I’m shocked that in being here in the Seychelles for two solid weeks, that today was my first day on the water with two very good friends, TJ Rung and Michael Lodge. But its just the way it worked out. I’m friends with the entire group joining me on this Yellow Dog hosted trip and I try to fish with everyone at least once. Our guide was young CJ Cronje.
TJ and Mike are true characters. Each work their butts off for months at a time just to save the big money to do trips. Mike has been on every single one of my trips since we met in 2020. TJ was on my Cosmoledo/Astove trip in 2021 and he’s since been on most. TJ pours concrete outside of Pittsburg and Mike is a lobster boat captain out of Portsmouth, NH. Let’s just say they have their priorities when it comes to fishing.
There was a catch to todays story as well. TJ was assigned the banana suit because he left his 12-weight on a flat yesterday. They found the rod but it happened as the tide was coming in so he was lucky. The funny thing about the silly mistake, I honestly believe TJ was psyched it happened just so he could wear the suit.
Everyone in my group has fished incredibly well on this Seychelles adventure. Some of these guys were pretty new to the flats a few years ago. They have learned a ton and it shows. TJ, has been lights out. No one’s counting but there’s no doubt that he has caught more GTs than anyone. In order to be allowed to take off the banana suit you must catch a fish. Well, it took him about five minutes to land this bluefin trevally.
It was so easy for TJ to catch that first fish; he left the suit on for another 30 minutes. During that time he nailed a small GT. Then he made me drink a Seybrew with him before he took the suit off!
The enthusiasm of both TJ and Mike is a blast to be around. Toss in the passion of guide CJ, I was enjoying just being there today. I watched a nice size GT zoom in from afar. I dropped my 9-weight and was ready with my 12 and a Brush Fly. But the fish angled away and TJ got the shot. Like a sharpshooter he sent his fly and was already in mid strip upon landing. That GT didn’t have a chance and TJ was putting the heat on him in seconds.
TJ landed his third fish smoothly. The sun broke out and I flicked off some photos. Fish photos look a little better when a guy isn’t wearing a banana suit.
After TJ’s fish, I took about two steps and here came a permit. We’ve seen very few permit all week so I was broken not to be ready. Here I was standing with my 12-weight and no chance to get my 9-weight with the crab ready in time. In pure desperation I scared the permit away with my Brush Fly.
I can promise you my 9-weight was back in hand before I took another step. I was disappointed to miss a good permit shot because I was doing a rare GT stint. What can you do? After another ten minutes I came on a dark patch of mud created by a ray. I cast my crab pattern and plunked it right in the thick of it. I didn’t even get my hand on the line to start stripping before it was screaming off my reel.
There was a small GT hunting in the mud from the ray. Its normal, the rays swim glued to the bottom and crabs, shrimp and small minnows get suctioned out from their hiding spots and displaced. Other fish including GTs turn them in to easy meals. Soon I was posing with a GT.
We landed three GTs and a bluefin trevally in short time. But then things really slowed down. We hit numerous flats expecting GTs and triggers. We saw a few triggers but they were having none of us. You looked at them and they went running.
In the afternoon the clouds rolled back in. It was nice on the flats. The temperature was probably in the high 80°s and when wading knee deep, that’s a comfortable day. The fishing picked up again too. We were at least able to cast to triggers and they looked at the fly. And the GTs were back in town also.
The real excitement was Mike and I doubling up. Mike sunk a fly into a GT and I stuck what I expected to be a yellowmargin triggerfish. At least, that’s what I was casting too. But before Mr. trigger got my crab, it was intercepted by a tank of a white-spotted pufferfish. Call me crazy, but I was just as pumped up with my puffer as Mike was with his GT. And a bit sore from him driving his spikes into my hand when I was holding him!
Our last stop of the day was for GTs from the boat. To get there CJ navigated us through several miles worth of coral heads. Unfortunately after and impressive near perfect navigating performance, he hit coral at full throttle. It happens. The thud was loud enough and abrupt enough it stopped the boat. CJ may even have fallen. Miraculously, when he raised the motor the prop was still intact. All good. So with thought.
About five minutes later we heard water under the floorboards of the boat. There was a leak. We had a golf ball size hole in the stern of the boat and water was pouring in.
I’ll give young CJ a lot of credit on this one. There was no panic and he made the correct split second decision. He had Mike and TJ lay in the bow in order to raise the hole (which was in the stern) out of the water. Then we ran full speed ahead for Maya’s Dugong. CJ also grabbed the radio and let out the “Mayday” to his fellow guides and the captain of the Maya’s Dugong.
No one that heard the radio panicked either. As we sped along doing our best not to intake much more water, Tims boat met us halfway and followed us close behind. Theses boats have so much foam they actually can’t sink, but if we were to fill up too much we wouldn’t be moving. At least we could escape the sharks and get in Tim’s boat.
When we arrived at the Maya’s Dugong, the crane was ready to lift us out. We all got out of the boat within seconds and the Dugong staff had the boat connected. A smooth escape from disaster!
As you can imagine, tonight was party time on the Maya’s Dugong. This has been a MAGNIFICENT fishing trip to the Seychelles. Neither Farquhar nor Providence let us down. While the GT fishing was ok at best, the overall fishing was incredible as always.
I hope everyone enjoyed the stories and photos from the trip. I’m sorry for the delay on this last one but I had to do a fundraiser in WI then come to AZ for three speaking gigs only a few days after I got home. Delivering top talks is always my priority. Oh, and a little carp fishing as well. Stay tuned for fishing back in the good ole USA!
Be sure to keep tabs on my IG at @jeffcurrier65
Sounds fun just hanging out with the 3 of you! Great blog series Jeff.