excitement. Farasan Banks offered sightings of these formidable species in various conditions and locations. However, the shots were not always straightforward, as encounters with GTs typically resulted in frenetic chaos and near misses. Nevertheless, the number of GT sightings, while not reaching the volumes seen in fisheries like Seychelles, kept us on our toes. When the area exuded that unmistakable “fishy” aura, encountering a bow-waking or tailing Geet was inevitable.

Indo-Pacific Permit

Encounters with Indo-Pacific Permit were particularly thrilling and gratifying. These elusive fish were often spotted while tailing, either individually or in schools. Opportunities closely mirrored those found in renowned fisheries such as St Brandon’s and with some more time learning the fishery, we’re confident we’ll be able to provide guests with some fine Permit fishing over the years to come.

Although we were hoping for higher water levels and cooler water temperatures, we still experienced good opportunities at a wide variety of flats species. The flats themselves teemed with abundant food sources, including small baitfish and crustaceans. In addition we encountered loads of stingrays and the occasional shark, all of which indicates a very healthy ecosystem. The ebbs and flows inherent in exploring a new fishery are part and parcel of the journey and so we look forward to our next stint in April 2024 with great excitement.

Till then,

The Arabian Fly & FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Featured Image - St Brandon Blog: 15 May – 1 June 2023

St Brandon Blog: 15 May – 1 June 2023

The third & fourth weeks of our St Brandon’s 2023 May-June season saw us explore this enormous atoll with just 2 anglers. Rob completed the second of his 2-week stint with us, while John enjoyed an extended trip of 10 days solo. Imagine having 315 km2 to yourself for 10 days! Given the amount of time we had on our hands our team took this opportunity to explore and try a few new things out on the atoll. They had the following to report back.

 17.5 lb Bonefish!

The Bonefishing had been simmering during the first half of the season and gave us a whiff of the quality of the specimens we might encounter. Conditions had been sublime and continued in just the same fashion with clear skies, moderate winds, and cool water. This provided our guests and team with perfect sight fishing conditions and the catches showed with 3 bonefish landed over 10 lbs. One of these trophies was a true giant and weighed a whopping 17.5 lb! The elated angler, John, and his guide, Jarod, were exploring an area known to produce large fish. The pair enjoyed a cracking morning as they slowly made their way along a large coral ridge picking off bonefish after bonefish. About 3/4 of their way up the ridge they saw 4 enormous fish making their way towards them from the open ocean. John made his presentation and all 4 fish acknowledged the fly and began their chase in a manner more closely resembling Trevally, than a Bonefish. The largest of the 4 seemingly bumped its competitors out of the way and pinned John’s fly. Feeling tension through the fly line John set the hook and all hell broke loose as this fish took off at lightning speed for the open ocean. Guide Jarod took off after the hooked fish and managed to free it from snag after snag… After what felt like an internity the fish was eventually landed! A true trophy and possibly a genuine world record catch. Congratulations guys, well done!

world-record-bonefish

15 lb Indo-Pacific Permit

We had also been encouraged by the number of Indo-Pacific Permit seen tailing and free swimming along the margins of the flats and lagoons. When it comes to successful Permit fishing the most important variable is always the number of good-quality shots you get in front of the species and the atoll delivered just that with a total of 8 brought to hand. The top catch during this period on the atoll went to Rob, who found himself in the right place, at the right time when a large single fish was sighted as it slowly patrolled and tailed along the edge of a large flat. Rob nailed the shot and delivered his fly in exactly the right place. A couple of strips to get tight on the fly and a couple more to induce some movement was all it took to convince his trophy Indo to pounce. A lengthy battle ensued and thanks to a bit of luck and some fancy footwork from guide Paul, the fish was firmly secured in the landing net and tipped the scales at a very impressive 15 lb! No doubt a moment that they’ll remember for a long time to come!

Indo-pacific-permit

131cm Giant Trevally

Over the years we’ve learned that the Giant Trevally found on St Brandon’s are on average some of the largest found in shallow water anywhere in the world. More evidence to support our theory came during Rob’s second week with us where he and his guide Jarod managed to connect to an absolute monster that stretched the measuring tape to 131cm! This giant was spotted as it slowly patrolled the edge of a small sandspit along with another 2 fish of similar size. Fortunately, Rob had been prepped and was ready with his 12 weight in hand. This allowed him a bit of time to make a cast ahead of the trio and begin his retrieve. As his fly made its way back toward the sandspit the lead fish shot forward and inhaled his fly. Following the hookset, the fish blasted off at a frightening rate taking loads of backing in the process. The tug of war we all dream of was now well and truly in full swing and through a bit of luck, the fish missed the many coral snags visible in the area and was eventually landed. An exceptional catch for both Rob and his guide. Well done, gentlemen!

This brings our first season back at St Brandon’s since 2019 to a close. We managed to land loads of impressive fish and make memories that’ll last a lifetime for both guests and guides alike. If the month of May was anything to go by we have a lot to look forward to during our end-of-year season on the atoll.

Till next season,

The FlyCastaway guide team

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Featured Image - St Brandon Blog: 8-18 May 2023

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

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Featured Image - St Brandon Blog: 1 – 11 May 2023

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. 

st-brandons-indo-pacific-permit

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. 

st-brandons-bluefin-trevally

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.

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 16 – 23 November 2021

Providence Blog: 16 – 23 November 2021

In what felt like a blink of an eye, we had already reached the start of the 6th week of the season. This week we welcomed a group mostly comprising of Providence regulars onboard our trusty mothership. The routine of tackle setup and safety orientation was at this point running like a well-oiled machine and we made quick work of both before we set sail towards the exciting saltwater wilderness of Providence Atoll. 

Day 1 began with clear skies and a light south-easterly breeze. The conditions allowed our guests to enjoy the full range of diversity available on the atoll landing a total of 3 GTs, 3 Triggerfish, 5 Bones, and 2 Bumphead Parrotfish for the day. A special mention for Guetye who enjoyed a great day that began with a GT, his first Triggerfish, and eventually a large Bonefish that he managed to entice with a shrimp fly imitation which secured his first-ever Indian Ocean flats slam. What a way to get the fishing week started! Great job Guetye.

Weather conditions on day 2 were good, although somewhat windy with a stiff south-easterly blowing. Fly fishing for the Giant Trevally proved to be difficult on this day with a single fish coming to hand. Other catches of note included Guetye’s first-ever Bumphead Parrotfish caught on the fly as well as an absolute monster of Bonefish landed by Miachel. Miachel’s dream catch was encountered while he was wading the interior of a white sand flat when he saw a tailing Bonefish and after perfectly presenting his fly to the fish, he came tight. After surviving several runs into the backing he managed to land his biggest ever Bonefish which measured a staggering 31 inches. Great Job Miachel! 

Day 3 dawned with clear skies and a continuation of the strong easterly wind. A total of 4 GTs, 1 Triggerfish, and several Bonefish were landed for the day. Stephane enjoyed some cracking moments of fly fishing hooking and landing a colourful Triggerfish and later landing a monster Bonefish that pulled the measuring tape all the way to 29 inches. Awesome fishing, well done Stephane.

Day 4 saw a marked improvement in the GT fishing, with a total of 11 landed for the day. Miachel had a great day managing to land a couple of Bonefish in the skinny water surrounding one of the larger white-sand islands of the atoll. Fly fishing for the different Groupers and Snappers available on Providence also turned up a couple of gears and some truly entertaining fishing was had by our guests while drifting over the various carol gardens scattered throughout the atoll. 

Day 5 and we welcomed a break in the strong south-easterly wind that had been blowing for most of the week thus far. Enjoying the somewhat improved conditions our guests went on to capitalize on their opportunities and landed a total of 7 GTs and 1 Bumpie for the day. John landed 2 energetic GTs and Guetye continued his good form with Bumpies landing yet another one for the week. A special mention for Igor who encountered one of his bucket list catches after wading through some deep water and onto a shallow coral head exposed by the spring low tide. Once perched on top of the coral head he saw a magical blue shape appear on the edge of another large coral head just inside casting range. Following the presentation of his brush fly and an energetic retrieve, he came tight to the almost mythical Napoleon Wrasse. After an intense fight trying to keep the fish away from the numerous coral snags in the area, he managed to land his dream saltwater fish. A well-deserved catch, well done Igor!

The last day of the fishing week dawned with gloomy skies and heavy rain. Fortunately, these conditions were short-lived and we enjoyed clear skies by midmorning. A great day was had by our guests with 11 GTs brought to hand! A special mention goes out to Hugo who managed to land and tame 3 of 11 himself. After landing a beautiful Bumpie, Rodolphe then went on to hook and land his first ever GT on the fly, a great achievement, well done Rodolphe! 

That brings us to the end of a fairly challenging but enjoyable week of fishing on Providence Atoll. The diversity of fly fishing scenarios available to our guests was on full display this week and we made the most of the opportunities presented to us with several epic catches coming to hand.

Our catch tally for the week was: 

  • GTs – 37
  • Bumphead Parrotfish – 5
  • Triggerfish – 4
  • Bonefish – 9 (2 over 10lbs.)
  • Napoleon Wrasse – 2
  • Total tally of other species landed – 486  

Until next week,

The Providence Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 2 – 9 November 2021

Providence Blog: 2 – 9 November 2021

Welcome to the fourth week of the Providence 2021/2022 season. After picking up our new group of guests and welcoming them all aboard the Maya’s Dugong we set sail for Providence with an energised expectation of what the atoll had in store for us and our group of 12 new friends.

The first day dawned with clear skies and a southeasterly breeze. A great day of GT fishing was had with a total of 34 GTs landed. Al, Hal, and Bryan all managed to land their first GTs on the fly while Chris enjoyed fantastic success on his first day on Prov’s flats landing 12 GTs by himself, two of which broke the magical meter mark!

Day 2 saw a strengthing of the south-easterly breeze which had been absent for the previous week. Nevertheless, our group enjoyed yet another cracking day on the flats on the GT front with a total of 26 landed. Bryan enjoyed a moment of Providence magic while wading onto an exposed sandbank. He saw a large dark shape come into range and following a great presentation and a few quick strips he went tight and eventually landed a beautiful Giant Trevally of 102cm. Bryan didn’t stop there and went on to land an incredibly strong Bumphead Parrotfish, his first and the first landed by our group for the week. Well done Bryan!

Day 3 dawned with a stiff south-easterly breeze and conditions that allowed us access to the difficult-to-reach areas of the atoll. A total of 19 GTs were landed for the day with Dave and Tom managing to open their accounts for the week.

Day 4 dawned with clear skies and another opportunity to explore the far corners of the atoll which resulted in our group landing a total of 13 GTs for the day. While wading the edge of an exposed flat, Ken spotted two fish cruising the edge heading in his direction. He presented the fly with a good lead on the fish, stripped and watched as his fly was engulfed. After a long first run he landed a beautiful fish of 102cm, well done Ken! Whilst watching a massive school of tailing Bumpies wave their tails in front of him, Al made a perfect cast, came tight, and landed his first ever Bumpie on the fly!

Day 5 saw the south-easterly stiffen again with the eastern horizon remaining clear of cloud cover and rain. A total of 7 GTs were landed by our group for the day. Catches of note included Dave realising one of his dreams by connecting with a real trophy GT in the surf zone. His trophy was spotted surfing in behind a school of Bumpies, and following a pinpoint cast, the fish rushed forward and engulfed his fly. A long fight ensued and eventually, Dave had his dream catch firmly in his hands. This powerful fish measured an impressive 113cm…well done Dave! Bryan continued with his good form from the previous few days of fishing and hooked and landed his first ever Triggerfish, which was soon followed up with his second Bumpie of the week. With the potential of that elusive flats slam on both his and guide’s minds, the hunt was on for the GT. He eventually went on to hook and land a lively GT that was spotted pushing a wake in very shallow water. Congratulations on a well-deserved slam Bryan! Hal also enjoyed success on the Bumpie front, ticking off the fish he had been most interested in from the start of his trip. Nicely done! 

Day 6 dawned with a darker horizon and a continuation of the stiff south-easterly breeze. Tricky conditions from a visibility point of view resulted in a total of 4 GTs landed for the day. Ken enjoyed the highlight of the day when he found himself in the right place at the right time. A very large black shape suddenly appeared in front of him, he shot out a quick cast and after several strips, a huge mouth exploded out of the water connecting him to a turbocharged Giant Trevally. After a blistering first run and a nervy battle to the end he eventually landed a monstrous fish that measured 122cm…..another fish of lifetime! Bryan then found himself amongst the Bumpies yet again and managed to land his third for the week, closing his weeks fishing on Providence in style. 

Another week of tremendous fishing was enjoyed on Providence Atoll. A special thanks to all our guests who joined us this week, we had a blast exploring Prov’s flats with you all and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.

Our catch tally for the week was as follows: 

  • GTs – 101 (6 over a meter)
  • Triggerfish – 1
  • Bumphead Parrotfish – 6
  • Total tally of other species landed – 285

Until next week,

The Providence Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 20 – 27 April 2021

Providence Blog: 20 – 27 April 2021

Providence Blog: 20 – 27 April 2021

Sadly we were already at the beginning of the third and final week of the Providence April 2021 season. With two weeks of hardcore fly fishing action behind us, we were however excited to make the most of the remaining time we had on the atoll’s wild and abundant waters. Following our routine of tackle inspection, boat orientation, and guide’s meeting we settled in for the evening. Our minds whizzing, full of exciting thoughts of scores to settle and fish to be caught.

The first day dawned with dark skies and a stiff easterly wind. An early morning neap pushing tide allowed us to head straight for the flats with expectations of loads of tailing species and GTs following stingrays. The tough light conditions made the fishing tricky, however, we were still able to find the fish and land a total of 12 GTs, 2 Bumpies, and a few jumbo-sized Bonefish for the day. Michael and Tom got into the thick of the action when they encountered a massive school of GTs that were following several Nurse sharks along a shallow finger flat. Following a hurried approach to get into position both angler’s flies were delivered into the mass of boiling water and were exploded upon by two big GTs. Despite the amount of coral in the area both anglers managed to land their fish, Michael’s a monster of 113cm and Tom’s just as impressive measuring 107cm. The chaos continued for the pair when the school of GTs appeared again, this time following Lemon sharks. As before, both flies were delivered to the school and both Tom and Michael hooked up again and eventually completed the pair’s second double within 20mins. An incredible moment of GT fly fishing, well-done guys! The Bumpies were out in full force with large schools upwards of 25 fish encountered on the flats. After a few close calls, Brian’s fly fishing dream turned into reality when he hooked up with his first Bumphead Parrotfish. His dream catch charged across the flat tearing backing from the reel. Following a nervy tug of war, his Bumpie finally came to hand which led to an emotional celebration and a quick few moments in front of the camera. Well done, Brian! Tom, who enjoyed the wild GT action also managed to land his first Bumpie of the week, and a little later a few Bonefish securing his flats slam. Well done Tom! Tony also enjoyed some of the Bonefish action and went on to land a trophy of 10lbs, well done Tony. This concluded a wild day 1 one on Providence’s flats.

The second day saw the skies darker and even more ominous than day 1. Rolling sets of wind and rain hit the atoll constantly from the southeast. Despite the visibility being exceedingly difficult we were fortunate enough to encounter the fish whilst they tailed across the flats, giving us an indication of their whereabouts. A total of 6 GTs, 2 Bumpies, 2 Triggerfish, and several Bonefish were landed during the day. Top honors on the GT front went to Sean who encountered a school of large GTs that had rushed onto a shallow flat. The school then began tailing aggressively which allowed him to catch up and make his presentation. The first fish that spotted his fly raced across and crushed it. It then proceeded to blast off the flats taking loads of backing in the process. Sean eventually brought in his beauty which stretched the measuring tape to 105cm. He later went on to land a Triggerfish and several Bonefish completing another flats slam for the week. Well done Sean! Tony also got into the action and opened his triggerfish account with a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish, while Brian and Chris both made the most of their opportunities in front of Prov’s resident Bumpies landing one each, well-done guys!

Day three and finally we had clear skies, although a stiff southeast wind continued. Although the visuality had improved greatly it turned out to be a relatively tough day of fishing on the flats with 3 GTs, 12 Bonefish, 1 Triggerfish, and 2 Bumphead Parrotfish landed for the day. Tony however, experienced one of those days that only Providence’s diverse flats can deliver landing 4 of Prov’s 7 iconic fly fishing species. His day included a beautiful Moustache Triggerfish, a GT, and Bumpie before ending his special day and super slam with a turbo-charged Bonefish. Well done, Tony!

The fourth day dawned with clear skies and a move of our mothership for easier access to the flats better suited for the approaching spring tides. Our move delivered results on the GT front with a total of 12 landed for the day. Bryan and Chris enjoyed a stellar day landing several GTs between the pair. The largest fish of day 4 also fell to Brian who after spotting a GT moving along a lagoon edge presented a short cast ahead of the fish. Once his fly was spotted the fish wasted little time and after two hard tail beats, engulfed the fly. Following an intense battle, Brian eventually brought his beautiful 98cm fish to hand. Well done, Brian!

The fifth day saw a continuation of the clear skies and a stiff south-easterly wind. A total of 7 GTs were landed for the day with Brian encountering a lagoon-bound monster that attempted to eat his fly three times during the same presentation. The fish took hold of the fly just yards from the lagoon edge and what followed was 20 seconds of incredible power that eventually led to a broken fly line. Heartbreak! Claire and Sean enjoyed a great day taking on the various Grouper and Snapper species that call Prov’s coral gardens home. The pair landed several doubles of large Bohar Snappers, Bluefin Trevally, and grouper species which added numbers to their personal saltwater species tally.

The last day of the week and season dawned with a clear horizon and a full moon spring tide dictating the fishing schedule. The large volume of water moving over the flats resulted in short periods of activity during different stages of the tide. Our group landed 10 GTs in total with loads of shots at trophies throughout the day. Sean was in the thick of the action yet again. This time, while waiting in ambush on the outer rim of the atoll he had 3 trophy GTs approach his position. His presentation caught the attention of the largest fish in the school which unfortunately charged and missed his fly. The remaining two fish then shot towards the fleeing fly and crunched it at his feet. An intense battle ensued and after dodging the odd coral head Sean landed his second trophy Giant Trevally of the week, measuring 108cm. Well done Sean! Tony had a remarkably similar experience, however in a different area of the atoll. While in their ambush position on a bridge finger flat between two lagoons Tony had 3 giants push up onto the flat. He nailed the presentation, and the lead fish wasted no time inhaling the fly. After a long battle, the landed fish stretched the measuring tape to 109cm. Well done Tony!

This brings us to the close of a very exciting and productive 3 weeks of fly fishing Providence Atoll. A special thank you to all of those who made the journey out to join us this April. The fishing action lived up to our expectations and we can’t wait for what our October – December 2021 fly fishing season has in store for us.

Our catch tally between 7 anglers during week 3 was:

  • GTs – 50 (5 over a meter)
  • Bumpies – 6
  • Triggers – 3
  • Bonefish – 19 (1 of 10lbs)

Till next time, tight lines from the Providence Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 26 Nov – 3 Dec 2019

Providence Blog: 26 Nov – 3 Dec 2019

Providence Blog: 26 Nov – 3 Dec 2019

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Despite dark stormy skies we began our fishing week in style with a total of 12 GTs landed on Day 1. Igor, Rob, Steve and Chris all managed to open their accounts with the fish of the day going to Rob. His fish was fooled into eating the fly while he waited on a turtle grass finger in a large lagoon, after a quick presentation the fish inhaled the fly and following an intense fight the fish was brought to hand, measuring 108cm, well done Rob! A special mention for Steve whose first GT on fly broke the meter mark, well done Steve. The large green tails of the Bumphead Parrotfish were seen waving their way across the flats resulting in several great opportunities in front of these green giants. Igor converted his chance and landed a fin perfect Bumpie to end day 1.

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The second morning brought with it difficult conditions with strong winds and heavy rain for most of the day. Despite the tough conditions, it turned out to be an incredible day of GT fishing with 30 fish landed. Chris, Alex, Peter, Serhiy, Slava, Igor and Vadim all landed fish. The standout catch for the day went to Slava who managed to successfully steer it out of a coral garden and land a monster of 120cm, a fish of a lifetime. Igor also managed to land a brute coming in at 118cm. Vadim managed to the tame a proverbial unicorn of the flats landing a Napoleon Wrasse of a meter off the edge of a turtle grass pancake, well done!

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Day 3 continued in similar fashion with less than ideal weather conditions and yet still fantastic fishing on the GT front with 28 fish landed. Rob, Vadim, Slava, Igor, Nataliya, Alex, Chris and Peter got into the action. Alex, Chris, Peter, Vadim and Rob all managed to land fish over the meter mark with the fish of the day belonging to Alex, who managed to fool his brute 111cm fish while waiting in ambush on a sandbar. Serhiy managed to land the first Triggerfish of the week, hooking and landing an energetic Yellow Margin Triggerfish.

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The fourth day saw a continuation of the prevailing heavy cloud cover and rolling squalls. With the GT fishing slowing down ever so slightly, 19 fish were landed. Igor, Nataliya, Serhiy and Chris all got GTs to hand while Rob managed to land another fish over the meter mark. After working hard through the first half of the week, Serhiy managed to hook and land a truly memorable GT of 127cm which was hooked while waiting patiently on the incoming tide. Slava got into the action yet again, after swimming through some deeper water he got onto an isolated turtle grass pancake and saw the blue tail of a Napoleon Wrasse waving on the edge. After presenting the fly the fish wasted no time and inhaled his baitfish imitation, he somehow managed to keep the fish from the coral and landed a trophy Napoleon of 100cm on foot on the flats, a very special catch!

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Day 5 brought with it an increase in the intensity of the weather with a stiff south easterly wind blowing and large banks of rolling squalls. A total of 5 GTs were landed for the day with Vadim, Nataliya, Serhiy, Alex and Chris all getting fish to hand. With the bumpier seas the Sailfish once again presented themselves and Rob and Vadim managed to land our first Sailfish for the week.

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Day 6 and another tough weather day with the wind picking up dramatically overnight. The boats headed out to the midway sections of the atoll. A total of 3 GTs were landed by Serhiy, Vadim and Slava. Rob managed to find himself drifting onto a large school of feeding Milkfish and didn’t hesitate to land the first Milkfish of the week. Steve had a stellar day landing his first Sailfish on fly and then a 115cm Dogtooth Tuna that was successfully teased in on the Sailfish teaser. After seeing the fish at the back of the boat he shot out the cast and the Dogtooth Tuna smashed the fly, well done Steve! Vadim rounded off his week by landing the second Yellow Margin Triggerfish for the week. With that we concluded an incredible week of fishing, despite the tough weather conditions we were still able to land a number of very special fish.

Our tally for the week was as follows:

  • GTs – 97
  • Triggerfish – 2
  • Bumpies – 1
  • Sailfish – 3
  • Milkfish – 1
  • Napoleons – 2
  • Species – 422

Yours in fishing,

The Providence Guide Team

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