Farquhar Blog: Feb 2016 Pre Season Update!

The FlyCastaway Farquhar guide team is back on location and ready to deliver some world class flats fishing and serious fish during the Feb – May 2016 season. Before we could welcome our first group of guests onto the atoll we had some serious work to get through to ensure the level of operation remains at an extremely high standard. We departed the IDC hanger on the 23rd of Feb to allow us 8 full days to work on servicing boats and to scout out the current movements of the different fish species. We were welcomed by K.K and Mona after landing on the atoll and taken directly to the guesthouse and guide house. These two individuals run and manage the guesthouse in fine form and so it was no surprise after inspecting the guesthouse to find everything looking top notch.

Once settled into the guide house, we along with our proficient Yamaha outboard motor mechanic Marcel began servicing the engines for the tenders. First up were the carburettors! We stripped each one in clock work fashion until all were left in mint condition. Working as a team, we then replaced all the battery terminals that were rusted and then cleaned and greased the ones that were still in good shape. Next on the list were the bilge pumps and GPS’s. If there was any damage to the wiring it was replaced immediately. We then started to install all the gearboxes which had recently been refurbished on Mahe, finally attaching the propeller’s to each of them.

We then installed all the steering arms, following which we changed all the spark plugs, checked the wiring and fuel lines, at the same time replacing any small parts which looked they had taken some wear and tear. Last on the list was some fibreglassing (in true island style) on Cerf’s hull. Once dry all 6 boats were launched and moored ready for testing. The following day all boats were run in and we are happy to report all boats are in great working condition for the season ahead! It was now time for some scouting!
We ran all over the atoll, stopping here and there for brief periods to get into the groove and rhythm of the atoll. The good news is the fish are around and the water looks great. Bumpies, GT’s, Triggers and Bones all were seen in positive numbers. In addition there were large schools of Milkfish offshore during periods of warm weather and flat sea conditions. During a brief stint Gerry and Nick both got stuck into fish, sadly Nick’s fish coming off prematurely. Gerry however landed a cracking fish on one of our Wade Chanos fly reels which performed flawlessly! Congrats Gerry!

An added bonus is that it seems there are still good numbers of Sailfish, Wahoo and some Tuna around which no doubt will add to our guests experience during the season. So in closing, all the boats are running smoothly, the guesthouse is ready and waiting, spirits are high and the team is focused. Its time to smash some fish!

Farquhar Blog: 25 Nov – 2 Dec 2016

Our final week on Farquhar during 2015 season brought with it a superb group of people courtesy of our good friends at the Fly Shop http://www.flyshop.com. The group included John Kosinski, John Le Claire, Richard Clark, Tony Schopf, Tola Chin, Doug McLean  Grace, Rich Hohne the Marketing Director for Simms http://www.simmsfishing.com and finally tour leader Ross Purnell, editor of The Fly Fisherman magazine http://www.flyfisherman.com. We were blessed with superb weather throughout the week, clear skies with moderate winds allowing for some exciting sight fishing on Farquhar’s flats.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The last week of the season turned out to be a special one for our Bonefish enthusiasts and set the tone for the fishing in general for week. The first day of the week saw guide Justin Rollingson put his guests Tony & Doug i_nto multiple fish, the biggest being a fish of 10lb landed by Tony who was both humbled and ecstatic by the fish and the experience.  

The GTs were out and about this week with a good number of fish spotted on the flats. Tola Chin landed the first GT of the week with a fish of 80cm on the first day. Richard Hohne landed 3 GT’s, his biggest being a fish of 82cm which was landed after fearlessly approaching a pair of large Lemon Sharks who were feeding in the middle of the flat. Rich made a fantastic cast and with a few fast strips a GT rushed out from behind the sharks to inhale the 6/0 GT Brush Fly. He set the hook and held on while the fish tore into his backing. After a hard fight the fish was landed, photographed and released! The largest GT landed on our last week of operation for 2015 was a fish of 91cm, hooked and landed by Doug who was thrilled by the experience. A total of 11 GT’s were landed for the week. As for the other Trevally species on offer, the Bluefin Trevally provided great sport for our anglers with a handful landed everyday of week 8. A single monster Golden Trevally was landed during the trip, John Le Claire with an awesome fish of 83cm that he hooked and landed on an 8wt. Well done John!

The Bumpies were seen tailing on multiple flats throughout the trip. A fish species that keeps both guides and guests enthralled, at times we were challenged without answer. That being said, three lucky anglers managed to experience the thrill of hooking and landing the incredible Bumphead Parrotfish. Ross Purnell & Richard Clark each landed their first ever Bumpies on fly, however a special mention must go out to John Le Claire who hooked and landed an incredible fish of 119 cm. Any Bumpie is a trophy, but a fish of 119 cm is an absolute monster! Not only did John land the biggest Bumpie this week but he bagged the first Bumpie Slam on Farquhar for our 2015/2016 season. A GT, Bumpie and Bonefish all landed in one day, an incredible feat and a super special day for both Head Guide Matt Cosson & himself.

The Sailfish were still around, with a fair few fish raised to the boat. Unfortunately the only fish hooked did not come to hand after it threw the hook with a series of acrobatic displays. Our “Bombie Bashing” produced some fantastic fishing, with huge Grouper landed on fly this week. These fish that are filled with color are dogged fighters who power straight back to their hole in the coral once hooked. One has to hold on and not give an inch if you’re going to pull him away…such awesome fun!  Richard Clark and Tola Chin experienced this first hand and landed some serious specimens. Tola didn’t waste time racking up his species count, bagging a good sized Yellow-Margin Trigger as well as an awesome Giant Triggerfish. Both fish fell to fantastic casts whilst tailing in super skinny water. It was a joy to watch!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And so our final week of the season proved to be an exceptional one, with GT’s, Bumpies, Triggerfish, Golden Trevally, large Bonefish, big Grouper & many other species of sporting fish landed on the fly. All in all an incredible week, one thoroughly enjoyed by our guests as well as our guides.

Until next season

The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 4 -11 Nov 2015

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We welcomed a group of anglers who were busy doing a very special trip, fishing Providence Atoll 50 km away the week earlier and now Farquhar. Picking up from where they left off on Providence proved challenging however as a large low-pressure system continued to hag about. This resulted in winds gusting up to 35 knots and together with the continued cloud cover made the fishing tougher than all of us had hoped for. Nonetheless we gave it every effort and in the end we were rewarded with some good fish!

We experienced some great Bonefish fishing during the course of the week, the cool water no doubt enticing good numbers of them into the shallows to feed. Whether it was fishing to shoals or the classic singles and doubles, many quality specimens were landed. Some fish tipped the scales at the 8lb mark, however the week’s average being a very solid 4 pounds.

Jonathan, Don and Richard capitalized on the GT opportunities that were presented landed a GT a piece. The biggest fish coming agonizingly close to the magical meter mark I.e. 93cm. Opportunities to cast at more GT’s were definitely there, however the tough weather conditions made it tough for our guests to get the fly into the “kill zone”.Rob, Judah and Dennis did however manage to get some good fish offshore, their biggest coming in at an impressive 121cm.

With the ever-present low pressure hanging over the atoll, a voice in the back of every guide’s head screamed Permit. These special fish are known to feed with more intent when conditions are less than favorable so we kept a close eye on the usual spots. Bill and Tom have travelled to some top destinations targeting Permit, however the Indo-Pacific permit until now has eluded them. Witnessing the joy on their faces after each landed their first Indo-Pacific Permit was therefore a massive privilege. Congratulations to you both on your “Holy Grail’s”.

Seasoned anglers Richard and Tim focused their attention on the numerous Triggerfish we are privileged to have on the atoll. The finesse and subtlety required when presenting a crab pattern to theses illusive specimens is next level and highly addictive! The fish would follow the fly, tail on the fly…in truth do everything except get a hook in their mouths. Frustrating for sure, but a perfect example as to why they are so highly prized when they do come to hand.

So despite some really nasty conditions, some good catches and fun times were enjoyed by our group. Thank you to all of you for sticking at it…we know at times the conditions made it tough!

Until next week

The Farquhar guide team

Farquhar Blog: 28 Oct – 4 Nov 2015

Week 5 of the Farquhar season started in unusual fashion with our guests arriving a day later than originally planned. Some severe weather resulted in a delay in the flight schedule and a day’s fishing lost. Nonetheless our group for the week hosted by The Urban Angler of New York, USA arrived on Farquhar on Thursday morning with high hopes for their adventure with us.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Our weather conditions improved dramatically during the course of the week that resulted in favorable fishing conditions. Clear skies and moderate winds were the norm and welcomed by the guide team and guests. The GT fishing was special! Our first full day on the flats was mayhem and saw 24 GT’s landed, 10 fish a piece for Long and Matthew with the husband and wife team of George and Suzanne chipping in with 4 fish. The largest fish landed on day one was hooked and landed by Suzanne, an exceptionally powerful 94cm GT, which was in fact Suzanne’s first saltwater fish, caught on a fly! During the remaining days spent on the flats another 16 fish were landed. In terms of size we sadly could not break the meter mark, however we came close with five fish in measuring over 90cm (94cm, 94cm, 93cm, 93cm and 91cm. Apart from the fish landed, countless more fish were spotted on the flats and a fair few hooked and lost. Considering we only had five days out on the flats these are impressive indeed!

Our Bumbies too kept us busy during the week. Our guests were amazed by the numerous shoals of Bumphead Parrot fish tailing in a multitude of different scenarios, ranging from turbulent surf zones to calm turtle grass flats. With the fishing conditions having improved, we managed good success, with multiple fish hooked and landed. Fergus Kelly and Long Nguyne shared a special day together with each angler successfully landing their first Bumpheads on fly. Suzanne our only lady for the week seriously wanted to catch this bizarre looking creature. She managed to hook two fish on the last afternoon, sadly however both fish managed to end the fight prematurely. But she was not done yet and with little less than an hour of fishing left; a good cast was made to a school of tailing Bumpies. The line went tight and the fight was on, a long first run and some serious coral dodging resulted in a landed Bumphead for Suzanne….a fantastic ending to a fantastic week for Suzanne.

The Bonefish were out and about this week with multiple fish landed each day. Single cruisers and shoaling Bonefish were targeted with good success, their blistering first runs putting a large smile on Fergus Kelley’s face has he set the hook on his first Bonefish. He proceeded to put some hurt on the fish and successfully landed more than his fair share.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Bluewater fishing ticked over in its usual manor. Sailfish were seen frequently during the course of the week, a couple fish were hook but due to their incredible acrobatics the fish managed to shake the hook. Matthew Badger however managed to stay connected to a wonderful Sailfish of 75 inches. After an incredible first run that tore into his backing at an alarming rate the fish later succumbed to good rod angles and some serious pressure. Matt was super stoked with this fish as you can imagine.

In summary, the week was somewhat special with 40 x GTs, 3 x Bumpies, 25 x Bluefish Trevally, good numbers of Bonefish, countless Grouper species, Yellowfish Tuna and a single Sailfish all landed on fly in 5 days fishing.

Needless to say a very enjoyable trip!!!!!

Till next week…

The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 21 – 28 Oct 2015

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We welcomed 9 guests from Sweetwater Travel in Montana for the start of our 4^th week of the season, including brothers Bill & John, Dan and Dianne, Steve, Scott, Jackson and Pat. Tim Youngkin who was fresh from a weeks fishing on St. Brandon’s just a few days prior to his arrival on Farquhar making up the group. It was everyone’s first time out on the atoll with us and as such we wanted to put in every effort to show them the great fishing Farquhar offers.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sadly for the group, our week was plagued by the unseasonal weather that continues to affect all of the Seychelles atolls. Strong winds, cloudy skies and the occasional bout of rain were the norm for the duration of the week so we had to pull out all the stops to get them into some fish.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The GT’s were subsequently tough to come by this week with only a few fish being hooked. Steve and Scott however each got a fish, Scot’s 80 cm fish being the largest for the week. Some bigger fish were seen on stingrays, but tough conditions made getting the fly in front of them a challenge.

The Bumphead Parrotfish were however out in full force this week, shoals of the giant blue fish being seen across all parts of the atoll. A total of 15 specimens were hooked….sadly though we enjoyed zero fortune here either as every fish was lost before a picture could be taken. Fish were lost to coral; hooks pulling free and one fish snapping a 10wt fly line clean in half after a scorching first run. So although Bumpies managed to get the better of us this week, they provided consistent action for our guests who I’m sure now have the fever!

Farquhar however proved once again why it such a superb fishery, some great Bonefishing coming to the rescue. Consistently providing our guests with the sort of shallow water fishing that is often overlooked in the Seychelles, it highlighted the atoll’s incredible diversity. Some really big fish were spotted during the trip, the largest landed being a good fish of 21 inches!

Offshore wise the Sailfish continued to be abundant with large numbers of fish raised to the back of the boats during the course of the trip. John Dory capitalized on this and was exceptionally pleased with his first Sailfish ever caught on fly. His brother Bill managed to land a 5kg Yellowfin Tuna on fly a short while later, so too Scott which provided the guest house with fresh Tuna Sashimi for the remainder of the week.

So despite some really tough weather conditions, we stuck to our guns and ensured the week was enjoyable for all iinvolved!

Until next week

The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 14-21 Oct 2015

The third week of the season kicked off with a group of guys Mavungana Fly Fishing from back in SA. For most this was going to be their first taste of saltwater flats fishing, so as you can imagine they could barely contain themselves! Due to weather conditions experienced on the atoll we did run into patches of warm water, however with good planning and persistence a number of good quality target species were landed.

Good numbers of Triggers however continued and after having a couple fish follow the fly, Jonathan and Philip managed to set the hook into tailing fish. Both had pin point accurate casts using crab imitations and after one short single strip their fish dipped and they came tight. On!!! Congrats to both chaps!
Some Bumpies too made their appearance on our catch cards. Craig landed the first on Day One and Trevor’s spectacular 108 cm fish coming to the net on Day Six. Needless to say they were certainly not the only fish encountered during the week, so as is the norm now on Farquhar the evening drinks discussion never failing to include our big blue friends!

Despite often being overlooked Farquhar’s ever present Bonefish were certainly one of the highlight on this particular week. With the tides we had for the week, many of our anglers enjoyed casting at copious numbers of fish tailing in super skinny water. A couple of really good specimens were landed some tipping the scales at 8lb …. definitely not fish to be sneezed about! It was great fun and a healthy reminder why these fish are so highly rated amongst the saltwater angling community. Honest, powerful and extremely fast they are built for a fly rod!

The GT’s sadly were few and far between on the flats, a huge population of Swimming Crabs having accumulated offshore enticing many of the atoll’s notorious predators away from the shallows. Nevertheless, Jonathan Boultan took full advantage of the shots that were presented and managed to land three GT’s, one of which broke the meter mark and earned him the highly coveted red GT cap. Congrats Jono!

With high tide towards the end of the week occurring in the mornings many of the groups opted for a spot of pelagic fishing offshore. Once again the atoll showed it’s impressive diversity with over forty Sailfish being raised, most of whom seemed dead set on eating the flies! Subsequently Rory, Craig and David all landed their very first billfish. As you can imagine there were smiles a plenty! The highlight however must go to the double header that Jonathan and Craig M landed at the same time. Can you imagine the chaos on the boat as two angry billfish tail walked across the horizon with hooks attached. It was priceless, the photo summing it up perfectly!

We would like to thank each of our guests on the week for the attitude and enthusiasm. You made the most of every day and the results showed!

Until next week

The Farquhar guide team

Farquhar 2015-2016 Opening Week: 30 Sept – 7 Oct 2015

Our first set of clients was met with smiles and enthusiasm by a guide team itching to get to work. Adding to our excitement was that fact the atoll hosts large numbers of fledging booby and sooty terns during the early part of the season. This phenomenon attracts the attention of some really large GT’s that patrol the edges of the islands, opportunistically feeding on weak birds that land in the water. Subsequently targeting these massive GT’s is made easier as their large dark bodies contrast well against the white sand flats which surround the islands, our guests subsequently reveling on some truly world class GT fishing.  Witnessing nature’s way of dealing with the weak is a privilege to witness, an event only matched by the exciting fishing that transpired.

The Triggers too were present in good numbers, with father and son combination Tony and Hamilton taking full advantage on the first day, both bagging exceptional specimens. Tony’s fish measured a whopping 59cm while Hamilton’s came in at 51cm.  Both these fish were tailing in skinny water and moved quickly onto the crab patterns that were presented to them.

Another Father and son combination were familiar faces to Farquhar, Ben and Zack Pierce.  They too landed a memorable double on one day,this time it was two GT’s over the 1m mark.  Having fished numerous Seychelles destinations over the years, both achieved the personal bests on the same day with Ben’s fish measuring 106cm and Zack’s a respectable 104cm. Surely a father and son memory that will last a lifetime. Congrats guys!

Epic moments did not stop there however, with Bob and Richard landing two monstrous GT’s, the fish measuring 119cm and 113cm respectfully. Oakley also managed to bag two GT’s in quick succession on the same day, both of which were taken off the back of feeding stingrays.  Richard ended with a further two GT’s for the week, the fish measuring 96cm and 79cm. With the large numbers of GT’s being seen on the flats the rest of our guests including Hamilton, Zack, Tony, Tarlton and Clarke all capitalized on opportunities that were presented.

Farquhar’s other iconic species the Bumphead Parrotfish however had most the guests guessing throughout the week. Their numbers on the flats increased during the week as the tides shifted from springs to neaps, however only Zack and Bob were fortunate enough to hook and most importantly land one, their fish measuring 107cm and 108cm respectfully. Stories however never ceased around the dinner tables, as tales of lost fish circulated amongst the group.

In true Farquhar fashion, the myriad of other flats and reef fish species that frequent the bommies, islands etc kept our anglers busy during the higher tides, with some exceptional Bohar Snapper and African Marbled Groupers being caught. Similarly, the underrated Bonefish fishery that Farquhar as to offer kept the rods bending and reels screaming.

All in all it was a terrific week with a terrific group of people. Thank you to everyone for joining us. We really hope to see you out on Farquhar soon!

The Farquhar Guide Team

Farquhar Blog: 15-22 April 2015

Sadly our time on the atoll for the initial half of 2015 was drawing to a close, but with ten excited guests arriving on the atoll, we were determined to put in a stellar performance for them!  We had some serious tidal movement during the course of the week, so together with an influx of cold blue water onto the atoll’s flats and some favourable weather forecast, we were optimistic the fishing would live up to our expectations.

The week got off to a flyer when Peter hooked and landed his first Permit on the first day. This brought the total number of seven Permit for the season! Fishing for Bonefish on the inside of the lagoon, it’s not unusual to see small shoals of Permit cruising the shoreline.  A small adjustment to one’s technique is needed and then our focus shifts towards reading the fish’s body language. After a couple of short strips the quivering tail is a sure indication the fish has eaten the fly.  SET SET are the instructions that generally follow, following which the fight is on.  Although Peter’s fish was the only one landed during the trip, every guest enjoyed the experience of presenting a fly to the Holy Grail of the flats.

The bewildering Bumphead Parrots were widely spoken about on the first day, with most of the anglers expressing a keen interest in targeting the huge tailing critters. With numerous crab patterns presented to these fish, Ian as well as Hendrik managed to hook fish…sadly however the coral edge shredding the leaders prematurely. Peter however came across a shoal tailing over some small isolated turtle grass patches on a large white sand flat.  After presenting his fly to these larger than average size fish he managed to entice one really large fish to eat his fly.  Fish on!! The fish screamed off with the rest of the shoal, however with the backing emptying off his reel at a frightening speed the decision was made to follow the fish with the boat. After an epic forty-minute fight our hearts however sank as the hook simply pulled free and the fish disappeared into the depths. Thankfully not all was doom and gloom with Gareth showing the patience and nerve needed to land one of Farquhar’s blue and green giants. Congrats Gareth!

The GT as always was at the top of the list for most anglers and the guides planning sessions were mostly based around choosing areas that should hold good numbers of GT’s.  The account was open when Peter landed the first GT for the week, which just so happened to be the largest fish for the trip. His 101 cm fish earning him the highly coveted “red cap”.  The tally soon gained momentum as Ian tussled with and landed two good fish on the third day and his third GT for the week on the fourth day.  Hendrik, Magnus and Yves too all managed a GT each, bringing the total number to seven for the trip. GT fishing is however not for the faint hearted and as such does not always end with smiles. Sadly due to some ill luck and tackle failure more of Farquhar’s alpha predators were lost prematurely. Nonetheless, seeing that big bucket mouth opening and the fish charge in on the fly is something that will never leave you. Their power and ferocity is addictive to see and we cannot wait to get back in Sept to do battle once more!

The Bonefishing as per usual on Farquhar provided constant action for those eager to target them. Whether it was picking out fish over pure white sand on the inside of the lagoon or tussling with dark backed fish scouring the marl flats in the surf zone, Farquhar continued to deliver superb fishing for the Grey Ghost. All in all a very enjoyable week and considering the other exciting species landed a great way to end our season! Thank you to all our guests during this week and throughout the season. It was a privilege to share Farquhar’s diversity and special fish with all of you!

Until later this year…… tight lines!

The Farquhar guide team