Kiritimati Bonefish Flats

Kiritimati, Christmas Island, has the largest land area of any coral atoll in the world and an enormous system of shallow lagoon flats inside it, and those flats hold bonefish in numbers and sizes that made the island one of the best known saltwater fly fishing destinations anywhere. Anglers wade the flats with local guides. Giant trevally and triggerfish work the same water. The island covers around three hundred and twenty square kilometres of land, most of it lagoon and flat.

What you actually see

• The bonefish flats - the shallow ground the fishery is built on.
• The wading - anglers on foot across the flats with guides.
• The giant trevally - the larger species working the same water.
• The lagoon scale - the biggest coral atoll land area anywhere.

When to go

Fishing runs year round; tides matter more than season. Flights are limited and schedules govern trips. El Niño years affect conditions considerably.

Honest expectations

Flights to Kiritimati are few and cancellations are disruptive. Packages are expensive and book far ahead. El Niño events have hit the island's reef and bird populations hard.

Nearby

Cook Islet is in the lagoon, and Tabuaeran is northwest.