Alphonse Island Fishing Company - Overview

(älf-äns ī-lənd)

Location: Seychelles - 1000 miles from mainland Africa and 292 miles southwest of Mahe, the capital island of the Seychelles

Season: The fishing season runs from early October to the second week in May. Traditionally, you can expect windier conditions during May and September. the climate is tropical, with very little temperature variation year round.

Capacity: 14 anglers per week

In today's world of ever-decreasing wilderness, it is truly exciting to discover a really exceptional fishing resource. For the avid bonefisherman, the St. Francois Lagoon, 292 miles southwest of Mahe -- capital island of the Seychelles -- has proven to be that rare gem. Frontiers has been arranging trips to the Seychelles since 1999 and experienced fishermen have been astounded by the numbers of bonefish and their high average weights. In addition to superb bonefishing, it is a great mixed fishery here with five species of trevally, three species of triggerfish and a host of other fly-taking fish to be caught. The record from Alphonse Island Resort is 42 different species caught on fly in one week!

For those fly fishers who have been looking into the wishing well for something unique to satisfy their longing for the next greatest challenge, we introduce the milkfish. Also known in Seychelles as pati pati, milkfish can rip line off reels at about twice the rate of a large bonefish, they jump like a tarpon, and they demand techniques and presentations akin to fishing over selective trout. Milkfish are not carnivorous, rather the mainstay of their diet is algae, and for this reason they have been thought of as virtually uncatchable. Several guides at Alphonse Island Fishing Company have been experimenting for years in an attempt to unravel the milkfish puzzle, and although much is still to be learned they are now able to catch them with reasonable regularity.