We have just completed five magical eight day trips at Farquhar Atoll in the Seychelles and all we have brought back from this un spoilt piece of heaven are stories of battles won and lost, many good laughs and the hope that our children will one day get to experience the beauty of such a place.
Farquhar is situated approximately 10 degrees south of the equator and is about 770KM south, south west of Mainland Mahe. It is a fairly large Atoll approximately twenty odd kilometers long and eight kilometers wide at its widest point. The inner lagoon is on average, with the exception of a few very deep areas, about 5 meters deep and the fish life in and around the atoll is mind blowing. We book our trips a year in advance otherwise you can’t get the available weeks and the right tides. The down side of this long term planning is waiting for the trip to arrive. The anticipation becomes suffocating and after all the planning and preparation around tackle and techniques you are mentally exhausted before you even arrive at your destination. Half the fun is preparation they say but a year of preparation is just too much for the average soul to handle.
We have already booked four trips for 2007 so here we go again with all that preparation and talk and we have just returned.
We would like to share with you some of our experiences, the highs and lows and a little on the preparation and what you need and need to know when visiting Farquhar for the first time.
Getting There
Getting to Farquhar involves a 5 hour flight from Johannesburg international to Mahe and a possible two or three night stay in Mahe. This depends on your trip schedule and when the charter flight leaves.
What to do while you wait in Mahe? Well, at Casurina where we stay, there is a grassy flat full of snapper, small (and sometimes not so small) kingies and the odd Bonefish and Permit. Herman (bonehead) Botha managed to take fifty odd fish in a day while playing around in front of the hotel. If you do not whish to fish and you are saving yourself for the big event then relaxing on a beach chair with a Seybrew beer is a great way to kill a day or hire a taxi and do a bit of sight seeing.
The charter flight is about an hour forty five minutes and you land on Farquhar early morning.
The Floating Hotel
All our trips to Seychelles are done through MV Illusions.
Chris meets us at the airstrip and gets us all going with tales of fish landed and lost while we take a short drive in a tractor driven trailer which transports us and our R200 000 plus Rand’s worth of fishing gear. Chris always has a good laugh at how much gear we bring, but as I say in true retailer, style you can never be too prepared.
Chris and Des Welgemoed run a very tight operation and their vessel is a seventy two foot live aboard that can sleep twelve plus crew. We take eight people on each trip so space is never an issue. Chris built the boat himself and knows every nook and cranny, which is very comforting from a safety point of view. It consists of the very important galley, a very comfortable lounge with hi-fi and TV. There are three top rooms two on suite and the lower cabins with bunks. He has two tender boats used to get us to the various spots and while he makes sure we are catching fish Des, with the help of a cook, takes care of all on board duties and administration. They make an excellent team.
The Fishing.
What is the big draw card for Farquhar? The opportunity to sight fish on the flats for Giant Trevally, Bonefish, Triggers, Permit and host of other species which grow to very large sizes in surroundings that no photograph can really do justice.
Be prepared to lose tackle. A couple of fly lines lost and rods broken is not uncommon on Farquhar.
Depending on tides, a typical morning starts with a breakfast and quick re cap on the previous nights briefing for our plan of action. It’s a big piece of real estate, as Chris puts it, so we spread out in groups of two across which ever area we are going to target. Two way radios on our person keep us in contact with each other for fishing up dates and safety.
Saltwater fly fishing is like going to war, except it’s a lot more fun. You choose your weapon, “a 12wt today at Mananha gaps” and choose your bullets, “some flashy profiles and a couple of poppers” put on your uniform, “ my stripping gloves, Polaroid glasses, hat, buff, Marl walker shoes, back pack system with re-hydration bladder and some spare lines and bullets. You hit the flat running as you jump off the tender boat, with Chris screaming, GT’S 12 o’clock and closing Go! Go! Go! All your preparation and casting practice goes to pot as the GT’S close in. If everything goes your way, you connect with the fish and after an epic battle you finally subdue the enemy. As you hold it in the water and marvel at its size and power everything makes sense. All the money and time you have spent preparing for this exact moment has finally been worth it- every minute and every penny. Your fellow soldiers gather round and congratulate you enjoying the moment almost as much as you do. The release of such a magnificent fish is a fitting close to a perfect battle. Like I said - it is like going to war except a lot more fun.
GT Mania
A couple of stories concerning the GT’S from the trips come to mind. AJ, on our first trip, was fishing around the wrecks with Chris from the tender boat as it was too deep to stand. He hooked a good G’T only to have the braided loop joining backing and fly line part on him. Chris was quick to the draw and started the motor and chased the fly line crabbing it and threading it back through the rod guides. A quick make shift knot joining backing once again ensured AJ landing a G’T of about 28LBs. Bernard on the second trip spotted a G’T while fishing a small southern Island called Goleitte. He ran down the beach to intercept the fish and cast the popper way ahead of the fish. So fast was the Kingie he never got to strip the fly once and the fish had it in its mouth. Andy had never fished for GT’s and by the six day of his trip was wondering if he was going to get one. (We had really bad weather) On one of the gravel bars he took two Kingies a 28lb and 30lb in the space of ten minutes. Later that day he hooked his third and nearly ran out of backing. Once again Chris started the boat, picked Andy up off the flat and chased the fish into the lagoon. The fish was landed and Andy is needless to say on one of our trips next year. Then there was Ricko’s GT. The kind of fish you never forget. Ricko hooked a bus of a GT at the ocean edge of the gravel bars, close to rats and mice. The fish headed towards the lagoon at pace and Ricko had to continually untangle his line from the coral Bomies. Ricko has discovered a new use for re-hydration bladders. He blew air in the bladder situated in his pack (luckily most of the liquid had been consumed), which helped him float across some of the deeper areas. This went a long way in less salt water being consumed a he was dragged across the flat by a huge fish. After half swimming and half running for about 300m odd the fish was lost. The sheer power of such a fish and total lack of control from your side burns a memory in your mind that you will take to your grave. Such is the GT fishing at Farquhar. It is not easy and you have to be ready and be prepared to put in the effort but the reward is worth it.
Dem Bones Dem Bones
Then there is the Bonefish. I have heard some people comment that fly fishing for Bonefish in the Seychelles is easy, and “we don’t count the bone fishing”. Well I agree it is easy most of the time but the second comment is really shallow. There are not many places around Africa that boast the kind of bone fishing Seychelles has to offer and some of the best venues in the world do not come close to the flats of the Seychelles. We did five trips to St Josephs in 2004/2005 and on one of our trips an American house dad joined us. He looks after the kids, writes for fly fishing magazines and fishes around the world. After the trip I asked him what he thinks about the bone fishing and this is was he had to say. “I have fished Belize, Cayman Islands Costa Rico, Bahamas and the Andros Islands and the Bone fishing here, although a bit more physical, is far better. When you visit Farquhar for the first time, catch as many bonefish as possible, because there are not too many opportunities to fish for these spectacular game fish. It is all sight fishing and to watch a bony pounce on your fly and run you into your backing a number of times no matter how much pressure you apply is spell bounding. Farquhar is home to both flats bone fish and oceanic bone fish. They are the same, fish just living in different environs. The Bonefish at Farquhar are on Average big. Herman (Bonehead Botha) managed to take fifty bones in one day which was a goal of his. Now you know why we call him Bone head. His biggest was around 10Lbs and the average 6lbs. On our first trip we came across a couple of shoals of Bonefish and for a couple of hours we hooked Bonefish after Bonefish. At one point we had seven of us into fish at once and we moved closer together for some action shots. It was real Willie Wille Wallie stuff, one rod under this rod ducking from side to side as we tried to land them simultaneously. Five managed to land their fish and we had one rod casualty.
Awesome stuff! So if anyone tries to tell you the Bone fishing does not count cock them a deafy.
The Holy Grail
If ever there is a fish that haunts us it’s the Permit. Permit are a really difficult fish to catch and you need to dedicate time to be successful. Mark Kalmann spent three days at St Joseph going after Permit and never managed to get one. On his trip with us to Farquhar he finally got what he deserved the illusive Permit.
He spent a good hour chasing the fish and changing flies before one of a pod of two decided to take his offering. Billy and Murray spent a good two hours trying for a permit off a pod of four in the Bay of Pigs only to have one have a half hearted look at the fly. Such is the Nature of Permit fishing. On previous trips to St Josephs, which is a Permit Mecca, if a couple of the anglers manage to connect and land a decent Permit through the season there is cause for celebration. Farquhar has good populations of Permit and it is up to you to dedicate time to these fish if you whish to maybe get one. The problem is dedicating all this time when there are so many other fish to target.
Pull the Trigger
A fish you often see in large marine aquariums with a real attitude problem. They eat crabs, shrimp and probably small fish if they venture to close. Fishing for triggers is as exciting as fishing for Bonefish. There tails flap above the surface as they look for crabs in the coral Marls and Turtle grass. They are pretty finicky when it comes to presentation and flies so it is a real hunting game.
When you look at a Trigger he is about as Hydro dynamic as bucket yet can swim you into your backing and reef you in no time at all. Some say you only land one in twenty you hook when fishing for them along the surf edge. The power of even a small trigger is impressive. Billy caught a large Yellow Margin Trigger on the flat that was minding its own business on a small piece of turtle grass. The fight the followed was spectacular to say the least and Billy is a Trigger convert. When you land one he looks at you and you know all he wants to do is bite you with those nasty teeth. Triggers are notorious for crushing the strongest hooks and destroying flies so beware.
The blue holes
Much of Farquhar consists of deep blue holes surrounded by turtle grass, sand bars and coral Bomies. If you think the Kingies cost you tackle then try and play in this battle field. Hump head Wrasse, Spangle Emperors, Grouper and Rock Cod to name a few reside in the blue holes. One particular fish comes to mind. Murray, Wayne and Andy were fishing the blue holes between, South Island and Gollitte. Murray cast his 6/0 clouser across one of the big holes and had barely began stripping the fly when a Hump head Wrasse jumped the fly. He was fishing a twelve weight and there was no stopping the fish. It shot back into its cave where it thought it would be safe. Enter Wayne! Wayne followed the line to where the fish had swam into its cave and after hoisting Murray by his back pack from one Coral Bomie to the next proceeded to look down into the hole for the fish. Wayne could just manage to see the back of the fish and slowly lowered the butt end of his rod down into the cave. A quick prod of the fish spooked him and he swam out at which point Murray through all his body weight (not much) into stopping the fish from swimming into another hole. It did swim into another hole and the procedure was repeated and luckily they managed to land the fish that was around 12lbs. This fish came after landing a number of 7 to 8lb Spangle Emperors. Andy also hooked a large Rock Cod which buried itself in a cave and after giving slack the fish swam out to be finally landed. This all happened in a space of about an hour max. The tide was pushing in so we had to get onto the tender or we could have had fun for hours tag team fishing for all sorts of nastie’s in the blue holes.
These holes hold many species including, Blue Fin, Grouper, Rock Cod, Emperors, Snapper, Triggers, Rainbow Wrasse and the occasional GT.
The fish are big if you have some old twelve weight lines you don’t mind wrecking take them along. I would target these areas at spring or neap low as it is easier to move around.
Tackle requirements
If it is your first time to the Seychelles you here all the advice from those that have been and you try to plan as best as possible. The one thing we have learnt from trial and error is to plan each day before it arrives. Check out the tides, decide which type of fish you are going to target during that particular session and stick to it. If you are going for GT’S then that is it. Because as you see some bones and start fishing for them with your lighter stick the GT’S show up. This happened to Murray on gap one at Mananha gaps. Walking up the gap with a 10 weight after taking oceanic bones he should have changed to a twelve. By the time the GT showed up it was too late. He had a cast at it and hooked it but it was over before it began.
A 12wt rod with floating line is the set up of choice for the GT fishing. Be sure to take some spare twelve lines and a spare 12wt rod. A nine or ten weight is fine for the bones and ignore those that talk about a 10wt being way too heavy for bones. Let us tell you why. You carry two rods with you on the flat. A 12 for the GT’s and a 10 which is perfect for permit and Triggers. What are you going to do, carry a third rod in an 8wt or 9wt? It just does not make sense. Besides a bonefish will pull you into your backing two or three times whether you are using a 10 wt, 9wt or 8wt. If you try to stop it will pull the hook free or break you off.
There is no real need for intermediate or sinking lines unless you want to fish off the back of the main boat at night, in which case a sinking line is useful. Thirty GT flies and about twenty or so Bonefish flies will cover you for a weeks fishing. Supplement this with a few specific crab patterns for Triggers and Permit.
Good Polaroid’s, hat and quick drying long sleeve shirts are a must. Some wear long quick drying pants and some wear shorts. It is up to you but remember the sun is not your friend. Stripping gloves and sun gloves, are in my opinion, absolutely necessary to protect your hands from cuts and the sun. Good foot wear can not be over emphasized. You are walking most of the day while you fish and it is important your feet are protected. Complement your wading shoes with gravel guards to stop sand entering your boots. A stripping basket is a hassle but there are certain areas you can not get away without one. Take a spare hat, glasses and foot wear because if any of these are lost or damaged you are in trouble. You need to carry water with you on the flats so a pack system for rehydration bladder or water bottle system is needed. We sometimes spend the whole day out and you must have drinking water. If you carry a camera make sure it is water proof all well protected as it will get wet.
That covers the majority of what you need and if you are not sure we have excellent saltwater checklists at the shop which we can e-mail you. We are retailers so I could add another ten or so items you must have, but the above are the basic requirements you should not be without.
As we think back on the last five trips we are already booked for next year. We know we have another year of planning the painstaking wait is going to get too much in the end - but we know it is worth it and we are sure you would agree!!
Murray & Ricko
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