St Brandon Blog: 23 May – 2 June 2017
St Brandon Blog: 23 May – 2 June 2017
Our last trip of the season had arrived and with it a group of 6 guests extremely excited to be with us! The seventh member of the group was Justin who had fished with us on the 9 -19 May 2017 trip and had stayed and fished on the atoll with the guides during the off period. Justin had enjoyed some great fishing during this time, landing a further two Permit despite having a hook pull on a particularly large fish. We were excited to get going and once we had our new friends settled into the guest house, we prepped their gear and began planning for another great 7 days of skinny water wade fishing.
The action kicked off on day one with some excellent Bonefish fishing on the low tide. There were many Bones out on the flats and the guests landed good numbers, Justin and Danie each landing beautiful 8lb specimens. There were also large amounts of big Bluefin Trevally around the atoll and the guests enjoyed many shots at these impressive predators. Riaan and Mike landed big fish, beautiful specimens measuring 74cm and 70cm respectively. The fish of the day was however Danie’s 78cm (16lb) Bluefin Trevally, caught while a pack of these fish were harassing and eating a school of Goatfish. Congrats Danie! There were also shots at the atolls’ larger and more elusive Giant Trevally but sadly no takers this time round.
The second day brought with it a new sense of anticipation among the guests after the stories of the previous day had been shared around the dinner table. The Bonefishing continued where it had left off, with aproximately 70 Bonefish coming to hand, the average size a very impressive 6lb. Denton and Pieter managed some larger fish when they landed a 7lb and 8lb fish respectively. Great fish anywhere in the world! The Bluefin were on the bite again, Riaan landed a decent 70cm fish and Mike continuing where he left off when he stuck a 72cm Bluefin. The Permit were around in good numbers as well and there were many shots to be had. Justin (who is a serious Permit angler) hooked two but unfortunately one came unstuck. He did however keep his cool after the disappointment and shortly after landed a beautfiful 5lb fish. Justin was racking up an impressive Permit tally during his stay with us!
The weather sadly turned sour on us during Day 3, with low light and high winds being the order of the day. These low light conditions can however lead to some amazing fishing for large Bonefish and the big guys were certainly out and about, despite conditions making it a challenge to get the casts where they needed to be. The rough weather did little to deter this eager group, everyone enjoying some tricky yet rewarding Bonefishing. Danie and Ben both landing 7lb fish, whilst Riaan brought in a beautifully conditioned 8lb. There were shots at Permit as well but no red caps were dished out that evening.
The weather settled on the fourth day, our guests enjoying some exceptional skinny water Bonefishing. The weather from the previous day had brought with it some icy cold water and this got the Bones feeding aggressively. In excess of 50 Bonefish in skinny water were landed by the guys, the average size a very credible 6lb. Peter, Ben and Danie all landing fish of 7lb. No monsters but the image of chunky fish slinking their way onto the flat in ankle deep water certainly left an impression. Justin who was fishing almost exclusively for Permit got stuck into some more opportunities and converted his 4th fish for the week. Superb angling!
The incredible Bonefishing continued on Day 5 with some larger bones coming to hand. The fishing was fairly technical but very rewarding in the super skinny water and considering we landed over 70 fish at an average of 6.5lb it was a day not to be sneezed at that’s for sure! Justin continued to show his angling skill and experience landing Bonefish of 8.5lb & 9lb as well as his 5th Permit for the week, the 8lb fish coming right in the death and close to the lodge!
Day 6 was full of action, our guests enjoying multiple shots at Permit and the large Giant Trevally. This was also the best Bonefishing day of the week with the guests enjoying some of the finest skinny water fishing this planet has to offer. Everyone got well and truly stuck in and in the end we had wracked up 83 Bonefish before the sun had sunk below the horizon. It’s hard not to get numb when dealing with the numbers and impressive sizes of our fish, but when you think about it, where else in the world can you experience Bonefishing of this calibre on a regular basis? It is just insane!
Sadly our last day did not match up with the previous, tough light and some warmer flats water making things trickier than usual. That said, there was some extremely exciting and technical Bonefish fishing on offer. We landed 20 fish during the day, some of which were particular memorable as they required some spot on presentation and careful wading. Judging by our guests reactions, it was clear they had enjoyed the day nonetheless but were sad to be leaving.
And so ends our early 2017 season on the atoll. It’s always a sad occasion, but looking back we had enjoyed a great season, with exceptional Bonefish and Permit angling. We had also danced with our friends the Trevally, including some monster Bluefin and barn door size GT’s, including the 127cm & the 128cm fish. It was just another incredible season, the level of fishing providing further evidence why St Brandon ranks as one of the finest fisheries on the planet. Thank you to all our guests this past season for their adventurous spirit and the time we spent on the water together. We are counting the days until the 18th of Sept later this year!
The St Brandon Guide Team
The action kicked off hard and fast on day one with some excellent Bonefishing in the morning to settle everyone down. With the cooler water temperatures we were experiencing, the average fish caught during the day weighed between 6 -7lb and in total we landed +/– 45 fish. There were many Permit around as well with most of the guys having good shots at fish. Terry and Andrew both capitalised on an opportunity, landing fish of 5lb and 3lb respectively. The day also saw many of the atoll’s GTs and Bluefin Trevally hunting on the flats. Andrew had a tussle with a GT but sadly the hook pulled during the fight…heartbreak!!!! He did however get his own back landing a thumping 75cm Bluefin later in the day. All in all we enjoyed a cracking first day and it really set the scene for what would come later in the week.
Day 2 brought with it more cold water and more exceptional Bonefishing, all of our guests getting well and truly stuck into good numbers of fish in the 6-7lb range. There were some large Bluefin Trevally around as well, but sadly we were unable to convert some of the opportunities which presented themselves. Rich and Andrew both hooked into good sized GTs but for both of them it ended in heartbreak with their flies coming unstuck….we were not enjoying much luck on the Trevally front!!!! The Permit were around in good numbers again and Justin who was now into his second day of what by the end of it will be a three week trip, landed a beautiful 7lb fish. Congrats Justin! The fish was spotted cruising a few feet from the shore around a sandy island and the rest is history. Awesome! Continuing where he left off on the first day, Terry hooked and landed his second Permit. He spotted his fish tailing on some marl around an island, presented the fly exactly where it needed to be and the fish ate. After an intense battle trying to keep the fish out of the coral, the fish was landed and stretched the scale to a very impressive 12lb. Well done Terry!
Day 3 provided some really tough weather conditions with high winds, rain and cloud cover hanging around for most of the day. This however had little impact on the fishing with Andy landing a tank Bonefish of 9lbs after some seriously strong runs. Justin, who had come to St Brandon’s primarily to target Permit landed his second fish of the week. The fish was spotted tailing at the edge of a flat close to a coral garden before Justin put in a great cast given the windy conditions. The fish saw the fly, raced over and 3 strips later his line went tight. After a nervy fight to keep the fish from swimming into the coral it was netted and Justin was holding a fin perfect 7lb Indo Pacific Permit. Congrats!
Clearer skies and a somewhat calmer wind greeted us on Day 4, the brighter conditions a sign of things to come. We enjoyed some sublime skinny water Bonefishing around the low tide with +/- 40 fish in the 7lb range being landed. The Bonefish of the day went to Kobus Fourie who caught his largest Bonefish to date, a very strong 9lb slab of silver. Great job Kobus. The Permit were out in large numbers once again and Rich got in on the action landing his first. Well done! Justin was on a hot streak and landed his third Permit in as many days with a beautiful pearly white 12lb fish on one of our more famous Permit flats. Fish of this size really are special! We also managed to get our own back on the GT front as Gene hooked and landed a beast 95cm GT. A pod of fish were spotted just off a sand spit after which Gene made the cast. The fly hit the water and immediately got the attention of the fish. A few strips later and a fish broke from the pack and ate his fly, tearing off into the coral garden and wrapping his fly line up. After his guide had gone for a few swims to free the line from the coral Gene broke the fish’s spirit and his guide tailed his first ever GT on the flats. Well done Eugene…it’s no mean feat landing a St Brandon’s GT! All in all a stellar day out on the water.
Day 5 would prove to be one to remember for a few people on St Brandon’s. The morning session saw good numbers of Bonefish in skinny water come to hand with a solid 6lb average. Andrew J later landed a fin perfect 5lb Permit to take his tally to two for the trip, but the highlight of the day and a moment that will not soon be forgotten by all involved occurred when, for the first time in St. Brandons history, a Permit double up was landed by best friends Justin and Andrew. These fish can be truly fickle even if just one person is fishing at them, so to get two fish at the same time on the same flat is just out of this world! Justin’s fish was cruising along the left hand side of a turtlegrass edge; he put in a pinpoint cast and was soon tight into a 7lb fish. As soon as Justin had his fish on the reel Andrew spotted a pod of fish moving up the right hand edge of the same flat. He sent out a deadly accurate cast and he too went tight on a 7lb Permit. After one of the most nervous moments in a guide’s life both fish were netted and the celebrations began. With a total of 14lb of Permit in the net and smiles all around some great photos were taken and both fish swam off oblivious to what they had just been a part of. A Permit double is something that we all dream of but few get to experience. It’s a once in a lifetime experience enjoyed by two best mates in an amazing and special place. Well done and enjoy guys!
The solid Bonefishing enjoyed during the week continued into day six with +/- 50 fish of 5-6lb fish landed, despite some really big fish being spotted. The guests were however on a hot Permit streak and it was becoming infectious. Gene got in on the action when he caught his first Indo Pacific Permit on foot. The fish was spotted in a pod moving up a turtle grass finger, following which Gene put in a cast just ahead of them. He stripped the fly away from the lead fish and the largest fish in the pod broke off and inhaled his fly. As Gene went tight not a sound was made by angler or guide. To his credit he fought the fish like a pro and only when the fish slid into the net did he celebrate. He had come to the atoll in the hopes of landing a Bonefish, Permit and GT and he had been rewarded!
There were many very large Bones around on the final day of the trip, most of them seen in super skinny water. Unfortunately the fish did not give the anglers the easiest shots, nevertheless +/- 30 Bonefish averaging 6lb came to hand. We also had shots at some of the atolls very big GTs but no biters today! Andrew however made up for this brief disappointment when he capped off a superb week on St Brandon’s by landing a 15lb Permit, a true trophy and the biggest of the week! Justin spotted a single fish moving up a turtle grass finger. It would have been his shot had he not lost his fly on a Bonefish a few moments earlier, so the shot went to his buddy Andrew. Andy stepped up and calmly sealed the deal with a pinpoint accurate cast, three long strips and he came tight. After a long dogged fight including some very anxious moments trying to land the fish, it was netted and the guys went crazy. What a fish!
This brought a very fitting end to and incredible week on the atoll. We had broken our Permit record, landing 12 fish in 7 days including a very rare double up on Day 5. St Brandon’s surely had met all our guests expectations and more, once again showing what a world class Bonefish and Permit fishery it is. With lots of cool water around and the SE wind blowing, there is surely more to come.
Day 1 – As is usually the case on the first day, everyone was eager to get into some good Bonefishing and the atoll as it more than often does, did not disappoint. We landed around 50 Bones during the morning session, everyone appreciating the solid average size as well as the fish’s incredible power. Bonefish on the Atoll with +/- 50 Bones landed on the first morning! Some big fish too came out during the session, Van got a fat 8lb fish, whilst Rowan saw backing more than couple of times before landing a 9lb bus. The biggest fish of the day however went to Jonathan with a beast Bone of 9.5lb. Sadly it was not quite a double-digit fish, but a real trophy nonetheless. The rest of the day saw the clients experiencing some of the other species found on the atoll. Cansin landed his largest Bluefin Trevally to date, his fish having a fork length of 65cm and weighing 13lb fish. A great looking fish! There were five Golden Trevally landed as well during the day, with Steven getting his hands on his first ever Golden, this specimen weighing 9lb. There were also some shots at some seriously big GTs and the odd Permit so all in all, it was a great start to the week.
Day 2 – We had some warmer water pulling pushing onto atoll, so finding areas and flats that had cooler water was key. Where we did find the right conditions, we enjoyed some fine skinny water Bonefishing, the average size fish weighing a credible 5lbs. As is often the case, the number of Trevally encounters increased with the warmer conditions, with Cansin having a large GT eat his fly only for the hook not to connect. Bummer…. but he would get his own back later in the week. There were also good numbers of Bluefin landed with some notable catches going to Rowan, Stephen and Van getting big ones, Van’s measuring an impressive 74cm. Congrats!
Day 3 – We enjoyed cooler water for most of the day and with it some more consistent Bonefishing, many of the fish landed in 65cm range. Scott caught his biggest Bonefish of the trip so far when he landed a solid 7lb specimen and Van Rollo saw backing multiple times on his 8.5lb fish. The various Trevally species again provided opportunities, with some large GTs in particular moving across the flats. We had one almost eat the fly but at the last minute it turned away. Close again!
Day 4 – Day four provided some great Bonefishing which took up most of the day. In total we landed around 60 fish, the average a solid 6lb. There was some great Bone fishing to be had on day 4 with +/- 60 fish landed throughout the day. Jonathan however managed another cracking fish when he landed our third 9lb fish for the trip so far. The Permit also made more of an appearance on Day Four despite no connections, many fish seen tailing in pretty skinny water which is always great to see.
turned towards him he sent out a spot on 15m cast and with one slow strip got the GT’s attention. He made one more slow strip and the fish gently sipped the fly …incredible to
Day 6 – We started off with some more incredible Bonefishing, with around 70 fish coming to hand. One of these another fish a pound shy of the double digit mark. Stephen continued his blue streak and landed our first Permit for the trip. This was his first and another fish undoubtedly never to be forgotten a 7.5lb Permit. The day however belonged to another monstrous GT and fortunate angler. Cansin, who had lost a big fish earlier in the week landed our second 120cm plus fish, his fish coming in with a fork length of 127cm. His guide set up a drift towards a coral ridge and spotted two big fish swimming onto the sand. He made a close range cast and one of the fish broke off. With a solid kick of its tail it came up and ate the fly. As it turned Cansin set the hook and the fish tore off into the coral garden. It was an epic tussle as the fish ran him into coral on three separate occasions, his guide swimming on each occasion to clear the line out of the razor sharp coral. Cansin applied maximum pressure on the fish and after a quick fight the fish was beached and landed! Congrats Cansin…. an amazing fish! So yes, St Brandon’s is certainly not a GT numbers fishery, but when it comes to the big ones …well….here’s more proof!
Day 7 – Our final day had arrived and with it our guests enjoyed some more solid Bonefishing. There were also shots at Bluefin Trevally as well as some Permit (frankly the only species which really did not much feature heavily during the trip). Nevertheless our guests all had a pretty fishy time and a nice way to cap off a very special week on the atoll.
The new lodge on Farquhar is really coming on nicely, and although we will only begin operating out of it in October this year, it was great to see the progress that has been made. The layout from one central house has changed, whereby our guests will now be accommodated in three duplex style chalets, the large central house being converted into a common area that will include a lounge, dining area and bar. It’s going to be terrific!
Day 1 – We were on neaps and the atoll looked in great shape, cold blue water for as far as you can see. With that came the fish, including good numbers of GT’s and is Farquhar’s way some really big ones! We managed to get stuck into some straight away, including two special fish for Christopher and David, the two of them landing their first ever GT on the fly. Congrats guys! The Triggers were also around in solid numbers during our first day out, but despite a couple of hook ups we were going to have to a little longer before photographing our first for the trip. Strangely enough the Bumpies were a bit scarce, only a handful of shoals spotted during the course of the day. The species fishing was however off the charts and a great sign that the atoll is in fine shape. We subsequently landed good numbers of Bohar Snapper, various species of emperors, groupers and the ever-exciting Bluefin Trevally. A really positive start!
Day 2 – Weather wise we enjoyed text book conditions, the clear sky and a light breeze providing optimal conditions. The GT’s were around in good numbers again and some of our guests managed to capitalize, another first on fly going to Robyn who has fished other Seychelles atolls previously. Congrats Robyn! As if that wasn’t enough, he then managed to break the magical meter mark on the same day with his second GT stretching the tape to 108cm. The fish was spotted cruising around a small coral island on the western side of the atoll and after a well presented cast and dedicated strip, it picked up speed in a split second and smashed the fly. After taking a good amount of string Robyn put the breaks on and the fish was eventually landed. Congrats sir! Although not mentioned previously, the Bonefishing has been nothing but spectacular and today was no exception. Often overlooked by guests coming to Farquhar, it is a reminder that Farquhar is certainly more than a GT fishery. The Triggers too presented themselves in good numbers but still seem to be winning the battle…at this stage! The species fishing continued to impress all our guests, the coral heads and other structure teaming with life! Another great day of fishing!
Day 3 – We headed out on a morning dropping tide and a bit more wind blowing throughout the atoll. The GTs presented themselves again in good numbers and the guys managed to get a few to hand. Sadly we hooked some really big fish in the surf but the end results were not in our favor. The Bones were still around in good numbers and were there for the taking for any guest who was in the mood to target them. The Bumpies also started to show themselves in better numbers and were often seen feeding lazily over the flats. A huge congrats to Ivan on his outstanding day of fishing, his Bumphead Parrotfish, Bonefish and GT earning him a coveted Farquhar Slam. Needless to say spirits were high as everyone relaxed onboard after yet a another great day out on the water.
Day 4 – The fishing continued to impress, with good numbers of GTs prowling the flats ready to smash any well-presented baitfish imitation. We managed to land a couple for the day which is all you can ever ask for, but today will be remembered for an enormous fish lost (one of the biggest we have ever seen) whist guide an angler were fishing the surf section on the Eastern side of the atoll. Heartbreak…but further evidence that Farquhar is fishing well and it remains one of the best places to encounter monster GT’s on foot! The Bonefishing remains outstanding and with good numbers of Triggers around as well provided some superb light tackle action.
Day 5 – The weather continued to hold and with it so did the GT fishing GT, individuals and small pods feeding hard when the opportunities presented themselves. Congrats to Jeremy for getting our second slam of the week, his GT, Bonefish and Triggerfish rounding off a day he will not forget! After some really near misses during the first few days we made it count on the Trigger front. Jeremy, Christopher, David and Agostino each landed one during another superb day of fishing!
Day 6 – Our final day on Farquhar and our season had arrived and sadly so to had the weather. High winds and tough light made sighting and presenting to fish a bit more challenging, but some of the guests still managed to get stuck into some great fish. Congrats to Christopher on landing our second GT over a meter mark for the trip, his 102cm prize something he had been chasing the entire week. Another hugely special fish was landed by Jeremy, his 117cm Bumphead Parrotfish certainly being a fish of a lifetime and without doubt one of the largest fish you can tussle with on a 9wt.
Welcome to the final report of our March/April 2017 season on Providence. We greeted nine very friendly and excited guests onboard Maya’s Dugong for what could arguably could be the finest saltwater fly fishing tour on the planet, this group booking one of our highly coveted extended 10 night/9 fishing day experiences. Imagine that…9 full days of the most exciting and diverse flats and offshore fishing the planet has to offer. No wonder everyone was excited!
Day 1 – We started on a full moon spring tide, the massive tidal fluctuation on the flats giving us the opportunity to access certain spots of the atoll that are only fishable on these spring tides and focus our attention on the predatory species who enjoy the bigger tides. We had some bad weather for a good chunk of the day which made for some tough sighting but some of the group still managed to capitalise on some of the GTs prowling the flats. Best of all some of the large resident schools were moving around, these fish rampaging across the flats with one thing in mind – to eat anything they come across. A huge congrats to Ismo, who on his first Indian Ocean flats fishing trip, landed a 90cm GT when he and his group came across one of the schools tearing their way across the flat. The fish of the day however went to Michael who on our first day out landed the first fish over a metre, his prize measuring 105cm. Congrats Michael! The Bumpies were around in decent numbers too, but the super strong current associated with the tides made targeting them effectively a bit too difficult. Other than that we enjoyed some great species bashing, with loads of Snapper and Grouper coming to hand during our first day out. A solid start!
Day 3 – The weather was a little up and down during the day, but the group still managed to get stuck into some good fish on the dropping tide. A huge congratulations to David for breaking his first fish over a meter with a 101cm on the wild side of the atoll where head guide Tim Babich decided to risk it for the biscuit! His two guests managed to hook nine GTs through the day, 5 of which were landed. We also enjoyed some great species fishing with loads of big Bohar Snapper and some Grouper coming to hand. Some good Bumpie fishing was thrown in, this time Tom managing to hang onto one, a beautiful specimen which measured 103cm. Congrats Tom!
Day 4 – Most of the group headed off to the wild side to do some more exploring and boy did it pay off! Good numbers of GTs as well a smorgasbord of other species jumped onto our flies, the Bohar Snapper population unreal and making it hard for the GTs to get to the fly in time! A huge congratulation however goes out to long time client and friend Tony for landing his 117cm GT….what a fish!
Day 5 – We enjoyed some more stable weather and with it a drop in wind speed. This allowed for calmer offshore conditions which provided some nice scum lines for our Milkfish. They were around in huge numbers, feeding off the surface which provided excellent opportunities which four of the group capitalised on. Congratulations to David, Tony, Ismo and Tom for landing their firsts on Providence Atoll. No doubt they won’t forget the incredible power, speed and stamina of the Milk. The GTs were a bit scarce with only a few coming to hand, the pushing tide bringing with it an influx of warm water. The Triggers however made more of an appearance with the weaker tides, with Nicole breaking the ice and landing her first ever Trigger on the fly.
Day 6 – We headed out to make the best of the dropping tide in the morning and Kevin made it count with a bus 113cm GT. The monster was spotted cruising slowly along the edge of a lagoon and Kevin threw the fly well ahead of it. The fish spotted the fly and instantly charged in and engulfed the fly, taking a few hundred meters of string and giving an intense tussle before finally coming to hand. The GTs in generl were around in better numbers today, many of which were spotted on sting rays. We had some great fun! The Bonefish too were around in good numbers and we managed to enjoy some great fishing, the average fish weighing a very respectable 6lbs or 7lbs. The good Triggerfishing continued, Tony really making his shots count by fooling two of the wily little devils! We also enjoyed some great bluewater action during the course of the day with both Dogtooth Tuna and some Sailfish making an appearance. Congratulations to Ismo and Michael for landing their first ever Sailfish on the fly, no doubt they are fish never to be forgotten and were yet another reminder why Providence is so highly regarded as a complete saltwater fishery.
Day 7 – We enjoyed some really great GT fishing during the course of the day, with good numbers landed by all of the teams. Although one can be tempted to become blasé when you’ve encountered fishing of such a standard, days like this should really be appreciated. The spotting, moving into position, the cast, the eat and of course the camaraderie shared with the end result a huge privilege each and every time it occurs. The excellent bluewater fishing continued this time on the GT front. Ismo landed the fish of lifetime when after a long tussle, a 134cm fish was tailed next to the boat. A special mention must also be made of David’s “Grand Slam”, landing a Milkfish, GT and a Bonefish in one day – not something which occurs every day. The Milks were still around and feeding hard, Kevin and Tyler finally landing their first of the trip after a number of them had been lost earlier on during the trip. Well done guys! All in all it was a great day out on the atoll and one we are sure the guests will not forget in a hurry!
Day 8 – The GTs continued to provide opportunities during the day, however some slick calm water and clear visibility made it tough to present the large streamers to the fish without them spooking. Nonetheless we still managed to get a few to eat and enjoyed them as much any other so far. The same could be said for the all species to be honest, good numbers of Bones and Triggers provided consistent targets but the slick conditions requiring some really skilful angling to get the job done. We did however get one of our highly prized Napoleon Wrasse during the day, these incredible colourful and almost clown looking fish never easy to pull away from structure once hooked.
Day 9 – The final day of our stay on Providence Atoll this season had arrived and with it mixed emotions. Although everyone was excited to head out and make a big last effort, a sense of disappointment lingered knowing we only had a few more hours on this very special fishery! Nonethless we went to it and enjoyed some really special moments. Dan landed 107cm GT, the fish taken out of a school, his two team mates also coming tight to smaller fish in the school at the same time. Exquisite chaos! Kevin also managed to get his first Triggerfish and minutes later a second one, with Tony managing another couple before his day came to end. To finish off the day Kevin managed to entice, hook and land a tank Barracuda, the 131cm crocodile putting up an incredible aerial display to close out a truly memorable 9 fishing days!
All in all it was a great trip to end our season. Granted we had enjoyed better GT fishing during earlier weeks, but we still enjoyed some great fishing for them and together with the huge numbers of feeding Milkfish, solid numbers of Triggers, Bones, Bluefin Trevally, Bohars, Napoleon Wrasse, Grouper, the odd Sailfish and Doggie….it would be wrong to want for more. In closing, we would like to thank everyone on this trip as well as everyone who joined us throughout this season for their continued support. We had a blast fishing with you all and hope to do it again in the not too distant future!
Welcome to our first report back from St Brandon’s for the April – June 2017 season, where we enjoyed some great fishing. St Brandon’s once again showed why it is considered to be the finest Bonefish destinations on the planet. Joining us for the week were artist and general legend Jeff Currier 
After arriving at the guesthouse and settling in the group tackled up. Gerhard took Ben for a walk around the island and immediately found a small shoal of tailing Permit just 100 yards from the lodge! Ben made a couple of great casts but didn’t hookup. This was Ben’s first trip to the Indian Ocean, he had heard all about the fabled yellow Permit but never imagined that the first fish he would see and cast at would be one of them! This set the stage for the rest of the week and the group was really excited when news about the Permit on our doorstep came out over dinner!
We enjoyed some superb weather on Day One with the guests capitalising on some solid Bonefish despite the warm water. It was a special day for Ben Smith and Andrew Topman each of whom caught their first ever Bonefish. Welcome to the club guys! Their excitement was contagious and got the rest of the team in high sprits. Scott Smith also had a day of firsts, although his with mixed feelings when he lost his first Indo-Pacific Permit but thankfully made up for it by landing his second. After losing the first a second was spotted soon after, slowly snaking across some marl onto a sandflat. Scott presented his fly one metre in front of the fish and with one strip the fish tailed hard on the fly and the hook was set. After a fight the fish was landed and Scott held a fin perfect 7.5 lb Permit in his hands. A few quick photos were taken and the fish was released. Each and every Permit is special but this one will no doubt not be forgotten in a hurry by Scott.
The warm water was still hanging around on Day Two, which made our choice of flats and the eventual presentation more important than usual. Nevertheless there was some excellent skinny water Bonefishing to be had during the day. Ben Smith caught a slab 9 lb fish that was spotted rooting around the shallows with its whole back out of the water. After a blur of white water and searing initial run which tore into the backing, Ben held his trophy with a smile that would last a few days. Jeff Currier who is a self proclaimed species junkie caught his first Yellow Dot Trevally and Green Spot Trevally. The guys also had a good number of shots at some big Bluefin Trevally on the coral ridges.
The fishing improved on Day Three with a good number of species landed. The guests enjoyed some exciting skinny water Bonefishing in the morning with good numbers of fish landed, finding the cooler water was certainly the critical factor over the first three days. Andrew Topman and Ben Smith later both landed their first Yellow Dot Trevally while Jeff Currier landed a large Green Spot Trevally. Scott Smith got in on the action as well landing a solid 76cm Bluefin Trevally. However the highlights of the day were undoubtedly the two Permit landed, Ben Smith’s 7 lb fish being his first and Gerhard’s 12 lb fish – our largest for the trip so far. Ben spotted a “shadow” just off the edge of a turtle grass flat, sent out a perfect cast and as soon as he picked up the slack the fish was on. Gerhard landed his beautiful double digit fish despite a Noddy Tern getting in the way of his first casting. Staying calm he picked up the line and got the fly where it needed to be before getting picked up. A truly memorable fish!
Shortly after landing the Permit Gerhard spotted two big Bluefin Trevally; he hooked one fish on his 9wt and as he was about to land it the second fish joined the first one and was very aggressive. Using his free hand Gerhard unclipped his 12# and slapped the GT fly in-front of the second fish…the huge Bluefin surged forward and immediately ate the fly. He now had two fish hooked on two rods, a 12 lb fish on the 9# ready to be landed and a 17 lb+ fish heading for a coral garden on the 12#. Needless to say there was very little he could do – not having a free hand meant he couldn’t set the hook or tighten the drag or really do anything, how he thought he was going to land both fish no-one knows but it did make for a very funny action packed scene! Sadly about 20 yards into the backing the hook fell out and the big Bluefin was free. Gerhard focussed on the fish on the 9# landed a beautiful 12 lb Bluefin. If only that hook had stuck!
Day Four was a tough one, the warm water building up and limiting the fish to deep water. But St Brandon’s is no ordinary Bonefish venue and although the average sizes were not up around the usual 6 lb-8 lb mark, there were still decent numbers of 4 lb – 6 lb fish on some of the flats. We did encounter some big GT’s and Bluefin during the day but sadly none of the fish committed to the fly. Chris had a monster size fish track his fly with an open mouth and he swears from where he was standing he could see that the fly was actually inside the huge fish’ mouth! The giant fish never closed its mouth and as quickly as it happened it was over…if only it closed its mouth. Those are the moments that makes us do it again and again and no doubt Chris will be back one day to get that fish!
The Trevally action continued on Day Five with a good number of opportunities at some very large Giant Trevally. Although none of the chances were converted, we certainly had some heart stopping moments! Andrew Veglio did land a good-sized Golden Trevally of 65 cm. There was a good number of Bonefish landed throughout the day and most guys had shots at the elusive Permit.
With the extremely warm conditions continuing into Day Six, finding cooler flats water was the order of the day. We moved our attention onto the eastern side and the rewards were quickly realised. Good numbers of 6lbs-7lb Bones were caught through the day, Ben Smith’s solid 8 lb fish the largest. The Permit were around in decent numbers but the right shots eluded us. We did enjoy some exciting Bluefin Trevally fishing, Jeff Currier’s large Bluefin on his 9wt being a real highlight.
Day Seven and the wind just would not blow. The result being the warmest conditions of the week and subsequently the toughest fishing, most notably on the Bonefish front. Shots at Permit and GTs did present themselves but the flat conditions making getting close and getting the fly to them that much harder. Matt Topman did however get a great Bluefin Trevally which measured 66cm.
Day One – We enjoyed an early morning pushing tide which allowed immediate access the flats straight off the bat. We were also on neaps which provided ample wading to fish both the push and the drop later in the day. Best of all however was the fact that the fish were around in full force and everyone managed to get stuck into some awesome fish. This was a pretty good effort to be honest as the visibility was not the great which means spotting fish becomes even harder. Nonetheless good numbers of GTs came to hand! Congratulations to Jarod and Christian for tailing their first ever GT’s on fly…always a special achievement. The Bumpies were around in the good numbers on some areas of the atoll, a fair few were hooked and even more impressive that we landed two of these fish on our first day out! Hats off to Hamish and Dom for landing theirs. Dom had a really special day as he landed our first Slam for the trip, with Bonefish, GT and the Bumpy getting his week off to flyer. Speaking of Bones, they were around in good numbers, the tides and water movement allowing for some great tailing action. The Triggers were certainly far from absent but hooking and landing them was not be on what was a superb day out!
Day Two the weather looked promising and on the run out to our spots we ran into loads of hard feeding Milkfish. The fish were feeding high through the scum lines created on the dropping tide but unfortunately despite hooking a couple none made it to the nets. The GTs were around throughout the day and we managed to capitalise on a few of them, whilst the Bonefish continued to provide some superb skinny water tailing action. Jarod opened our Triggerfish account, impressively landing two Yellow-Margins during the course of the day…awesome stuff! The Bumpies were still around in big numbers and we managed to hook quite a few. A huge congratulations and mention must go out to Brandon for landing three…yes three of them during his time on the water!
Day Three provided challenging weather again, much of the day spent battling low light and some squalls. Nonetheless the guys were now into the swing of the GT fishing and managed to take advantage of most of the ones we saw. The Bumpies continued to present themselves in good number, Andre getting an absolute slab of a fish which measured over the meter mark. Opportunities at Triggers were provided despite the tough light, Jarod doing his thing once again landing his third Yellow-Margin for the trip. The low light did however provide some insane Bonefishing which many of the guys revelled in. So despite the tough conditions it was a profitable day out, Andre in particular enjoying our second Slam of the trip, landing a GT, Bumpie and one of the biggest Seychelles Bones you are likely to see. He is a giant of a man so the photo probably does not do the fish justice! Congrats Andre!
Waking up to clear skies on Day Four brought about increased energy levels amongst the group. The GTs were around in big numbers with a late morning pushing tide and good visibility providing some truly memorable fishing. A huge congratulations to Hamish for landing his first GT on fly, surely there’s no better way to feel the raw power and intensity of these amazing fish. The Bumpies continued to provide opportunities, Dom eventually managing to get one to hand after having had some terrible luck in previous encounters. The odd Trigger was still seen although the bigger tides were now providing only small windows to walk and stalk them. The Milkfish had been around on everyone day almost, but few had actually been landed. This changed though when Tarquin, Dom and Hamish each landed their first ever Milks…well done guys! A really productive day out, with countless grouper, snapper and emperors providing those colourful finishing touches to a superb day out on the water.
Day Five kicked off strongly, the Milkfish feeding hard off the current lines. Andre and Zenon continued to wrack up the species on their trip, each of them landing their first Milky. A special mention must go out to long time client and great friend Peter Whitaker who after dozens of Seychelles trips finally had luck go his way and landed his first Milk. Congrats Pete!!!! The GT fishing in truth proved a little slow, although we did manage to tail a handful of our favourite friends. It was clear though that some seriously big fish were now arriving on the flats, although broken fly lines and other misfortunes had their way with us this time round. The weather soured later in the afternoon which made fishing a bit of a challenge for the remainder of the day!
The skies were clear on Day Six and everyone was ready to make the most of their last day out on the flats. The GT fishing was particularly productive with quite a few coming to hand including some good ones. Dom managed to break the meter mark with a 101cm fish. The fish was spotted sitting in a white sand pot in a series of deep depressions. After the guide and angler swum across some deep holes to get into range the fish actually starting moving towards them, slowly lifting up over the lip of the depression. The fly went out and the cast landed two meters short. The fish noticed the fly and after a couple of short strips cruised up and sipped in the fly. The fish tore off off but Dom held firm and gave it a jolly good hiding – his backing not even seeing the light of day. Well done! Andre was again on the money and on his last day landed a true trophy, his GT measuring 112cm. Awesome 
fish Andre. The Triggers seemed to have all but disappeared, but Jarod was on their case as usual. With his fourth cast at this species of sin he hooked and landed his fourth, this time our first Giant for the trip. Not many guys get to cast once at a Trigger and land it, let alone make 4 casts and land all four targets. Great job! The Milks were still around and we hooked a few on our last day out, sadly most came off prematurely except for Jeff who held firm by landing his first for the trip. The guys also enjoyed a huge variety of species on the day, one truly special fish and moment belonging to Hamish when he landed the Barracuda he had been dreaming of.
All in all it was a great week to be a part of and we would like to thank the entire group for travelling out to fish with us. We had some tough weather to contend with for sure, but we caught some incredible fish and ticked many species off the list. Providence is such a special place….we cannot wait for more!
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!
