Christmas island recommendations?
- Thread starter CanoeGuy
- Start date
DimeBrite
Saltwater fly fisherman
Wait until Fiji Airways actually starts landing airplanes on the island. Ikari Lodge, The Villages, Sunset Lodge are the three main options booked by travel companies. A few small independent villas catering to fishermen were around prior to the pandemic. After 3 years of no visitors on Christmas Island it is unclear which lodges will still be functioning. Best advice is to wait and watch.
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Brian in OR.
Steelhead
So they still aren't open??? i thought things were happening this fall as i almost booked a December trip???
As far as lodges Ive only been to the Villages and the one things that makes them stand out is each person has their own guide...
As far as lodges Ive only been to the Villages and the one things that makes them stand out is each person has their own guide...
DimeBrite
Saltwater fly fisherman
Nope. Fiji Airways sold tickets, then a couple weeks later cancelled flights for Dec, Jan, Feb. I would not be surprised if more flights get cancelled.
mems
Steelhead
I am booked for April 4-11. They are hoping to have a couple of flights in March. They need to get fuel for the planes on island. We have had this trip canceled twice already. We have our fingers crossed it will happen. We will be staying at Icari house. The fishing should be good, no one has fished it for three years. Let me know if you have specific questions.
mems
Steelhead
Check out my avatar, that is Bitta with a GT. Flywater travel is great, Dylan is very helpful. The lodge is in town so you save on truck time to the boats. The view of the sunsets are great. The food is ok and there is no bar but they will have beer and water for you there. Get your favorite adult beverages at duty free in Honolulu.
Bitta is a great guide and a good friend. He is the head guide. I don’t know who else he has but Michael is a great guide and Matt is awesome as well.
The rooms are clean and the showers are a drizzle, but it is like that on the island. They do a luau for you on the last night.
You can flats fish the lagoon, fish the outer reef out to Korean wreck, or do blue water for ahi, Ono and the occasional sailfish. Deep jigging is super productive, but you will go through a lot of jigs.
GT’s can be caught inshore and offshore. Bring 2 of everything you need, no stores or supplies there.
It was getting overfished but no one has fished it in three years so go as soon as you can. PM me if you need more help.
Bitta is a great guide and a good friend. He is the head guide. I don’t know who else he has but Michael is a great guide and Matt is awesome as well.
The rooms are clean and the showers are a drizzle, but it is like that on the island. They do a luau for you on the last night.
You can flats fish the lagoon, fish the outer reef out to Korean wreck, or do blue water for ahi, Ono and the occasional sailfish. Deep jigging is super productive, but you will go through a lot of jigs.
GT’s can be caught inshore and offshore. Bring 2 of everything you need, no stores or supplies there.
It was getting overfished but no one has fished it in three years so go as soon as you can. PM me if you need more help.
CanoeGuy
Steelhead
Works for me! Unfortunately, the trip isn't until next January. Going to be an agonizing wait
!
mems
Steelhead
You have a year to plan. They will provide you with a list of gear you need. The fun thing there is you can screw around with the bones. You can strip the fly away from then and they will chase and get pissed off and hammer the fly. You can't do that here in Hawaii. If you need to know what flies to get send me a message. It is a beautiful place and the people are so humble.
I just wouldn't book or even think about a trip there until the flights start actually happening routinely. Life is short and there are other places to fish. CXI would be a good choice for a trip but not at the expense of missing out on someplace else while you sit at home wishing the place was open.
CanoeGuy
Steelhead
I couldn't help myself and started tying already. The biggest question on the bonefish flies seems to be the color of the eyes. I watched one "Christmas Island Special" video where the guy said his guide didn't want anything but unpainted lead eyes, another said gold eyes and a third had the fancy multi color pupil painted lead eyes. I am not a fan of painted lead cause they get chipped up and start to look like junk. Do you have a preference?
I have not been able to find much about flies for triggers - just one article from Nervous Waters HI. He uses simple orange rubber legged flies on stout hooks when specifically targeting them, but sounds like he will through his bonefish fly at them if one appears while fishing for bones. I am going to tie a pretty big variety of weights and sizes for bonefish. Is this necessary for triggers? Are they usually in about the same water depth where one weight covers the majority of situations?
The good news is that the first commercial flight since Covid landed on Christmas Island earlier this week - May 2nd. So the island is back in business.
Regarding flies for bonefish, if all you tie is size 6 orange Christmas Island Specials with medium gold brass eyes in various weights you will be covered for 90% of the fishing you are going to do. You want to make sure you have some lightly weighted flies for skinny water situations, and some heavy flies for deeper water, but most of the time medium brass eyes will work well. Throw in a few Gotchas, George Bushes, and Moana Chili Peppers and you should be good to go.
For the Triggers, I have mostly caught them on bonefish flies, but they do like rubber legs, and they will bend/break an inferior hook with their stout teeth. You also find them in and around the coral a lot so a fly that rides point up or has some kind of guard is a good idea. They were getting tougher to catch because of pressure before Covid. Hopefully the three-year break will reset the playing field a little.
Regarding flies for bonefish, if all you tie is size 6 orange Christmas Island Specials with medium gold brass eyes in various weights you will be covered for 90% of the fishing you are going to do. You want to make sure you have some lightly weighted flies for skinny water situations, and some heavy flies for deeper water, but most of the time medium brass eyes will work well. Throw in a few Gotchas, George Bushes, and Moana Chili Peppers and you should be good to go.
For the Triggers, I have mostly caught them on bonefish flies, but they do like rubber legs, and they will bend/break an inferior hook with their stout teeth. You also find them in and around the coral a lot so a fly that rides point up or has some kind of guard is a good idea. They were getting tougher to catch because of pressure before Covid. Hopefully the three-year break will reset the playing field a little.
Hell. I tried for three years to get back and have finally given up. I had all of the fees paid including the evacuation insurance. I was all packed and ready to go when we got news our trip was canceled. I tied a boatload of flies that are now just sitting in storage. I last went in 2018 to the Ikari House. It was very adequate for an out of the way destination. It took four months to get my money back from Fiji Airlines this last time. . I did catch a boatload of bonefish and three Trevally, all on a popper in 2018. It was an enjoyable trip and if I could be sure to get a flight I'd go again but the schedules are too tentative now. I'm not getting any younger. Good luck! I hope you make it.
Tantoharry
Freshly Spawned
I just returned from there. My 3rd trip. I can provide you with some good intel. Things have really changed since Covid shutdown. New/renamed lodges etc. my group got “stuck” due to cyclone in Fiji. Too much info to share (type) here. You can call me if you want between 9-5 if you haven’t already made plans.
Text first so your number isn’t blocked
206-349-3992
Text first so your number isn’t blocked
206-349-3992
In the mid 80's after taking several groups to Christmas and getting to know the powers that be I was enlisted by Mike and Susie Fitzgerald at Frontiers and the ministers on the tourism board of the Republic of Kiribati to assemble a group of fly fishermen from the states to join for a week of fishing at a reduced rate to help reinfuse some life into the islands fishing program. Along with Lefty Kreh, Bruce Kirschner and numerous other notables in the industry my friend Yvon was one of those who chose to take advantage of the deal that I was honored to offer. Val Atkinson was our hired photographer. Yvon was the only one of the approximately 20 who joined in to bring along a surfboard as he had heard rumors of the left handed break at the entrance to the lagoon. I remember being in the punt hauling him out near the break and wondering why in the hell he would rather do this than catch bonefish and trevally. He was in his own world and it was a joy to watch. I wonder if Val took that photo. Don't remember who was on board that day. Yvon always was and always will be a treat, a joy to watch whether fishing or riding his board. Good memories.
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