Christmas Island in Oct

Well just got back from a week on Christmas Island. It was wet to say the least. I stayed at the villages there were two other extremely nice anglers fishing there and only a total of 15 that I counted on the whole island.

Everyday but one was rain/thudershowers and cloud cover. Made for tough conditions. With poor visibility most shots for bones where between 15-35 ft and need to be fast and accurate. Basically one backcast to aerialize the fly line and drop. This was super tough for me depending on wind direction and I had a few days I struggled.

With El Niño in full effect there was an extra foot of water on the flats which made for deeper than usual wading and some flats not being accessible. Last year I saw and had shots at 10 plus triggers a day other then my days at Korean wreck. This year I saw 15 triggers total I hooked up to two of those fish and both bit the hook off. Still fun hooking up to those skittish fish.

The higher water did seem to bring more large GT on the flats and I saw significantly more and got more shots. Wasn’t able to connect but it’s thrilling to get yourself in the right spot and have shots.

I had two days where it really seemed I could do no wrong not sure what the difference was. Both days were cloudy and rainy with high winds but those sessions were worth the whole trip. The best being a morning out going tide that I hooked 50 bones and landed 35, all of these fish where bigger than average Christmas Island bones.



There were many blue fin and baby GT cast at and landed and I was able to land a Brassy which was a super cool eat.


Fished a lot of new flats I didn’t last time and had some outstanding guides. Even with crappy weather and visibility it was a great trip.

 

[clarkman]

This seems like just the appetizer....

if so, nice work. if not, nice work.

 

[DimeBrite]

Thanks for the report! El nino on CXI is rugged, especially the bad ones. The warm water does put more trevally in the lagoon, no doubt. Congrats on the brassy trevally, I've only caught them there on El nino years. Also, great that you had some amazing bonefishing!

I've heard that Huff dam blew out and that the Sunset Lodge massage plaza washed into the ocean. Good luck to those traveling to Christmas Island and French Polynesia in the next few months! Bad weather is in your future.

 

[chief]

Glad you had a good trip. That brassy is pretty cool. I don't think I have ever caught one.

I am leaving for my annual trip to Christmas Island in November. We decided to go for two weeks this year. Maybe a bad year to make that decision but we will have a good time regardless of the weather.

 

[tacomabeer]

Thanks for the report! El nino on CXI is rugged, especially the bad ones. The warm water does put more trevally in the lagoon, no doubt. Congrats on the brassy trevally, I've only caught them there on El nino years. Also, great that you had some amazing bonefishing!

I've heard that Huff dam blew out and that the Sunset Lodge massage plaza washed into the ocean. Good luck to those traveling to Christmas Island and French Polynesia in the next few months! Bad weather is in your future.

Ya huff dam got blown out. And we heard sunset/Christmas Island outfitters was permanently closed.

The wind from the west was a big challenge and seemed to be a factor on the lagoon flats like orvis and 9 mile the clarity of the water made it impossible to see anything. We spent every morning motoring to the back country. Which made the boat ride back to the lodge a nautical adventure in the afternoon


@DimeBrite im looking at Australia for next year got any suggestions on that front? Or any place you would suggest that would be fun flats destination similar to Christmas Island?

 

[tacomabeer]

This seems like just the appetizer....

if so, nice work. if not, nice work.

Wish I had more to report or had more pictures. I do a poor job of getting the camera out in general and the weather and the fact I was wading mostly knee to waist deep water didn’t make it easier to pull the camera from my bag so I only took 5 total fish pics. But here one more of a nice bone from day two

 

[tacomabeer]

Glad you had a good trip. That brassy is pretty cool. I don't think I have ever caught one.

I am leaving for my annual trip to Christmas Island in November. We decided to go for two weeks this year. Maybe a bad year to make that decision but we will have a good time regardless of the weather.

You will have a great time! Both of the other anglers at the lodge had stellar days while I was there they landed big golden trevally one caught a massive ladyfish. One of the other anglers had been there for a week before I got in and he had a day on Navy flat(got a sunny day and wind out of the west guess you only fish that flat with winds from the west) where he landed 13 massive bonefish in the 7-8# range. They looked like true giants in his pictures. The program was focused on a lot of time in back country as water clarity was significantly better. And that went for all the lodges. We saw everyone’s boats back there.

Just make sure your rain racket is super solid and don’t be a bonehead like me and bring a red one guides weren’t a fan, they thought it spooked fish. Having only done 5 flats trips and only breaking my jacket out once for a brief passing storm I didn’t think about the color.

 

[DimeBrite]

Ya huff dam got blown out. And we heard sunset/Christmas Island outfitters was permanently closed.

The wind from the west was a big challenge and seemed to be a factor on the lagoon flats like orvis and 9 mile the clarity of the water made it impossible to see anything. We spent every morning motoring to the back country. Which made the boat ride back to the lodge a nautical adventure in the afternoon


@DimeBrite im looking at Australia for next year got any suggestions on that front? Or any place you would suggest that would be fun flats destination similar to Christmas Island?

I will report on Cape York, AUS fishing later this November.

 

[goinoregon]

Glad you had a good trip. That brassy is pretty cool. I don't think I have ever caught one.

I am leaving for my annual trip to Christmas Island in November. We decided to go for two weeks this year. Maybe a bad year to make that decision but we will have a good time regardless of the weather.

have fun.

 

[albula]

Ya huff dam got blown out. And we heard sunset/Christmas Island outfitters was permanently closed.

The wind from the west was a big challenge and seemed to be a factor on the lagoon flats like orvis and 9 mile the clarity of the water made it impossible to see anything. We spent every morning motoring to the back country. Which made the boat ride back to the lodge a nautical adventure in the afternoon


@DimeBrite im looking at Australia for next year got any suggestions on that front? Or any place you would suggest that would be fun flats destination similar to Christmas Island?

I've had some great flats fishing along side some of the small islands that are a part of the Great Barrier Reef and caught a number of fish that I couldn't identify until I got home. Unfortunately it takes a mothership to be out there to access them. Wading some of the creeks on the islands fishing for thread fin salmon is much like fishing for baby tarpon. As an added bonus you can sometimes find a big Mud Crab. Looks kinda like a Dungie but the one I finally captured had to wrapped up in my shirt to get it back to the boat. He was large enough to feed three of us.

 

[DimeBrite]

You will have a great time! Both of the other anglers at the lodge had stellar days while I was there they landed big golden trevally one caught a massive ladyfish. One of the other anglers had been there for a week before I got in and he had a day on Navy flat(got a sunny day and wind out of the west guess you only fish that flat with winds from the west) where he landed 13 massive bonefish in the 7-8# range. They looked like true giants in his pictures. The program was focused on a lot of time in back country as water clarity was significantly better. And that went for all the lodges. We saw everyone’s boats back there.

Just make sure your rain racket is super solid and don’t be a bonehead like me and bring a red one guides weren’t a fan, they thought it spooked fish. Having only done 5 flats trips and only breaking my jacket out once for a brief passing storm I didn’t think about the color.

Navy Flat is a very cool area to fish when the tide is right. Close to London too. A few years ago I fished it and caught bigger than average bonefish amongst that unusual brillow pad like seaweed that grows only there. The biggest bonefish I've ever seen on Christmas Island came within casting range, swimming on the surface like a predator. I thought it was a juvenile trevally hunting the weed beds. No! It was a ~13 pound ocean bonefish that was pounding on small baitfish. My guide was shaking and told me that it wouldn't eat a bonefish fly, but it would eat a baitfish pattern. All I had was a 10 wt rigged with a 2/0 brush fly, so I cast it to the giant bonefish. He chased it down within 3 inches before turning off. If I had cast a size 1 or 1/0 Clouser he would have inhaled it! Christmas Island has surprises each trip.