Milkfish on the Fly
Milkfish are one of the ultimate fly fishing challenges, a large, fast and incredibly powerful filter-feeder found on the surface scum lines and current edges around Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands. Presenting tiny flies in surface foam to finicky fish that rarely take and then make blistering 200 m runs is the pinnacle of tropical saltwater fly fishing.
Target Species
Fishing Tips
- 1
Milkfish feed on surface algae and plankton in foam lines and current scum — locate feeding fish by looking for large, slow-moving tails and dorsal fins cutting through foam on the surface of the tide line.
- 2
The fly must land in the scum directly in front of the fish and must look exactly like the surrounding foam particles — tiny (size 6–8) sparse white or cream flies tied on short-shank hooks to mimic algal mats work best.
- 3
Milkfish have extremely soft mouths; use a light tippet (10–12 lb) and a rod that loads deeply to absorb shock, and set the hook with a slow, steady strip-strike rather than a lifting rod strike.
- 4
After the hook-up, do not palm the reel — milkfish initial runs exceed 200 m. Clear all loose fly line from the deck and get on the reel immediately, letting the fish run against the disc drag.
- 5
Christmas Island's milkfish are best targeted on an incoming tide when fish stack up on the current edges — guide services know the specific scum-line locations, and first-timers should book a guide for at least the first day.