Christmas Island May 13-20, 2014- By Tony Romanski
For everyone reading this, GO HERE!
My wife and I had the privilege to visit this special place through Cass Tours and the Let’s Talk Hookup group and it is every bit of special that we heard from everyone who has been here. For those of you guys out there wondering if you should drag your wife here, do it. She will thank you for it if she likes fishing, even a little.
From several people who went on this trip we kept hearing how special of a place in the world Christmas Island is. The country of Kiritimati which most call Kiribati is a warm and friendly place that anyone would enjoy to visit. The people are amazing and the friendliest place that I have had the good fortune to visit.
Upon arrival, disembarking the plane from Hawaii I thought, oh my, what have I gotten us into and where oh where did I drag my poor wife to. Well, by the time we left, my wife was telling me she looks forward to when we can return.
As you exit the plane the intensity of the heat and the humidity is a bit overwhelming but it quickly dissipates as you enter The Villages after about a 30 minute drive in an air conditioned vehicle courtesy of the excellent coordination through Cass Tours, not to mention you are 50 yards from the shoreline and the offshore trade winds cool you nicely.
The welcome from the villagers is genuine and warm and you feel as though you have returned to revisit long lost friends in only minutes. The accommodations are simple, but comfortable, with air conditioning and a very clean room with your own bathroom which is cleaned daily. Beds are made and clean lines are provided daily without hesitation by the more than helpful staff which caters to your every need.
Now the good stuff. For you fly-fisherman, it is a paradise. For offshore fisherman, ditto!!! We fished the flats for bonefish 2 days and fished offshore 4 days as I was bound and determined to finally hook and land a Wahoo which has eluded me for years. Well, with the 3 species of fish I came to catch, 2 out of 3 aint bad, so I hear. To me it’s still a failing grade but I did have my chances.
2 days of bonefishing the flats with my wife who has never fly fished, produced more bonefish than we could count. The guides are personable and friendly not to mention incredibly helpful. The personal guides are very patient and great teachers for anyone who has never fly fished and for the seasoned pros. Speaking of pros, I had the opportunity to fish with a guide Max who represented the country of Kirabati in the world fly fishing championships. Talk about pressure to catch fish? My first attempt at a bonefish produced a nice 4 pounder that I was happy to check off of my “to catch” list. As I looked over to see how my wife was doing, I saw that she had already landed her first bonefish of many. So much for out fishing her on this trip!
As for the offshore fishing? Simply awesome! I had heard of GT’s (Giant Trevalle) but had no idea what we were in for. My wife (Of Course) got the first hit by one of these incredibly aggressive fish and her jig showed it. A Halco 6” popper was hammered on the retrieve but unfortunately she was unable to land that 50 pounder that rocked her. She would go on to catch over a dozen of these fish up to #40 in the 4 days we fished offshore both on the troll and throwing poppers and would lose numerous ones as their mouths are so hard and tough that setting the hook is a challenge.
I fish my drags very tight and getting hit on the troll was an experience in itself. 125 yards of #80 mono with #100 pound spectra backing had me spooling spectra on the reel as I cranked on these fish after every jig strike. Wow, what a powerful fish. For years I have argued that pound for pound, Pacific Yellowtail are maybe the hardest fighting fish in the sea, NOT. GT’s will challenge your gear on every fish you hook. Bring your quality gear, you will need it.
I can go on and on about all the species we caught (13). I won’t make all you fisherman read too much as the local season is off to a raging start here locally and I am sure you are all getting ready to hit the water.
What I will still include is this. I targeted Wahoo as my last species to catch after Bonefish and GT’s. Well, I got worked! At least a half a dozen jig strikes on a large Marauder I still failed to land one of these monsters. I donated a Marauder in the process with a #200 steel leader to boot! The fish here are like nothing you have ever fished for and if you don’t make the effort to go, you can honestly admit to your fishing buddies and your closest friends that you missed out on going to one of the most special places in the world. My Marauder (Orange & Yellow) has teeth marks in it that can start any conversation among fisherman.
Finally I would like to say that my wife and I were so lucky to go to this place and we will return. Going with Cass Tours and the Let’s Talk Hookup group made it so much more comfortable because they have been there and they are known by the villagers. There is something to be said about going with “people in the know” We visited (Mika) with The Mayor of the Village and the man in charge of fishing (Neemaih) on a nightly basis and they are as comfortable to sit and chat with as your best friend.
Go experience this unblemished place on Earth. It is a jewel of the world and it’s people run a close second.
Submitted by Tony R.
