St Brandon’s Blog: 31 Oct – 9 Nov 2015

After a fairly smooth crossing, we woke up to some windy and challenging conditions on day one. The wind however helped to keep the water cool with some of the anglers capitalizing on some epic skinny water Bones that just love these conditions. There were also encounters with some feeding Permit, some of which managed to tail on the fly without us getting a hook set. Tim Lee notched up some large Bluefin Trevally and as such we opened with a pretty good first day out.

Day two was a very different day with the wind settling right down. There was some warm water around in the morning, with the Bones proving very skittish. There were good numbers of Permit around though, with tales of fish eating but coming unstuck early on in the fight relived as we enjoyed dinner on the back deck later that evening. Encounters of GT’s in the surf zone were also experience, sadly though we had no real takers. The afternoon saw some cool water returning and with it some good Bonefish and Permit fishing was enjoyed by all.

The weather really improved on day three, with everyone waking up to sunny skies and a gentle breeze. Unlike many venues, a lack of wind can make the fishing tricky mainly due to the flats. But despite a lack of fireworks, our anglers still managed to notch up good numbers of Bones, a really awesome double from team Argentina earning them a 9 1/2lb and 8lb fish at the same time. The GT’s continued to make an appearance, but sadly we could just not get a conversion. Still a very enjoyable day out and by world standards a very good day of fishing!

Day four saw some unusually calm and sunny weather, and with it an increase in feeding urgency from all the species of fish we encountered. Two anglers joined the revered 10lb club, Nick Lee with a cracking fish on Wave Garrick, and Daniel with a fatty from Julies. Carlos, who was fishing with Chase sadly managed to loose a small Permit at the net, something that might not seem to much of a tragedy for Carlos (he has landed 84 Atlantic Permit to date) but devastating to his guide who had lost too many for comfort this season! Some of the guests experienced some mudding Golden Trevally, unfortunately the flies were constantly stolen by pesky 6-7lb Bones! Where else is a 6lb Bonefish classed as pesky????

Day five was a cracker, with good fishing experienced by all the guests, including multiple encounters with some of St Brandon’s large GT’s. Carlos and Sebastian, along with their guide James, staked out on a large white sand flat at a perfect water level. Oddly enough no GT’s presented themselves, however two large happy Permit, that seemingly had this place to themselves made for some exciting fishing. Some tense moments ensued, including Carlos connecting with one of the fish briefly only to have it come off. Incredibly the fish went right back to feeding and a few casts later Carlos’s extensive Permit experience saw him land Permit number 85 and his very first Indo-Pacific! High fives all round and an epic moment during some perfect conditions.

A change of weather on day six saw some less than stellar conditions return, but with this came the amazing Bonefishing that St Brandon’s is so famous for! All in all a great week was had by all, with just enough GT encounters to plant the seed of obsession, team Argentina particularly inspired to come back and tussle with one or two of St Brandon’s beast Trevally.

Until next week

The St Brandon’s Guide Team

St Brandon’s Blog: 20-29 Oct 2015

A pretty solid but extremely enjoyable trip was had by all out on St Brandon’s this week. Our friends from Russia and South Africa enjoying a smoothing crossing over to the atoll which ensured everyone was well rested and eager to get stuck into the action on arrival.

Day one saw an early morning low tide albeit with very little tidal action. This sort of scenario tends to produce large concentrations in certain areas and our group climbed in. The fish, which were either founding mudding or packed up against the sandbanks weighed between 5lb-8lb. As far as variety is concerned Peter managed to get a get good Golden Trevally after a good presentation was made. No fireworks but a solid start.\

Despite some rain being around, the second day and third day followed suit on the Bonefish front with our guests enjoying steady action. Andre however put a stamp on his week by landing a gorgeous Yellow-dot Trevally that had some unusual markings over the head and tail. He subsequently made a further statement the following day when he landed our first Permit and a 10lb Bonefish for the trip. Congrats Andre!

The fourth and fifth day saw most of the anglers getting good shots at big GT’s and Bluefin trevally, which were either free-swimming or located on the back of large Lemon and Nurse Sharks. Sadly however non managed to come to hand but no doubt witnessing these impressive predators do their thing on the flats will sty with our guests for along time to come!

The final day brought with it some truly world-class fishing. With the water at a desirable depth early in the morning we were able to access some notorious skinny hotspots. Great Bonefishing was had by all and to top it off Ivan managed to land a beautiful 11lb Indo-Pacific Permit. In addition Oleg had a GT explode on the fly but despite setting the hook, it pulled moments later. We were gutted but that’s the way it goes with GT fishing!

All in all we had a great week with some great people!

Until next week

The St Brandon’s Guide Team

St Brandon’s Blog: 7-16 Oct 2015

We met up with a great bunch of guys on M.Y. Gryphon for the start of the next trip, including good friends Jon and Gary from Canada, John, Tim and Mike from the US, Kresten from Denmark and Mike from England. Needless to say we were psyched to get back out to the atoll and get them into some world-class flat fishing!

On arriving we went to work and as a result some solid fishing was enjoyed by all during the first two days, despite our group needing adjust to the typical wind we get on St. Brandon’s. Low tides were relatively early in the mornings, which saw most guides making use of the small window we had for the classic skinny water for big Bones we are so accustomed to. Once the tide flooded in the majority of the skiffs began the search for some of the other notorious species the atoll has to offer. As luck would have it, on John’s first day of fly-fishing he managed to hook into +/-15lb Permit. Sadly there was no happy ending to this story however, with the leader snapping after too much pressure. His partner declared: “You don’t realize what you just lost, that was a huge Permit!”. John responded with the most classic line I’ve ever heard “Was that good?” A sad moment for sure but one which will surely be relived time and again! Other notables during the first few days included some nice Golden’s and very big Bluefin that was landed by Kresten.

The wind died down quite a bit over the next few days and with some overcast conditions the fish came to the party. With longer low water sessions the Bonefish and Permit showed up in good numbers. Special fish that need to be mentioned were Canadian Jon’s personal best Bonefish that weighed a whopping 12lb and Tim’s hard-earned Indo-Pacific Permit.Congrats guys those are certainly memorable fish!

The GT’s and Bluefin too were on the rampage, with opportunities presenting themselves frequently. The fish seemed angry but for love or money we could not get the fly in their kill zone for long enough. Incidents of sharks, accompanied by marauding GT’s, Bluefin swimming through our legs etc. will certainly be etched into our angler’s memories for some time to come! Mike however did manage to break our GT “Duck” by landing his first ever Caranax Ignoblis. The big fish measured a mere 4cm shy of a meter. A gorgeous fish and so well deserved!

The last two days saw everyone enjoying some classic Bonefishing to singles and doubles in ankle deep water. It was the Bonefishing people write books about and with some shots at very large Permit (12lb – 20lb) mixed in-between, ensured the week was a big success. The final day’s morning session in particular left a lasting impression, we spotted Bonefish feeding in ankle deep water up to a hundred meters away, the early morning light lighting up their dorsal fins and tails each time they found something to snack on. It was textbook!

All in all we had a great time with each and every member of the group. We really look forward to meeting up with them again in the not so distant future.

Until next week

Cheers from the St Brandon’s Guide team

St Brandon’s 2015/2016 Opening Week: 26 Sept – 5 Oct 2015

Despite some pretty tough weather during the first trip of our 2015/2016 season, the atoll showed just why it is so revered as a saltwater flats fishing destination with no less than six 10 pound plus Bonefish being weighed.

Our first day out was pretty tough by St Brandon’s standards, stronger than average winds making things a little challenging. Nonetheless everyone had experienced the impressive run of some solid St Brandon’s Bonefish by the time the sun dipped under the horizon.

Day two was gorgeous, with a light breeze and clear blue skies making spotting fish a real treat. Subsequently everyone enjoyed the incredible skinny water Bonefishing that St Brandon’s has become known for! Ferdi Burzler opened up our 10lb Bonefish account for the season with a beautiful specimen that ate in ankle deep water. Congrats Ferdi! He quickly made another first; within an hour he had added an Indo Pacific Permit to our list of firsts for the season. Following a large single Bonefish, the fish followed the fly for what seemed an age before finally committing. Epic!!!! The decision was quickly made to look for a GT in an effort to get the Grand Slam. On the first drift over a favorite sand spit, two Nurse Sharks with some passengers were spotted moving their way up a funnel. Ferdi made the cast and one fish charged in and smashed the fly. The hook set was made and the fish tore off. First GT of the season was on. Sadly however after an incredibly powerful 15 minute battle the fish found it’s way over some coral. It was heartbreaking but looking back it had been a great day to be a part of!

Our third day on the atoll dawned much the same as day two, with clear blue skies and another light SE wind beckoning us out. Our guests capitalized on the tides and conditions with many fish between 5lbs and 9lbs being stalked, cast to and landed in remarkable skinny water. During this period Mark had spotted a single fish in the distance and began the stalk across to it. After getting into position he made a solid cast into the strike zone, the fish smashing it against the hard flat. Water sprayed everywhere and his reel sang as a very large fish attempted to free itself. Thankfully after a few nervous moments and some blistering runs the fish slid into the net. It weighed 10lbs and was our second double-digit fish for the trip. Sadly the weather turned for the worse as the day went on and in the end the decision was made to head back to the comfort of the Gryphon.

Day four and the weather had not improved. Despite everyone itching to head out, a decision was made not to head out onto the flats in the morning for safety reasons. This is never a pleasant piece of news to give our guests considering how far all of them have travelled (thankfully we don’t have to do it often) but safety comes first and knowing the sort of fishing which can transpire after a really bad weather day the guides remained optimistic. Sadly however it never improved and we held thumbs for better conditions the next day.

Our fifth day started off with an overcast sky and relatively strong winds but as the day progressed the sky cleared and the wind dropped resulting in prime conditions. The fishing turned on and we made hay. Steve in particular had a bumper of a day, laying into the Bones in a big way as well landing a beautiful Brassy Trevally. He could have had a Golden Trevally as well, but a cheeky Shark made sure the fight ended prematurely. He was not done though and at the end of the day whilst stalking some Bones he spotted a pack of GT’s cruising the flat. He moved, the cast went in and the rest is history. Not the biggest St Brandon’s GT but a prize on any atoll at a solid 85cm fish. Chuffed for you Steve!

Everyone headed out with enthusiasm on our final day and it paid off, with great Bonefishing being enjoyed by all. On the notables’ front, Eugene sighted and stalked a behemoth Bonefish. He made the cast and the fished charged the fly, knocking a smaller fish right out of the way before crushing it. After a long intense fight Eugene landed the biggest Bone of the week. A truly special fish Eugene…well done! Added to this his dad Ferdi had landed his second double-digit fish for the week 20 minutes earlier so it was another memorable moment to be a part of. Randy too joined the Ten Pound Club on the final day! He quietly stalked the fish in super skinny water, made the perfect cast and the fish charged the fly. There was no way this fish was going to miss that meal! After a blistering first run Randy managed to subdue a beautiful St Brandon’s specimen. What a way to end his trip!

With fine weather and a following sea, we headed back to Port Louis experiencing a very pleasant crossing to round off the trip. A big thank you to Peter, Randy, Eugene, Ferdi, Mark, Steve and Jeff for joining us on the atoll, we hope to see you all again soon!

St Brandon’s Blog: 27 May – 5 June 2015

James, Craig and I met the Gryphon and our new group of clients, together with fellow guide Matthieu on the morning of the 29^th of May at Avucaire Island. The mixed group included Jim, Barbara, Mike and Tim from the US, a single client Thomas from Denmark as well as two fellow South African’s Rowan and Andre. It would be our last trip of the season and we were eager to show our new friends what world-class wade fishing St Brandon’s has to offer.

The first day however proved tricky as we experienced gale force winds and low light. Little did we realize that this would be the norm for the weeklong trip as a frontal system had moved in and would not be letting up. This however did not stop the fish from executing their daily routines and everyone that compensated for the wind and rain by presenting to the fish were well rewarded .So much so, that the first day showed some excellent Bonefishing with healthy numbers of fish between 6lb and -8,5lb coming to our nets. Of distinction however on day one was a 15lb Permit landed by Thomas and Jim’s five solid Golden Trevally, these trophy fish easing our guests concerns about the inclement weather.

As the week progressed everyone had their fare share of shots at trophy fish and despite the poor weather, some excellent fish came to hand. GT’s, Permit, Golden Trevally and monstrous Bones in skinny water all making their presence felt despite the trying conditions. Jim, Thomas and Andre all managed to get their first Goldens on fly, whilst Jim and Barbara had one particularly amazing morning session in rain and wind on ‘Yellow Flat’ with 9lb plus Bones feeding in super skinny water as the tide started to push. Tim managed a 5,5lb and a magnificent 15lb Permit on consecutive days, Rowan too joining the Permit club with a solid 8lb fish.

As far as trophy Bones are concerned, Jim, Rowan and Andre each managed to join the enviable 10lb Bonefish club during the week amidst countless other fish weighing between 6 -9lbs. All this sounds fairly common by St Brandon’s high standards, one sometimes needs to sit back and take stock of what an exceptional Bonefish fishery this speck in the middle of the Indian Ocean really is.

The GT’s too were around and willing to eat if the right cast was made. Jim got his first ever GT of 85cm, whilst and Rowan managed to get two fish in a single day, one of 86cm and the other 95cm. Everyone else saw and had shots at these highly prized predators but as is the case with these fish, it’s one thing seeing them, another thing landing one!

All in all we had a great week and considering the tough weather conditions some incredible fish were landed. Further evidence that St Brandon’s is not your average flats fishery and for those anglers willing to venture out into the middle of the Indian Ocean a fishery which has unlimited possibilities!

So that’s it from the guide team until September later this year. Thankfully it’s just a few short months away and we cannot wait to share this magical atoll with a new set of friends!

Cheers for now

Chase and the St Brandon’s Guide Team

St Brandon’s Blog: 27 April – 6 May 2015

It’s a tough act following an opening week like the one experienced on St Brandon’s a few days prior. Everyone, including the guide team, however had high expectations, especially when you’re fishing one of the finest wade fishing destinations on the planet. That said, weather, tides and of course accurately predicting where and when the fish will do their thing would determine how we got one.

Excitement levels were high as the plan for the first few days was to focus on the skinny water Bonefishing the early morning and late afternoon low tides would provide. On the first day Greg and William had an awesome session fishing to big singles and doubles on one of our notorious pancake flats, that was until a shoal of six or seven big GT’s showed up demolishing everything in their path. Greg managed to get a pig of a fish to eat the fly as it hung under his rod tip, before the brute quickly spat the fly due to the lack of pressure. Moments later another two fish charged in, with the largest of the two climbing over the top of the smaller fish to engulf the fly. Greg managed to set the hook with a solid few strip strikes and all hell broke loose. The massive fish then however made a beeline for the drop off, parting the fly line in two as it nicked some coral on the way out. William was up next and after a few follows managed to stick a smallish GT which he quickly gained control over, the end result being a 80cm fork length fish that brought about plenty smiles. That evening on the back deck of the Gryphon stories of big fish landed and near misses echoed over the calm waters of the lagoon.

As the low tide moved later into the morning our clients enjoyed the classic skinny water Bonefishing to big singles, with the odd nice Golden Trevally adding some spice. William once again was in the thick of the action when he hooked a massive 20lb Golden Trevally 8 weight setup. After a lengthy stalk and a battle of epic proportions the fish was landed more than a kilometer from where it was hooked on the flats, a truly magnificent fish and one which he will never forget.

The anglers were gob smacked with the numbers and size of fish they were tangling with each and every session, the overall beauty of the St Brandon’s too clearly making it’s mark. So much so that most evenings included some fine single-malt whisky and cigars as part of the celebration for their biggest Bonefish, Golden, Yellow-dot and Green-spot Trevally

Although we were having good opportunities at GT’s during the trip, some groups getting ten or so opportunities during a day, we sadly were not able to convert. Greg once again managed to get another big GT to eat the fly, however a fly line wrap around the butt of the rod ensured the fish’s quick release. Thankfully the big Bluefin Trevally were slightly more forgiving and we managed to land and release some quality specimens.

The Permit too were around in fair numbers by St Brandon’s, most of our guests getting opportunities on a daily basis. But Permit being Permit they are never easy to get. Dave however managed to land his first Indo Pacific Permit, which together with his first Yellow Dot Trevally sealed a truly red-letter day. John Yelland from Upstream Fly Fishing in Cape Town managed to hook two Permit during his trip, one of which was on for a substantial amount of time before devastation occurred as his fly popped out just before the fish was ready to be landed. Our condolences John…we will need to rectify the situation in the years that follow.

The trip flew by and the last night aboard the Gryphon was filled with stories of close encounters with double-digit Bones, massive GT’s, Permit, together with a spectacular sighting of one of our large resident Tiger sharks. Needless to say everyone had an incredible trip, some awesome fish were landed and most importantly new friendships between guests and guides were cemented.

Thank you to everyone involved, we had a terrific week!

Until next time

The St Brandon’s Guide Team

St Brandon’s Season Opener: 11-23 April 2015

Our first trip of the 2015 season began with an extended nine-day trip and the return of some of St Brandon’s most ardent supporters. The team brought together by Dick included previous visitors Kelly, Ivan and Dick himself. New to the atoll were Scott, Bruce and Ryan all whom had heard the stories but quite rightly needed first hand experience before they made up their minds. They were in for a treat!

After a super smooth crossing, we arrived on the atoll eager to see the changes that had taken place after the off period. Structural changes to the flats were everywhere, but as per normal so too were the fish. Big Bones were the order of the day on day one and as is tradition the group laid into countless 6lb plus fish in ankle deep water. GT and Permit sightings too filtered through as the guests enjoyed an icy cold beer on the back deck of the Gryphon as the sun sank on our first day. It was great to be back and with exceptional weather forecast our hopes were high for more great fishing during the remaining eight days.

As the days raced by, memorable moments and special fish blurred together. The atoll was fishing really well and with a group who could present the fly accurately at will, no fish were safe. Skinny water big Bones, daily opportunities at Permit, big Bluefin Trevally, shoals of Yellowdot and Golden Trevally and yes some truly monstrous GT’s provided constant action. It was simply saltwater flats fishing at it’s finest. The group revelled in the fishing but as per normal with this special group of anglers, the moments shared between friends was a privilege to be apart of as a guide team.

With that in mind and instead of trying to break down the trip from a fishing point of view on daily basis, it seems more fitting for the images taken on the week to speak for themselves. Trust me they are well worth a look as they week included our largest St Brandon’s GT (132cm), 6 Indo-Pacific Permit, two 10lb plus Bones as well as hundreds between the 6-9lb mark, a 16lb Golden Trevally as well as a host of fish which would claim bragging rights at any other venue.

In closing we would like to thank the group for their support of our St Brandon’s project. We had an absolute blast during the nine days out there and look forward to seeing them all again soon.

Until next time

Cheers from the St Brandon’s Guide Team

St Brandon’s Blog: 21-30 Oct 2014

We knew we were in for a really enjoyable week when we met up with our group of guests onboard the 21-30 Oct 2014 trip. Needless to say, excitement levels were high among both guests and guides as we began our journey to the finest Bonefish destination on the planet.

Upon arriving we jumped straight into action with the teams reveling in some classic skinny-water fishing for big Bones, as well as racking up the numbers as some of our large resident shoals hoovered up a well-presented fly. It had been a good first day and with the group mingling well, stories about their own personal experiences on day one flowed well past dinner.

Despite a tricky very early morning low tide, we managed get everyone consistently into the some solid fish over the next two days. Granted it was not fireworks by St Brandon’s standards but good enough to keep even the most ardent Bonefish enthusiast more than happy. As the low tide started to move further into the morning sessions we were able to fish to our spots of choice and ambush the fish as they were moving onto the flats. This resulted in more classic skinny-water fishing to Bones between 6-8lb, which is exactly what St Brandon’s has become such a coveted fishery. There is simply nothing quite like seeing the slow determined motion of a large Bone as he moves up onto the flat with the tide behind him. His tail and dorsal fin glisten in the sunlight and the excitement mounts as your fly lands softly 2 feet away from. It’s what saltwater flats fishing is all about and a real privilege to share with our guests!

As the week developed further some really good Bluefin Trevally also started to make an appearance. They, along with the odd brute of GT could be seen tracking big Nurse sharks as they scoured the flats. These are great scenarios to encounter fish and so after some well presented flies a few monsters came charging off their host and devoured a well-stripped fly.

By the second last day everyone had caught more than there fair share of Bonefish and so attentions turned towards searching for a GT. Two shoals of 50 plus fish were spotted during this time, however luck was not on our side when it came to the GT’s this week. On one occasion a single strip after a well-presented cast resulted in a GT rushing up to and engulfing the fly. Sadly the hook never found purchase but that’s GT fishing for you. The Permit too proved tricky to hook this week. Despite multiple sightings and opportunities at holding and tailing fish we just could not manufacture a hook up. A real pity as there was some really nice size fish around!

All in all however, our guests enjoyed some world class Bonefish fishing (the largest weighed fish coming in just over 8.5lbs) as well as some really exciting Bluefin, GT and Permit fishing. We would like to thank each of them for joining us this season, you were great fun to fish with! Things are looking really good on the atoll at atoll at the moment and  we have a feeling some really special fish are just around the corner!

Until next time, The St Brandon’s guide team.