Christmas Island - The Villages
2025 TRIP REPORT

I spent another two amazing weeks on Christmas Island. The Island, known as Kiritimati (pronounced Christmas), is about 1200 miles south of Hawaii. For the last ten years, Guy Schoenborn and I have each hosted three weeks a year at The Villages on Christmas Island.

During my two-week stay this year, from late February to early March, I hosted 27 anglers, 11 of whom were returning guests.

Bonefish are the main fish we target, but in recent years, Triggerfish have gained in popularity. At this location on the Island, you'll find several species of Trevally, including the Giant Trevally (GT), Bluefin Trevally, Striped Trevally, and Golden Trevally.

The Lagoon is only wade fishing, so it’s just you and your fishing guide. At The Villages, each angler gets their own guide, which is extremely helpful for spotting fish. (The other lodges on the Island charge extra for a personal fishing guide.)

Unlike most lodges on the Island that require a 10 to 20-minute truck ride to reach the boats in the morning and again in the afternoon, at The Villages, you'll walk a short distance to the water from your cabin. Depending on the tide, you might wade 20 to 100 feet to board the boats. The water is ankle-to- knee-deep and an easy step onto the specially designed Polynesian outrigger-style skiffs used on the Island.

The boats are not very wide and approximately 35 feet long. The outrigger provides excellent stability. Typically, each boat accommodates two to five anglers and their fishing guides.

The guides understand the tide phases and know where to be during the water movement stages. Some guides have been with the Lodge since it first opened in 2006, and a lot of the guides have been there for many years. It’s always nice to see familiar faces.
Last year, I spent time with some of the new fishing guides who were in training. I find it incredible that they have become skilled fishing guides within just a year. They can spot fish well and know the best places to fish on the flats.

Anglers can also fish offshore, trolling with conventional tackle. For our hosted weeks, Fishing with Larry provides offshore rods and reels. If you want to cast poppers for GTs and other fish species, we have spinning rods and reels.

The Korean Wreck is another fishing option. It’s about a two-hour scenic ride by truck to the southeast side of the Island. A ship had once washed up on the reef but is no longer there. Fishing at this location can be challenging because of wading in the tidal currents; it’s not for everyone. But if the tides are right, some guests like to fish there several times per week. Near the Korean Wreck, multiple species are available:  Trevallies, Wrasse, Groupers, Bonefish, Sharks, etc.

David and Mike with Peachface Triggerfish

During my time on the Island, some of the guests went offshore. I usually go with the group when they want to fish in the Bluewater so I can assist them and help with the fishing equipment.
The first week, we had one boat with James, his father Bill, Curtis, and Dave. On one of the days, there were Dave, Bill, Joe, and Brian. They caught a couple of Wahoo, Tuna, Shark, Barracuda and a GT. Other fish were hooked but not landed. If I remember correctly, the four guys that went each day got to brawl a fish and get a photo of what they landed.

We experienced a few days of cold and rainy weather, which is unusual but can happen. Since the Island is so close to the equator, there aren’t distinct seasonal weather patterns like those found in other fishing areas, from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina. The cloudy conditions also made fishing on the flats more challenging. However, fish were still caught. Anglers willing to blind cast in the deeper waters off the shallow flats were rewarded with fish.

For some of our guests, it was their first time fly fishing and their first time fishing for Bonefish.
The nice thing about fishing on the Island is that there are normally a lot of Bonefish that you can cast at. The cast needs to be accurate without spooking the fish, but you get plenty of chances, so your learning curve is accelerated because of the number of Bonefish that are available. I recommend taking a few lessons with a fishing guide or casting instructor before your trip, as most fly-fishing shops offer this service. During my first week, I spent most of my fishing days helping several guests improve their casting skills as needed.

On the first day of the week, I spent time with Bill and his son, James. They caught bonefish, and James landed a nice triggerfish. Unfortunately, he lost another one when the hook on his Flexo Crab fly opened up. I went through about eight dozen Flexo Crabs during my two weeks on the Island.

Guy and I supply the flies for this trip. We use Christmas Island Specials in orange, sizes 8-4. Size 8s and 6s are most popular, size 8s normally work with tiny brass or bead chain eyes. Over the last couple of years, we have also used spawning shrimp and different colors of worm flies in the exact sizes mentioned above. The Flexo Crab has been the go-to fly for Triggerfish. Even when you don’t get the fly to stick, they get destroyed by Triggers. Their teeth can cut the wire hook and, at times, smash the gap so they don’t get hooked.

When hooked, Bonefish make long and extremely fast runs. In contrast, Triggers are very strong escape artists. Once hooked, they often try to get into holes in the coral to get away. On several occasions, the guides reached down into the holes, where the water was a few feet deep, and successfully removed the triggers. However, there were also times when they couldn't retrieve them, and the line ended up breaking.

Getting to Christmas Island is fairly straightforward. You'll fly to Honolulu on the island of O'ahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands. Plan to spend Monday night in Honolulu. On Tuesday morning, you'll catch the flight to Christmas Island. Fiji Airlines is the only airline servicing the Island. The flight runs once a week, so if you miss your flight, you miss your fishing trip.
Some of our clients prefer to arrive on Sunday to allow for any potential flight delays or luggage issues.

I will tell you the people that work at The Villages genuinely care about your fishing and lodging experience. The Island depends on fishing tourism, and it supports a lot of families. If I remember correctly, The Villages employs close to 50 people, from fishing guides to food-drink servers, office support, drivers, housekeepers, cooks, etc.

Birding Opportunities at The Villages

The Villages offer numerous fish species, birding opportunities, and a unique cultural experience.

Our Christmas Island hosted weeks are very popular with our clients; some have already scheduled their return trips for next year.

I have space for October 27 - November 4, 2025. Next year, February 23 -March 3 is sold out, and March 2-10 has a few spots available. Guy Schoenborn will also have three weeks from March to April of next year. The week of March 30 - April 7, 2026, is sold out.

I can provide fly rods, reels, and lines for anyone joining my hosted trips who does not have their own.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Brad Staples
1-800-205-3474  ext. 3
Cell (503) 250-0558
Email:  brad@fishingwithlarry.com

Guy Schoenborn
1-800-205-3474  ext. 1
Email:  guy@fishingwithlarry.com

Bill with Triggerfish

James with Bonefish

Short Wade out to the Skiffs

Jack with Triggerfish

Here's why Triggerfish are so hard on hooks.

Ron with Picasso Triggerfish

Host Brad Staples with Bonefish

Dave with Trigger and Dave D. with Striped Trevally

Host Brad and Joe with Wahoo

James and Curtis with Wahoo

Wahoo are speedy and chaotic on the line... and often served was one of the main entrees at The Villages.

Curtis with Tuna

Dave with Giant Trevally Caught Offshore

Air-Conditioned Bungalows

The Guides with their new Korkers Salt Sneakers

A big shout-out to our friends at Korkers!
Korkers, a company based in Portland that manufactures wading boots, has released their new Salt Sneaker. They wanted to test these sneakers on the water and gather feedback from fishing guides. Brian Chaney, the owner, agreed to provide wading boots for the guides at The Villages. I contacted Beiata, the Head Guide, who helped me obtain the sizes for 21 pairs of boots. We were fortunate to have three clients with Alaska Airlines status who could transport the boots from Portland to Honolulu at no charge. One client had purchased a ticket on Fiji Airlines, allowing him to check two bags. He only brought his personal bag so that he could take one of the three bags with the boots. And the airlines (after much discussion) kindly let us take them at no cost. The guides all agreed that the boots are "light and comfortable."
Korker's Salt Sneaker link.

Host Brad Staples with Bluefin Trevally

1-800-205-3474 ext. 1

MT Office:  406-322-5709

Email:  guy@fishingwithlarry.com