Providence Atoll: Opening 2017 Trip Report (19 – 28 March 2017)
Providence Atoll Report: 19 – 28 March 2017
Welcome to the opening week report from our first trip on Providence Atoll for 2017. We welcomed a group of 12 extremely excited anglers from Aardvark McLeod on the 19th of March for an extended stay with us, their trip including 9 nights and 8 full days of fishing on one of the most remote and untouched fisheries on the planet. To say spirits were high would be understatement, the camaraderie and excitement amongst the group and guides as we set up tackle, tested knots and tied on flies indicating we had great group onboard. Little did we know just how special a trip we would have even by Providence standards.
We based ourselves in the centre of the atoll on day one, so we could explore various areas and see which sections held clean water and high fish concentrations. By the end of the day we knew were in for a good week GT wise. High numbers had been encountered throughout most of the areas we prospected and to sweeten the day our guests capitalised on many of the chances they had. The Bonefish and Triggerfish were also around in great numbers with some solid specimens of both species being converted. Strangely enough our friends the Bumpies were the only fish species not really encountered in good numbers on Day 1, but we had another 7 sessions to tick these highly sought after critters from our list. All in all it was a very promising start to the trip, the great day of fishing ensuring our guests could enjoy a cold beer at the end of the day knowing that all the waiting and preparation had been worth it.
Day two continued to produce the goods on the GT front, with huge numbers of fish seen throughout the day. As far as I can remember all our guests had landed at least one GT before the day was done! The Bonefishing too continued to impress. Congratulations must go out “Brummie” for landing his personal best Bonefish of 64.5cm. The fish was spotted slowly draining its way down a white sand flat in shin deep water and after seeing the well presented crab pattern tailed hard on the fly. It took loads of string during the tussle before eventually coming to hand. This was just one of many Bonefish landed during the session. The Triggers were also around in good numbers, happy tailing and readily chasing down a well presented crustacean pattern. The Bumpies however were still not around but we had a feeling it was just a matter of time until we saw them happily feeding on the flats again.
The GTs were full up on the turtle grass flats on day three, most of which were ready to attack anything in their path as they came in on stingrays, sharks or free swimming packs. It was text book stuff and we enjoyed sessions one dreams about. The Bonefishing slowed down a bit on day three but there were some Permit around, two of which were narrowly missed as they tailed hard on the fly but no connection could be made. Nail biting stuff and the reason this species is so highly sought after. The Milkfish have also been around in great numbers but we were not able to capitalise just yet. There were also a lot of Bluefin Trevally, Spangled and Yellow Lipped Emperors all of which got the reels singing and showed why Providence is so highly regarded as a species venue. The Triggerfish presented themselves in good numbers in certain sections of the atoll and as such our guests had been fortunate enough to land both Yellow-Margin and Giant during the first three days of fishing. Considering how technical these fish can be they offered a nice variation to the combat style GT fishing. The Bumpies did make a small appearance finally, with small pods spotted on the midway turtle grass sections of the atoll.
Day four brought with it our first GT over a meter. Congratulations to Peter Opperman for getting it done on a slab 103 cm fish! This fish was moving from lagoon to lagoon on the dropping tide in low light conditions. He made the cast ahead of the fish and enticed it with one slow long strip, following which the fish’s behaviour changed immediately extending its pectoral fins out and rushing the fly. After engulfing the fly the fish took a serious first run through the lagoon systems, with Peter having to run after the fish through these sections to stop it from getting him in the coral. After a few intense minutes the fight was done and he held his prize. The Triggers were still around in good numbers on the northern turtle grass sections, so too were the Bumpies which were seen feeding happily in knee deep water. We managed to hook a good number of them during the day and in the end we had netted and photographed four…a stellar effort. Congratulations to Thomas Haskins and Jonathan Murray for landing their first Bumpies, and to Tim Pike for landing his first and second…. what an achievement.
Day Five saw us heading into Spring Tides which meant an increase in water movement. Added to which the flats were really looking good with only a small build up of warm water. Although the Bumpies were still around, opportunities were limited as they fed at speed over the flats, making it tough to target them effectively. The GTs were still around in good numbers with some bigger fish moving across the flats during the day. Congratulations to Peter Opperman again for landing our second meter fish of the trip. His fish of 108cm was spotted dropping out of a depression off a white sand flat in the midway area section. The fish didn’t see his first presentation but he quickly made another cast, this time waiting for the fish to start approaching the fly before he made two small strips. The fish saw the fly and began tracking, eventually rushing in. Peter kept low and stripped hard as the fish ate, instantly peeling line off the reel as it powered away. A good battle was eventually won before the fish was tailed. The Milkfish continued to feed high and happily off the surface during the day and we enjoyed multiple hook ups. Thankfully this time round we managed to get two to hand during a short session targeting them as they sucked heavily off the surface. All in all we had a cracking day with some really special fish coming to hand.
Although the GT numbers slowed a bit on day six, we still managed to get some really good sized fish. Big congratulations to Jonathan Murray landing our third fish over the meter mark with his 101cm prize. This fish was in super skinny water with its dorsal fin and back out of the water when first spotted. It didn’t react to the first couple of casts but fell for the third attempt, pushing a huge bow wave as it charged in to destroy the fly. James Bramwell and Marcus Beale followed suit and soon we had our 5th and 6th fish over the meter, their 103cm and 101cm providing for a truly memorable day of GT angling. The Milkies continue to present themselves in good numbers, we landed more of these incredibly powerful fish before the close of play.
The GTs continued to present themselves to us on the seventh day, the bottom of the dropping tide and initial stages of the pushing tide producing some very exciting fishing in certain sections of the atoll. We started to see some warmer water pushing in with the tide which curbed prolonged action, but the Milkies were still around in huge numbers and we managed to land a couple. This is the beauty of this the atoll, one always has options species wise!
Our final day started off in insane fashion; Marcus Beale getting a grand slam before 10am by landing a Milkfish, Bonefish and a GT during his brief time on the flats. The GTs were full up in one particular spot, with one group enjoying some great surf GT action. Another huge congratulations to Jonathan Murray for banking his second GT over a meter on the trip, his huge 118cm fish the largest for the trip and quite certainly the fish a lifetime. The fishing in other areas of the atoll proved a little tougher, with a fair amount of warm water pushing in on certain areas. There were some good schools of Bumpies around but sadly we didn’t manage to tame any for the day. All in all tough, one could not wish for a better trip as we landed huge numbers of fish. GT’s wise alone we brought over 130 fish to hand, so with good numbers of Triggers, Milkfish, Bones, Bumpies and all the other sideline species our guests got a real taste for why we rate this atoll so highly. A huge thank you to each and every member of the group from Aardvark McLeoud for joining us…we really hope to have you out on the flats sometime soon!
Until next time
The FlyCastaway Providence team
The guide team had been frothing at the mouth to step back onto Farquhar Atoll after an extended break! The devastation left by Cyclone Fantala in April 2016 meant we had to halt operations on the atoll with immediate effect. Given the remoteness of the location rebuilding the infrastructure on the atoll is a mammoth task, so much so the guesthouse will only be operational as of October 2017. This means that for a period of almost 18 months there would have been very little fishing presume on the atoll…and we are happy to say that the “little” pressure that it did receive came from some very fortunate FlyCastaway guests!
Weather: Weather wise it was business as usual for this time of the year, at least for the first two weeks with a fairly light South-Easterly wind blowing across the atoll and lagoon for much of our stay. Conditions were subsequently very pleasant, the odd short rain burst helping to cool us and keep the lagoon water temperature down and allow for productive pushing tide sessions. Our third week was unusually calm with almost no wind or current for 3 days. This made the GT fishing pretty tricky on the final week, however the atoll’s diversity once again shone through and provided some exceptional angling for the other notorious species.
Bonefish: Cyclone Fantala has pushed large amounts of sand into certain areas inside the lagoon as well as on some of the outer reef’s flats. This extended habitat produced some great Bonefishing for our guests, most notably on the outside reef flats. The same conditions are also evident on the South Island’s inner flats. So much so that for the first time since I started guiding on Farquhar, we guided guests into a large number of Bonefish schools on the North to South East reefs. Most of the fish averaged between 2-3lbs which indicates there will be some very good Bonefishing on the atoll in the next few seasons as these fish grow larger on their newly productive grounds.
GT’s: We were certainly pleased to find our beloved GT fishery alive and well back to normal after Fantala. All the usual areas were producing the goods with a few new ambush points adding to our excitement. We also witnessed a tremendous amount of baitfish on the flats this season, the juvenile Big Eye Trevally in particular being present in massive numbers. These shoals of bait attracted large numbers of GT’s during certain periods and watching these GT’s and large Bluefin Trevally tearing into the hapless bait was a sight we will never forget. To give you an idea of some of the special GT fishing we encountered, the first fish landed during the short season was a 1.19 meter GT that swam gently at me and my guest! An incredible fish and another reminder that Farquhar’s GT fishery is alive and well.
Triggerfish: The reefs, pancakes and some sneaky special spots produced great Triggerfishing during the 3 weeks stint. Some guests hooked into three fish in one session, as such good numbers of our guests landed these toothy creatures provided. There were however some hugely frustrating moments as we experienced large numbers of Blue Spangled or Yellow Lip Emperors on the flats this season. After a careful stalk and approach towards the tailing Trigger an accurate cast was sent out only for the fly to be snapped up by the snappers!
Bumpies: After some amazing Bumpy fishing sessions on Providence, I was anxious to see how the fish on Farquhar were behaving! Knowing their habits well, our guide team put our guests in the right areas during the right tides and showed them why these enormous tailing fish are now well and truly one of the most prized species in the fly fishing fraternity. The fish were around in good numbers and willing to eat the fly when properly presented and as such we hooked our fair share during our short stint.
Undoubtedly many people have been waiting to hear how the actual atoll is recovering after Cyclone Fantala. The truth is the vegetation will take some time to regain it’s lushness. Impressively though, the work done by the IDC and its staff to rebuild and tidy things up has been impressive to witness. Also, the bird life seems to be as healthy as ever, the Red Footed Booby as well as the Masked Booby were in full nesting mode, their numbers (judging by the eye) seemingly the same as previous seasons. The Terns also appear to be in the same numbers as per previous seasons. All this indicates the ecosystem in which the GTs, Bumpies, Triggers and other species that we all love, is in good shape and we can look forward to some very exciting fishing on the atoll for years to come.
Despite last year being my 11th year of guiding in the Indian Ocean, I still kick myself knowing I get to spend extended periods of time in these remote saltwater wildernesses…none more so than Providence Atoll – arguably the wildest of them all! Reflecting back on the Oct/Nov season I am bombarded with images of teeth, tails and bills. Trying to put into words what a day or week is like out on this enormous atoll is damn near impossible, but what I can tell you is that it’s a place of extremes; a place that doesn’t care who you are or where you are from. It’s wild, unpredictable, but best of all it delivers fishing moments and sessions which, as far as i’m aware, are not found anywhere else on this planet!
Well known for its incredible diversity, specifically the number of species which can be encountered in a single day by an angler, this season delivered record numbers of Bones, Triggers, Milkfish, Bluefin Trevally and Bumphead Parrotfish. There wasn’t a day where these species did not feature, which is a true testament to what a special fishery Providence really is. On top of these more highly documented species our guests also tangled with countless other reef species including Marble and Saddle Back Grouper, Bohar Snapper, Napoleon Wrasse and many more….all of which added colour, depth and new experiences to our guests’ angling. On top of this it provided some exceptional bluewater fly fishing for Milkfish, Yellowfin and Dogtooth Tuna, Wahoo, Sailfish and others. Only very unique and special places allow anglers to cast a #2 crab pattern at tailing Triggerfish and five minutes later throw a cast at busting tuna or a slashing billfish in the deep water. To give you an idea we landed 28 different species of fish on fly during one of the weeks this past season. Incredible…yes…but that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as what Providence can deliver.
For most people however, there is one species which draws them to travel to these wild places in the Indian Ocean more so than any other…GTs. They are a big attraction for most who fish Providence with us due to the numbers the atoll plays home to and the large average size we encounter there. There were times this past season however which were tricky for us when it came to our famous friends; some weeks we encountered large numbers of GTs and other weeks less so. This was due to an unusually extended off-shore swimming crab migration which pulled large numbers of fish into deeper water where they could gorge themselves on the abundant and easy food source. In saying that, we still encountered some incredible GT fishing and managed to land over 30 GT’s on every single week (a feat most other fisheries would be proud of). The best week, numbers wise, was an impressive 90. Size wise we landed a high number of un-teased metre plus fish on the flats, on one particular week we landed no less than 7 of these magnificent creatures. Congratulations must go out to Bill Harris and guide Warren Deysel who together landed our largest fish of the season which measured 127cm!
Other thoughts regarding the season lie with the operations which revolve around the Maya’s Dugong, her captain and crew and last but not least my fellow guides. The Dugong and her crew as always provided us with a reliable, safe and efficient platform for us to work from and no large amount of effort or small request was ever too much trouble. This allowed us to head out every morning for over two months on time, well fed and rested, on tender boats which ran smoothly and uninterrupted, thus allowing our guests and the guides to focus solely on the reason we were all there…to experience the wildest saltwater fishing on the planet. The same goes to my fellow guides who put in 110% day in and day out throughout a long season, something I am extremely proud of and which I look forward to doing again in March this year.
Welcome back to another action packed week of fly fishing on Farquhar Atoll! As per normal we were joined by 12 very excited anglers, including a group of six from AOS Fly Fishing hosted by Stephan and Alex Haider of Austria, regular guests and friends Gerhard and Angelika, as well as Mikko, Ville, George and Tim. Their excitement was clearly evident as they disembarked the plane and knowing the atoll is really fishing well we could not wait to get them out onto the water.
Day 1 – We had a promising start when Ville landed a solid Golden Trevally just as the tide had started to push. Never an easy fish to get due to the speed they move across the flats, Ville had done well by getting ahead of them and making a good presentation with his crab pattern before the fish tailed hard onto the fly. The GTs are still around in solid numbers and we managed to capitalise on a few of the shots we had early on. Congratulations to George for landing his first one ever on fly of 84 cm, Stephan for his fish of 96 cm and to Alex on landing our first meter plus fish. The fish which measured 109 cm had come through the surf onto a white sand flat and had no hesitation in charging in and eating a well cast and fished fly. After a few heart stopping moments the prize fish came to hand. So with some good Bluefin Trevally thrown in to the mix, a really great start to the week!
Day 2 – The surf has really been producing some incredible Bonefishing and it was no exception on Day 2. Good numbers, including some tailing fish were enjoyed by the guests who fished these areas. Although we saw good numbers of GTs on the day as well, we didn’t manage to convert the opportunities which did come our way. The Sailfish are still around in solid numbers due to the clear blue water still present on the atoll. We managed to raise a few as well, with Waltraud capitalising and getting her second one on fly. The bommie bashing continued to produce exciting fishing for a range of species, all of whom make Farquhar a species addicts paradise.
Day 3 – We started off with some tough sighting conditions with some early morning rain and cloudy conditions. Despite the weather we still managed to get some good fish to hand. Amongst a host of other species landed during the day we managed to get a couple of good sized GTs after they had been seen smashing baitfish in the surf. The Triggers too continue to provide exciting fishing!
Day 4 – The tricky light conditions continued on our fourth day, but we managed to pull out some good GTs. There were a few more Bumpies around which was nice to see, but despite us hooking a couple their powerful runs and vice like beaks won these battles. The Triggers were also around happily tailing on the flats in the low light and we managed to hook four of these cunning little critters. Some super skinny water Bonefishing rounded off another very productive day on the atoll.
Day 5 – The weather had improved on Day 5 as we woke to clear skies. We were therefore keen to head out to some areas that fish really well on the incoming spring tides. The result was some good GT action! Special mention must go to Michael for landing the second meter plus fish of the week. A special fish in some many ways, his 110 cm is now his personal best and will not be forgotten in a hurry. We also managed to land a cracking Sailfish, Tim’s 190cm specimen thrilling all who witnessed the take and fight before being tagged and safely released. All in all a really enjoyable day out!
Day 6 – Our last day had arrived and with some great tides on offer, we were all excited to end off on a good note. One boat opted to fish offshore for the morning and were nearly rewarded when Gerorge hooked into and witnessed a +/-60kg Striped Marlin tail walking across the ocean. A spectacular event to be a part of no doubt, however hopes were crushed right in the death as the fish slowly neared the boat only for the fly to pop out meters away from it being landed. Robert did however manage to get a good sized Wahoo on the fly which is always cool. Congratulations must however go to to Mikko for landing three GT’s during the day, including our third meter plus fish for the week. Our good news did not stop there though as Tim and Angelika landed their first ever GT’s, with fish of 86 cm and 85 cm respectively. So in the end we enjoyed another week of great fishing on Farquhar. It is really good to be back on this very special place and we look forward to more great fishing during the weeks to follow.
After almost unbearable anticipation, we are finally back out on Farquhar Atoll after Cyclone Fantalla’s arrival in April earlier this year. Although one is left with no doubt as to the strength of mother nature when you first land on the atoll, equally impressive is the strides which have already been made in rebuilding certain key infrastructure and general clearing, as well as signs of new life as the islands vegetation is visibly rebounding. Most importantly the lagoon and ocean water both look alive, with little if any signs of stagnant green water….things were looking good! Joining us on our return were six highly excited guests who were equally anxious to get out on the flats to see who was around! After the clients settled into their rooms on the Maya’s Dugong we were straight into business as we headed out onto the flats for a quick afternoon session.
Considering we only had a few hours out on the water, we saw a considerable amount of fish around with some good sized Bonefish and Triggerfish tailing on certain turtle grass flats. We also saw some good sized GT’s around and boy did we make it count. Louis Kruger hit the ground and our season running in a big way by landing a 119cm fish. A special catch for all of us, but especially for Louis as this enormous animal is now his biggest GT on fly. The massive fish was spotted cruising with a smaller partner in crime on a white sand section near “ the Gaps” and after a well presented cast and a couple strips the fish charged in and engulfed the fly. A solid fight ensued (including Louis’s backing being tested on multiple occasions) before the fish was landed and celebrations began. All in all a very productive start and considering the amount of baitfish around it looked as if we were in for a treat.
We headed out early for our first full day out on the water. As we had hoped there were good numbers of GT’s around and although we probably lost too many for our liking we did make some opportunities count. Stephan and Gustav are now well and truly GT addicts as they each landed their first. There were also huge numbers of Bluefin Trevally around and we managed to get some good numbers to hand. A very enjoyable day!
Our third day started off really well with Chantal getting it done on a solid GT, after a tricky cast into the wind. Next up was Abri who also landed his first ever GT on the fly. Congrats Abri! The fishing was just getting better and better, no doubt the abundance of cold clean water attracting loads of fish onto the flats. Species bashing in particular has been incredible with snappers, groupers and a host of other exciting critters darting out from bommies to eat our flies and in so doing providing some truly thrilling times for our anglers. Only the Bumpies have been a bit shy and that is no doubt due to the fact that they have been hanging around the drop offs due to the strong tides. Some epic surf side Bonefishing was also had on the eastern side of the atoll, with huge schools tailing happily on the expansive turtle grass sections that extend out onto the coral bottoms.
Day 4 looked promising with clear skies and a good south easterly wind helping the cold water flush over the flats. The Bumpies were tailing in big schools over certain turtle grass flats and as such it was no surprise when Chantal landed a big Bumpy measuring 109cm. Congrats Chantal! After a well executed cast ahead of the tailing fish, which allowed the current to move the fly into the perfect position, the big fish tailed on her crab imitation and the rest is history! Shortly after that she also landed a giant Triggerfish, a species which she had been chasing hard over the past few weeks! Overall the fish are still in full feeding mode throughout the atoll. As such more good sized GT’s and Bluefin also came to hand.
We managed to land our second GT over a meter on Day 5. The big fish which had idled across a sandbar on the back of a Blacktip shark had no hesitation in demolishing the ever reliable tan Brush Fly which was perfectly placed. Congratulation’s to Dale on getting his personal best GT, the fish measuring 103 cm! In addition to this special fish, we also managed to land a massive Bluefin which measured 86cm. This particular flat had been on fire throughout the week, with huge shoals of GT’s and Bluefin moving along the sand bank and smashing the bait balls congregating on the side of the main channel. In addition the Bumpies are still feeding happily, sadly though we hooked a few but they became unbuttoned! The Bonefishing on the eastern side of the atoll is still very much on fire.
We headed out in search of a Sailfish during the high water period on Day 6 and managed to raise some good fish! Added to which we got one to stick after it turned away eating the fly on the way out. After a spectacular fight which included some serious airtime, we managed to bill, tag and and safely release the fish. Congratulations to Abri for landing his first Sailfish, a beautiful specimen which measured 186cm. We then headed out onto the flats and landed our 3rd GT over a meter. This was Dale’s second GT over 100cm for the trip and was extremely well deserved as he kept his cool when presenting the fly to the fish. We saw and caught a few more GTs’ during the rest of the day, these hugely adaptable predators sitting on the back of some large sharks or stingrays. Lastly, massive congratulations to Chantal for landing our first Indo-Pacific Permit for the season!
Our 7th and final day saw us heading into the neap tides, with a late afternoon low tide. We headed out in search of more Sailfish during the morning session where we again raised more fish. Although quite a few were pricked and lost, Louis got it done when he landed his first Sailfish that measured 183cm. Once we got onto the flats, the group enjoyed more great Bonefish, GT and Bumpie fishing. All in all it was a great day to end off our first week of the season. Furthermore the atoll looks in great shape, with the high numbers of GT’s and Bluefin being a really good sign Cyclone Fantalla is now well and truly behind us!
The sixth and final week of our season welcomed a multinational group including guests from Australia, South Africa, England, Scotland, France, New Zealand and the US. Most of the group has fished with us previously; however the experience on Providence that lay ahead would be a novel one for each one of them. Needless to say that everyone was itching to get out onto the flats after some really pleasant weather had arrived, the morning offering flat calm and warm conditions.
The tides we had for the first day indicated Bonefish, Bumpies and Triggers would be our major targets to begin with. Ben got the show on the road and landed a nice Moustache Trigger within minutes of being on the flats. Mike and Ty capitalized on tailing Bones in super skinny water, all of which averaged between 6 and 8 pounds. Both Mike and Ty later went on to land a Bumpy apiece shortly after their great Bonefish session. Gerry took full advantage of two decent Yellow-Margin Triggers that were targeted on narrow finger flats that separated the large lagoon systems in the eastern side. Team France had a solid Bonefish session in the morning, with Chantel our lady angler for the trip later getting our first GT for the week. She narrowly missed her Slam after losing three Triggers in succession.
The second day produced flat calm seas as a result of the lack of wind. As such, the word “Milkfish” screamed out loud as shoals of the open mouthed feeders could be seen from the mothership whilst we enjoyed a coffee from the top deck of the Dugong. Once again Mike and Ty were on top form and started their day off with a double up on Milkfish…..a truly special achievement! Their team mate Ian lost his Milkfish early on in the morning, however made up for it by completing our first “Slam” for the week when he landed a good size Yellow Margin Trigger, a GT and two Bumpies all on the pushing tide. Ben continued his good form on the Triggers and landed a Yellow Margin Trigger this time round. His teammate Andrew followed suit also landing a Yellow Margin Trigger shortly thereafter. The same team including Barry found the Bonefish honey hole, subsequently enjoying some spectacular fishing for the Grey Ghost. Roddy kicked off his week by wracking up a Milkfish right off the bat and soon after a huge Bumpy that went over the meter mark. His companions Dan and Gerry both landed a Bumpy shortly after in a classic double up. With the ever-increasing presence of blue tails flagging across the flats, the French team of Chantel and Laurent managed to land three in the last session of the day with Laurent landing really good-sized specimens. This was an incredible day of fishing to be a part of!
With good weather welcoming the dawn of day three, morale around the breakfast table was high and the talk about GT’s started to loom. With a small change in the daily plans the guides and their teams set out with some strategic plans in mind. Picking up where they left off, Laurent and Chantel started their day off with the ever present Milkfish and Chantel continuing her good form by landing yet another Bumpy. Bern got onto the scorecard landing his first ever GT on fly, a great achievement. Dan also got into some action and landed a good-sized Trigger and soon after his first GT of the trip. Gerry did not miss out on the Trigger action and landed a good size Moustache Trigger. The team of Ian, Mike and Ty went all out and all managed to land a GT a piece. Mike, after numerous misfortunes with Triggers eventually got his revenge and landed a good Yellow Margin. The team with the top honors’ for the day however went to that of Ben, Barry and Andrew. Each landed a Milkfish during the day that is an incredible achievement. Ben and Barry then when onto the flats and enticed some Yellow Margin Triggers to commit to their flies. Andrew then ended off his day by landing two Bumpies in very short succession.
The fourth day saw the tides progressing into a stronger push and drop as we neared the spring part of the tidal cycle. As a result the focus once again was turned to the GTs. Despite this it was very difficult to drive by feeding Milks and a quick stop en route saw Dan land his first ever Milky. Congrats Dan! With a slight increase in the number of GT’s frequenting the flats, our anglers took full advantage and Gerry, Chantel, Ty and Bern all managed a GT apiece. It was Andrew and Laurent that went one up though by landing two good fish each. Andrew did not stop there and tricked a really good Moustache Trigger into eating the fly and after a short run managed to land another high quality fish. Gerry also continued his good form on the Triggers and landed his fourth Trigger for the week. Ben although having tough luck in the initial stages of the week with Bumpies, finally managed to take it home, and in his afternoon session landed two quality fish…..yet another species ticked off the list. With the higher water in the late afternoon, Barry decided to indulge in some blue water fishing. It was not long before they teased up a proper Sailfish and with an efficient bait and switch, the electric blue fish rushed the fly, slashed at it with his bill and quickly sipped the fly off the surface of the water. The shouts of set set set came from the guide and within seconds the prince of billfish was seen tail walking off into the setting sun. It was Barry’s first Sailfish on fly and as such massive smiles ensued!
On the fifth day we once again woke up to large schools of feeding Milkfish alongside the boat. The skiffs were quickly loaded and we were off. Ian took the initiative and with the first pin point cast was on to his first Milky of the trip. After a series of jumps and some hard pulling, the fish was landed. Ben followed suit and also managed to entice the eat from his second Milky of the trip. Later Dan landed another very good quality Yellow Margin Trigger. This particular fish followed the fly from a full cast length all the way to the rod tip before deciding to consume the crab pattern presented to it. Gerry who on previous trips went eleven to one on Bumpies, looked like he had developed a knack for them and went on to land his third for the trip. The fifth day however belonged to the team of Barry, Andrew and Bern. Although the result does not do their day justice, they still managed to land four GT’s for the day. Andrew had two reasonably big fish and Bern and Barry had one a piece. It was however their tales of big fish lost, snapped fly lines and popped leaders that lingered around the dinner table that night. One particular event was after a rather large GT was hooked and lost; a particularly large Napoleon Wrasse took the fly upon retrieval. After a wrestling match that seemed to last an eternity the fly line popped and the Napoleon also got away.
The last day saw the return of the wind and overcast conditions that we have become accustomed to this season. Ben however had gone the whole week ticking every single iconic species off the list except for his GT. This was the last species to tick off and he did so in great fashion. Having to wade almost neck deep to get to the fish, a quick presentation of the fly quickly saw the wide gaping bucket mouth of the GT break the surface of the water. A job well done! Ian ended off with a bang landing a respectable GT in the dying moments of the day. Once again however it was the team of Andrew, Barry and Bern that ended off strong all landing respectable GT’s. It was Bern, who before this trip had never experienced any saltwater flyfishing, that ended off with a GT just over the one meter mark and a Bumpy. A great way to end the trip!
All in all a fantastic week….especially from a species point of view. Incredibly eleven out of the twelve anglers caught Bumpies, ten of the twelve caught Milkfish, ten of the twelve caught Triggers, eleven of the twelve caught Bonefish and landed GT’s. An incredible week of fishing and a fitting way to close out our season on Providence!
This week we greeted long time clients Marcel, Patrick, Bill, Tom and Donald, each of whom has fished with us on a fair number of occasions. This would however be their first visit to Providence. Joining them would be new friends and also first time visitors to the atoll Shaker, Joe, Ottavio, Giacomo. Dennis and Rob rounded off the team; they would be exploring the bluewater fishing for the second week in a row.
The tides on the second day allowed us to explore certain areas on the eastern side. This change in scenery didn’t disappoint with guide Tim and clients Donald, Bill and Shaker hooking into 15 GTs during the day, 9 of which came to hand! Donald landed the biggest fish for the day with his beautiful 109cm trophy. Equally special was the fact that it was part of a double up with good friend Bill landing his 95cm fish at the same time. These very special fish along with numerous other species ensured it was a day never to be forgotten by the group. On another boat Rob continued his Milkfish streak, hooking and landing another one of these immensely powerful algae feeders after it put up one of the most spectacular aerial displays one can imagine! The other group who fished the eastern side had an incredibly exciting session as well. Stingrays pored through onto the flats through a white sand channel, most of the rays having GT’s accompanying them. Unfortunately a couple of opportunities went astray, however Joe managed to capitalize on a perfect GT/ray situation. The fly was presented 15 feet in front of the fish and the fish immediately charged in, engulfed the fly and the fight was on. Shortly after a solid fish came to hand!
The third day presented Tom with some great fishing in particular. He firstly subdued our first Bumpie for the week, before landing a good sized GT. An awesome eat, the fish surfed in on a wave before annihilating the fly. Sadly not everything went according to plan after that as Tom went in search of “Slam”. A Trigger and a big single Bonefish felt the sting of his hook but never made it to the net. Bad luck Tom! Donald, Joe and Shaker capitalized on the extraordinary amount of Bluefin Trevally that are still on the flats and managed to bring a large number of these fish to hand.
The fourth day would see a very exciting day out in the surf chasing GTs. Fish after fish surfed in on a wave as they broke across a white sand bar, the memory of which is surely burned into each guest privileged enough to encounter it. Good numbers of GTs were subsequently landed and the biggest fish of the day and for the season so far now belongs to Bill’s 123cm monster…..a fish of a lifetime!!!! The fish had been spotted by guide Warren during lunch and was making its way in and out of a cut. Warren placed Bill in the cut to see if the fish would continue visiting the area. Warren had made no less than ten steps back toward the other guests when he looked back and saw a large fish lift up in the waves. He was about to shout to Bill when he noticed Bill was already attached and the big fish was heading out to deeper water. Maximum drag was applied and the fish was turned just short of the outer reef. The importance of having good gear in these moments cannot be overstated, as the fish would certainly have made it to the reef with inferior gear. This was however not Bill’s first taste of GT fishing and with great skill and loads of pressure he got the fish back onto the sand bar where his guide could land it. An awesome moment!
The fifth day saw much of the same with the clients lined on fish rich banks. This time it was Shaker who got the job done! Despite bad light and rain making spotting tough, a large shark appeared. A quick call from his guide stating there was a GT on the back of the shark was all Shaker needed to get a quick back cast out. Three long strips were made and the grey fish charged the fly, ate and the hook driven home. Textbook!
The last day saw us approaching the neap tide. With the extended amount of time, lower water and less current we enjoyed prime Bumphead Parrotfish fishing. As a result, six Bumpies were hooked, two of which came to hand. Patrick managed to land the brute of the pack that measured a whopping 106 cm. Congrats Patrick! Joe who had made it evident from the start of the week that a Bumpie was high on his list managed to land a quality specimen in injury time. The French team also took full advantage of some quality Bonefishing that the weaker tides dished up. They managed to land a couple of good quality fish that were found tailing in super skinny water. Donald opted to join Rob and Dennis offshore for the day and added a number of quality species to his list, the best of which was a good size Dogtooth Tuna. This fish screamed off with intent and after a good battle he had a magnificent fish at the boat.
Coming off the neap tides we were excited to get up to the northern part of the atoll in search of some exciting Bonefish and Triggerfish fishing. The first day saw this come to light as good numbers of big Bones and multiple opportunities at tailing Triggers were enjoyed by all. The GTs were still playing slightly hard to get. One memorable fish which did come to hand, was a very nice 87cm fish, which after eating Kerry’s fly managed to remove a section of his rod. Thankfully after some tense moments we managed to reunite the two sections and Kerry’s first ever GT was landed. Congrats Kerry! The Bluefin Trevally are still around in big numbers and provided some exciting chases and eats throughout the day.
Everyone seemed more in tune with the Triggerfish on Day 2 and some really good Yellow Margins and Moustache Triggers made their way in front of the lens. After their absence the week before, our friends the Bumpies were also back on the flats, Craig managing to subdue a large specimen. Awesome fish Craig! On the GT front a few more opportunities presented themselves. Shamal managed to come agonizingly close to our first 1mt GT of the week. Not that the size worried Shamal who gratefully accepted his first ever GT that measured 99cm.
Day 3 provided a change in anchorages and fishing areas which resulted in more good Triggerfish and Bumphead Parrotfish action, Beat and Kerry each landing a Bumpy! Shamal was again in the mix as far as the GT’s went and this time landed our first 1m fish with a beautiful 104cm specimen. In addition he landed a large Moustache Trigger, which capped off another great day for him. The change in mother ship anchorage saw us back in front of feeding shoals of Milkfish every afternoon. Colby got the job done hooking into an awesome Milk no less then a fly lines length away from the mother ship. After screams of encouragement from anglers already back onboard the main vessel his prize came to hand and we had our first Milk for the week. What an awesome moment!
Day 4 saw us experience tough light conditions. As a result most of the guides worked sand or lighter bottomed flats to maximize visibility. This seemed to work as Oliver landed our second 1m GT for the trip despite a barrage of mishaps. The fish was spotted whilst he and his team were enjoying some lunch on the tender. Chaos ensued as often happens with GTs as everything which could go wrong did. The rod fell out of his hand, he fell out of the boat….the list goes on. In the end though he landed a memorable fish and has with it the story to match. Other chaos was happening offshore at the same time, with Mike and Bernard enjoying some frenetic GT and Snapper action. We will leave it at that!
The weather on Day 5 saw us enjoying vastly improved conditions. Clear skies and a limited amount of wind allowed Mike and Bernd to capitalize on their opportunities, the pair landing a 90cm and 87cm GT respectively. Shamal continued his good form and again raised his personal best with a fish of 107cm. The flat seas and clear skies screamed Milkfish and so a big effort was made by all to hook into one of the most powerful fish that swim our seas. Kerry continued his pursuit of new species and managed to subdue a solid Milky after a 45min fight, the last 15 mins of which were with a broken rod. Rob and Dennis took a break from GT fishing and experienced a thrilling session of Milky fishing. They hooked into 8 fish as the schools and pods were daisy-chained on the slick surface. Despite a series of mishaps they finally managed to tame three, the series of grey hounding jumps and the relentless fight in these fish leaving them captivated. Our group’s scorecard for the day did not end there though, a free swimming Sailfish was spotted by Head Guide Tim Babich and after a swift bait and switch technique Colby stared at the electric blue fish which went tail walking across the ocean’s surface. A perfect way to end a rather productive day!
With spirits high, our anglers set out with intent to make their final day count, the southern part surely the area which would deliver the goods. The team of Beat and Shamal continued their good form early on in the day, both managing 90cm GT’s. Unfortunately their good form stopped there as they had shots at exceptionally big fish shortly thereafter. On all three occasions hooks were not set at the crucial moment, sadly the fish swimming off into the abyss without a fly line trailing behind them. Incredibly, one big fish ate both Beat and Shamal’s flies without getting hooked…”LUCKY FISH”! Craig and Oliver also managed a GT a piece on the final day, their fish found hiding out in some pots near the southern storm ridges. This area holds an incredible array of other species as well, including Bohar Snapper, Saddle Back, Napoleon Wrasse, Bluefin Trevally and many more which ensured a busy day for all.
Unfortunately another tough GT week from a numbers point of view, the large presence of swimming crabs offshore clearly attracting the fish away from the flats and offshore for an easy meal. Nonetheless, some cracking fish were landed by the group, including meter plus GT’s, Triggers, Bones, Milkies, Bumpies, a Sailfish and many other flats and offshore species.
We welcomed to Providence a group of seven friends from the UK, along with three from South Africa, all of whom have fished with us multiple times in the past. This would be their first taste of Providence however and we were pumped to show them that all the stories about a wild fishery home to an incredible array of species, were in fact true.
The trip however saw our guests enjoying some of the finest Triggerfish fishing you are likely to encounter anywhere in the world. Both Yellow Margins and Moustache Triggers were frequently seen tailing the edges of the finger flats, surf or reef edges. Hugely challenging due to the accuracy required, they provided hours of challenging but rewarding fishing. Hooks were bent, tippets bitten off but in the end 12 gorgeously marked fish came to hand. Day 5 in particular proved to be a red-letter day for guide Matt Cosson and his guests Gerry, Yves and Alex. Each of the anglers landed a Triggerfish, Bonefish and GT in the session to seal their “Providence Slam”….an outstanding achievement .
Providence’s Bonefish were up on the flats and feeding, the overcast conditions and cooler water, providing ideal cover and water temperatures. Bigger on average then any other Bonefish in the Seychelles we have encountered our guests landed multiple fish in the 6-8lb range. These along with countless grouper, snapper and Bluefin Trevally showcasing the impressive variety of species Providence has to offer
The GT fishing over the first few days on the flats proved quite challenging, groups scratching a couple of the notorious predators here and there. That changed however towards the end of the trip as more and more fish presented themselves and provided some exciting action to close our week off. Andrew and Neil enjoyed a great Double hook up on the final day, Andrew’s fish measuring 101cm. The biggest GT offshore was an impressive fish of 115cm caught by Paul Bullen. Congrats Paul…a great fish! In total we landed 71 GT’s on and off the flats. By no means fireworks by Providence standards, but a number not to be sneezed at that’s for sure.
One of the highlights of this week was a rather special and unique catch, which all of us will be enjoying for the next week or two. Looking for some dinner towards the end of the day we got attached to an enormous Yellowfin Tuna. The fish’s incredible strength and speed delivered up a 2-hour battle on spinning gear before finally it came aboard. Nose to tail it measured 163cm, with the girth of the fish 114.5cm. These measurements suggest the impressive fish would weigh in the region of 110kg….almost unheard of in the Seychelles. Another offshore highlight included Duncan’s first Sailfish on fly, a fish he has dreamed of catching during his past two Seychelles trips with us whilst on Farquhar. Congrats Duncan!