Christmas Island

[George.Hammer]

George,.... my vision of the fly looks to be the same proportions and wing length as in your photo with the wing tied down at the head.

I've only been at X-mas Island twice now, so, I'm still learning about the place. I can see that the fish seem to be spookier than on my first visit. They're "pounded" by groups from several lodges each week. In spite of that, most still chased the worm fly on the retrieve.

Thanks for all the info/help....

Unfortunately Darian you'll find the place and the people addictive. I know folk who go into withdrawals if they can't get there at least annually

If you've shortened the wing and are still getting short-takes, slow the retrieve down to either a long slow strip, erratic short bumps or fish it static .... particularly with the larger fish who know that worms don't move very quickly. Similarly for the triggers ... nothing but either 2" bumps or static for those guys.

[mems]

George, many thanks for the picture. Would you recommend red, pink or orange color? Have you tried a san juan worm? I heard the bones in Tahitii eat a sand worm as well. Last time I was there, Moana said the awa, milkfish were eating worms out at the mouth of the lagoon. We went out and I got three to eat on a brown wooly bugger in 90 seconds. The other fish kept pulling the line out of the fishes mouth when hooked. I asked the guide to back the fish out of the school and was able to land one about 15lbs on an 8wt.

Fish do get educated, but there are so many there it is hard for them all to be jaded. I do find the fish on the outer reef, like Korean wreck do eat with much more aggression than the lagoon fish. Thanks for the help, I will tie up some worm flies. Don.

[George.Hammer]

Well done on the milkie Don. I first tried for them out the front this year and spent a good ten minutes on one with a #10 weight before the hook pulled - that was on a weighted weed fly .... but I'll certainly give a worm or woolly bugger a go next year. Agreed, the outer reef fish are more aggressive, probably due to the water moving around much more. Have you noticed the reef fish are also heavier through the shoulders?

I tie the WW with either pink, orange or light tan thread and stick with worm brown medium ultra chenille, either medium bead chain or 3mm brass dumbbell eyes. Krystal flash is either hot orange [or rootbeer] or pearl, depending on thread being used.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Keep the replies coming in. I'm getting ready to tie up a bunch of worm flies for my next trip, possibly in October again. Like George said, CI is addictive and I think I got the fever. I will be looking for that 80# GT, a 100# GT would be the following trip. I'll still be using the TFO Mangrove 10 wt.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Don, is that the Edge Rod. What weight did you use on the milk fish. I just ordered a 7 weight, should be here today. I might get one of each size

[DLJeff]

DLJeff
The fish was on Rick's Flat. A huge flat mostly sand and some coral. On my first day with Matt, we did see one big GT (Matt said about 60lb) in knee deep water chasing milk fish. Then he started kicking the water and the fish turned instantly towards the commotion. All I had was a 7wt bone fish rod. I made a cast at the fish but Matt said I didn't have enough rod. I figured what the hell if I hooked it, it would either spool me, break the leader or break the rod. But I never got the chance to witness any of the options. It was looking for more than a size 6 chili pepper fly

Thanks Jay. I ask because when I was there with a buddy, we spent a lot of our week specifically searching for GT's. We only saw one GT up on the shallow sand flats. It was following a big trigger, rushing forward to nab baitfish the trigger spooked. We saw a couple each day along the edges and out along Paris. But I came away feeling the press coverage for GT's on Christmas is a little optimistic. They are there for sure, but if you go there with nothing but giant trevally on your mind you could easily go fishless. I was fortunate t actually catch the one we saw on the sand flat. He ate like a GT is supposed to and then fast tracked off the flat to deeper water once he was hooked. Fortunately there wasn't a lot of coral around where we went off the edge.

[mems]

Hey Jay, yes that is the 8wt. I have a 10wt and a 12wt as well. The rods are great and titanium guides don't rust. You should pick up the bluewater rods, we used them on tuna and ono. Hope you like the 7wt. Don.

[Darian]

OK,.... In another post I wrote: "Don,.... If you enter tying the Wabnitz Worm on youtube videos, you'll find a number of items/photo's describing the fly." t should've pointed to Google instead of Youtube. Sorry guys....

[mems]

http://www.rainysflies.com/bonefish-...range-mr-limpy
Jesse at Rainy's flies ties this one, I will give it a try. But I think this one might work even better.
http://www.rainysflies.com/nymphs-we...ugskin-wiggler
I will tie up some of your pattern as well. Always nice to have a secret weapon for the big bones. thanks for the help, Don.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

I could go "fishless", it wouldn't bother me. Bones are easy to catch, triggers can and do get picky, GT's