Florida Keys Bonefishing

by Nathaniel Clark Linville

The bonefish is one of the most celebrated inshore game fish on the planet, and nowhere else can anglers find the access to trophy fish offered in the Florida Keys. Fly rod and light tackle anglers from all over the world travel to the Keys to fish our pristine flats and intimate back country in their search for this inshore speedster.

Bonefish are characterized by their tendency to travel and feed in large schools in shallow water. And according to the International Game Fish Association record book, almost three-quarters of the records listed for bonefish were set in the Florida Keys. While the bonefish is listed as a single entry in the IGFA World Record book (Albula spp.,) the species most often encountered by anglers in the Keys is known taxonomically as Albula vulpes. According to the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) more than 95% of adult bonefish captured in the Florida Keys are Albula Vulpes. There is at least a handful of other species that have been recognized, including the "round-jaw bonefish" (Albula glossodonta) and the "species B" (Albula garcia) first identified in 2001 by the BTT. Recent studies have determined that, of a thousand juvenile bonefish captured in the Keys, a whopping 95% were in fact A. garcia, not the more commonly caught A. vulpes. Such a disparate species density based on age in the same area simply means that our understanding of these fish, their life cycle and breeding habits is a work in progress (especially as it pertains to the early life of A. vulpes.)

Science aside, the bonefish resides at the top of many an angler's "to catch" list. With the exception of the annual tarpon migration in the Spring that focuses nearly all local angling efforts on that singular pursuit, bonefish are perhaps the most wide spread and willing quarry available to anglers in the Keys. Make no mistake - a bonefish will test the skills of most any angler, yet a properly presented bait or fly can often result in the excessive speed and powerful run for which the bonefish is famous. Their erratic movements across the flats, coupled with a distinct camouflage that has earned them the moniker "grey ghost," can cause manic dysfunction in the anglers that pursue them, yet there is an inherent optimism to the venture - get it right, and you've participated in a uniquely "Keys" fishing experience.

Nathaniel Linville, owner of The Angling Company, loves fishing so much he made it his life's work. He also loves to pass his knowledge of fishing in the Florida Keys along to readers of Key West History magazine - this is his second article for us.