Bonefish

Albule Vulpes, “The Gray Ghost of the Flats” as they are called, are among the most difficult of all fish to catch. They are also one of the most fun to catch. When you hook into one, before you know it, your reel is singing and you are well into your backing. Landing one is no easy feat. Here in the Virgin Islands, we regularly see schools of six to a dozen fish. We mostly target these small schools, or singles and pairs. We sometimes find larger schools of 30-40 fish and I’ve occasionally seen schools of 100 or more fish.  But let’s be honest: these aren’t the Bahamas and we don’t have miles and miles of flats here.  Our flats are small and we therefore don’t have the habitat or the population of bonefish here that some other fishing destinations may have.  These fish aren’t easy to catch, but when you do catch one, it is well worth it – our bonefish here can be BIG.

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Captain AJ and a trophy bone
“I’ve been fly fishing for bonefish here on St. John and elsewhere in the Virgin Islands for over 20 years. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and one thing I’ve learned is that as soon as you think you’ve got them figured out, they’ll surprise you! I’m passionate about bonefishing. I love fishing for them in my free time, and I love guiding others for them. We catch bonefish here year round, although April and May are, in my opinion, two of the best months for bonefishing.” – Captain Arthur Jones

12 flats

``One thing I love about fly fishing for bonefish is just being out on the flats, wading, looking for fish, taking in the majestic scenery. The flats here on St. John are so gorgeous, it's just great to be out there.``