Catch the first on a bonefish fly, ask your trusty guide for your GT rod, and cast to the second fish still hanging around the first fish. Voila! Two giant trevally. Have to love Christmas Island.
Some trips take a day or two to organize. Some only 20 minutes. For me, fly fishing at Christmas Island took over 12 months of planning and what felt like a lifetime of dreaming of the destination located 2400km northwest of Fiji and blessed with warm tropical water, perfect weather, and some of the most extensive sand flats in the world – home to such species as giant trevally (GT), triggerfish and bonefish. Our group of ten anglers, was hosted by Chris of Wilderness Flyfishing and we stayed at Sunset Horizons fishing lodge.
The main species targeted, bonefish is renowned for its hard fighting capability and being found in the very shallow water of the sand flats. The crystal clear mirror surface of the tropical flats can make fish extremely hard to spot with the untrained eye. Luckily for us, we were paired with experienced local guides who were able to spot them well before we could, coaching us on the direction, distance, and style of retrieve required to hook the fish. Once hooked, an average size fish can strip line from your reel with blistering speed. Larger fish like GT demonstrate their raw power with an aggressive take of the fly and strip out your line at speeds up to 60km/h.
Some say Christmas Island is a once in a lifetime experience, as for me, I am already dreaming about the warm water, beautiful weather and the awesome people and fishing friends I found there. My planning has already begun.
Rod Kennett
