We started out today with some big rain. At least an hour long downpour. I fished with Jeff Smith and Dave Boyd and our rain jackets were out. Fishing with these two characters was a redo of a memorable day we had here at Providence Atoll together back in 2022. And I got to fish with Tim Babich yet again.
The rain hammered us for about an hour. There was a little wind with it but as the rain slowed so did the wind. Soon it was only a breeze. But a breeze is better than what we’ve had all week. It was a bit easier to get close to GTs, triggerfish or anything for that matter.
Our morning was slow however. Dave and Jeff got a few casts to finicky GTs but had no luck. In fact we had slow action until about noon. But then like a switch went on, up came acres of triggerfish tails. I had to rub my eyes a few times to see that it was real. Honestly, I thought I died and went to heaven.
For exactly 90 minutes the three of us experienced the finest triggerfishing or our lives and its doubtful this session will ever be matched. To put it in terms that most fly fishers can understand, think back to the most amazing trout fishing hatch you ever experienced in your life. One where every fish in the river started rising like crazy. Boils and heads on every bend. Every riffle. Everywhere. This was the same thing.
This doesn’t mean we caught a million triggers. No. Triggerfishing doesn’t work that way ever. But we each hooked up with several and all landed one. Here’s a close up of one of the guys beast of a yellowmargin.
Looking back on that precious hour and a half, I’m gonna be hard on myself. I should have done better. My triggerfish slump lingered in the beginning. I had six eat my crab fly, I hooked four, two of which ripped me into the backing (grass flats not coral), but I lost three of the four. One was undoubtedly the largest trigger I’ve ever seen in my life. Trash can lid size! That was a heartbreaker. At least the one I caught wasn’t bad. This is a pretty dang large moustache.
As fast as all the trigger tails starting flapping in every direction, they stopped in every direction. Heavy rain kicked in and as weird as it may sound, triggers don’t like tailing in the rain. I’ve seen it before and even Tim says it’s a fact. But man what a great time while it lasted.
The sun returned and back came the calmness we’ve had so often this trip. We made about a 30 minute move to some deeper flats where Tim said we might see everything. Everything from GTs to more triggers and even some bumpies. We enjoyed some frosty Seybrews on the drive and celebrated that we all landed a trigger this afternoon.
When we got to the spot it was happening. There was a pod of bumpies tailing and a few GTs zipping around. Tim knew I was leaving the GT action to my boys and told me to hop over the side for the bumpies. I took off on a 30 minute adventure. I had one bumpy follow my white crab about 20 feet tailing on it three times. But I never felt like he had it in his mouth. Close call but no cigar.
By the time I got done trying to catch a bumpy I heard Tim a ¼ mile away telling me I had to catch up. He had the boat and Dave and Jeff were walking along chasing some speedy GTs. I hauled butt and was almost caught up when suddenly a beautiful yellowmargin trigger tail appeared. Whoa – I put the brakes on.
There were actually three. They were about 20 feet apart. It was glassy calm and I felt like I had little chance. I spooked the first one but not so bad that he took the other two with. He wallowed away slowly. Then I knew I had to be better. I literally got down on the turtle grass and crawled like on a small trout stream. I tied on my lightest crab fly. One with virtually no weight. It had a weed guard though which was needed. Then I launched a gentle sidearm cast. It landed perfectly and neither fish spooked. Instead both charged my fly and with the competition, one of the triggers hooked itself. I ended up with perhaps my best trigger of the trip.
Speaking of triggers, it wasn’t only our boat that had the amazing meeting with the triggers. There were quite a few caught including one by Steve Fitzsimon. Its worth mentioning because it was Steve’s first. Steve’s never got too excited about triggers but he claims now he has trigger fever! And of course TJ and Fred whacked a few nice GTs.
Its a calm one tonight. Its hard to believe this photo is of the middle of the Indian Ocean. Tomorrow is the last day of this epic Seychelles adventure. Boy how time flies when you’re having a great time. The Seychelles are one of my favorite fisheries on earth!
Be sure to keep tabs on my IG at @jeffcurrier65
Sweet.