Deep within the Indian Ocean, due east of Madagascar and 300 miles northeast of the island of Mauritius, lies and obscure and seldom visited atoll that may be the greatest bonefishing destination in the world. Scouted and eventually made accessible to fly anglers the by the veteran South African saltwater outfitters at Fly Castaway, St. Brandon’s atoll is a wade fisherman’s paradise blessed with enormous hard sand flats and staggering numbers of huge bonefish. In addition to the incomparable bonefish resource, anglers will also encounter good numbers of Indo-Pacific permit, bluefin, golden, yellow dot and green spot and giant trevally.
As the saying goes, nothing good is easy, and that certainly applies for reaching the out islands surrounding Mauritius. In fact, the only way to access the vast white sand flats of St. Brandon’s is with the highly skilled guides from Fly Castaway aboard their luxurious 100 ft live-aboard the MV Gryphon. The MV Grypono perfectly equipped for the mission and has four spacious double occupancy state rooms, a nice dining room and lounge and great covered back deck for post-fishing cocktails.
If you have a lust for real adventure travel, like the thought of loading up a great live-aboard vessel with friends, and want the opportunity to experience the best bonefish the globe has to offer, this might be the trip for you.
Fishing Program:
The Season - As St Brandon is situated in the cyclonic belt and much further south than the atolls of the Seychelles, it’s wisely rested from the end of December until late in March, which is the cyclone season. From late June through to September the strong winter south-east monsoon winds blow incessantly which brings cold water onto the flats and makes fly fishing an unpleasant experience. This being the case and based on the weather research we have done the season at St Brandon’s will be a maximum of 12 weeks per annum. This season will be split into two parts, the first part runs from early October until mid December and the second part from early April until end of May.
Typical Day - Typically anglers will be up early and after a quick breakfast head out to the flats to fish the first tide. They generally stay out on the flats for the whole day taking wholesome and tasty packed lunches with them when we leave the boat in the morning. There is however an option to return to the boat for lunch before heading out later the afternoon for the second fishing session. During the midday if anglers decide to take a break they can snorkel, or just laze around the mothership and re-hydrate in an air-conditioned environment.
The Flats – The flats are all hard sand with the majority being quite clean or containing small bits of coral. There are some with larger coral heads and a few have sections of turtle grass. As a rule, they are absolutely huge and we would not hesitate to say they are among the most beautiful flats we have fished, including Christmas Island and the Seychelles. It is not uncommon to spend the whole morning walking a flat only to realize you have only covered half of it. Luckily, when it comes time to move on, the guides will give you fishing instructions and then make the long(up to a hour) walk to get the boat and bring it around to you..
Wading - St Brandon’s flats are primarily made up of white compacted sand which makes for easy wading, thus separating it from most other destinations in the world. As most of the fishing will be done via wading, good footwear is essential. Although the sand flats are easy on the feet, there are certain areas that are made up of broken coral or littered with coral bommies, so having standard diver’s neoprene booties with a reinforced rubber sole is appropriate. For this reason we highly recommend wearing flats wading boots.
Dangers to watch out for whilst wading:
Stingrays – some areas on the atoll host large numbers of stingrays on the flats. Most species
have a poisonous, barbed spine near the base of their tails that they can use for defense. These
spines can inflict a nasty wound, should an unwary angler inadvertently stand on a stingray.
These often sedentary or slow moving fish are easy to see and avoid, and to date no anglers have had any problems with these docile creatures.
Stonefish – found mainly in the shallows on the coral edges of reef flats, this fish is not only
lethally toxic, but is also very well camouflaged and will not move unless touched. A stonefish has 13 strong hollow spines through which it injects its poison and these will pass through a thin rubber sole with ease. For this reason all wading should be done wearing appropriate wading boots.
Cone shells – cone shells live in crevices among the coral or half covered by sand awaiting their prey which they attack by shooting out a dart that injects a paralyzing poison. The poison from certain species can be fatal, however proper footwear will ensure your safety.
Sharks – although small sharks are frequently encountered whilst wading, they present the least danger of all. Sometimes inquisitive, they may pause for an instant and give you the once over but if you remain calm and quietly stand your ground, none of these magnificent creatures will bother you. To date there are no reports of any anglers or guides having been bitten by sharks in these waters.
The Boat - MVGryphon:
Specifications- The Gryphon is a 96ft motor yacht with a 23ft beam and a 7,5ft draft catering for long range expeditions. She can accommodate up to 8 fly fishermen, 4 Fly Castaway guides, as well as a crew of 4 who cater for your every need. A large and spacious vessel boasting two stabilizers which make her extremely stable, she has a top speed of 13 knots. She is very comfortable and the perfect base with which to explore St Brandon’s in luxury. It would be difficult to find a better boat from which to do the crossing as she has all the extras like a TV, DVD player and card table to help pass the time. The Gryphon is a three level vessel which offers 4 spacious guest cabins situated at the aft of the lower deck. Each has a spacious en-suite shower, basin and flushing toilet. All cabins and indoor dining or entertainment areas are fully air conditioned, allowing guests a chance to relax in a comfortable environment after a long days fishing out on the flats. On the mid deck she is spacious and boasts a separate salon, dining area and aft seating area all with a magnificent view of the surroundings. This area is perfect for dining, sundowners and general relaxing. The stern of the vessel has a set of stairs leading down to the aft deck which is perfect for fishing from. This feature also allows for a safe and comfortable transfer from the tender boats to the main vessel. All meals are served in the dining room with the chef preparing a mix of Creole and international food.
Technical details:
BUILDER: Martinolich
YEAR: 1976
REFIT: 2009
BUILDING MATERIAL: Stainless Steel
LOA: 29.3 Meters
BEAM: 6.9 Meters
DRAUGHT: 2.3 Meters
SPEED: 11.5 Knots at 1750 rpm, 13 Knots at 2000 rpm
ADDITIONAL: Stabilizers
RANGE: 4000 NM
ELECTRICITY 380 v, 220 v, 24 v (No converters required)
PLUG POINTS: 2 prong UE or 3 prong UK
GUEST ACCOMMODATION: 4 x Staterooms (Sleeps 8 guests)
FLAG: Mauritian
OTHER FACILITIES: TV, DVD, stereo, ice machine, washing machine, dryer
3.3 Tender Boats
The Gryphon has four tenders at her disposal; each of them is a 17ft locally built mono-hull which carries 2 x 15 HP 2-Stroke Yamaha engines. The boats work well in this area as they have a draft of approximately 8 inches allowing us to access some extremely shallow sections of the atoll. Each one will be skippered by an experienced Fly Castaway guide, who carries a fully qualified skipper’s ticket.
Tackle on Board - The Gryphon will be rigged with 8 x 12 weight G-Loomis Crosscurrent Fly Rods and Shilton SL7 Reels and 8 x 9 weight G-Loomis Crosscurrent Fly Rods and Shilton SL6 Reels which can be rented on a weekly basis. There will also be 4 x Shimano Tiagra 50LRS Reels and Shimano Tiagra Stand-up Rods and 4 x Shimano Tiagra 30LRS Reels and Shimano Tiagra Stand-up Rods for conventional blue water angling which can be used free of charge.
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart Home
Day 3: Arrive Mauritius, board the Grypohn, and depart Mauritius for St Brandon's
Day 4: Arrive St Brandon's early in the morning and start fishing
Days 5-10: seven days of guided fishing on St Brandon’s Atoll
Day 11: Fish 1/2 day and depart St Brandon for Mauritius.
Day 12: Arrive Maurituis mid day. Depart Maurituis late evening.
Day 13: Arrive Home.
