"What'd you do with the fish?" she asked.

"We released them," I said.

"You let them go? Then what's the point of fishing for them?" If I could've persuaded her to go bonefishing, it would not have taken long for her to understand why some anglers devote their lives to catching and releasing bonefish.

Bonefish have several qualities that endear them to recreational anglers. For starters, they have lots of bones (hence the name), so very few people eat them, which means there are plenty of them.

They feed in shallow water, which allows anglers to sight-fish for them. In other words, you can see the fish and cast a bait or lure to them, which can be extremely exciting or tremendously frustrating. Make a good cast and the fish will eat. Make a bad cast and the fish will spook, never to be seen again.

Bonefish that are feeding give themselves away by creating muds, which are puffs of marl stirred up by the fish as they root in the grass for crabs and shrimp. You can cast to a mud or, even better, watch a bonefish make several muds and then cast in the direction the bonefish is heading.

In very shallow water, feeding bonefish will tail. As the fish tip their heads down, their tails come out of the water. Tailing fish are what every serious bonefish angler dreams of seeing.

If you're fortunate enough to hook a bonefish, then you get to experience one of the most exhilarating battles the sport has to offer. A bonefish's first run is sizzling. It's like hooking an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter dash. Line comes off your fishing reel faster than you ever thought possible as the fish zips away.

The fish will eventually pause, and that's when you can gain back some line -- if you have any remaining. Sometimes you have to crank your boat's engine and go after the fish to keep from getting spooled.