For live and premium content, sign up for our email newsletter and we'll send reports directly to your inbox
Subscriber Bill Mitchell says he caught a number of fish on his recent trip to Farquhar in Seychelles, but he is not entirely happy with the experience. His complaints center on the accommodations and food (both are very poor, he says), and he says it appears to him that the area is being fished too heavily. Despite the problems, he says his group caught a large number and variety of fish. He lists as highlights of his trip the chance to catch big GTs and big bumphead parrotfish. “This is a gorgeous part of the world, too,” he writes. “And the guides were great.”
Mitchell says his trip was handled for him by Flycastaway in South Africa (www.flycastaway.com), but he does not blame them in any way for the shortcomings of the trip. He writes:
“We originally wanted to go with Flycastaway to their remote destination at Providence. That was in 2010. Unfortunately, the Somali pirate issue shut down those trips for three years. So, anxious to fish in Seychelles for giant trevally and other species, we settled for a trip to Farquhar. We asked to go. Nobody pressured us to go. Back then (in 2013), we were still getting some very good fishing reports from Farquhar, but by the time we got there the atoll had apparently begun to see a lot of pressure.
“We booked our trip directly with Flycastaway. They double as booking agent and outfitter for this destination, and they run a good operation as regards planning, support, guiding, gear, etc. Castaway’s problem is that the lodge is run by the Seychellois. They have little or no control over the land-based part of the operation. I do not blame Castaway for any of our disappointments. After we got home, we did debrief them regarding the poor food and lodging, and we suggested they lighten up on the fishing pressure at Farquhar. Hey, in the end, that’s fishing. All considered, we had a memorable time. I am thankful for the experience.”
Rebuttal comment from Gerhard Laubscher at Flycastaway: I’m sorry to hear that your subscriber had a lessthan- satisfying fishing experience at Farquhar Atoll. We have been fishing and guiding on the remote outer atolls of the Seychelles for more than 12 years now and over that period we have learned an incredible amount about these special fisheries. Whilst it is true that Farquhar has taken pressure, it is very difficult to compare it directly to a destination like Providence. Each destination has its own attractions and features unique to that fishery. Unfortunately, no destination can provide everything every angler is looking for.
“It’s true that Farquhar gets more pressure than some of the other remote outer atolls of the Seychelles, but at the same time, it takes less pressure than some of the other more popular fisheries in the Seychelles Archipelago. Fishing being fishing, we have good weeks/days and not so good weeks/days at Farquhar. Unfortunately, the atoll is a long way away from anything and it takes several days of travel for most anglers to reach it. Not surprisingly, most anglers arrive with an expectation of the very best fishing experience available. Sadly, that is not always what they find. Your subscriber had a less-thansatisfying week, but next season that same week under similar conditions can fish exceptionally well. There are endless factors that come into play, and sadly we cannot control all of them.
“As everywhere else on the planet, the more days we spend fishing the waters of Farquhar, the more educated the fish become. As outfitters, I realize it is our responsibility to manage the pressure so it has as little impact as possible. I believe our guides do an incredible job in that regard, rotating the areas targeted based on tides, weather, and various other factors, including the visiting anglers’ fishing abilities. All considered, from a fishery perspective, I think Farquhar remains one of the most diverse fisheries on the planet, and that is evident in the kind of trophy fish our guests still land here season after season.”
Don Causey Note: In a personal aside note, Laubscher said he was working hard to improve the accommodations and food situation at Farquhar, and he is confident incoming guests will be pleased with the results.