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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 17 – 24 October 2023

Providence Blog: 17 – 24 October 2023

The opening week of the Providence Oct-Dec 23 fly fishing season saw us welcome a few Prov veterans as well as a couple of new faces to the atoll. Excited nerves served as fuel while our team quickly readied everyone’s gear while acclimating to the warm tropical atmosphere, that would be our home for the next 2 months.

The first day was themed by all things with teeth. Dave, Joe, and John set off on a mission for GTs and despite tricky light and strong winds they still managed to land their first GTs of the trip. Drew got on the board with his first and second GT ever while his boat partner, Jean-Christophe managed to tame a beautiful 97 cm specimen. Great work, JC! Over in the lagoons, Joern also got himself on the board with a respectable GT and enjoyed productive fishing for the atoll’s native grouper and snapper which brought a satisfying end to Day 1.

Day 2 and determined to make the most of the tides, we headed to the flats as fast as our boats would take us! There was much more cloud cover than expected, and the teams did very well despite the conditions. Dave, Joe, and John had a couple of good shots at GTs, but were a bit unlucky. Dave, however, landed his first GT on the flats and measured a respectable 80 cm. Well done, Dave. The returning trio of Mike, Keith, and André were hard done by with bad light and a few unlucky shots at GTs. Keith did however manage to get on the board at the end of the day with his first GT of the trip. Well done, Keith. Over in a small drainage, JC, Jacob, and Drew had a stella day on the GT front, coming home with many stories and a few fantastic GTs. Drew landed a monster of 105 cm, Jacob managed to land one of 95 cm as well as a massive fish of 112 cm. Well done, gentleman! Another fish hooked by Jacob was taxed dramatically by a bull shark close near the end of the fight, which got his and his guide’s heart racing and made for a bittersweet victory with just the head coming in to hand. Joern also quietly kept his tally going with another GT, he also sadly lost two bumpies after lengthy fights.

On the third day we arose to terrible conditions including 20-knot winds and total cloud cover. Undeterred, we headed out for the day’s fishing. Joern and Ron kept their good streak going by landing another GT each. Over on a lumpy coral flat, JC, Drew, and Jacob beat the conditions by getting stuck into 9 very large bonefish. They had a triple-up with all 3 bones measuring over 65 cm, 1 of which was a 10-pounder caught by JC. Another excellent catch JC, well done! They didn’t stop there, with Jacob hooking and landing 2 triggerfish, 1 of each species. A little further down the same flat, Drew fished brilliantly to 4 different pairs of Permit but sadly he couldn’t convince any of them to eat his fly. Mike and Keith also did very well to land 2 GTs, 1 apiece and a special moment shared between old friends. Towards the end of the day, everyone got stuck into grouper and snapper, some of which were exceptional in size.

We didn’t think the conditions could get any worse than the day before but they sure did. We endured 30-knot winds and zero sunlight for most of the day. Like true troopers and despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, Jean Christoph, Drew, and André all landed their first sailfish on the fly. Well done, gentlemen! Joern landed a trophy 101 cm Napoleon Wrasse as well as a Bumpy, both terrific fish. Great work, Joern! Elsewhere on the atoll Jacob, John, Ron, and Mike all managed to catch GTs while 2 teams found a couple of bones, landing a total of 11 bonefish for the day.

On day five, the conditions seemed to intensify. Fortunately for us, there were plenty of fish around. The trio of Jacob, Drew, and Jean Christoph added to the GT tally with 4 total for the day. Mike, André, and Keith enjoyed excellent bone fishing and landed 27 for the day between them; Andre tragically lost a permit that changed direction and swam towards him, causing a small loop to wrap around the tip of his rod. Heartbreak! On a happier note while walking along the beach, Joern, sighted a beautiful GT cruising the shallows and made a perfect cast that was graciously accepted by the 95 cm fish, making for a great fight and a beautiful photo. Toward the end of the day, John landed yet another sailfish. Well done, John!

The 6th and final day saw the conditions remain tricky though not quite as severe. Mike managed to land 2 GTs for the day, 1 of which was 111 cm. A terrific fish caught offshore. Well done, Mike! Joern and Ron kept the bonefish numbers growing by landing another 6 for the day. However, the real triumph for the day was a 14-pound permit landed by Ron, a genuinely remarkable fish, and a team victory as many of our group had had shots without managing to convince these picky feeders to accept the fly during the week.

That brings us to the end of an enjoyable opening week. Barring the absenteeism of the Milkfish we enjoyed the full spectrum of fly fishing diversity available in these warm waters. Hopeful and excited for the next week of fly fishing, we bid our guests farewell.

Our catch tally for week 1 was:

  • GT – 32 (3 over 1m and biggest 111 cm)
  • Bone – 56 (1 of 10lbs.)
  • Sailfish – 4
  • Bumpies – 1
  • Triggers – 2
  • Napoleon – 6
  • Wahoo – 1
  • Permit – 1 (14lbs.)
  • Total number of other fish landed – 196

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Featured Image - Farasan Banks Blog: 2-16 September 2023

Farasan Banks Blog: 2-16 September 2023

Hours spent huddled around a computer looking at satellite imagery of vast flats and interesting-looking islands, eventually matured into five different exploratory trips totalling 10 weeks in Saudi Arabia between July 2019 and April 2023. What we’ve experienced during those initial trips to Saudi Arabia left us excited to tell the world that there’s a saltwater fishery in this modern era, largely unexplored, with sight fishing opportunities for all of the species you’d expect to encounter in the Red Sea.

A hidden gem in the fly fishing world until now, Saudi Arabia flaunts over 2000 kilometers of Red Sea coastline, accompanied by an additional 1150 islands and islets. This expansive aquatic venue offers loads of potential for targeting many iconic saltwater fly fishing species including Bones, Triggers, GTs, Info-Pacific Permit, Golden Trevally and others. Venturing into such a vast fishery is however no small feat, requiring the procurement of a nimble and comfortable liveaboard vessel, as well as assembling a team of intrepid anglers and seasoned fly fishing guides. These essential ingredients set the stage for our two week exploratory season with guests in early Sept this year.

This two-week expedition provided us with invaluable insights for the future and over the course of 12 days at sea, we charted an impressive 840 kilometres aboard our comfortable and spacious 131ft liveaboard vessel. The vessel, equipped with Wi-Fi, 2 large saloons and 12 independently airconditioned cabins ensured our guests were treated to loads of space and their own rooms during their stay, a rarity for most fly fishing liveaboard operations. In addition to the infrastructure were the delicious meals and warm hospitality of the crew which all contributed to making our time in the Red Sea as enjoyable as possible. 

The character of the flats varied significantly from one location to another, offering coral-adorned expanses, turtle grass patches, pristine white sands and lush mangroves. In contrast, some areas featured small coral atolls, where we waded amidst broken marl, rolling surf and inviting white beaches. Although we encountered challenging conditions during Sept, we enjoyed encounters with GTs, Bones, Indo-Pacific Permit, Golden Trevally and Triggerfish…in fact loads of Triggerfish.

Saudi Arabia’s smaller tides were however a new dynamic for us, with the air temperatures and water levels playing more of a role on these two weeks. The prime fishing window extended from early morning until midday, as such we used the mid-afternoons to either go diving or steam to the next piece of water we had earmarked on our satellite map.  

Now, let’s delve into what we found:

Bonefish

We encountered Bonefish in areas boasting expansive sandy flats. Often sizable, they would tail in the extremely shallow water during the early morning sessions. The windless mornings, paired with low light conditions did however present challenges when presenting flies to these elusive fish. On a positive note, some of the Bones encountered during our exploration were very sizeable and although they managed to elude us this time round, we were left feeling energised by the thought of a 12 lb. plus fish coming to hand in the seasons to follow.

Golden Trevally

Whether encountered singly or in schools, the Golden Trevally provided an exceptional shallow-water sight fishing experience. Certain areas we explored offered truly world-class opportunities for this species, with some sessions yielding double-digit catches shared among the group. Alex and Stefan of AOS Fly Fishing had a particularly productive session, each landing 3 and 4 Golden Trevally, respectively. The consistent attributes of the areas where we found Golden Trevally ensured a steady flow of fly fishing opportunities. When we walked specific substrates, we anticipated several Goldens and once you spotted one, you knew another would follow.

Triggerfish

Our encounters with Yellow Margin and Mustache Triggerfish had their ups and downs, but like the Goldens, we learned specific substrates and conditions dictated the size and density of Triggerfish populations in various areas. Certain islets offering exceptional opportunities!!!! As such, the abundance of Triggerfish sightings and hook-ups left us brimming with anticipation for our next season in the Red Sea.

Giant Trevally

Conversations about GTs always ignite excitement. Farasan Banks offered sightings of these formidable species in various conditions and locations. However, the shots were not always straightforward, as encounters with GTs typically resulted in frenetic chaos and near misses. Nevertheless, the number of GT sightings, while not reaching the volumes seen in fisheries like Seychelles, kept us on our toes. When the area exuded that unmistakable “fishy” aura, encountering a bow-waking or tailing Geet was inevitable.

Indo-Pacific Permit

Encounters with Indo-Pacific Permit were particularly thrilling and gratifying. These elusive fish were often spotted while tailing, either individually or in schools. Opportunities closely mirrored those found in renowned fisheries such as St Brandon’s and with some more time learning the fishery, we’re confident we’ll be able to provide guests with some fine Permit fishing over the years to come.

Although we were hoping for higher water levels and cooler water temperatures, we still experienced good opportunities at a wide variety of flats species. The flats themselves teemed with abundant food sources, including small baitfish and crustaceans. In addition we encountered loads of stingrays and the occasional shark, all of which indicates a very healthy ecosystem. The ebbs and flows inherent in exploring a new fishery are part and parcel of the journey and so we look forward to our next stint in April 2024 with great excitement.

Till then,

The Arabian Fly & FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 25 April – 2 May 2023

Providence Blog: 25 April – 2 May 2023

In what felt like a blink of an eye, the final week of our March – May 2023 season was upon us. Change over day always seems to bring with it bluebird skies and moderate wind, however, the weather forecast for the week was ominous with fierce winds predicted from the south-east. Nevertheless, we were still excited to explore the atoll with our group which included first-time saltwater fly fishermen and a few return guests. After a quick orientation around the mothership and tackle setup, the group made good use of the change-over day to get to know each other on the mid-deck over a few cold beverages.

 
 

Day 1 had our guide team spread out to different corners of the atoll in pursuit of the tailing species, and of course, the atoll’s population of Giant Trevally. Jamie got off the mark early with his first-ever GT on the fly. Well done, Jamie! Mario also got stuck into the action immediately landing his first and best GT for the week on the first morning, a lovely fish measuring 96cm! Meanwhile, in another corner of the atoll, Chris and Steve did very well by landing 4 Triggerfish before lunch. The afternoon however turned out to be tricky, with low clouds causing very difficult sight fishing conditions. Despite this, our team persisted and added another 2 more GTs to the tally.

 
 

Everyone was up to speed with the daily program by day 2 and we set off for the flats with high expectations. Catches of note included an energic GT caught by Tom, who managed to convert his fish from a school that had corralled a school of baitfish into a channel. Derek, a wanderer, had made his way into some fishy-looking water when he spotted 3 GTs swimming down a lagoon edge. He presented his fly and watched as the 3 fish made a violent approach towards his baitfish imitation, what followed was a successful hook-up and a short but intense tussle between some coral heads. He eventually landed his first Providence GT. Well done Derek! Jim tasted sweet success on the Bumpie front when he landed the group’s first of the week. Great going Jim!

 
 

The 3rd day brought with it powerful winds blowing out of the southeast. The severe wind made for challenging fly fishing conditions, however, the atoll still delivered a diverse set of fly fishing scenarios for our guests, with a total catch tally of 6 GTs, 15 Bonefish, and 3 Triggerfish. A special mention goes to Mike who managed to land his first ever GT, which was a special moment for all involved as Mike had traveled the world on several occasions without any success. Congratulations, Mike, we can only imagine how good that must have felt!

 
 

We endured wild weather and exceptionally rough seas during the 4th day of the fishing week. The conditions saw us have a delayed start with our team heading for their chosen areas for the day when the weather lightened up a tad. The short delay had little bearing on our catch tally with our group tallying 42 Bones, 3 of which were over 10lb! John, Chris, and Derrek are the lucky anglers to land those hefty Bonefish….way to go guys! Meanwhile, Jim found himself connected to a personal best GT that was picked from a small shoal of GTs that were encountered while they dropped off the flats during the falling tide. His beauty measured an impressive 98cm. Great job Jim! Last, but not least, was Jamie’s Bumphead Parrotfish…CONGRATS!

 
 

Day five saw an improvement in the fishing conditions, with better weather and more good fish encountered across the board. Our total catch tally for the day was 10 GTs, 1 Bumpie, 11 Bones,  2 Triggers, and a single Milkfish. Chris found a rich vein of form and landed 3 GTs, while Steve and Kurt kept the Bonefish numbers ticking over by landing many more good-sized Bones. At the end of the day, Tom stepped into the house of pain when he hooked a monster Milkfish in the early evening, which we’re sure he still regrets. After a brutal one-hour battle, he finally brought the fish into the net. Well done, Tom!

 
 

The 6th and final day of the season saw us enjoy fantastic conditions, with a light south-easterly breeze and good light. Ken, had been unlucky on the GT front, not from any fault of his own, but rather some bad luck. He however managed to rectify this when he made a cast at a school of GTs working across a small finger flat and much to his and the guide’s joy, a bigger fish parted the youngsters and viciously accepted his fly. After a good fight, he landed his best for the week, a specimen measuring 94cm! Well done Ken! Tom, however, landed the top catch for the week, a strong GT that measured 102cm! Well done Tom! As the final whistle blew on the final evening, Jamie landed his first Milkfish, while at the same time Mario hooked but sadly lost a Sailfish.

Thanks for a great week guys, we really appreciate your support and hope to see you back out there in the coming seasons!

 
 

The week’s tally was as follows:

• GT – 32 ( 1 – 102cm )

• Triggerfish – 10

• Milkfish – 3

• Bumphead Parrotfish – 3

• Bonefish – 70 ( 3 of 10lb)

• Other species – 156

A special thank you to all our guests that were a part of this fantastic season, we made memories, shared laughs, and learned yet more about this outlandish fishery. We can’t wait for what October – December has in store for us!

Until then,

The Providence Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 11 – 18 April 2023

Providence Blog: 11 – 18 April 2023

We welcomed eight new guests onboard our mothership for the 6th week of our season, as Paul, Dan, Bill, and Tom were lucky enough to have another week of fly fishing bliss ahead of them on Providence. We quickly set up our 8 new guest’s gear and set for the open ocean with a few large conas in tow hopeful of an encounter with the large schools of Yellowfish Tuna seen on the outskirts of the atoll.

 
 
 

The first day of the fishing week provided high-quality action with a total of 22 GTs and 7 Triggerfish landed for the day. The trio of Dan, Bill, and Paul enjoyed a particularly special day sharing 10 GTs between them, with old-time buddies Dan and Bill landing a 100cm and 102cm GT respectively. Well done, chaps! The Triggerfish were out and about in good numbers which provided our guests with numerous sight fishing opportunities to these charismatic flats dwellers. Tom, Rex, Rio, Bryan, Mike, and Chris all tasted success on this front. A strong opening day, great work, guys.

 
 

On day 2 we were dealt with tricky conditions with heavy cloud cover and diminished visibly.  Despite this, our group persevered and managed to convert 1 Barracuda and 8 GT encounters into catches. Catches of note during this day included first-time GT success for the father-son combo of Rex and Rio, well done, gents! Meanwhile, Mike and Dave enjoyed excellent success while fly fishing in the teeming coral gardens, landing loads of new and interesting Grouper and Snapper species. This being the duo’s first-ever saltwater fly fishing experience, it made it that much more exciting!

 
 

The tricky conditions continued into day 3 and made for challenging fly fishing conditions on the flats. Nevertheless, 5 GTs, 6 Bonefish, and 2 Triggers were still brought to hand for the day. Highlights were a slam for Dan consisting of a Bonefish, Triggerfish and GT. Bryan got stuck into the action on the GT front and landed a very respectable 92 cm specimen while Mike managed to land a monster 9ft Lemon shark.

 
 

The fourth day had our guests enjoying some exceptional fishing for large skinny water Bonefish, with a total of 41 brought to hand during a very busy session on the flats that included personal bests for most of our group. A special mention for young Rio, only 12 years old, and already a proud member of the Providence 10lb Bonefish Club! As for the other iconic species available on Providence, there were 3 Triggers and 4 GTs landed for the day, with John landing a slam consisting of a Bonefish, Trigger, and GT. Great work, lads!

 
 

The fifth day of the week delivered slightly more challenging opportunities for Prov’s iconic fish species with just 6 GTs and several Grouper and Snapper landed for the day. Paul did however experience a moment of GT fly fishing magic when he hooked a powerful fish of 89cm in water no deeper than the shin. His fish rooster tailed its way down the flat towards deeper water taking loads of backing in the process. Eventually, the fish succumbed to the pressure of the drag and Paul had his beauty firmly in his hands… a moment and memory we’re sure Paul will remember for a long time to come.

 
 

The 6th and final day of the fishing week saw us wake up to glorious conditions. The catch of the day went to Chris, who encountered a pair of large GTs while they slowly patrolled down the edge of a lagoon. One cast and as many strips is all it took for him to connect to his beautiful 96cm GT! The boat team of John, Dave, and Mike enjoyed Prov’s diversity scenarios, with plenty of Grouper and Snapper species landed. They also got stuck into the action on the flats with Dave converting his first-ever Bumphead Parrotfish catch, as well as his first GT catch on the flats. Great job, Mike! Dan also concluded his 2 weeks of fly fishing in style with a feisty GT.

 

That brings us to the end of the 6th week of our season. Memories were made and smiles were shared during a wonderful week of exploring and fishing. We look forward to welcoming our new and old friends back to Prov soon!

Our catch tally for the week was as follows:

  • • GTs – 50

  • Bumphead Parrotfish – 1

  • • Triggerfish – 12

  • • Bonefish – 47 (1x 10lb)

  • • Barracuda – 3

  • • Other species – 202

Until next week,

The providence guide team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 21-28 March 2023

Providence Blog: 21-28 March 2023

The third week of our season saw us welcome a full group of completely new faces, both to the Indian Ocean and to Providence Atoll. The buzz of excitement reverberated through our mothership as we prepped everyone’s gear for the 6 days of flats fishing nirvana that lay before us.

The first day saw our group exposed to fly fishing for Giant Trevally for the first time and thankfully most were well-versed Tarpon fishermen. This made their learning experience quick and seamless with a return of 10 GTs landed for the day. In addition to the GTs landed during the first day of fishing was a powerful Napoleon Wrasse, which had Paul hanging onto his gear for dear life! A successful first day out for our new friends, well-done guys!

Day 2 and our group took to this new fly fishing environment like a duck to water, landing an impressive 23 GTs, 3 of which trophies measuring 100cm plus for the day. Will converted 4 while his boat partners, Miles and Heath landed 2 and 6 respectively. A special mention to Heath who managed to land 2 massive GTs measuring 111cm and 123cm which is an outstanding achievement. Great job, Heath! Lane also found himself in big fish territory and managed to land a powerful 101cm GT! Paul, the only angler to come right on the tailing species front managed to land an enormous Moustache Triggerfish.

The 3rd day had us all in hot pursuit of Providence’s larger Giant Trevally. Our intentions were clear and although only 8 GTs were landed for the day most of them were of real quality. Paul found himself in the right place at the right time and connected to an absolute brute of a GT that measured 127cm. A very special catch, well done Paul! Heath kept his 100cm breaking streak going with a beautiful 104cm specimen while his boat partner, Tom managed to match this catch with another of 104cm… great job guys! George closed the tally for the day with a powerful GT that fell just shy of the meter mark in the early evening of the 3rd day.

Day 4 dawned with ominous cloud banks and sheets of continuous rain which settled in for most of the day. Despite the exceptionally tricky fishing conditions our group still managed to convert a few catches of note including 1 Bumphead Parrotfish and 4 GTs for the day. Health managed to land his very first Bumpie while Scott, Tom, and David shared the spoils on the trevally front.

The penultimate day of the week saw us battle the conditions again, with tricky light and winds circulating around the compass. While the light switched on and off sporadically throughout the day, our guests still managed to make the most of their opportunities with Lane and Tom landing 2 GTs each. Scott had been fascinated by the sightings of Bumphead Parrotfish during the fishing days prior and finally managed to get himself connected to 1 of these powerful creatures. His Bumpie, an absolute monster stretched the measuring tape all the way to 121cm! An epic catch, and a special moment shared on the flats. Well done guys! Will however enjoyed the variety available on Providence and went onto land a slam that consisted of 2 GTs, a Triggerfish, and a Bumphead Parrotfish.

The 6th and final fishing day saw the conditions improve dramatically. Heath had his sights set on the Milkfish which was the last of the species left on his hitlist to tick off, which he did, in fine fashion. The Bumphead Parrotfish were seen in good numbers and our group set out for them with determined vigor. David and Lane were the lucky anglers to taste success on this front landing 1 each for the day. Miles landed the only Triggerfish for the day while Tom, George, and Bo enjoyed a flurry of action for the atoll’s resident Giant Trevally.

This brings another truly enjoyable week of fly fishing on Providence Atoll to an end. It was a pleasure for our team to share this experience with a group of newcomers, who we’re sure will soon become familiar friends in the future.

Our catch tally for the third week was:

  • 65 GTs (6 over 100cm)
  • 7 Bumphead Parrotfish
  • 4 Triggerfish
  • 1 Milkfish
  • 243 other species
  • 2 Napoleon Wrasse

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Featured Image - Providence Blog: 14-21 March 2023

Providence Blog: 14-21 March 2023

The second week of our March-May 2023 season saw us welcome back the familiar faces that join Aardvark Mcleod on their annual hosted fly fishing trip to Providence. Excited to explore the fishery with our friends from the UK we set about preparing everyone’s gear for the 6 days of fly fishing that lay before us…

Our group landed a total of 10 GTs during the first day of fly fishing as well as loads of action on the tailing species, with 5 Triggers and 7 Bones landed. The standout catch went to Fred who managed to land a trophy Bonefish of 10lbs, well done Fred! Other highlights from the first day included a flats slam for Tom consisting of 2 GTs, a Triggerfish and 3 Bonefish. Peter M also tasted sweet success during his day out landing 2 Triggerfish and 2 GTs.

Day 2 saw our group enjoy jaw-dropping weather conditions with clear skies and a light sea breeze. The group made the most of the favourable conditions landing a total of 13 GTs, 8 Bonefish and a single Trigger for the day. The team of Peter, Fred, and Andrew all enjoyed the action on the flats with Peter converting 4 GTs and 4 Bonefish, Fred managed 4 Bones and a GT, while Andrew landed 4 Bones and a Trigger. Great job guys!

Day 3 delivered a variety of catches under perfect bluebird skies and almost no wind whatsoever. Impressive catches of GTs, Triggers, and Bonefish were shared amongst the group with Mark and Piers landing 2 Triggers each. Joern added 3 GTs to his tally while Brummy came close to a slam landing two GTs and a very large Bone that tipped the scales at 10 lbs! The boat team of Peter O, Tom O, and Fred climbed into the GTs and managed to land 7 between them for the day with the standout catch going to Fred, his trophy GT pulled the measuring tape to 101cm. Awesome job, gentlemen!

The 4th day of the week provided our guests with numerous shots at GTs with a total of 17 brought to hand for the day. Peter M and Jim came into a rich vein of form and managed to bag 4 a piece. Andrew landed the only Triggerfish for the day, a beautiful Mustache Triggerfish that he managed to fool into eating his fly early on during the fishing day. The catch of the day, however, went to Joern who had been hunting his Indian Ocean nemesis for almost 15 years. On this Saturday, he finally found himself and a trophy Napoleon Wrasse in the same image, his trophy measured 94cm. Well done Joern!

Day 5 was filled with action with a slam and 16 GTs caught. Peter McLeod found himself in the land of giants when he hooked and eventually landed a monster GT that measured 116cm. He then went on to add another 4 to his tally, well done Peter! Peter’s boat partners, Jim and Brummy also had their share of the action with the pair landing 3 and 2 GTs respectively. Peter M’s knack of finding himself in all the right places continued as usual bagging a slam that consisted of a GT, a Triggerfish and 4 Bonefish. Great job Pete!

We decided that GTs were going to be the primary focus for the final fishing day. This gamble paid off big time with 25 GTs brought to hand. The father and son pair of Peter O and Tom O managed to land 3 GTs between them while Jim brought a lovely specimen that measured in the high 90s to hand. Peter M continued his rich vein of form and landed 6 GTs while his boat partner Piers managed to convert 5. Mark matched Peter M’s efforts with another 6 including 1 that broke that magical meter mark measuring 101cm. This brought a cracking end to a diverse week of flats fishing on Providence Atoll.

As always, we enjoyed our time with the good folks hosted by Aardvark McLeod. Thanks for joining us and we look forward to welcoming you all back to the atoll again next year.

Our catch tally for the 2nd week of the season was:

  • 97 – GTs (3 over 1m)
  • 13 – Triggerfish
  • 25 – Bonefish (2 over 10lbs)
  • 1 – Napoleon wrasse

Till next week,
The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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    Featured Image - Providence Blog: 5 – 14 March 2023

    Providence Blog: 5 – 14 March 2023

    The opening week of our March – May 2023 fly fishing season saw us welcome a group of guests to our favorite fly fishing destination in Seychelles for the third consecutive year. Following a round of excited hello’s and a quick tender boat run from Providence Island to our trusty mothership, we set about readying our everyone’s gear for their customary extended 9-night/8-day trip with us.

    Day 1 saw us treated to excellent weather with clear skies and a slight breeze originating from the west. Our group which consisted of eight anglers got stuck into the action immediately landing 23 GTs for the day. Scott opened his account in style landing an impressive 6 GTs while Charlie, a newcomer to the group brought his first-ever Seychelles GT and Milkfish to hand. Ivan followed suit by landing a powerful Milkfish and 5 GTs to close off a very productive day of fly fishing on Providence Atoll.

    The pleasant weather continued during day 2 and provided our guests with the perfect conditions to tackle the larger GTs found throughout the atoll. Scott, who is no stranger to landing big fish on Providence managed to find himself in the right place at the right time bagging a monster 117cm GT. His fish was picked from a school that was following a large shark. Great job, Scott! The father and son team of Jeronimo and Camillo made hay while the sun shone and managed to land 3 GTs respectively. Kyle enjoyed a stellar day adding 6 GTs to the tally which clocked 23 by day end. Well done guys!

    Day 3 and no change in the conditions, still perfect. Our group enjoyed excellent fishing with Juan landing 4 GTs himself while brother Jeronimo went on to land the first Triggerfish of the season and another 2 GTs. Scott continued to enjoy the action on the big fish front. This time he found himself attached to an immensely strong 113cm GT which had his reel working overtime before it was tamed. Kelly however landed the standout catch of the day when he hooked a massive 118cm GT that was found in a large lagoon. Our end-of-day tally saw us land another 23 GTs…incredible fishing!

    The 4th day saw our team explore areas of the atoll known to deliver a variety of grouper, snapper, and wrasse species. The plan paid dividends with the standout catch of this session going to Jeronimo who managed to bag himself the iconic Napoleon Wrasse that measured over the 1-meter mark. Kyle maintained his streak of good fortune on the flats taming 5 GTs, however, the top rod for the day was Charlie who managed an impressive 7 GTs bringing the total count for the day to 18 GTs landed.

    Day 5 and we were beginning to encounter more and more of the tailing fish species that frequent the atoll. Juan and Kelly enjoyed great fishing for both Bonefish and GTs landing 4 GTs and 6 Bonefish between them. One of Kelly’s bones measured 28,5 inches which put it in the region of 10lbs… Great catch Kelly! The GTs were still around in great numbers with a total of 18 landed for the day. The standout catches on this front went to Ivan and Charlie, a 107cm & 106cm fish respectively.

    Day 6 saw a change in conditions with a strong draft and a bank of clouds hanging above the atoll. Despite the conditions, every flyfisherman in the group managed to land at least one GT. Kelly landed yet another 4 GTs, one of which stretched the tape to 115cm! Camillo, Kelly’s boat partner for the day also managed to land 3 GTs which brought the total of GTs for the day to 13.

    Day 7 and the weather conditions were as they were the previous day. Despite the variable conditions, everyone in the group managed to land a GT with a total of 14 landed for the day. Charlie enjoyed the bulk of the action landing 5 GTs, one of which broke the meter mark measuring 103cm. It did not stop there for Charlie, while walking one of the lagoon edges, a very large blue shape emerged and tailed on a tapered turtle grass bank. It was quickly identified as a very large Napoleon Wrasse and after a couple of presentations, the wrasse charged the fly and engulfed it. Panic ensued as the fish sped off for his coral bommie home and after an intense tug of war Charlie managed to break the fish’s will to get to the coral and eventually landed. Great catch Charlie!

    The weather finally broke for the final day of the trip and we were treated to clear skies and a light breeze prevailing from the southeast. It was decided that the family affair of Camillo, Juan, and Jeronimo would partner and fish together. They made the most of their day together with Juan landing a slam that included a Trigger, 3 GTs, and a 10lbs Bonefish. Jeronimo narrowly missed his slam landing a Milkfish and 2 GTs, 1 of which broke the 1-meter mark measuring 101cm. Camillo finally landed his Trigger bagging himself a beautiful Yellow Margin. Kyle came in hot again landing himself 4 GTs for the day. Charlie also kept up his good form saving the best for last managing 6 GTs for the day, two of which broke the 100cm mark measuring 109cm and 115cm.

    This brings us to the end of an action-packed season opener on our favourite flats in Seychelles. Our catch tally for the week was:

    • 148 GTs (10 over 100cm)
    • 3 Milkfish
    • 3 Triggerfish
    • 10 Bonefish (2 over 10lbs)
    • 2 Napoleon wrasse (both over 100cm)

    Till next week,
    The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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    Featured Image - Providence Blog: 6-13 December 2022

    Providence Blog: 6-13 December 2022

    We welcomed a full group of 12 anglers comprising of familiar and new faces onboard to the Maya’s Dugong for the 8thand final week of our end of year stint on Providence. Our team was frothing at the bit to end the season on a high and that’s exactly what we did…

    The first day of the fishing week saw loads of action out on the flats as our guests enjoyed favorable weather conditions. Our group landed a total of 9 GTs with Peter, Mike, and Dale all managing to land a single fish each while James, Alex, and Ross went one better with 2 GTs each for the day. We encountered good numbers of bumphead parrotfish on the flats and after some skillful casting Kevin and Paul both managed to hook and land their first ever bumpies on the fly. The conditions we experienced were ideal for the atoll’s resident milkfish providing fantastic opportunities for these powerful creatures.  Ross, the man of the moment managed hook 1 and after a long tussle the fish broke the leader right at the net. Although disappointing, he had done 99% of the work on his part. Still a special day for Ross, being 14 years of age, and experiencing his first GT catch and almost landing a milkfish on his first ever saltwater fly fishing experience.

    The second day of the week saw much of the same conditions as the first. With moderate winds and bright sunlight for most of the day our guests all enjoyed a productive day on the flats. There were once again loads of shots for the infamous Giant Trevally with a total of 8 fish landed for the day with the largest being a 103cm fish landed by Alex, one of 2 fish for him. Paul also landed 2 for the day with his boat partners Peter and Kevin also getting stuck in with 3 and 1 respectively. We bumped into the bumpies consistently throughout the day and after some stealthy stalking and an accurate cast James found himself connected to an absolute monster. Following a long tussle James’ beast was landed, measuring and impressive 108cm!

    Day 3 brought with it exceptionally flat conditions with very little wind and more bright sunlight. We enjoyed yet more productive flats fishing for GTs with our group tallying 6 for the day. The catches were split equally amongst Mike, James, Nico, Peter, Kevin, and Ross. Ross however, enjoyed a moment of Providence magic as his GT measured a massive 106cm! Some of the group encountered tailing bumpies on the flats, Charles converted his shot landing his very first bumpie on the fly. Another impressive catch was the large napoleon wrasse landed on the flats by Peter, the fish was seen feeding on the flats and after an intense fight and some wrangling through coral heads the fish came to hand. The action continued into the early evening with large schools of milkfish seen feeding energetically in certain areas of the atoll. This provided Schalk with the opportunity of finally land his nemesis. Well done, Schalk!

    Day 4 saw a complete change in the conditions with heavily overcast skies and strong wind. We still managed to complete several impressive catches by the with a total of 8 GTs landed for the day. Ross, Paul, Mike, and Alex all landed a GT each while Charles and James went one better with 2 apiece. The milkfish were up in good numbers once again. This time it was both Paul and Kevin’s turn to get taste milky success as they each managed to hook and land 1 of these very highly prized fish.

    The fifth day saw the overcast conditions disappear with the guests experiencing calm winds and great light throughout the day. It turned out to be an incredibly productive day on the GT front as there were large packs of GTs encountered hunting and cruising over the flats of Providence. The fishing was action packed with no less than 19 fish landed for the day. Peter and Mike each managed to land a fish with Peter’s fish just shy of a meter. James, Alex, and Charles however experienced something very few people get to see as they found large packs of GTs bow waving across their flat while feeding off the back of stingrays. They enjoyed a phenomenal session landing 3, 6 and 8 GTs respectively with many more fish seen, hooked, and lost. A great day of flats fishing shared between good friends.

    Providence left the best for last as the 6th day of the week produced a fanstastic day of flats fishing for GTs. Our guests landed a total of 36 GTs between them with Nico, Ross, and Dale each landing one fish each to round off a very successful week for them out here. Mike and Schalk both went out with some unfinished business and managed to land 2 and 3 GTs respectively. The day however would be extra special for Paul, Peter, and Kevin who landed an incredible 28 GTs between them for the day. Paul landed 8, while Peter landed 9. Kevin ended his week in the best possible fashion as he landed 11 GTs on the last day of the week.

    It has been a great pleasure to explore Providence with all of those who joined us this season.  Despite the tricky we conditions we experienced for periods of this season we still had a blast. A special thanks to all of those who joined us during our Oct – Dec 2022 Providence fly fishing season. We can’t wait to share it with you all again in the near future.

    Our catch tally for the week was:

    • GT: 86 (2 over 100cm)
    • Bumpie: 4
    • Milkfish: 4
    • Napoleon: 1

    Until next season

    The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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    Featured Image - Providence Blog: 29 Nov- 6 Dec 2022

    Providence Blog: 29 Nov- 6 Dec 2022

    The 7th week of the October-December 2022 Providence season saw us welcome a full group of new commers to the Providence experience. Brimming with excitement our mothership made short work of the crossing from Farquhar to Prov.

    Day 1 was action packed with all of our guests enjoying the various fly. Fishing opportunities available on the flats. Sam and David enjoyed an exciting and rewarding trigger fishing session with each of them managing to bring 1 to hand. The GTs were unfortunately scarce however we were still able to land a total of 3 for the day – Blom, Faf, and Renthia all tasting success on this front. We also happened upon several schools of feeding bumphead parrotfish which provided action for those interested in taming the mighty bumpie. Both Rob and Simone converted their opportunities by landing 1 apiece. Great job, guys! Other highlights worth mentioning included Brett’s first ever napoleon wrasse much to the excitement of his fishing partners onboard his skiff.

    The second day of the trip saw our guests treated to loads of shots to the atoll’s various tailing fish species. Will, Sam, and David encountered a good number of   large bonefish and ended their session with 5, 2 and 4 Bones respectively. The bumphead parrotfish were once again out in good numbers which resulted in Renthia landing her first ever bumpie on the fly. We experienced more action on the triggerfish front with both Sam and Will able to bring a colorful trigger to hand. The GT fishing was unfortunately slower than normal again with few shots up for grabs for our guests. That said, Rob and Blom each managed to land 2 apiece to bring the day’s total to 4. The busy action prospecting for the different grouper and snapper continued during day 2 which kept our guests entertained during the periods of the tide that were favorable for this. The standout catches on this front was another large napoleon wrasse, this time for Daniel.

    Day 3 delivered another productive session of fly fishing for bonefish. Dan, Brett, and Simone all managed to land their personal best bones while Rob caught the bone of the day landing a trophy fish that was over that magical 10lb mark. He didn’t stop there and went on to land beautiful yellow margin triggerfish. Great fishing and well done, Rob! The tough GT fishing continued with few opportunities presenting themselves during the day. Sam was the only angler to taste success on this front landing a brute of 101cm. Way to go, Sam, great job!

    Day 4 brought with it some fantastic conditions to target the tailing fish species available on the atoll with loads of shots had to yellow margin and moustache triggers. Our guests managed to get several fish to eat the fly with quite a few flies coming back destroyed by the trigger’s strong jaws and teeth. Dan and Brett converted their shots landing 2 and 1 respectively. There were a few GTs seen on the flats however those shots just didn’t go our way.

    More bones were encountered on day 5 with Rob landing 5, and once again found himself connected to the big fish as he caught his second double digit bonefish for the week highlighting just how good Providence is when it come to producing large and powerful bonefish. A couple more GTs were seen out on the flats during the day and although they weren’t in the numbers that we are used to seeing there were still 2 fish landed. David and Brett made their shots count and each landed 1 of these iconic fish.

    The 6th and last day of the fishing week had us all hoping for red hot fishing. The bumpies were around in good numbers and our guests enjoyed exciting fishing for these behemoths of the flats. Dan and Brett had each showed interest in the bumpies all week and their persistence finally paid off on the last day as the each landed their first bumpies ever on the fly. Great job, gentlemen. The GTs that had been elusive all week and finally made a reappearance in good numbers on the last day. There were 4 landed – Brett, Dan, and David all managed to get one to end their week off in great fashion. The GT of the day, however, went to Will who after fishing hard all week was rewarded with a GT of 101cm. A special way to end his time at Providence. Well done, Will! The afternoon gave our guests an opportunity to target some of the bluewater species on offer with large schools of feeding milkfish encountered. David was the lucky angler who had 1 stick, landing his first ever milkfish. Staying offshore some of our guests wanted a crack at the sailfish and several fish were raised on the last day with Faffa making his shot count as he managed to land 1 of these acrobatic speedsters.

    This brings us to the end a diverse week of fly fishing on Providence. Although the GT fishing was difficult our group made the most of their time exploring the atoll and still managed to land good numbers of all the various targets up for grabs.

    Our catch tally for the week was as follows:

    • GT: 14 (2 over 100cm)
    • Bumphead Parrotfish: 5
    • 10lb Bonefish: 2
    • Milkfish: 1
    • Sailfish: 1
    • Total number of other species caught: 289

    Until next week

    The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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    Featured Image - Providence Blog: 22-29 November 2022

    Providence Blog: 22-29 November 2022

    The 6th week of our season saw us welcome a group hosted by our friends from Mavungana in South Africa. After a short crossing over from Farquhar our guests were ready to get their week in this outlandish place off to a running start and that is exactly what they did…

    Day 1 delivered opportunities for the atoll’s giant trevally and although not all of the shots ended in success 3 of our guests – Nick, Rob, and Chris all managed to land a giant trevally for the day. Action was had on the offshore front too, Johan caught the standout catch here landing an immensely powerful 119cm dogtooth tuna. The day was rounded off with some exceptional fishing over the deeper coral bommies providing our group with exciting entertainment to end the day.

    Day 2 brought with it an improvement on the GT front with our guests tasting success on 7 occasions for the day. Nick, Chris, Calum, Craig, and Jono all managed to land a fish each while Rob went one better with 2 for the day. The infamous bumphead parrotfish were also out in good numbers and Jono made his shots count landing a large bumpie. This was no mean feat as it was done using a dry fly imitation that our team had been working on for some time. The very first bumphead parrotfish ever caught on off the surface and a very special moment for both head guide Tim Babich and Jonathan. The fishing off the coral heads was on fire and apart from all the weird and wonderful grouper and snapper species landed there were also 2 napoleon wrasse landed by Jono and Craig, respectively. We had seen some sailfish activity offshore in the days prior and this led to Henk and Johan both landing their first sailfish on fly. Well done, guys!

    Day 3 saw yet another improvement in the GT fishing with a total of 11 landed for the day. Craig and Calum continued from where they left off on the previous day landing a GT each. Nick also got in on the action but went one better with 2 GTs. The day, however, belonged to Rob who enjoyed a very busy session of fishing converting 6 GTs to cap off a productive day on the flats.

    Day 4 brought with it several opportunities for the atoll’s resident bumphead parrotfish. Henk and Johan’s efforts paid dividend with both managing to land their first ever bumpies. Well done, guys! The sailfish were around again in good numbers – Rob, Roland, and Calum all came right with these acrobats of the open ocean. Back to the flats and the GT action provided our guests with multiple shots to these impressive predators with our group tallying a total of 6 for the day. Craig, Calum, Chris, Nick, Henk, and Jono shared the spoils between them.

    We experience tough conditions on day 5 with high winds and limited visibility due to thick cloud cover. Henk found a couple of bonefish on a sand flat and the second fish he caught stretched the tape past the 26.5 Inch mark making it a 10 lber, well done, Henk! The tricky conditions resulted in a single GT brought to hand for the day, a feisty fish caught by Roland.

    The last day of the week saw the weather improve slightly and our guests were all itching to end the week on a high. Jono ended his time at Providence in style by landing a powerful trophy GT that measured 100cm. Rob enjoyed success too and landed a triggerfish and another Sailfish. Roland’s persistence paid off as he finally managed to land his first bumphead parrotfish after being fascinated by these fish all week. This brings us to the end of a challenging week’s fishing on the flats of Providence. Tough conditions certainly didn’t help our cause however we thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with the Mavungana group. We look forward to exploring these flats with you all again in the near future.

    Our catch tally for week 5 was:

    • GT: 28 (1 of a 100cm)
    • Sailfish: 6
    • Bumphead Parrotfish: 4
    • Triggerfish: 1
    • Napoleon Wrasse: 2
    • Bonefish: 9 (1 of 10lbs.)

    Till next week,

    The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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