Triggerfish - FlyCastaway

Providence Blog: 3 – 12 March 2024

The opening week of our Providence 2024 season saw us welcome 10 guests onboard the Maya’s Dugong for an extended 8 day/9-night trip. With rather bumpy seas and gloomy skies we wondered what the first week in March had in store for us… This is how it went.

Much to our relief the first fishing day of the season saw us enjoy bluebird skies, brilliant sunlight, and very little wind. The tides allowed us to ease into things with a slow morning push and fly fishing opportunities for a wide variety of targets including GTs, Bonefish, Triggerfish, and Permit shared amongst the group. Charlie and brother Nick shared a fantastic day on the flats together with 3 and 4 GTs landed respectively. Nick’s 4 GTs also happened to be his first ever on the fly which is a fantastic achievement. Charlie later added a large Bonefish of the 9/10 lb. caliber, ending off a wonderful opening to their trip. Elsewhere on the atoll the rest of the group did just as well with Gerald completing a flats slam which consisted of a Bonefish, Triggerfish, and GT. His boat partners Margaret, Rob each landed a GT, however a special mention for Rob who managed to land his first 2 Triggerfish on the fly. Great job Rob! TJ and Ian also landed a Trigger each which rounded off a successful opener for our team.

Day 2 saw the wind do a complete 180-degree directional change, blowing hard out of the southeast. On the bright side we enjoyed good sunshine for most of the day and this reflected in our catch tally. Tim managed to complete a flats slam consisting of a GT, Bonefish, and Triggerfish. His fishing partner, TJ chipped in with a beaut of GT that measured 89cm as well as 6 Bones. Brothers Nick and Charlie got into the action early and landed a couple GTs each. Nick however had a score to settle, determined to tick off the Triggerfish from his catch list, he did just that, with 2 colourful Yellow Margins. Rob added 2 more GTs, one of which a nice fish of 90cm and last, but not least was Dale, who landed a GT to round off a pleasant day on the flats.

Day 3 had us hopeful for more action, and that’s exactly what we got. The action started on the weather front with consistent rolling squalls and strong gusts coming from the southeast. Despite the patchy light and tricky conditions for casting our guests enjoyed a fine day of flats fishing on Providence. This time, it happened to be Ian’s turn to complete a slam of 2 GTs, 2 Triggers, and a single Bone. Dale laned as many GTs as well as 4 Bonefish, one of which dropped the scale to an impressive 9,5 lb.! It was however their third boat partner who enjoyed a personal victory, smashing his PB with a staunch 100cm GT… Our hats off to you Eric. Gerry and Nick landed a GT each while team T&T (Tim and TJ) managed 3 GTs each during a busy lunchtime session.

The halfway point of the trip, day 4, had us endure continuous rolling squalls, high altitude clouds, and little periods of sunlight. These conditions made the fishing somewhat difficult, and our guests had to capitalize on the opportunities they got during the short windows of decent visibility. The bulk of the fishing action was shared between Nick and Charlie. The pair found themselves in the right place at the right time and had several large schools of marauding GTs at their feet at different points during the day. Charlie managed to land 3 from these schools, the largest, a respectable 96cm GT, he also pined a lively Triggerfish while Nick chipped in with 2 GTs and a single Bonefish. The rest of the group soldiered on and managed several decent catches with Margaret, Dale, Tim, and TJ all successful on the GT front. Rob, however, enjoyed a particularly special moment when he landed his personal best Giant Trevally, a brute, that measured 101cm!

Day 5 blessed us with perfect tropical weather, bright sunshine, and a slight breeze from the southeast. The standout catch of the day went to Nick, who managed to land an absolute giant of a GT. His 119cm trophy was spotted as it slowly worked its way along an exposed turtle grass finger flat, Nick’s fly went down and the fish immediately recognized it as prey, shooting forward and engulfing it before the second strip. A mad tussle ensued and due to some luck and some fancy boat work the fish was eventually landed! Charlie added to the day’s tally with another decent fish that measured 90cm while Margaret, TJ, Ian and Rob all enjoyed catches of GTs. Dale and Eric added a splash of colour to the tally with a Yellow Margin Triggerfish and Saddle Back Grouper landed respectively.

Day 6 dawned bright and fresh. With little wind and clear skies our team headed to the flats with great anticipation of good fishing. The action was shared between TJ, Gerry, Dale, Nick and Charlie, all of whom managed to land a couple GTs. The largest of the day went to Nick when he coaxed a beautiful 96cm fish from a large coral head in the dying moments of the day. On the species front, Rob, Margaret, and Gerry enjoyed a session of productive fishing over the atoll’s expansive coral gardens landing several Bohar Snappers, Napoleon Wrasse, Grouper, and a large Saddleback.

Day 7 saw a continuation of the flat calm weather, with the addition of a couple degrees Celsius to the days heat. The duration and intensity of the hot weather we experienced during the days prior had finally caught up with us and we experienced warm water in large areas of the atoll which had a negative effect on the fishing. On the GT front, Ian, Dale, Nick, Charlie, and Margaret all enjoyed success. TJ managed to land a massive Barracuda as well as a Napoleon while Charlie and Nick hit it out the park during a very productive session of bommie bashing catching Saddleback Grouper, Bohar, and several other novel species that call the atoll home.

The last day of the trip saw us endure heavy cloud, rain, and the odd rumble of thunder for duration of the time we spend on the flats. Despite the tough fishing conditions, we still managed to get the odd opportunity in front of our desired targets with Nick, Ian, Rob, and Gerry all bringing GTs to hand. Our shots were taken during brief periods of the tide where we were able to spot water disturbances created by moving stingrays and tailing fish. A tough way to end the trip but we all felt satisfied that we did everything we could to find and catch fish under trying conditions.

All in all, this was an incredibly enjoyable week of fishing shared with old and new friends. Despite the tough conditions we managed to make memories that’ll last a lifetime. A special thanks to everyone who joined us this week. As for our catch tally we landed the following fish:

GTs – 68 (3 of 100cm +)
Triggerfish – 14
Bonefish – 29
Total tally of other fish caught – 96

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Providence Blog: 5 – 12 Dec 2023

Before we knew it, the final week of the Providence October – December 2023 season was here.
Fate would have it that we welcomed back our friends from AOS, Alex and Stephan. They were hosting a full house of guests from Austria, Marco was staying on for another week and our friend from South Africa, Peter, joined the group. A few first-timers to the salt and some guests on their 10th trip to the Seychelles. We were set to finish the week and season strong.

On the first day, we had some patchy light and low winds. Manuel, Gernot, and Chris’s team got straight into the action when they came across a mob of nurse sharks with about 200 GTs with them. Chris and Manuel landed a few GTs immediately, but the day went to Gernot, who landed his first GT and 3 others, including a 112cm. Well done Gernot The husband and wife team of Klaus V and Christina teamed up with Peter. Peter got off the mark early with an excellent GT on a crab. They all landed 1 bonefish each, and Christina got a sizeable yellow margin trigger to hand. Klaus V also landed a nice-sized Napoleon. The new team of Freddy, Klaus and Lucas landed their first GTs for the trip. Alex, Stephan, and Marco also got into the gents and brought 6 to hand. Bring the first day to a close with 17 GTs landed and signs of good things to come.

Sadly, as we often experience on the atoll, the weather can change on a dime, and we woke on the second day to 360 degree glare and rain all day. The teams thus set out to find a few bonefish; Lukas and Klaus landed their first 2 bones each, whilst Freddy caught his first and five more for the day, plus landed his first ever sailfish. Well done gents! Christina and Peter landed the only 2 GTs for the day.

We rose to beautiful weather on day three and set out to try to make up for the previous day’s bad light. Freddy, Klaus, and Lukas kept their momentum going with 1 each and 5 more bonefish. Peter, Christina, and their husband Klaus landed 8 bonefish—five for Peter, 2 for Klaus, and 1 for Christina. Alex, Stephan, and Marco found five lovely bones in the morning, and Stephan landed the first and only bumpy for the week. But the day’s fish went to Marco, who hooked and landed a GT measuring 114cm after a stressful fight involving some coral heads and a few swims. Well done, Marco!

On the 4th day, we had much of the same momentum. The teams kept the GT tally steadily ticking over with many more memorable catches. The trio of Alex, Stephan, and Marco landed 8 GTs, but the most memorable was 1 of Stephan’s fish that ate spectacularly after a long follow-in; the fish also measured 97cm—well done gents! Klaus, Freddy and Lukas also landed 5 GTs, 2 for Freddy and Klaus and one for Lukas, including a nice GT caught by Klaus V. This brought the day’s tally to 13 more GTs.

For the 5th and second to last day of the season, it looked like we would have excellent light and low winds. Peter got off the mark first with an absolute cracker of a fish, which after a short chase and another swim, the fish measuring 115cm was landed. His fishing partners Klaus V and Christina sadly ost a bumpy each shortly after. The other teams used the light well and caught many more GTs. Freddy, big Klaus and Lukas landed 7 GTs between them. The trio of Alex, Stephan and Marco matched this number. Emanuel, Chris and Gernot landed four more, whilst Chris ended the day off with a sailfish. Well done to everyone!

The season’s final day was here and thankfully the weather was going to play fair. We set off with blue skies and high hopes. Big Klaus landed his final GT for the trip which was spotted sitting in a white hole. Marco, Stephan, Klaus V and Peter also finished with a final GT each for their trip. Gernot and Manuel also landed a fish each, but it was Gernot who topped the teams with a second fish in the afternoon. Well done to all on a great week fo fishing and fun to close out our season!

This brings the week tally and the season to a close as follows:

GT – 63 (3 > 112cm)
Bonefish – 33
Bumphead Parrotfish – 1
Triggerfish – 1
Sailfish – 2
Napoleon – 2
Other – 112

Till next season,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Providence Blog: 28 Nov – 5 Dec 2023

For the seventh week of the Providence October-December season, we welcomed back some new and old faces, along with great friend Tony who was staying on for his second week. A team of 5 from South Africa, including Andy, Andrew, Mark, Hilton and George joined us, whilst Dan and Charles from the USA made their first trip to Providence and Marco returned for another crack at what the atoll has to offer.

We rose on the first day to almost no wind and bright blue skies, an absolute relief given the conditions we experienced the week prior. Hilton got off the mark early with his first GTs of the trip and the guys got stuck into some excellent Bommie bashing to stretch the lines and see what their gear was made of. Andrew managed to get a GT for himself, but the rod of the day was Tony who made up for the terrible weather the week before. He landed 5 GTs, 2 over a meter (107 cm and a 103 cm) as well as a fish of 97 cm. It is an excellent example of making it count when it matters. Well done, Tony.

We had the same beautiful weather on the second day including some severe heat. There was zero wind but amazing blue skies. Tony landed a nice GT, whilst the team of Hilton and George landed a GT each for the day. Andrew landed a beautiful GT of 93 cm in a big drainage and Mark simultaneously hooked a giant Bluefin, making a great double-up of the photo. The trio of Charles, Dan, and Marco got 6 GTs to the boat between, during which Charles landed 3 and Dan landed his first of 101 cm. Well done Dan! Charles landed an exceptional fish of 109 cm as well.

We went to a completely different weather conditions on the third day: gloomy grey skies and all-day rain awaited us. We waded out into the gloom with high spirits. Andy landed his first triggerfish on his first trip to the Seychelles, an excellent achievement that can often take many trips to achieve. Andrew landed a beautiful sailfish and Marco landed another GT for the day.

On the fourth day, we hesitantly peeked out the window hoping that the weather had gone! To our joy we were back to beautiful blue skies and low winds. Tony kept his momentum going by landing a GT and a sailfish in the morning. Hilton also managed to bring a sail to hand, however George was the hot rod on his boat by landing 2 GTs before the end of the day. The ever-steady Marco landed yet another GT for the day, whilst Charles and Mark found a few bonefish and brought 6 to hand.

The 5th day held more incredible weather and the teams were well into the swing of things.
George caught his first trigger of the trip….well done George. Hilton and Andrew landed 1 GT each and Tony also kept his average up by getting yet another GT. The ever-consistent Marco landed two GTs out of a drainage, 1 of them measuring 90cm.

For the final day, it almost felt like the weather might be too nice in that warm water might play a part. The trio of Andrew, Hilton and Mark found some GTs, and Andrew cashed in by landing 3 by himself. Hilton also snagged one to bring his Prov trip to a successful close. Andy caught his second trigger for the trip. Well done. Tony did exceptionally well to land four triggers for the day, a personal record for himself. Well done, Tony. The trio of Charles, Dan and Marco landed 2 GTs and Charles and Marco landed their first triggers of the trip. Well done gents!

This brings the week’s tally to:

GT – 32 ( 4 > 1m biggest 109cm)
Bonefish – 6
Triggerfish – 7
Sailfish – 4

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Providence Blog: 21 – 28 Nov 2023

We welcomed a near full boat of return guests, some from South Africa and some from New Zealand, along with Tony who was about to start a 2-week stint with us.

After an early dinner and a good rest, all the guests rose on the first day to storms, rain, and almost no light. The teams headed onto the flats to look for bonefish and other tailing species. Despite the conditions, Chris M got off the board with his first GT of the week with the rest of the group enduring a torrid time on the flats due to the weather. Eventually after a massive storm we all scampered back to the safety of the Dugong in the early evening.

We had great hope that would be the last of the weather, but the second day held much of the same. With the tides still okay for a few bonefish, we tried to make do with what we had. Chris M landed another GT while Tony added a perfect GT of 92 cm to the tally. The boat grouping of Charles, Richard, and Craig found a few bonefish, it was however Charles who enjoyed the bulk of the action landing 5 bones, 2 Napoleons, and a barracuda. Richard meanwhile joined a unique club, the Bills and Bones Club, landing his first of each. Well done guys!

By the third day, we had become low light and strong wind specialists. Craig, Rich and Charles continued to enjoy the bonefishing despite the weather hammering us relentlessly. Craig managed to finally land his first GT as well as a powerful Napoleon. The father & son team of Chris and James managed 2 bones, a special moment shared between the pair as this was James’s first-ever experience with a bonefish. He later added a GT to his catch tally for the day. Tony found a triggerfish somewhere in the haze and did very well to land it while his boat partner David landed another Napoleon.

We finally rose on the fourth day to what looked like a little bit of a break in the weather, with some patches of blue sky showing up amongst the clouds. Tony and David did very well; Tony landed a GT in a channel of 85 cm and later he landed a speedy sailfish. Chris W, Chris C, and Pete managed to land 1 GT each for the day while Richard finally got the monkey off his back when he landed his first GT of the trip. Well done Rich!

The fifth day saw us battle the wind, rain and lack of light once again. Restricted to a few white sand flats available to us we managed to scratch out the odd opportunity for the iconic species we were after. Catches of note included Chris W’s 2 GTs, a handful of bonefish for Tony and David as well as a big dogtooth tuna landed offshore.

Before we knew it it was the final day of the fishing week and we finally had some pleasant weather consisting of manageable wind and patchy sunlight. Chris C was the rod of the day landing a beautiful 101 cm GT. His fish was encountered as it attempted to cross a shallow area on an isolated flat. With a full quarter of its body exposed, Chris’s fly went down and the fish rooster tailed 10 meters in a second to smash it. A lengthy battle ensued and eventually the fish was landed – A tremendous fish for the week despite everything thrown at the group! Chris C’s success didn’t stop there, he along with his fishing buddies Chris W and Pete got stuck into 3 enormous grouper, culminating in an awesome triple, a massive Napoleon wrasse, an even bigger saddleback grouper and a large bohar snapper. Later, Pete would add yet another trophy Napoleon to his tally for the day. Special stuff guys, well done. Chris W then, in the dying moments of the last fishing day managed to hook a sailfish that actually spooled him. With the fishing gods on his side, the knot to the reel spool held strong just long enough to gain some line on the fish and then eventually land it. What a way to end the fishing week!

Week 6 goes down as one of the tougher weeks we’ve encountered. Hats off to the guides and guests for hanging in there, all while laughing, joking and fishing hard every single day.

The week’s catch tally was:

GT – 14 (biggest 101cm)
Sailfish – 4
Bonefish -12
Triggerfish = 1
Total number of other fish species landed – 143

Yours in fishing,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Providence Blog: 14 -21 Nov 2023

We welcomed a full group of anglers from our friends at Yellowdog for the 5th week of fly fishing during our end-of-year season. Most of our new arrivals had never been to the Seychelles before, while a few others had recently spent limited time fishing another atoll in the region. Eager to show our new visitors our office for the next 6 days, we quickly got their gear ready and set off for an afternoon in the deep blue, hoping to catch a couple of edibles for the week ahead.

We got off to a great start on the first full day with 14 GTs shared between the group. Matt, John, George, Jarret, and Jud all opened their Providence GT accounts during the day, Jud’s fish a special catch breaking the fabled 100 cm mark. The top rod of the day however was Andy who landed 4 GTs, both impressive fish measuring 105 and 97 cm respectively. These 2 fish were caught in as many casts and within a minute of each other! Exciting stuff, well done, Andy!

With good weather conditions and energy levels that matched that of the day before, we headed to the flats excited about the fly fishing potential that lay before us. Pete got off the mark early with a nice GT, while Andy kept his good form going with another GT. Jud got off to a flying start as well with 2 GTs early during the day. On the tailing species front, John C got his and the group’s first bumpy to hand, as well as a Napoleon in a busy afternoon session somewhere deep in the atoll. Well done, John! In the deep blue, the team of Jay, Jeb, and George experienced some extraordinary fishing for speedy sailfish; landing three and hooking many more!

On the third day, the light continued to play ball, but the wind had other ideas, cranking up several notches. Jay got his first GT of the trip, while Matt and John landed their first-ever Bumpies. Well done, gents! The late afternoon Bluewater run produced a very respectable yellowfin tuna for John C, something that was greatly appreciated by everyone on board the Maya’s Dugong!

On the 4th day, we focused our attention on the tailing species and our guests made quick work of the opportunities that presented themselves. John D and Andy landed their first trigger each, as well as 5 bones and 1 small GT, resulting in a slam for John D. Ian and Rob also managed a GT each for the day while Jud added a triggerfish, bumpie, and greater barracuda to his growing list of species landed for the trip. Elsewhere on the atoll, George, enjoyed a purple patch of action landing his first bumpie, 2 GTs, a triggerfish, and a large barracuda. His boat partners, Pete and Jay, chipped in with a bumpie each bringing a busy day of flats fishing action to an end.

The 5th day had us dealing with bad light and strong wind, which resulted in very challenging fly fishing conditions for our guests to contend with. Despite the conditions, Jeb and Jarrett both enjoyed success, each landing their first bumpies, a colossal achievement! John C managed the only GT of the day, while his boat partners, Andy and Rob got stuck into the bones landing 16 between the pair. Ian, Pete, and John D landed 5 bonefish as well as several shots at Big Permit between the bonefish action. The anglers that caught fish on day 5 should be proud of their efforts considering the severity of the weather conditions.

We woke on the sixth day to clear skies, and we thought that we might be in luck, but shortly after breakfast, the clouds closed in, and the wind blew gale. Despite this, the teams did very well. Jud and George landed some bonefish and got some shots and truly massive GTs. John C and Jeb each landed bonefish of 10 lbs. Well done, guys! Andy, Matt, and John D landed 13 bonefish for the day. John D also added a giant barracuda and another triggerfish to his collection, which is a perfect way to end the week.

The week’s catch tally was as follows (tough light and strong winds made it difficult, but we still managed to record some great catches):

• GT – 27 ( 2 of 1m ) biggest 105cm

• Bonesfish – 56 ( 2x 10lb)

• Triggerfish – 5

• Barracuda – 3

• Sailfish – 3

• Napoleon – 3

• Total tally of other fish landed for the week – 356

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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Providence Blog: 7 – 14 Nov 2023

For the fourth week of the Providence season, we welcomed a mix of seasoned guests and first-time Indian ocean fishermen to the Maya’s Dougong. Julius and Rob stayed on for a second week to see what they could find, while Mike, a seasoned Providence guest, joined Mark and James as first-time anglers to the Indian Ocean. We were also excited to welcome back the Mako Reel team of Justin and Matt who made up a two-ball while Vladimir and Gregory, both seasoned anglers finished off our roster of guests for the week.

The first day of week 4 started with a bang for both Mark and Mike. The pair managed to land their first GT and several bonefish. Julius, now entirely in the swing of things, got his first Providence Slam consisting of a GT, bonefish, and triggerfish. Well done, Julius! Matt and Justin got stuck into the GTs, landing 12 for the day and 2 bones and a triggerfish, resulting in a Providence slam for Justin. Gregory and Vladimir landed 3 GTs, a trigger, and 1 milkfish.

On the second day, we woke to beautiful weather, clear skies, and almost no wind. Mike kept the momentum going by landing 4 GTs. Gregory landed his second GT of the trip as well as a large yellowmargin triggerfish. Justin chipped in with a huge trigger, while Julius did the same adding another trigger and a bonefish to his trip’s catch tally.

On the third morning, we rose to yet of the same weather-wise with low winds and good sunlight. The team of Justin and Matt did incredibly well to land 1 milkfish and 1 sailfish each for the day. Vladimir got himself a beautiful GT of 95 cm with several bones while Gregory added a lovely triggerfish to the catch tally. Rob and Julius landed 3 GT’s, 2 milkfish and a triggerfish.

On the fourth day, Julius and Rob got off the mark in spectacular fashion, with a GT double…..the fish measuring 107cm and 101 cm respectively. This incredible achievement was made even better by 2 more GTs for the day. The cherry on top of Julius’s day was a speedy sailfish he managed to get to hand in the dying moments of day 4. An absolute cracker of a day shared between father and son. Well done guys! Meanwhile, elsewhere on the atoll, Mark managed to get another GT and Justin and Matt’s team added 3 more milkfish to the score, as well as 1 bumpy and 1 GT… A busy day on the flats indeed!

The fifth day saw us deal with tricky conditions in the way of weather, with strong wind and rain making for incredibly tough fly fishing scenarios. Thus, Justin and Matt were the only team to catch any of Providence’s iconic fish, each landing a single GT for the day.

The final day of the fishing week saw Justin and Matt keep their good momentum going. Justin landed an outstanding catch in the way of a 60 kg dogtooth tuna as well as a fantastic GT of 98 cm. Rob and Julius managed to land a couple GTs, 1 triggerfish, and sadly, lost a sailfish. The trio of James, Mark, and Mike managed one each for the final day.

Our catch tally for the 4th week of the season was:

• GTs – 43 (2 of 100cm)

• Triggerfish – 9

• Sailfish – 3

• Bonefish – 14

• Bumphead Parrotfish – 1

• Milkfish – 8

• Total number of other fish caught – 155

Till next week,

The FlyCastaway Guide Team

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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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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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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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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: