Editor’s note: Occasional Sport Fishing contributor Henry Gilbey describes himself as “a fishing junkie who has spent his working life trying his absolute best not to get a grownup job.” The UK resident travels the world to photograph and write about some of the best fishing there is, yet nowhere is he happier than fishing for seabass on the south and southwest coastlines of Ireland. Visit henry-gilbey.com to see more of his work (or book a guided trip for European seabass).
The Essence of “Remote”
Casting to GTs on Astove Atoll, somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This is about as remote as it gets.
Cape Cod Dawn
Hoping for a striper, an angler casts early in the season at the Cape Cod Canal.
Feeding Frenzy
Giant trevally and tunas mix it up outside an Indian Ocean atoll.
Ferocious Fight in the Face of a Storm
A fly-rod fisherman attempts to turn a broad-shouldered giant trevally on a Seychelles flat as storm clouds threaten on the horizon.
Terrible Teeth Take Their Toll
Pity the poor popper that falls prey to a great barracuda like this one that snatched my Halco Roosta-Popper on a large flat.
Rough Surf and Sharks on the Coast of Gabon
Despite the conditions and presence of sharks on this stretch of west African beach, the abundance of huge cubera snapper calls to adventurous anglers.
Giant Trevally: Trophy on the Fly
These anglers traveled to an atoll 250 miles off the coast of Mauritius — and found the trip worthwhile.
Flying Striper in the Fog
With a heavy shroud of fog as a backdrop, an angler releases a fat striped bass off Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Squall-Line Bonefish
A school of Bahamas bonefish outweighs concerns about an approaching squall
Dragging a Skiff in the Seychelles
A guide pulls a skiff behind him as his angler wades and sightcasts in the background.
Indo-Pacific Permit
As with permit everywhere, one of the toughest and most coveted of sight-casting targets.
Rock-Hopping in the Indian Ocean
A fly fisherman leaps to the sandy shallows from a rock as a booby looks on.
Big Skies, Big Heat, Big Fish
That characterizes the gorgeous Indian Ocean flats fishing — and I can’t get enough of it.
Second-Class Citizen?
With such great fishing for giant trevally around Indian Ocean atolls, it’s easy to forget just how good the bonefishing can be.
Ireland’s Austere Beauty
For all my exotic travel, nowhere floats my boat as much as Ireland’s rugged and mostly empty coastline. Here an angler fishes for bass (European seabass).
Big Breeze, Big Bass
Quick pre-release shot of a large Massachusetts striper on a blustery spring day.
Test of Tackle and Skill
That’s what a big Giant Trevally will do to a fly-rodder on the clear emerald flats of the Seychelles.
Step Carefully!
Anglers negotiate the surf zone inside an Indian Ocean reef as they search for the dark, shadowy shape of a giant trevally.
Early Morning Serenity
The sun clears away the fog over Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Canal to reveal a picture-perfect day for this angler casting for stripers.
Anglers in Heaven
That’s my take of the Seychelles, where the big blue skies and flats seem to go on forever.
But Wait: There’s More!
Now see some amazing photography of game fish from beneath the surface in this gallery.