FANNING ISLAND,
Kiribati FLY FISHING

FANNING ISLAND — Remote Fly Fishing FOR TROPHY BONEFISH

EXPLORE THIS ISOLATED WORLD CLASS SALTWATER FISHERY

For saltwater fly anglers seeking the outer edges of adventure, the Republic of Kiribati delivers one of the Pacific’s most remote and productive fisheries: Fanning Island (Tabuaeran). This pristine coral atoll, just over an hour from famed Christmas Island, is fast building a reputation as one of the world’s finest Bonefish and Giant Trevally fisheries.

Despite its isolation, Fanning Island is easily accessible via Honolulu, and we provide one week and two week programs on the atoll, plus a visit to Fanning Island offers the chance for a second week on Christmas Island before departing for home.

For those who want to spend days away from the beaten flats, a dedicated week on Fanning Island is as isolated as it gets. With minimal angling pressure and a pioneering spirit, guests can expect large, uneducated bonefish, shots at enormous GTs, bluefin trevally, bumphead parrotfish and golden trevally, this destination is still in its infancy.

We work with you to plan optimal dates for casting to bonefish on rising tides and with full/new moon activity to maximize your shots on actively feeding giant trevally.

Our hosted weeks here emphasize exploration, community interaction, and the thrill of discovering what lies beyond the next flat. There are long white sand flats that see little, if any, angling pressure in a year.

The Last Flats – Fanning & CXI Combination
Our signature hosted adventure blends a week on Fanning Island with a week on Christmas Island, and runs between April 01 to April 14, 2026. This offers anglers the rare chance to fish two distinct atolls in a single journey. On Fanning, expect near-virgin flats, aggressive bonefish, and exploratory trevally opportunities in a setting where very few fly rods have ever been cast. Transitioning to Christmas Island provides a contrast of scale –vast lagoon systems, polished lodge operations, and access to both flats and bluewater.

Together, these back-to-back weeks create the most comprehensive Kiribati fly fishing experience possible. This is an absolute bucket-list adventure for any serious saltwater angler.

We pack additional gear — rods in varied weights, with matching reels and lines from selected and trusted premium/ultra-premium manufacturers, for you to trial and take out each day. This is a chance to try new gear before you invest in a new setup for future trips, or extra back-ups in case of breakage.

A Week on Fanning Island
We go again in October 2026, flying in on the 7th and returning to CXI on the 13th to meet return flights home on the 14th. There are opportunities to say longer on Fanning (fly back to CXI on Thursday, instead of Tuesday), and to also fish Christmas Island from October 14-21, based at Ikari House. We can advise on options so please ask us for a personalized itinerary that works for you. For more on this hosted trip, visit our expedition page.

2026 Fanning Island Trip Options

  • A tropical scene with palm trees, thatched roof huts, and a group of people walking in an outdoor area.

    The Last Flats: Fanning and CXI

    Destination: Christmas & Fanning Islands
    Dates: April 1–14, 2026 (Two weeks)
    Focus: Big bonefish and giant trevally
    Group size: Limited to six anglers

    Description:
    This is the ultimate bucket list expedition for committed saltwater fly anglers.

    The Last Flats takes you deep into the South Pacific. We’re off to the rarely visited, wildly remote Fanning Island (Tabuaeran) – a frontier fishery where double-digit bonefish, powerful giant trevally, and unpredictable triggerfish patrol untouched waters. Then back to the well-loved bonefish haven of Christmas Island (Kiritimati) for a second week, where you’ll sharpen your flats game across CXI’s legendary coral edges and pancake white flats.

    Over two unforgettable weeks, you’ll explore vast, under-pressured flats alongside a small group of like-minded anglers. Hosted by experienced fly anglers, Michael Gregg and Winston Weyborn, this journey is fully planned, logistically smoothed, and all about maximizing your time on the water – from classic bonefish sight-fishing to adrenaline-fueled GT encounters. We will be bringing additional premium rods/reels/line for backup and to try out on the flats so don’t worry if you don’t have all the gear yet.

    This is not your average lodge trip. It’s one week off the beaten track, where solitude, exploration, and monster fish converge and a second week of relative luxury on CXI. Spots are strictly limited.

    Full April itinerary available now.

    BOOK 'THE LAST FLATS'
  • An angler walks the flats on Fanning Island

    A Week on Fanning Island

    Destination: Fanning Island (Tabuaeran)
    Dates: October 7–14, 2026 (One week)
    Focus: Big bonefish and giant trevally
    Group size: Limited to six anglers

    Description:
    We’re heading back to Fanning Island for a week in October 2026. This trip is for those who couldn’t make our ‘Last Flats’ hosted trip in April.

    We’ll fly into CXI on Wednesday from Honolulu. Then repack and head to Fanning on Thursday morning to fish the flats that afternoon.

    With remote and un-pressured water, expect to fish for bonefish in the 4-7lb average class on Fanning, plus lone fish in the 8-10lb class. Equally, giant trevally will be of a larger average size and are more plentiful than back on Christmas Island.

    After five days of fishing, we return to Christmas Island on Tuesday afternoon for our customary trip celebration and take the Wednesday morning flight back to Honolulu (US anglers), or Wednesday afternoon for those heading back to Australia/New Zealand via Fiji.

    Second Week on CXI: There is an option to fish Christmas Island the previous week, or to stay on and fish CXI the following week, or even to stay on Fanning for an extra few days. Talk to us and we can help plan your week on Fanning Island.

    Full October itinerary available now.

    A Week on Fanning Island
  • Tropical beach with white sand, green palm trees, and a blue boat floating on turquoise water.

    The Fanning Island Experience

    Destination: Fanning Island (Tabuaeran)
    Dates: Selected weeks in 2026/2027
    Focus: Guided flats fishing to trophy bones & GTs
    Group size: Strictly limited to six anglers per week

    Description:
    If you have a small group wanting to fish Fanning Island, we may be able to accommodate you outside our hosted trip program.

    Flights from CXI into Tabuaeran are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, but flights may not always be available due to engineering, scheduled 60 day maintenance, or pilot training, which happens offshore.

    We can help to align your stay with dates when the aircraft are flying, the tides and moon meet your neap or spring requirements.

    All internal transfers, meals and accommodation is provided plus expert guides, and the authentic Fanning Island experience of thatched huts, local provisions and isolated lagoon flats.

    You can decide to stay on Fanning for five days (Thursday - Tuesday), seven days (Thursday to Thursday) or even 13 days (Thursday + one week to Tuesday).

    Ask us to plan an itinerary for your group, or join one of our non-hosted group weeks on Fanning Island. We’ll have up to twelve trips on Fanning Island in 2026 and, subject to a vacant spot, you’re welcome to be part of the crew.

    Contact us for information on one or two week guided programs.

  • Close-up of a fish with a fishing lure in its mouth.

    Target Species

  • A man in sunglasses and a cap holding a large fish with a fly fishing rod in shallow water with a partly cloudy sky in the background.

    Giant Trevally

  • saltwater angler and guide on the flats at Christmas Island as weather passes over

    Endless Flats

  • A tropical beach scene featuring turquoise waters, a sandy shoreline with small palm trees, and a boat docked on the beach. There are clouds in the sky with the horizon in the distance.

    White sand flats

  • A scenic view of a coastal area with clear turquoise water, sandy and rocky shoreline, cloudy sky, and two small figures walking on the beach.

    Fishing the flats

  • Satellite view of a lagoon or atoll with labels for Napari, Tabuaeran, Terine, and Fareturaina - Gilberts Village, featuring turquoise waters, coral reefs, and surrounding dark blue ocean.

    Fanning Island

  • A white airplane parked on a grassy field with green trees in the background and cloudy sky overhead.

    Landed at Fanning Island

  • Aerial view of a tropical beach with numerous palm trees, clear turquoise water, and a few small huts with solar panels, under a partly cloudy sky.

    Fanning Island Lodge

  • A person walking on a sandy beach fishing, with turquoise water and blue sky with clouds in the background.

    Exploring the flats

  • A small, rustic hut on stilts with a thatched roof and bamboo walls, surrounded by lush green tropical plants.

    Thatched Hut Accommodation

  • A wooden outdoor table with plates of sliced vegetables, herbs, and cured meats, alongside a soy sauce bottle and utensils, set in a natural outdoor setting.

    Sashimi entree

  • A sandy beach with a boat and two people near the shoreline, a small island with palm trees, and a cloudy sky over the ocean.

    Exploring new flats

2026 – AVAILABLE DATES

FANNING ISLAND – AVAILABILITY

Dates shown below are the arrival/departures dates at Cassidy International Airport on Christmas Island. Availability is as at 10 January 2026, so please contact us to confirm spaces for these weeks.

June 23 – 30, 2026

July 01 – 08, 2026

September 23 – 30, 2026

We currently have four spots available for each of these week windows. You may choose to fish Fanning for the first week and move back onto Christmas Island for a second week, or stay on Fanning atoll for a full two week expedition for the June and September dates.

HOSTED WEEKS – AVAILABILITY

April 01 – 14, 2026

We have a single spot available for this week on Fanning and second week on CXI. You are welcome to book for a single week on Fanning Island (April 01-April 07).

October 07 – 21, 2026

In December 2025, we announced a second hosted week on Fanning Island. This now has three confirmed anglers with three rods remaining. Please advise your interest urgently as these spots will fill quickly.

2027 WEEKS

Please advise interest in any dates for 2027. We are currently locking down weeks for returning groups.