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TR: Seychelles
http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...arth_Image.jpg The resort is on Alphonse Island (top in the photo). The fishing is on the flats of St. Francois Island (bottom). Both are coral atolls. In between them is the small island of Bijoutier. The Seychelles are difficult to get to, especially from Stanley, Idaho, and especially when an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland is shutting down air traffic in Europe: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...allajokull.jpg I sweated bullets for a week before getting on one of the first planes allowed to fly from the US to Paris. Overnighted in the City of Light. Paris lived up to it that beautiful day. My hotel was across the Seine from Notre Dame Cathedral. Walked through the Tuileries and visited the Musee D'Orsay. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0111.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0112.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0113.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0131.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0133.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0138.jpg The next day -- 10 hours to Mahe Island, Seychelles. Facing a six-hour layover in the Mahe airport, I took a cab to Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles. Friday was fish market day. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0145.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0146.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0147.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0148.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0152.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0153.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0154.jpg The routine at Alphonse is: up at 5:30, breakfast at 6:00, get on the Tam Tam at 7:00, http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0292.jpg 45 minutes to St. Francois, towing the skiffs, http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0732.jpg then take a skiff to the vast flats of the St. Francois lagoon. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0208.jpg Lunch on the water. Back to Alphonse at 5:30. Shower, take care of gear, dinner at 7:00, back to the chalet at 9:00, set alarm, crash, repeat. No down time for snorkeling and lying about. Everything good you may have heard about the bonefishing on St. Francois is true. We fished the tidal drop in the morning and the push in the afternoon. I caught, conservatively, over 100 bones, and could have caught twice as many if that were my only goal. The bones flood onto and out of the flats with the tides by the thousands, concentrating along the channels. They're just as difficult to spot and catch as usual, but you get MANY more shots. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0754.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0758.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0767.jpg At low tide the bones are in the deep and at high tide they're dispersed over the flats, so we do something else. I caught this Giant Trevally (a GT or "Geet" in the local way of speaking) at high tide, during the most amazing fishing experience I've ever had. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0746.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0749.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0747.jpg A huge school of mullet was circulating on a flat in a bait ball, herded by the predatory trevally. Not only that, there were thousands of bonefish all around, like spectators to the carnage. This Geet was 107cm and 57lb. After releasing it I caught bones on every cast until I got bored. At high tide we might do some reef fishing for mystery species. Here's one of the prettiest, an Emperor. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0184.jpg Caught of few of these bluefin trevally, and lost three to lemon sharks. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0755.jpg All the guides were good, but Roy, a Norwegian, was my favorite. Here's Roy with a nice bone caught with my rod while we were surf walking for Geets. The bones in the surf have a green color, distinct from the flats fish. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0764.jpg Roy cuts a striking pose. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0737.jpg Mike, my fishing partner for the week, is one of the most interesting men I've ever met. An anthropologist/archaeologist, Professor Emeritus of Yale, author of several books, he's perhaps the foremost authority of the Pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica, especially the Maya. He's fished nearly everywhere I've ever heard of and many I haven't, and he's a superb raconteur. At 82 years old he's going strong. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0176.jpg Here's a video of Mike catching the first bone of the day: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbum/MVI_0182.MOV Only ten rods are allowed on St. Francois. On this trip there were four of us. Charles (left) is from Scotland and John is from the north of England, both excellent companions. Charles caught a 127cm, 80+ lb Geet that was the largest taken this season. John caught a nice Geet, hooked up with, but lost, a milkfish, and caught a very nice trigger fish. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0177.jpg Another favorite guide, Scott, has a place in Fairfield, ID, not far from Stanley. We have some mutual Idaho friends. In the summer Scott guides at Enchanted Lake Lodge in Alaska. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0196.jpg Here's the full group, both guides and sports. Left to right: Serge, Devon, Roy, Andrew, Steve (me), Charles, James, John, Mike, Scott. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0219.jpg There are lots of interesting creatures in the islands. Land crabs: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0231.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0247.jpg Grey Herons: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0233.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0330.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0320.jpg Fairy Tern: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0239.jpg Giant Tortoise: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0731.jpg The astonishing size of these tortoises isn't apparent in the photo. Here's a video that perhaps gives a better impression: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbum/MVI_0167.MOV Large, intimidating-looking, but harmless spiders: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0244.jpg Gecko: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0246.jpg Eel: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0311.jpg Frigate Birds: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0763.jpg There were many animals I didn't photograph: several types of rays, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, etc. Here are some miscellaneous scenery photos: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0236.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...tonemapped.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0267.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...tonemapped.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0294.jpg Alphonse Island was established as a coconut plantation in the 19th century. This cemetery dates from about 1860. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0250.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0253.jpg The sky is often beautiful. http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0169.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMGP0733.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0202.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0224.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0225.jpg http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~troutbu...s/IMG_0229.jpg Great trip. I'll be going back. -- Cut "to the chase" for my email address. |
TR: Seychelles
On May 6, 3:01*pm, rw wrote:
pg Great trip. I'll be going back. Pretty damn cool |
TR: Seychelles
On 5/6/2010 6:57 PM, Larry L wrote:
On May 6, 3:01 pm, wrote: pg Great trip. I'll be going back. Pretty damn cool friggin fantastic stuff. thanks for taking me to a place i'll never visit...and for the effort you took to share your experience. pretty damn cool, indeed! jeff |
TR: Seychelles
On 2010-05-06 18:01:31 -0400, rw said:
Great trip. I'll be going back. WOW! Best roff trip report ever! Very impressive. Who did you book through, and did that include your arrangements in Paris (great day there I see), and the capitol of Seychelles? Gotts convince the wife to set me free for a couple of weeks. Very nice report/pics, Steve. I'm jealous. Dave |
TR: Seychelles
On 5/6/10 6:02 PM, David LaCourse wrote:
On 2010-05-06 18:01:31 -0400, rw said: Great trip. I'll be going back. WOW! Best roff trip report ever! Very impressive. Who did you book through, and did that include your arrangements in Paris (great day there I see), and the capitol of Seychelles? AnglerAdventures handled Paris to Alphonse and back to Paris. I booked everything else myself. The connections are terrible, which is why I stayed overnight in Paris. Don't try to carry a rod on board in Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. Doesn't work. I'll never take my 3-piece Sage RPLXi overseas again. I was lucky to get it home. Should have sold it to the Alphonse outfit. Four-piece rods are the only way to go. They fit in the luggage. Gotts convince the wife to set me free for a couple of weeks. Very nice report/pics, Steve. I'm jealous. Dave I'm kinda sorry about the Dave's cortex crack, but it was just sitting there. -- Cut "to the chase" for my email address. |
TR: Seychelles
On 2010-05-06 20:29:03 -0400, rw said:
On 5/6/10 6:02 PM, David LaCourse wrote: On 2010-05-06 18:01:31 -0400, rw said: Great trip. I'll be going back. WOW! Best roff trip report ever! Very impressive. Who did you book through, and did that include your arrangements in Paris (great day there I see), and the capitol of Seychelles? AnglerAdventures handled Paris to Alphonse and back to Paris. I booked everything else myself. The connections are terrible, which is why I stayed overnight in Paris. When I looked into going last year, the logistics were terrible. I think I had to spend a night in Paris and another in Nairobi or another African city, finally arriving on Mahe three days after leaving Boston. I would have also had to spend a night in Victoria going and coming. The logistics turned me off completely. However, it is still on my bucket list. Don't try to carry a rod on board in Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. Doesn't work. I'll never take my 3-piece Sage RPLXi overseas again. I was lucky to get it home. Should have sold it to the Alphonse outfit. Four-piece rods are the only way to go. They fit in the luggage. Well, hell, that would have been one of the the rods *I* would have brought. Four or five is the only way, I guess. F&^%$@n french! Gotts convince the wife to set me free for a couple of weeks. Very nice report/pics, Steve. I'm jealous. Dave I'm kinda sorry about the Dave's cortex crack, but it was just sitting there. Just kinda? d;o) Don't worry about it. After all, this is roff. Great report no matter what! Dave |
Seychelles
Hi RW
Thanks for the trip report mate, not a trip I'd be able to do but got a buzz from you sharing your fun. One question tho, why did the rope coming off the back of the tow boat (towing the skiffs) have 3 knots in it? Was it getting caught in the prop? Thanks Rob. "rw" wrote in message ... .. |
Seychelles
On 5/6/10 8:22 PM, Robert from Oz wrote:
Hi RW Thanks for the trip report mate, not a trip I'd be able to do but got a buzz from you sharing your fun. One question tho, why did the rope coming off the back of the tow boat (towing the skiffs) have 3 knots in it? Was it getting caught in the prop? It wasn't getting caught in the prop, but other than that I have no idea. Those guys have it figured out. Some time soon I'll post a video of a really rough trip back to Alphonse. I mean seriously rough. Major, super-duty rough. Like scary looking-for-life-jackets rough. That might clarify it for you. -- Cut "to the chase" for my email address. |
TR: Seychelles
On 6-May-2010, jeff wrote: n 5/6/2010 6:57 PM, Larry L wrote: On May 6, 3:01 pm, wrote: pg Great trip. I'll be going back. Pretty damn cool friggin fantastic stuff. thanks for taking me to a place i'll never visit...and for the effort you took to share your experience. pretty damn cool, indeed! I agree- Thanks for the TR and Great fotos Fred |
TR: Seychelles
On 5/7/10 8:27 AM, Fred wrote:
On 6-May-2010, wrote: n 5/6/2010 6:57 PM, Larry L wrote: On May 6, 3:01 pm, wrote: pg Great trip. I'll be going back. Pretty damn cool friggin fantastic stuff. thanks for taking me to a place i'll never visit...and for the effort you took to share your experience. pretty damn cool, indeed! I agree- Thanks for the TR and Great fotos Fred Just wondering -- did you guys see the videos? Did they work? -- Cut "to the chase" for my email address. |
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