It all started on a fishing trip, over a few beers after a long day of fishing. I had asked Boogie-D what his dream trip was. He didn't hesitate in saying Christmas Island. This was 2 springs ago on our first La Paz trip.
After over a year and a half of working on this trip, we finally decided last night that all systems are go. You would not believe how incredibly hard it is to get kayaks out to the middle of nowhere. There is only one flight a week to Christmas and kayaks don't fit on it. There are shipping freighters that make sporadic stops to Christmas, but you never know the schedule for one until a few weeks before it sails. And then there is the once-a-month freighter flight, that is sub-chartered, from yet another charter airline. Things go slow in the South Pacific and we have to keep reminding ourselves we're on South Pacific time. After a lot of digging and patiently waiting for responses, we score. The first kayaks are getting shipped out there this week. Did you know that there are no kayaks on Christmas Island at all? Well, there are a few dugouts ...
On again, off again communications with a writer. The story plan was on the editors desk at Outside and Mens Journal. Not rejected, but not accepted. Patiently waiting for months ... before finally getting rejected. Dejected, we decide to go it on our own. This is, after all, a dream trip, and we're hell bent on making dreams become reality. Late this summer, a dark horse magazine comes through. I won't say what magazine for now, but I will say they have 12 million readers per month. What a roller coaster ride we've been on.
Christmas Island, aka Kiritimati, is the largest coral atoll in the world. Technically, at 7 degrees north of the equator, it isn't even in the South Pacific. It has a storied past as nuclear testing grounds in the 50's. It's also a pilgrimage destination for any serious flyfishing bonefisher. The flats are absolutely loaded with them. But it is not just the bonefish that draw us to this destination. The edges of the reefs hold monster Giant Trevally. And just offshore in the blue are large schools of tuna and wahoo.
Feb 7 marks the date of the media trip, and we're opening up the following week, Feb 14, as a client trip. I know that's not too far off, but things came together quickly after months of hurry-up-and-wait. And since we're going to be out there already, we thought we'd offer a client trip. PM me for more details.
Kam rabwa!
-Allen
SteveS:
Let me know when you line up Palau...
;)
bloodbath:
Allen, I'm from Guam. I have the hookup out there! LMK.
polepole:
Didn't you guys read the part about trip ideas getting "started on a fishing trip, over a few beers after a long day of fishing", Let's fish! Then you can talk to me about your dream trips.
-Allen
reelfish:
If you land a ( giant ) GT out of a kayak that would be amazing and quite a chore. Make sure you have lots of pictures cause I will have to live that dream through you.