Week 4 of the season welcomed a group of familiar faces who have fished the Seychelles for many years, and the anglers were eager to dive into the action.
Day 1 began with cloudy skies and occasional downpours, making for rough conditions. Despite this, the anglers performed exceptionally well. Peter O, Andrew, and Fred each landed a GT, while Jim caught three. Steve also landed a GT, and Peter Mc and Gerard each got one as well. Piers landed a GT and a triggerfish, while Peter M caught two triggerfish and a GT, marking a solid start to the week.
Day 2 brought sunny skies and great fishing. Peter Mc, Piers, and Gerard each landed multiple GTs, with the group collectively landing eight. Jim and Brummie added GTs to their tally, while Steven landed two GTs and a napoleon. Joern caught his first GT of the week, and Fred added both a GT and a bonefish to cap off an excellent day.
Day 3 featured warm, sunny weather with little wind. Steve and Piers got into the action early, each landing a GT. Joern had a great day, landing three GTs, while Gerard, Peter O, and Fred each landed two GTs. A strong performance from the group made for a successful day.
Day 4 saw warm, sunny weather with light winds, making the fishing a bit tougher. However, the anglers worked hard and were rewarded. Brummie and Joern each landed a GT, and Peter Mc caught a beautiful 95cm GT. Andrew and Fred also landed GTs, while Piers added two napoleons and a GT to his tally. To cap off a fantastic day, Peter M landed a mustache triggerfish and a 107cm bumpy.
Day 5 continued with hot, sunny, and windless conditions. Steve and Jim each landed a GT, while Piers had a standout day, landing two GTs, the biggest being an impressive 97cm. Joern also landed a 98cm GT, rounding off a successful day on the flats.
Day 6 brought a stark contrast in weather, with rain, high winds, and lightning. Some anglers took shelter on the flats to avoid the worst of the storm, but despite the challenging conditions, the group landed some great fish. Joern finished the week strong with two GTs, the largest measuring 90cm. Piers and Brummie each landed a GT, and all three of the Peters managed to land GTs as well, concluding the week on a high note.
As the week wrapped up, the anglers looked ahead to the neap tides, hoping for a balanced mix of GTs and tailing species in the coming week.
Week 4 Totals:
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GTs: 54
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Triggerfish: 4
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Bonefish: 1
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Bumpy: 1
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Napoleon: 3
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Bluefin: 32
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! 
