The islands that compose the Republic of Kiribati straddle the Equator in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Kirabati's 33 atolls - including Kiritmati, aka Christmas Island - are spread out across 1.35 million square miles of the pristine marine ecosystem. The unique location and vast territory of Kiribati make it the only country in the world to have territory in all 4 hemispheres.
The area is home to a number of amazing fish species to target on the fly. Flats teem with Bonefish. Titan (Mustachio), Yellow Margin, Peach Face and Picasso triggerfish patrol their dens protecting their territory. Then you have the Trevally species - Banded, Bluefin, Golden, and of course, the Giant Trevally. When you add this to countless colorful reef fish and amazing bluewater fishing, it is easy to understand why Christmas Island is considered one of the most target-rich environments in the world for the saltwater angler.
Nearly all fishing on Christmas Island is done on foot. Native outrigger canoes, basically the South Pacific version of a pontoon boat, drop anglers on expansive flats and lagoon edges. Hiking with your guide with multiple rods rigged and being ready for whatever these flats might throw at you is the name of the game.
Taking a day to do some bluewater fishing is a nice way to break up the trip. When conditions are right you could very likely be bringing home dinner for the lodge. This handsome Yellow Fin Tuna made for a fantastic sashimi for the group.
Triggerfish get their name from 2 incredibly strong, barbed spines on their backs. When the fish erects the larger spine, the smaller one (the trigger) drops down, locking the larger in place. The fish uses this for protection, not as a weapon, but to wedge itself into holes in the reef, preventing predators or anglers from being able to pry it free. Once you hook a Triggerfish, it will immediately make a run for any open hole that it will fit into and then lock itself it place, making control of the fish in the first seconds of the fight crucial.
