The Ultimate Bonefishing Destination: Fanning Island

Is Fanning Island the ultimate remote bonefishing adventure destination?

First up, just getting there is not for the faint-hearted. You will fly from Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) or Nadi International Airport (NAN) in Fiji into Kiritimati (pronounced Christmas), Kiribati. You’re now only a one hour 15 minute flight away from the atoll of Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island – the fourth largest island among the 32 making up the Republic of Kiribati.

With only 2,000 local residents, Fanning Island has been dubbed ‘the world’s most remote inhabited island’. But long term habitation is in doubt due to the atoll having a maximum elevation of only three meters (10 feet) above high tide.

You’ll land near Napari (or Napali), a village located at the north end of Tabuaeran atoll, north of the Tabuaeran Airport (flight code: TNV). Then it’s a 15-20 minute boat ride, directly from the airport to your beachside lodgings on the lagoon side of the atoll.

From your base here, the daily travel is simple. The atoll is only 10 miles long by 5 miles wide so travel to fishing spots within the lagoon is a breeze.

Tabuaeran, the local name for Fanning Island, comes from the Gilbertese (Kiribati) language and is usually translated as ‘the sacred footprint’, and indeed, this is the shape of the atoll.

Fanning Island - What to expect

Well, you’ve made it to Fanning. Clearly you’re a die-hard saltwater angler looking for the ultimate in bonefish and giant trevally fishing with a fly. A maximum of six anglers are permitted to fish the island each week so you’re in rarified company.

In addition to casting for double digit Bonefish and monster GT’s, expect to fish for Triggerfish, Bluefin Trevally, big bumpies (Bumphead Parrotfish), Napoleon Wrasse, and Golden Trevally among the tropical species list.

On arrival at Fanning Island, you’ll appreciate the equatorial weather.  It’s a consistent 24-29°C (75-85°F) all year around.  Being so close to the equator means sunrise and sunset are always within 15 minutes of 6.00am and 6.30pm. You have up to ten hours a day of fishing available to you.

Below, let’s go over a typical Fanning Island itinerary (two options via Fiji for anglers from Australia/New Zealand, or via Honolulu for US anglers), the flight challenges, fishing licenses, anticipating costs for your stay, tackle requirements and priority items to pack for your adventure.

If you’re looking to travel to Fanning Island in 2026, global flyfishing travel company, Isolation Outfitters, is running a second hosted trip after seeing immediate demand sell out their first hosted week for six lucky anglers.

Isolation Outfitters packages a week on Fanning Island with an optional second week at Ikari House on Christmas Island to maximize value from your international flights.

We have some crucial information to share on how things work over there. But first, let’s talk about the fishing.

There have been a few false starts in getting a guided fly fishing operation underway on Fanning Island. Chatting to one of the US travel operators in the past, they advised that they had previously tried to arrange some trips, as early as some exploratory missions back in 2017, but the rough living and difficult logistics combined to stifle angler interest back then.

With recent upgrades to accommodation and facilities — solar panels for lighting, and charging the Starlink Wifi connectivity plus clients’ devices, new flush toilets and showers, modern boat engines — things have moved forward since the fly fishing was first established commercially in 2016.

That’s despite the Republic of Kiribati (the wider island group including CXI and Fanning) being locked down to international visitors from March 2020 to June 2022 during the Covid pandemic.

Despite the now regular flights to the atoll, Fanning has been little fished over the past decade. Isolation Outfitters is now the major provider of specialist travel planning for international fly anglers. 

Clearly, the fishing on Kiritimati (CXI) is good enough for many destination anglers — so Fanning Island needs to be something very special to warrant the extra air transfer, time delays and harder living than the CXI lodges. And it is.

Fanning Island - The Fishing

The atoll offers spectacular flats fishing on firm white sands suited to big bonefish and GT purists. Boat drivers in quick panga’s provide transport for you and your guide to your daily angling location. From there you’ll be on foot (so expect to do a few miles of wet-wading each day), sighting and casting to individual fish. Guiding is one-on-one or two-to-one as you choose.

You can also elect to fish the openings and shallow reef structures for large GTs to mix things up. The best fishing can be immediately before or after a new/full moon when the larger tides increase the flow of water and food into the atoll. 

This is a relatively new destination, but the few local guides are well trained and now highly experienced. They understand the local tides, the weather and what’s worked in the past.

Plan to be on the island during the quarter moon cycles to take advantage of neap tides to maximize time of the saltwater flats if your main target is active bonefish. As mentioned above — for more GT action — the full and new moons drive bigger tide swings.

There are numerous fish species including trevally and wrasses. Depending on the tides and timing, some days bonefish can be less populous than on the Kiritimati flats, but their average size is definitely larger. You’ll see plenty of 4-5lb bones, and enough 7-8lb fish and larger to want to extend your stay!

Giant and Bluefin Trevally sightings will be frequent; Golden Trevally less so but they’re around. GT’s up to 40-50lb move through the flats — with larger fish caught regularly, so think carefully about your tackle requirements. Please advise your guide if you want to target these behemoths so they can position you in the right location as the tide rises towards full. Bluefin Trevally are more likely to be in the 8-10lb+ range and put up a tremendous fight.

Bumphead Parrotfish, sized all the way up to 20lb are a likely target in the shallow reefs and prized by saltwater fly anglers.

Fanning Island - The details

Australian Currency

The Republic of Kiribati operates on Australian dollars ($AUD). If you’re traveling from the United States, you’ll going to need to exchange some US currency into Aussie dollars before you depart Honolulu.

But bring your US currency for on Christmas Island.

Most anglers traveling to Fanning Island will also be fishing on Christmas Island (Kiritimati) to make the most of this remote Pacific Ocean destination.

Gratuities for guides, boat operators and lodge staff on CXI can be paid in USD or in Australian currency as you wish, but for Fanning Island, AUD is easier for them to use on the atoll.

Fishing License

If you’re fishing CXI, you’ll need to purchase a CXI fishing license on arrival at your lodge. As of 2025, it’s now an annual license costing a whopping USD$250 — so Ikari House (and also Christmas Island Lodge) have built this overhead into their weekly lodge accommodation for 2026 to avoid sticker shock for anglers who have already invested significantly in airfares and lodges.

You’ll also need a separate fishing license for Fanning Island. This can be arranged with your outfitter.

Accommodation on Fanning Island

Think of Fanning Island as a rustic fishing camp rather than a lodge to manage your own expectations. You’ll be housed in raised open air huts with mattress and mosquito netting. This might be a determinant in how long you choose to stay on the island. Itinerary options include 5 or 7 nights due to aligning travel with the two flights in and out of the atoll airport each Tuesday and Thursday.

The main Fanning Island accommodation comprises four of these raised single occupancy huts and one cabin with shared/double occupancy, hence the six angler weekly limit.

Meals are centered on the island’s seafood, breadfruit, and available produce. Supplies are shipped onto the island infrequently. Due to limited refrigeration, solar power and gas, anglers’ meals are primarily fresh seafood with rice and greens, sandwiches (PBJ anyone?) for lunch, fresh fruit from the island — fresh daily young coconuts, bananas and the like.

This is why the hosted fly fishing trips on Fanning Island are a logical option — your host will arrange additional breakfast options, extra meal choices, beverages and on-water snacks.

If you have special dietary requirements, you’ll need to alert your outfitter well in advance to help with planning. Also pack your favorite snacks, some energy drinks and any alcoholic beverages you wish to take, subject to the plane’s weight and flight restrictions.

There is reverse-osmosis purified water on the island for drinking, but expect your outfitter to arrange bottled water to supplement this.

Telecommunications

There is now a Starlink terminal installed at the island compound providing high-speed WiFi to visiting anglers from 2024 onwards. This is charged by solar panels and may not always be available.

You may wish to bring a Garmin InReach Mini 2 or similar satellite messaging device to keep in touch with family.

It’s important to remember as you work through the trip details that exploring this atoll is much more than fly fishing. Visiting Fanning Island is an adventure that few will ever get the opportunity to experience.

Flights to Tabuaeran

Let’s work through at a typical Fanning Island itinerary. Remember the International Date Line curves around Kiribati so the entire country is west of the date line.

From Continental USA

You’ll need to get to Honolulu for the once weekly Tuesday noon flight from Honolulu to Christmas Island with Fiji Airways. It’s best to fly in on Monday and stay overnight near Waikiki so you don’t miss a same-day connection as that would mean forfeiting your entire trip.

You depart Tuesday on the 3 hour Fiji Airways flight, but land on Wednesday due to crossing the International Date Line. No need to change your watch as it’s the same time as in Hawaii, but an entire day ahead. Welcome to the Republic of Kiribati!

You’ll have a night on Christmas Island (Kiritimati) before your Thursday flight to Fanning Island (Tabuaeran).

From Australia or New Zealand

Departing via Auckland, Fiji Airways flies weekly on a Tuesday or from Sydney and Melbourne in Australia to Nadi, Fiji, then onto Cassidy International Airport (CXI) in Kiritimati, landing around 6.30am on Wednesday morning.

For anglers traveling from New Zealand, upon landing at Nadi International Airport, there are new restrictions for 2025 on exiting via Customs due to the layover being less than six hours. So try for a pre-flight ‘bula-bid’ to upgrade your second leg which, if successful, gains you access to the airport lounge (dinner & drinks) for the duration.

The second leg is a short flight departing around midnight with a bleary eyed arrival time not long after dawn. This of course gives you an option for a full day of fishing on Christmas Island if you choose, as the Air Kiritimati flight leaves Thursday morning.

Coming from New Zealand or Australia means you don’t cross the International Date Line.

Thursday Flight to Fanning 

After landing at CXI on Wednesday, you’ll be taken to your island accommodation where you can repack gear and leave your transit clothing behind while you’re on Fanning Island.

Air Kiribati flies to Fanning Island twice weekly (Tuesday and Thursday), depending on their maintenance schedule, fight training, demand and engineering. Your outfitters will have been working closely with the Fanning Island Council, and Kiribati’s Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the flight schedule is maintained during their travel windows, indicating the level of attention and detail that goes into planning their hosted trips.

Your flight to Fanning Island is on Thursday morning. The trip takes around one hour 15 minutes, so you’ll be able to get an afternoon of fishing in.

Back to CXI

You have the option to fish the fabulous Fanning flats for five days before taking the flight back to CXI on Tuesday afternoon, or choosing to stay on until Thursday until the next flight. The latter option means staying on Christmas Island to fish until your Wednesday flight back to Honolulu, or to Fiji and onto New Zealand/Australia.

For US anglers, the weekly Fiji Airlines flight from CXI to Honolulu departs on Wednesdays at 7.35am.

Those flying to Australia or New Zealand have the option of a full half day of fishing as your Wednesday flight doesn’t depart until 4.20pm. You’ll need to overnight in the Nadi airport hotel (walking distance away) before your homeward connection. 

Fishing for a second week?

As your international flight from CXI leaves weekly on Wednesdays, you have the option to stay on Fanning Island until Thursday and fishing a short week on Christmas Island, but in our view, it’s recommended that you take the Tuesday Air Kiritimati flight back if this is your first time on Fanning Island, allowing you to fish for a full week on Christmas Island.

Fanning Island is rugged, remote and without many of the simple luxuries we all enjoy in our home lives. The food is simple and functional without the trimmings (you can pack extras of course). Getting back to Kiritimati means comfortable air-conditioned rooms in your lodge, a stroll down to the shops for a bottle of red wine, cold beer, and the endless flats fishing options that Christmas Island offers.

Outfitter’s Pricing

Talk to Isolation Outfitters if you want to travel to Fanning Island and Christmas Island. They’re in frequent content with the local guides, lodges and operators and can assist with detailed and up-to-date information on flight schedules, accommodation, food, flies and logistics.

If you choose to stay a combined 7 night stay on CXI/Fanning, this is divided into 5 days/nights on Fanning Island to align with the Fanning Island air transport. Your first and last nights are on Christmas Island. The current 2026 pricing for this stay is US$5,100 and has remained uncharged for a few years. Expect it to rise in 2027.

Read more on Fanning Island as a fly fishing destination.

Inclusions

These prices include your lodgings on CXI and Fanning, all meals, airport transfers, your round Air Kiribati route to Fanning Island from CXI, shared boat/driver, personal fishing guide and your Fanning Island fishing license. 

Pricing is comparable with other bonefishing locations, but without the high class lodgings you might find on the more populated localities.

Exclusions

Your international airfares from your port of departure/arrival into and from Kiritimati (CXI) are excluded and any charges for overweight luggage. You’ll need to budget separately to pay gratuities for staff and guides (use AUD$), departure taxes, plus remember to bring any alcohol, mixes, drinks or snacks you may wish to pack.

If you’re staying an extra week on Christmas Island, read our other articles on fishing, costs and logistics for Kiritimati.

Gratuities & Tips

As a guide, you may wish to pass on a $20pp per day tip to the lodge owner on the last night of your stay for each staff member, plus $20/day for the boat driver when you leave the boat each afternoon, and $50/day for your guide, paid daily at the end of the day. Ideally this should be paid in Australian currency on Fanning.

For Christmas Island, US currency is acceptable as it can be exchanged on the island by the local people.

Tackle to Pack for Fanning Island

We’ve written a comprehensive article on packing for your bonefishing adventure and the list is reproduced here for you.

Ideally, you’ll have a waterproof submersible backpack that will double as your carry-on bag for flights, and be repacked for daily trips on the pangas during your Fanning Island stay, and will carried by you or your guide during your CXI fishing.

Carry on Bag (ideally roll-top waterproof)

• Phone & phone charger
• Passport and required Visa for destination entry
• Wallet - credit cards, ID & foreign currency in cash
• Flight Tickets & Itinerary (leave print copies at home too)
• Camera, charger & cables, batteries & storage cards
• Neck cushion and earplugs (if you use these)
• Headphones or earbuds
• Fishing Magazine (comment below if you want our recommendations!)
• Medication (non-liquid only) and any sleeping aids
• Toiletries for the flight
• Sunglasses
• Extra clothing if heading into a cooler climate
• Notepad and pen
• Spare reel & line, a small bag of flies, just in case your expedition bag doesn’t make it to your destination. (Check with airline as some regard lines and hooks as weapons!)
• Rods in Rod Tube or Rod Bag (you might be able to carry on your rods depending on the airline’s carry-on specs - check with them first!)

Expedition Bag (Duffel bags are great)

• Photocopy of your passport
• Backup print-out of your itinerary including flight tickets
• Main camera, lenses, charged batteries, charger & cables
• Warm Jacket - pack at airport if coming from cold climate
• Headwear - cap and wide-brimmed hat in muted colors
• Robust sun gloves (UPF50) - bring two pair in muted colors
• Neckwear - insect & sun protection
• Headlamp - fully charged with spare batteries or charger
• 2 Sets of Polarized Sunglasses (Amber/Copper and Green/Blue)
• Fishing Shirts (3 or more)
• Fishing Pants (3 or more)
• Pyjamas –especially if you’re sharing a room!
• Togs or swimsuit
• A couple of casual clothing outfits
• Any special alcoholic or food treats (Customs approved of course)
• Toiletries and personal effects
• Medication (e.g. liquids that aren’t allowed in carry-on)
• Sunscreen & Insect Repellent
• Pre-moistened lens cloths
• Small roll of tape and few zip ties for unforeseen repairs
• Lightweight packable rain jacket

Fishing Tackle for Saltwater Flats

• 7wt or 8wt fly rod, reel, tropical floating line & backing
• Optional 10wt rod, reel, tropical floating line & backing
• 11wt to 12wt fly rod, robust reel & at least two tropical floating lines if you’re planning to targeting Giant Trevally (GT’s)
• Flats fishing boots
• Neoprene socks
• Polypropylene Liner socks
• Flats Bag - waterproof backpack, hip bag or sling pack (doubles as your carry on bag ideally)
• Flies – see our fly list below
• Saltwater leaders in 10, 12, 16 & 20lb - bring a few of each
• Fluorocarbon tippet – 12, 16, 20 & 40lb
• Plus 60, 80 & 100lb tippet to target GT or if trolling
• Reusable water bottle in your Flats bag
• Plastic garbage bags to store any wet clothes, boots, etc on your return flight
• Fly tying gear (optional)

Flies

For Bonefish, pack at least 24 assorted flies tied on heavy hooks in sizes 2, 4 and 6, plus a few smaller 8’s for shallow water, including:

• Christmas Island (CXI) Special in Pearl, Orange & Tan (bead-chain & lead eyes)
• Mantis Shrimp patterns in Tan
• Crazy Charlies in Orange & Pink

Giant Trevally baitfish flies including:

• GT Brush Fly in Tan, Grey and Black in size 6
• Crystal Poppers in size 4

Algae flies for Milkfish if you wish to fish for these

Crab flies for Triggers and Parrotfish

If you want to troll, bring some large red and white or purple and white flies. Bait patterns work best.

Flats Bag

• Sunscreen UPF70+
• Sun gloves
• Sports tape for blisters or hook injuries
• Tippet material in 12, 16, 20, 40, plus 60, 80, 100lb for GTs
• 6 leaders in 10, 16 & 20lb weights
• Quality Hemostats
• Nippers
• Small Pocket Knife
• High quality saltwater Pliers (never put your fingers near the mouth of a Triggerfish!)
• Camera
• Polarized Sunglasses
• Wide brimmed hat
• Clothing - cool & warm layers
• Rain jacket (sudden tropical downpours can be windy with heavy rain)
• Nutritious snacks/energy bars
• Water (Pro tip: add electrolyte sachets)

Assume that no medical or extra supplies (beyond basic meals) are available at either destination and pack accordingly. Remember that you’re heading into strong sunlight and wind so be prepared to protect yourself from heat, sun rays and wind damage to lips and skin.

At the end of your trip, please discuss with your guide and outfitter about passing on your unused first aid supplies to the local medical center, and feel free to pack some treats, school supplies, tees and hats for the local kids.

Please let us know if you’ve had any experience on Fanning Island or would like to contribute a guest article on your bonefishing expedition at this remote location – perhaps the ultimate bonefishing location on earth.

Thanks to Winston Weyborn for sharing images of Fanning Island.

For all travel enquiries to Fanning Island, we recommend calling Isolation Outfitters on Toll Free (USA/Canada only) (888) 404-1390 or Bozeman MT +1 (406) 404-2419.

You can view current trips at: https://www.isolationoutfitters.com/destinations/fanning-island-fly-fishing