Giant Trevally - FlyCastaway

Week six of our 2024 season at Providence Atoll kicked off with eager anglers and perfect conditions. As we shifted from spring tides to neaps, we hoped for calmer waters and more opportunities to target tailing species like Bonefish, Triggerfish, and Bumphead Parrotfish.

Day 1 started strong, with good numbers of fish cruising along the flats. Zane had an outstanding start, landing his first-ever GT at 102cm. Throughout the day, several other GTs were caught, averaging around 80-85cm. Ryan and Brent also added some beautiful Yellow Margin Triggerfish to the tally, with Ryan catching one in the morning and Brent landing another during a low tide session.

Day 2 brought nearly perfect conditions, with clear skies and light winds. Rick landed his first-ever Milkfish after a strong fight. Pat then connected with a stunning Yellow Margin Triggerfish while walking a turtle grass flat. The GTs were out in force, and several big fish were seen cruising. Judah landed an impressive 114cm GT, his first-ever meter fish! Ryan also caught a trophy GT at 100cm, followed by Tom, who landed a 101cm GT — great work all around!

Day 3 was a tougher day, with cloudy skies and wind making conditions more challenging. Despite this, Pat managed two solid GTs, the largest at 95cm. Brent added three decent-sized GTs to the tally, and Zane fought a big fish, eventually landing a beautiful GT that was swimming with a stingray.

Day 4 brought near-perfect conditions with no wind or clouds. Father and son duo Rob and Judah had an incredible morning, landing seven GTs, the largest around 90cm. The Triggerfish were also active, with Tony landing a stunning Yellow Margin Triggerfish. Pat followed suit on the other boat, also catching a Yellow Margin. Later in the day, Tom landed a Napoleon Wrasse while dredging in deeper waters.

Day 5 featured near-ideal conditions again, with minimal wind and clear skies. The GTs were plentiful, with 12 fish caught throughout the day, the largest just under 90cm. Tony had a remarkable day, landing three Yellow Margin Triggerfish, plus a Bonefish and a GT, completing a slam. Zane also caught his first-ever Triggerfish, while Pat and Brent each landed a Yellow Margin Triggerfish. Judah capped the day with another beautiful Yellow Margin.

Day 6 was a bit of a challenge, with low wind but high cloud cover. The fish were skittish, but Pat and Tom adjusted by using thinner leaders and smaller flies, successfully landing a couple of GTs. Rick had a memorable moment, catching a massive Barracuda after a well-placed cast.

As the week came to a close, the weather started to shift back to spring tides, which we hope will bring more water movement across the flats. We’re excited to see what’s in store for the next week at Providence Atoll!

Catch Summary for the Week:

GTs: 53 (Largest: 114cm, Judah)
Triggerfish: 13
Grouper & Snapper: 85
Bluefin Trevally: 34
Bonefish: 1
Milkfish: 1

Till next time,
The FlyCastaway Guide Team

Week 7 brought us back to neap tides, with slightly higher water levels and less current throughout the week.

The bonefish were largely schooled up, which made it a bit more challenging to find them in skinny water and on the flats. However, we did manage to locate some tailing bones and land a few real beauties. The average size for the week was a very respectable 6 lbs.

Healthy numbers of Indo-Pacific Permit continued to be seen daily, giving our guests plenty of opportunities throughout the week. As always, however, permit are never easy to convince. Despite many refusals and near-misses, we managed to hook five permit, with one fish making its way into the net before the week came to a close. Congratulations to Chris on landing a solid 8 lb fish that crushed the fly while feeding over small patches of turtle grass on a large white sand flat.

The Trevally species on St Brandon were also present throughout the week, with our guests enjoying some great shots at massive GTs. We managed to hook two giants, though one unbuttoned and the other straightened a 6/0 hook. Bluefin Trevally were spotted smashing baitfish on and around coral ridges on most days. Joerg and Chris both landed a couple of quality fish, with the largest of the week measuring 78 cm and 75 cm, respectively.

All in all, it was another successful week on the water with a group of new friends, all of whom we’d like to thank for joining us.

Our catch tally for the week was: