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Expansive, unspoiled Farquhar atoll produces tropical Seychelles flats fishing at its finest. This is GT country deluxe, and one of the few places in the world where anglers can consistently sight cast to these super strong and aggressive predators on fly in shallow water. Trophy fish in the 40–60lb class abound and are often uneducated and forgiving. The fish tend to come up onto the flats from both the lagoon and the surf, and anglers are able to cast to and hook big fish in open areas with little or no obstructions. The flats are a mixture of sand and turtle grass, and are all easily accessible and wadable on foot.  Although Farquhar is a big atoll, it is broken up into smaller islands and offers a huge variety of areas and flats to fish. Each flat is accessible by tender boat from the lagoon, and therefore relatively little walking is generally required as anglers can mostly be dropped close to the spot they intend to fish.  Other flats species that will be encountered are Indo-Pacific permit, the colorful and charismatic triggerfish, and the legendary grey ghosts of the flats, the world-renowned bonefish. The bones are present in excellent numbers and are generally of a bigger size than the other Seychelles islands, with fish in the 7–9lb range very common. Big milkfish are also found on this atoll, and these powerful fish can be taken on fly under the right conditions.  Walking the jagged reef edges and inner lagoons provides sight casting opportunities for other species such as bluefin trevally, snapper, permit, grouper and big sea run bonefish. Fishing can also be done off the tender boat along the outer reef edges and coral heads for a variety of trevally, snapper and other reef species.  There is currently very little pressure on this fishery, and under most circumstances, guests of MV Illusions will have the entire atoll to themselves for the duration of their trip. Farquhar comes highly recommended and guests are sure to land that fish of a lifetime!   
 
The Seychelles Travel: 
To get to Farquhar Island you will need to make travel arrangements to and from Mahe, Seychelles.  The outfitter will arrange the flight from Mahe to Farquhar which takes approx 2 hours.

We recommend that guests book international flights with enough time to meet charter flight in case of delays. THERE IS ONLY ONE CHARTER FLIGHT ON A FIXED SCHEDULE!  Arrival in Mahe a day before is advised – anglers can overnight on Mahe and can be transported to the airport the following morning to connect with the charter flight. If necessary, accommodation on Mahe Island can be arranged on your behalf.
 
The Seychelles Documentation:
Visas for stays of 30 days are not required for American, South African or British citizens.
Guests will be required to complete and sign a standard release and waiver form on arrival on board.  Although these trips focus mainly on fishing, it is possible to scuba dive, (time and location permitting), at the specified rate.  Guests must bring a certification card and log book(s) for verification of dive training/experience.
 
The Seychelles Fishing Program: 
The fishing can be as relaxed or as adventurous as you want to make it. There are white sand flats, turtle grass flats, coral flats, reef edges and surf fishing. You can take it easy, or fish hard and rough.  Please be aware that GT’s are trophy fish, and live in a harsh environment. They do not come easily to the fly, and should you wish to target these fish extensively you will need to fish hard for them and often in fairly rough areas. You will come across them on the sand flats, but mostly you will find the trophy fish along the reef edges and channels. Remember that because the atoll is so big, guests cannot be spread out over the whole atoll – a decision on where to fish is made each day, and all anglers will be fishing in that general area. Bonefish are common, and there are plenty of big specimens to be caught. There are a lot of triggerfish, snapper, grouper and smaller Trevally species for those who do not want to target the big GT’s. Farquhar experiences large tidal ranges, so there are going to be periods of slack fishing during the course of each day, mostly around the high tides when you are limited to the beaches and edges of the islands. All in all, there is something for everyone, making Farquhar a fly fishing destination not to be missed!
 
The Seychelles Boat:
Accommodation is aboard a spacious and comfortable 73 ft live-a-board motorized catamaran, MV Illusions. The boat anchors inside the lagoon, in the lee of the island and just meters from the flats.  There are 6 guest cabins - 3 double beds and 3 double bunk configurations. All are fairly spacious, comfortable and are serviced daily. There are 3 sizeable bathrooms with showers, toilet and basin. A large comfortable lounge, bar area and sundeck allow ample space to relax at the end of a days fishing.  The meals are hearty and wholesome, and are provided by onboard cooks and served on the cool, shaded upper deck as often as the weather allows. Mealtimes are relaxed and flexible to suit your fishing requirements.  Small changes to the menus are possible, but due to logistical constraints the galley cannot always cater for major allergies or medical conditions. Meal times are adapted according to fishing times.  Chilled, filtered water for drinking and filling water bottles is on tap on board and free of charge.  Cold drinks, beer, bottled water and wine is available from the bar. Guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol and wine.  Air-conditioning is provided onboard though it is mostly only run when required. All cabins are equipped with fans for your comfort. Onboard is a large flat screen television, DVD player and an reasonable selection of DVDs and music to choose from. It is also possible to hook up your video camera or digital camera at the end of the day's fishing… MV Illusions makes use of a 5-meter inflatable semi-rigid tender boat for access to the flats and fishing along the outer edges of the reef. A second back up tender boat is available when required. With MV Illusions as your base for the duration of your trip, the fishing is literally on your doorstep.
 
The Seychelles Outer Island Boat Based Trip Facts:
It is important to understand the dynamics of fishing the outer Seychelles atolls from a live-a-board boat. Farquhar is a fantastic atoll covering a huge and varied area with large numbers and varieties of species.  As is the case with other remote atolls, the most successful anglers are those that are prepared to fish independently and proactively. This is not a fully “guided” trip – the hosts are there to assist you and help you when needed, but to enjoy successful GT fishing you are encouraged to get out there, cover some ground and hunt the fish yourself (or in pairs). GT’s are mostly solitary fish and are found over a large area, and as we will be fishing on foot, the most productive method is to spread everyone out over the good fishing areas and cover as much ground as possible. The tender boat will always be nearby if needed (depending on tides), but is used mostly to drop anglers in good positions.  It is important that:  You are a relatively competent caster If you intend targeting GT’s you are capable of casting a 12 weight rod whilst wading and in wind.  You are fit enough to fish on foot all day, and are comfortable walking on uneven coral on the reef edges along the surf line.  You are able to carry a pack with your tackle, spare rod and water for the day. Lunch will be on the tender boat or back on MV Illusions.  MV Illusions, the tender boats and all equipment is kept in exceptional condition by an experienced and extremely safety conscious skipper, Chris Welgemoed. He can be a bit pedantic at times, but runs an excellent ship and operation, and you can rest assured you are in good hands.  Overall, MV Illusions is as comfortable and spacious live-a-board as you are likely to find in this price range, and everything runs smoothly. Please be aware that, as in most boats, the cabins are not of equal size. The three upstairs cabins are the most spacious, the downstairs cabins are smaller and generally a bit warmer. Normally, the anglers decide amongst themselves or even just draw straws when they arrive to see who gets which room – it is the fairest way! Since you spend minimal time in the cabins this should not really be an issue. Guests usually congregate on the deck or in the spacious lounge, and meals are mostly served outside on the upper deck with magnificent views over the atoll. 
 
Included:
7 nights on MV Illusions – all meals and accommodation, 6 full days fishing on Farquhar + ¾ of day on arrival at Farquhar (depending on charter flight time), use of tender boat to access flats including adequate fuel allowance for the week, return charter flights Mahe – Farquhar, airport transfers on Farquhar, goods and services taxes.
 
Not Included:
International flights to and from Mahe Island, accommodations and transport in transit on Mahe Island, extra fuel for bluewater fishing from tender boat (needs to be arranged in advance)
bar account, gratuities, island landing fees (if charged).