Farquhar Blog: 23 – 30 Oct 2019
Farquhar Blog: 23 – 30 Oct 2019
Another fantastic week of flats fishing has come to an end on Farquhar. We enjoyed great weather, with lower wind speeds and clear skies providing great sight fishing conditions.Tidal wise we start on neaps which built towards a new moon spring tide. This provided a variety of wading opportunities as well as large movements of water in and out of the atoll as the week went on.
A total of 21 GTs were landed this week. John Duty III landed the largest GT of the week at 90cm. Mike Becci, first time fishing the salt, came in a close second with an 87cm fish. Jarret Duty landed four GTs and so too did Colin Taylor. Gary Horican landed three, John Duty JR landed two, as did Craig Derby and Tom Gray. Eric Meyer landed one.
Besides the great GT fishing, the rest of the flat’s species were active. Six Triggerfish were landed, including Craig’s personal best 60cm Yellow Margin. Mike landed a massive Moustache Trigger of 56cm. Colin got a 54cm Moustache Trigger which was his first and to top it off Jarret managed a Yellow Margin and a Moustache in the same day!
Thirty-four Bonefish were brought to hand during the week, the largest being a huge 68 x 38cm fish landed by Eric. Also, a big shout to Eric on his first ever Indo Pacific Permit…what a special fish! A personal best Bonefish was also landed by Colin.
Two Bumpies were landed this week, one by John Jr…. on his first cast! Another great fish 0f 93cm was landed by Tom the Donkey Grey. The Bumpy was part of a slam, our first of the season! Congrats to Tom our top rod of the week!
Our first Sailfish of the season also made to the boat, Jarret landing the huge fish. Congratulations!
Thanks to all our guests for an incredible week of fishing! From the flats to the blue water, this week guides and guests dominated the fishing!
Until next week
The Farquhar guide team
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The Permit were also around in decent numbers this week and we managed to get the guys into some really good opportunities, from tailing and cruising fish on the flats to fish high riding off sand banks and island structures, we had it all. A huge congratulations goes out to Andrew for managing to get it done, his 9lb fish slowly dropping down the flat when he presented the fly. The fish initially seemed to spook off the fly, but another cast was made, and the fish made no hesitations in inhaling the crab imitation second time round. Unfortunately, we did however lose a hooked Permit this week which is never nice, but that’s fishing and that’s why each fish landed is a special experience.
Good numbers of Giant Trevally were also around on the flats this week. We encountered fish riding on the back of Nurse sharks, big schools and single fish marauding bonefish in the shallows…any of these scenarios nail bitingly exciting. As it goes, we managed to have a few eat the fly as well as some missed opportunities, but Chris has done this before and managed to get it done with a gorgeous fish which measured 102cm! Well done Chris! Wessel also managed to get his 1stGt ever on a fly rod with a great 96cm fish, a really big fish for your first ever GT! The Bluefin Trevally were also around in decent numbers. Andrew managed to get a great fish which measured a whopping 78cm, congrats on yet another great fish. Bill also managed to get his 1st Bluefin Trevally on a fly rod this week adding to his species list. The golden Trevally were around in great numbers with Bill, Randy and Neil all managing to tick the box on this wonderful flats fishing species.
The Permit were around in great numbers this week with all of our guests getting numerous shots at this incredible species. We experienced an array of different opportunities, including both cruising and tailing fish on the flats, islands and coral ridges. Jim did not waste anytime opening up the week with an wonderful fish of 10lb. The fish was slowly free swimming along the flats with the pushing tide, Jim’s cast hitting the money a few inches away from its nose the fish. The fish slowly turned on the fly and engulfed the crab midwater before giving him a solid tussle before eventually coming to hand. Jim then managed to catch the next Permit he made a shot at, this one was holding on the lee side of a sand bar. Another well-presented fly and the result was two permit within an hour….a great achievement. Dan also managed to hook a decent Permit but unfortunately the fish came off a few seconds into the fight. Jim showed no signs of slowing down though, his 3rd fish coming to hand after it crushed the fly over some white sand… a pretty fish with long sickles. His 4th was a real beauty weighing 14lb, this fish spotted tailing whilst we were heading back to the boat to have a lunch. His first cast gained no reaction and the fish continued to feed up the flat, but his next cast landed about a foot in front of the fish’s nose and it sipped it in. We were now 20 yards from the boat. When the fish came to hand the screams scared most of the birds off the atoll… it was a great moment! Jim managed to land his 5th Permit later on in the week, this special moment capping off a truly remarkable week of Permit fishing for him!
The Trevally too were around in decent numbers this week, with Arthur opening the account on the first day after we located a pack of Bluefin Trevally, Giant Trevally and sharks in a feeding frenzy off one of the storm ridges. Arthur made a great cast at the GT’s and before he could even get his first strip he was tight into a great fish. After a solid fight, a beautiful 105cm fish was tailed. Great job Arthur! We saw a few other GT’s during the week with Ben unfortunately being bitten of by the one he hooked. All in all, we had some great shots and saw some really big fish smashing bait which always a great experience to have out on the water.
We experienced fantastic Bonefishing all week. Opportunities to fish in ankle deep water at tailing fish, small and big shoals on the flats, sand bars and island systems…our guests got to see it all! Although our largest fish was 7,5lb we did see and hook some really big ones, unfortunately we couldn’t land them. Let’s just say they don’t get that big for nothing, these really big fish are smart and need to be fished at with precision casts and even when hooked they know exactly where they need to run to cut you off. All in all, still some superb Bonefishing as per usual!
Despite the weather it was a week of big fish. A Seychelles regular, Joern kicked things off with an absolutely massive GT of 134cm, the largest of the season so far! In addition to that giant Joern landed another 3 more GTs. Andrew captured 2 GTs while James managed his 1st GT along with Tim, Murray-John, Andrew and Hilton all landed a GT each.
An amazing Permit was caught this week by Andrew. Measuring 84cm it is the largest caught on Farquhar to date, and a truly special fish. Our group managed 29 bonefish this week with most anglers landing large fish. Alan caught his first bonefish, which was also his first fish on a fly. He went on to catch a bonefish of 66cm.
Our guests experienced true St Brandon’s style Bonefishing with numerous opportunities to fish to tailing Bones in super shallow water presenting themselves throughout the week. Joe and Charles both came away with the largest fish of the week which weighed in at 7.5lbs, well done guys! Large schools of Bonefish that are ever present during big spring high tides kept our group of anglers busy which allowed everyone to catch loads of Bonefish during these periods of the day.
The atoll produced a fair number of opportunities to tailing Permit in typical fashion; on the shallow water flats and broken coral storm ridges. Charlie and Jim both experienced heartbreak by losing Permit that they managed to entice to their flies during the week. Charlie, who was determined to turn his luck around managed to make his next shot count from a high riding school of fish off a sand bar near the northern side of the atoll. Well done Charlie, the first Indo-Pacific Permit landed are always fondly remembered!
The Trevally fishing proved to be good this week with loads of shots at large Bluefin Trevally. Joe and Charles both made the most of their shots and each landed their first electric Bluefin Trevally on fly. Charles then went on to land a lively Golden Trevally and a 72cm Island Trevally; which is an awesome achievement well done Charles! The GTs proved to be a little difficult to come by and although we still managed to get the odd shot at some real giants, we couldn’t convert our opportunities.
The neap tides allowed us to spend more time on the reef hunting the different Trevally species that frequent these waters. Our focus was on finding these predators either riding on the backs of sharks and stingrays or free swimming in schools. We managed to feed some giants this week, unfortunately most of these fish got the better of us. Tom however had better ideas and made the most of his opportunities by landing a trophy GT measuring 103cm. George followed Tom’s example and went on to land a trophy himself, measuring 102cm. Both were amazing fish that these anglers will remember for a long time to come. Seeing these fish speed up to eat a fly with their eyes and head exposed out of the water while engulfing a baitfish pattern is one of the most exciting moments in saltwater fly fishing!
The Bonefishing began in a sluggish manor due to the large tidal ranges we experienced over the spring tides. As the week continued our group enjoyed exceptional Bonefishing in super skinny water which our guests took full advantage of. The various landmasses scattered throughout the atoll produced good numbers of large schools from which we were able to get a couple great fish to hand with our biggest of the week weighing in at 7.5 lbs.
We enjoyed incredible fishing on the Permit front with opportunities at tailing fish presenting themselves on the flats as well as around the islands. Congratulations is in order for George as he, on his first trip to the Indian Ocean landed a trophy Indo-Pacific Permit of 13.5lb! Chris also managed to pick a solid fish from of a school of high riding Permit that were found cruising along the edge of a lagoon which pulled the scale to the 10lb mark. He later added to his first ever Indo with another beautiful fish of 8lbs which brought his tally to two in one day, well done Chris! Zak got into the action too by landing a fin perfect 8 lber which was fooled into eating a fly as it tailed along a coral ridge near one of the major landmasses. Finally, Steve, on his first trip to the Indian Ocean and after losing 4 Permit this week managed to get the hook to stick properly with his last cast of the week and landed a fin perfect fish of 8 lbs, what a way to end his stay with us. Unbelievable action on the Permit front this week!
The Trevally fishing proved to be full of action this week with the larger tides bringing in some massive GTs and Bluefin Trevally. Subsequently our guests enjoyed great opportunities in front of these fish in just about every shallow water GT scenario; from finding fish on the storm ridges, islands and the shallow flats. Zak didn’t stop with the Permit and went on to land an awesome GT of 96cm that was found riding on the back of a stingray. The fishing gods were clearly looking kindly at George as he landed yet another fish of a lifetime, a trophy Giant Trevally that was found holding stationery in the current near a small island. All it took was a well presented cast and this fish exploded on the fly, giving a good tussle before eventually coming to hand and pulling the measuring tape all the way to 114cm! Well done Chris. As mentioned the Bluefin Trevally were encountered in good numbers and the largest measured close to 70cm. Other than these 2 iconic species we also managed to add 2 Island Trevally to to the species list which are always a bonus fish on the flats, Chris caught a monster of the species that measured 72cm.
Our opening week of the 2019/2020 St Brandon’s season welcomed a small group of guests to this remote and pristine environment as two of the original group unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute (they were sorely missed). After a quick tackle setup ensuring all our guest’s gear was in good order for the next morning, we settled in for the night with an overwhelming feeling of excitement for the start of the season.
The abundance of Indo-Pacific Permit that this atoll hosts is of special proportions and often delivers an opportunity to cast to trophy fish on any given day. From skinny water tailing fish on the flats and storm ridges to schools of fish cruising along lagoon edges and islands, the numbers often encountered is mind blowing. This week we managed to craft a couple great opportunities which resulted in hook-ups; however, we were dealt with some bad luck at inopportune moments which resulted in these notoriously difficult fish evading our eager hands. The sight of exposed golden sickles gives even the most experienced of anglers a few sleepless nights, these fish are certainly the holy grail of saltwater fly fishing.
The various Trevally species of St Brandon’s were encountered in decent numbers which resulted in Igor managing to land a good Bluefin and Greenspot Trevally. Unfortunately, the brutish large GTs that frequent St Brandon’s flats managed get the better of us as well and although we weren’t able to get any to hand we had shots at some real monsters. Encouraging still was the numbers seen and we hope to get a few to hand in the coming weeks.
Our guests were treated to phenomenal Bonefishing during the week with loads of larger fish landed. Some days the average size of the fish landed was as big as 6.5lbs. Many fish in the 7-8lbs range were caught with Tristan landing 2 large 8lbers this week. Terry, who was completing his third back-to-back week with us landed a solid 9.5lb Bone. Charles also landed a 9.5lb Bone but he landed an even larger fish when he hooked and landed a 10.5lb fish on the first morning of the week! An absolute monster of a fish and a fine way to end the season on the Bonefishing front.
We experienced excellent Trevally fishing on the last week of the season which is no surprise as we have encountered big numbers of Golden, Bluefin and Giant Trevally around the atoll this season. We were able to hook a couple Goldens this week with the standout fish caught by Jarod, who landed a strong 10lb Golden on the first morning of the trip. The Bluefin Trevally fishing picked up this week too with shots at many larger specimens. Charles landed a solid 72cm fish while Jarod kept his good fortune going and landed a 77cm Bluefin that was found while it was riding the back of 2 large Nurse sharks along with a bunch of other Bluefin and GTs.
Our GT fishing this week turned out to be fantastic with just about everyone in the group getting quality shots at these apex predators. 4 were landed in total for the week, 2 by Tristan with the aforementioned 90cm fish that led to his Grand Slam and a few days later he landed an even larger fish of 92cm; to land 2 GTs on St Brandons and pull off a Grand Slam is no mean feat! Well done Triston. Justin also got stuck into the atoll’s large GTs and managed to land 2 large fish in as many days. First, he landed a 110cm fish that was giving a school of Bones a seriously hard time and the next day he went one better and landed a 111cm fish that was caught while it was holding in the current just below a coral ridge.
We were treated to incredible Bonefishing this past week on St Brandons with our guests enjoying a wide range of different Bonefishing scenarios; large single fish in skinny water right through to big schools of fish in slightly deeper water. Of the larger fish that we were able to land this week, John landed Bones of 7, 7.5 and 8lbs during his stay on the atoll with us. Ed and Terry both landed 8lb Bones while Sidney came up trumps and landed the biggest of the week, an 8.5lb fish that ate the fly before an even bigger one could get to it! In total our group managed to land 331 Bonefish between 6 anglers with a solid 5lb average which is an impressive feat and once again shows that St Brandon is a premier Bonefishing destinatioin.
There were loads of shots at the Indo-Pacific Permit that call the atoll home. As usual we were able to hook a few but we were only able to land one this week. Robyn, the only successful angler managed to land her first ever Indo-Pacific Permit. Her 7lb fish was seen tailing on one of our more famous Permit flats and after she made a pinpoint cast with her self-tied fly, everyone involved knew the fish was going to eat. The fish took off at speed and after a couple nervy moments threading the fish through a coral garden the fish was netted! A couple quick photos were taken of the fish and then it was released to fight another day, well done Robyn!
The Trevally action was full of ups and downs this week with our guests having a number of good shots at the atoll’s large GTs. John, Ed and Frans all hooked monster GTs but unfortunately, the fish got the better of us and managed to get loose one way or another. There were however a couple of large Greenspot Trevally landed this week which provided great fun on the 9wt for Sidney, who landed 2 Greenspots of 63cm and 67cm while Frans landed the biggest of the week with a lively 69cm fish.