It is happening. I’m going to Christmas Island at the end of January, 2019. I’m going with my friend Shane, who I haven’t fished the salt with since 2010.
I’m somehow not tying flies yet, but I will be.
Christmas… so… tell me your bits of Christmas advice.
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1) Stay at the Villages
2) Talk to Sean at Nervous Waters in Honolulu
3) Get Patrick for a guide one day
4) Get Hanson for a Guide on another day
5) do the Wreck
6) Be prepared for GT’
7) Call Ryan at the Michael & Young Fly Shop in Surrey, BC PH#:1-604-588-2833
8) Take an 8/10/12 WT Rod – Hatch Reels and a couple of Spare lines
9) Take your own clothes pins and black felt tip pens
10) Take Mole skin/Sun Block
11) Buy Booze(for you)/Smokes (for the guides and the boatman) a pack each and for each day)at the Duty Free in Honolulu
12) Have Fun and be ready for the Triggers
13) Take lots of Mantis Shrimp Flies and eat a large Shrimp there
14) Take a good selection of EP GT Flies
15) Contact Dennis Gamboa, at the Fly Box @ PH#: 1-604-866-1187/dgamboa@shaw.ca – He goes every year and is a Professional Fly Tier
16) The guides talk lots with their hands, so watch and listen
17) Start going to the gym and work on your core and legs!
18) Take 80 lb and 100 lb fluorocarbon (GT’S and Triggers) and lots of 15 and 20 lb. (Bones)Fluorocarbon
19) Do not run a tab for beer, pay cash each day
20) Leave a good tip for the guides each day (Guides are $30.00.day and the boatman is $5.00 to $10.00/day) and at least $100.00 for the staff before you leave
21)Use Australian Currency and the Island licence Fee is now I think $55.00 AUS
22) Take two power bars/day (AM/PM) – Drink lots of water (LOTS)
23) Use lots of Sun Block
24) Have a good RIO GT lines on your 10 and 12 WT”S (Rocks and Corral)
25) Take good nippers’/Pliers/ file
26) Wear Good Simms Gloves and wading socks
27) take three sets of clothes 1) To travel in 2) two sets to fish in and two sets of wading socks – wear long pants – you will be walking and not on a boat
28) Use Stripping fingers and take lots
29) Take a small First aid kit with the usual stuff (Aspirin/ Stomach stuff and poop stopper) Cough stuff as well
30) Invest in very good Flats boots – (Simms)
31) Spare Sunglasses and a camera
32) It is a fantastic Place
33) Take extra Aussie monies for the entertainment (probably two to three shows @ 1$10.00 per show)
34) If you have anymore questions – e-mail me in a month as I am going away fishing.
THAT was comprehensive! Awesome.
Uh, I was going to say not to be naughty, or else you’ll catch coal at the end of your line, but Andy’s list makes that comment even lamer than it was to start…
Sounds like an awesome trip, I’m not certain how you control yourself for another 5 or 6 months…
i went to cxi for my first and only time a couple years back but started making a list on the flight back for the next trip, because I knew after my first day there WILL be a next trip. Here are a few:
1) If you can swing it stay two weeks. One week goes by way too quick I would have liked to have had a day to regroup, take it easy, snorkel and see the sights under the water a bit more and then go at it like crazy.
2) Its usually about waking up way too early, but I would have liked to have stayed up a little late one night and gone night fishing for a few hours. This would be easier to swing with two weeks.
3) Put a floating device on your camera, and upload photos daily. All my photos from the trip are at the bottom of the ocean.
4) A spare everything as much as humanly possible.
5) Bring FiberFix or something similar. Rods will break.
And though I have never fished in flats boots, I found that fishing tabis work really well for me. They wont set you back much, can be worn without socks, can be picked up in Honolulu, and pack really flat.
If you want to fish a little bit during your layover, let me know, would be fun to meet up. Otherwise, have a great trip. Looking forward to seeing your pictures and hearing your stories!
And thanks to andy for sharing that list. it’ll definitely be helpful when i make that next trip!