The Temaiku Bonefish Flats
Tarawa's silver flats - tidal sands where bonefish tail at wading range, the atoll's quiet fly-fishing secret.
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At Tarawa's southeastern corner the lagoon spreads the Temaiku flats - kilometres of tidal sand where bonefish work the skinny water in tailing schools, and a quiet fly-fishing tradition wades the silver at dawn and dusk tides with local guides who read the pushes by long practice. The flats' scale absorbs any number of casts; herons, reef sharks' pups and the lagoon's glare share the sessions; and the fishery's under-the-radar standing (Kiritimati takes the fame) keeps the experience personal. Non-anglers borrow the same flats for the walking - silver to every horizon at low water.
What you actually see
- The tailing schools - bonefish in the skinny water.
- The tide pushes - the flats' silver schedule.
- The wading horizons - kilometres of low-water walking.
- The guide craft - local reading of the pushes.
When to go
May to October with the trades; tides rule sessions absolutely - guides time the pushes.
Honest expectations
Sun discipline is survival - the glare doubles; flats footwear and catch-and-release ethics are the standing kit and custom.
Nearby
Temaiku village, the airport corner and the lagoon's breadth.
What to pack for The Temaiku Bonefish Flats
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
