Are you “shallow minded?” Have you been known to carry carpenter’s knee pads, or snow shoes on your bonefishing trips? We love to wade for bonefish and the skinnier the water, the better. So where’s the best place to get your feet wet, and little else? Here’s a quick list of our favorite wading destinations and how they rank. Click on the links below for more information on each lodge or destination.
Bahamas
Grey’s Point Inn – 99% wading: Grey’s Point on Acklins Island is the winner in the Bahamas as virtually all bonefishing is by wading, much of this in water only 3 – 6 inches deep!
Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge – 85% wading: Mars Bay is a close second to GPI. MBBL is furthest south and closest to the vast wading flats of South Andros. Except for high spring tides, you’re walkin’!
Bair’s Lodge & Andros South – 80% wading: Located further north on south Andros, these lodges also fish Deep and Little Creeks which have a mix of wading and skiff fishing.
Rickmon Bonefish Lodge & Blackfly – 75% wading: The flats of southern Abaco, Mores Island and Gorda Cay are mostly firm, beautiful wading flats. For the guy who prefers to wade, you can expect to spend most of your fishing time on foot.
North Andros Fly Fishing – 75% wading: North Andros and The Joulter Cays sport beautiful, white sand wading flats with some impressive size bones and occasionally permit too!
Seychelles
Alphonse Island Fishing Company – 95% wading. With exclusive access to the famed St. Francois Lagoon, as well as the flats of Alphonse Island and Bijoutier, AIFC is one of the world’s top wading destinations for bonefish and a myriad of other species, including Giant Trevally and milkfish.
Farquhar Atoll – 90% wading. This southernmost atoll in the Seychelles chain offers astounding wade fishing for more than 10 species, including above average size bones, Giant Trevally, Indo-Pacific Permit, Trigger Fish and a myriad of other exotic species.
Mauritius
St. Brandon’s Atoll onboard the MY Gryphon Mothership – 99% wading. Quite possibly the #1 wading destination for trophy size bones and an exotic mix including Indo-Pacific permit, 5 species of trevally including Giant Trevally to over 100 pounds! Not for the faint of heart!
Belize
Turneffe Flats Resort – 90% wading: The Turneffe Atoll is famed for minimal tidal fluctuation and tailing fish all day long. The only skiff fishing is for permit in the lagoon or tarpon in the creeks.
Tarpon Caye Lodge – 90% wading: For permit! The infamous flats of Permit Alley where you can stalk tailing permit on foot!
Venezuela
Sight Cast Los Roques: – 100% wading: Perhaps the premier bonefishing wade fishery in the northern hemisphere, the atoll of Los Roques features tailing bones on the unique, challenging but bewitching “Pancake Flats”.
Turks & Caicos
Beyond the Blue Bonefishing – 90% wading. Another unique fishery, the flats of South Caicos are accessed by airboat. Once the fish are located, anglers disembark and wade or use paddle boards, unguided, to stalk the schools.
Christmas Island
Capt. Cook Hotel – 99% wading. While perhaps not as prolific as it once was, Christmas Island remains one of the premier wading destinations for anglers seeking good numbers of medium sized bonefish.
Want to know more about wading, or looking for a great read?
by John Frazier, editor of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters
(This large file may take 30 – 60 seconds to download, but it’s well worth the wait!)
Want help picking the best wading destination for your next trip? Call or email.