Latest Issue of Sea Life Seychelles

The TAM TAM

Sea Life Seychelles magazine (which is published in the Seychelles and edited by Arnold Chetty) reprinted an article I wrote about visiting this archipelago in the early 1990's. This was before there were any 5-star resorts on Alphonse or La Digue Islands and before most, if any, fishermen had heard about the islands.

Larry Dahlberg's group comes in and we reluctantly leave Alphonse Island

On those early trips, we used the Tam Tam liveboard to access St. Francoise Island from Alphonse Island where a narrow airstrip had been cut through a copra plantation. The Tam Tam was captained by an eccentric Englishman named Martin Lewis. I went on to do many trips aboard the Tam Tam. These islands were a very wild place back then and the fishing was absolutely incredible!

The strip on Alphonse. The resort was built on the point to the left.

Martin Lewis is his breakfast attire

Russ Dilley with a St. Francoise bone

On my first visit, Larry Dahlberg came in with his film crew on the charter we were using to go home. We split the expenses and it worked out great. Larry subsequently did a couple shows which aired on his HUNT FOR BIG FISH TV series. These TV shows let the world in on the fantastic opportunities for bonefish, milkfish and GT's the islands had. The rest as they say, is history. Now, everyone knows about the Seychelles. Believe me, the islands reputation is well-deserved! I feel very lucky to have been one of the very first fly fishermen to have fished the Seychelles.

Here is the article about the early days in the Seychelles titled FLY FISHING / THE EARLY YEARS.