Let’s say you’ve experienced world-class dry fly fishing on the Fryingpan, Big Horn and the Madison, conquered the spooky cutthroat of alpine lakes, and have floated the Green River to the Roaring Fork to the Bitterroot and everything in between. What’s next? My resounding answer is a bonefish trip!

Bonefish are the next logical step for many fly fishers because they also live in beautiful places, you don’t have to travel that far to catch one, and they provide a thrilling visual experience. They pull like hell, too. Some destinations are quite remote, others are places provide all the amenities you could ever want. Guides are a must, at least the first few times you go.

Learning to see these nearly-invisible “ghosts of the flats” is a whole lesson in itself, let alone perfecting the retrieve of the fly, understanding tides, and so forth.

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Bonefish tend to come onto a flat with the rising tide to forage for food, and head back out to deeper water as the tide recedes. They move quickly and often require a long range yet delicate presentation. Most bonefish destinations also have other critters swimming around. Depending on where you go, you’ll have shots at permit, snook, tarpon, barracuda, jacks, milkfish, trevally, plus much more.

Rods, reels and lines to consider are 7 to 9 weights, and flies consist of various shrimp, baitfish and crab imitations. Most local fly shops carry a nice selection of saltwater equipment, flies and advice, believe it or not!

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Places to consider researching and visiting are the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Mexico, Cuba, Belize, the Seychelles, Hawaii and Christmas Island. If you’ve got a case of the winter blues, look into heading somewhere salty for a few days. It’s always bonefish season!

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or TaylorCreek.com.