Fishing | Seychelles Fly Fishing Heaven – Cosmoledo Atoll

If it is an unforgettable fishing holiday you’re after, then Seychelles remote outer islands should be your first choice. The reason is because these islands are virtually untapped. You can see shoals of bonefish one thousand strong on the inshore flats. And the bones are big – lots of 10-pounders and over. Where else will you see that?

Yes there is more to this tropical island holiday destination than just beaches. In fact it’s an anglers’ paradise although still relatively unknown and a well-kept secret by many. Perhaps this is the reason that in Seychelles fly-fishing is still so good.

And the choice between fly fishing the inshore flats of Seychelles and trolling its blue waters for big game fish is more difficult than you may think if you ever go fishing in the Seychelles especially at Cosmoledo and Providence. Both types of fishing are just so unbelievably good. But it’s not easy to write about Cosmoledo fishing without superlatives…

One angler says, “For every pound of fish you catch in the Caribbean and the Yucatan, you’ll hook ten pounds in Seychelles.” The fish in the latter are big and plentiful. You’ll never get bored in the outer islands of Seychelles fly-fishing. And those that discover the fishing Seychelles has to offer come back year after year but they’re nor telling. It’s their little secret.

So, next time you’re thinking of a fly-fishing holiday Seychelles should be at the top of your list of possible destinations – Of course not just anywhere in Seychelles but the outer islands of which there are several to choose from. At the top of the list are: Providence, Cosmoledo and Alphonse Islands. All you have to do is find a yacht that will take you there.

On your Seychelles fly-fishing holiday you should ideally target several species as there are hundreds of varieties around these islands, and that gives you a unique chance to hook a large number of species in a relatively short time. Anglers have been known to land as many as 41 different species in as little as 6 days of fly-fishing in the Seychelles with catches of 40 to 60 fairly large fish a day – More on that later.

There are two types of salt-water fly-fishing in Seychelles: Fishing the inshore flats will yield large catches of bonefish, giant trevally, groupers, snappers, giant guitarfish, triggerfish, big-eye trevally, permits, blue-fin trevally, parrotfish and many others at Providence and Cosmoledo…

If you are after big game fishing Seychelles won’t disappoint you either for sailfish and marlins. Some can be really enormous and may even challenge the record books. You can also land large specimens of bonito, wahoo, dorado, trevally, giant barracuda, tuna, rainbow runner and many others trolling the blue waters around Cosmoledo, Alphonse, St Joseph, Providence and St Francois islands…

And don’t make the mistake of choosing beforehand one type of fishing over the other before you get there. In Seychelles fly-fishing season there is no reason to choose between inshore fishing and blue-water fishing when you can enjoy both on a superlative level every day.

The bonefish on the inshore flats are big. They come down with the tide in huge shoals of perhaps one thousand strong and you can expect to hook 50 bones a day on those flats including several 10-pounders and bigger.

And there you’ll enjoy the best big game fishing just beyond the reefs a couple of hundred metres out. So this is the reason that you should not choose between the two for your best fly-fishing holiday. I say get advice from a knowledgeable local guide…

And fish the inshore flats with the tide. In between tides you can go after the big ones just beyond the reefs. Otherwise you’ll miss out on a chance of a lifetime. The opportunities in the outer islands of Seychelles fly-fishing are gigantic and incomparable. You can have lots of fun and easily land a record-breaker among a catch of 50 or more medium-to-large fish a day.

What do I mean by, “medium to large?” While your bonefish catch will probably average 5 pounds you can hook several 10-pounders and over. For giant trevallies (GT) you will be landing 25-pounders with some very much bigger – even 70-pounders have been caught. This is what you can expect in fly-fishing heaven, or as one angler calls Cosmoledo Atoll “the GT capital of the world”

If you are considering a fishing holiday know that the Seychelles fishing season is from October to May. During the off-season the sea is rough and fish are scarce. So for an unforgettable fishing holiday choose the rainy season in the Seychelles remote outer islands.

But the rainy season doesn’t mean it rains everyday and all day. It just means it’s wetter than the other half of the year with some heavy rains at times. So now you know. Come prepared…

And remember the reason that the fishing is so good is that these islands are mostly uninhabited and remote – 250 to 600 miles from Victoria, Mahe. On most, Cosmoledo included you’ll have to stay on a live-aboard yacht for the duration of your fishing holiday.

Now go enjoy yourself in Seychelles fly-fishing heaven and don’t overlook the shallow inshore flats if your preference is big-game fishing and vice versa. Trust me.

About the Author:

Giant trevallies, huge bonefish and monster marlins await, so don’t forget to pack some heavy tackle – You’re going to meet some bruisers fly-fishing Seychelles seas.

About the Author:

Louis has been fishing in Seychelles since he was 6 years old. For advice and more about the weather, the beaches, and the best islands of Seychelles for your absolute best fly-fishing or big game fishing holiday ever… go to his website here at: