Edward R. had an incredible booking, fishing, and lodging experience with our friends at Alphonse Island Resort -- Read his thoughts below:
Did you find the trip booking process through Yellow Dog enjoyable and useful? If not, please share why.
- YDFF was very helpful guiding me through the whole process. I am extremely grateful for all the support. This trip was a little more complicated than others I’ve been on and YDFF made sure that nothing slipped through the cracks and that everything went smoothly.
Were the Yellow Dog pre-trip planning packet(s) and travel itinerary you received for your trip helpful and accurate? If not, how could it be improved?
- Everything was well done. Alec and Brenda made sure all my questions were addressed and they referred me to other folks who did a great job of handling my travel arrangements and trip insurance.
Did the lodging (rooms, dining area, social area, etc) match what you were expecting? If not, please provide additional comments or constructive feedback.
- Alphonse was way fancier than I expected. I’m more used to tent camps and surviving on moose meat and borscht. The accommodations and food at Alphonse blew me away. It was like staying at the Ritz Carlton but without hundreds of other guests.
Did the food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) match what you were expecting? If not, please provide additional comments or constructive feedback.
- Excellent. I love fresh caught fish. And I loved the wahoo sashimi. Tuna and Jobfish were also excellent.
Do you have any comments or constructive feedback based on the service, friendliness, etc of the lodge staff?
- Cassie and Will and the Guides and the entire staff were all extremely friendly and helpful.
I’m really stretching for anything to criticize. One extremely small annoyance was that the toilet seat in the room wouldn’t stay up. You can rightly conclude that if this is the worst thing I have to say, I’m a pretty happy customer!
What key piece(s) of gear, tackle, flies, soft goods, etc. made your trip successful?
- I’m glad I borrowed rods from the shop. That lightened my load and made travel much easier.
What piece(s) of equipment would you not leave home without for this trip?
- Flats Sneakers
Would you return to this destination? Please share why or why not.
- I’d return in a heartbeat if it wasn’t so far away. I did a lot of international travel when I was working and now that I’m retired I really dread long trips. And I have a 92 year old mother that my sister and I take turns caring for. It’s really hard to be out of the country for extended periods.
But having said all that, I’m still considering whether I can squeeze in another Alphonse trip next year.
About the Lodge: Situated approximately 1,000 miles off the east coast of Africa and 310 nautical miles southwest of Mahe, Alphonse is a tiny, triangular coral island that it is one of three formations in a small and isolated group: Alphonse in the north, Bijoutier in the middle, and St. François in the south. This is, without a doubt, a distant and very exotic destination, with a fishery that may be the most diverse in the entire world of saltwater fly fishing. In the Alphonse and St. François fishing areas, a small number of weekly guests have exclusive access to over 10,000 acres of hard white sand flats, setting the region apart from others in the Indian Ocean. And with consistent, unpressured populations of bonefish, trevally, milkfish, and other species, even novice fly anglers can spot and cast to fish with relative ease. As much as we hate to throw around the phrase “trip of a lifetime,” a week fishing Alphonse is an experience that no doubt qualifies as such.
