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Andre van Wyk

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GT Nirvana?
December 13, 2011, 07:52:37 PM
Ok, so this is a flyfishing clip, but surely this must be the finest GT destination on the planet...

FlyCastaway Farquhar GT Fishing.mov

I was lucky enough to fish here in 2005, before my popping/jigging days... so was all FF.... but looking back, and watching this clip again, makes me wish I had a popping rod when I went...

Trying to explain the sheer numbers this place has of GT's, and being able to chase them while wading the flats, defintely puts this, in my book, as the ultimate destination.... unfortunately it comes with the Ultimate price tag too... and as far as I know, they currently do not allow popping on the flats, flyfishing only...

But one of our members, Craig Maree has just returned from here, and did both popping ( from the reef edge and boats outside the atoll )and SWFFing, and has some pretty epic pics... hopefully he'll share his tale soon..
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Mark Harris

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 13, 2011, 08:51:44 PM
How big do the GTs go there Andre? As usual with angled head-on pics you just can't tell the size of the fish in that clip.

Andre van Wyk

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 13, 2011, 09:23:52 PM
Mark - from my experience, the average fish on the flats are between 10 and 20 kilos, but there are certainly plenty of fish upwards of 20 and into the 30's to be had and seen...

On my trip, the two biggest fish went 118cm and 122cm respectively.... but we saw plenty of fish that dwarfed even these.... watching a 45 kilo plus GT churning up stand and marl in less than 2 feet of water while hoovering bonefish, while standing with a 9 weight fly rod in your hand as this behemoth swims straight at you and past your feet less than 2 metres away is a difficult thing to describe, and the feeling of helplessness with that 9 weight in hand is quite humbling...

There are plenty of 50 kilo plus fish in Seychelles, and some that will push well above that mark...

The fact that its flyfishing only means that less of these fish are targetable though, as I think the bigger fish don't come right onto those shallow flats as often, and will spend more of their time in the slightly deeper, and more violent areas such as the reef passes and outer edges of the atoll...

The biggest I personally saw on our trip was a fish that I would battle to call size wise, but I was on hand when the 122cm fish was caught ( not by me unfortuntely ) and the fish I saw dwarfed that 122cm specimen... it chased a fellow anglers fly head on in the surf zone and he actually pulled his fly away from it at the last moment in a form of sheer panic.... the guide went ballistic of course, but Danie, the angler, could not even lift the rod or stutter a word of excuse for about 30 seconds as he just stood there shaking with his jaw going up and down like a fish out of water..... after nearly a minute all he could say was " But, but, but, it was as wide as you!" to the guide.... it was a big black GT that was seriously at least 55 kilos, in water less than 3ft deep.... dorsal and eyes out the water as it chased the fly.... insane stuff...

Add to this the HUGE doggies that live there, Napoleon Wrasse on the Flats, and more bonefish than anywhere else on the planet, along with Triggers and Bumphead Parrots on the flats.... its a mad place.... with a mad price tag...  :(

Check out this gallery of the 2010/2011 season on the fly...
http://www.flycastaway.com/image-gallery/2010-2011/farquhar-2010-2011/
Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 08:11:10 PM by Andre van Wyk
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Jonas Holmsgard

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 13, 2011, 09:44:07 PM

Mark Harris

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 13, 2011, 10:06:27 PM
Fantastic stuff guys and the descriptions are very evocative. This sounds like a quite remarkable place I must say.

Celso Mendonca

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 11:09:52 AM
Awesome............one day.  :D :D

Luke Wyrsta

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 12:29:06 PM
Would love to get there one day!

Definitely a Nirvana, amongst a few others...

Greg Burt

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 04:18:15 PM
On the Bucket list  ;D
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Graham McKenzie

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 09:58:14 PM
Jeeez I am going to have to get a bigger bucket for my list

Aaron Concord

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 11:11:16 PM
Looks downright insane...............

Even if the average flats GT is 10-15kg, I'd go to the end of the Earth to peg poppers on light tackle for these hyperactive mini monsters.

Sometimes, we forget how cool it is to chase these smaller models in favour of spots/locales that have only donkey class GT's.

I'd be happy to get 30 of 10-20kg size models over killing myself on a 50+er.........been there......done that!

Looks like I need to sell my first born on Ebay to get there.........................................................so sorry son :(


Aaron.

Greg Burt

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 14, 2011, 11:29:56 PM
Jeeez I am going to have to get a bigger bucket for my list

You're getting through your present one alright Boulder   ;)

Aaron, did you see the DVD of the Flats hooked GT flyfisher being circled by a small Tiger Shark ?, on a set of DVDs from Andrea I 'loaned' to Fishhead a few years ago, magic  ;D.
Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 11:39:58 PM by Greg Burt
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Scott Maybury

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 15, 2011, 08:42:17 AM
Wow, that looks quite insane. And quite expensive!

I need to learn how to fly fish.

Angus Hulme

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 15, 2011, 11:28:16 AM
as far as I know, they currently do not allow popping on the flats, flyfishing only...

who is "they" Andre? Seems extraordinary to me that someone other than a government authority can dictate to anglers the type of tackle they can and can't fish with in certain locations?

Anyway, looks like an amazing place, thanks for sharing.
Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 11:29:49 AM by Angus Hulme

Luke Wyrsta

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 15, 2011, 11:30:20 AM
Fly Castaway.

And yes, I agree.

There are a couple of other operators that seem to service, although, with no regularity, there but the price is still an extraordinary premium. Simply can't comment on the differences.

Aaron Concord

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Re: GT Nirvana?
December 15, 2011, 09:52:38 PM
Bun,

I think I may have those discs????!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!

I'll need to grovel through my 'stash' of fishing porn  ;D

If I do, I'll need to get them back to you!

The dvd's in question had some epic footage!!!!!!!!!

Aaron.