Farquhar Blog: 14-21 March 2018
Farquhar Blog: 14-21 March 2018 (Opening Week)
Our first trip of the season kicked off with full spring tides accompanied by some blustery conditions. Although it took some of the chaps to get into the groove due to the windy conditions, it wasn’t long before everyone started to capitalise on their shots.
John racked up the slams, recording a Bumpie slam on the third day, this special feat comprising of a 90cm Bumpie, an 82cm GT and a nice sized Bonefish. John continued the good fishing with a 90cm GT the following day and a Trigger Slam the next. These included a 50cm Moustache Trigger, an 85cm GT, a Bonefish and numerous other species. Tom got to tussle with some solid GTs this week and managed to land four fish, all between 75-86 cm. Chad also got into the GT action with five fish ranging 70-90cm. He also managed to land 48cm & 58cm Moustache Triggers, an 82cm GT and a solid Bonefish on the final day. Erik later showed great perseverance and after a lost Bumpie he held his nerve and converted a shot at what proved to be a 77cm GT that was seen cruising with a shark over a white sandy flat.
With the wind making casting very tricky over the first few days some shots did Andy showed the group how it’s done landing his first GT for the week towards the back end of the trip and then another on the final day, the fish measuring 75cm & 85cm. Dave also got in on the action landing a solid Geet of 84cm to go along with all the Bones and species he had racked up through the week. Michael unfortunately lost a large GT of 90cm which he had hooked his 8wt. Randy put in some serious casting time with the 12wt this week. Despite some near misses he kept at it and the atoll rewarded his persistence with a solid GT of 86cm. David also hooked a GT on his 9wt and fought the fish for a while before it cut him off. He did however manage to get two solid Napoleon wrasse on the 9wt, with fish of 52cm and 60cm respectively, rounding off his trip with two very special fish. Marilyn got well and truly stuck into some big Bones during the week with her biggest measuring an impressive 69cm. Congrats!
On top of the GT’s, some really good Bones were caught by every one of our guests despite the tough windy conditions. The species count too was solid, good numbers of Triggers and Bumpies encountered throughout the week although we did lose more than our fair share. There were a few Permit and Milkfish around as well but we’ll need to wait until next week capillaries on one or two of them, unfortunately only the bluewater fishing not really providing any opportunities due to the very rough conditions offshore. All in all the week was a huge success, our guests getting loads of shots and some really positive numbers coming to hand.
The new guest house and menu continue to impress, so much so that talk from the group indicated a return trip in the not too distant future, We look forward to having them, that’s for sure!
Until next week
the Farquhar Guide Team
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
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- Farquhar Atoll – Seychelles www.flycastaway.com info@flycastaway.com
Tough weather conditions challenge anglers and guides alike. I was out on Providence Atoll to shoot some images and being March I was expecting blue skies and puffy white clouds! Sadly this was not the case, we were dealing with the aftermath of a massive tropical depression that passed south of us. The systems (Dumazile) hung south of us for most of the trip, sucking in moisture from the north resulting in thick band of clouds hanging over Providence for the entire trip.
Sometimes overcast conditions can actually play into your favour, low overhanging clouds tend to keep the fish calmer, especially on shallow water sight fishing fisheries. When the skies are blue and the sun acts like a massive spotlight overhead the fish can be very nervous, often they are a lot more comfortable when there is some cloud cover around. Sure its a lot more difficult to see them but the ones you do see seem to be happy and relaxed and can be a lot easier to catch.
This week guest included some regular anglers with whom I have been fortunate enough to fish with all over the world. Tony has a beautiful farm on the North Island of New Zealand where I was fortunate enough to spend some time over Xmas. His river is by far the best piece of trout water I have ever fished and is filled with big hungry rainbows. Not since my first exploratory expeditions into the Indian Ocean almost 20 years have I fished virgin waters like Tony’s river. I looked forward to spending some time on Providence with him and hoped that the weather and tides would play along and I can somehow “repay” him for the incredible time I had on his farm.
We had fished the pushing tide and they landed around 10 GT’s for the session, all good fish in the 80-90cm fork length category. Eventually the tide got too high and pushed us of the flat. It was getting towards mid afternoon and after the excitement of the session everyone was hungry. GT whisperer Tim Babich got everyone onto the skiff and told me that we must go and look for a “donkey”. He slowly motored down the flat and dropped the anchor on the edge of a small drainage a few hundred yards from the edge of the atoll.
We enjoyed our lunch over some friendly banter, stories of fish caught that morning were swopped and everyone was in a good mood. At one point I looked up and saw Tim standing on the bow of the skiff, he was intently looking down the flat and I realised he has been up there for probably twenty minutes already and hasn’t touched his lunch. This must be serious I thought, a guy with this much experience won’t stand there like this if he wasn’t pretty sure of the situation. I looked back towards Tony and Jim and noticed that neither of them had a 12# ready. I took one of the rods from the rod rack and put it behind me where I could get to it quickly if needed.
Everyone continued eating and we were just about finished when Tim said “here he comes, big fish, someone get a rod”. Tony and Jim both being courteous gentleman offered the other the shot. I looked up and saw the massive fish drifting in over the sand flat about 50 yards from the boat. The fish was fresh out of the ocean and glowing bright blue, slowly floating in on the swell of the rising tide. “I don’t care who casts, someone just get ready”, I could hear the urgency in Tim’s voice, this was a very very big fish. I reached behind me, grabbed the rod, flicked the fly into the water and stripped 50 feet of line from the reel. The fish was going to pass about 40 feet from the boat on our 9 o’clock. Tony turned towards me and I stuffed the rod in his hand, as he gripped the rod the command “cast now” came from Tim.
We all stood there gobsmacked by what we had just seen happen 25 feet from the boat, the massive blue body of the fish shining like a beacon over the green turltegrasts bottom, just lying there for a second. Tim and I both knew what was about to happen, he reached for the anchor rope and I focused on making sure that the loose fly line clears without hitting any snags. Then it was over. The hook never found purchase in the mouth. We stood there in disbelief. I had to sit down, my knees were week and had to take a few sips of Coke to get rid of the taste of bile that was now in mouth. I handed the can to Tim and he took a few sips.
Day 1 – Having a nice neap tide in the morning a plan was made with two boats moving north east to target Bonefish, while the other two boats headed slightly south looking for GTs. The Bonefish were found tailing over turtle grass flats in super skinny water and the guys took full advantage and capitalised on some really good-sized fish through most of the day. The one boat that had gone south found a school of feeding Bumpies tailing their way across the flats. Mike quickly found himself in a serious battle when he hooked his first Bumpy. After an extended fight he managed to bring another one of these incredible fish to hand. Congratulations Mike. As the tide began to push, the focus quickly shifted to GTs. Good numbers were seen making their way across the flats and we made some of the shots really count, the largest fish for the day measuring an impressive 95cm.
Day 2 – We continued our focus on the Bonefish such was the high standard and all of the guys managed to get tangled with some really good quality fish. The Triggers also started to feed more aggressively on certain flats and the team of Ivan, Scott and Kyle got well and truly stuck in, landing five fish between them. In true Triggerfish fashion, Kyle learnt firsthand on how tricky they can be bringing them to hand, hooking nine fish throughout the day. Dick also got in on the Trigger action when he landed an impressive Giant Trigger. The Sailfish continue to provide us with some spectacular fishing, Mike landing another ‘first’ after he enjoyed a very good specimen tail walking across the horizon in the setting sun. The Geets were around in respectable numbers, with moderate numbers landed by all four boats. Dick fell victim to an absolute monster of a Geet that came free swimming across one of the drainage flats. A quick presentation and the fish swiftly charged and engulfed the fly. Moments later the water erupted and the fish sped off into the distance leaving a shell shocked angler and guide looking at a shredded leader without a fly.
Day 3 – Ivan started the third day off with a bang and managed to land a nice size GT that ate the fly only centimetres from the rod tip. He followed this up with a hungry Yellow Margin Trigger and as the tide pushed them off the flats, he went off shore to complete his slam with an impressive Sailfish. Scott, his boat partner, decided to do things the other way round and landed a Sailfish shortly after Ivan’s before going back onto the flats where an impressively large GT was spotted. A quick hop out of the boat and the chase ensued. Eventually the GT turned and Scott was able to present a shot. The fish hesitantly moved towards the fly and at the last minute, chased and ate the fly. Having realized the size of the fish, the drag was locked down and the fight was on. The ocean-going fish was however soon landed and measured an impressive 110cm. Congratulations Scott! Jeronimo and Chuck also got in on the Sailfish action and both landed very good fish.
Day 4 – Up until this point the weather had played along nicely providing clear skies and light winds. Our fourth morning however was a completely different story when we woke up to wind, rain and clouds (not a guide’s ideal choice of conditions as visibility is far from ideal). This didn’t stop us from getting out there though and giving it a good go. Although the vast majority of GTs were only seen at the last possible second, a number of good sized fish were landed when we had opportunities to cast at bow-wakes, tailing Geets and fish moving with their dorsal fins exposed. The Bumpies were back in full swing and chuck managed to land a really good-sized fish after having to dodge some big coral bommies and turtle grass mounds. Camillo on the other hand had one particular fish set in his sights, after losing too many to speak of the season before. He patiently stalked and cast at Triggers throughout the day before it paid off with an excellent cast and a good sized and obliging Giant Trigger crushed his crab pattern. Congrats Camilo!
Day 5 – The unseasonal weather conditions were still around on our 5th morning. This together with prevailing south easterly wind shifting to a westerly, meant large portions of the leeward side of the atoll provided less than ideal visibility. We opted for the most part to head across to the eastern side once again to continue our exploration of this part of the atoll. This proved a very good move under the current conditions and by the close of the day many good GTs had been landed. The team of Jeronimo, Juan and Camillo had a standout day and managed to land 8 solid sized GTs in quick succession. The highlight of the day however had to be the magnificent Napoleon Wrasse which Dick managed to keep out of some truly gnarly coral heads. The fish measured an incredible 109 cm and quite possibly the biggest Napoleon Wrasse landed on a fly rod to date. Either way it’s an incredible catch…congratulations Dick!
Day 7 – Nearing the end of the trip the guide team was determined to put a big effort in over the final two days despite the tough weather. Some of the boats opted to go down “South” to target some of the big brute GTs that patrol the reef edges. This proved to be an excellent move as the team of Ivan, Scott and Kyle found themselves perched on coral heads during the pushing tide with GTs piling through on their way up to the flats. Juan who on the previous trip managed to tame a 120cm beast, continued his big fish mojo by bettering his previous personal best with a massive 122 cm fish. The fish was distinctly blue as it surfed in on a wave. Juan promptly made the cast, leading the fish by quite some distance. The fish meandered slowly towards the fly and as the fly was stripped, the fish kicked and veraciously opened its enormous mouth to take in the fly a mere 3m from Juan. The noise made by the eat was intense and the fish quickly sped off into the backing. The boat on this occasion had to be used as the fish ran directly for two large coral gardens. Eventually the fish was landed on a sand bank away from any coral. This proved biggest fish for the season and another truly memorable moment for our good friend Juan. Well done!!!
Day 8 – Our final day had arrived but sadly the weather had not abated, in fact the westerly wind increasing in strength leaving the entire western edge closed out by waves. As the tide reached the high tide slack, the swell resided and the boats headed out onto the flats. Sadly the conditions did not improved and with safety being our first priority the decision was made to come back to the mothership. Obviously this is was a real let down for everyone and not the ideal way to end a trip of this nature, however looking back we had caught some truly incredible fish during the past week or so and with the inclement weather hanging around us it would be scary to think what would have been possible. There were clearly some very impressive fish around! We would like to thank the group once again for coming out to fish with us, they are always a huge treat to fish with and really handled the trying weather exceptionally well. We are already looking forward to seeing you all again in the near future!
Day 1: We started off our week with half moon neap tides that included an early morning high tide. This allowed us to fish a good drop late morning tide and as well as a push during the afternoon. The GTs were around in solid numbers with Stefan managing to land our first two for the trip. The ladies Waltraud and Maria then got into the action each of them opening their account with a fish apiece. There was also some great species action throughout the day to ensure spirits were high at the end of our first day out.
Day 2: The GTS were around in good numbers today and our guests really capitalized! The team of Bern, Stefan and Alex really got stuck into it, between the three of them they landed 19 GT’s the biggest fish one of 103cm which was landed by Alex. The other teams also did well, Thomas landing two GTs, whilst Michael and Olly each got one. Maria’s day was equally special, her first “Slam” including a GT, Triggerfish and Bonefish. All in all it was a great day out with only our Bumpy friends being on the scarce side.
Day 3: After an exciting morning session over the high tide ticking off the species, we eventually got onto the flats where we found our friends the Bumpies. We had some solid hook ups but hooks pulling and snap offs was a recurring theme. The GT fishing continued to impress, good numbers of fish prowling around sharks and rays. Waltraud got a nice one, Alex smashed them again with five, Thomas four solid fish and Stefan not far behind with two. The fishing was great and best of all we had found these fish in some newish areas that we have not spent much time on.
Day 4: We headed out for some offshore action over the early morning high tide action. The Sailies were around in great force and with 30 mins Alex, Stefan and Thomas each had one at the boat. Just incredible! The Triggers were around in good numbers on certain parts of the atoll, Stefan making them shots count when he landed his biggest Giant Triggerfish to date. Congrats! The GT’s were not around in huge numbers today but we still managed a few. Olly managed to tail three for the day, Alex another two, whilst Bern and Maria each managed to land one. We also managed to land some seriously good-sized Bluefin Trevally, another highly underrated and common species on this amazing fishery.
Day 5: We again headed straight out for some Sailfish action in the morning and it sure paid off, with both Waltraud and Olly getting beautiful big sailfish by the side of a tender. Maria continued on her good form and landed two sails before the morning session when quite. Congrats! The GT fishing was solid but no fireworks, however Stefan did manage our second 100cm fish for the week. Congrats! Alex also managed another one but it was his 105cm Bumphead parrot, which will surely stay with him for along time to come. Awesome fish Alex. Unfortunately the Bones continue to be a bit scarce but the species fish was simply off the charts.
Day 6: The tides allowed for a full day out on the flats. The Triggers were subsequently around in good numbers and despite quite a few being lost, Stefan had them under control and managed to land a beastly sized Yellow-Margin Triggerfish (#rollingbeadcrabforthewin ). Michael and Waltraud ended their week off strong with one GT each for the day but as a group we probably should have landed more considering the solid numbers encountered. The species fishing continued to impress, the variety of fish landed for the day a real standout. Well done however to Bern for making it happen today on a Sailfish late in the day to cap off a really enjoyable week with a great bunch of people.
Our first day of a new week and we were greeted with tough conditions. Squalls throughout the day meant any break in the weather needed to be utilized. There were however a number of GTs around and a good few charged and ate the fly, with some epic eats and tussles. Sadly none ended in our guests favor with some leaders parting snapped and a fly line or two being corralled causing some heartbreak as a few trophy specimens were hooked and lost. We did however enjoy some great Bonefishing, with numerous double-ups as well a couple of 8lb fish coming to hand.
Our 4th day out and the GTs were around in solid numbers and some good size fish coming to hand. Chris managed to land a solid 94cm fish after an unlucky week to date. The GT was a single fish cruising alone, Chris made a long cast and a few strips later the GT accelerated and smashed the fly! The fish headed for the lagoon and had to be chased by the boat, but after a lengthy fight his prize was landed. Another GT for Jed today and after loosing a fish in the morning it all came together for him in the afternoon. The Geets started popping up from the lagoon onto the turtle grass, smashing bait that had accumulated during the low. This fish was another lone rider and didn’t hesitate to eat the fly after a short cast and a few strips. Mike managed a spectacularly beautiful Napoleon Wrasse and after an epic battle he landed a solid 82cm specimen. There were really high numbers of Triggers seen on the atoll today and the Bones still being landed in high numbers with a few big ones in-between. There were a couple of nice size Bluefins also landed and the species account keeps growing!
The final day and our guests were eager to end the trip on a high. After a few tussles and missed opportunities Michael was determined to get his hands on a Geet before he left us. He got it done in fine form with a solid 80cm fish after the shape was spotted coming onto white sandy flat. He made the cast and a few big strips and the fish exploded on the fly. GT fishing at it’s best. There were solid amounts of Geets all over the atoll today; sadly the fish won more of the battles than us. Jason experienced the power of one that ended in a broken 12wt. Jed did however manage to land a Napoleon Wrasse of 76cm, whilst the Bonefish continued to bring about bent rods, screaming reels and loads of smiles! These fish on top of a range of species which included a handful of 15lb plus Grouper and Bohar’s topped off a fantastic week, with a great range of diversity and some special moments out on the water.
Day 1: Our first morning and we headed straight out onto the flats where we enjoyed the tail end of the dropping tide as well as the full pushing tide. The Triggerfish were around in good numbers and we managed to hook a few. Congrats to Nic who managed to win his battle with a feisty Giant Triggerfish. The GT’s were also around in healthy numbers, which provided some great opportunities. Congrats to Olli who managed who land three during his first day out, including a solid fish that was spotted hugging the back of a stingray. Other guys who enjoyed tussling with Providence GT’s included Gerry, Spencer, Vince, Kris and Randy. Well-done chaps!
Day 3: We were all eager to get back out on the flats for a better portion of the dropping tide as well as the best part of the push. Added to which the weather was holding nicely and everyone was extremely positive heading out. We fished in areas of the south as well as the mid section of the atoll, both producing some solid GT action as well as some other variety. Spencer landed one GT, Kris and Gerry each managed two, whilst Randy who fished really well on the day capitalized with four GT’s before we headed back to the Dugong. The Bumpies were still around in big pods but unfortunately none came to hand. Late in the afternoon we headed offshore to look for a Sailfish or two, subsequently being treated to multiple fish being raised. Kris managed to convert one of the opportunities and we had our first Sail for the trip! Congrats Kris!
Day 4: After seeing good numbers of GT’s in the midway and southern areas the day before we opted to stick to these zones and it sure paid off! Congrats to Spencer, Vince, Mike, Olly and Jeff for getting one each to hand for the day and to Gerry and Randy for landing two each for the day, Randy also breaking the meter mark with personal best fish of 104cm. Well done sir! Congrats must also certainly go out to Nic for landing three GT’s during his day out. And lets not forget about the species fishing on this atoll, the guys landing some great range of species including Bohar’s, grouper, emperors, Bluefin and many more. The bluewater fishing however was truly on fire. With free jumping Sailfish and Tuna all around we managed to tease up a load of fish, Jeff and Gerry each managing to land Sails before the day came to end. Another truly awesome day out on Providence!
Day 5: The tides are just getting better and better and we headed out to make the most of it. Good numbers of GT’s were seen by all, and with our guests now well into their stride and making more and more opportunities count we had a stellar day. Spencer, Randy, Gerry, Olly and Nic each landed a fish a piece, whilst Mike and Vince came home in style with a brace of fish each after some exciting moments in the surf line. The Sailfish were still around in big numbers which continued to add excitement at the end of the day, sadly we had quite a few hooks pull but Kris got it done once again when he landed his second billfish for the trip. Great Job Kris!
We welcomed back the familiar French ‘foreign legion’ headed. Having had a look at the tides for the week we had to think a little outside the box as most of the days resulted in high neap tides with very limited time on the flats. Subsequently, planning sessions revolved around a substantial amount of blue water fishing for Sailfish. What lay ahead was however markedly different to what we initially anticipated and the flats really came to life and produced some really special fishing days.
The first day started with our guests waking up to free jumping sailfish behind the mothership. With pink sailfish flies strewn across every twelve weight on the boat all the skiffs headed out with teasers flaring behind the wake of the skiffs. Between the four boats a total of 18 sails were raised for the morning with only one landed by Christoff. Many sob stories were told that evening about lost sails and missed opportunities. Back to the flats as the water receded, saw Stephan himself getting the ball rolling landing the first fish of the trip. Malik, Alberto, Christian and Louis all followed suit landing a GT a piece. Bertrand was the only flyfisherman to get two fish on this day with one narrowly missing the 1mt mark.
With the tide only shifting an hour later, the skiffs once again set out to catch the now elusive sailfish. Malik did not disappoint and swiftly landed the first and only one for the day. As soon as the tide dropped and allowed the fishermen back onto the atoll the guides were spread from the Northernmost point of the atoll to the Southernmost point of the atoll and neither disappointed. The ball got rolling with Alberto quickly landing the first GT for the day. The ball then lost control as the team in the North laid waste on a school of GTs that frequent the white sand banks on the surf. All together they landed 15 GTs of which Malik continued some fine form and landed 7 while team mates Stefano and Jean Louis landed 4 apiece. The team in the south did not quite find the same numbers, however they did find something very very special by any flyfishermans standard. Bertrand and Louis both managed superior quality GTs but the highlight for the day was Stephan with his remarkable Napoleon Wrasse. Having targeted these fish for several seasons, every single one that has been hooked, has been lost due to a myriad of reasons. This time however, the stars aligned, and Stephan managed to tame an absolute monster on the fly in a tricky coral ridden area. Some huge congratulations to him.
The offshore water still boasted some immaculate blue water and we were once again hopeful that the sails would be around. This time round only the one boat ventured out and made the best of what was put in front of them. Alberto who up till this point had lost six Sails finally managed to bring one to hand. Shortly afterwards Christian also went on and managed to land his first ever Sailfish. Two ecstatic clients. Having identified some of the GT hotspots on the previous day, the skiffs ventured out once again with everyone’s focus primarily on GTs. The team of Stephan, Bertrand and Louis had a stellar day on the surf line, landing 13 GTs of which Stephan really excelled once again and caught 8 while Louis and Bertrand both managed 2 GTs each. Joseph, who is completely new to salt water flyfishing, persisted throughout the day and eventually landed his first ever GT. A memory that will remain with him for a long time to come. Stefano added to his tally landing two GTs for the day. Jean-Louis had the stand out day and caught his first ever Trigger that was found tailing along a finger flat separating two large lagoon systems. As the finger dissipated into the lagoon edge, Jean-Louis found himself casting at a larger than average GT on the back of a Lemon. Upon stripping at a rapid pace, the fish broke off from the shark and broke the surface of the water, mouth fully extended to engulf the fly. 101cm of pure power steamed off into the deep lagoon (#hellobacking – 😊). Having the had the Trigger and the GT, a huge emphasis was put into finding a Bone to complete the slam for Jean Louis, however it was not meant to be.
With the tide approaching a mid-day high, a decision was made to send two boats to the north eastern side of the atoll to explore an area that has probably only been fished by a handful of people. The decision paid off and both boats returned landing 10 and 12 Gts each. Most of these fish were caught out of schools of GTs pilling into the lagoons in the middle of the atoll. Jean-Louis landed 3, Stefano 2, Christian 6, Joseph 5, Alberto 1 and Malik landed 5 of which one of his fish narrowly broke the 1mt mark measuring 101cm. This was GT fishing at its best. The team of Stephan, Bertrand and Louis decided to take a different approach following their 12 GT day the previous day. Their focus shifted primarily onto Triggers. They were rewarded with some epic Trigger fishing seeing more than 50 Triggers for the day. In true Trigger fish fashion, it was easier said than done with some being super spooky, some following all the way to the rod tip and not committing to eating the fly while the others that did eat the fly were lost to coral, smashed up hooks, you name it they experienced it. The team did however manage to land a total of four for the day which was a great feat. In amongst the Trigger pandemonium, Louis got slightly distracted and could not help himself from catching one of the many GTs that swam by them. Louis also found himself in a situation with a group of feeding Milkfish over a white sand flat. A quick change in flies and three casts later he was in the battle of his life. In a fight that lasted almost 45 mins and a good couple of hundred meters later without the aid of a boat, the fish was leadered three times before the hooks pulled, right at the end of the fight.
With the tides reaching prime for Bonefish up in the northern part of the atoll, two boats moved onto flats renowned to hold good numbers of these green slabs. Although their numbers were not as we had hoped, Jean-Louis and Christian both managed to get three and four respectively. After the tide had risen substantially, both Jean-Louis and Christian both switched focus onto GTs and rightfully so as they both managed to get two GTs each. With both on the brink of slams, they switched to targeting Triggers, however as luck would have it, they were both denied slams as the Triggers they did find would not play game. Bertrand also followed suit by catching a Bone and a Trigger, but this time was denied the slam by not being able to land the GT that he did hook. Louis picked up where he left off the previous day on the feeding Milkfish on the flats. He managed to jump a further two only to be denied at the last minute of the fight as the hooks pulled in both instances. Alberto and Stefano kept the GT flag flying high and managed to land 1 and 3 respectively.
Having had a taste for the Bones on the previous day Stephan, Bertrand and Louis picked up where they left off and headed to a similar area. This time however, they found the Bones evenly spread out in singles and doubles over an extensive white sand flat. With the fish measuring between 24 and 27 inches, these solid average 7-8lb slabs rearranged the backing on all the fly reels used to target them, they managed 15 bones in very short succession. Bertrand also made a quick switch of rods and tamed a really solid GT that raced in between the Bones and almost caught him off guard. On a completely different flat, Joseph also got in on the action and managed to land a couple of Bones as well as a GT. The team of Christian, Malik and Jean-Louis ended the trip off on a high and managed to land 5 GTs all of which were plucked from a daisy chain of sting rays pilling up onto the flats on the latter part of a pushing tide.
Our third week of the opening season on Farquhar after the cyclone Fantala hit the island in 2016; the newly built guest house has seen two groups of guests enjoy its facilities. This week we welcomed some new comers to the atoll as well as some familiar faces and party of two guests doing an extended trip. After touching down mid-morning on the atoll the guests enjoyed a few welcome drinks and snacks and then a safety briefing on the week’s activities, settled into their rooms and enjoyed lunch. We got right into tackle setup, ensuring everyone was ready for the week. Our guests were then able to have a short afternoon session where a few impressive Geets and Bones were landed around the lodge on the home flat, setting the tone for the week ahead.
Everyone was up early and raring to go, in search of that fish of a lifetime. After a full breakfast our guests jumped on the boats and headed out. As we head into neap tides the sheer amount of water expands the options for the fish as they now have multiple entry and exit points from which to choose from to hunt and ambush prey making the window of opportunity for our guests longer but at the same time finding the right depth and fish holding water the challenge. With the western side of the lagoon holding more clear water some chose to explore this option while others chose to do a surf walk. With a morning high a few guests opted to try their hand at some blue water to try and see if they could raise a Sail fish, there were a few raised but non committed to the fly on the switch. The GTs were around in solid numbers and a few came to hand. Congratulations to Chantel for landing her first Geet of the week at 79cm and to Ferdi for yet another Geet, this one measuring 78cm. The wait was finally over for Eugene who had hooked 6 Bumpies the previous week but hadn’t managed to convert, this day saw him land a fine 78cm specimen. Well done to Christian for his first Farquhar Bumpie, stretching the tape at 103cm. There were really high numbers of Bumpies around on the Atoll with a few more Bumpies hooked but bitten off during the fight. The Triggers were tailing hard and a few hook ups were lost, thankfully a few did come to hand with a first Trigger for Stephanie. There were many Bones landed today and a few big ones. The species count opened with a bang with a whole variety of reef dwelling species coming to hand, including a big 80cm Boha for Andre.
After a solid start to the week some guests were keen to go and seek revenge on the previous day’s missed opportunities while others were in search of something specific. With the day’s fishing plans explained and briefings done we headed out. A midmorning high tide gave our guests the chance to go blue water fishing or frequent a land mass until the tide had receded enough to access the flats. With the eastern side of the atoll experiencing some warmer green water, finding the right conditions, water temperature and depth was going to be crucial. The Geets were around and a few came to hand, huge congratulations to Stephanie who on day one had hook ups with the predatory Geets that just didn’t work out. Today she turned it around and converted to land a fine 81cm Geet and her first ever, this fish was swimming with a shark and another GT over a white sandy bottom on the highway; after making the cast both Geets charged the fly and the smaller of the 2 got to the fly first and engulfed it. The day was an eventful one with the powerful GTs causing havoc – a rod snap during the fight and a rod pulled out of a guest’s hand as the Geet turned on the gas and with it went the rod lost to the ocean. It was an incredible day for Nadine who completed a Grand Slam with a Permit of 50cm, a Trigger of 45cm and a reputable 66cm GT, well done Nadine! The Triggers were around in good numbers with a few being landed but unfortunately more battles being won by the fish at this stage.
Hot and humid with little to no wind was in store for our guests on the third day, finding blue cool water was the way to go. Andre getting it done on a nice Bumpie of 86cm, this fish was the lead fish in a pod of 12 Bumpies tailing over the turtle grass flats. This fish put up a solid tussle and 35min later the fish was landed. The Geets were around in solid numbers and unfortunately for the fishermen won the day with a few hooked but none landed. There were good numbers of Bones landed and an impressive 25inch bone caught by Ferdi off a white sand flat, this fish was swimming alone just off the beach. The species account was especially high today as the high water gives our guests the opportunity to catch some of Farquhar’s incredible species with a nice 67cm Boha landed by Chantel off a coral head.
After a solid breakfast our guests were ready to head out to try and land that fish of a lifetime. As the week progresses some have lost a few battles with fish and some have been won, at this stage of the week specific species are usually targeted by some and one guest who made it happen today with the holy grail of fish was Andre, landing a sizable Permit, this fish fell prey to an accurate presentation and tailed on the fly, charging off after the hook set taking Andre well into his backing a few times, this beautiful fish was 69cm, a fantastic achievement! With there being good volumes of water around the GTs were smashing bait that was packed close to shore in and around the coral ridges making for some exciting eats. There were Geets caught today by Ferdi and son Eugene up to 85cm during a long surf walk. A GT was also hooked and a shark landed as the hooked GT was smashed by a Blacktip and then hooked, after some exciting visuals the shark was landed. The Triggers won the day with the hook ups ending in the fish’s favour while the Bones are keeping our clients’ rods bent and reels screaming.
Nearing the end of the week our guests have enjoyed themselves immensely, sampling the diverse range of species this incredible fishery has to offer. With a mid-morning high we still got to experience an increase in water depth through the morning bringing with it some cooler water and feeding fish. After having racked up all but one of her target species Chantal was determined to land a Bumpie today and she got the job done with an impressive fish of 105cm, this fish was landed off the turtle grass flat and was in a huge pod of around 25 fish. This fish was the lead fish, the pod tailing on the turtle grass, after stalking these fish for 3 hours Chantal got the fish to eat and then the battle began; after a 35min fight the fish was landed much to her delight. She also managed a solid 80cm Geet as well as a few other fish through the day. There was another special fish for our guest Hani today who was hunting his first GT of the week, after hooking and parting ways with a few it all came together with a fish of 81cm. This fish was hooked swimming with another 3 Geets. A well-presented cast and the GT peeled off from the group and smashed the fly. There was a Geet for Christian as well of 72.5cm, this fish on the back of a sting ray on the flats. The fish didn’t hesitate and shot off the ray, charged the fly and took off.
Into the final day and a few of our guests were still in search of that special fish. With an afternoon high, giving our guests a solid morning session getting to fish the entire push and most of the drop the day was looking good, stable weather around, low winds and high humidity made the last day picture perfect. There was still some warm water around on the eastern side of the inside of the lagoon so our guests opted for surf walk and some headed out to the western side of the atoll which had been dropping and pushing blue. In search of yet another special fish, the Bumpie, Christiaan headed out on the final day with high hopes and had a day to remember! He landed 2 Bumpie slams off the turtle grass flats – a solid 95cm and 80cm respectively as well as a few Bones to complete the slam. The Bumpies were landed 20 minutes apart, both from the same school of fish tailing hard on the flats, the first being the lead fish in the school, after epic battles both fish were landed. It didn’t end there for Christian though, he also landed an 80cm Geet that had been spotted cruising with a shark. There were some big Bones hooked and lost in the surf with a few decent specimens landed. The species account increased as most of our guests had caught their targeted species and wanted to catch a variety of the Farquhar species on offer. After a tricky week with high water a solid amount of fish were landed and our guests had a great time . We shared stories over a final dinner and made plans to keep in contact, many of our guests already looking to book for next year, having enjoyed their stay and the comfort of the new guest house as well as the food and hospitality.
Our second day out on the flats saw us moving into the full moon spring tides cycle which cause a lot of water movement throughout the atoll. These tides bring in huge numbers of predatory fish and are ideal conditions for hunting GTs, there was a morning falling tide meaning some solid wading time on the flats. The GTs were around in good numbers and some of the guests managed to capitalize; a huge congratulations must go to Eugene who managed to get a fish of 111cm riding on the back of a big lemon shark! A well presented cast and a slow long strip caught its attention, the fish rushed and engulfed the fly and after a solid tussle the battle was eventually won.
A moderate easterly wind and bright sunshine were the conditions on the fourth day. We were now in the middle of the full moon spring tide cycle with huge volumes of water being pushed on and off the atoll. A 12pm low ensured we got to fish a few solid hours of the dropping tide as well as the following pushing tide. Some guests opted for the white sandy flats and turtle grass areas whilst the more adventurous whose legs were up for the challenge took on the surf. Arriving at the surf they were greeted with milky water but thankfully it was still cool from the night before and the clarity improved as the morning progressed. Congratulations has to go to Jeff for completing his Grand Slam and landing a GT, Trigger and Bone at the runway on the northern tip of the atoll. It took some really impressive and technical fishing to achieve this as conditions were tricky. The Trigger of 50cm was hooked on the dead low in the surf in a foot of water – this fish ran around numerous coral heads before being landed. Then came the Bonefish and to complete the slam an hour into the push Jeff found a GT cruising with a Lemon shark. He made the cast and the GT peeled off the shark and smashed the fly. Congratulations is also due to Gehard for landing a GT of 82cm.
With the week slowly but surely drawing to a close our guests have all had some great shots at a few trophy Farquhar fish. Some came to hand and others caused sleepless nights and nightmares. The latter being the case for Rich who had a few shots at GTs but unfortunately none of them this far worked out. Happily for him, he managed to convert his chance and land his first GT measuring in at 83cm on day 5. This fish was hooked during a surf walk on the runway over the dropping tide. He found the fish cruising in the cuts in the exposed coral reef. After losing a few metre plus fish this week Tony was also eager and driven to get it done. Congratulations to Tony for achieving his personal best GT of 101cm while wading the turtle grass patches near the surf. This GT was spotted cruising against the current during the dropping tide. Tony ran ahead of the fish, made the cast and the fish exploded on the fly with an epic chase and eat.
