Equipment and flies to take to
"The Villages" of Christmas Island

CHRISTMAS ISLAND - SUGGESTIONS TO BRING ALONG

Christmas Island is near the Equator so the sun and water glare can be powerful and damaging to the skin. You must be prepared with strong sun screen (Coppertone SPORT is ultra water/ sweat proof and its ultra dry formula is good for a no slip grip while fishing). Depending on your skin tone use at least SPF 30 and above. Also, use a SPF-UVA chapstick. Good quality polarized sunglasses are a must, along with a spare pair just in case and a neck cord.

Personal:

• Travel toothbrush, toothpaste
• Bar of soap in zip lock, shampoo
• Travel Kleenex tissues, packet of wet wipes
• Shaving and grooming articles
• Eye drops
• Bandaids, moleskin with travel scissors
• Neosporin ointment
• Anti-diarrhea medicine, Immodium AD
• Instant Gatorade pkts to mix with bottled water
• Tylenol or Advil, throat lozenges
• Motion sickness pills
• Antacid, Pepto-Bismol tablets
• Gold Bond medicated powder
• Sun screen, at least 30SPF, (bring extra)
• After-sun aloe lotion
• Insect repellent spray, Benedryl 2% cream
• Prescription medicine (2 week - ample supply)
  (Bring any medication that you’re already taking and any that you think you might need while on the trip.)
• For Airport Security carry copies of the Doctor Rx.
• Contact lens wearers should bring extra glasses (in case of irritation.)

General:

• Camera with instructions and extra batteries,
• Memory cards or film, waterproof case
• Extra Polarized sunglasses
• Small flashlight with extra batteries
• Travel alarm clock
• Travel sewing kit, rubber bands
• Book or magazine
• Pens (ballpoint and marking)
• Extra luggage ID tags
• Extra zip-lock bags for waterproofing
• Small roll of duct tape, super glue
• Extra copies of your passport front 2 pages
  

Suggested Clothing:

• Long-sleeved flats fishing shirts
• Flats wading shoes, socks
• Full length wading pants,
• Fishing cap or flats long-bill cap
• After fishing pants, shorts and shirts
• T-shirts, underwear, socks
• Sandals and shoes to wear around the lodge
• Optional boat shoes, wading shoes
• Swimming suit
• Light rain jacket (kept with you)
• Sungloves
  

For the Airplane:

• Passport
• Airline tickets
• Credit cards
• Inflatable U-shaped neck pillow
• Ear plugs
• Support socks for long air flights (doctor recommended to increase circulation and reduce swelling)

Fishing Gear:

• Fishing rods, rod holders
• Reels, reel bags and reel lube
• Flies and fly boxes
• Extra fly lines (at least one for bonefish)
• Line cleaning kit
• Hook file
• Fishing pliers, hemostats
• Line clippers, pocket knife
• Small boat towel, sunglass wipe-cleaners
• Small first aid kit
• Waterproof day bag for equipment
• The South Pacific skiffs are safe boats, but do not have good life jackets. We strongly recommend that you purchase and carry with you on the trip, one of the packable Coast Guard Approved inflatable floatation devices, or a jacket type if it is your preference. The Stearns CO2 wading belt is ideal.

FLY FISHING GEAR:
Fly fishers will want to fish 7-8wt fly rods with floating lines for all of the flats fishing for bonefish. For trevally on the flats, a 10wt with floating line is ideal, just offshore and around the coral heads you might consider a 12wt - 14wt outfit with fast sinking lines or shooting heads. Reels should have a sound drag system and be able to hold at least 200 yds of backing.

Bonefish fluorocarbon leaders should be 9 -11 feet long with 10-15 lb tippets. Trevally and reef leaders should be15-20lb hard mono with 40-50lb shock traces. Lines over 10wt should have 50lb mono butt sections, 9 & 10wts should have 40lb butt sections and 8wt and below should have 30lb. If fluorocarbon leaders are not used, clear mono definitely works best for bonefish leaders. The water on the flats is crystal clear.

Fly List:
Most of your bonefish flies should be size 6 with medium bead chain eyes. You should carry a few in size 6 or 4 with Lead eyes (for deeper waters like flat edges and deeper flats like Paris Flats) a few size 6 and 8 with no (or mono) eyes and a few size 8 for when the fish get picky. The guides seem to like brass eyes

• Gotcha’s - both bead chain and lead eye (very good)
• Teannaki Special - Can be purchased from Teannaki
• Crazy Charlies - gold/tan wing with orange accent, silver/white wing
• Christmas Island Specials - pink. tan and yellow
• Mini-Puffs - pink, tan and yellow
• Flats Trevally -
• Foam poppers in 2/0 - 3/0 green/white, blue/white, red/white.
• Crease Fly in green/white, blue/white 2/0 - 3/0
• Lefty’s deceivers in blue/white, red/yellow, red/white 2/0-/3/0
• Reef Trevally, tunas, reef dwellers like sweetlips, red bass and snappers -
• Big flies are the answer, 3/0 - 4/0
• Large sar-mul-macs in mullet, chartreuse.
• Big Sea Habits, Lefty’s Deceivers, etc.
• Big Clouser Minnows
• Flats boots should have thick soles that will protect your feet from bruising. Many of the flats have coral edges which can be sharp and very hard. Dive booties are not heavy enough. The zip-up style flats boots work fine as long as they have a sturdy sole. Heavy soled laced up styles with sewn in tongues are best.

CONVENTIONAL GEAR FOR REEF FISHING:
For casting over the reefs just outside the lagoon mouth, the best outfit is a 7-8 foot spinning rod with a stiff butt for fighting large fish and a tip that will cast 2-4 ounce plugs and lures. The spinning reels should have highspeed retrieve and be similar in size to the Penn Spinfisher 750SS or 850SS. Serious anglers will consider more expensive, stronger reels like the Shimano Stella, Diawa Saltiga or Van Stahl. The new gel spun braid lines in 50- 80lb should be used for casting distance and overall toughness. These are big fish and they need to be stopped before they reach the coral, whether you are talking about giant trevally, big red bass, sweetlips or other tough reef species. Pelagics like yellowfin tuna, sailfish or wahoo will spool you in an instant unless you have sufficient quality gear.

Conventional casting or flat spool reels should have a high speed retrieve and hold at least 300 yds of line. The Shimano Trindad would be a good example. Mono leaders should be around 50lb-80lb test and when around wahoo, wire leader will be necessary. You will need to bring an adequate supply of plugs and lures. For casting, popping lures like the Yo-Zuri Surface Bull, Pencil Poppers, Pili Lures and other large 5”- 8” lures that create lots of surface disturbance in bright shiny colors work best. Red/white, green/gold and blue/silver are all good colors. Extra hooks and split rings are a definite must as these fish really tear up tackle. Diving lures like the Rapala CD18 or CD22 work well trolling in the same colors. You should have heavy duty long nose pliers for un-hooking fish. In most cases your guide should handle these large fish. We suggest that each angler bring as much tackle to fit their own needs and requirements. You will be fishing the flats and, if you want to, the inshore bluewater for larger gamefish such as tuna, trevally, wahoo, rainbow runner, barracuda, bonita and rockfish. Anglers might want to fish the flats for bonefish in the morning and then boat out in the afternoon and challenge the inshore species. The guides are all selected veterans of both flats and inshore fishing and can and suggest the best methods for each fishing area and species.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Diving and snorkeling are optional activities at Christmas Island and are separate from our package Payment for these activities is done at the Island during your stay.