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Fishing Tackle
Seychelles - Part 2 : As far away as it gets – Saltwater fly fishing on the remote Providence atoll
28 April 2009
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Another year, another ultra-remote Seychelles atoll. This time the trip was concentrated on the massive, virtually unexplored Providence atoll, situated an overnight sail from the already remote staging post that is Farquhar, itself some two hours flying time from the relative civilisation of Mahe. There is only one group of guides I could possibly put my trust in to access, fish and photograph these potentially hostile locations, and that is the awesome FlyCastaway lot. Do not make the mistake of thinking that this remote, mothership-based fishing can be done on the cheap with what will be a bunch of cowboys. Go with the best, access these waters in total safety, and be guided by the best fly fishing guides I have ever worked with, anywhere. Here FlyCastaway guide Paul Boyers gently cradles a big yellow margin trigger fish, caught and bullied in (you have to fight these fish so hard, they are so prone to scuttling off to some hole and breaking you off) from the edge of the most perfect looking flat you are ever going to see.
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We walked a long way to fish this shimmering, hard-sand flat, perched invitingly in the distance like a welcoming beacon. A strong wind pushed the clouds quickly overhead, and as the day and the fishing unfolded, me as a photographer went into a complete state of over-excited ecstasy at just how perfect fishing can look. Vast, uninterrupted skies, ultra-skinny water that is crawling with big fish, and a quality of light that simply improves minute by minute.
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If you are going to seriously photograph this kind of low-down, “right in the middle of it” fishing, then make sure your camera gear is as reliable, weather-sealed and insured as possible (I use and abuse Canon digital gear). Nothing is going to stop a certain amount of sea water splattering your camera gear as fish come to hand and splash all over the place, like this huge bonefish here that Arno Matthee is close to landing. Also note just how shallow the water is; plenty of people talk about fishing ankle-deep water when in fact it is up over their knees, but check out the depth in relation to Arno’s ankles. And monster bonefish were feeding everywhere…
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The magical, mercurial milkfish, a fish that occupies the dreams and thoughts of plenty of fly fishermen. Fiendishly hard to catch, and everything to do with them made mentally so much tougher when you can see such numbers of them gently wandering these warm, sun-drenched waters, refusing flies at will !! But Arno Matthee (on the right) is the one person generally credited with “decoding” how to successfully take milkies on the fly, indeed the fly he created has been generously named after him : Arno’s Milky Dream, generally tied on size 2 hooks and fished with a 10 weight outfit. Plenty of fish out there fight, but let me assure you that these milkfish pull serious string, indeed they leave plenty of already pretty swift species for dead.
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Paul Boyers cradles a near 25lb, flats-caught milkfish. To be able to fish and photograph with the two guys on this earth who between them have caught a load more milkfish than was ever believed possible, what an opportunity for me. And to see one caught in front of me, to see just how powerful they are, to witness one of the world’s emerging sporting fish, what a rare privilege. A day that will live long in my memory.
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A look at the huge, almost outsize forked tail on a milkfish gives one a clue to just how alarming their turn of speed is. We saw plenty of milkfish milling around this particular flat and they can come so close at times. But when they see you and spook, you really have to see that explosive burst of pace to believe just what an immense, world class sporting proposition these awesome fish truly are. As always though, nothing beats seeing a fish successfully released unharmed.
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On a day like this when I see my first milkfish actually caught, it is easy to forget that in fact we right in the middle of what has to have been one of the most epic bonefish sessions that has ever happened. I don’t recall seeing a bone landed under about 6lbs, seriously, and I saw fish landed to perhaps the magical 10lb mark, and more often than not they were hooked within three metres of the rod tip, indeed sometimes right under it. Hungry bones, skinny water, 9 weight outfits, what more can the fly fisherman ever wish for ? Make hay while the sun shines as they say, and these FlyCastaway guys smacked the fish hard on a rare day off from guiding.
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Never on this earth have I seen waters so pristine, so alive, and so unspoilt. And nowhere have I seen this glorious, pinkish tinge to the clouds and the extremities of the skies that seems to happen in the Seychelles when the sun has reached its zenith for the day. It is simply a magical place. The fact that there are so many stingrays and turtles feeding on these flats really adds to the simple act of staring at the environment in front of you with mouth agape, in total wonderment.
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To be only 24 years old and have such outrageous levels of fishing experience and raw fly fishing talent is a rare find, but Paul Boyers here is the real deal. Now guiding full time for FlyCastaway, and already with a wealth of serious fishing under his belt, but at the same time quiet, unassuming, and simply a pleasure to work around. A rare day off gives him time to indulge his favourite pastime : fishing of course !! And just how seriously can he catch fish ? It is staggering just how much these young, well-travelled South African fly fishermen know about fishing.
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Much as I would like it to be, nowhere on this earth is the light going to be perfect all the time !! But a fish such as this monster 10lb plus bonefish caught by Grant Dunbar is worth showing whatever the weather. Bones this size are rare indeed, but Providence atoll in my mind might well in time become one of the world’s ultimate, “out there”, huge bonefish destinations. It is not normal to see such a large average size of bonefish that we saw, and because these fish basically never see humans, let alone flies and skiffs, they are more often than not extremely interested in one’s flies !! A return trip is already being plotted…