Bonefish is one of the most appreciated saltwater fish for  fly and spin fishing passionates.

My Cuban guide indicated me where was the school and I spent some minutes to discover where exactly it was; very excited, I cast my jig near a small school of bonefish and I started animating my lure. Few second later something happened and a bonefish run towards my jig and bit it. Immediately my reel started giving line  impressively way, in few seconds more than 100 metres of line was out of my reel. At the other end of the line there was a hysteric bonefish of a couple of kilograms. In about 15 minutes I was able to catch and release my first dynamite silver bonefish.

All the morning we stalked and cast to schools of bonefish and often we were in sight of several schools simultaneously. Most of the bonefishes we saw were under 2 kilograms, but several times we cast to tailing singles that were over 4 kilograms.

I have had my first experience with bonefishes on the flats of the "Jardinas de la Reina" archipelago in Cuba, and I can assure you that to catch that my first bonefish was an unforgettable and electrizing experience.

His Highness and Shyness, the Silver Ghost, the Grey Bullet: possibly no other fish has so many respectful nicknames.

Once believed by scientists to be one worldwide species, according to the latest research there may be at least five species of bonefish . However, whether one of five, the descriptive names and respect are universal. Bonefish are traditionally considered fish of flats, and they amaze with their acceleration and speed.

The bonefish is probably the fastest fish in shallow water, a delight to look at with its perfect symmetry and silver body; it has always held anglers in awe, and that’s the way is should be.

Bonefish occur worldwide in tropical and sub tropical waters, generally being taken by angler when he can spot them visibly in very shallow water. They will take a bait in deep water, but such captures never result in the fight that anglers experience when their bonefish are hooked in water less than a metre deep.

Basically they are schooling fish, with smaller specimens preferring large schools and the bigger fish in threes or singles. As a general rule, single fish will be more aware of any poor presentation or cast than a school member. Spook a single fish from a school and the chances are he will take the rest of the fish with him as he depart the flats.

The average size of this fish is around 2-4 kilograms but the current all-tackle IGFA record is of 8,6 kilograms fished in South Africa.

Bonefish feed on crabs, small fish, clams, sea worms and urchins, often rooting in the bottom sending up clouds of sand as they grub around. In very shallow water, less than the length of the fish’s body, the tail can be seen weaving like a stick from the surface; this performance is called "tailing". If in water deeper than the length of the body, only the cloud of sand it disturbs can be seen - and this is called "mudding". Individual specimens can also be seen with the aid of polarising glasses.

Three main methods are used to capture bonefish in shallow water. Freelining a live or dead shrimp on a 1/0 hook, casting small rubber-tailed jig and of course casting with a fly, usually using a weedless fly.

The lovers of light spin fishing can use a common light rod with a reel that can at least contain 200 meters of 8-10 pound. Orange, white and yellow jigs of 3 and 5 centimeters will give you plenty of action and long and funny fighting with these silver ghosts.

For the fly fishing a right choice is a rod of 9’ or 9½’ with a reel spooled with a 8-9# WF floating tip and 200 meters of 20 pound backing. The most used leader are 1X, 0X or 02X of a lenght from 9’ to 12’. The hook recommended for building the fly is the legendary Mustad 3407 in the misures from 2 to 8.

As flies the best choice for bonefish are Bonefish Special, Crazy Charlie, Mother Epoxy, Crazy Crab, Mini Puff, Mini Shirmp, Deceiver.

When hooked, this fish uncorks a series of tremendous long, flat runs and when it eventually gets close to the rod, it will circle either the boat or wading angler.

In the Bahamas, where there are immense schools of small spawning fish at certain times of the year, bonefish are used as trolling bait for marlin, and fine baits they make too.

This beautiful sportfish is worthy adversary; so, anglers should be content to return them alive for another day.

Many countries, especially those in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia, have bonefish but no anglers target them; one reason is the fact that they are of poor eating quality and have little or no market value. In Africa, specimens can reach weights of over 9 kilograms; American anglers would die for such a fish. Even on a 12 pound line a 9 kilogram would take some whipping.

At the present time the best spots in the world are the flats of Cuba, Florida, Bahamas, Honduras, Belize, Venezuela, Mexico, Christmas Islands, Seychelles.

Bonefish are very wary, nervy and scary, they can drive you crazy when they get so spooky that they take off even as you raise your arm to make a cast. My first experiences were so panic-stricken that I sent every single cast with unerring accuracy into the midst of a school, only to seen them scatter in 30 different directions. Now, a few bonefishes later, I still get the shakes when I see a smudgy shadow drifting over the flat but I have learned to cast way in front of the fish. I let everything settle down and as the school nears my fly, I gently begin to tweak it. As the fish homes in, of course my pulse rate goes through the ceiling and very possibly I could drown in my own adrenaline one day.

Water temperature plays a great part in whether the bones will feed or not. While it is not uncommon for a blue water angler to pay attention to water temperatures, it is still somewhat unusual to see a shallow water angler show the same interest. Some years ago, a Florida fishing guide made recordings of temperatures and deduced that bonefish will not come up onto a flat if temperature drops below 21 °C and if the temperature rises to over 25°C feeding bones will move off the flat into deeper, cooler water of the channels

As an all-round angler, I always want to throw at anything and everything that comes along but if you want bonefish, then go equipped for just that fish. The moment you start firing out a tube lure at a cruising barracuda or hurling out a pilchard at a passing stingray, you can be your last lure a huge school of bones will drift into view and you won‘t be ready for them.

The minute you crank in to grab your bone rod, they will all spook in an explosion of spry.

Two methods predominate in approaching them. You can either pole up onto a flat and set the anchor or push pole in a likely looking light spot or weed fringe, biting up in front of you, first ensuring the tide flow is away from you and into deeper water. For groundbait, crushed up dead shrimp bait is beat, though I have used crushed crab to good effect. The ability of a bone to detect scent is excellent and although you may think of him as a visible quarry, make the most of scent-baits like crab or shrimp if the water is "off" due to wind or heavy overhead cloud.

Most obstacles encountered during a fight are sea grass, small coral heads and mangrove roots. For that reason, 8 pound mono should be sufficient when using correct setting on the drag. Don’t worry about trying to stop it, you can’t. Even 8 pound line can go off like a pistol shot if you clamp down. Let the drag work for you and try to maintain a smooth steady retrieve with sweeps rather than frantic pumps.

Most lures will need to be bumped along the bottom to kick up tiny puffs of sand. For this reason, if you fly fish or cast tiny jigs, make sure you use either a weedless hook or one that rides upside down to avoid snagging on the bottom.

For a feeding bonefish, one cast is usually enough and I wouldn’t advise re-casting at a spooked fish.

Bonefish have almost a cult following and once you feel that initial run uncork, you will appreciate why.