I am a forever student.
Coming into this trip I was prepared to put some things to the test. Such as how suitable a 6-weight setup would be in the perpetually windy Cocos flats? And I was prepared to stress test hooks and different leader poundage curious to find out how hard can I play these fish. Even though it may also meant potentially losing fish.
March/April 2026 – fly fishing in Cocos Keeling Islands. Allow me to share some of the new revelations that I have come to obtain from the trip.
Fighting Fish Hard
I have a habit of fighting fish hard. Sometimes too hard I think. That may have been plausible reasons I lost a couple of big fish this time.
No, nothing gave way. Instead the ones I remember were two popped hooks.
I should remember next time to only play the smaller or normal sized fish hard and allow the really big huge ones to run. But then again, sometimes there are the ever-ready-to-slice-your-lines corals to content with.
An Airline To Avoid
First off, I’d avoid flying Batik Air if possible. They rescheduled my flight between Perth and Kuala Lumpur three times before the trip. I had to ask for a flight change in the end that resulted in a much longer layover of 9 hours in Perth. On top of that instead of a direct flight home, the new return flight makes a stopover in Bali. Meaning a much longer flight than the one I booked earlier. All in all a rather tiring return trip home for me – total travel time 27 hours.
Four Seasons In Cocos?
Of course not. However, being in the middle of nowhere the weather can change very quickly in Cocos Keeling Islands.
Wind is persistent so conditions can change quickly.
Three days before we were due to arrive in Perth we thought our flight may be cancelled. Category 4 cyclone Narelle with 270 kph winds were barreling down the west coast from the Northern Territory towards Exmouth and Perth, right in our flight paths.
Luckily for us only the flight the day before got cancelled but ours got underway as scheduled.
Forecast for our week was good conditions the first two days followed by progressively worse weather with very strong winds and rainfall as the week progressed.
Luckily for us, again, the weather improved and got better and better! Bright sunny days and no rain at all.
I’ve had to deal with bad weather before in Cocos. One of our trip was even cut short due to an approaching cyclone.
So, don’t think too much about what the conditions will look like for your next trip. Just go, it is what it is. Worrying about the weather will not change it.
Nonetheless, do not be like me and forget to bring a rain jacket. Not that I needed to use one this trip.
What Weight Fly Rods
After a couple of trips trying out different weight rods and what I own, I’ve personally settled for 6 and 8 weight rods. I will pack one 6wt for bonefish when it’s not too windy and an 8wt for everything else.
I also think an excellent alternative would be a 7wt and 9wt combo.
Leader Poundage
This is still a little tricky and may need more tweaking.
This is what I’ll use, 24lb or 30lb fluorocarbon leader when fishing on the flats.
When fishing within blue holes – 30lb fluorocarbon. Maybe even 40lb. This is where we often encounter bones on steroids and plenty of reefs scattered around waiting to slice the leader. Also, you never know what can show up. I’ve casted to bluefin and giant trevally, barracuda, bumpies, Maori/napolean wrasse and more.
Hunting for triggers and bumpies around the blue holes – 50lb or 60lb fluorocarbon leader. Minimum 40lb. It’s hard enough to get an eat from one of these tormentors so you don’t want to be under gunned or it’ll be a haunting experience.
Screaming Reels
One thing for certain fly fishing Cocos Islands is you’ll hear your reel sing and watch the backing line go.
Cocos is known for its big bones. The average size fish here will be considered a trophy fish in many other bonefish destinations.
I used to think bonefish can be tamed without too much drama, most times. Until I started hooking up those mega bonefish. And I mean bonefish that you can initially quite easily mistaken for a shark or barracuda and then regret not casting to it.
It’s when you have one of these at the end of your line that you realise you need a good reel otherwise it’ll not just be your reel screaming but you will scream in despair!
Having enough backing line will also come in handy. 150 meters minimum while 200 meters can be more comforting.
Needless to say the drag must be smooth and stay smooth. If during a long high speed run your reel starts to go zzzt zzztt zzzt instead of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzztttttttt there’s a possibility that the fly may pop off the fishes mouth.
A large arbor fly reel will also come handy as bonefish always swim back to you and that’s when you need to wind back line like crazy.
Intermediate Clear Tip Fly Lines, Any Clear Advantages?
This time I equipped the Nautilus X reel with the Rio Elite Flats Pro WF6I with 6’ clear intermediate tip.
I’ve used this setup before paired to the Winston Air Salt 6wt fishing in Ascension Bay Mexico. I liked it then and I liked it now as well on the flats targeting bonefish. I still use a 12’ long leader. Does the clear tip give any additional advantages? Maybe a little.
I like how it feels and casts so I’ll likely carry on using. The only thing about this is it can be harder to see where your line is going and gauge where your fly is going to land. Accuracy is very important on the flats. Exactly why many fly lines are brightly coloured.
The Lamson Centerfire reel with the Rio Elite Flats Pro WF8I with 15’ clear intermediate tip.
The extra length intermediate tip changes the game a little. Especially in deeper water. It will be harder to quickly pick up the line to make another quick cast if you missed the target on your earlier cast.
You don’t want to use an intermediate tip to target triggers and bumpies around coral flats. It will increase the chances of snagging.
My third rod is spooled with a full floating SA line with a 40’ long head. I used that in the coral areas around the blue holes chasing triggers.
What’s A Typical Day Like in Cocos Keeling Islands
Okay, let’s get to the more general stuff but helpful to know if you’ve never been there.
Fishing time is officially 07:00 to 15:00. You walk out to the boat at around 06:30 and it can be a very short boat ride to your first fishing spot. Or it can also be a 20 minutes ride depending on the tide or where you may want to fish that morning.
We often bring our breakfast out and have it in the boat with us. I can tell you it’s hard to find a better venue to enjoy your breakfast. Although occasionally you may forget eating when there are flashes of tails waving at you in the shallow waters.
Lunch is had on the boat as well. I’ve not had any complaints about the food. They are good! But that’s me and your tastebud may be different.
Arrival and Departure
At the time of writing this Qantas flies twice a week between Perth and Cocos Keeling Islands. Mondays and Fridays only. There’re often short stopovers either in Exmouth, Port Hedland or Christmas Island.
We stay and fish off Home Island. As such after the plane arrives in West Island where the airport is located, we need to take the bus to the ferry jetty. It’s a short bus ride of around 5-10 minutes. The fare is 50 cents.
The ferry runs on a fixed schedule so there may be a bit of waiting. The ferry ride across the atoll takes about 20 minutes and the fare is $2.50.
Upon arrival you will be transported to your cozy little homestay.
Departure day is basically the above in reverse order. Flights are often in the afternoon, so if you’re up for it you can still squeeze in some fishing in the morning.
Alastair and Cristian Was Up Next
Right up after Paul and myself, Alastair and Cristian dropped in and they too had an enjoyable week fishing.
Until the next one, leave a comment below or contact me if you have questions.
Cheers, JW
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