Bonefish roam the warm, tropical waters of the Pacific and the Atlantic sides of the Southern states of USA, Central America and the Northern part of South America. There are bonefish in other parts of the world too, like in Hawaii, Indonesia, along the African coast

The bonefish is a coastal fish or rather a shallow water fish which will primarily move in water less than six feet in depth. They are known to gather in schools by the hundreds, even though it is commonly acknowledged that larger fish will often swim alone, in pairs or a few fish together.

The behaviour of the fish is very much influenced by the tide, and the schools will mostly move in a regular pattern tightly linked to rising and falling tide.
 The fish is strong and fast, which is one reason for its popularity as a game fish. Speed is their way of evading predators such as sharks and barracuda in the water and birds in the air. And their speed is tightly coupled with their weariness. They are always alert, and spook easily, sometimes making the pursuit a frustrating endeavour.

The bonefish's diet and feeding habits is another of the reasons for its status as a popular prey for fly anglers. The fish typically feed in shallow water. 30-40 centimetres or a foot seems to be a preferred depth for many individuals although larger fish go deeper.

They often feed in bright daylight on almost bare sandy and silty bottom rather than in densely grown or weedy areas.
Bonefish feed on small crabs, shrimps, smaller fish, clams and other items, which are all easily mimicked with a fly and whose movement patterns can be induced with a fly rod.

The fish will occasionally dig for burrowed food items, leaving obvious mud trails in the water and typical, almost triangular holes in the bottom a telltale sign of their presence. The state and decay of these holes will tell a good guide whether bonefish have been in the area recently.

Equipment for bone fishing

Get a line designed for the purpose. The tropics are hot, real hot and a normal line will become very soft and limp. Use a proper warmwater line with a polyleader, a tapered mono leader or a knotted leader, but just make sure the leader can turn even the heaviest and bushiest flies. A full floater seems the safest bet, but if you bring backup gear, consider an intermediate line, a sink tip or just arm yourself with some sinking polyleaders.

You may be miles from anywhere and get a fly line hooked around a sharp object or snap a rod so consider a backup outfit so that way the holiday is not ruined. Saltwater can play havoc with tackle so a spare reel is also a good idea. Dont forget to wash everything in fresh water at the end of every day, even if you are tired and hungry it only takes a few seconds and will help keep your gear in good shape and stop the salt eating into everything.

The flats can be very windy so a good outfit would be a 9' fly rod to take a 7# or 8# line.
There are a number of anglers who use 5-6 weight rods and do catch fish, but sometimes it takes a long time to get the fish in. This in my opinion is not fair to the bonefish and there is the risk of attracting a predator that will eat the fish before you have chance to land and return it.

Select a rod rigged for salt water with a large stripping guide and a second smaller one plus a large top eye to allow for the line to pass and clear easily with no tangles. Wooden inserts and nickel silver is nothing to bring here. Robust saltwater reel seats are the way to go.

Arm the rod with a good and not too small reel with a smooth brake and sufficient backing which in the case of bonefish is 200 yards or more. A large arbour saltwater reel with a good disc drag and one that you can change the spool without any fuss or fear of dropping parts is preferable.

Get the best sun glasses that you can afford and dont forget how hot it may be. A good hat designed for flats fishing is a must and if you can afford it buy the appropriate clothing. If it is an economy trip get a lightweight long sleeved shirt and full length trousers to help stop you burning. Put plenty of cream on and dont forget the lip balm. Better to be safe than sorry.