Destination: St Brandon’s, Mauritius

Season: As St Brandon’s 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 includes a maximum of 12 weeks per annum. This season is 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. For more information on the tides which correspond with the week you are interested in, please feel free to contact us.

Duration: 9 nights – seven full days fishing

Accommodation: The Gryphon is a 96ft motor yacht with a 23ft beam and a 7,5ft draft catering for long range expeditions.

St Brandon’s – Mauritius

St Brandon’s comprises a group of islands lying 260 NM north-east of Mauritius. It is made up of almost 50 smaller islands, sand flats and coral ridges. It is home to huge populations of Bone fish, healthy numbers of Indio-Pacific permit as well a host of king fish species.

Summary of Itinerary:

Guests are suggested to fly into Mauritius the day before departure and fly out the day after or late on the same day. There are 12 daily international flights into
Mauritius (please request a copy of the latest flight schedules), the airport is 45 minutes away from Port Louis where the MY Gryphon is moored and departs from. The MY Gryphon will be your home for 9 nights and guests are expected to be on the vessel by 7 am on the day of the departure, once all the guests have settled into their cabins the fully rigged and stocked Gryphon leaves in a north-easterly direction along the Mascarene ridge on a 24 hour motor for St Brandon’s. Please note that the only method to reach St Brandon’s is via the mothership as there is no landing strip on any of the islands. This is one of the major reasons the fishery is still in such fantastic condition.

The trip is paused with the occasional sound of screaming reels which ring out from the aft deck. On arriving at St Brandon at approximately 8 am, no time is wasted as the guides put their vast Indian Ocean experience and planning into practice as you venture out to spend your 7 days exploring the flats and islands which make up this pristine ecosystem.

Angling (species and methods): Bone fish, as well as Indio-Pacific Permit and a host of Trevally Species.

The Fly Fishing Experience

Typically anglers will be up early and after a quick breakfast head out to the flats to fish the first tide. We generally stay out on the flats for the whole day taking packed lunches with us 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. If anglers decide to take a break during midday they can snorkel, or just laze around the mothership and re-hydrate in an air-conditioned environment. The following day’s activities and schedule will be planned the night before between the clients, guides and the captain.

St Brandon’s is saltwater fly fishing wonder land with scattered islands, vast connecting sandbanks and flats of hard white sand, broken coral. There are flats which hold Turtle grass, however these are few and far between. St Brandon’s has the most spectacular fishing for Bonefish we have ever encountered, and on most tides anglers can expect to see vast shoals of these shallow water speedsters as well as enormous singles and doubles. To date we have landed fish of up to 87cm which according to studies puts these fish in the region of 15lbs. The flats also hold healthy numbers of Indo-Pacific Permit for those anglers wishing to target the ultimate shallow water game fish. Even though this is predominantly a Bonefish destination there are other species such as Bluefin, Golden, Yellow Dot and Green Spot Trevally, as well as the notorious Giant Trevally which reaches weights in excess of 100lbs. The guides will lead you onto the flats and help you identify the desired target species, the areas which they frequent and the tactics used to target them. Please note our trips to St Brandon’s are primarily based around the fantastic Bonefish fishing which is on offer. The Trevally species are an added bonus should anglers be fortunate enough to come in contact with them.

Wading:

St Brandon’s flats are primarily made up of white compacted sand which makes for easy wading, thus separating it from other destinations in the world. As most of the fishing will be done via wading, good protective footwear is essential. Although the sand flats are easy on the feet, there are certain areas we fish which are made up of broken coral or littered with coral bommies, so having standard diver’s neoprene booties with a reinforced rubber sole are not appropriate. We recommend wearing proper flats wading boots. There are a number of purpose made boots on the market which are excellent.

Mothership Details:

She can accommodate up to 8 fly fishermen, 4 international professional guides, as well as a crew of 5 who cater for your every need. A large and spacious vessel boasting two stabilisers 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 comfort. 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 or aft deck with the chef preparing a mix of Creole and international food. Although the Gryphon does have a selection of wine and spirits on board for sale, we do however recommend all clients bring there own bottle of preferred spirits as we cannot guarantee availability at the time of your trip. All mineral water, soft drinks and local beers are included in the price which has been quoted.

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. Your tender will be skippered by an experienced Tourette Fishing guide, who carries a fully qualified skipper’s ticket.

Tackle:

A comprehensive tackle list will be sent to you on request, or on confirmation of booking. All gear and tackle suggested by TF has been tried and tested by our team and comes highly recommended. It is imperative to follow this list closely to ensure you are fishing smartly from the start of your trip.

For more information on this trip please contact us. For a customised quote and itinerary for this or any other African location, please email keith@tourettefishing.com