It was once again another incredible week of fishing on St Francois Atoll, with the fishery showing off its diversity and natural beauty. The weather was typical of this time of year, mostly very hot with gentle winds and every now and again a small weather system bringing some brief rain. Neap tides ensured plenty of water on the flats, and slow pushes and drops made for some excellent fishing.
Our Yellowmargin Triggerfish have had some real fire in their bellies this season, and once again we had a week where, for some reason, the bigger ones could not resist the flies cast by our anglers. These fish will drive a lot of anglers mad with how spooky they can be, but even after the slightest bit of interest from one, you will generally find yourself captivated by their antics and continue to go after them until you successfully land one. A big congratulations to Margot who got the job done on two of these specimens, the biggest one being an epic 52 cm. The 52 cm length seemed to be the ceiling this week, with Robert and Jeff also landing a massive Yellowmargin Triggerfish each of this length – those are some serious triggers! Well done to Karen, Alistair, and Shannon who also claimed a Yellowmargin Triggerfish this week.
The Milkfish have been a regular feature on our catch reports for the past months, but it was a bit of a slower Milkfish week this time around. Nevertheless, we had some anglers who put in the time targeting Milkfish, which were found in smaller groups this week, and they had a blast going after these powerful fish. Well done to Matt who brought to net the biggest Milkfish of the week at 88 cm, this on the way to claiming a well-deserved flats slam consisting of the Milkfish, a 79 cm Giant Trevally, and a number of Bonefish. Angler Alex also ticked off the Milkfish on the way to claiming a flats slam, which also included a Giant Trevally and some Bonefish. Some very impressive fishing from both of you — very well done!
The Giant Trevallies were again present on the flats and just beyond the surf zone, with a number of these aggressive predators caught on poppers this week. Angler Margot was convincingly the most successful on the Giant Trevallies this week, managing to land four of the thirteen landed, with the biggest being a stocky 70 cm fish. Angler Charles took the honours for the biggest Giant Trevally of the week, coming in at a very nice 85 cm. Well done to Alistair, who got two for the week, and to Rob, John, Jeff, and Matt who also caught Giant Trevallies during their stay.
Angler Josh came to our flats with only one fish on his mind — the famous Indo-Pacific Permit. The name speaks for itself, and the task at hand is never a simple one. With determination and skill, Josh fished to a number of these gorgeous fish for a few days without any success and unfortunately lost one on his first day. On his third day, it all came together beautifully on the Tam Tam flats. His guide spotted a few good fish in the area, and they began fishing at the closest one — a big one too. Josh made a precise cast and stripped his fly. Heart rates surged when the fish aggressively charged and inhaled the fly. It was landed after a nervy fight and measured an incredible 67 cm — our joint biggest Permit of the season! Congratulations on your world-class Permit, Josh!
Tight lines,
Blue Safari Fly Fishing
CONTACT US
If you would like to know more about the fantastic fishing opportunities on offer on Alphonse island you can contact our saltwater fly fishing expert Peter Collingsworth on 01603 407596 or via email at peter@sportquestholidays.com. He would love to speak with you.
