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Thread: Christmas Island - Decisions ?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Default X-Mas Island Stuff....

    I'm planning on a trip to Christmas Isl., with JM's group in spring 2016 and have been looking at everything I can find on the subject. Among the reads that I found most interesting were the posts in the Saltwater Forum of this BB by Paul C., when he returned from there. Check them out:

    http://www.kiene.com/forums/showthre...CI-Report-2014

    There's a lot of good info about the lodging and fishing. One of the interesting patterns Paul describes/photographs is the worm fly. Actually, it turns out that the fly was developed by an Australian tyer. The pattern is called, Hammer's Wabnitz Worm.
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fresno
    Posts
    741

    Default

    I've started tying up some of my flies. Finished up 3 doz. small clousers 1/0 and put eyes on 4 doz size 6 hooks for bone fish flys (although that's not my target fish), going to tie up some worm flys for milk fish. I'm going to use the squimmy wormmy material from Spirit River. Going to figure out how to make the fly a neutral buoyant fly. Then it will be on to the bait fish patterns. I was a shot at some jacks and maybe tuna. GT's ???? I'll take it if they come but not looking forward to getting pulled out of my wading shoes. This could be a yearly trip along with my baja trips. And NZ could/will be on the schedule for late 2016, not sure - still working on the logistics.
    I know as some of you read this your thinking to yourself - didn't he tell us that he plans on retiring after next year. Well it's still on my mind but nothing set in stone, yet

    I'm ready

    Jay

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Big Island Hawaii
    Posts
    1,152

    Default

    Hey Tony, I am going back to CI next April with a group and will be staying at Crystal Beach, shark's place. Sim, the mayor passed away. he ran that lodge, but head guide Bitta is still there. I heard Moana left, and that is a shame, because he is a treasure trove of fish knowlegde on CI. I have heard they now have Air Conditioning. that will be great. I will still pack a mosquito punk, you can use it at night when you sit outside and drink your duty free honolulu booze and smoke cigars. Bugs usually aren't and issue during the day. When we were there last it did rain and we got mosquitos at night and that sucked. The bread is horrible. Get a couple of loafs in honolulu and make PBJ's for the boat lunches. Put a cold beer in the cooler and have it in the truck on the way back to the lodge. Flies, orange is a Moana special. White with pink thread for white sand flats. I like the bunny gotcha. Small crabs for the goldens and triggers. Big mullet or bonefish patterns for the GT's, like a bush pig. Off whore Rainy's bubble head poppers, blue and pink. Get a big pink popper and tyger wire for wahoo, ono. and a Pink trey combs popper for sails. Every fly I used there worked. Some are better than others depending on the bottom. Try and match the bottom. I hope you and Jay and Darian have a blast. It is a fun place. I wrote about my past trips. should be in the saltwater section somewhere. Let me know if you need anymore help, Don.
    Don Memmer

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fresno
    Posts
    741

    Default

    I have a bunch of mosquito punks. They are already on my list. In Baja, I have three boxes pack in my bags and leave with Jonathan.
    On the evenings when the winds don't blow, I set two of them on the little deck outside the sliding glass door, every now and then I set one at the main door, people walking by must think it's some kind of a shrine. I'll be packing a lot of granola bars, snack packs, etc.
    I can't believe they don't have A&W root beer
    I might stay over a few days extra to fish for bones on Oahu, not sure yet. I have a couple shows to do before heading back to Baja in April. I've even thought about flying early April to Baja for a few days then from there fly to Belize for a week to 10 days and explore some of the other locations then fly back to Baja. I wonder if one of my captains would love to take a trip to Belize for bones, tarpon and permit.

    Well back to my tying.

    Jay

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Yuba City, Ca.
    Posts
    2,229

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    Don,

    It's always good to talk with some one who has been there. This is really good information, Thanks Tony

    Jay, after playing with all of those roosters I can't believe you'd shy away from GT's Tony
    TONY BUZOLICH
    Feather River Fly
    Yuba City, CA.
    (530) 790-7180

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Oxnard,CA
    Posts
    572

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Buzolich View Post
    Paul,

    I just went back into the achieves and found your post. Really a great post and read. One question; you mentioned about tying all of your bonefish flies using "gold" dumbbell eyes. Was that a recommendation or trial and error ?

    Thanks for the help, Tony
    Hi Tony,

    That was a recommendation from the agency my friend Al booked the trip through.
    Ted's experience below kind of mirrors mine as well as far as what the guides wanted to pull out of the boxes.
    They seemed to always grab the #6 with 5/32 dumbell eyes or the #8 beadchain in the orange or pink CI specials, and gotchas.
    I frequently fished clousers as well and one of the other "10lb" bones was caught on a flat on a olive/white clouser.
    All flies were really, really sparse including the clousers.
    I used tuffleye to coat the bodies as well to help with durability based on my experience in the surf here in Ventura.

    The Aussie worm fly I showed a picture of worked really well and after the guides talked about red worms down there, I'd probably tie up a bunch of those as well with red vermille instead of tan.

    Another thing I would note about the experience down there was the way they split the guides.
    You would typically split a guide among two people.
    Frequently we would get a guide in training that would tag along with you when you were not with the head guide. I only had one day without a guide or guide in training and had quite a bit of fun just wandering and doing it on my own. Could pick out random flies to try, no-one telling me where to cast, etc. If I went back, I think I'd request to have a bit more solo time when it wasn't my turn to be with the head guide.

    Give the triggers a shot as well. They really are brutes once they realize they are hooked and its a very visual experience targeting those guys. I would probably wander around looking for those guys more as well next time.

    The one scene that keeps playing over in my head when I think of the trip was from the day I was sort of on my own.
    I was walking on a volcanic shelf with a nice flat on my left stretching out into the distance parallel to the shelf.
    There was a nice drop off and medium size fish would roll up onto the flat and make great targets.
    I picked off a couple of those guys and then noticed this absolute log of a fish in the distance ahead of me.
    So I crept up along the shelf like I would for corbina and dropped the fly a bit ahead of the beast.
    It raced over and I bumped the fly. Then it lost it and started circling around looking for it pushing a wake around with its frantic motion.
    Bumped it again. Same thing happens and it circles around looking for the bug.
    One more bump and the fish just crushes the fly and immediately screams off for deeper water.
    As all fishing failures go, things go into slow motion as the line is flying out of my stripping basket.
    It wraps around my pinky and as it gets tighter and tighter I just couldn't get it off in time, and then the pop of a lost connection.
    I just stood there laughing for a while. It was such a killer visual take in crystal clear water with spectacular scenery.
    Probably my favorite memory of the trip.

    -Paul

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Yuba City, Ca.
    Posts
    2,229

    Default

    Those are the best kinds of memories to have etched in your mind and will never go away even years from now. Even better when you've done it on your own and have the satisfaction of hooking a real "log" of a fish.

    Good memories, Tony
    TONY BUZOLICH
    Feather River Fly
    Yuba City, CA.
    (530) 790-7180

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Norcal
    Posts
    105

    Default CXI The Villages

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Buzolich View Post
    Those are the best kinds of memories to have etched in your mind and will never go away even years from now. Even better when you've done it on your own and have the satisfaction of hooking a real "log" of a fish.

    Good memories, Tony

    Hi Tony,
    I was at the Villages last year and posted a report on our blog http://www.synstwinsfins.com/?paged=2
    You might have to scroll down to see it. My cousin Meng shot a great video on my kids' trevally catches.

    The worm fly did work well and it really didn't matter what material was used. I was told to use dental dam material (thin latex) in which I did but I also used chamois, pine squirrel, larvae lace type ribbing and a few other materials and they all worked. When the fish would not take a typical CXI fly, we would go to the worm and they ate it every time.

    Whichever lodge you choose you should have a great time. I'd lean towards the Villages because of my history with Howard at Fishabout (and Kay Mitsuyoshi who helped found the Villages) but I'm sure Crystal Beach would be fine.

    WS

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    Our favorite fly use to be a sparse Crazy Charlie.....no tail and no wing.

    Size #4 and #6 SS high quality Japanese hook with the barb pinched down or filed off.

    Pearl orange flash body

    Gold bead chain eyes

    That's it......

    *We tied some bigger ones for deeper flats with heavy dumb bell eyes to get deeper on the bottom with a fast current.

    **Some of the guides will have their own hand tied flies for sale with materials donated by the guests over the years.


    We liked Rio Bonefish leaders that were 10' to 13# with some matching diameter tippet material.



    For the heavy coral flats we liked Mason clear hard mono tippet material for hand tied leaders.

    Butt = 4'-5' of 20# test

    Mid-section = 2' of 15# test

    Tippet = 3' of 10# test

    Be very sure that your Mason Clear hard Mono is very fresh.......



    On Christmas Island we used a 9' #7, 8, 9 and 10 line fly rods in 4 piece.


    For the Blue Water, if you go, take some bigger #12-15 weight outfit. They have Wahoo, Giant Trevally and Yellowfin Tuna just off shore. Not sure what lodges support this now though?
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Byron Bay,Australia
    Posts
    344

    Default C.I.dreaming?

    Some good advice from C.I.veterans here.The Wabnitz Worm variation was developed a couple of years back by my mate George "Bonefish" Hammer...and like the George Bush fly should be used sparingly Tie most of your Bonefish flies on #8 SL11-3H Gamakatsu hooks with the balance on #6 and a few #4.Important to note here that the SL11-3H is a big hook for it's size and the #8 is as big as other makers #6.Another favourite hook is the SL45 in #6 and #8,especially for the sparse George Bush pattern.This hook is now known as the Panfish and comes in green and black(use the black).
    Cheers

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