Fly fishing Christmas Island - Client report

Hi Matt

I would like to thank you for arranging our trip to Christmas island. We both had a great time.
I would like to pass on our thanks to the good folk at The Villages who were
just wonderful. They are with out doubt the best guides I have fished with to date. Each one of them had that great south sea island temperament. The welcome was great and so was the fishing.
 
I enclose a pic of a GT I stumbled on.

Laurie and John

Ascension Bay, Mexico fly fishing report by Farlows Andy Buckley

Andy Buckley from Farlows has just spent his first week tropical saltwater fly at our great value lodge Casa Veijo Chac in Punta Allen fishing Mexico's Ascension Bay. Despite so poor weather both he and the group still managed some great fish. You can read his thoughts on the trip below:

Bonefish Beginnings in Permit Paradise

As a lifelong freshwater angler I've always cast quietly envious glances towards the seemingly endless stream of achingly glamorous looking destinations and fantastically beautiful fish found in tropical saltwater. From November to May Farlows customers come from far and wide to share with us their stories of battles with bonefish, barracuda, tarpon, snook and the much revered permit. In many ways the inevitability of my first far-flung foray was certain from the moment I joined the team at Pall Mall. Having spent a year fishing the rock hard, gin clear waters of New Zealand I began to long for a different challenge and a saltwater trip would provide me with just that.

With such a variety of global destinations seeming to offer a slightly different experience at different times of the year and to suit different budgets I began to experience the trepidation that I imagine many anglers feel towards booking their first saltwater trip. I took the kind of advice I would offer to any angler in such a situation - talk at length to an experienced saltwater angler at a reputable tackle shop (in my case this conversation had been ongoing for eighteen months!) and then take further advice from an experienced destination fishing travel agent. Mat McHugh, owner of Fly Odyssey listened to my requirements and ambitions, took in to account my budget and came up with the perfect trip - Ascension Bay, Mexico.

The Punta Allen resort on Ascension Bay has a fantastic reputation as a mixed species resort where one can conceivably catch a bonefish, permit, tarpon and snook from the same flat. Punta Allen also offers a variety of fishing scenarios from the cliché white pancake bonefish and permit flats to lagoons where bonefish, tarpon and snook live alongside each other, to mangroves full of tarpon and snook and a whole number of offshore options. 

Having taken the advice of my fellow Farlows staff and of Mat McHugh I packed an 8# and 10# outfit which would appear to cover most eventualities. I chose the seemingly indestructible Hardy ProAxis rods and Fortuna X reels - having kit that can withstand the rigours of saltwater fish and resist corrosion from the water itself is vital and I've seen too many examples of kit that wasn't up to the job in the shop to make the same mistake. 

Gathering up the correct selection of flies, leaders and tippet can be time consuming but do take any advice given by experts who have been to your chosen destination - I found that there are specific requirements to particular areas. Remember to take plenty of lightweight UV proof clothing that will protect you from the searing sunshine. Take the best pair of polarised sunglasses you can afford as these will be totally vital to your success - Costa del Mar glass lenses are perfect. Add in a pair of flats boots relevant to your destination and a few other generic travel essentials and you'll find there really isn't a huge amount of kit involved.

The flight to Cancun is around about eleven hours and can be taken from either Gatwick or Manchester. Upon arrival you are met by your transfer host and taken by a very comfortable mini-bus to Punta Allen. The end of the drive can be a little arduous as the resort itself is very rural, but having arrived at the lodge late in the evening there is no issue with getting straight to sleep before the first days' fishing. Casa Viejo Chac is one of the most established lodges on Punta Allen and is more than comfortable. The staff are very friendly and cannot do enough to help you, the food is excellent and the owner of the lodge Manuel Chac is a mine of fishing information that is well worth tapping in to. Many of the members of our trip took impromptu casting lessons from him and all agreed that his advice helped them hook more fish.

The guides at Casa Viejo Chac are all very experienced and exceptionally knowledgeable. My boat partner and I were guided by Chucho and Oscar who at 24 and 21 years old respectively have fifteen years of guiding experience between them. It seemed that all the guides spoke more than adequate english, many had even picked up a few choice phrases that you might not have expected!

F

The fishing was very very good indeed, despite the best efforts of the weather. Unsettled pressure around the Caribbean was pushing unseasonal tropical storms over Punta Allen at a rate of three per day - one in the morning, one in the early afternoon and one late in the evening. These rarely lasted more than half an hour and were punctuated by the kind of tropical conditions that often only seems to exist in travel catalogues - just perfect.

Our group caught countless bonefish both from the pangas (the type of skiff used) and by stalking tailing fish on foot. There were permit, tarpon, snook, barracuda, snapper and many other species caught and the huge areas of flat around Punta Allen meant that no two days were the same. Our guides gave us regular shots at all the species and could give advice on not only fishing matters but also on the history of the area and the local wildlife that includes crocodiles, flamingoes and frigate birds amongst many others. They can also change a fly in seconds which often proved invaluable.

Given its accessibility, the multitude of species and variety of habitat along with its relatively low cost I would regard a trip to Punta Allen as the perfect destination for a first time saltwater angler. Huge shoals of bonefish, regular shots at tarpon and snook and some of the largest populations of permit anywhere in the world make Punta Allen a great destination for those anglers chasing the holy grail of saltwater achievements, the Grand Slam. I myself managed what is known as the "poor man's slam" (snook, tarpon bonefish) but I have seen and heard of many anglers who have managed the elusive permit too. The possibilities at Punta Allen are almost endless.

If you are looking in to the idea of your first saltwater trip and would like more information on Punta Allen then please don't hesitate to contact me at andy.buckley@farlows.co.uk or at the shop on 0207 484 1000.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING IN MEXICO PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0)1621 743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk

Fly Fishing Hallaniyat Islands- Southern Oman

Fly fishing takes you to some unique parts of the world. Over the past week a small group of us went on an exploratory to check out the fly fishing potential of the Hallaniyat Islands in Southern Oman. This location is famed for its huge GT's (50kg plus fish) that are present in these waters and targetted by  popper and stickbaits. We were there to explore the shore based and milkfish population which South African angler Garth Wellman has managed to successfully target earlier in the year.

Our week began with a flight from London to Muscat and then internal flight to Salalah in Southern Oman where we spent the night waiting for the winds to die down. From there a 3 hour car journey south across the Omani desert to the small fishing village of Shuwaymiyah puts you within an hours boat ride across to the Hallaniyat islands.

Our first few days were hampered by big swells which made fly fishing from the pangas difficult so we spent some time exploring this rugged coastline. We encountered a range of species including spangled emperor, big eye and black tip trevally, parrotfish and blue trigger fish. But it was the milkfish that we spied surfing down the big swells that would be the main focus for the rest of the week as the seas calmed.

While the milkfish were present they were not around in huge numbers which made locating them difficult. Pods of 10-20 fish would be encountered sporadically. These fish would be seen feeding in the weed lines, huge forked tails giving them away. Milkfish of huge proportions, well over the 40lb mark made the hours of searching worthwhile with the knowledge that one of these fish hooked would be the fish of a lifetime. On the 3rd day Jonathan Hey managed to hook into a big milkfish. The battle with this fish was epic and lasted nearly 2 hours. With the sun setting behind the hills we had to increase the pressure and the tippet parted way. The local fish freezer had a milkfish specimen which had been landed recently. This fish is well over a meter in length and Ahmed our guide was quick to pose for a shot.

Good numbers of sailfish were also present and one of the boats went to tease in a fish. They managed to tease up a few fish but could not manage an eat from them. The popping guys also struggled to find the big GT's during this week. Only a few fish were landed by them despite thousands of casts. Billy Lorenzo did manage this monster 137cm estimated at 50kg.

The marine wildlife was superb. Large numbers of dolphins, leather back turtles, mantas and pilot whales were seen during the week. Acres of small tuna (skipjack and bonito) with the occassional yellowfin tuna shoal were feeding on tiny pinfry. Will be taking some tuna flies next time I visit.

All in all it was a fascinating place to visit. We had a slow weeks fishing, which can happen sometimes. The potential of this fishery for milkfish is there. In March April when they are there in bigger numbers I think there is every chance of hooking fish in the 40 and 50 lb class. Landing them may be a different story but we will go back to find out if its possible!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING OR GT FISHING IN SOUTHERN OMAN'S HALLANIYAT ISLANDS PLEASE CONTACT US ON +44 (0)1621 743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk

Farlows Event: Iceland information Days

Join Fly Odyssey in store at Farlows on the 21st & 22nd November from 10 am to discuss all your plans for salmon, brown trout, arctic char and sea trout fishing in Iceland for 2014. Iceland has a lot to offer the fly fisher, its quick and easy to travel to, English is widely spoken and both fishing and guiding are excellent. There is a wide range of fishing available and a visit to our store event will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision on the best option for you.

Following on from this year’s bumper salmon season in Iceland Fly Odyssey have available rods on a variety of rivers. These range from small private three rod rivers to famous names like the Vatnsdalsa, Langa, Huakadalsa and Breiddalsa. If it’s Iceland’s large brown trout you are interested in we will have details of our Paul Procter hosted weeks on the famous brown trout waters of the Big Laxa, Litla and Reykjadalsa. For the sea trout fishermen we have weeks available on Iceland’s premier sea trout river, the Huseyjarkvisl.

In 2014 we have several exclusive weeks on the famous Vatnsdalsa river. This river pioneered catch and release in Iceland and offers 44 km’s of stunning fly water for large Icelandic salmon. Joining us in store will be Stjani Ben and Bjorn Runarsson 2 of Iceland’s great salmon and trout guides and owner of Vatnsdalsa Lodge Petur Petursson (22nd only) who can all tell you about the gems of the Vatnsdalsa.

More information can be found on the Fly Odyssey website at www.flyodyssey.co.uk. You can also contact Mathew McHugh of Fly Odyssey via enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk or on +44 (0) 1621 743711 alternitavely contact the Farlows team instore.

Permit season in Mexico and Cuba

October and November is our favourite time to target permit in Mexico and Cuba. Over the next 4 weeks we have 60 anglers visiting these 2 destinations. Our first clients managed to get down to Casa Blanca and Tulum in mid October. James and Tracy managed their first permit each and then preceded to land another 8 over their 2 week stay. James manage to convert one of his permit into a Grand Slam.  A great achievement!! Some thoughts and images from their trip below.

Hi Mat,

 

I've attached some pics from our trip to Casa Blanca.  As you can probably tell our main focus was permit.  We both had a great time, the lodge and its setting was top notch and Rita was a great host.  Obviously going for permit is never going to be a numbers game but I think we did alright, finishing with 6 between us at Casa Blanca (another 4 were added from the beach at Tulum).  Whenever a permit was landed we made sure we got a bonefish in preparation for the night time tarpon fishing from the pier.  I did manage to finish off a grand slam one night.  I very nearly finished another slam from the beach around Casa Blanca on the Saturday before we left in the afternoon for the plane - I had the permit and bone but the tarpon got off even though I thought I'd nailed it.

 

Many thanks for organising everything - it all went to plan.

Regards, James

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ADVICE ON THE BEST FLY FISHING GUIDES AND LOCATIONS IN MEXICO AND CUBA FOR PERMIT PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0) 1621743711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk

Maldives fly fishing

Just back from looking at some more fly fishing destinations in the Maldives. We again fished the Kanuhura resort for a few days before flying down to the remotest area of the southern maldives and visiting the stunning Ayada resort. Both resorts are ideally set up for family vacations, honeymoons or just a holiday in the sun.

From a fishing point of view both offer something different. Kanuhura has a boston whaler and trained up fly fishing guide. We have also established a pick up and drop off program for the DIY angler. We encountered good numbers of bonefish while there and had over a dozen shots at ind-pacific permit over a couple of days fishing. The permit here are as fussy as elsewhere but we had several fish very interested in our presentations. The GT's were not around in big numbers but was not a great tide week so this may explain only the few fish seen.

Ayada is a new resort located in the far south of the Maldives. They are in the early stages of setting up their fishing program which will include a gameboat, spotrfisher and flats skiff. We will be helping them over the coming months to establish their fishing operations. There are extensive flats areas nearby to the resort and we spent 2 days looking at these. The habitat is varied (shallow sand, turtle grass and ocean reef) and extensive. Despite the great looking habitat we encountered few fish and this was probabl;y due to a big weather system that came through during our visit.

When the sun shone we manage dot find indo-pacific permit, big triggerfish and a fair number of good sized bluefin trevally (10 lb +). While the flats screamed bonefish we didn't encounter any on this trip. However the area looks great and I am excited about a return visit to try and find out a bit more about that fishery.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLY FISHING IN THE MALDIVES PLEASE CALL US ON +44 (0) 1621 743 711 OR EMAIL: enquiries@flyodyssey.co.uk