Fly Fishing the Seychelles

Without question, the Cosmoledo Atoll offers up the finest mixed bag saltwater angling experience available. The atoll is about as far off the beaten path as a destination can be and none of the 12 islands at Cosmoledo are populated by anything other than birds and turtles. Due to its isolation and the fact that there is nowhere to stay at Cosmoledo, the only way the atoll can be fished is from a live aboard ship operation. Because of its unique bio-diversity, the Government of the Seychelles tightly regulates access to Cosmoledo and only two ships are licensed to enter the atoll with anglers or divers. This sound management policy has ensured that there is virtually no fishing pressure in the atoll and all but guarantees that the fishery will remain exceptional for the foreseeable future. The fishing at Cosmoledo is nothing short of extraordinary and the options for anglers in terms of what to fish for and when to fish are highly flexible. This is one of the few places on earth where an angler can land 6 to 10 pound Bonefish in the morning and then cast to Sailfish in the afternoon.

When guests are Bonefish angling, the Zodiac tenders are used to transport guests from the mother ship to the flats. The ride out to the flats is usually no more than about 5 minutes in length, unless the group is exploring one of the remote flats at the north end of the atoll. The zodiacs are powered by Yamaha 85 horse power engines and are skippered by two excellent captains. These tenders are very stable and are ideal for the kinds of fishing environments that the Cosmoledo Atoll offers.

The Bonefish flats found on the outer edges of the Cosmoledo Atoll, as well as those found inside the lagoon, are all pretty much the same. And for those who are looking for big fish, this is a very good thing. About 90% of the time that guests will be specifically targeting Bonefish, it will be on enormous white sand flats that stretch for miles. These flats are some of the largest we've ever seen and are hard packed and great for wading. There is very little sea grass or mottled bottom on these flats, which provides exceptional visibility for anglers. When you're on these flats you can see for miles and when the fish are coming in, so long as you have a good pair of polarized glasses, you can see them from a great distance.

The size of the Bonefish found within the atoll is worth the flight to get here! The average fish found on the flats is in the 6-8 pound range. Over the 6 days that guests will be chasing Bonefish, it is highly likely that anglers will land numerous double digit Bonefish!! When a 10 pound Bonefish takes your fly in six inches of water, you can expect to have at least 100 yards of backing come off your reel in the blink of an eye.

An added bonus on these flats is the presence of the Pacific Golden Permit. These Permit have a beautiful golden sheen and like their Caribbean cousins, are equally challenging to catch. There are good numbers of Permit on the flats and guests will likely get a couple of shots a day at these wary fish.

Because Bonefish and Permit are not the only fish that feed on the Cosmoledo sand flats, it often pays to have an additional rod on hand that can handle larger fish. Giant Trevally (GT) will often cruise in off the edges of the flats and will aggressively take a fly in shallow water.

Without question, the Giant Trevally fishing found throughout the Cosmoledo Atoll is the best in the world. The sheer numbers of fish along with the spectacular size of these GT's, combines to offer anglers the finest possible fishing for these powerful game fish. The Giant Trevally is part of the Jack family and like all Jacks, it puts up a tackle busting fight that is hard to believe. The largest GT landed on a fly rod by one of our clients during the past year was 93 pounds, so you can imagine what kind of epic battles are waiting when you decide to take on these huge fish.

For anglers interested in targeting Sailfish, we have been able to consistently raise sails on our last 2 trips to the atoll. Sailfish and Wahoo are the two most common visitors to be raised out of the deep blue and there is nothing subtle about a Wahoo showing up behind the boat. These fish are built for speed and when they hit, they hit at full speed. We've seen Wahoo launch themselves 30 feet into the air with the plug in its mouth. It is an awe inspiring sight that is sure to thrill even the most jaded and experienced saltwater veterans. Wahoo are also more user friendly than Sailfish in that they are far more indiscriminate in what flies they are willing to eat. The cast does not need to be as precise as it does for Sailfish and the fight that Wahoo put up on a fly rod is exceptional. The largest one landed last year on a fly was 55 pounds and we had several break off that were at least 70 pounds!

Another common species at Cosmoledo is the Milkfish. They are found in great numbers in the same flats that we find both Bonefish and Permit. The Milkfish looks a great deal like an enormous Bonefish with the major differences being the size and its huge forked tail. We don't put a lot of energy into these fish and have never had a guest catch one. We've heard reports of people landing Milkfish but it's just such a low percentage game and there are so many other species that are more than willing to eat our offerings.