Seychelles: Cosmoledo, Assumption & Astove Atolls

Questionably the most exciting and remote saltwater fly-fishing on earth!

A Gentle Word of Warning

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This trip is not for the faint-hearted, the casually inquisitive or those seeking a relaxing week away with the family. You will have to travel a considerable distance to reach this destination. You will not be able to up ship and leave if the office calls. You will not be treated to the creature comforts of some other saltwater lodges. What you will experience is some of the most mind-blowing fishing to be had anywhere on the planet.

The Area

The Seychelles, located in the eastern Indian Ocean, consists of 41 spectacular granite islands and 74 sparkling sand cays and out-of-the-way atolls. There are more than 100 atolls and islands, which are scattered over an area of some 1,400,000 square kilometres. Although most of the smaller atolls close to the main island Mahe have been fished extensively by fly-fishermen over the past decade, the more remote atolls have not and as such offer some of the wildest and most spectacular sport in the Seychelles.

 <<< Click here to find out where Seychelles atolls are.

The Accommodation

During your stay you will eat and sleep aboard a motherboat, the Indian Ocean Explorer. Built in the 1950s as an oceanographic research vessel it was totally reconstructed in 1980 and 1997 as an ocean going dive boat. 35 meters long (115 foot) the boat has 8 double cabins catering for a maximum of 16 people. All the rooms are air-conditioned with suitable storage space, ensuite showers and toilets. The upper deck has a spacious partially shaded lounge/sundeck where meals are taken and anglers can relax and enjoy the ocean after a day’s fishing. The boat has a trained crew which caters to the needs of the boat’s guests and who are accommodated in four rooms with a separate crew mess.

The Fishing

The species and quarry you are likely to catch on these remote atolls is as wide and varied as any saltwater location but both their numbers and size are exceptional. Bonefish, Yellow Fin Tuna, Barracuda and Milkfish make up just some of the long and distinguished list of saltwater species you may come across. However one fish stands above the others as the species of choice targeted by anglers: Caranx Ignobilis aka Giant Trevally. Likened to a cross between a Pit Bull Terrier and a Jack Russell and with fish up to 130lbs having been caught on fly, these are an adversary like no other.

The fishing is accessed from the motherboat by two large inflatable tender boats that ferry anglers swiftly to and from the flats. These are also used for offshore fishing, which is equally exceptional with Tuna, Sailfish, Kingfish and Wahoo being amongst the species which are targeted. The shore fishing is a mixture of large wadeable flats, lagoons, channels and coral edges with sharp ocean drop-offs.

The Atolls

Assumption

Assumption is more of an island than an atoll, and this is where anglers begin and end their trip. Although it is usually only fished on the last day of the trip while waiting for the IDC aircraft to collect anglers for the return trip to Mahe, it has some exceptionally good flats’ fishing, particularly for Giant Trevally, Triggerfish and Bonefish, and offshore for Yellowfin Tuna. Assumption is the only inhabited island of the three. The small number of residents who live there do so solely to maintain the island’s airstrip.

Cosmoledo

Cosmoledo is the largest of the three atolls, with a roughly circular lagoon stretching 13 kms running north to south and 18 kms east to west. Vast, wadeable sand flats, dotted with islands of various shapes and sizes, surround the lagoon. During low tide the flats are devoid of water, but once the tide starts pushing, fish move onto the flats from both the outer ocean and the lagoon. The water flow and tidal movement are considerable at Cosmoledo, and is particularly evident between islands, which channel the water flow. This is the chosen hunting ground of trophy Giant Trevally, which feed in this turbulent water while waiting for the flats to fill. These islands are home to a variety of sea birds, including the rare Red-tailed Tropicbird, amongst others. Cosmoledo is also a breeding ground for the Green and Hawksbill Turtle, and it is not uncommon to see the turtle hatchlings digging their way free from their sandy nests and heading for the sea.

Astove

Astove is a much smaller atoll, with a sandy lagoon completely surrounded by land, bar one small opening into the sea at its South-eastern end. As a result, there is a permanent movement of water in and out of the lagoon, irrespective of the tides. This single channel sees large gamefish like Giant Trevally, as well as Bonefish, Indo Pacific Permit (Pompano) and sharks, moving from the lagoon to the ocean and vice versa, depending on the tidal flow. Huge Giant Trevally patrol this channel and are a challenge to land, given all the rock and coral bommies near the channel mouth. Astove has what can only be described as exceptional offshore fishing. The surrounding slopes of the atoll drop from several metres to the ocean floor within the space of a few hundred metres. The steep-sided ocean walls are home to numerous fish species, but specifically trophy-size Giant Trevally, Yellowfin- and Dogtooth Tuna. There is also superb wade-fishing around the rocky perimeter of the atoll for trophy Giant Trevally.

Fish Species

Giant Trevally

These are the most sought-after gamefish and hence the primary target of anglers fishing the atolls. They are fearsome predators growing to over 100lbs and will test fly and spinning tackle like no other salt-water gamefish. Giant Trevally, or GTs as they are commonly called, venture onto the flats on a pushing-tide, and are the alpha predators of these atolls. They are fearless and ruthless predators, and will attack virtually any large baitfish pattern cast in their path. Once hooked, they are a handful on a fly rod and only the strongest rods and reels will subdue these bruisers. Being a resident of the reefs, once hooked, the fish’s initial reaction is to seek refuge in the nearest reef, making them a challenge to land. Consequently any large fish hooked must be held away from the reefs and coral bommies at all costs. Anglers-wade fish for GTs during the pushing tide, and then fish off the atoll’s numerous islands once the flats are too deep to wade.

Bonefish

Bonefish are common on all three atolls, and at Cosmoledo specimens up to 16 lbs (32 inches) have been landed. Most fish will average better than 6 lbs and at the eastern point of Wizard island at Cosmoledo; most Bonefish will run in the 7 - 8 lb range. The flats at all three atolls, but particularly at Cosmoledo, are ideally suited for Bonefish, which feed in large schools. Like many bonefishing destinations around the world, most of the specimen-size bonefish are oceanic and patrol the fringes of the flats in singles and doubles. Anglers who want to target Bonefish specifically can easily take 30 to 40 fish during the day.

Pompano (Indo Pacific Permit)

Almost identical in appearance and nature to the highly regarded Permit, they are an equally challenging quarry on a fly rod. South African anglers have devised a particularly effective Hermit Crab imitation for this fish, the Permit Hermit, which has accounted for many Permit on Cosmoledo and Astove.

Milkfish

Milkfish are algae and weed eaters and until fairly recently were considered virtually impossible to take on a fly. Techniques developed by anglers on Alphonse Island have unlocked the secrets needed to entice Milkfish, to take and they are now targeted almost exclusively by some anglers. Pound for pound Milkfish are considered one of the strongest flats fish, and once hooked, require a boat in order for the angler to stand a chance of landing one of them. Runs of over 200 metres are not uncommon and they often leap clear of the water during the fight.

Getting to the Lodge/Boat

Guests fly to Mahe International Airport in the Seychelles arriving no later than the Thursday prior to the week’s fishing. From there you take an internal flight on Friday afternoon to Assumption where you will meet up with the Indian Ocean Explorer for the start of your week’s fishing.

Best Times to Go

The prime time to fish these atolls is from November to March. Only a limited number of set weeks are available, so please enquire well in advance for availability.

If you would prefer to speak to us directly regarding a trip to Seychelles, please contact us at the following:

United Kingdom Office:
Justin Maxwell-Stuart
Mobile: +44 (0)7711 519 857
Fax: +44 (0)20 7352 0942
justin@wherewisemenfish.com

United States Office:

US Country Code: +1
Telephone: 347 284 6333
info@wherewisemenfish.co.uk

Or alternatively email us via our Booking Enquiries Form to request more information.