Saddleback Grouper on the Fly – Farquhar!

by | Dec 7, 2014 | Uncategorized | 4 comments

blog-Dec-7-2014-1-flyfishing-farquharAnother day another guide another fishing companion here in the Seychelles.  This is heaven.  Today I fished with FlyCastaway guide Pete from Mahe, Seychelles and guest Bill Huffman (Huff) of Colorado.  Bills goal of the week is to catch a giant trevally (GT) and Pete specializes in spending entire days on a particular island where the GT’s flourish.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-2-bill-huffman-seychellesWe took off promptly at 7 and traveled a half hour boat ride from camp before beaching on Pete’s gorgeous island.  The tide was high but dropping rapidly.  Rather than charge out to the ocean side of the island where the big GT’s live we wandered the leeward side and made some blind casts to some coral heads.  Huff wasted no time and had a tug of war with this brown African marbled grouper.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-3-cleanupThings were slow for the first few hours of our hike.  I stayed out of the way of the GT quest and explored the island.  One thing that shocks people is how much crap shows up on the remotes beaches on the planet.  It seems much of the world uses the ocean as its garbage disposal.  Even huge ocean liners are known to dump their trash about anywhere.  Here in Farquhar there’s plenty of washed up rubbish but they do their best to clean it up regularly.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-4-saddleback-grouperWe made it around the entire island with no more than a few blue spangled emperors.  I thought we were moving but Pete said we’re waiting out the tide to change and we’d circle the island again.  It was noon so I walked over to the coral heads where Huff started the day with his grouper.  I hooked up to the surprise of all surprises!

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-5-jeff-currier-saddleback-grouperYou can’t imagine the awe when you witness a fish of this suit chase then eat your fly.  It was the magnificently colored saddleback grouper!  Somehow I knew I was in the presence of a saddleback .  And there he was.  I mentioned yesterday of this strangely colored fish but honestly never expected to see one let alone nail one on the fly.  A thrilling new species for the list (#7)!

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-6-flue-african-marbled-grouperI didn’t stop there.  I was in my element of pounding away for mystery fish and I caught a brown African marbled grouper and followed him up a hefty blue African marbled grouper (#8) then an oversized bluefin trevally.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-7-flyfishing-for-giant-trevallyAfter lunch the three of us made our way back to the big surf on the ocean flat side of the island.  Huge waves were smashing the jagged lava rock of the island.  Before the waves broke we had a clear view of the fish underneath.  There was a large nurse shark searching for lobsters and with him waiting for scraps was a decent GT.  It was “Huff” time!

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-8-flyfishing-for-gtsTo me and Huff, this GT looked like a hopeless quest.  The shark was 200 feet out in the big breaker waves.  Wading appeared impossible.  Pete patiently tiptoed over the lava rock never taking his eye of the shark/GT symbiotic relationship.  Then he had a plan.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-9-trevally-fishing-at-farquharHe told Huff to pick up the pace and they headed to a point where they could wade out safe from the surf and intercept the shark and giant trevally.  I stayed up high and watched, thinking to myself, the odds of this unfolding with the GT were mighty slim.  Sure enough however, Pete was correct, if he and Huff moved fast enough they’d be able to wade out just far enough to get a cast.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-10-giant-trevallyLo and behold they got to the place of attack before the nurse shark and GT.  The waves were busting over Huff and Pete but a 70 foot cast would put his fly in sight of the GT.  GT’s have amazing eyesight and can even track a fly in the air!  Huff launched and in typical GT style, the fly hit and the speedy GT was hooked so fast none of us saw him travel to the fly.  These fish are remarkable!

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-11-bill-huffman-giant-trevallyIt was great battle.  Through the wind and breaking waves I could hear Pete screaming, “I don’t want to see backing!  I don’t want to see backing!”  Huff hung on with his drag tightened to the max and the giant trevally struggled.  Within minutes the oversized jack gave in.  In record time Pete and Huff were posing with the respectable GT.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-12-seychelles-giant-trevally-fishingHuff was so stoked, after he released his GT he generously gave me the boat to fish for whatever I wanted for the last couple hours of the day.  I hung tight tossing an idea because Pete suggested a permit flat.  I’d love to catch an Indo-Pacific permit.  But when we got there the permit were not to be found.  That’s when I suggested a return to the dogtooth tuna pinnacle.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-13-flycastaway-seychelles-guide-peteJust like yesterday with Wesley, Pete gave me a funny look.  I gave it right back and started spinning my normal 12-weight reel off my Winston and pulled out my monster Ross Momentum LT #8.  Of course Pete talked with Wesley last night and he laughed and agreed to take the boat ride to the place.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-14-winston-rods-&-ross-reelsI’m certain this was a slightly different spot.  Pete didn’t have a depth finder so we couldn’t hold to a reef.  Nonetheless I sent my rig down as deep as I could and ripped my fly back.  Fish of the blue water can see a long ways.  I was dreaming of a tug.  And I got it.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-15-jeff-currier-flyfishing-for-napoleon-wrasseAt first it seemed like a big fish that was giving in early.  I hooked him and though it took all my might he came up about five good strips.  Then he stopped and took off.

 

My 700 grain disappeared in a flash and my backing followed.  I had my drag so tight it’s a wonder I didn’t dislocate my shoulder.   But sure enough it stopped the fish again.  But I could feel his pumps.  This fish was a monster.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-16-jeff-currier-trying-for-dogtoothThis was an opportunity to gain some line but not with the rod.  The best thing to do is to reel yourself to the boat deck by bending your knees to a squat.  Then without letting any line off the reel lift up and repeat.

 

I got about ten of these in fast.  I felt my monster coming up from the depths.  I was as excited as I’ve been about any fish in years.  What could it be?   It wasn’t running like a dogtooth should.  A giant grouper would have toasted me in the reef a long time ago.  This fish was an incredible mystery.  Perhaps the largest Napoleon wrasse ever taken on the fly I thought as I shook with excitement?

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-17-jeff-currier-seychellesJust as fast as the wonderful-heroic-fish-catching dreams came, they were shattered.  After my tenth lift and reel, my fish said no more.  He stopped me dead.  I couldn’t physically stand up and reel again.  He held me down and took off so fast I came close to going overboard or losing my 12-weight rig altogether.  If there’s such a thing as a terrifying run and a terrifying fish, this was it.  In less than ten seconds the ginormous fish buried me in bottom almost 200 feet down.  This was a dogtooth.  And it was game over.

 

blog-Dec-7-2014-18-flyfishing-farquhar-jim-klugNo doubt, that was a disappointing ending.  I was later told by head guide Tim that several years ago on a different island in the Seychelles he had a client catch a 200lb dogtooth tuna on trolling gear.  The fight took four hours!  I believe I was supposed to be relieved.  But I wanted that fish, three hours, five hours, whatever it would have taken.  I’ll take that lost battle to the grave.

 

If Farquhar in the Seychelles sounds like a trip for you feel free to contact me or Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures for more information.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

4 Comments

  1. Joe

    Good God! I don’t think I took a breath while reading about your fight with the mystery monster!

    I hope you get into another one of those before you have to head back.

    Awesome read Jeff

    J

  2. Bill Huffman

    I remember my g.t. Being a lot bigger than the photo. Loving reading all your writing. Keep it up but then again that’s your job. Next time I’ll be carrying a better waterproof camera because most of my photos have a spot right in the middle and I thought you were using my shitty camera for the photos of my only g.t. Of the week but strangely they are not on my camera and the photo you have did not make the highlight disc so if it’s not a problem could you send me whatever you have of our day. Thanks, huff

  3. Jeff

    I’m still rattled!

  4. Howie

    You are an awesome storyteller! Sweeeet!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Hunt for Scary Fish - Farquhar Atoll Seychelles - Jeff Currier - […] colossal fish that destroyed me two days ago haunts me more than you can believe.  Of all the fish…
  2. A Weather Change for the Last Day at Farquhar - Jeff Currier - […] our guide was Peter from Mahe.  Peter guided me last trip and we had a stellar day which included…

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I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!

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