Providence Blog: 10 – 19 October 2021
Welcome to the Providence Atoll blog and our end-of-year season opener. Week 1 is always filled with a special mix of expectation and excitement and this week was no different as a regular group of friends from the US and some new ones joined us for an extended 9-night/8-day trip to kick off our season. As our captain dropped anchor on the shallow periphery of the atoll on the eve of day one, we settled in for the evening with our bags packed, cameras charged, and fly fishing gear primed for the flats fishing magic that lay ahead.
Day 1 – The flats fishing action experienced during day 1 was accompanied by clear blue skies and a familiar stiff south-easterly breeze. A total of 11 GTs were landed for the day with Dave and Allen wasting little time both landing their first GTs on the fly. Allen went one step further following a sighting of those fabled giant green tails waving gently across the flats, and after a measured stalk he managed to hook and land his first-ever Bumphead Parrotfish on the fly. A special way to begin your Providence Atoll fly fishing adventure, well done Allen!
Day 2 – With conditions stable and similar to that of Day 1, a total of 17 GTs were landed. The standout catch of the day went to angler Dave who encountered a monster GT while stationed upon one of the atoll’s several white sand drainages. After spotting the familiar electric blue silhouette crossing the flat, he presented his fly and after a few quick strips watched his fly get engulfed by the first meter-long Giant Trevally of the season. Well done Dave! Angler Kyle went on to land his first Bumphead Parrotfish on the fly, adding to the tailing fish tally and providing him with a new experience conquered on the flats.
Day 3 – We were now well and truly into the neap tide cycle with the slower water movement offering a change of pace on the GT front. A total of 6 GTs were landed, angler Kyle enjoying the pick of the days fishing landing 4 himself, well done Kyle!
Day 4 – We moved our attention to the areas better suited for fishing to the atoll’s lengthy list of tailing species. Despite the change of focus, the Giant Trevally fishing action continued in red hot fashion with our group landing a total of 9 GTs for the day. The atoll’s resident Bonefish were also encountered in good numbers offering incredible skinny water fly fishing opportunities for our guests. A total of 19 Bones were landed with Kelly managing to surpass that fabled 10lb mark, his trophy accepted a well-presented crab and following the hookset went on several blistering runs. In search of a Providence Atoll slam, Kelly and his guide moved offshore in pursuit of a Sailfish, and in no time Kelly’s rod was bent double with the sight of an energetic Sailfish greyhounding into the horizon. He went on to land the Sailfish, securing a well-deserved slam.
Day 5 – Continuing on the previous day’s antics our group enjoyed yet more outstanding fishing for the atoll’s resident targets with a total of 20 Bonefish and 2 GTs landed for the day. Kelly who has enjoyed everything on Prov’s extensive list of target species managed to land his first ever Bumpie on the fly, the group’s third for the week.
Day 6 – With shots at GTs slim during Day 6, we continued to focus on the tailing species. Our group enjoyed spectacular skinny water Bone fishing with a total of 18 fish landed. Allen landed the standout catch for the day after seeing a large Bone show its tail in a shallow sandy depression. He presented his fly which the fish promptly engulfed and after several long blistering runs, he managed to land a beautiful 10lber, well done Allen!
Day 7 – An early morning low tide allowed us access to the flats immediately while fishing a gradual incoming tide, typically ideal for the tailing fish species. Our group enjoyed exceptional fly fishing opportunities for Triggerfish and Bonefish. In total, we managed to land 5 Triggerfish, 3 of which landed were by angler Allen who then went on to land himself yet another 10lb Bonefish.
Day 8 – The final day of our first week on Providence Atoll produced a total of 4 GTs, one of which would end up as the catch of the trip. A large dark grey shape was spotted moving between an area with white sand and turtle grass patches. Kyle sent out a well-presented cast to the fish and began his retrieve, the GT followed the fly almost to the tip of the rod before accepting the baitfish imitation as prey. Once the hook was set the fish tore off on a blistering first run, luckily Kyle was on the boat and he and his guide managed to follow the fish and keep the fly line clear of any unforeseen snags. The fish was eventually landed and pushed the tape to 122cm! A fish of a lifetime, well done Kyle! With the high water experienced in the afternoon we set about looking for the atoll’s resident Sailfish and after several close calls we eventually ended the day with a total of 2 Sailfish landed concluding the final day of the week.
All too quickly we were done and dusted with an action packed season opener filled with first time catches and memories made that will last a lifetime.
Our catch tally for the week 1 split between 6 anglers was:
• GTs – 48 (2 over a meter)
• Bumphead Parrotfish – 3
• Triggerfish – 6
• Sailfish – 3
• Bonefish – 63 (4 over 10 lbs.)
• Total number of Grouper, Snapper, and other species landed – 382
Until next week,
The Providence Guide Team
Two Bumpies were landed this week, a huge 103cm fish landed by Mark with Chantel getting our second. Two Sailfish were also landed this week, one by Alan and one by Andrew. In addition to the Sailfish caught offshore, George landed a nice Yellowfin Tuna and Genkel landed a nice big Wahoo.
A continuing trend of strong south easterly winds greeted us on the first morning with our new group of guests as the boats headed out. It was an eventful day on the flats with six GTs being landed. Congratulations to David, Peter, Peter, Kay and Mark for opening their accounts. With the cooler water being blown onto the flats there were a good number of Bonefish being hooked and landed, with an average of 6lbs for the session.
Day 2 dawned very windy but with clear skies the boats headed out with high hopes. With a slow neap pushing tide in the early morning the triggerfish were out in numbers. Chuan, Rob and Peter W managed to hook and land one of these feisty fish each. The Bumpies too showed us their massive tails and Mark hooked and landed his first Bumpie, well done Mark. The Bonefish were up and tailing hard again, with Dave and Rod managing to catch a Bonefish each to complete their Flats Slams of a GT, Bone and Trigger. Rod’s Bonefish was a monster, the fish weighing 10 pounds…Congrats! 5 GTs were landed, the day belonging to Dave, who after holding up on the apex of the flat with his guide, saw a monstrous commotion coming towards them in the shallow water. After getting in the perfect position the fly was presented in front of the pack of GTs. In unison the fish charged in the direction of the fly and a gargantuan mouth opened, inhaling the brush fly, the hook was set and after a massive tussle through a lagoon the fish was landed. With a fork length of 127cm, it was truly the GT of a lifetime, well done Dave!
Day 3 saw a shift in the weather conditions with high altitude cloud cover rolling in, obscuring the direct sunlight, making the fishing a little bit trickier. Due to the light conditions the Bumpies highlighted themselves as the targets for the day. A total of 6 Bumpies were landed for the day, the happy anglers being Mark, Kay, Chaun, Alfredo, Rod and Dave H. A great Bumpie day!!!! The GTs did manage to present themselves, Pete and Dave capitalizing on their shots. A special mention goes to Dave H whose fish came in at 105cm. With big seas comes great Sailfish fishing and Rob, Rocky and Dave F taking full advantage, Rocky and Dave landed theirs after doubling up from a pack attack.
Day 4 dawned gloomy with lots of cloud cover and high south easterly winds. After making a shift south to the midway point of the atoll the boats set out. A total of 3 GTs came to hand; well done to Peter getting 2 and Alfredo 1. Rocky managed to double down and land 2 Moustache Triggerfish. Kay and Dave R later joined the Sailfish club, landing a fish each. The day however belonged to Dave H who hooked and landed the first Milkfish for the week as the sun was setting, well done Dave H.
Day 5 saw a lessening of the cloud cover and with a mid-morning low tide the boats set out. The day was a well-rounded one on the species side with 5 of our 7 recognized species being landed. Pete E managed to land the Milkfish, whilst Rob and Dave R landed a Bumpie each. Rocky managed to land a Triggerfish of each species and Dave R managed to land a Moustache Triggerfish. Pete W landed a monstrous Sailfish, whilst Kay, Chuan, Dave R, Mark, Pete W, Pete E and Dave R each landed GTs. The day belonged to Dave R though, who after landing a Bumpy and Triggerfish in successive casts, saw a big bow wave coming up onto the flat. Despite a long chase to get into position, the fish dropped back into the deep water. Dave set up patiently above the area the fish had dropped off from. A couple of minutes later the bow wave reappeared and after presenting the fly it was engulfed on the second strip. The hook was set and the fish tore the line off the reel and ran straight back to the lagoon from where it came. After crossing the lagoon and reaching shallower water the fish was landed. At a fork length of 121cm it was another GT of lifetime for the week. Great fishing Dave!
Our sixth and final day of the week dawned with clear skies and dropping south easterly wind. With a morning dropping tide the Milkfish were up in good numbers around the edge of the atoll. Dave R and Pete W managed to land a fish each, bringing the Milkfish tally to 4 for the week. A total of 6 GTs were also landed. Rob and Dave R landed 2 fish each, with Chuan and Pete E landing a fish each. This brought the second week to a close. Some tough conditions, but as per normal some incredible fish and fishing was enjoyed by all!
This week weather conditions were a little tough. High winds and multiple passing fronts unfortunately made things more challenging them normal. Tides started off on springs, with lots of water movement on and off the flats, and we ended the week in neaps. 
In true Farquhar style, we did however enjoy some other great species fishing. Fifty Bonefish and three Triggers were landed. Craig landed one Moustache and one Yellow Margin, with Jarrett landing a large Moustache. Congrats guys! Three Bumpies were also caught this week, with William, Kris and Jason each landing their first. Well done chaps! And for the second week in a row, Eric landed an Indo Pacific Permit. This week he landed a trophy class fish of 73cm. Amazing fish Eric, well done!
The first day dawned with excitement and a slight south easterly breeze. With an early morning low tide the boats were straight onto the flats and with that the GTs came. Chris, Christiaan, Tom, Shiloh, Nic, Jordan and Jeorg managed to open their GT accounts, with Tom landing a great fish of 96cm and Chris landing a fish of an even 90cm. The Bumpies were up on the flats and Nic, John, Ron and Joerg manged to each land a fish. A special mention goes to Joerg, who, after landing a GT and Bumpy, managed to land an impressive 141cm Barracuda on the flat. With the water high on the flats later in the day we enjoyed a Sailfish session, with Tom and Joerg both landing a fish each before the day came to a close.
The second morning saw another enthusiastic start and the rewards were reaped as Tom, Chris, Shiloh, Jordan and Christiaan all landed GTs. A special mention goes to Christiaan and Jordan who managed to land twin GTs of 118cm each; Christiaan spotting his fish late on into the pushing tide crossing a turtle grass apex, he managed to present the fly in the perfect place and the big fish engulfed the fly on a second attempt. Jordan’s fish was an exceptional tale of the magic of Providence. After teasing up a sailfish offshore he presented his fly to the fish, it was engulfed as it landed but instead of the customary Sailfish jumps, the fish sounded and after a tug of war was brought up to the side of the boat. He rounded off his remarkable day by managing to pick a Moustache Triggerfish out of a school of tailing Bumpies.
The fourth day dawned clear and breezy. With some higher water on the flats in the morning, the boats had access into the unique inner lagoon systems of Providence. It proved to be fruitful as Joerg, Giles, Shiloh, Jordan, Nic, Tom and Joe managed to all land GTs. Tom finally being able to break the one-meter mark with a beautiful fish who was bow waking in super skinny water. Joerg managed to continue his stellar week landing 4 GTs before lunchtime. With access to the lagoons there is the potential for amazing Triggerfish fishing, and this was the case as Christiaan managed to land 3 Yellow Margin Triggers and Mike managing to get his first Moustache Triggerfish as well.
With the tides starting to move towards the neaps, the fifth day brought some more lagoon fishing. A total of 8 GTs came to hand with congratulations going out to Mike, Joe, Christiaan, Jordan and Ron. Christiaan managed to land another Yellow Margin Triggerfish and Shiloh managed his first Triggerfish. This was welcomed with great excitement after many previous disappointments. Joerg tamed another Sailfish in the morning to add to his incredible week.
Day 7 dawned breezy again but with the mothership moored close to the flats the boats spread out for another day of fishing. A total of 8 GTs were landed, a special mention going again to Jeorg who managed a beautiful fish of 106cm. He wasn’t done there though and managed to land his first Yellow Margin Triggerfish, almost completing his list of targeted species. It was a day for the tailing species and after landing two GTs Chris managed to land 2 Bumpies as well, finally catching a Bonefish to round off the slam. Christiaan also managed a slam, landing a GT, a Bonefish and 2 Triggers. John ticked the Yellow Margin Triggerfish off of his list to round off another stellar day out on the atoll.
Dark skies and gloomy weather greeted us on the last morning of the trip. After launching off the mothership a large school of Milkfish were found feeding for the first time this week. The boats quickly got into position and it wasn’t long before Giles managed to hook and quickly land his first Milkfish. After a few near misses, Tom and Christiaan managed to land their first Milks as well. A few pods of GTs were found in the eastern coral gardens and Joe, John and Mike managed to land 4 fish. A special mention goes to Mike whose fish came in at 102cm. With the high cloud cover the water on the flats cooled off and brought with it some epic Bonefishing. A great session was had on the falling afternoon tide. With the fish tailing hard, Shiloh, Nic, Christiaan, Joe, John and Mike capitalized, landing many fish. Christiaan and Shiloh managed to land two great fish both going 10 pounds, a great way to round off the first week of the season.
