By: Amanda Willshire
Seychelles had long been on my fly fishing TO DO list, so when Corinne told me there was an opening on a trip to Astove, I jumped on it. The journey from Denver was a grueling 32-hour globe-hop, echoing the dotted-line map from Indiana Jones. I planned a couple extra days in Mahé to buffer against travel chaos, but all went smoothly—and soon, I was in paradise, awaiting the rest of the crew.
Day One: Welcome and Rod Break
Astove is as remote as it gets. If you forget something, you're pretty much out of luck. With strict baggage limits—33 lbs checked, 17 lbs carry-on—I prioritized gear over clothes: seven rods, four reels with extra spools, three spare fly lines, wading boots, and max sun protection. My Riversmith Convoy Travel Pack proved essential - it was born for expedition life.
Our group was tiny—just six anglers on the season’s opening week, supported by four top-tier guides, a manager, and two 5-star chefs. After a quick stop on Alphonse Island, we landed on Astove and were released to explore. Rods in hand, we headed off like kids on Christmas morning, all chasing the legendary GT (giant trevally).
Being a first-timer, I followed the others’ lead. I wandered the surf, thinking I was chasing bonefish, before slipping into the lagoon—an oyster-shaped basin in the center of the island. The milky water hid sea turtles and small sharks that bumped my legs, but I managed to land a few bones. Then a strange thing happened: a sea turtle blinded by the murky waters swam through my leader, snapping my rod and digging a fly into my finger. (Note: always fish barbless.)
Moments later, I spotted a tailing triggerfish. With my 11-weight now paired with a mismatched 9-weight reel, I cast a flexo. The fish followed, twice, but I pulled the fly from its mouth both times. On the third take, it bit through the loop knot. Lesson learned: loop knots are not for triggers.
Day Two: The Lagoon
I fished with Mark and our guide, Ty—a reserved South African with intense tattoos and crazier fish tales. We worked the lagoon on foot, then by boat, scanning for permit and avoiding coral minefields as we edged toward the mouth. When we got to the mouth, the tide was rising and bringing all sorts of marine life: milkfish (which I wish I had fished for), sea turtles, a few GTs and lots of massive sharks. At one point, I was standing in 3 feet of water when I saw a 12+ long, brownish silhouette of a killer lemon shark a few feet to my left, way too close for comfort. That’s when Ty yelled, “Hey, Amanda and Mark, why don’t you get out of the water now!?!” On the walk back to the boat, Ty told us his craziest story… the tale of him jumping in at that same spot to land a client’s 100+cm GT and being surrounded by a number of large lemons… and landing the fish, both unscathed.
Day Three: Permit, Trigger, Bone
Sean, our guide for the day, put me on the bow in perfect lighting. “Let me see your back cast,” he said. I passed the test, and he spotted a ray with a permit passenger. My first Indo permit slipped the hook, but I got another shot and landed it. Later, I added a huge surf bonefish (a “greenback”) and a gorgeous triggerfish to the tally—earning my first Seychelles Grand Slam. Sean, netting the fish like a madman, screamed, “100%!”
Day Four: Doubles & Bluefins
With Brad as our guide, Mark and I worked the lagoon edge. I was in bonefish heaven when a wake came down the bank. I cast just in front and a bluefin trevally ambushed my fly. As I landed it, Brad hollered, “Epic eat!” Minutes later, Mark and I doubled up on permit. Brad’s reaction? “EPIC DOUBLE!!” As the sun dipped and the tide rose, we were on New Pier looking for GTs. As Brad explained what to look for, I looked down and asked, “Like that?” Mark and I sprinted off the pier across a sharp reef wall to a tiny beach. I hooked a monster in the surf, but missed the set. What a rush!
Day Five: Cotton Candy Carnage
Corinne and I teamed up again with Ty. We headed to deep water, teasing GTs up with a dummy popper called the “Shoulder Breaker.” Corinne nailed a bluefin before a giant GT snapped her line. Then it was my turn. I launched a Garrison special “Cotton Candy” fly into the ensuing chaos. BAM—81 cm of GT glory that tested my rod’s bend capacity for sure!
Day Six: Jurassic Fantasy
Morning rains gave me a chance to jog the tortoise-laden atoll—like Jurassic Park meets Fantasy Island. Once it cleared, Corinne and I joined Sean in the lagoon. She nailed her first permit, which I feel lucky to have witnessed. I hooked a sneaky GT meant for a ray-riding permit. Sean wasn’t thrilled—it was our last of that fly but we managed to land the fish and retrieve the fly. Later, I landed another permit, and a trigger completing Grand Slam #2 of the week. Sean spotted a GT off a shark just over a giant coral head. I got a shot and a vicious eat, but the fish popped the 130# test on the sharp coral. As we approached “Paulie’s”, we wrangled with some big bones and break-offs and eventually climbed to our lookout above the sea. We'd covered a lot of miles that day in harsh conditions and we reminisced on the day while enjoying cold beers at our post. That’s when Sean coined the term, “brutiful”. He talked of Astove being one of the most physically demanding of the Atolls, that it was brutal… but that it was also incredibly beautiful…”brutiful”.
Day Seven: Taxman
Last day. Corinne, Brad, and I were dropped at the lagoon mouth. First cast, a GT ate my fly—and seconds later, a 15-foot lemon shark annihilated it. Brad yelled, “Get it out!” but it was too late. Corinne got another GT up on the dry reef just as sharks leapt for it. We trekked around the mouth to “New Wreck,” named for a sailboat beached there... something about an insurance policy and surviving the capsized boat by floating in a large Yeti cooler for a few days. Cloudy skies made spotting fish tricky, but we both landed solid GTs in the surf.
That night, we toasted the week with a special sundowner, a fantastic dinner, and a surprise birthday bash for me, planned by Corinne. Drinks flowed, stories got taller, hugs were abundant and the words of the week rang out again and again:
“EPIC!”
“100 PERCENT!”
“WORLD CLASS!”
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