Fly Fishing Blog by Alphonse Fishing Co™

ALPHONSE ISLAND FLY FISHING REPORT | 10 – 17 FEB 2024

This week was yet another epic week of fishing and weather on Alphonse and St. Francois. Sunny days, light winds, and spring tides ensured that many fish were out and about on the atolls, and the conditions made sight fishing as easy as it could possibly be.

The major highlight of the week was the sheer number of Giant trevallies present on the flats. The gangsters of the flats loved the spring tide pushing, and in the early mornings, when the water was still high, these coveted species could be found almost everywhere on St. Francois. Besides the fact they were easily spotted, they were also in a particular feeding mood. From hearing all of the stories after each day’s fishing, our guests had an absolute ball targeting them.

Angler David Goldberg has apparently considered retiring from all forms of fishing after the mind-blowing week he had. He finished the week with a total of eight GTs under his belt. Out of all the days, his final day is the one he will truly not forget. His guide was poling him down the Eastern grass line of St. Francois when he noticed a nurse shark cruising the shallows with a big GT trailing it. David cast ahead of the shark and began stripping his black brush fly, which the GT charged and inhaled. After an intense tug-of-war where an overwind caused a line wrap in the reel, David landed an epic 100 cm GT!

Roughly nine minutes later, David was back on the bow, and once again, a shark was spotted with a massive geet circling around it. The shark moved over some dark turtle grass and the fish seemed to disappear. David made a cast and began stripping when the geet re-emerged from the darkness, making an epic surface eat, showing the full extent of its bucket-sized mouth. Another huge battle of man vs beast ensued, and David emerged victorious. This giant measured an incredible 109 cm! A massive congratulations to David and his guide, Bailey, on a truly unforgettable day. Two meter-long fish in one day is a truly spectacular achievement.

Angler Ron Young also had a very special day out on the flats. He started the day with some bonefish and then walked the beach in a spot known as the “back of the moon”. His guide spotted a nice permit feeding right against the shoreline. Ron cast and let the fly sit on the bottom, and the permit approached. Before he even gave one strip, the fish picked up the fly and made off. Ron set the hook and began fighting the perm with minimal pressure. The fish was landed and measured an awesome 59 cm – a cracker of a permit! After this adventurous experience, they decided to head to Alphonse to fish the pushing tide. Right at the end of the day, Ron plucked a GT off a stingray to complete an epic flats slam. A huge congratulations, Ron!

A big congratulations must also be extended to Darrell, who caught three geets, including an 81 cm fish. To Tim, who caught a permit and three geets, the biggest of which was 82 cm. To Brian, who caught three geets and a milkfish, and Betsy, who caught a geet and the only moustache trigger for the week. A final congrats to David Derry, Lucien, Mark, and Charlotte, who all caught GTs this week!

We had an absolute blast showing our guests what our beautiful atoll has to offer. We look forward to another exciting week of fishing and good weather.

Tight lines, Blue Safari Fly Fishing on Alphonse Island

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