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Tag: seychelles

FlyCastaway visits Angler Adventures

Gerhard Laubscher of FlyCastaway is visiting Angler Adventures in Connecticut next week and giving a couple of presentations about FlyCastaway’s cutting edge fishing operations on St. Brandon’s Atoll, Mauritius and Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles. Both destinations offer spectacular fisheries that get almost no fishing pressure due to their remote locations and are priced like rare commodities, adding exclusivity to both destinations attributes (Farquhar prices at $7,500 US and St. Brandon’s prices at 6,500 Euro).

To get started, here’s the guides report from the April 4 – 11, 2012 week at Farquhar that included one of our clients, Steve Gross, who was looking to tally up as many species as possible.

If you’d like to attend Gerhard’s presentations, click here.

Farquhar Atoll: 4-11 April 2012

Like a tide eager to begin its initial surge, our new group of guests arrived on the shores of Farquhar champing at the bit to explore the multitude of flats and species Farquhar has on offer. After our customary quick briefing and some hasty rigging of tackle, the group which consisted of 9 men and one hard core fisherwoman set out to get a brief taste of what was in store for the rest of the week. The weather was set to be stable …we were hoping for an absolute cracker!

Yves quickly enticed his first Trigger to eat the fly. Jeff joining the action as he got stuck into a Milky as they are still here and feeding hard! Clare quickly showed the boys she was here to do business by landing the first GT, sadly her Dad. Finally after countless attempts, Wayne O finally managed to land his Trigger, which has been eluding him for years. And it didn’t end there for Wayne as he recorded our first Farquhar Slam, that being GT, a Bone and a Trigger in one day. Now that’s some serious angling and bragging rights!

But back to the rest of the week, the Milkies were still hanging around and after and epic battle, Alex landed his first Milky, awesome fish Alex! His action didn’t stop there either, he also managed to land a GT and a Bone in the same day, quite an achievement. Good fishing was being experienced by all, although we did have a fair number of large GTs lost due to hooks pulling and lines breaking. Clare however had the pink touch (literally), and landed another good GT. Things were heating up and the pressure was on to get the desired species.

Ian subsequently also made his way in to the record book by landing all three of the species and Yves just failing to qualify by losing his GT. Wayne, Dean and Jeff had one truly memorable day whereby they landed 5 GTs, although Wayne did get smoked by a Yellowfin Tuna which tore off 300m of backing in less than 20 seconds late in afternoon!

2 Slams in two days. Let’s make it 4 in three days. Dean and Jeff decided they also wanted a taste of that action and had no trouble landing a Trigger, a Bone and a GT. Piece of cake, all in a day’s work at the office….these were the comments around the dining room table each evening. Steve continued his species count and landed a truly impressive Napoleon.

Last day out on the flats and Ian once again showed his metal landing a 98cm GT which was the largest of the week. Jeff and Wayne muscled in some Bumphead Parrotfish, whilst Steve braved “THE WALK” and reaped the rewards, landing Bones, Bluefin and two Blackfin Sharks. It was really good to have Steve out fishing with us after months of preparations and planning!

An amazing week of fishing with 4 Farquhar Slams, 15 GTs, 6 Triggers, 2 Napoleons, some Bumpheads, a Milkfish and countless Bluefin, Grouper and Snapper. That is what Farquhar is all about!

July 12, 2012
Seychelles Best Flats Fishing – Farquhar Atoll

The Seychelles became a bucket list destination because it’s a beautiful, remote destination with fantastic wading for bonefish on hard sand & coral flats and a variety of other species both on and off the flats that added depth to the fishery. Recently, a new fishing operation has opened on Farquhar Atoll, which has taken those credentials to the next level.

Beautiful and remote? Farquhar is called the “Jewel of the Seychelles” and considered to be the most beautiful island in the archipelago and also the southern most atoll (2 hour flight from Mahe). The staff and guests are the only people on the atoll, living in the islands only accommodations. Check.

Fantastic Bonefishing? The fishing is 100% wading. The average schooling bonefish is 4 – 6 pounds and there will be quite a few bonefish in the 6 – 8 pound range. Most anglers end up leaving the schools to find fish in single and doubles for a bit more of a challenge. Check.

Variety of Species? In addition to Bonefish, there are the normal fish you’d expect to see on a flat in the Seychelles: Shark, Barracuda, Snapper, Triggerfish, Trevally (including Giant Trevally), Milkfish, Napoleon Wrasse and Indo-Pacific Permit. The guides on Farquhar have also figured out how to catch Humphead Parrotfish, which were previously though to be uncatchable on the fly and become experts at targeting GT’s (Giant Trevally). You can also fish deeper water for Sailfish, several Grouper species, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Job fish, and more. A client of our landed 18 different species on the fly…all with a floating line! Check.

This is truly one of the special fishing destinations in world, and the reservations book shows it – the first availability is for late-October 2013. If you’re interested in fishing Farquhar, we suggest getting started now. Like Farquhar, but more interested in Bonefishing? Check out Farquhar’s sister operation St. Brandon’s Atoll, which has better bonefishing with less variety.

Bonefish!

August 17, 2012
Top Wading Destinations for “Shallow Minded” Anglers: Bahamas, Seychelles, Mauritius, Belize, Venezuela and more

Are you “shallow minded?” Have you been known to carry carpenter’s knee pads, or snow shoes on your bonefishing trips? We love to wade for bonefish and the skinnier the water, the better. So where’s the best place to get your feet wet, and little else? Here’s a quick list of our favorite wading destinations and how they rank. Click on the links below for more information on each lodge or destination.

Bahamas

Grey’s Point Inn – 99% wading: Grey’s Point on Acklins Island is the winner in the Bahamas as virtually all bonefishing is by wading, much of this in water only 3 – 6 inches deep!

Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge – 85% wading: Mars Bay is a close second to GPI. MBBL is furthest south and closest to the vast wading flats of South Andros. Except for high spring tides, you’re walkin’!

Bair’s Lodge & Andros South – 80% wading: Located further north on south Andros, these lodges also fish Deep and Little Creeks which have a mix of wading and skiff fishing.

Rickmon Bonefish Lodge & Blackfly – 75% wading: The flats of southern Abaco, Mores Island and Gorda Cay are mostly firm, beautiful wading flats. For the guy who prefers to wade, you can expect to spend most of your fishing time on foot.

North Andros Fly Fishing – 75% wading: North Andros and The Joulter Cays sport beautiful, white sand wading flats with some impressive size bones and occasionally permit too!

Seychelles

Alphonse Island Fishing Company – 95% wading. With exclusive access to the famed St. Francois Lagoon, as well as the flats of Alphonse Island and Bijoutier, AIFC is one of the world’s top wading destinations for bonefish and a myriad of other species, including Giant Trevally and milkfish.

Farquhar Atoll – 90% wading. This southernmost atoll in the Seychelles chain offers astounding wade fishing for more than 10 species, including above average size bones, Giant Trevally, Indo-Pacific Permit, Trigger Fish and a myriad of other exotic species.

Mauritius

St. Brandon’s Atoll onboard the MY Gryphon Mothership – 99% wading. Quite possibly the #1 wading destination for trophy size bones and an exotic mix including Indo-Pacific permit, 5 species of trevally including Giant Trevally to over 100 pounds! Not for the faint of heart!

Belize

Turneffe Flats Resort – 90% wading: The Turneffe Atoll is famed for minimal tidal fluctuation and tailing fish all day long. The only skiff fishing is for permit in the lagoon or tarpon in the creeks.

Tarpon Caye Lodge – 90% wading: For permit! The infamous flats of Permit Alley where you can stalk tailing permit on foot!

Venezuela

Sight Cast Los Roques: – 100% wading: Perhaps the premier bonefishing wade fishery in the northern hemisphere, the atoll of Los Roques features tailing bones on the unique, challenging but bewitching “Pancake Flats”.

Turks & Caicos

Beyond the Blue Bonefishing – 90% wading. Another unique fishery, the flats of South Caicos are accessed by airboat. Once the fish are located, anglers disembark and wade or use paddle boards, unguided, to stalk the schools.

Christmas Island

Capt. Cook Hotel – 99% wading. While perhaps not as prolific as it once was, Christmas Island remains one of the premier wading destinations for anglers seeking good numbers of medium sized bonefish.

Want to know more about wading, or looking for a great read?

“Thinking Outside the Boat”

by John Frazier, editor of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters

(This large file may take 30 – 60 seconds to download, but it’s well worth the wait!)

Ask the Wading Experts

Want help picking the best wading destination for your next trip? Call or email.

November 6, 2013
Preparing for Your Bonefishing Trip: Wading

Protect Your Feet with a good pair of wading shoes or boots designed for flats fishing, a few pairs of wet wading socks, and don’t forget to break in your shoes. Wading shoes and socks will help to keep sand out and reduce blister forming friction, as well as giving support for a day of wading. But, if the first time you put on your wading shoes in the Bahamas, it’ll be a long week. Break in your shoes by wearing them around the house for an hour or two a couple times per week. It’s much better than blisters or sore arches. Do Not wear last years sneakers with cotton socks or open sandals – your feet will thank you.

Click here for more information on wading shoes

Find a Comfortable lumbar pack or chest/sling pack. Bigger is not always better. The pack should have the essentials (flies, leader and tippet material, nippers, hook file, pliers / hemostats, light rain jacket, camera, water bottle, and maybe your lunch / snack) but not packed full so it disturbs your casting.

Wading is Exercise and it can be a lot of work, especially at a destination like Grey’s Point Inn, South Caicos or the Seychelles where there are extensive flats and you might wade all day. Some flats are firm and easy to wade, while others can be slightly soft or have uneven bottoms, which make walking more difficult. To be sure you’re physically prepared for long wading sessions, schedule long walks or hikes months before your trip. It’s also a great way to find some more remote areas on your local waters, so don’t forget your rod and a box flies!

A Little Practice Casting can make the difference between getting your fly to that 9-pound bonefish, or watching it leave a rooster tail as it runs for deeper water. The majority of shots at bonefish while wading happen between 40’ – 60’, so accuracy and versatility are more important than speed and distance (but the later can also be helpful). The best practice casting is to targets in that 40’ – 60’ range, from different angles (click here to see a diagram of the casting clock). Be sure that you’re not just casting with the wind at your back – knowing how to handle wind blowing in your face or from your right / left will make getting your fly in the right place much easier. Don’t forget to practice your casting while wearing your pack!

Want more tips on flats fishing; check our “What to Bring” list by clicking here.

October 14, 2013