Like for many other fly anglers, my long delayed Christmas Island fishing trip finally happened this month. I've fished CXI five times previously (Jan 2016 - Jan 2020), but this time I was joined by my older brother. The island was very similar to my last trip in early 2020, but changes are happening. 8,000 - 9,000 residents now live there. More cargo is reaching the island, with newly built trading stores selling goods. Electrical lines were installed from the airport to London back in 2017-2018, and now I can even get phone service without swapping SIM cards. The dreaded smart phones are common on the island, even under the most dilapidated maneabas. Harvesting of pelagic fish seems to have ramped up since the new government opened the Phoenix Island Protected Area to fishing. Even so, the lagoon and roughed outer beaches are still beautiful and have excellent populations of bonefish, triggerfish, and small trevally species.
We spent the vast majority of our fishing time targeting bonefish on various lagoon flats. I was impressed with the larger average size of the bonefish on CXI (compared to a few years ago) and their abundance. My big brother did great catching bonefish on a fly rod for the first time, including some legit 7-8 pounders.
Fishing for large Yellowmargin and Titan triggerfish was excellent, especially on the half moon tides. Getting them to follow and tail on the fly was not too hard, but hooking them and especially landing them is tricky. I caught my first ever Picasso Triggerfish on this trip as well. Several times I thought I had hooked up a triggerfish only to land a nice bonefish or bluefin trevally that stole the fly. In my opinion, CXI has the best flats triggerfish fly fishing anywhere in the world.
The lagoon fishing for the big GT was very slow during my visit. I didn't see them in the backcountry preserve at all. We did spot a few in the channel systems of the Y-site area though. I had one big GT blow up behind my fly as I stripped it over a deep channel onto a shallow flat, but it spotted me a the last second and didn't eat. Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to fish the ocean side of Paris or Korean Wreck where the big wild GT prowl. However, I did catch a very nice Bluefin Trevally and a stout Brassy Trevally on my 9 weight bonefish rod. Small GT also ate fast stripped bonefish or brush flies.
Bluefin trevally
Brassy Trevally
Small GT
We weren't afraid to cast to the other fish species in the lagoon either. We tossed flies at Blacktip shark, Barracuda, Puffers, Snappers, Ladyfish, etc. to keep ourselves entertained. I even caught an immature lagoon Milkfish on a bonefish fly at Pipeline flat.
Baby Milkfish that I thought was a bonefish until it began jumping out of the water.
Blacktip shark ate a small Clouser
Barracuda
Pufferfish (aka - fly destroyers)
Hawaiian Ladyfish
We were not able to fish the blue water or the outer coral reef beach areas due to adverse weather and issues with boat/truck break downs. Regardless, it was a very enjoyable trip with good fishing everyday. El nino often generates thick clouds and rain on CXI, but we were able to fish through the low light and heavy winds. As always the fishing guides of Christmas Island Outfitters were great at putting us on the fish. Our hosts at the Sunset Horizon Lodge were excellent, and we lacked for nothing. A special thanks to the wonderful people of Christmas Island for welcoming us to their magnificent atoll and sharing its natural treasures.
Thanks for reading.
We spent the vast majority of our fishing time targeting bonefish on various lagoon flats. I was impressed with the larger average size of the bonefish on CXI (compared to a few years ago) and their abundance. My big brother did great catching bonefish on a fly rod for the first time, including some legit 7-8 pounders.
Fishing for large Yellowmargin and Titan triggerfish was excellent, especially on the half moon tides. Getting them to follow and tail on the fly was not too hard, but hooking them and especially landing them is tricky. I caught my first ever Picasso Triggerfish on this trip as well. Several times I thought I had hooked up a triggerfish only to land a nice bonefish or bluefin trevally that stole the fly. In my opinion, CXI has the best flats triggerfish fly fishing anywhere in the world.
The lagoon fishing for the big GT was very slow during my visit. I didn't see them in the backcountry preserve at all. We did spot a few in the channel systems of the Y-site area though. I had one big GT blow up behind my fly as I stripped it over a deep channel onto a shallow flat, but it spotted me a the last second and didn't eat. Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to fish the ocean side of Paris or Korean Wreck where the big wild GT prowl. However, I did catch a very nice Bluefin Trevally and a stout Brassy Trevally on my 9 weight bonefish rod. Small GT also ate fast stripped bonefish or brush flies.
Bluefin trevally
Brassy Trevally
Small GT
We weren't afraid to cast to the other fish species in the lagoon either. We tossed flies at Blacktip shark, Barracuda, Puffers, Snappers, Ladyfish, etc. to keep ourselves entertained. I even caught an immature lagoon Milkfish on a bonefish fly at Pipeline flat.
Baby Milkfish that I thought was a bonefish until it began jumping out of the water.
Blacktip shark ate a small Clouser
Barracuda
Pufferfish (aka - fly destroyers)
Hawaiian Ladyfish
We were not able to fish the blue water or the outer coral reef beach areas due to adverse weather and issues with boat/truck break downs. Regardless, it was a very enjoyable trip with good fishing everyday. El nino often generates thick clouds and rain on CXI, but we were able to fish through the low light and heavy winds. As always the fishing guides of Christmas Island Outfitters were great at putting us on the fish. Our hosts at the Sunset Horizon Lodge were excellent, and we lacked for nothing. A special thanks to the wonderful people of Christmas Island for welcoming us to their magnificent atoll and sharing its natural treasures.
Thanks for reading.
