The Captain Cook Hotel is the original and oldest lodge on Christmas Island. The bonefishing on Christmas Island is legendary but more and more anglers are looking at the trevally as a worthy opponent. Since they both exist in huge numbers you can’t go wrong. If that is not enough add the milkfish and some offshore fishing to boot. The Captain Cook is a step above the other bonefishing lodges on Christmas Island in terms of accommodations and food. They have been doing it for a long time and have it down to a science. The year round bonefishing of Christmas Island can aptly be called Fly Fishing Heaven!

Christmas Island is known locally as Kiritmati, which is pronounced “kiri ti mas’. Once a week jet service from Hawaii and Fiji has helped fly fishermen get to the island quickly and reliably over the last 5 years. Gone are the das when you never really know if you were going to get there. Putting Christmas Island to words is a bit like catching the proverbial moonbeam in a bottle — it’s difficult to do justice to the island’s magnificent fishery and to capture the kaleidoscope of experiences. Christmas Island has become our single most reliable year-round destination for bonefishing. Fishing is only part of this Pacific travel adventure. No matter what you’ve heard or read about Christmas Island, it remains a unique experience. It’s still fresh and unpressured. If you like light-tackle action in a marvelous warm-weather climate, this is the place to find it — plus, it’s still a genuine value in today’s fishing world.

The Captain Cook Hotel is convenient to the island’s jetport, is operated by an English-speaking staff, and is nestled within sight and earshot of the island’s barrier reef. The hotel’s 24 modern, simple but pleasantly decorated rooms offer air conditioning. They are all on one floor and open onto a courtyard facing the beach. Each room has a small refrigerator and private bathroom, which includes a stall shower heated by solar energy. There are also attractive, thatch-roofed cottages situated along the beach.

The dining will include ample portions of a variety of hearty meals as well as some exotic dishes and fresh seafoods. Meats and vegetables are flown in from Hawaii, so there’s no concern about stomach disorders. Groups are treated to a weekly outdoor luau, featuring fresh lobsters and complete with traditional native singing and dancing. The comfortable Frigate Bar in the hotel or the open-air Maneaba on the beach is where the gang usually gathers each evening to spin yarns of record bonefish that got away or the ravages of imposing trevally. Both are always well-stocked, there’s plenty of ice, and the informal atmosphere couldn’t be better.

Lodge Photos

Christmas Island offers what is perhaps the best bonefishing in the world, with vast numbers of fish – and some very big ones – on easily waded, clean, hard, white sand flats. Experienced flats fishers will often average 10 or 15 bones a day, with a 20-plus fish day possible anytime. And while most of these will average about 3-4 pounds, several could be in the 6- to 9-pound range. Trophy bones are always possible. We’ve had numerous reports of weighed and measured 10-14 pounders and even larger fish that have been spotted, hooked and lost.

The ocean side flats have to be accessed by truck as you can’t get to shore by boat the Korean Wreck flats are the best known examples. Most of the interior lagoon flats are accessed by boat but some nice flats are accessible only by truck or van. Captain cook offers three options for utilizing those methods. The least expensive trip is to use the truck/van transport to the flats for 6 days… it is still guided fishing, it is just you don’t have a boat! Another option is to use a boat exclusively for the trip and the third option is a mixture of both. Use a truck 3 days and a boat three days to give you a very diverse itinerary. Please see the rate tab to price out these options.

More and more anglers are adding to the daily excitement with three different kinds of trevally – giant (to 100 pounds-plus), blue (to 15 pounds), and striped (to 20 pounds and more) – that are taken with fly, baitcasting or spinning tackle on the flats while bonefishing and also along the lagoon edges and in the surf. Trevally (a kind of jack) are awesomely strong fish that strike savagely at or near the surface. Some fly fishers are going with hopes of breaking IGFA line class records for these amazing fish.

Species

• Bonefish
• Giant Trevally
• Blue Trevally
• Golden Trevally
• Milkfish
• Trigger Fish
• Sailfish
• Yellowfin Tuna
• Skipjack
• Wahoo
• and many many more

Fishing Photo Gallery

Tackle & Gear

Here is a list of the basics you will need for your trip. Many of our destinations are pretty remote with no chance to buy things on site.

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The Fly List

Go a little smaller than you might think, better to have too many 8’s than 4’s for the bonefish. Tie a few patterns with just the weight of the eyes as a variable 1 with lead eyes, 1 with chain, 1 with small chain, and 1 with no weight or mono eyes just to make sure you have flies for very skinny water all the way to waist deep water. Presentation seems to be much more important than fly selection.

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Packing List

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It is not a typo, the fishing is truly year round here!

Please take a look at the  photo and video galleries related to Andros South.

Fishing Photo Gallery

Lodge Photo Gallery

Scenic Photo Gallery

Video Gallery

http://youtu.be/hn5LgLv6X5w

Fly Fishing Christmas Island – Activities

There is nothing to do but dive and fish. Period. The island is not charming, it is a third world country, there are no pools, beaches everywhere but they are un-raked and hence fill of garbage and debris. Do not bring your spouse here expecting a romantic get away. It is a blast if you both fish but not if you don’t.

Fly Fishing Christmas Island – Travel Tips

The only flight from the US is offered by Air Pacific, it leaves from and arrives into Hawaii every Tuesday. Mst people overnight in Honolulu on Monday night. The air fare is NOT part of your package and must be purchased separately (see below). This is one destination where travel and medical evac insurance are very good ideas. With only one flight per week there are countless ways to miss a flight or perhaps the only flight to the island has mechanical problems, what if the beacon on Ci goes out of service, what about a snowstorm in your home city? Medevac insurance is also important for the same reason – there is NO WAY to get off the island in case of an emergency short of hiring a 25,000 charter. Then if you need medical folks on board start thinking $50,000!!

The 2 best places to buy Air Pacific Flights are your local travel agent or http://www.airpacific.com/

Air Pacific Flight # 823 departs Tuesdays from HNL and arrives Wednesday at CXI . (You cross the international date line), so even though it is a 3 hour flight you arrive Wednesday (Christmas Island date) you leave Christmas Island on Flight # 822 on Wednesday and arrive in Honolulu on Tuesday, crossing the date line again. For instance: your ticket should look something like this: departing JAN 10 from Hawaii arriving JAN 11 On Christmas. Departing JAN 18 from Christmas Island arriving Jan 17 in Hawaii.

Don’t worry, there is only one flight a week and the travel agent can’t book anything but the right dates to Christmas Island. Hawaii and Christmas Island are in the same time zone. Fly into Honolulu at least 1 day before your trip, stay overnight in Honolulu on Monday. I like staying at an extra day in Hawaii to get used to the big time difference and to get an insurance day for trip delays coming out of the states. You never know what weather may delay your flight to Hawaii. Check in is at 9 :30 AM Tuesday at Honolulu’s International terminal. The will be an air Pacific sign in the Quantas counter area.

Visa: Important: You must have a current Passport to enter Kiribati, Many countries no longer need to obtain a visa in advance – please see below if your country is anywhere below you DO NOT need a visa.

1. Nationals and citizens of the following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati where the intended duration of their stay is 30 days or less: Belize, Federated States of Micronesia, Macao(only in respect of holders of Macao Special Adminisirative Region Passports), Marshall Islands, Palau, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of Korea.

2. Nationals and citizens of the following countries specified are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati:
(Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Greece, Hong Kong (only in respect of holders of British Nationals Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United Kingdom Overseas Territories of (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands), United States of America, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

BAGGAGE LIMITS: Air Pacific allows 32 KG of checked baggage. Above that and you pay a stiff $15 per Kilo. 32 Kilos is 70 pounds so it should be no problem. You are allowed the standard one carry on bag. The storage bins on the Boeing 737 are standard size and will fit rod tubes ( at the time of this writing)

CUSTOMS: When you land on Christmas Island you will stand in a line waiting to pass through “customs” This procedure seems to vary every week and every one always gets through just fine, remember you are now on island time and rules. So relax, you will be fishing in about an hour and 1/2! They allow one liter of alcohol duty free.

Be prepared for a stiff duty for more. they may search your bag thoroughly or maybe not! You will meet with several agents, one to ask this, another for that, and another for the fishing license. Fill out the paperwork for the license and they will forward it to the Mini Hotel and collect payment from them later. Usually you will pay Agnes or Eri at the end of the week when you are leaving a tip but occasionally they collect it at the airport upon arrival. You won’t see anyone from the hotel until you pass through customs. After getting through customs, you will be asked by the drivers which hotel you are staying at. It is a tiny “airport” and a driver from the Mini Hotel will meet you. Hop in the open air transport van for the 20-minute ride to the hotel. The customs procedure may vary a little so just go with the program and you will be through in no time.