Farquhar Atoll

THE FISHING

Over the past few years, the fishing at Farquhar has become synonymous with the term fly fishing paradise. It has provided all those fortunate enough to visit her shores the opportunity to fish some of the finest and most productive flats the Indian Ocean has to offer. These flats consist of hard white sand, turtle grass and broken coral which make for comfortable wading. Anglers can wade and sight fish to an impressive variety of species which include Bonefish, various Trevally species including the ferocious trophy sized Giant Trevally, the finicky Indo-Pacific Permit, Triggerfish, Barracuda Bumphead Parrotfish and Milkfish. Farquhar is certainly best known for the sheer diversity of species it offers anglers fortunate enough to visit her shores. So, if stalking Bonefish in skinny water, throwing crab flies at the colourful and charismatic tailing Triggerfish or holding your nerve as a large GT charges in at your fly interests you, well then Farquhar is certainly the venue for you. Deep water begins very close to shore and spending some time tussling with some of the monsters which prowl the deep blue is certainly a very exciting and rewarding bonus. Here the most common species encountered are Giant Trevally, Barracuda, Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Dogtooth Tuna, Grouper, Bohar Snapper and Sailfish; All of which are guaranteed to show your backing the light of day! Whether its on the flats or offshore, the FlyCastaway guides will help you identify your desired target species. The areas which they frequent and explain the correct techniques with which to catch them they will without question go the extra mile for your fish of a lifetime.

The St. Francois lagoon is an incredibly vast flats system interspersed with channels and cuts that host approximately 60 species which can be landed on the fly. The bonefish flats are a hard packed white sand bottom covering roughly 10,000 acres. The sight casting that these flats allow is exceptional and it’s not uncommon for an experienced saltwater angler to land 20-40 bonefish on an incoming tide and falling tide. Most of the fishing is done while wading as the guide will head to a specific area within the lagoon and then he and his guests will walk the flats, allowing both anglers to fish at the same time. Most of the trevally fishing is also done while wading.

The first part of the season traditionally runs from early October to late December and the second part from late February to early May with a break over the festive season. These are the peak periods as January is one of the rainiest months in the Seychelles. From middle May to October the strong south-eastern monsoon winds blow incessantly. These winds bring cold water onto the flats and make fly fishing an unpleasant and unproductive experience. We stick to the fore mentioned dates to ensure all guests have an unforgettable fishing experience.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

4 x 17 ft Anglers each carrying 1 x 90HP Yamaha engine +1 local panga. These boats have been specifically designed and fitted to fish both the flats and offshore waters of the Seychelles in comfort and safety. These boats have been specifically designed and fitted to fish both the flats and offshore waters of the Seychelles in comfort and safety. These Angler boats have a draft of approximately 9 inches allowing anglers to access some extremely shallow areas of the atoll; however the main attraction still lies in wading the flats. These boats are also sure to make the excellent offshore fishing far more enjoyable and rewarding as all of them are equipped with a fish finder. Other added features include fly rod storage fittings, bimini tops and cushioned seats. Each boat is skippered by one of the four world class professional FlyCastaway guides, all of whom are qualified skippers and speak English.

GETTING THERE

The charter flight leaves Mahe for Farquhar on Mondays and returns the following Monday. Guests are requested to fly into Mahe, Seychelles preferably on the Sunday or even Saturday before the chartered Beechcraft 1900 takes off for the 1 hour 45 min flight to Farquhar. Guests are requested to contact us prior booking their international flights as the charter times are not fixed each season and the times are subject to change.

Slipstream is a full service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2024

$14,200 USD DBL   Double room and shared guide

$18,1900 USD   Single room and private guide/skiff

ISLAND CONSERVATION DONATION   A donation of US$210 per adult (US$30 per night) is excluded from the rates and will be added to your final invoice.