Providence Blog: 15 – 22 October 2024
And so we began our late 2024 season on Providence Atoll, where we welcomed a group of very eager travelers from Europe and South Africa. Conditions for the week were sunny with gentle winds blowing from a south easterly direction.Tides wise, were heading out of the neaps into springs as the full moon approached.
Our first day of the week provided a good start for the group. The fish were out and about feeding happily and very much in hunting mode. For most of the day the clouds stayed away, providing good spotting conditions for fish cruising the edges and flats. 4 GT’s were landed on the day, the biggest being 84cm caught by Pete. The Sailfish fishing was also on point, with one boat raising up a good amount of fish and converting 1 nice Sailfish to end off a great day.
The second day the fishing was slightly tougher, the odd squall and heavy cloud cover made it tough to see fish cruising over the turtle grass. lan however managed to get into his first ever GT making him a very happy angler. There were a total of 2 GT’s caught on the day, the tough light forcing us to do some bommy bashing to keep things productive. Providence excels in this style of fishing, with Saddle Back Groupers, Bohar Snappers, Bluefin Trevally and other coral hugging species saving the day.
Day three of the week was also slow, with more thick cloud cover making spotting extremely challenging. Ian however was once again rewarded with a great fish after initially hooking a Bluefin Trevally. Whilst fighting the fish, a 114cm Napoleon Wrasse popped out and stole the fly right out of the Bluefin’s mouth. Congrats Ian…what a special catch! There were a couple of good GT’s cruising along the channels but unfortunately none were converted on the day. The rest of the day was spent drifting over coral bommies catching a variety of grouper and snapper between our anglers. As the day ended, heavy rain clouds rolled over the atoll and our thoughts moved towards the hope of better conditions for tomorrow.
Day four and there was a significant improvement in the weather as well as the fishing. With a lot more fish seen cruising the flats and drainages, there were a couple of memorable moments from the day. Early in the morning, Steve managed to hook up to a very nice GT as a pack of 20 or more fish came rushing over the flats, his fish measuring 99 cm…1cm shy of that coveted triple digit number! Later in the day Vaughn managed to make it happen on a beautiful 103 cm GT that gave him a proper scrap in one of the drainages, a truly well deserved trophy fish. There was also good success happening for the boys on the other boat. lan managed yet another nice Napoleon Wrasse while walking along the flats looking for Geets, while Pete had a great day landing three GT’s during the course of his day out…..well fished Pete! Overall day four was a good booster for both clients and guides, the improved sighting conditions certainly lifting the spirits!
Day five and the wind started picking up again making casting tough to say the least ! Thankfully we still had sunlight and some fish swimming. Unfortunately not many were converted, however two nice fish still came out, one fish caught by Pete and the other by Vaughn, well done to both anglers on their beautiful catches from the day. As for the rest of our anglers, good numbers of grouper and Bohar’s got the rods bent and ensured we ended the day looking forward to tomorrow.
As the sun rose on the final day of the week, we were woken by a hard wind blowing out of the south! As the guys set out to the flats, hopes remained high as there was very little cloud cover. As such, we enjoyed some good action out on the flats including a couple of really beautiful fish. Steve managed to hook up to a monster 117cm GT, which showed him their world famous aggression when it charged in and ate the fly right at the rod tip. Truly a fish of a lifetime and well deserved….well done Steve!!! During the day on the other boat, Charlie also managed to get into a decent GT during the day, along with new Prov guide CJ who was training. The boats also enjoyed some exciting Triggerfish and Bonefish fishing just to cap off a really pleasant day out!
We ended our week with smiles all round! The weather had things challenging to say the least but with a terrific group of people it was still a hugely enjoyableweekl. There are signs the fishery is in really good shape for the seasons, so we look forward to the next few weeks!
Catch tally for the week:
⁃ GT’s: 30 ( 103cm Vaughn, 117cm Steve, 108cm CJ)
⁃ Sailfish: 1 (Vaughn)
⁃ Napoleon Wrasse: 2 ( 114cm lan)
⁃ Total tally of Grouper & Snapper: 115
Till next time,
The FlyCastaway Guide Team
Our first day on the flats proved to be tricky due to dark clouds, severe wind, and torrential rain. The shorts we were afforded for the GTs were often last minute as the fish snuck up on us out of the dark light and unfortunately resulted in a blank day for our group. Nevertheless, we made the most of the time we had on the water and went to town on the various Grouper and Snapper found throughout the atoll’s coral gardens. A tough day for the atoll’s iconic species but still a fun one on the species front. 
The second day saw us enjoy a marked improvement on the weather front with mild wind and decent sunlight for most of the day. Ben got things underway on the flats early on, and although this was his first-ever saltwater fly fishing experience, he managed to hook and land his first Bumphead Parrotfish. A fantastic achievement, well done, Ben! Jim found himself in the action, converting a feisty GT that was found while it swam alongside a stingray. Natalie and Sergey happened upon a rich vein of life in another area of the atoll and managed to land 2 & 1 GTs respectively. Great job, everyone! 
The third day treated us to patches of decent sunlight and the odd cloud burst. We encountered several large GTs during our time on the flats but unfortunately, these fish didn’t come to hand. Jim, again in the action, this time fooling a decent GT as it bow waked along a turtle grass flat. Gene, top rod on day 3, had an exciting scenario unfold while waiting in ambush during the early stages of the incoming tide… A school of roughly 15 GTs swimming high and jet black in colour slowly drifted into his position. His fly went down and all hell broke loose when the school recognised his fly as food. After a massive explosion of mud and water, he was tight and following a long battle, he eventually landed a powerful 90cm GT! A little later in the day, Gene found himself in the action again, this time pinning a lively GT off a stingray. 
The fifth day delivered the kind of action that we’re used to seeing on the flats of Providence. With schools of tailing GTs as well as large single fish encountered during all hours of the day. Mike enjoyed a stellar day on the flats landing 3 GTs himself. The largest of these an impressive 101cm was fooled into eating his fly as a large school of 30 or so GTs tore past him on the falling tide. This powerful fish took loads of backing and gave an exceptional account for itself before it was eventually landed. Josh and his brother, Jack, enjoyed a special moment together, landing a decent GT each. Natalie, while fishing for Bumpies, noticed an imposter in the middle of the school. A quick change of rods, s1 cast and a few strips resulted in success, this time a trophy GT of 106cm! A great catch and another moment of magic from our favourite flats in Seychelles. On the tailing species front, Jim landed the only Bonefish for the day. 
The sixth and final day of our fly fishing season saw the weather take a turn for the worse, with an incredible amount of rain. These blankets of water fell on us for hours at a time and made things tricky, to say the least. We weren’t deterred though and with our spirits still high we persisted and the catches came in droves. Brothers, Josh and Ben, enjoyed a flurry of action with fish tailing and bow waking all over their flat. They eventually managed to land 2 each. The team fishing team of Watts, Jim, and Mike enjoyed action for most of the day and eventually managed to end with returns of 2, 2, & 1 respectively. Gene finished his trip with us in style by bringing 2 GTs to hand while his boat partner John enjoyed a moment that we all dream of experiencing ourselves… While waiting on the end of a lagoon, a large GT happened upon his position and with a quick cast and a couple of strips he managed to hook and eventually land a GT of 116cm! A fantastic catch to close off our season on Providence for the first half of 2024. Great Job, John! 
The first day of the week saw us experience a mild breeze from the southeast and high-altitude cloud which made for tricky visibility on the flats. On the fishing front, we still had several opportunities with some of them turning into catches. Tim got things underway early on and managed to get 2 GTs to hand on his first day, well done Timo! Andy also managed to open and eventually close the GT catch report with a single fish caught during the incoming tide. The boat team of Carlos & Patricio were very interested in the atoll’s Bumphead Parrotfish and they made the most of their opportunities each bringing 1 to hand. Great Job gents! Bryan, managed to sneak alongside a large school of these strange green creatures and after a couple of good presentations he felt tension through the line and set the hook. Chaos ensued and he was tight to a massive Bumpie, after a long battle he eventually landed his prized fish. That concludes the first days catch report. 
The second day saw a marked improvement on the GT front with loads of fish encountered in varied scenarios. Edgard managed to live his fly fishing dream, which was to catch a Giant Trevally in shallow water on the fly. While walking along an extensive turtle grass finger flat he was treated to several opportunities. Eventually, one of the bow wakes accepted the challenge and jumped on his fly. A moment we’re sure he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Well done, Edgard! Then, as if things couldn’t get any better, Dennis, on his first Indian Ocean fly fishing experience, managed to hook an absolute monster of a GT. The fish took loads of backing and eventually got wrapped around a large coral head and got stuck. Miraculously, his guide managed to unstitch the fish and eventually bring it to hand. Dennis’s fish pulled the measuring tape all the way to 109cm! His first ever GT and a moment of magic from Providence! Tim also got into the big fish action when hook and landed a beaut 106cm GT. Well done. Paul enjoyed some action too, hooking a monster but unfortunately losing it to a coral head, he later landed 2 GTs. Carlos, landed another Bumpie and Brian landed a particularly large Bluefin Trevally that measured 78cm. 
The 4
Day 5 and yet more blue skies but with a little more wind than the previous 2 days. Dennis finally managed to convince a Triggerfish to accept his fly, landing his first Yellow Margin which made him very happy. Brian and Andy enjoyed more action on the Giant Trevally front landing 3 and 1 GTs respectively while Tim had his way with the atoll’s Bonefish, bringing 4 to hand as well as a single GT. Patricio managed taste sweet success when he went tight on his first ever meter GT which was powerful fish of 104cm. His boat partner, who had been quietly going about his business did one better by landing a monster of 112cm! A special catch, Carlos, great job! 
The first day of the fishing week was warm with little wind. Due to the tiny tidal range and calm conditions, we experienced warm water throughout the atoll. Despite the tricky conditions we still managed to get a few good catches to hand. Rick, 1 of our few newcomers managed to open his GT account early in the day when he intercepted a GT that was following a shark. Peter W struck gold when a large school of tailing GTs crossed his path, a quick cast into the shoal resulted in a beautiful 96cm GT landed. He later added to his tally with a smaller fish that he convinced to jump on a crab fly on his 9wt. On the tailing species front, Kevin and Carlos each managed to get colourful Triggerfish to hand while Taylor managed to pick up a Bonefish late in the day to close of the catch tally. 
The second day was bright and with a slight breeze from the southeast. The day started particularly well for Taylor who managed to land her first ever GT early on when she spotted 2 fish cruising along the edge of a large sand flat. She later added to her tally in a similar fashion while her brother, Colby, wasn’t going to be outdone and landed his first and later another. Well done guys! Nico add his name to the score board with a powerful GT while Peter found himself in the action yet again, landing an energetic GT. It was however Kevin W’s Day, when he spotted 3 large fishing swimming along a turtle grass finger. His fly went down and 3 strips later he found himself attached to an turbocharged GT that pulled loads of backing off the reel. After some fancy boat work by his guide his fish was eventually landed. A trophy of 118cm! Awesome job, Kev! Jeremy, Carlos, and Scott chipped in on the tailing fish front with each of the landing large Yellow Margin Triggerfish. 
The fourth day saw a sudden change in the swell around the atoll with large waves breaking onto the outer banks of Providence. The highlight of the day was the exceptional fishing our group experienced for Group and Snapper with loads of large fish brought to hand. Noteworthy catches were Carlos’s 108cm and Kevin’s 95cm Napoleon Wrasse caught within minutes of each other. GTs were part of the returns too, with Carlos and Jeremy both landing GTs amongst the Group and Snapper chaos! Colby landed the only other GT for the day. 
The last day of the w
