November 7, 2006

The fishing is better today than it was 25 years ago on my first trip!

Stan Wright 

October 27, 06

"The food and service at the lodge has been excellent, and the people have been extremely friendly and courteous. I know your crew next  week will be impressed. Kevin (who is on his 4th trip to Xmas) told me that the food has been the best he's ever eaten on the island, and  the rooms are nicer than any he's stayed at. I personally think the  food is better than many of our hotels in Waikiki. The portions are  certainly larger. There's plenty of ice in the coolers on the skiffs,  cold beer in the fridge in our rooms, and the air con is a nice plus too.

The location on the water is beautiful and very convenient. I'll  do my best to get some nice shots of the lodge for your website.  So close to some of the best bonefish flats the guides favored.

Teannaki has been an outstanding guide, knowledgable and friendly.  A great teacher and educator to us. He's put us on the right spots at the right time, and we've been floored with the results.  And the fishing has been fantastic. We've already hooked many, many  bones up to 6 pounds, both in schools on Paris Flat and skinny water  tailers in the inner lagoon.  On spinning tackle, we've landed many  GTs up to 50lbs, ahi tuna up to 70lbs, and I got a 50+lbs sailfish  yesterday.  Better than our expectaions already, and we're only on day  3.   As you said, the guides have made the difference."

Sean Niesz ,
Nervous Water Fly Fishers

July 10, 06 

Just returned from the bonefish clinic at the Villages on Christmas Island. While the weather was uncooperative for the first couple of days, the overall fishing was excellent. Seven fishermen(all fly fishing), landed 434 bonefish up to 9 pounds, 65 trevally to 25 pounds, including bluefin trevally to 8 pounds.  We also landed 14 yellowfin tuna to 25 pounds, wahoo, barracuda and skipjacks.

The guides were excellent and were rotated daily so that no one felt "short-changed". The comments from each angler were that every guide they fished was was superior to bonefish guides they'd fished with in other venues.

From the lodge, we were able to board the skiffs, which eliminated a 45 minute to an hour van or pick-up ride, and were fishing within 20-25 minutes. The time savings was a huge advantage over the past trips to Christmas island.

The accommodations were certainly adequate and substantially better than accommodations others had experienced previously at the Capt. Cook facilities on the island. The rooms were larger, the bedding was changed regularly and towels and washcloths on a daily basis.  The showers were excellent, lot of hot water as it was well water and heated by electric water heaters. Not collected rain water and solar heated. Everything new helped.

The meals exceeded our expectations and were better than the food we ate in Hawaii before the trip, resulting in the group unanimously voting to tip the chef very generously!

As you know, I have been fishing bonefish 20+ years in Mexico, the Bahamas, the Carribean and had previously fished Christmas Island seven years in a row.  This was one of best trips I have had anywhere and dollar for dollar, I believe it is the best value of any bonefish venue, presently!

Everyone in the clinic expressed a desire to return next year.  I would like to do two bonefish clinic in 2007, time permitting.

Very truly yours,

Robert von Raesfeld
Master Caster
Los Gatos California