Farquhar Blog: 26 Oct – 2 Nov 2018
Farquhar Blog: 26 Oct – 2 November 2018
Our week with a group mostly made up of return visitors to Farquhar started with a mid-day spring tide. This allowed us to fish the full drop and pushing tide for the first couple days of the week moving to neaps into neap tides as the week developed. The weather was somewhat challenging for the first few days of the week but cleared up nicely with us enjoying a good 4 days of great weather conditions.
The GT fishing was fantastic this week, 20 of the 39 hooked fish being landed. Matvey landed our largest for the week, his 99cm part of a truly special moment with good friend and fishing partner Alexander. Alfredo opened his GT account with a stunning 90cm GT on the first morning of the week. This was Alfredo’s first ever GT on Fly and he managed to land another later in the week. David in particular fished well and had a cracking week, landing 9 GTs of varying sizes. Superb fishing!
The Bumpies also provided good chances throughout the week, in the end we landed 4 of the 7 we had hooked. David landed his first and second Bumphead Parrotfish on fly on the same day and when he managed to land a GT as well as a Bonefish before the day was done he had completed our Bumpy Slam. Congrats! Matvey and Andrey also managed to hook and land their first Bumphead Parrotfish on the fly. Well done guys! The Triggers were busy on the flats this week, our managing to hook 7 but only a beautiful Yellow Margin caught by Alexander and a strong Titan landed by Gennadii. Gennadii’s fish was part of our second Slam for the week, the other two species on the day including a Bonefish and GT. Great job!
We also experienced some terrific Bonefishing this week, all the guests landing solid numbers before the week came to a close. Our offshore fishery continued to fire. Two Sailies, multiple Tuna, some Rainbow Runner and a 115cm Dogtooth Tuna landed by David capped off a really enjoyable week highlighting Farquhar’s terrific species possibilities. It was a great week with a great group of people and we look forward to welcoming them back to Farquhar soon.
Until next time
The Farquhar Guide Team
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
Despite having some rough weather around and losing a day to very high winds which are unseasonal for this time of year, the guests still had some great sessions targeting the atoll’s large and numerous Bonefish. All our guests all managed to land good numbers in shallow water, the average size for the week a very credible 6lbs. Some notable catches for the week included Allen’s 7,5lb Bone as well as Ray and Kirk’s Personal Best Bones of 8lb each.
High numbers of Indo Pacific Permit continued to be seen on a daily basis, all of our guests enjoying plenty of opportunities during their week. Permit being permit are however never easy to convince and despite many rejections and near misses, two fish did make it to the net before the week came to a close, both fish were landed by Steve, his first a solid 10lb fish that crushed the fly while feeding over some and his second a gorgeous 14lb fish that was spotted tailing over small patches of turtle grass on a large white sand flat. Congratulations Steve!
The various trevally species were out in force during the week and the guests all got to enjoy many shots at these powerful fish. On top of a few Goldens landed during the week there were some larger fish brought to hand. Included was Kirk’s very first Bluefin Trevally. The fish measured in at 69cm and took many yards of backing before finally surrendering. Good numbers of shots at the atoll’s very large GTs continued to present themselves and for the first time this season we were fortunate to land one. It was a beautiful 101cm fish which came to hand after Allen’s very first cast of the last day hit the mark. After a quick fight and a rapid fire photo session the fish was released and an Allen could finally give his arms a rest. What a fish! St Brandon GT’s can be tricky beasts and to have your first GT come in at over a meter is something Allen will surely remember for years to come.
We welcomed a very excited bunch of guests onto the atoll on the 12thof Oct, most of whom were pretty new to fly fishing. We were subsequently super excited to show them what Farquhar had to offer. From a tidal point of view we were on a full neaps, with the mid-morning high tides allowing our guests the opportunity to fish the last bit of the pushing tide and the entire dropping tide.
Four friends who were completely new to fly fishing had a great week on Farquhar, Nick landed two beautiful Sailfish (200cm and 207cm) as well as a tank 185cm Wahoo and a 85cmGt. Gert enjoyed a solid week landing a Dogtooth Tuna, some big Bluefin Trevally in excess of 70cm and loads of species. Johan got stuck into a Dogtooth Tuna of 110cm and a Yellowfin Tuna of 110cm, whilst Henk hooked and fought multiple Sailfish and landed a great different number of flats and reef species. Father and son who were also new to fly fishing had a special week as father Kelvin landed a 220cm Sailfish on his birthday whilst his son Shaun landed a tank Dogtooth Tuna of 136cm as well as a 82cm GT.
Boat partners for the week Craig and Gregory had a good one, Gregory landing a Bumpy of 90cm, as well as a Moustache Trigger of 60cm and a small GT. Craig landed a tank 82cm African Marble Grouper amongst some other nice fish. Casper went on to land large numbers of species as was his target for the trip, whilst Neil got GT’s of 72cm & 84cm GT, as well a 103cm Barracuda. Christian who had come all the way from Argentina to target the mighty GT enjoyed some great success landing fish of 60cm,86cm and 88cm. Well done! He too hooked a Sailfish but unfortunately after a long fight the hooks pulled.
We enjoyed some truly great fishing on our first week of the Sept – Dec 2018 Farquhar season with a really fun but hard fishing group of South African anglers. Coming off a full moon spring tide we had large fluctuations in water level and with the strong SE wind still present early season there was plenty of cold blue water for us to explore. It made casting tricky at times but the guys never let it get to them and they were rewarded with some incredible variety as well as some great GT action.
The GTs were around in good numbers and by the end of the week we had landed 33 of these incredible predators including three fish over a meter. Patrick landed six for the week, two of which were over a meter (a 101 & 102cm). François had a few stellar days and capitalised with nine fish between 70 – 96cm. Tom also had a great week landing four, his biggest a 94cm beauty. Andrew too had a special trip landing our biggest fish of 104cm fish as well as two more impressive geets. Brent landed five fish between 75 – 96cm, whilst Duncan’s 96cm fish which was photographed in a suit an tie will not be easily forgotten. Rian got his prize fish with a GT of 92cm and when Brett added his 94cm specimen to the tally it was clear to all that Farquhar remains one of the finest saltwater fisheries on the planet.
As much as the GT fishing remains a huge attraction for all, it was obvious from the guys feedback that it’s the variety of species and scenarios which one of finds them in which really made their trip special. The Bones were plentiful and provided great sport with the lighter rods, Triggers too were present although never easy to land. Matt did however land a gorgeous Picasso and Francois a nice Moustache. Other notables included one Bumpie, a 138cm Dogtooth Tuna, some truly big Grouper, some Napoleon Wrasse, a small Permit (despite some bigger ones being cast to and pricked), Bohar Snapper, big Bluefin Trevally, a Black Tip Shark, Barracuda and last but not least a very large Yellowspot Trevally which was caught on the flat by Pat. A truly special fish as the adult specimens are normally only found offshore.
The second week of the September – November 2018 season on St Brandon was an extended trip with guests spending 9 days out on the flats with us. The Bonefishing was slightly more patchy than normal although there were still plenty of world class sessions. We enjoyed another solid 6lb average for the week but many fish in the 7 – 8,5lb range were still landed. One of the more notable fish was Eugene’s 9.5lb specimen which caught as it snuck onto the flat from the lagoon. Mike however landed our two biggest fish of the week, his first fish of 11lbs caught on a huge sand flat and his second, a very fat 10.5lb fish after initially being spotted snaking up a turtle grass edge. The fish tried to eat the fly twice before crushing it and tearing off towards the horizon. A double-digit Bone is a very special achievement and to catch 2 in a trip is just amazing, well done Mike!
The Permit fishing we experienced during the nine days was nothing short of spectacular. With fourteen Permit landed during the trip this group of guests have now broken our previous record of twelve fish during a trip. Tim and Patito both caught solid 10lb fish each, Eugene landed three for the week including his first ever Indo Pacific Permit when he landed a fin perfect 6lb fish. His second and third fish were both weighed at 9.5lbs. Zack landed two Permit for the week, his first Indo Pacific ever came in at 7.5lbs and his second was a trophy 11.5lb fish. Zack’s first fish was not only special because it was his first Indo Pacific but it was also part of a Permit double up with his good friend Sandflea. This is only the second time ever on St. Brandon’s where a Permit double has happened, and it is truly an occasion that neither of them or their guide ever forget. As for Sandflea, the fish he caught in the double up was his second for the day and one of seven Permit he landed in during the trip. His fish weighed in at 9.5lb, 10lb, 4lb, 12lb, 11.5lb, 5lb and a massive 17lber. Just catching one Permit can be tricky at best but catching 7 in a trip and to be part of a double up is testament to skill level Mr Sandflea has at his disposal!
The first trip for the September – November 2018 season on St Brandon’s got off to a cracking start with some phenomenal Bonefishing. Both numbers and average sizes were impressive, the large numbers of fish found in shallow water reconfirming to our guests why St Brandon is so highly thought of in the Bonefishing world. On top of this we landed ten fish over 8lbs, three of over 9.5lbs and one trophy fish of 10.5lbs, Randy’s monster hooked whilst it’s back was out of the water. Randy presented his shrimp, the fish rushed over and crushed the fly before speeding off to the horizon. What a special fish!
The amount of Indo Pacific Permit seen out on the atoll during the trip was nothing short of staggering. The guests enjoyed multiple shots each day at these highly sought-after fish, but as can be expected with Permit, it didn’t always go to plan as there were a few eats that didn’t stick and fish coming unbuttoned during the fight. Fortunately, we did put six Permit into the net before the trip came to end. Randy fished really well and in the end was rewarded with fish of 4lb, 5lb and one of 10lb. Ferdie also got stuck into the Permit action with a perfect 5,5lb fish, however the biggest Permit for the week went to Andre who landed a 10,5lb fish that was feeding into some heaving current despite the shallow water. ‘Dre’ sent out a pin-point cast and the fish followed for 10 feet before inhaling the crab. After a tense and dogged fight, the fish was slid into the net and the celebrations began. Andre also added to his Permit tally on the last day of the trip with a stunning 4lb fish. Great job!
Day one started off with good numbers of fish coming to hand with a few schools of GTs midway on the atoll. Congrats to Patricio, Jose, Hill, Paul and Watts for managing to capitalize on their first GTs ever on the fly, well done guys! We also experienced some insane skinny water Bone fishing on the north eastern side of the atoll, with fish averaging 6+lb. The Triggers were also around in good numbers, as we are on the last few days of the neap tide, with Jeff managing to get not only his first, two Triggers to hand and Bryan also managing one for the day, great job guys!
The second day proceeded to deliver the goods with Patricio achieving a grand slam with a GT, his first Bumpy and Giant Triggerfish plus a solid Bonefish to put the cherry on top, great job! Jose also managed to land his first Yellow Margin Trigger and Bryan getting his first Bumpy to hand. Mark and Jeff also got it done to land their first GTs on fly, with Mark getting two to hand for the day getting the skunk off and putting them in the zone for the days that lay ahead. The week delivered us with some great shots at a lot of different species and the guys did a great job.
Hunter, after a few days of bad luck on the GT front, capitalized on his opportunities and landed three in one day, getting the monkey off his back. Jeff on the final day, after chasing Bumpies all week ended in style with a GT to start the day, a Giant Triggerfish later on and shortly after landing a well-conditioned Bumpy to complete his slam, well done Jeff!
The Milkfish were also around this week, but won the battle until, José finally managed to get one in the net on the final day after an hour fight before finally giving up. All in all it was a solid week with a lot of fish moving around giving the anglers good opportunities at a diverse range of species. This week gave them the true Indian Ocean flats experience. Most importantly a great time was had by all and with a lot of unforgettable moments throughout the week.
Calm conditions greeted the first group of guests for the 2018 April – June St Brandon’s season. With some warm water around at the start of the week the Bone fishing proved to be quite tough yet the guests still managed to land some great fish during their trip. The conditions improved as the week went on and thanks to some windier days and mid morning lows there was some phenomenal skinny water Bone fishing enjoyed later in the week with a solid 6.5lb average coming to hand. Rich had a great trip catching his largest ever Bonefish with 2 8.5lb fish. John and Eugenie got stuck into some really big fish, landing a 9lb and 9.5lb fish respectively. The Bonefish of the week has to go to Shaun who after landing 23 fish in a single session managed to get an absolute beast Bonefish and the first 10lb-er of the season.
During the week the guests enjoyed many shots at the Atoll’s famed Indo Pacific Permit and by day four 7 had been hooked but the fish had the final say. It was not all doom and gloom as 3 Permit were landed during the week. Rich continued his hot streak with his first ever Indo Pacific Permit of 3lbs. Brian got in on the Permit action too, landing a respectable 5lb fish that was tailing on a marl ridge around an island in the north. There are good numbers of Permit seen on Raphael island every season and Dave managed to land an 8lb fish right next to where the fisherman moor their boats behind the island.
The warmer conditions meant that there were many of the Atoll’s Trevally around and the guests enjoyed some amazing fishing. Many large GTs were around, harassing baitfish and bonefish alike. Brian Noyes managed to hook one of these brutes on the very first day only for the hook to pull mid fight, tough luck Brian! We have been seeing large numbers of Golden Trevally tailing aggressively amongst schools of Bonefish and John took full advantage when he hooked and landed a beast 14lb Golden while fishing to a very large Bone fish. Shaun had a cracking week and added a 12lb and 15lb Golden to his double digit Bone from earlier in the week. The Bluefin Trevally on St Brandons were ever present and although there weren’t many landed during the first week there were some notable catches from Rich who landed a 69cm fish that was hunting in a pack behind a Nurse Shark in a coral garden at the edge of a flat. Dave landed the largest Trevally of the week when he hooked an aggressive 78cm Bluefin that was terrorizing baitfish in a lagoon. The fish smashed the fly and proceeded to tear off into the distance taking many metres of backing with it.
After arriving on the island, our guests were shown to their accommodation and then we got straight down to business with a safety briefing and tackle setup. The guests were then free to fish for the afternoon on the North Island. Nicholas made the most of it landing a tank 110cm GT which set the tone for the week. Great job Nicholas!
Our guests during the rest of their time on the atoll enjoyed loads of opportunities at GTs with 37 fish hooked, of which 24 were landed. Whitney and Sarah really got stuck in, Whitney landing 4 Geets for the week (77cm, 83cm, 85cm and a 98cm specimen on the final day) and wife Sarah landing 2 small GTs along with a solid 72cm fish.
Wayne landed the biggest Bumpy of the week with a fish 105cm, as well as a really pretty 80cm GT. Dean managed 2 fish of 72cm and 83cm respectively while Jeff had to wait until the last day to land his first GT. He also had the incredible fortune of landing 3 Napoleon Wrasse on one day, the fish measuring 55cm, 57cm and 62cm fish.
Jean-Christophe and friend Francios had a solid week racking up the numbers of species including some great Bonefishing. Francois also landed 3 GT’s, 70, 75, 75cm. After starting his week off with that impressive 110 cm fish, Nicholas went on to land 3 more GT’s (78cm, 80cm and 81cm) and lose 2 fish to snapped fly lines. He also landed a really solid 64cm Bonefish.
Peter had a great week landing 5 GT’s, including fish of 75cm, 80cm, 81cm as well a tank 114cm fish on the last day in the surf. Andre too was on top form this week, landing the only Trigger for the week (a Moustache Trigger of 52cm) as well as a solid Bumpy of 93cm. He also got stuck into the GTs, hooking up with numerous fish and successfully landing fish of 72cm, 82cm, 85cm and the biggest fish of the week which stretched the tape at 118cm. It was a fin perfect GT caught during a surf walk on the final day. Well done Andre!
Our guests got solid numbers of Bones this week as well and over the high water periods we enjoyed some great species bashing. The Bumpies were around in the early parts of the week but as the low tide depths increased, conditions became less optimal for Bumpies and Triggers. All in all, it was however a great week to be a part of and we would like to thank all our guests for coming out to fish this incredible fishery with us!