ALPHONSE FISHING REPORT
This week of December on Alphonse and St François was another fantastic one for our anglers, despite some challenging weather with plenty of rain. The week started with the traditional spring tides, featuring low tides around midday, before shifting towards neap tides later in the week, with low tides occurring in the late afternoon. While the weather remained rough at times, the wind stayed manageable, and our guests had a great time targeting some of our favourite species.
Chris A had an outstanding week, kicking things off with two GTs on each of his first two days. After an impressive start, he shifted focus to Milkfish, a species he had never caught before. His guide took him to the western side of the atoll, where they found a school of feeding Milkfish. After a few shots, Chris hooked into his first Milkfish, enjoying a hard-fought battle before landing it. The next day, Chris was after a bigger fish, and once again found a feeding school of Milkfish. His perfect cast hooked into a massive specimen that tested his strength, eventually landing a 100cm Milkfish after a lengthy fight. Chris then capped off his week with a flats slam, landing a GT and a bonefish – a truly epic fishing experience.
Nick G had an unforgettable moment on his third day when his guide, Brad, spotted a Guitar Shark while poling the Eastern lagoon edge for GTs. They approached and found two large fish circling the shark, but it was difficult to identify them due to the deeper water and overcast conditions. They cast a GT fly anyway, only to discover that the fish were actually two sizable Permit. Nick quickly switched to his Permit setup, made a perfect cast, and hooked one of the fish. The fight was intense, with the Permit using its strength to pull line and stay away from the boat. After 15 minutes, Nick landed the fish, which measured a very impressive 63cm. A special catch indeed! Murray C had a great week, even though he wasn’t on the water every day. He started with a solid GT and then, a few days later, landed a massive 52cm Yellow-Margin Triggerfish. Later in the week, he went on a Milkfish mission, catching two good-sized specimens and nearly landing a few more. His son Adam also had an excellent week, catching a GT and, during the Milkfish session, landing the biggest Milkfish of the week – a monster measuring 102cm, which put up an epic fight.
Mark H started the week with a solid GT, but saved his best day for last. He landed a beautiful 93cm Milkfish that showed off some incredible acrobatics during the fight. Mark spent the rest of the day targeting Triggerfish, landing the only Mustache Triggerfish of the week. He finished with a bonefish, completing a memorable flats slam.
Other notable catches included Nikita’s 89cm Milkfish and a GT in his final days of fishing, Chris B’s additional GT on a trip to Farquhar, and John M’s two GTs, the largest measuring 77cm, along with the biggest bonefish of the week – a 68cm giant that put up a serious fight on his 9-weight rod. Matt Naber had a standout catch with the biggest GT of the week, measuring 80cm, and an impressive 85cm Milkfish. Steve H, fishing for the first time in saltwater, caught a bunch of bonefish, his first-ever GT at 75cm, and the only Batfish of the week, measuring 44cm. Harry T also landed a GT, and a special mention goes to his son Felix, who caught his first-ever GT, a fantastic achievement. It’s been another action-packed week on Alphonse and St François, and we’re looking forward to even more exciting fishing adventures during the festive season.
