The opening week of the Providence season saw our first guests return to the flats. Conditions leaned towards the windier side, but this did little to deter our guides and guests, and several days of favourable light created fantastic sight fishing opportunities across the atoll. The week began on spring tides before easing into the neaps, when gentler water movement allowed our guides to spend longer working the most productive flats.
We welcomed a group of anglers well acquainted with the Seychelles’ remote flats and atoll fisheries: Matt, Richard, Jasper, Neville, Josh, Simon, Rod, Keith, Francesco, Damien and Murray. Enthusiasm and anticipation filled the air as everyone settled into the rhythm of Providence.
The giant trevally fishing provided plenty of excitement, with 16 GTs landed across the atoll.
One of the standout catches came from Neville, who started his week in spectacular fashion with a superb 94cm giant trevally on his very first day on the flats, then added another two as the week progressed. Josh also enjoyed a memorable week, landing an impressive 93cm giant trevally alongside another fish. Rod, Francesco, Jasper, Keith, Murray, Richard and Matt all contributed to the tally, keeping the GT action going from start to finish.
Providence is an immense fishery of finger flats and white sand that seems to stretch to the horizon, and perhaps nothing is more iconic here than the bonefish, the ghost of the flats. Against the brilliant sand, their pale silhouettes are often almost invisible until they move, making every sighting an exciting challenge. Providence is renowned for impressively sized bonefish, and our guests made the most of it, landing 15 during the week, most of them over 60cm. Neville and Murray accounted for 13 between them, while Keith contributed a further two.
Providence is also home to excellent numbers of bumphead parrotfish, the largest of the parrotfish species. These colourful, powerful fish can often be spotted from a distance, their tails breaking the surface as they feed across the finger flats. Seven bumpies were landed during the week. Damien and Neville both ticked off their first bumphead, with Neville going one better by securing a second. Josh, Keith, Richard and Matt all got in on the fun too, each landing one of their own.
Triggerfish were another standout of the opening week, with 15 landed across the atoll and an outstanding six of them measuring 50cm or more, qualifying as trophy triggers. Five moustache triggerfish featured in the week’s catch. Rod landed two, including a fine 50cm specimen, while Matt brought two trophy fish to hand at 51cm and 54cm, the latter a particularly special catch. Keith also added one to the tally.
The yellowmargin triggerfish provided plenty of excitement of their own, with 10 landed. Damien added another first to his list with his very first yellowmargin. Jasper landed two, including a superb 53cm personal best, and Josh enjoyed an exceptional run with two trophy yellowmargins of 53cm and 51cm. Murray contributed three more, while Matt and Keith each added one.
Another memorable encounter came while targeting giant trevally, when Damien landed a magnificent 97cm Napoleon wrasse. These powerful reef inhabitants are always a special sight on the flats, and one of this size made for a highlight of the week.
Beyond the fishing, the evenings aboard the MV Maya’s Dugong were every bit as enjoyable, with the mid deck becoming a favourite gathering spot for guests and guides to unwind, share stories and relive the day’s adventures.
The opening week was a fantastic start to the season, with quality fishing across a variety of species despite the challenging weather. Thank you to all our guests for sharing it with us. With the season now underway, we look forward to welcoming more anglers to Providence and seeing what the weeks ahead have in store.