An incredible 292 miles southeast of Mahe lies the St François Lagoon and adjacent Alphonse Island, part of the Amirantes group of islands – remote, even for the Indian Ocean.
Alphonse, one of the most famed saltwater destinations on the planet, is home to – arguably – the most prolific bonefish fishery in the word; in addition there are three species of triggerfish, five species of trevally and a plethora of other flats and offshore species.
Perhaps the most challenging fish to catch though is the fabled milkfish Chanos chanos; a turbo-charged algae-eater growing to 40lb; the Alphonse Guide Team, have not only caught these amazing and relatively unknown fish, but they also pioneered the techniques which have allowed these vegetarian and notoriously difficult fish to be caught.
It’s hard to describe the sheer speed and breath-taking acrobatics of the fish and the technical prowess needed to convert a fly cast to a connection with one so Jako Lucas and the team travelled to this remote location and filmed it!
The short film below will play in the 2016 Fly Fishing Film Tour, and will be the first time this amazing species has been featured in this capacity on the big screen.
Enjoy!