THE AXUM FLATS

Red Sea

In May 2024, I set off with three close friends on an adventure to explore a remote archipelago—an untouched chain of islands, with only three semi-inhabited and most completely unfished. What we found out there was beyond anything we expected. Permit were thriving in unbelievable numbers, and while Giant Trevally and triggerfish weren’t everywhere, the ones we did encounter were absolute monsters.

After the Extended Exploration in 2025, we knew we were onto something truly special—a wild, raw destination with real potential for Permit, GTs, and Triggers, all at a price that makes it more accessible than most top-tier flats destinations. But this isn’t your typical lodge trip. It’s for the adventurous. You need to be in decent shape, ready to put in long days on foot, and open to the unpredictability of remote exploration.

This isn’t a place where you’re guaranteed non-stop action—but if you’re willing to grind, the payoff can be enormous. The sheer number of Permit alone is staggering, and the size of the GTs and Triggers we’ve seen makes us believe the best is still to come.

If you're drawn to the idea of fishing in waters barely touched by anyone before, being part of a project that’s the first of its kind, or simply want to experience a place that feels frozen in time—then this is the adventure for you.

Species

Indo-Pacific Permit

The Indo-Pacific is considered to be the holy grail of flats species. There is no trickier species to catch on a fly than the elusive permit. They form the pinnacle of the Red Sea trilogy of grand slam flats fishing coupled with GT and Triger Fish. We caught many in the 3-10lb range but the opportunity for a fish in the 70cm+ calibre category is real.
Giant Trevally

These do not need any further introduction, appropriately referred to as the bully of the flats these fish test both angler and gear to its limit. Although this destination doesn’t hold huge numbers we still landed and lost a healthy number of big specimens some that were well and truly over the Meter+ mark. If you’re willing to put in the work there could be a chance at a once in a life time fish.

TriggerFish

We encountered several species but the most prolific was the moustache triggerfish Arguably these fish are one of the quickest ways to see your backing on a 9wt, and if GTs are the bulldogs of the flats, then triggers have to be the terriers. Although we did not encounter many, the ones we did see were very big.
OTHER SPECIES:

Bohar Snapper, there was a healthy population of big Bohar snapper. Often sight fished, and hungry for a fly these fish kept us busy during our initial exploration. - Grouper: We saw multiple big specimens whilst walking the coastline, and managed to land one in particular that surprised us all with its size. - Queenfish: Dave managed to land a tank by dredging the drop offs, a method that was incredibly effective during the course of the initial exploration. - Milkfish: We saw many schools on the flats offering opportunities to fish for them in deeper water. Something we intend on doing next year.

Private Camp - Uninhabited Island

Welcome to the first-ever camp of its kind on this stretch of the Red Sea—designed with care, built for adventure, and surrounded by untouched natural beauty. Picture this: you wake up each morning to the sound of gentle waves, step outside your tent onto soft white sand, and look out over clear, turquoise waters—all from the comfort of a peaceful, uninhabited island.

Our custom-built camp was created with the Red Sea climate in mind. It’s comfortable, practical, and perfectly placed on a central island, giving you quick and easy access to all our best fishing spots. Less time traveling, more time on the water.

Here’s what you can expect:

Six private tents – Thoughtfully designed for island living, each tent offers comfort and privacy in the heart of nature.
Comfy beds – Provides you with a place to put your head down and get some rest
A fully equipped camp – Including two communal areas one for dinning and the other, a chill out bedouin style tent for downtime between adventures.
A proper kitchen setup – Where fresh, tasty meals are prepared daily.
Modern essentials – A generator powers fridges, freezers, and charging points, while solar fans help keep your tent cool.
Toilets and showers – Clean and simple facilities that make island life easy.
Private chef from Kenya – A well regarded chef from kenya will be on hand to prepare you fresh meals every day