Bluemoon Angling Thread

Newman Noggs said:
Finally got time to write a bit more about Alphonse so look away from this long post now if you’re not interested.

If you can ever afford it, do it. It’s beyond anything I’ve experienced in fishing and I never thought I’d be interested in saltwater fly-fishing for exotic fish. But it does grip you.

Small to medium Bonefish are actually easy to catch. The advantage Alphonse has over other locations is the sheer number of fish. You fish for them standing in the water on a 9 weight rod and line with a 20lbs leader using a small crab-like fly that you strip slowly along the bottom. You can generally see the fish as they move backwards and forwards with the tide over the flats. They have a ghostly appearance and can be more clearly seen from the skiff (I didn’t know, but it’s a flat-bottomed boat which can be motored out to the islands and then poled around the shallow water. It has a raised platform at the back so the guide gets a better view of approaching fish). Quite often you see the bigger specimens from the boat but, invariably, when you have a 12 weight in your hand and a big GT fly on. By the time you have changed rods, they have melted away. When you hook one, they don’t half go. Longer and harder than barbel I would say. I’ve still got the scab on my line-finger to prove it.

It has to be said, there’s something magical about standing in knee-deep, warm water casting at fish you can see. Bear in mind, though, that it’s a tropical climate and, therefore, rains a lot. It poured down when we were arriving, teemed down as we were leaving and pissed down for a lot of the time we were there. On the odd occasion the sun comes out (and even when it doesn’t) the sun is blistering, hence the clobber. It is hard to get your gear dry and, as you go everywhere by bike on the island, your arse is always wet from the saddle.

The main quarry, of course, are Giant Trevally or GTs or Geets. These are measured in cms rather than by weight. 60 cms is about average (mine was 59 cms measured). One was caught on a popper in the deep water measuring 122cms while we were there. I would say that, during the week we were there, there were around 25 GTs caught between 10 or so anglers. They usually swim alongside a ray or shark and the guides can spot whether there is a GT on the ray or shark or whether they are “empty”. How they can discern this, I never discovered, certainly I couldn’t spot them. The guide having identified that a fish is “carrying” you cast the fly near it from the boat and strip quickly. If you are lucky the GT will follow and that is quite heart-stopping. More often, you spook them and they bugger off or follow the fly but you miss a strip or run out of room and they sense something isn’t right and, then, bugger off. Another thing this sort of fishing has in common with all other types of fishing is that it’s never just right. If the guide manages to manoeuvre the boat so you are upwind of the fish, one will appear directly behind you. If you have a bone rod in your hand, a GT will appear and vice versa.

Sometimes you see a big fish bow-waving in the shallows and then you pursue them to try to get the fly in front of them. My mate and the guide chased one for miles on the last day and left me dragging the boat to catch up. He got a fly to it which it followed but turned away. They reckoned it was a 100cms fish.

The other fish anglers try to catch are Trigger Fish which you often spot on the flats by a bright red and black tail wafting above the water as they feed head down. The holy grail is the Permit which are rare. My first cast of the trip was to a Permit which, of course, I ballsed up much to the guide’s chagrin. I never saw another. Both these fish are spooky as anything. I had a Trigger follow my fly one day but he sheered of when he saw my face.

One day, as we headed out across the deep water to the flats, the guide spotted a load of birds circling. He told me to drop my GT fly over the side and pay out line which I did. Within 30 seconds a Tuna had grabbed my fly and I was doing battle. After about 30 seconds, it came off but, before I could retrieve, another took it. I managed to play this one for ages and got it right next to the boat. However, the fly popped out and I never saw the fish.

Another day, we were fishing the drop off and the guide changed my fly. Because the fly is bulky, it pays to dip it in the water so that when you cast it for the first time, it sinks. I dropped it over the side of the boat and was dragging it backwards and forwards when a monster GT loomed up right below it. I couldn’t believe my eyes and wasn’t sure what to do so I dragged it backwards and forwards some more which was a bit daft. The guide, who had been messing around with the engine whilst this went on, told me to cast and retrieve which I did but to no avail.

The whole area is a conservation zone and there are studies going on into the manta rays, which ghost around and the GTs. My GT hadn’t been tagged so the guide did the honours, taking the vital measurements and injecting a chip, so it can be monitored in the future.

Other fish we saw included sailfish, manta rays, eagle rays, parrot fish, monkfish, batfish, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, sand sharks and sea turtles of various types which were a pain in the arse as they scutter away through the water like chickens disturbing the fish.

To wrap up here’s me with my first bonefish and this is about the average size.

View attachment 71470
Click to expand...
Bloody brilliant stuff mate!
 
I am still weighing up an Earn/Tay trip for the week after next. The Tay seems to be picking up a few now.
The Wye is in full spate, and filthy.
 
Newman Noggs said:
Finally got time to write a bit more about Alphonse so look away from this long post now if you’re not interested.

If you can ever afford it, do it. It’s beyond anything I’ve experienced in fishing and I never thought I’d be interested in saltwater fly-fishing for exotic fish. But it does grip you.

Small to medium Bonefish are actually easy to catch. The advantage Alphonse has over other locations is the sheer number of fish. You fish for them standing in the water on a 9 weight rod and line with a 20lbs leader using a small crab-like fly that you strip slowly along the bottom. You can generally see the fish as they move backwards and forwards with the tide over the flats. They have a ghostly appearance and can be more clearly seen from the skiff (I didn’t know, but it’s a flat-bottomed boat which can be motored out to the islands and then poled around the shallow water. It has a raised platform at the back so the guide gets a better view of approaching fish). Quite often you see the bigger specimens from the boat but, invariably, when you have a 12 weight in your hand and a big GT fly on. By the time you have changed rods, they have melted away. When you hook one, they don’t half go. Longer and harder than barbel I would say. I’ve still got the scab on my line-finger to prove it.

It has to be said, there’s something magical about standing in knee-deep, warm water casting at fish you can see. Bear in mind, though, that it’s a tropical climate and, therefore, rains a lot. It poured down when we were arriving, teemed down as we were leaving and pissed down for a lot of the time we were there. On the odd occasion the sun comes out (and even when it doesn’t) the sun is blistering, hence the clobber. It is hard to get your gear dry and, as you go everywhere by bike on the island, your arse is always wet from the saddle.

The main quarry, of course, are Giant Trevally or GTs or Geets. These are measured in cms rather than by weight. 60 cms is about average (mine was 59 cms measured). One was caught on a popper in the deep water measuring 122cms while we were there. I would say that, during the week we were there, there were around 25 GTs caught between 10 or so anglers. They usually swim alongside a ray or shark and the guides can spot whether there is a GT on the ray or shark or whether they are “empty”. How they can discern this, I never discovered, certainly I couldn’t spot them. The guide having identified that a fish is “carrying” you cast the fly near it from the boat and strip quickly. If you are lucky the GT will follow and that is quite heart-stopping. More often, you spook them and they bugger off or follow the fly but you miss a strip or run out of room and they sense something isn’t right and, then, bugger off. Another thing this sort of fishing has in common with all other types of fishing is that it’s never just right. If the guide manages to manoeuvre the boat so you are upwind of the fish, one will appear directly behind you. If you have a bone rod in your hand, a GT will appear and vice versa.

Sometimes you see a big fish bow-waving in the shallows and then you pursue them to try to get the fly in front of them. My mate and the guide chased one for miles on the last day and left me dragging the boat to catch up. He got a fly to it which it followed but turned away. They reckoned it was a 100cms fish.

The other fish anglers try to catch are Trigger Fish which you often spot on the flats by a bright red and black tail wafting above the water as they feed head down. The holy grail is the Permit which are rare. My first cast of the trip was to a Permit which, of course, I ballsed up much to the guide’s chagrin. I never saw another. Both these fish are spooky as anything. I had a Trigger follow my fly one day but he sheered of when he saw my face.

One day, as we headed out across the deep water to the flats, the guide spotted a load of birds circling. He told me to drop my GT fly over the side and pay out line which I did. Within 30 seconds a Tuna had grabbed my fly and I was doing battle. After about 30 seconds, it came off but, before I could retrieve, another took it. I managed to play this one for ages and got it right next to the boat. However, the fly popped out and I never saw the fish.

Another day, we were fishing the drop off and the guide changed my fly. Because the fly is bulky, it pays to dip it in the water so that when you cast it for the first time, it sinks. I dropped it over the side of the boat and was dragging it backwards and forwards when a monster GT loomed up right below it. I couldn’t believe my eyes and wasn’t sure what to do so I dragged it backwards and forwards some more which was a bit daft. The guide, who had been messing around with the engine whilst this went on, told me to cast and retrieve which I did but to no avail.

The whole area is a conservation zone and there are studies going on into the manta rays, which ghost around and the GTs. My GT hadn’t been tagged so the guide did the honours, taking the vital measurements and injecting a chip, so it can be monitored in the future.

Other fish we saw included sailfish, manta rays, eagle rays, parrot fish, monkfish, batfish, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, sand sharks and sea turtles of various types which were a pain in the arse as they scutter away through the water like chickens disturbing the fish.

To wrap up here’s me with my first bonefish and this is about the average size.

View attachment 71470
Click to expand...
Just seen this brilliant report. That truly sounds like fishing heaven. What an experience. That's going on my bucket list (which has a vacancy after viewing the northern lights in Iceland yesterday!)
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Just seen this brilliant report. That truly sounds like fishing heaven. What an experience. That's going on my bucket list (which has a vacancy after viewing the northern lights in Iceland yesterday!)
Click to expand...

Fantastic. The Northern Lights are on my bucket list too if I ever get over the post-Alphonse depression. I'm spending all my time trying to work out how I can get back there.

Having said that, a couple of the guides we are friendly with are talking about developing trips to Mexico and Belize the cost of which should be much more affordable.

Also, if you do go, there are another couple of islands worth considering, Cosmo and Providence which are the up and coming places. I think they are a bit more basic in terms of accommodation.

If we can get 6 of us, it's only $85,000 for a week (plus flights to Mahe) :-)
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
Snorky asked me to sign this petition which I have and put it on this thread as he's a bit thick like that; )

Have a read and sign the petition. It's not just about protecting the river Wye but protecting all Britain's rivers and waters from pollution.

act.goodlawproject.org

I’ve signed to protect the River Wye from further pollution. Will you join me? Sign now >>

It takes 30 seconds.
act.goodlawproject.org
Click to expand...
Cheers Beamer, you fuckpig :)
Can someone put it up on the river pollution thread too please x
 
Newman Noggs said:
Finally got time to write a bit more about Alphonse so look away from this long post now if you’re not interested.

If you can ever afford it, do it. It’s beyond anything I’ve experienced in fishing and I never thought I’d be interested in saltwater fly-fishing for exotic fish. But it does grip you.

Small to medium Bonefish are actually easy to catch. The advantage Alphonse has over other locations is the sheer number of fish. You fish for them standing in the water on a 9 weight rod and line with a 20lbs leader using a small crab-like fly that you strip slowly along the bottom. You can generally see the fish as they move backwards and forwards with the tide over the flats. They have a ghostly appearance and can be more clearly seen from the skiff (I didn’t know, but it’s a flat-bottomed boat which can be motored out to the islands and then poled around the shallow water. It has a raised platform at the back so the guide gets a better view of approaching fish). Quite often you see the bigger specimens from the boat but, invariably, when you have a 12 weight in your hand and a big GT fly on. By the time you have changed rods, they have melted away. When you hook one, they don’t half go. Longer and harder than barbel I would say. I’ve still got the scab on my line-finger to prove it.

It has to be said, there’s something magical about standing in knee-deep, warm water casting at fish you can see. Bear in mind, though, that it’s a tropical climate and, therefore, rains a lot. It poured down when we were arriving, teemed down as we were leaving and pissed down for a lot of the time we were there. On the odd occasion the sun comes out (and even when it doesn’t) the sun is blistering, hence the clobber. It is hard to get your gear dry and, as you go everywhere by bike on the island, your arse is always wet from the saddle.

The main quarry, of course, are Giant Trevally or GTs or Geets. These are measured in cms rather than by weight. 60 cms is about average (mine was 59 cms measured). One was caught on a popper in the deep water measuring 122cms while we were there. I would say that, during the week we were there, there were around 25 GTs caught between 10 or so anglers. They usually swim alongside a ray or shark and the guides can spot whether there is a GT on the ray or shark or whether they are “empty”. How they can discern this, I never discovered, certainly I couldn’t spot them. The guide having identified that a fish is “carrying” you cast the fly near it from the boat and strip quickly. If you are lucky the GT will follow and that is quite heart-stopping. More often, you spook them and they bugger off or follow the fly but you miss a strip or run out of room and they sense something isn’t right and, then, bugger off. Another thing this sort of fishing has in common with all other types of fishing is that it’s never just right. If the guide manages to manoeuvre the boat so you are upwind of the fish, one will appear directly behind you. If you have a bone rod in your hand, a GT will appear and vice versa.

Sometimes you see a big fish bow-waving in the shallows and then you pursue them to try to get the fly in front of them. My mate and the guide chased one for miles on the last day and left me dragging the boat to catch up. He got a fly to it which it followed but turned away. They reckoned it was a 100cms fish.

The other fish anglers try to catch are Trigger Fish which you often spot on the flats by a bright red and black tail wafting above the water as they feed head down. The holy grail is the Permit which are rare. My first cast of the trip was to a Permit which, of course, I ballsed up much to the guide’s chagrin. I never saw another. Both these fish are spooky as anything. I had a Trigger follow my fly one day but he sheered of when he saw my face.

One day, as we headed out across the deep water to the flats, the guide spotted a load of birds circling. He told me to drop my GT fly over the side and pay out line which I did. Within 30 seconds a Tuna had grabbed my fly and I was doing battle. After about 30 seconds, it came off but, before I could retrieve, another took it. I managed to play this one for ages and got it right next to the boat. However, the fly popped out and I never saw the fish.

Another day, we were fishing the drop off and the guide changed my fly. Because the fly is bulky, it pays to dip it in the water so that when you cast it for the first time, it sinks. I dropped it over the side of the boat and was dragging it backwards and forwards when a monster GT loomed up right below it. I couldn’t believe my eyes and wasn’t sure what to do so I dragged it backwards and forwards some more which was a bit daft. The guide, who had been messing around with the engine whilst this went on, told me to cast and retrieve which I did but to no avail.

The whole area is a conservation zone and there are studies going on into the manta rays, which ghost around and the GTs. My GT hadn’t been tagged so the guide did the honours, taking the vital measurements and injecting a chip, so it can be monitored in the future.

Other fish we saw included sailfish, manta rays, eagle rays, parrot fish, monkfish, batfish, lemon sharks, tiger sharks, sand sharks and sea turtles of various types which were a pain in the arse as they scutter away through the water like chickens disturbing the fish.

To wrap up here’s me with my first bonefish and this is about the average size.

View attachment 71470
Click to expand...
What a brilliant write up mate. I have three fishing buddies flying out to Mexico this morning to do similar. Funny, whenever I try and imagine what such a trip would be like it’s always sunny and never pissing down.
Ah well back to my trout.
 
Newman Noggs said:
Fantastic. The Northern Lights are on my bucket list too if I ever get over the post-Alphonse depression. I'm spending all my time trying to work out how I can get back there.

Having said that, a couple of the guides we are friendly with are talking about developing trips to Mexico and Belize the cost of which should be much more affordable.

Also, if you do go, there are another couple of islands worth considering, Cosmo and Providence which are the up and coming places. I think they are a bit more basic in terms of accommodation.

If we can get 6 of us, it's only $85,000 for a week (plus flights to Mahe) :-)
Click to expand...
Sounds brilliant, a bluemoon angling trip to alphonse. Hope it’s single accommodation as I snore like a wild boar.
 
First couple of trips to Coldingham this season were good. With a rod average over 10 it’s fishing it’s socks off. As usual at this time they are seeking out shallow water which warms quicker and holds more food. On Saturday we found them tight in to a reed bed on the north shore. One feAture of this early season is the number of browns being caught up to 6lb.

Here is one that must have gone 4 1/2 lb.

1679463411163.jpeg
 
Scotland bound Sunday, and have skillfully managed to get a dose of gout! :(
Fuckity fuck.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
First couple of trips to Coldingham this season were good. With a rod average over 10 it’s fishing it’s socks off. As usual at this time they are seeking out shallow water which warms quicker and holds more food. On Saturday we found them tight in to a reed bed on the north shore. One feAture of this early season is the number of browns being caught up to 6lb.

Here is one that must have gone 4 1/2 lb.

View attachment 72789
Click to expand...
Are these wild browns or stocked?
 
Just updating for the sake of it really.

Had 2 seperate afternoons dead baiting, one in a canal and one in a reservoir where I upped sticks and moved every hour. No bites, no sightings, nothing.

Last night I had a quick trip to the canal with the light gear for perch to try for a big one pre-spawning. In the first area there was some evidence of predator attacks on a shoal of dace but I could not get a bite whatever I tried. I moved to another area, ended up scaling right down and had two half pounders.
 
Still got my predator head firmly on for the time being. This is a great time of year to get the lures working as they are starting to get active as the water warms and are at big sizes before they spawn.

Saturday I walked the whole length of a canal with big pike lures in heavily colored water using rattling plugs. I thought I had a nip or two but with plugs if you don’t hook up first time they spook. Changed over to the perch rod, hooked a big one first cast which shook its head a few times and fell off. Another bump or two and then it went dead. They seem to wise up.

Sunday afternoon the canal was clearer although there were several lure anglers about so I moved to a different canal. Twitching a small salmo slider jerk bait and I had a perch of about 12oz and realised I’d forgotten my net. A walk back and then few casts later and I hit a good one. It didn’t have a massive frame but was fat as butter, obviously a female ready to spawn. Didn’t bother to weight it but is estimate it over a pound and a half. Here is is.169A4428-1F65-4476-9AD1-F6BB22BDCA91.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Newman Noggs said:
Crikey that's a good catch. I spent all day yesterday on the Staffs-Worcester for around 20 small roach.
Click to expand...
End peg! I finished with just under 9lb, back up weights were mostly less than 2lb. Typical winter canal match - crumb, punch & pinkie/squat. Chopped worm and caster down the track for perch and loads of tiny jack pike which of course don't count.
 
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