Christmas Island, Kiribati

Our Hosted trips take all the hassle out of organising the travel and logistics, get you onto more fish, and provide the opportunity to travel with a like-minded group to one of the finest saltwater fly fishing destinations, in the world.

Full of bonefish, triggerfish and a range of trevally species including GT’s, the beauty of the location lies with its remote setting, huge flats system and sheer number of fish to cast to each day, ideal for beginner to advanced fly fishermen.

YOUR OWN GUIDE EACH DAY = CATCH MORE FISH

We have selected early week spring tides which are good for GT’s and Big Bonefish on Paris Flats, with skinny water tailing bonefish and Triggerfish later in the week approaching the neap tides.

Please note that due to the Coronavirus travel implications to this destination, this week is currently on hold until further notification.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND, KIRIBATI

Dates: 30th August – 8th September 2022

Cost: $3,450

Rods: 16

Includes: Hosted group trip to Christmas Island, Kiribati. 7 night’s accommodation in air-conditioned bungalows at The Villages Christmas Island (twin share), full board / meals, six and a half days guided fly fishing per week (personal guide each day), fly tying gear, back-up fly rods and reels, comprehensive pre-trip guide, international flight booking service, detailed itinerary, all private ground and boat transfers on CXI.

Excludes: International flights, transit accommodation and meals in Fiji, gratuities ($280) and fishing license ($55).

Join us as we head to this remarkable saltwater fly fishing destination, which is hands-down one of the best learning environments for those new to the sport. Your host will meet you in Melbourne before departing overnight to Fiji.

For those on direct flights available from Brisbane and Sydney to Nadi, your host will meet you at the airport on arrival before a group dinner at the Gateway Hotel which is situated across the road from the International terminal.

We will then have a 9pm check-in and board midnight Tuesday flight to Kiritimati / Christmas Island.

30th August – 11pm Depart Melbourne to Fiji, arriving Tuesday morning. Flight schedules may vary, with earlier or later optional flights also available from Sydney and Brisbane which we will manage in line with your preferences.

31st August – Arrive Fiji, Melb/Bris/Sydney connections. Check-in to day room at Fiji Gateway Hotel, sleep, relax, evening group dinner and check-in for flight to Christmas Island.

1st September – Arrive Christmas Island at around 6:30am. Clear customs, purchase fishing licence and private transfer to the lodge. After welcome briefing, rig-up and prepare for the days fishing ahead. Breakfast is served around 9am, with the boats departing to the flats at 10am, with packed lunches and refreshments.

2nd – 7th September – Fly Fishing Christmas Island, boats departing from the lodge beach daily at 7am for a full day on the flats. Snacks served in the bar around 5pm and dinner served at 7pm.

8th September – Departure day. Optional 4hr fishing available ($$) before lunch and early afternoon departure to Fiji. On arrival, overnight stay in Fiji and group dinner, to suit the flight schedule back to Australia.

9th September – Depart back to Australia or extend your stay in Fiji

The Villages is located right on the beach, on the lagoon side, about one and a half kilometres from the main town of London. It is community-owned, the skiffs are on your doorstep, and it is a great set-up with fine hospitality, decent food and villas with beach views.

The Villages feature eight air-conditioned twin-bed bungalows, and another eight single occupancy rooms comfortably accommodating sixteen to eighteen anglers at a time. There is a private bathroom with shower and hot/cold water in each unit as well as a porch with views of Discovery Beach and the lagoon. The rooms are made up daily, with fresh towels provided. There is a refrigerator and bottled water in the rooms and soft drinks and beer are available from the bar.

A large thatched ‘Maneaba’ (a local name for the anglers gathering centre), lies in the heart of the complex, featuring a comfortable lounge and separate large communal dining area, with a great island atmosphere – perfect for reliving the days fly-fishing and planning tomorrow’s adventures.

There is also plenty of room for fly-tying in the evening, and power available for docking stations and music in the evenings. The Villages is a secure compound with security on the front gate, general store and manager on-site at all times. As such rod storage areas are located out the front of each room, where the guides will rinse down your rods and store them at the end of the day. The staff are very attentive and it really is a well-run lodge both on and off the water.

In the evenings, the bar has a variety of beer, wines, spirits and mixers available. Wi-Fi is now also available for checking emails or calling home as required. A full laundry service is also available during your stay.

Fly Odyssey has been dealing with The Villages for many, many years now and we regard them as having one of the most professional guiding programs on the island.

Our Fly Odyssey Host is on hand to ensure that your fly fishing goals and objectives during your time on Christmas Island are met, while also assisting with any rigging, fly selection and casting tuition while there.

We are on your fly fishing trip, not the other way around. We understand this and pride ourselves on providing a professional hosted trip service throughout the week, including getting you on a variety of different flats to suit your ability and preferences.

This also includes matching you with a selection of guides and fishing review nightly while scheduling the next days fishing, according to the tide, water, sun position and weather conditions.

Each day anglers will leave from the beach in their versatile South Pacific style skiffs with their guides and boatman. A short ride brings you to some of the best bonefish flats where you will be guided on a one-on-one basis with the depth generally varying from six inches to three feet deep. The boatman moves the skiff to follow the anglers and guides, so you will be within easy walking distance from your skiff in case you want to access additional tackle, food, snacks or water.

You will have the opportunity to fish offshore for Milkfish and even try your hand at teasing up Sailfish and Tuna, while a land-based truck adventure to the Korean Wreck area on the ocean side is also recommended.

Ideal for novice, intermediate and experienced fly-fisherman, the variety of Saltwater Fly fishing options on CXI caters for all skill levels and consistently produces superb captures every year.

Home to an excellent population of Triggerfish, Christmas Island has long been considered the Holy Grail in many Bonefishing circles, for the consistent number of fish to cast to. The large bonefish population and extensive flats habitat make this the ideal location to experience the joys of saltwater fly fishing and great destination for beginners learning the sport.

The island itself has the largest land area of any coral atoll to be found worldwide, and its vast lagoon and sand flats provide the perfect habitat for a huge variety of species. It is a great place for those who love to fish by walking endless sand flats, and with most of the internal flats made up of hard white sand, reef and turtle grass, providing a perfect habitat and opportunity to land good numbers of bonefish each day.

You can expect over ten fish per day when Bonefishing Christmas Island, with anglers regularly clocking up respectable cricket scores by the end of their trip, while really getting to understand the behavior of these special fish.

Wandering the extensive and un-spoilt flats of Christmas Island you feel as though you are in another world. There are numerous other species as well to throw a fly at, including one of the hardest fighting of them all, the Giant Trevally. GT’s at Christmas Island grow to extraordinary sizes and landing one will test your skills and gear to the limit.

This is a remote location and as such there are a number of pre-trip considerations that are required in order to make your trip a memorable one, for the right reasons.

As per all Fly Odyssey bookings, we will provide a comprehensive and detailed pre-trip fly fishing guide, and advise of travel requirements prior to your departure.

James

“I would like to say THANK YOU for the absolutely best fishing experience I have ever had. Fishing at Christmas Island for my first ever fly-fishing trip was amazing! You have such a passion for making sure all your guests have the most rewarding fishing experience one can have. We caught and released more fish than we could count, my largest being a 15lb trigger fish and 5lb bone fish. The amount of different species of fish was insane. The water and surrounding was truly picturesque!”

Patrick Johnson

“The fishing was outstanding and all the staff from The Villages where terrific making it another very enjoyable and memorable trip for the group. The transfers and accommodation in Fiji was also great and ran like clockwork, and the pre-trip information ensured we were well prepared”

Adam Kearns

“The Villages Lodge is a very professionally run outfit; the guides know the area and fishing really well and work very hard to put you on the fish. The one to one guide ratio is a real bonus as you get twice as much fishing time and twice as many opportunities”

Hamish Murray

Creating and sharing memorable travel experiences with our clients and friends provides us with genuine satisfaction. All of our trips are bespoke, tailored to your needs and we always love hearing all about the adventure on your return.

Our knowledge of travel logistics saves you time, and our highly experienced team is here to ensure its spent on the water and not at the desk or on a long flight connection that you didn’t require. Since 2006 we have developed a valued client-base that has travelled to all corners of the globe.

We are a fully-accredited travel agency, where all of our flights, accommodation and associated travel bookings are done in-house, which means that you pay less. We have access to a huge range of specials, deals, great volume pricing and excellent currency exchange rates which allows us to pass these benefits directly onto you.

On the fishing front, our extensive expertise and experience around prime seasons, species, moon-phases, tides and personalised customer service is centered around one principal – preparation. This includes detailed gear and equipment lists, the fly patterns, transfer details, up-to date fishing reports and some of the finer aspects that can often be overlooked.

We travel extensively and understand that your free-time is important. Just as we all understand from experience, that the key to a successful trip is pre-trip preparation.

Our highly experienced team has fly fished the world for the last 25 years, and we understand the considerations and gear needed to turn a good fly fishing trip into a great one.

Fly fishing and travel is our passion. It’s all we do.

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