Fly fishers like to nickname their prey, and bonefish are no exception. The bonefish is nicknamed the “Gray Ghost”, and if you have ever witnessed these creatures in their Andros Island or Florida Key habitat you know they have earned this nickname. Perfectly camouflaged for their environment these creatures rarely give away their whereabouts easily. Easily for the novice that is, a good guide can seemingly see them in the abstract. And although I am not a huge guide proponent, preferring trial and error, there are times when a guide is a necessity; especially after having spent a nice sum on airfare and lodging. Not to mention the accoutrements required for catching this most worthy of fish.

The bonefish is worthy because of the flat out, jaw dropping, blistering runs it can make; stripping off yards of line at mind boggling speed. One great bonefish run can make up for hours of frustration. If you are not used to casting forty yards into a stiff wind, having to make pinpoint accuracy out of these casts, and then knowing where all your line is in relation to your feet, then your first experience with these creatures are bound to produce some frustration. But it all will peel away like stress at a spa, when you hear your reel sing in the highest pitch imaginable, greedily feeding line to that running bonefish.

In actuality bonefish do two nice things for the novice fly fisher, or the experienced trout fly fisher getting their salt shoes wet for the first time. One, they occasionally do something called ‘tailing’; which means they have their tails upright out of the water, while searching for food; although tails can often be mistaken for mangroves or weeds.

The other ‘nice’ habit they possess is that of creating ‘muds’. Hordes of bonefish school together and create a muddy area to form a protection against sharks or barracudas. Although technically casting into these muds has very little to do with the actual flats fly fishing experience, they do give the first timer a taste of hooking a bonefish. These fish tend to be small, 2 pounds or so, an occasional six pounder and up can be hooked this way.

A big bonefish is a double digit one, over ten pounds. And this is ten pounds of very athletic fish indeed. So be prepared, although some anglers prefer a six weight rod, most prefer an eight weight. Also remember you will be required to cast into the wind and distances of at least forty feet, a fast action eight weight is highly recommended. A good guide will help you modify your cast for the wind. There are plenty of bonefish lines on the market, and don’t forget the extra backing needed as well. For this reason a large arbor reel is recommended.

While most bonefishing is done aboard the deck of a boat, for obvious reasons, you can cover more ground and have the advantage of height. Wading is also done. Sometimes getting away for a quiet few hours of wading, reminds you of the real reason you might be there; namely natural beauty and solitude. But after awhile, wading can also remind you how exhausting it is. For better results take your fishing partner, if not a guide, and trade off casting and sighting fish. It is great practice, and very enjoyable when done at a medium pace.

For bonefish flies, , one does not have to break the bank or cover every possibility. As mentioned above technique is of most importance. However, there are some must haves, those include the Gotcha Fly, Crazy Charlie, Clouser minnows, Raghead Crab, and a Mantis Shrimp.

Despite all the intimidation factors, the bonefish really are a great species to get your feet wet on when attempting saltwater fly fishing for the first time. The sight fishing aspect is similar to dry fly trout fly fishing, and the size of the fish and equipment is not a huge jump. One of the great rewards of today’s fly fishing is the vast variety out there, and it is one of the least realized aspects of our great passion.

About the Author

Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier. He now owns and operates Big Y Fly Co at http://www.bigyflyco.com. A retail and wholesale outlet for quality fly fishing flies and other products.