Part of why I wanted to create an activewear company is because of my love of travel and fly fishing.  It's not so much the fishing but the act of adventuring out, meeting new people from different countries, and exploring new places.  Kiribati was something I couldn't pass up.

Coming in for a landing on Kiribati. Photo courtesy of James Caroll

My friend James (who runs Old Souls hiking/fishing shop in Cold Spring, NY) had one slot open on a trip he was hosting, so I took it.  It was part of a Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures package. I encourage you guys to check out both Yellow Dog and Old Souls. They are cool people.

The fishing is pretty unique on this island.  The guides are all Kiribati locals that have been trained by the Yellow Dog team and senior Kiribati leads, and most are pretty good but language is always a bit of an issue.  But they all try hard, can spot fish, and allow you to figure things out a bit as you walk the miles and miles of flats.

And the flats - it's really hard to describe the vastness, the beauty, the raw wildness of this place.  There's only a handful of lodges on the island, so the flats are pretty undisturbed compared to other places.  And you have a 1:1 guide to angler assignment each day - which means you get all the shots you want versus being in the boat all day.  The walking can be a lot or you could end up staying locked into a certain spot on a flat for most of the day. It all depends on the tide, the fish, and what you want to do.

Some of the endless flats you'll see on Kiribati

While everyone comes here with a focus on the Giant Trevally - and rightly so - the Trigger Fish and Bone fish populations are absolutely chock full.  The GT shots are not that many each day so don't be too disappointed if you don't bring one in - just look around you and enjoy this unique landscape.  And if you are into photography, bring your tripod and try to capture the stars at night. It's hard to find a better place to see them and shoot them.

The Giant Trevally