Rick Crawford
Before my wife, Jodie, and I decided that we would try to start a family, we decided we would each take a “bucket list” trip. I chose the South Pacific and we went to Tahiti, Moorea and Rangiroa. The following year, Jodie chose the Seychelles and South Africa. At the time, all I knew about the Seychelles was that there are beautiful beaches and there are legendary fly fishing opportunities for bonefish, GT’s and a host of other species, but that was about it. As I dug in and started doing some preliminary research, I quickly realized that the legendary fly fishing opportunities I had seen on YouTube and Instagram were hundreds of miles from the islands where we were staying in the Seychelles. Seeing as how we had a limited window of time in the Seychelles and we couldn’t swing adding additional stops to any of the outer islands specifically to fly fish, my only option was to DIY fly fish.
The challenge I found in doing additional research on DIY fishing in the Seychelles is that there was next to no information available on the interwebs (at least that was the case in 2017). Luckily, my friend Paul Puckett, who seems to know just about anyone who has ever cast a fly rod, knew a South African who might be able to point me in the right direction. Paul put me in touch with his buddy Andre Van Wyk, who just so happened to know the Seychelles well and was able to point me in the right direction for some spots to try for DIY on the islands we would be visiting. Side note, one of the things I truly love about the fly angling community is that most people, including Paul and Andre, are the types of people who would give you the shirt off their backs if you asked. I suppose it does make it easier to share information when you know that person lives two Oceans away, but I am grateful to have made a new friend on the other side of the world in Andre (Much love for the tips, Andre!).
Before diving in to the trip and fishing, here’s a few interesting facts about the Seychelles from Encyclopedia Britanica:
- The Seychelles are in island republic in the Indian Ocean made up of 115 islands and located about 1,000 miles east of Kenya.
- The climate is tropical oceanic, with little temperature variation during the year. Daily temperatures rise to the mid-80s F in the afternoon and fall to the low 70s F at night.
- Of the roughly 200 plant species found in Seychelles, some 80 are unique to the islands, but the most famous is the coco de mer.
- There are more than 900 identified species of fish; green sea turtles and giant tortoises also inhabit the islands. Endemic species include birds such as Seychelles bulbuls and cave-dwelling Seychelles swiftlets; several species of local tree frogs, snails, and wormlike caecilians; Seychelles wolf snakes and house snakes; tiger chameleons; and others. Endemic mammals are few; both fruit bats (Pteropus seychellensis) and Seychelles sheath-tailed bats (Coleura seychellensis) are endemic to the islands. Indian mynahs, barn owls, and tenrecs are also found.
- Considerable efforts have been made to preserve the islands’ marked biodiversity. Seychelles’ government has established several nature preserves and marine parks, including the Aldabra Islands and Vallée de Mai National Park, both UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Mahe: November 18-21, 2017
We flew direct from New York to Johannesburg which was a 14 hour flight, and then a 5 hour flight to Mahe, the main island and airport hub in the Seychelles. Long day flying, but I made sure to stretch my arms before the Atlantic Ocean and over part of the Indian Ocean, so I wasn’t too sore. But seriously, a long flight and I recommend bringing face wipes to occasionally wash your face, a tooth brush for fresh breath and standing up every hour for 5-10 minutes when your not sleeping, all of which makes such a long trek much more bearable.
Anyways, we arrived in Mahe in the middle of the night on 11/18 and took a taxi to our hotel. Luckily, because Jodie and I both travel quite a bit for work, we accumulated enough Hilton points to stay at the Hilton Seychelles Northholme Resort & Spa for a few nights before heading to another island. We are not really “resort” people and prefer to stay in a bed and breakfast or more local/authentic hotels when traveling for vacation, but this Hilton was ridiculously awesome. Our room had an incredible ocean front view overlooking the a unique clear blue hue of Indian ocean water with tropical palm covered mountains on the horizon as well as an infinity pool on the property with a similar view and its own beach. We were pretty jet-lagged, so I didn’t squeeze in any fishing. Although, I did walk and scan the beach and corals in front of our room, but didn’t see any tails, so we spent the next couple of days relaxing, napping and enjoying the amenities the Hilton had to offer. We did rent a car one day and drove around the island to check out some other beaches. I was also stoked to see that the Hilton had solar hot water heaters on every room!
Praslin & La Digue: November 21-25
Praslin
We took a quick 30 minute flight from Mahe to Praslin where we rented an apartment at a bed and breakfast called L’Hirondelle, which was great and directly across the street from the beach and also about 100 yards from a grocery store. The apartment had a kitchen, so it was nice to cook breakfast and lunch at home and then eat out for dinner, so if you are looking to save a few bucks, I definitely recommend staying somewhere with a kitchen. After grocery shopping, we walked across the street and took a stroll and went for a swim at the beach. The fine, white sandy beach was about 2 miles long and there were lots of fishing and sail boats anchored in front with lush hilltops in the distance.
We watched the sunset from the beach with a cold indigenous beer in hand and then cooked dinner at the apartment, that was washed down with some local rum. After a fitful nights sleep, the next morning we went for another beach stroll and then took a cab to a famous beach (anse) called Anse Lazio. The beach was stunning, but there was quite a crowd there which was to be expected, but still never what you conjure up in your mind while planning your vacation. That said, Anse Lazio was another fine white sand beach with gorgeous clear and blue water surrounded with tropical vegetation and the famous round granite rocks that you are sure to have seen in pictures of the Seychelles, or on a tropical calendar somewhere.
In an effort to put some distance between us and the rest of the beach crowd, we walked to the other end of the beach and stumbled upon a true hidden gem called the Honesty Bar, which was a short walk up a shaded trail that led to an open air bar. The bar consisted of a roof made from palm fronds, a wooden bar, plastic chairs and tables and a note on the refrigerator that had drink prices. There was no bartender. Just instructions to please be honest and pay for what you drink. What a concept! However, the view from the Honesty Bar was outstanding because it was completely shaded and because it was a good 30-40 feet above the white sandy beach, it had a wonderful vantage point of Anse Lazio. If you are on Praslin and don’t go to the Honesty Bar for a cold beer, you are doing it wrong, and we cannot be friends.
The following day, we rented a car to go check out the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vallee De Mai Nature Reserve and it was incredible. Honestly felt like we were walking through the Garden of Eden. Multiple varieties of palms that were huge, exotic birds squawking and also the world-famous coco de mer.
We did a relatively quick hike and then I spent the afternoon fishing while Jodie sunbathed on the beach. The flat that I fished was unspeakably beautiful. Sand that felt like silk, crystal clear water with many shades of blue and palm covered hills in the distance. I spent the entire afternoon methodically and thoroughly wading, waiting and looking for any sign of a tail. I saw plenty of bait fish, but ultimately no tails, but who cares? I was fishing in the Indian Ocean on a beautiful sunny day in an exotic and tropical location! What’s not to like?!
On our last full day in the Seychelles before flying to Cape Town, South Africa we took a boat ride over to another island called La Digue and I am so grateful that we did! I have been lucky to have traveled a fair amount and seen some truly amazing beaches, but La Digue’s beaches take the cake. Upon arrival, we rented bikes and started cruising and randomly chose Grand Anse, and as it turns out, is the most exceptionally gorgeous beach I have ever seen. The water was so clear and blue it seemed fake and besides another couple, Jodie and I were the only people at the beach.
After a couple of hours soaking in Grand Anse, we thought we should see what else La Digue had to offer as we were only there for a day-trip. The rest of La Digue was lovely, and we spent some time on a couple of other beaches, but they didn’t hold a candle to Grand Anse. If I am ever lucky enough to make it back to that side of the world, I would probably spend a week on La Digue.
Well, if you have made it this far, you have realized that I barely fished while I was in the Seychelles and when I did, I came up empty handed. That said, I could not care less. Whether you are trying to squeeze in some DIY fishing on vacation, or staying at lodge fishing all day, every day, at the end of the day, if you are there to count the number of fish you have caught you have completely missed the point. Would it have been great to catch an Indian Ocean permit or bonefish? Of course it would have been, but because of the stunning natural beauty of the Seychelles, it was one of the best fishing trips I’ve ever had.