It was a special day here on Farquhar Atoll because I got to fish with longtime friend Michael Williams. Michael is the brother of Jean Bruun, Paul Bruun’s wife, both of which I fish with on this blog often. Michael and his Brazilian pal Caio are on this trip thanks to a generous friend that made it possible. Michael and I haven’t fished together since 2018 in Georgia. So today, to be chasing the fish of the Seychelles flats together was a dream. And to take it one step further, its Michaels 59th birthday.
Michael is the founder and owner of Nomadic Waters. Though he’s offered destinations around the world, these days he specializes in the peacock bass of Brazil. In fact, his friend Caio that’s along is one of his guides. This trip to Farquhar is the first time either Michael of Caio ever fished in saltwater. And for kicks I’ll tell you this, this week is Caio’s first time seeing the ocean and to get here was his first time ever on a plane!
Michael and I fished with Farquhar guide Casey Ponton. Casey is presently the only American guide here. Our day was another hot and calm one. Again, not ideal for flats fishing. Everyone needs a birthday fish so we began by finding a huge school of bonefish.
Schooling bonefish are usually easy to catch, but not when its dead calm. We found the sleek fish but they were aware they were being stalked. It took some cautious casting, long leaders and small lightweight Crazy Charlies to get the job done. But we prevailed. Michael caught several birthday bones.
After the bonefish flats Michael kicked back. I was egging him on to fish hard and enjoy his 59th. But he was stubborn. He relaxed and drank a SeyBrew then fired up his drone and filmed while I tossed at a school of bumpies for 45 minutes. I managed some good casts but they would not fall for my orange crab. Michael’s footage is really cool but I’m hoping he can provide me a photo for the blog eventually.
Next on Casey’s agenda was a walk on the reef for triggerfish and GTs. I was pumped because as you know by now that’s my thing. Michael and Casey took off to the right and I went on one of my wanders far left. The hunt was on!
I spotted some triggers right off the bat. But they would not cooperate. Some I’d literally just raise my rod and send them running. Others allowed me to cast but even when my fly landed three feet away they would spook. Of course there was one that cooperated. He was a stud yellowmargin. But right when he tipped on my fly, I got intercepted by this yellow lip emperor. Mr. Yellow Lip is fun to catch but not what I wanted at that moment.
I picked off numerous oddball fish but nothing new for the list. I landed a floral wrasse, spotcheek emperor, spangled emperor and a blacktipped grouper but the most fun came with a blacktip shark. I had this pretty good sized one size me up from a far. He must have picked up my scent because he swam right up my current line from the swooshing tide. He came close enough I was about to give him the butt end of my Winston right between the eyes. I’m glad it didn’t come to that.
It was three hours session that ended with a nice lunch at the boat. Neither Michael or I capitalized on a triggerfish or a GT but it was fun nonetheless. Catching all kinds of cool fish is good enough for me.
After lunch we headed to the coral heads to throw our 12-weights. I did so with a sinking line and Michael went with a floater. I started us off with this small Napoleon wrasse.
Hands down, today the sinking line was the way to go. Michael didn’t bring one so I tried to get him to take mine. After all it’s his birthday. But he insisted on sticking with his new Winston Air 2 Max 12-weight he got for the trip.
The fishing was on. I caught several whitespotted grouper, humpback snapper, peacock grouper and a lyretail. But while I was doing my thing I heard Michael say, “Oh man! Look at the colors on this fish!”.
Michael had a small saddleback grouper following. I turned in a nick of time to see the vibrant white and yellow colors divided by its deep brown stripes. These are a stunning species of fish that gradually lose these colors as they mature. The fish gobbled up his fly but unfortunately he missed his hookset. The gorgeous creature stuck around but was too wise to eat the fly again. This is an old photo of one I caught in 2014
Meanwhile, I had just landed a humpback snapper. Though not a new species for me, I wanted a photo. I was posing and Casey was taking this photo when Michael spoke of the saddleback. I didn’t want to miss the saddleback so I put the snapper back in the water so he could breathe and turned to watch. Seconds after Michaels saddleback slipped off to the deep, something grabbed my snapper. Whatever it was tried to rip the line from my hand.
By the time I spun around to see, there was a fully mature saddleback, almost black in color with fancy barring and reddish dots. The fish was huge – perhaps 40lbs. And boy did he want my snapper. I didn’t let the line slip and the grouper failed to hang on. But he came back and soon I was laughing and dancing the humpback over the water. The grouper was next to me. So close that now looking back, I wish I petted him.
Instead, there was a ton of excited shouting and yelling. Simple words from both Casey and myself, “Cast! Michael! Cast!”.
And finally he did. I pulled the snapper from the water. The beady eyes of the grouper stared me down. He was angry I took his food. But he saw Michael’s fly land and devoured it.
This time Michael delivered a proper hook set. He parched the fly right in the corner of this big saddlebacks mouth. But believe it or not, the saddleback apparently didn’t care and swam nonchalantly back to me looking for the snapper, “Hit him again I yelled! Hit him again!”
These last few hook sets woke up the leviathan grouper and he did a 180 and smoked Michael under the boat and to the bottom. Michael tried to stop him but the line burned his hand and the friction of the line leaving separated his tip section from the rest of the rod. When the monster broke him off in the jagged coral heads 20 feet down, the tip of the Winston was gone. Yikes!
Well, when you play in the deep sometimes you win, but most of the time you lose. I’ve taken down some oversized grouper and snapper from the depths a few times, but never one like Michael was hooked to. After we all got done hyperventilating, we laughed. “Holy crap!”, the three of us exclaimed at the same time.
It was a terrific day on the water with an old friend. Unfortunately today will be Michaels and my one day together. As host I need to fish with everyone I can. But we made the best of it.
There were some great fish caught today. TJ continues to exercise the GTs. He’s caught more than the rest of the group together. And his counterpart Mike caught a nice one as well. And this is Dave Boyd with his first of the week.
Tonight, the Farquhar crew surprised Michael with a delicious birthday cake. It was fun and we all got to enjoy a scrumptious piece of cake with vanilla ice cream. Another great day in the Seychelles in the books!
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What an incredible day! Several memoreablew expereiences in just one day!
Michael had a marvelous Birthday Fishing Day with you, Jeff–could not have been happier. Caio was the one who had never fished nor seen the ocean and saltwater, btw….and this was an incredible adventure for him as well. Michael has fished salt many times before, but never in the Indian Ocean. What a treat! Thanks for being a marvelous Host. Both had a blast with YOU.
Maybe when he said it was his first bonefish trip I took it for an all-round first. Either way – a super good time!