Late February into early March on Farquhar delivered an exciting mix of species, memorable firsts and trophy fish across the flats and reef edges. While GT numbers were slightly quieter than earlier in the season, anglers embraced the incredible diversity the atoll has to offer, landing everything from powerful bumphead parrotfish and trophy bonefish to permit and triggerfish.
GT fishing produced steady action with 14 fish landed across the two weeks. Alex opened strongly by landing two GT on the first day of his trip, while Doug added another early fish before landing a second later in the week. Kent secured a GT in the final hour of one session, while Gerry rounded out his trip with a last day GT.
The following week started equally well with John, Rick and Bob all landing GTs on their opening days. Nabil later joined the GT club with his first GT on fly, an achievement that always stands out on any trip to the Seychelles. Rick continued his run with another GT while John added yet another fish later in the week. Rob closed out the trip with a final GT landed in the closing moments of the last day.
Bumphead parrotfish featured prominently with 9 fish landed. Oli opened the period in spectacular fashion when he landed a bumpy unguided while walking a flat near the lodge. Spencer followed shortly after with one of his own, while Kent landed the standout fish of the period measuring an impressive 107 cm before later adding another. Peter celebrated landing his very first bumphead parrotfish later in the week. The following group continued the momentum with John and Bob both landing bumpies early in the trip, while Nabil added an exceptional specimen measuring 100 cm. Bob later closed out his week with another strong bumpy to round off an excellent trip.
Bonefish once again delivered consistent action with 50 fish landed, including several impressive trophy specimens. Alex landed a strong bonefish measuring 63 cm while Kent added an even larger fish measuring 65 cm. Bob opened the following week with a trophy bonefish of 64 cm and later added several more impressive catches. Nabil enjoyed an exceptional session landing two trophy bonefish over 60 cm, while Rob and Rick both added strong bonefish exceeding 60 cm during a dedicated hunt for larger fish along the flats.
Triggerfish added technical excitement to the fishing with 5 fish landed. Herman landed his first moustache triggerfish after focusing his efforts on the species. Bob later added a beautiful yellow margin triggerfish that reached the trophy mark of 50 cm, while Bill also landed a yellow margin trigger. Rick and John both landed moustache triggerfish during productive sessions along the reef edges.
Permit provided one of the most memorable moments of the period with 2 fish landed. Spencer successfully landed a superb 69 cm permit after carefully presenting a micro flexo to feeding fish in deeper water. Shortly after, Oli landed another permit from the same boat using the same fly pattern, making it an exceptional session on the flats.
Alongside these headline species anglers also encountered a variety of reef fish including multiple groupers and bohar snapper, further showcasing the incredible diversity that makes Farquhar such a unique destination.
With trophy bonefish, metre class bumphead parrotfish, exciting permit encounters and memorable GT catches, Farquhar once again delivered an unforgettable stretch of fishing across its wild and remote flats.