105 CM GT BROUGHT TO HAND!

This week started off with a bang. Having some fantastic sunny days on the flats with the light wind made bonefishing an absolute pleasure. The total count by the weekend was 464 bones, and the trophy of the week went to first-time bonefish wrangler Joe Masiello landing a fish of 64 cm.

Despite having the worst weather day in years gone by, the GT fishing was tough in high winds and rain, but not that tough for Jason Carrico and super guide Cullan “jub jub” Ashby, who tailed the monster of the week at 105 cm!

The GT numbers seemed quite good throughout the week, and the boys managed to land eight fish in total all around the 60-80 cm range.

Lastly, our friend John Stott and his guide Scot hooked a brute on day 4, but the fish broke the fly line like cotton, leaving all sundry and trembling with adrenaline. The Triggers were around, but poor visibility and strong winds put them in the lead, with 1-0 going to the triggers this week.

Bad weather can also be a good thing, making it easier to get close to fish without spooking them. John and Seychelles resident guide Serge “Rasta man” Samson got hold of a beautiful 64 cm Permit on East Knoll during a rainy day early in the week.

John also managed to hold onto a Barracuda on the flats without a wire leader. With the fish reaching 100 cm in length, some might say luck, but others record John can talk to fish!

Our bluewater team did exceptionally well, considering the rough seas and heavy currents. The team raised a good number of fish, with Gregory and Pascale bringing in most of the Briny. A total of 12 sailfish were presented, with two coming to hand and 4 wahoo boated, making for some great action during the three half-day outings.

We are in positive spirits for the following week as we look forward to the spring tides and sunny conditions we all love.

GT Tagging Programme Update:

As we creep up on our goal of 70 tagged GTs, we have begun targeting specific groups of fish whose movement and activity we want to know more about.

Rat packs are groups of 10+ small (50-70 cm) GT and bluefin that roam the lagoon and are something we have been pursuing all season with no success… until this week! We finally tagged a nice 53 cm fish off a rat pack that appeared on one of the finger flats.

Additionally, a monster 105 cm GT was caught and tagged in the upper lagoon and will provide some critical insight into how ‘lagoon’ fish may be using different areas of the atoll.

Tight lines,
From Alphonse Fishing Co.