The festive period on Alphonse delivered an extraordinary mix of weather, opportunity and reward. Crystal-clear skies, glassy lagoons and action-packed surf fishing combined to produce some of the most diverse and memorable fishing of the season, alongside family celebrations. Milkfish filled the St François lagoon, triggerfish fed aggressively on the flats, permit made an unexpected appearance, and the bluewater action continued — all while guests celebrated first catches, slams and once-in-a-lifetime fish.
Milkfish were the defining species of the festive period, appearing consistently each week and providing relentless action across St François and Alphonse. Early in the period, Robert and Piers both landed their first milkfish, quickly learning just how powerful these fish can be. Mark, a guest who had flown in from Farquhar, decided to try his hand at catching a milkfish and landed the biggest of his week at 96cm, before later adding a massive 150cm barracuda to his tally. Matt, no stranger to Alphonse, also enjoyed one of the standout sessions of the festive season by landing three milkfish in a single day. Max and Harry, a father-and-son duo, also got stuck into the milkfish, with Max raising the bar by landing the largest milkfish of the week at 106cm after a gruelling 40-minute fight. David later surpassed this with an impressive 110cm fish, while Kevin and Kelly also featured among the top milkfish catches. The exceptional milkfish fishing continued into the new year, with Tom, Brooks, Steve, Nico, Sandy, Billy and others all landing their first milkfish. Steve’s and Nico’s fish measured 103cm and 93cm respectively.
Giant trevally were more elusive than usual during the festive period, but every fish landed was hard-earned and well celebrated. Ella, Cam and Felix all showed great determination and each landed their first GT. Alec, no stranger to the flats, added a solid fish of 72cm, while Kevin also managed to land a hard-earned first GT measuring 64cm. David followed with the largest GT of the period at 94cm, completing a flats slam in the process. The new year brought a welcome surge in GT activity, with Conner stealing the show during a surf walk at Small Wreck by landing three GTs in a single session. John and Keith added further quality fish of 81cm and 79cm respectively.
Permit fishing during the festive period was exceptional, with multiple guests achieving milestone catches. Jason, a permit fanatic, landed a 63cm fish after already ticking off a triggerfish, setting the tone early. Judelyn arrived hoping for her first bonefish and instead left with both her first bonefish and her first Indo-Pacific permit. Peter followed suit, landing his first permit before switching gear to target tuna offshore. A tuna and permit slam is a rare achievement anywhere in the world, well done, Peter! Alec also added to his ever-growing permit tally with a beautiful 55cm fish.
As cooler water pushed onto the flats, permit activity increased. Ian and Carolyn both landed their first Indo-Pacific permit in the same session, while Lilly produced one of the most magical moments of the festive season by landing her first-ever permit directly in front of the fishing centre, just metres from the dock. The new year closed with David landing a trophy 62cm permit in the final hours of his final day. Kelly added a solid permit alongside multiple triggerfish and milkfish, while Nico completed an outstanding flats slam by landing his first milkfish and permit, along with a bonefish.
Triggerfish were highly active throughout the festive period, rewarding patience, precision and great spotting skills. Jason opened the period with a moustache triggerfish, followed by a yellow margin the following day. Theunis landed his first yellow margin and quickly added a second triggerfish to his tally. Peter enjoyed a standout session with two triggerfish, including a massive 51cm yellow margin. Harry was determined to tick a triggerfish off his list and did so in style, landing both species in a single day. Ruben added two moustache triggerfish and a yellow margin during his exceptional week, while Kelly capped off the festive period with two moustache triggerfish measuring 44cm and 48cm respectively.
Bonefish provided consistent action and countless smiles throughout the festive weeks. Numbers fluctuated as weather conditions changed, but quality remained high. Judelyn, Robert, Lori and George all landed their first bonefish, often under heavy skies and poor light. Kevin, Ruben and others produced trophy bonefish measuring up to 65cm, with bones playing a critical role in completing multiple flats slams across the period. Batfish made a rare but memorable appearance, allowing Jack the opportunity to land his first batfish — a 46cm powerhouse that surprised everyone with its strength once hooked.
Bluewater fishing throughout the festive period was nothing short of spectacular. Guests landed numerous yellowfin tuna, wahoo and sailfish, with many catching their first pelagic fish on fly or conventional tackle. The new year closed in unforgettable fashion when the Anderson family landed four tuna, two wahoo and a striped marlin — the first striped marlin recorded around Alphonse in almost 10 years — a historic and fitting end to the festive season.
From milkfish madness and triggerfish bonanzas to rare permit achievements, returning GT action and non-stop bluewater fishing, the festive period at Alphonse delivered everything that makes this destination so special. Despite occasional weather challenges, guests embraced every condition and were rewarded with firsts, slams, trophies and memories that will last a lifetime.
A truly unforgettable festive season. Thank you to all the guests who joined us — we look forward to welcoming you back again next year.