Capt. George Tunison

A lifetime of fishing adventures often starts with humble pan fishing — crappies, bluegills, perch — then that first largemouth bass or walleye. Soon you’re reading every fishing rag dreaming of moving up to the big leagues even creating your first bucket list of species you want to someday challenge.

I’ve been very fortunate over the decades to have been able to scratch off quite a few of these species on my list fishing in sun, wind, rain, snow, even violent weather in some of the beautiful and varied places on the planet. Bucket list fish like a first 10-pound Florida Lake Toho bass, beautiful Keys permit and bonefish, scary big Canadian muskies, fly-caught sail fish, triple digit tarpon and lifetime memory snook along with many others but, there are still several more on that list that need attention before running out of fishing time.

Dad and I always tried to make the trip to fish jumbo peacock bass in Brazil but business then finally heath issues interfered. I moved on to thinking about another South American freshwater species. A yellow gold- plated, 40-pound tank terror of a fish, a super predator living in fast moving rivers and tail races, with sharp dentures and a bad attitude — the golden dorado. While still on my South American kick, I got the arapaima itch and dreamed of what fighting a 400-pounder in a remote Amazon jungle lake would be like. Seeing one featured on local news washed up in the Caloosahatchee a few years back was quite a surprise.

After a lot of research, I’m saving my pennies for the Big Trip! The newest dream destination on my list is located in the smallest state of Africa which actually isn’t located on the African continent. The 115 islands that make up the Seychelles archipelago sit just off the east coast of Africa about 300 miles north of Madagascar and offer possibly the best unspoiled multi-species saltwater fly angling left on the planet.

Hundreds of miles of gin clear flats, hosting a huge variety of species to deeper water surf zones fish, then on to steep drop-offs and big game. Walk the beaches for 50 bonefish days or challenge huge giant trevally (GT’s) rocketing through knee deep water. Too many species to list work the flats and if you get tired of that then hop in a skiff and catch sailfish and marlin on the drop-off a mere 300 yards from the shoreline.

One oddball fish living there is attracting fly anglers worldwide and is definitely list worthy. Take a 5-pound chrome bonefish then add 30 pounds. Replace the bones head with a mullets head. Now you have a milkfish, which, like a mullet, also eats algae and some small invertebrates. Very hard to fool and hook, jumps like a tarpon but higher and fights with incredible speed and bulldozer determination often splintering fly rods after an hour or so.

Common to warm Pacific and Indian Ocean waters and long known in Asia as a farmed food fish but now has also become a prime target for travelling fly anglers looking for the newest thrill.

The incredibly beautiful flats, coral reefs and an almost unlimited amount of islands are a true unspoiled paradise for anglers and divers with many outfitters and lodges offering 7-day all-inclusive guided trips and accommodations. Various lodge websites showed prices starting at $1,200 per angler on up to a paltry $85 grand for a private island bungalow for 4 with chef, and guides and skiffs for each guest, of course. Airfare to Africa not included. At least I know where I won’t be staying.

Red snapper season is on out in the 150 to 200-foot hard bottom depths. Anglers are allowed 2 per day with a 16-inch total length.

You still have plenty of time to catch yours as the season closes July 31.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.