I was up very early this morning. On the deck waiting for coffee at 4:45 AM. It came promptly at 5. I planned on getting comfortable and working on the blog as the sun rose. But no way. Too much anticipation. Today was day one here on the legendary Providence Atoll.
Providence is one of the worlds most remote saltwater fly fishing destinations. It’s a chore to get here. The immense atoll is so remote it’s hard to find on the map. We’re out here in the Southern Indian Ocean more than 400 miles southwest of Mahe living on the Maya’s Dugong. We are truly in the wildest of wilderness.
My fishing partners for the day were Steve Goble and Brian Iannacchione. Today was my first time fishing with Steve. Steve has been a fantastic new addition to my group. Steve has filled in for Sammy so I’m grateful he’s been a great fit. Brian is a good friend. We fished Cosmoledo together in 2021 and last August he brought me to Texas to fish with him and our mutual friend Jako Lucas.
Our guide today was a new FlyCastaway one for me, Marko Reynders. He’s a young 26 year old South African full of energy and fun. He’s undoubtedly GT crazy. Once we got done with our safety talk he gave a full on casting, stripping and GT hook setting clinic. I loved it. There’s nothing like getting right to the point to get everyone on track!
Of course we went directly to a GT flat. It was a long haul. The least touched part of Providence is the east side. Tides limit access most of the time but today we had a window to get in early and out late. We took it. Once there Brian and I hopped out of the boat to cover the flat on the far left and far right. Steve got to ride in the boat as Marko pulled the skiff along down the middle. If a GT was to try and pass us, the burly boss of the Seychelles was going to see a fly.
If you’ve followed my Seychelles blogs over the years than you’ve probably gathered I’m one of the few that isn’t giant trevally nuts. Truly, I enjoy the heck out of GTs, but I’m also an all-round fish fanatic. I like all species and to focus on only one at a time is not in my DNA unless I’m possessed to catch a certain new species for my list. After an hour of not casting while awaiting GTs and passing numerous coral heads that I knew held fish, I broke. I spotted a shape three feet from a coral that looked like a fish. Sure enough, soon I was holding a stunner of a honeycomb grouper.
Brian and Steve are definitely after GTs this week. Steve has been to the Seychelles several times and he simply can’t get enough of the king of the jack family. Brian caught his first with me in Cosmoledo but now he wants his first meter long GT. But Brian has molded into a species guy over the years. When I started casting to all coral heads I could see him on his side of the flat getting restless.
About then I saw a wake ripping towards our boat from my position. There was no need for me to point it out. Marko spotted it the same time and directed Steve to make his cast. This is not an easy time for the angler because of the speed in which everything is taking place. But with pinpoint accuracy Steve launched his Brush Fly and as he started his first strip the fish devoured. Minutes later Steve was posing with a dandy of a bluefin trevally.
Once I cut loose casting to structure I was catching lots of fish. I caught blacktipped grouper, Russell’s snapper, and some small bohar. Brian started doing the same and I heard him gleam about the beauty of the first peacock grouper he’d ever seen. I knew the feeling because no doubt I was amazed when I saw my first. Of course I was fishing while I was listening and that’s when a huge bohar accelerated from the coral and ate my fly. But something really strange happened. Behind the bohar was another honeycomb grouper. And there was enough of my fly sticking out of the bohars mouth that the greedy grouper decided he was going to eat it too. Evidently the hook went through the bohars lip and out because suddenly I had both fish on one fly. Both fish at the same time!
As if fighting a bohar isn’t insane enough. These guys pull like no other. It doesn’t last more than a minute but the initial take of the fly and the power to return home is shocking. The good news for me however was that each of these fish were working against each other. Perhaps their greed still had each trying to pull the fly from the other. In any case, within two minutes I had both fish at my feet. Marko was running my way at full speed. He made it in time to witness this miraculous feat but just as he went for a photo, the grouper shook free leaving me with only the bohar. Dang I wanted that double photo!
The hours of havoc eventually ended. The tide changed and in came a flow of the dreaded warm water from the center of the atoll. Along with the warmth comes plenty of free floating turtle grass and its hard to present flies without getting it hooked up. We moved to another flat where Brian and I each fumbled the hook set on triggers. It wasn’t all a loss however; I managed to hoist in this colorful yellow lip emperor. He actually stole my crab from another trigger I was after.
Time flies when you’re having a goodtime, before we knew it we were eating lunch at 2:30. Once we finished feeding the body it was GT time. Marko is in his element when searching GTs. We walked a lot. I veered off to a school of bumpies and was unsuccessful. I fished them at least an hour. They spooked but kept returning for more. Finally the guys called me off.
The day ended with another wild hour. We found some GTs. And some donkeys (big ones). I laid low while Steve and Brian worked them hard. They each had several good shots. Brian had a giant so close it was hard to cast so short. Let’s just say it didn’t work out. But on his next opportunity he succeeded to hook up. He was a long way from the boat on his own. It took Marko a good minute to reach his side. Just at that time Brian’s line went around a coral head.
It didn’t look promising from my standpoint. I was in the boat relaxing. In an instant Marko went into action. Action for Marko, drop his pack and go swimming. He took off like Michael Phelps following Brian’s now heavily stressed 12-weight line. When he reached the coral we saw him dive, his feet sticking from the water kicking and fighting. When he popped up he simply shouted, “Your free!”
Brian’s battle livened up again and he began to gain. Brian was heaving back line at a winnable speed. But just as fast as glory replaced agony, agony reappeared. The GT rubbed against either rock or coral again, this time severing Brian’s leader. The fish was lost.
It was a tough way to end the day. I have no doubt the way this GT fought that Brian was attached to his meter long trip goal. But it wasn’t to be. Brian was obviously super disappointed. But he shook it off quick when he was reminded, this is only day one!
It was a fun day for all on the water and a festive evening on the deck of the Maya’s Dugong. As always there were some fine fish caught and several GTs. TJ continued his rampage and Jeff Smith joined in with a quality GT of his own. That’s all for now folks. Rest is key when you have a big week ahead. And we certainly do!
Be sure to keep tabs on my IG at @jeffcurrier65
Haha, too kind on that absolute botch job of a shot! But great first day with you two and an absolutely fantastic trip!
How big was that honeycomb? The internet says they max out around 13” – might be angle, but yours looks bigger than that.
Super cool fish! I would have a hard time leaving the coral.
That grouper could be a camouflage. Once I get caught up I’ll do a study with all my pics. We caught quite a few.