The bonefish will probably be the first species to be ticked off on your way to achieving the “Golden Grand Slam”. Bonefish are the most recreationally fished-for saltwater species in the world. They are distributed throughout the warm, shallow waters of the tropics that circle near the Equator and are found in great numbers at all of our destinations.
At Alphonse Fishing Co., we target three main species of triggerfish: the yellow-margin triggerfish, the moustache triggerfish, and the Picasso triggerfish. They are known to be opportunists, feeding mainly on small crustaceans, which makes them perfect targets on the fly. The atolls of Alphonse, Astove, Cosmoledo, and Farquhar offer equal opportunities when it comes to targeting triggerfish.
Referred to as being the gangsters of the flats, the giant trevally is fierce, big, aggressive, and incredibly powerful, all of which are quite often entirely underestimated by new anglers but are respected by new and seasoned fishermen alike. This superpredator is found at all our destinations in good numbers, with specimens as large as 55 kg.
Landing a milkfish is quite the challenge! It has an incredible power-to-size ratio and executes spectacular aerial leaps, making it a demanding species to target. The Alphonse guides were the first to develop the flies and techniques to catch this sought-after trophy, so you will have the best team on hand to guide you through landing this spectacular species.
The permit has not obtained the reputation of being the fish of a thousand casts for no reason! Everything has to be perfect in order to land a permit. Our destinations have good permit populations and tend to spread these fish throughout the entire fishery. The Alphonse guides have near-perfected the art of catching these fish, considered the Holy Grail of saltwater fly fishing!
The “Golden Grand Slam” is an achievement that seems almost impossible, but it has been done. So next time you find yourself in one of the most prolific fisheries in the world, take up the challenge and show us how it’s done!