Christmas Island Special

Christmas Island Special by Jason Akl
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Christmas Island one of the top bonefishing destinations in the world. Every serious angler should visit this tropical paradise at least once in their lifetime. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1300 miles south of Hawaii, it is easy to get to through Honolulu. Christmas Island has extraordinary coral reefs (140 square miles of reef to be exact). This fisherman’s paradise is home to a large population of bonefish which average anywhere from 3-6 pounds. Some fish can even be caught in excess of 10 pounds.

With nearly 650 square miles of bonefish flats surrounding Christmas Island catching bonefish does not seem like it would be a problem, except if you are using the wrong flies. The Christmas Island Special is a fly that was developed especially for this area as its name implies and there is no better way to fool bones into biting down hard.

The Christmas Island Special is perfect for the crystal clear shallow water conditions found along the coast, and carrying this pattern in white, tan, orange and yellow will ensure you get a few looks from quality fish. The sleek design of this pattern is great for casting in clear water and not spooking fish while the heavy eyes and flash help to imitate all of the bones’ favorite food sources. Tie and try a few of these patterns out on your favorite bonefish waters, you won’t be disappointed with the results.

Materials used in the Christmas Island Special

Hook: Daiichi Salt Water Hook Size 8

Thread: Red 8/0 Uni-thread

Eye: Spirit River I-Balz

Tail: Orange Krystal Flash

Beard: Orange Calf Tail

Body: Orange Krystal Flash

Step 1. Start this fly by placing your hook into the vice securely and attaching the thread to the hook shank. Using figure eight thread wraps attach the eyes to the hook shank a little behind the hook eye. Clip five 2 inch strands of orange krystal flash and tie them down to the hook shank behind the hook eye. Wrap the flash down to the shank as you work the thread down the hook until you reach the point above the barb. An orange krystal flash tail should now be extending of the back of the hook shank, and all that is left is to cut it to the right length (approximately the same length as the hook gape).

Step 2. Select 6 more orange krystal flash strands and tie them in behind the hook eye. Wrap these fibers down and back up the body of the fly creating a nice even flash body. Turn the fly upside down with your vice and advance the thread to the front of the eyes. Take in four more orange krystal flash strands and tie them in front of the eyes and cut them to approximately the same length as the flash tail.

Step 3. Clip a small bunch of orange calf tail and stack it so that the tips become aligned with each other. Tie this stacked portion of calf tail on the bottom of the hook shank and trim the tag ends short. Placing a few drops of cement to the tie in point will help to hold things together a little better than thread pressure alone. The calf tail should extend as far off the back of the fly as the flash tail that was tied in first. Form a small neat head for the fly and whip finish and cement the thread.

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