Bruglehall
Nils Pearson with Bumphead Parrotfish caught on Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles
Austin Fly Fishers
Juvenile red-footed Boobie flies over the water at the Farquhar Atoll
Photo by Nils Pearson
Epic Day on Farquhar Atoll
by Nils Pearson
How far would you travel to fish?
If you were to ask me what was the farthest distance I have ever traveled for a saltwater fly fishing destination, the answer would be easy. The unequivocal winner is the Farquhar Atoll in the Seychelles. I have fished in the Seychelles twice and each time had to endure a marathon of 5 flights to get there: Austin to Dallas 45 minutes; Dallas to Doha, Qatar 14 hours; Doha to Mahe, Seychelles 5 hours; Mahe to Alphonse Atoll 1.5 hours; Alphonse Atoll to Farquhar Atoll 1.5 hours. All told, I spent about 15 hours flying east and another 8 hours flying south. That comes out to 23 hours in the air not counting my time in on the ground.
Where is this place?
Farquhar Atoll is part of a chain of islands that make up the Seychelles group. It is located 478 miles southwest of the capital on Mahé Island which is 160 mi north of Madagascar and 621 mi from the East African mainland in the Indian Ocean. Because it is located about 10d south of the equator, it has very stable weather and daylight. The temperature hovers between 85-90°F with unrelenting humidity. Its seasonal variation is between the wet and dry periods. The sun rise and sun sets vary little during the year (6:30am to 6:30pm +- 30 minutes).
What is this place?
The Farquhar Atoll raises up from the ocean floor on volcanic rock and is surrounded by deep water. Strict fishing regulations and sustainable use practices keep the marine ecosystem healthy and vibrant. The atoll features some of the largest and
Austin
Alphonse Atoll Farquhar Atoll
Madagascar Mahé
most productive flats in the Indian Ocean for sight casting.
Are tides important?
In addition to the thriving diverse ecosystem, there was a natural phenomenon that made this trip exceptional for sight casting -tides. Yes, the host Justin Spence from Big Sky Anglers selected dates for our trip to coincide with a Spring Tide. I have previously written about the importance of Seychelles tides in the AFF April-June 2023 newsletter.
After much effort, Justin secured February 26 to March 6, 2025, to be on the atoll for a spring tide. While I was there, the difference between the flood and ebb tide was a little over 6 feet. That allowed me to wade the reefs on foot during the low tide when they were drained and await the incoming flood tide when the Giant Trevally would return the flats in search of prey.
How is this remote atoll maintained?
This isolated outpost has been developed by the South African company Alphonse Fishing in cooperation with the Island Development Company of the Seychelles.
During the fishing season, weekly flights from Mahé bring 10 fly fishermen to search the waters for the apex predator Giant Trevally, schooling bumphead parrotfish, colorful trigger fish, elusive milkfish, and an incredible variety of other species.
What about living arrangements?
I was fortunate to have my friend Brandon Rabke join me on the atoll. We shared half of a well maintained, air-conditioned, chalet style duplex with two beds. Excellent meals were prepared by a chef and served family style in the main building. Alcoholic beverages were available for purchase. Every evening before dinner, we gathered on the deck of the main building for the
Fishing a reef during the incoming tide with Bailey
Photo by Brandon Rabke
Justin Spence with a trophy 110 cm Giant Trevally
awarding of badges for that day’s trophy catches, the following day’s assignment of fishermen and guides, and information on the height and times for the flood and ebb tides. Regarding our guides, on most days 2 fishermen and one guide were in each skiff. However, Justin had made arrangements so that on 2 days each person in our party would be fishing by themselves with a guide. Having a guide to myself for 2 days of fishing was something new to me. After breakfast each morning, we transferred our gear into our assigned boat and headed out for a day of fishing.
How’s the fishing?
At our initial meeting with the guides, I had mentioned that I liked to wade. It must have made an impression because everyday but one the guides accommodated my request. In my opinion, there is nothing more exciting than wading on a flat and sight casting to fish in the surf. On most days, during low tide we walked out to the edges of the various reefs and generally fished for bonefish, triggerfish, bluefin trevally, and bumphead parrotfish. As the incoming tide began, we looked for the return of stingrays and Giant Trevallies (GTs).
On my first day, I was fishing by myself with Jerry. I was feeling some pressure because he was the head guide and I hadn’t got my fly fishing skills for this new environment dialed in. We spent the morning fishing for bones that were not 200 yards from our main camp. After missing quite a few and catching a couple, we left the boat and hiked along a jungle path that lead to rocky beach completely drained at low tide. On the shoreline among the rocks were trigger
Yousef balances a curious juvenile red-footed boobie on his push-pole as it inspects Brandon
Bonefish caught in the surf
fish feeding. I must have made 50 casts and changed flies numerous times without catching a single fish. When you look at a trigger, their colors look striking and out of place. However the shallow water on this flat was covered with rocks similar in color and size to the triggerfish. I had a heck of a time seeing the fish and generally tried to put my cast where Jerry directed me. I didn’t catch a single trigger that morning. As the tide began to rise, bonefish arrived among the small waves. Sight casting to bones in the surf and catching them was truly amazing. After we returned to our boat, Jerry poled around the area we had fished previously and found a bluefin trevally. I presented the fly in front of him and he jumped on it after the first strip. What a beautiful fish and a great finish to the first day on the atoll.
For the next couple of days, Brandon and I shared the boat with our assigned guides. Between poling the deep water and wading the reefs, we caught bones and bluefin trevally. On the third day, our guide Chase crossed the open water and parked the skiff on the deep edge of a reef. We donned our backpacks and hiked across the turtle grass to the surf side. As we approached the edge of the reef we could see a school of bumphead parrotfish. There must have been at least 20 or 30 of them hovering in about 2 feet of water slowly moving in deeper pockets of water.
A Dream Comes True
Ever since I started researching fly fishing on Farquhar and came across pictures of these prehistoric-looking blue-green creatures, I hoped to get the opportunity to catch a one. Now, getting a shot at one was a dream come true. As per Chase’s instruction, I dropped a small crab into the
Brandon with his Bumphead Parrotfish
middle of the school. After a pause, I slowly retrieved the fly waiting, for a slight tug. As soon as the bumpie noticed it was hooked, it took off to the deep ocean water. My drag was set very tight and I was able to stop the fish before it got to the deeper water and large coral heads, but not so tight as to break the 30lb leader. I simply held my rod at eyelevel and stopped the bumpie. At this point, Chase ran forward toward the bumpie, holding my fly line up in the air above his head to prevent snagging on the coral as he raced to the fish. Chase was wearing a full backpack, two fly rods on his side, and a net in his right hand. As he ran foward, at times swimming throught deep holes, he caught up with the bumpie and landed him in the net. As he walked back toward me, all I could think was that Chase was one heck of an athlete to have made that run carrying all that gear through deep water and making it look easy. Chase spent a couple of minutes taking pictures of my bumpie and we released him with no harm done. As you can see from the picture, Brandon also caught a bumpie that day.
My Epic Day in the Seychelles
The following day, it was just my guide Chad and me in the skiff. We spent the morning probing the edge of the deeper water and the shallows as the tide fell. I had quite a few shots at GTs but they were not interested in our brushy files. Chad thought why not make a change and try smaller shrimp patterns that we used for bones. Using this new strategy, I hooked up a couple of GTs. After catching these GTs, the tide was falling and we headed over to the reef. Chad secured our skiff on the edge of the reef and we hiked across the reef to the surf side. When we arrived at the surf the water was just about completely drained from the reef. Chad spotted triggers among the rocks and I cast to the side of each fish and let the crab fly float toward the trigger on the tide. After numerous attempts, I finally got lucky and hooked a trigger. As I cradeled the triger in one hand, Chad popped off some photos.
My triggerfish
It was not long after the photo session that Chad noticed that the tide had begun to flood the reef. He kept surveying the surf looking for indications that the GTs would be returning. He spotted the large black bodies of stingrays gliding closer to the reef. As the tide rose they began to move on to the edge of the reef. It was at that point Chad said that this is looking very promising. He was seeing lots of rays move from the surf to the reef and he thought that as the water rose the GTs would arrive. What could be better than sight casting to a GT?
Before long, Chad spotted a GT swimming in the deeper water on the edge of the reef. As he selected a good position from which to cast, he cautioned me to wait until he had his Gopro up and running. As you can see from the video, Chad told me where to cast, pause, and start stripping. Fortunately, my first cast was in the right spot, and after a couple of fast strips the GT was on. As the GT took line, I held the fly line tightly with my left hand to make sure that the hook was set. There was no way I was going to loosen my grip until I had the line on the reel. I tightened my drag and held on to the GT. He dashed out to the deeper water but I stopped him with about 75 feet of line out, keeping him away from the coral heads. Chad rushed out and netted the GT.
I can’t express how exhilerating it was to sight cast to and land this GT in the surf. As I told Chad, if that was the only fish I caught that day, I would have been very happy. But it was not. Chad found a spot where a multitude of GTs were heading up on to the reef. As the tide floodded the reef, I sight casted and hooked up 6 GTs and landed 5. But the day was not done.
Now that I had caught a GT and a trigger, I needed to catch a bone fish for a Farquhar slam. After getting back to the boat, we made our way over to
a tiny island. I had been here before and noticed that there seemed to be a large school of bones that have taken up residence at the spot. Within minutes of approaching the island, we saw the school. I launched a cast into the middle of the scrum and hooked up and landed a bone. Our day was done.
We headed back to the lodge. As we approached the landing area the other fishermen asked about our day. The only word I could come up with was EPIC! I said that this was the best day of saltwater fly fishing of my life. I don’t think that I will ever top this incredible experience.
Many thanks to Justin Spence from Big Sky Anglers for setting up this epic trip and the wonderful guides on Farquhar. My experienes on Farquhar made the memory of the arduous journey on numerous flights to get there fade away.
Many thanks to our terrific guides who relentlessly prowled the waters daily in search of the numerous exotic species that ply the waters in and around Farquhar Atoll. Their knowledge of the reefs, keen eyes, and good humor when I blew an easy cast made for a great fishing experience.
Freedom on the Fly Update: Spring 2025
by William (Bill) Buglehall
As some of you may know from the previous article about Freedom On The Fly (FOTF), published in the Austin Fly Fishers Association 2024 4th quarter news letter , FOTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping our military and first responder veterans by giving them the “opportunity to experience the joys of fly fishing, fly tying, and all other aspects of this sport to support their physical and emotional healing”. Since that article was published FOTF has done some amazing things and provided many veterans with amazing opportunities.
Regularly Scheduled Events:
FOTF continues to provide regularly scheduled events on the first Friday and third Saturday of every month at their amazing location on the San Marcos River in Martin dale, TX. At these events veterans get to tie flys, build fly rods, fish the river and stocked pond, and engage with a community of veterans that have become a band of fellow fly fishers. These events give the group a chance to make new friends and talk about their life experiences (good or bad).
Since attending several of these regular meetups I have gotten to know a few of the regulars and can say that these are some really interesting characters. Sam and Mike (the founders of FOTF) are always present and two of the most generous and friendly people I have met. Texas hospitality is the norm at FOTF. Their generosity is contagious and the crew of vets that attend regularly are more like volunteers than recipients.
Special Events: Troutfest 2025
The first big even of 2025, which I was fortunate enough to attend, was the FOTF or-
ganized group trip to Troutfest TX 2025 in New Braunfels, TX. Troutfest is an annual event put on by Guadalupe River chapter of Trout Unlimited (GRTU). At this event attendees are treated to a large array of fly fishing-oriented activities including:
Keynote Speakers
Presentations from Guides, Outfitters, Gear Manufacturers and Experts from Around the World
Live Auction & Online Silent
Vendor Expo with Guides, Fly Shops, Artists, Outfitters, Gear Manufacturers, Rod Builders
Fly Casting Lessons
On Water Watercraft Demos
Movie Night
Kids Events
Door Prizes
Great Food & Local Craft Beer
For the veterans, FOTF rented a house right on the Guadalupe river next to “Fourth Crossing” near the Rio Anglers Fly Shop. The house was amazing and gave the veterans rare direct river front access to the only river in Texas that holds stocked Trout. FOTF also provided meals and a 1/2 day float trip on the “Guad” with several local guides including Thomas Flemons, Founder of Diablo Paddlesports, and Capt. Cody LaCroix of LaCroix’s Fly Fishing.
All attendees had an amazing time including two Austin Fly Fishers members who are also military combat veterans. Everyone had an amazing time getting to know each other better and sharing some amazing stories of our experiences in the military.
Check out this video of Troutfest TX 2025 which includes the FOTF hc, float trip, and in-indepth coverage of Troutfest
Patriot’s Hall
I was lucky enough to get the chance to attend a special FOTF event at the newly established Patriot’s Hall in Dripping springs. Patriots Hall is a retreat developed especially for veterans, active duty military, and their families that opened back in October of 2024. This amazing facility was built on ten acres in rural Dripping Springs and has a 7,100 square foot main hall, a separate 800 square foot wellness center, and 1200 square foot meeting house built just for the local VFW and American Legion to use as their meeting house. There is a lot of outdoor space on the 10-acre retreat with plans to build a fishing pond and fitness trails
According to their website, “The mission of Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs is to create a permanent retreat and resource hub for veterans, active military and their families to connect, grow, and thrive.”
Between now and the one year anniversary in October every dollar donated to Patriots Hall will be matched through an anonymous donor pledge of up to $500,000. https://patriotshall.org/
FOTF plans to collaborate with Patriots Hall to host special events at their facility such as fly tying, casting lessons, and other activities.
Heritage Park Nursing Home Veteran Outreach
On May 5th FOTF hosted a veteran fishing event at Muller Park Pond in east Austin. FOTF provided fishing rods and bait for the several veterans housed in the Heritage Park Nursing home. The amazing Heritage Park staff coordinated the transportation for the veterans who were mostly non-ambulatory, as well as meals for them. Sam, Mike, and several veteran FTOF regulars helped with setting up fishing rods, baiting hooks, and even cast line for some of the vets.
In a video linked in this article, you can see one of these veterans, who got the nickname “captain” because of his hat, catch a good size Rio Grande Cichlid and then a slab of a sunfish.
This event was by far the highlight of all my experiences with FOTF. Listening to the stories these senior vets told and seeing their eyes light up when they heard “fish on” was all I needed to determine that the event was a immediate success. There is something about the simple act of catching a sunfish on a worm that takes a person back to their childhood days and you could see that in the faces of these veterans who otherwise would have been sitting in a nursing home if not for the generosity of Freedom on the Fly, their generous donors, and their veteran volunteers. .
Video of Veterans from Austin nursing home spend a morning catching fish with FOTF
Kayak Fly Fishing on the South Llano River
by Carol Olewin
I went on a kayak fishing trip to the South Llano River in Junction this past month and had a great 3 days of kayak fishing on the river. Weather was a little sketchy from time to time, with strong southern winds, overcast and scattered showers. Temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees. But the water was clear and running about 42 cfs. I caught my lifetime best Rio Grande Cichlid on a dropper rig of black micro leach suspended about 18” below a yellow foam bug. The bass was also my lifetime biggest at 18” caught with a chartreuse foxy clouser.
Damsel in Deceit
byJim Gray
My first experience with carp came in 1997. I had moved to Austin from S. Florida, and I was exploring the creeks, streams and rivers of the Hill Country. I took notice of the big carp early on. While common carp can be found in most of the US, they are not found in S. Florida, so I had no idea how to target them on fly, and I was not alone. I wasn’t able to find anyone who was consistently catching carp on flies.
For the next several years, I would catch a few carp each year, but it was mostly by accident when fishing for something else. In 2003, I decided to fully dedicate my fly fishing outings exclusively for carp. I spent 75 days that year targeting carp. During that time, I developed techniques to stalk and present flies that would get a consistent eat. I also tested many carp flies, and there was one fly that beat all the others - the damsel nymph.
Carp are opportunistic feeders, and carp in different parts of the country key on different foods. I’ve chased our local carp for 20 years, and for Hill County carp, an olive damsel fly is the clear favorite. My original damsel fly pattern was very simple - a single olive marabou feather, black bead chain eyes on a nymph hook. The next variation included a hackle collar, which made it a little more buggy. Over time, legs were added, then a dubbed head, and finally a ribbed abdomen. The current version is a very convincing imitation and was given the name “damsel in deceit”. Using variations of this fly, I have landed over 1000 carp.
The most effective technique for fishing the damsel is to cast past a feeding carp, drag the fly back and let it drop 6 inches in front of the fish. You need to keep a tight line and watch carefully for the eat. Once the carp takes the fly, quickly hand strike to set the hook and then immediately let go of the line to avoid breaking off the fish.
Fly fishing for carp has become very popular. It’s not a surprise to me. Carp are a worthy target. They are very wary, tough to fool, and strong fighters; but they can be caught with consistency with a little practice and a good fly.
SKIFF
Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun Update – June of 2025
by Bob Maindelle
Since my last update back in the early spring, I have good things to report both about fishing and finances!
On the fishing side, SKIFF provided five more children from two families with successful, guided fishing trips on Lake Belton during times of separation from their military parents.
I was first joined by Michael and Zoey Gilman, the children of Staff Sergeant Michael Gilman. SSG Gilman is in the US Army stationed at Fort Cavazos, and was away from his family at a National Training Center rotation in Fort Irwin, California, in preparation for a forthcoming deployment.
With Mrs. Jessica Gilman essentially a single parent to their five kids (with a sixth on the way), SKIFF was able to give her a little bit of a break by taking her oldest two fishing. Michael, age 11, and Zoey, age 8 were enthusiastic anglers and fast learners (not to mention just a bit competitve).
We began our trip at 7:15 AM and fished for exactly 3 1/2 hours. During that time these two landed a total of 117 fish including white bass, largemouth bass, and blue catfish. 100% of the fish caught were taken on the silver, three-quarter ounce, Bladed Hazy Eye Slab fished using a smoking tactic.
Next, I was joined by the family of U.S Army Staff Sergeant Jovan Curtis Sr., who is currently deployed to South Korea where he serves as a heavy equipment mechanic. His wife, Jewels, and their three children, Maliah (16), Jaylah (10), and Jovan Jr. (8) came out with me for a much-needed stress break.
Beyond the stressors of being a single parent during a lengthy deployment, Mrs. Curtis was also dealing with a recent car accident, as well as some uncertainty about her employment with the Veterans’ Administration.
Not long after launching, SSG Curtis was able to “tune in” through Facetime from halfway around the world and got to see and hear his kids catching their first fish during their first time on a boat!!
We fished in under 25 feet of water until 10 o’clock rolled around. At that time, the shallow water bite went soft as the sun climbed and the winds slacked off. I made one final move and found fish in 41 feet of water. We put our final 27 fish in the boat at this area, bringing the kids’ tally to +104 fish.
Twice during the trip Jaylah landed a double, catching two fish on her lure at the same time, and the big fish award went to Maliah with a 9-pound smallmouth buffalo.
Although we were targeting white bass, anything that eats shad will eat a shad-imitating lure. The Gilman kids, Michael and Zoey, landed these handsome blue cats on 3/4 oz. silver Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs.
Finally, on the financial side, we were granted $1,500.00 by VFW Post 4008 in Belton, Texas, and another $5,000.00 (for the second consecutive year) by Austin Subaru.
Thank you, one and all, for your ongoing support!
Bob Maindelle
From left: Jaylah (10), Maliah (16), Jewels, and Jovan Lake Belton following the passage of a mild, dry
Curtis with a few of the white bass we targeted on
front late in the afternoon the day prior.
Jovan
dry cold
Chris Johnson
Chris is the owner and founder of Living Waters Fly Fishing, a fly shop and guide service based out of Round Rock, Texas. He has guided the Texas Hill Country for nearly two decades, and has fly fished the heart of the state for over 25 years.
http://livingwatersflyfishing.com
Aaron Reed
Aaron is an award-winning er and Army veteran. time between the famous he drives a tugboat, banks of the San Gabriel town, Texas.
https://imbrifex.com/book/the-local-anglerfly-fishing-austin-central-texas/
award-winning outdoor writveteran. He currently splits his famous NYC harbor, where tugboat, and his home near the Gabriel River in Georgehttps://imbrifex.com/book/the-local-anglerfly-fishing-austin-central-texas/
Pat Vanek
Pat Vanek of Bosque Valley Fly fishing has been fishing the Rockport area salt for 30 years shared his knowledge of the area and how to catch redfish, speckled trout, black drum, and other species on the fly. bosquevalleyflyfishing@gmail.com
AFF Financials
by Jim Robinson
Club Resources
Cassio Silva – https://www.cassiosilvaflyfishing.com Central Texas Fly Fishing Guide
Aaron Reed – https://flyfishingaustin.thelocalangler.com/author/aaronreed/ Author Fishing Guide
Austin Orr – https://www.elevateflycasting.com Certified Casting Instructor
Ted Mendrek – https://sportsmansfinest.com Sportsman’s Finest Fly Shop
Chris Johnson – http://livingwatersflyfishing.com/ Living Waters Fly Shop and Central Texas Guide
Capt. Eric Glass – http://www.captainericglass.com/ Fly Fishing South Padre Island
Nick Streit – https://taosflyshop.com/flyguide/main New Mexico and Southern Colorado
Justin Spence – https://bigskyanglers.com Fly Shop and Guide Service West Yellowstone, Montana
Cari Ray – https://fisherofzen.com/shop/ Central Texas and Colorado Fly Fishing Guide and Casting Instructor
Capt. Chris Conant – https://www.mdfishco.com Sportsman’s Finest Fly Shop and Hosted Trips
