ALPHONSE FISHING REPORT
The second week of December was undoubtedly our best fishing week of the high season so far, with excellent weather, calm winds, and a tide cycle moving between springs and neaps, providing perfect conditions for fishing. Our guests enjoyed a variety of successful sessions across different spots, with all five of our major species coming through in both size and number, making it a week to remember.
One highlight was the sudden aggressiveness of the yellow-margin triggerfish. These fish are typically very picky and difficult to tempt, especially as they grow larger. However, this week, for reasons unknown, they were feeding aggressively. Murray C had an incredible session, landing two big triggers at 48 cm and 51 cm. While his guide was measuring one, Murray spotted another nearby and managed to hook it as well—landing both in the same net! He capped off the session with another 48 cm yellow-margin, marking one of the best triggerfish days we’ve seen. Colin K also had a phenomenal day, landing a 49 cm yellow-margin and a massive 55 cm fish, which was just shy of our biggest trigger of the season. Other anglers like Adam C, Alan O, Avron K, and Chris B also had great success, catching triggers up to 47 cm, making it memorable week for yellow-margin triggerfish fishing.
The GTs were, as always, a major draw, and this week we had plenty of action. Alan O took the top spot with the biggest GT of the week—an impressive 101 cm fish caught while blind casting in the ‘Badlands’. Alan also completed a flats slam that day, adding a 50 cm permit and a 60 cm bonefish to his catch. Steve Shell came close with a beautiful 99 cm GT, just shy of the one-meter mark. Throughout the week, other anglers like Feo M (with four GTs), Nikita M (with a 90 cm beauty), and Andrew H (with an 86 cm fish) also landed some impressive GTs. Congratulations to everyone who managed to catch a GT, including Graham and Steve T, Collin K (90 cm), Chris B (84 cm), and father-and-son duo Ethan and Matt C, who each caught their first GTs during their stay.
The indo-pacific permit also surprised us with some rare action. Adam C landed a beautiful 47 cm fish, found feeding on the back of a stingray. Nikita M, a seasoned permit angler, was able to land a stunning 51 cm permit. On the same day, he added a milkfish and a bonefish to complete a flats slam. The biggest permit of the week was caught by Charlie W, who spotted a fish cruising the shallows while walking the ‘Back of the Moon’ beach. After a perfect cast, the Permit charged the fly and took line almost immediately. Despite some nerves, Charlie expertly fought the fish on a seven-weight rod and landed the dark, bronze-coloured beauty at 59 cm—an outstanding first permit! Milkfish also made an appearance this week, and with calmer conditions, we were able to target them more regularly. Nikita and Feo M both landed impressive milkfish, as did James. Mark H also caught a true giant, measuring in at 101 cm. These powerful fish are known for their endurance, and it was great to see our anglers successfully land some of these tough fighters.
Overall, it was an extraordinary week with fantastic catches across all species. We look forward to another exciting week ahead and are hopeful the fishing will continue at this high level.
