Seychelles – post 3

The 1st week at the Alphonse I was fishing at St.Framcois atoll. The fishermen come here every morning by boat from the Alphonse Island (11 miles). This atoll has 10 times more flats than the Alphonse.

Map of the St.Francois atoll

In a comfortable boat named St.Francois we are beginning the first fishing day

Flies selection is extremely important

Everybody is in preparation

On such boats – flats skiffs – we will be fishing with guides

A little Bijutier atoll is rarely visited by fishermen

Flats fishing with a guide

Bonefish is the most numerous fish of the St.Francois

Bonefish looks like a barbel or nase. It is a very strong and rather spooky fish, not too easy to catch.

Little groupers are like ruffs – they also bite anything, and often prevent you catching something bigger

Most often fishermen catch bonefish on sandy bottom; at grassy and coral bottom one can look for triggerfish

A tiny giant (or mustache) triggerfish

Yellow-margin triggerfish Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus. Triggerfish is smart and careful; it is hard to catch with a fly.

Triggerfish has powerful jaws; hold it carefully – the fish can bite

This is what the triggerfish has done with my crab fly!

Guide with a 12 kg giant trevally (GT). This not too big fish we had to follow with motor boat about a kilometer.

GT on a flat – when you see this predator on a shallow, it is possible to sight-fish for it

During the high tide the sea will flood this flat, but we have time to finish our lunch