7"Off-shore fly, tandem rig

1) TRAVELLING

There are several flights to Seychelles from the major European cities: London, Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich, Rome. There are also regular flights to South-Africa (Johannesburg), Kenya (Nairobi) Mauritius, La Reunion and Singapore.

Anglers traveling from America can either transit through Paris or London. It is advisable to spend a few days in Europe to get rid of jetlag. South-American travelers fly through Johannesburg and Australians fly through Singapore.

Seychelles time is 3 to 4 hours ahead of London, 9 hours of New York and 12 hours of Los Angeles.

There are no tropical diseases in Seychelles! All you need is your tetanus booster. Visitors from certain African and South-American countries might need vaccines to enter the Seychelles.

Spoken languages are English, French and Creole.

Local currency is the Rupee (approx. 5.5SR to the US$).

2) CLIMATE, SEASONS, AREAS

Being situated between 4 and 10° South, the Seychelles are outside the hurricane zone. Two seasons occur here: the north-west monsoon, from October to May and the south-east monsoon from June to October. The former is the best season for fly fishing: the fair weather and calm seas offer good sport in the whole of Seychelles. The temperature and humidity are high with more rainfall. Remote islands can be reached by boat.

During the south-east monsoon the winds blow steadily between 15 and 30 mph. The sea is generally rough, but the water is cooler and this is prime time for sailfish and tuna. Only when the winds blow very hard in August and September can the fishing be difficult or even impossible. Places like Poivre and St Joseph may become unaccessible. Bluewater fishing is always possible from Praslin, in the lee of the numerous neighbouring islands.

3) GUIDING OFFER

I can guide a maximum of 4 anglers at the same time. Anglers should have basic knowledge of fly fishing and be able to cast at least 45ft with some accuracy. I can also provide casting tuition. Make sure to bring your own equipment (see list below) as you cannot buy any fly fishing tackle locally. I can sell a limited number of flies and leaders and provide back-up rods and reels in case of loss or breakage.

4) BOOKINGS, RATES, AVAILABILITY

To find out about rates and availability, just send an e-mail to: seyfly@seychelles.net

Do not forget to give your name and the dates you wish to fish.

5) WHAT TO BRING ALONG

For bonefish, snapper and small trevally

- An # 8 weight, 9’ or 9.5’ fly rod with fast tip action.

- A good quality reel with WF floating fly line + min. 150 yards of 20 to 30 lb backing.

- Extra spool with sinking WF fly line + min. 150 yards of 20 to 30 lb backing.

 

For larger trevally, barracuda and bluewater fly fishing:

- A # 10 weight, 9’ fly rod with fast tip action.

- A good quality reel with WF intermediate or floating fly line + 250 yards of 30 lb backing.

- Extra spool with fast sinking WF or shooting taper fly line + 250 yards of 30 lb backing.

 

For billfish, wahoo and tuna:

- A 12 to 14 weight, 9’ fly rod with fast tip action.

- A good quality reel with WF intermediate fly line + 300 yards of 30 lb backing.

- Extra spool with fast sinking WF or shooting taper + 300 yards of 30 lb backing.

- 80 and 100 lb shock tippets, 60 lb steel wire, 12 to 20 lb class tippets, 7 to 12" flies tied on 6/0 or 8/0 hooks (pink is a good colour). Single hooks or tandem hooks.

 

Flies, tippets, leaders...

- A range of bonefish flies (crazy charlie, gotcha, minipuff, bonefish special (Chico Fernandez), crabs, clouser minnows and some epoxy flies) hook size 6 to 2 with sinking rates suited for fishing depths ranging from 8 inches to 3 feet. Small poppers.

- Trevally, barracuda and bluewater flies hook sizes 1 to 3/0. Sardine, anchovy, squid, mackerel patterns. Deceivers, streamers, gurglers and poppers.

- Tippets 8 to 16 lb for bonefish. Monofilament leaders 3 to 5 feet long. Special saltwater leaders with 60 to 80 lb shocktippets for trevally and bluewater. Single strand 60 lb wire for barracuda.

 

Miscellaneous...

- A pair of sturdy wading neoprene boots with thick soles or neoprene socks slipped into canvas jungle boots.

- A hat with long bill. Best is the "For and Aft" model which protects ears and neck too.

- Good quality polaroid glasses. Best shade is tan or yellow when overcast weather.

- Light breathable shirts and pants. Long sleeves and pants protect best from sun.

- Waterproof high protection sun lotion. After burn lotion. Insect repellent. Aspirin.

- Light rain wear.

- Little bag to carry flies, tools, drinks or lightweight waistcoat...

- Pliers, scissors, spare leader material, spare fly lines and if possible, spare reels and rods.

- Stripping basket for fishing near the surf.

- Emergency repair kit: superglue, tape, stainless wire, screwdriver(s), knife, hook file...

- Waterproof pocket camera, binoculars

Bonefish Special

Classic Bonefish

Crazy Charlie

Epoxy

Gotcha

Minipuff

Dell's Crab fly

Clouser Minnow

Gurgler

Popper