Bonefish are usually found in intertidal flats, mangroves, and creeks. Often congregating in schools of 100 or more, bonefish follow a daily pattern of coming up onto the flats as the tide rises and retreating to deeper water as it falls. (Although, as any bonefish aficionado will tell you, they often fail to show up for reasons that remain a mystery.) Larger bonefish tend to travel in twos or threes, and the trophy specimens are solitary.
Sight-casting to bonefish in skinny water is a challenge that many fly fishers see as a vital rite of passage in their development. Once your angling skills reach a certain level, it’s time to test them against an especially spooky and powerful quarry, as well as the tropical winds. Watching a big bone tearing off line as it heads for the horizon, putting a sharp bend in your rod and causing your reel arbor to blur, is a unique thrill.
