St Simons Island, GA

Fly Fishing For Red Fish

FLY CAST CHARTERS

 

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David Edens

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Fly Fishing For Red Fish in Georgia

– St Simons Island

– Jekyll Island

– Sea Island

– The Golden Isles

Current Conditionshe

We are in the early spring time pattern of red fish.  The large winter schools of red fish are breaking up.  Thus, the fish are spreading out so we usually don’t have to look so many places to find fish.  The water is in the mid 50’s to high 60’s, which means there is plenty of Oxygen in the water, and the fish fight hard.  It is not unusual for an 8 lb red to take you to your backing.  The fish are on the flats and creeks.  We search all of these spots to give you the best opportunity to catch a red..

The triple tail are starting to show up in front of Jekyll.  In the Golden Isles, we hae a very unique fishery for free floating triple tail.  To learn more, check out my blog on Triple Tail Fishing on the Capt’s Musings page..   If the weather is conducive, I like to combine fly fishing for red fish and fly fishing for triple tail.  Effective flies are  smaller, lightly weighted andi lighter colored flies that  Imitate small shrimp patternsl.  Try the Prawn’s Revenge and the St. Simons Scampmi (Tying instructions on my Flies Page)as well as the tried and true Kwan fly.

Early Spring fishing is heavily dependent on the weather.  If the wind is blowing right after a front, it is usually not worth going out.  If we are two to three days after a front, before the next one blows through, the weather is usually conducive to sight fishing..nter

I do not want to take anyone on just a boat ride. I will be honest about your chance of catching a fish. I normally have some open dates in early Spring. so we can be flexible. Let’s go “Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn.Check out the fishing reports on Orvis.com by clicking here.

“Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn

 

I

I have started using a new fiddler crab fly: a felt crab fly.  I have used a Black Toad fly for years in the flooded grass, and when I need to get down deep, fast, this is still my go to fly.  What I like about the Felt Crab Fly is how softly it lands.  I just added a page with tying instructions.  Check it out and give it a try.  Felt Crab Fly. The red fish are also crushing this fly on the low tide.

“Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn”

 

Capt. David is a Fly Fishers International Certified Fly Casting Instructor.  He is the only FFI Certified Casting Instructor in the Golden Isles.  This means correct, professional instruction and feedback on your fly casting.

Contact Capt. David about a casting lesson prior to your charter.  See the Fly Casting Instruction page for details.

What Does does being an Orvis Endorsed Guide Mean? 

It means that you can be assured of a high quality trip with a Captain that meets the high standards of Orvis.  Captain David Edens has been an Orvis endorsed guide for 15 years.  He is experienced in many fly-fishing enviorments:  Cuba, Mexico, Florida, Belize and the SE coast.  He has fished fresh water in Alaska, California, the Mountain West, the Appalachain region, the Northeast, the Great Lakes and Brazil.  He uses all of this experience to help you become a better angler.  He is the only Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor in the area.  He loves to bring the Orvis Experience of Excellence to his anglers.

Now, Let’s Go Fishing!

 

Imagine being poled down a low tide flat, fly fishing redfish, with so many redfish they bump the bottom of the boat.  The Capt. shows you the wake made by the ten pound red.  You cast your fly a few feet in front of him.  Capt Dave quietly says, “Strip–let it sit.  Bump it.”  You do, and a ten pound redfish explodes on your fly in ten inches of water.  Your drag screams as the big red fish takes you to your backing.  This is what fly fishing redfish is all about.

Imagine wading the flooded spartina grass flats fly fishing redfish in some of the Southeast’s most beautiful and unspoiled marshes.  You see several tailing and feeding red fish.  The Capt. puts you in the perfect position for a cast.  You choose the biggest tail, make a cast about a foot in front of him, and within seconds he grabs your black toad fly, and he is off to the races, with your drag screaming.  After a five or ten minute fight, you slide your hand under his belly, have your picture taken with him, and gently revive him, letting him swim off to fight again.  Fly fishing redfish doesn’t get any better than this.

Imagine you are in the middle of the sound, and the Capt. points to a series of ripples about 200 yards away.  You motor close to the school of Jack Crevalle and drop the trolling motor to quietly get in front of them.  You grab the 10 wt fly rod, throw a big bunker pattern in front of the school and can’t believe it as 25-35 lb Jacks fight for the fly.  One grabs it, and you are in for the fight of a lifetime.  Forty-five minutes later both you and the fish are totally exhausted as the Capt. lips the 30 lb jack and hoists him aboard for a quick photo and a satisfying release.  Fly fishing for big Jack Crevalle is like hooking a Mac truck.

This is what we do,

Spring is coming to the Golden Isles

With the advent of Spring, our waters begin warming.  68 to 70 degrees is the magic temperature.  The big winter schools of reds begin to break up and we are able to find them in more places.  Trout come up from the depths and gather around oyster beds and grass.  In May we expect the first "tailing" tides of the year where the reds get into the grass and tail aggressively grubbing for fiddler crabs.  Tailing redfish in the grass is classic, southern fly fishing for redfish.

In St. Simons we have an interesting fishery chasing free floating triple tail just 1-3 miles off of the beaches.  This is an unusual behavior because they are not floating close to structure.  They are simply free floating.  We look for these fish by idling around just off the beaches.  When I see one, I motor close to it and try put you in a good position for a cast.  The flies are generally lightly weighted or unweighted flies that mimic small shrimp or bait fish.  If you make a good presentation a little beyond and in front of the fish, you may come tight with a triple tail up to 20 pounds.  Triple tail are a hard fighting fish that jumps and runs.  I have said many times, if you can imagine how hard a 10 pound blue gill would pull, that is how hard a Triple Tail pulls.  This pattern runs from late March until June or July.  

At this time of year, I like to combine a red fish and Triple tail trip.  As in all sight fishing, a clear day with light wind makes for the fishing.  So, click the link below to inquire on booking a trip for a species I would bet you have never caught on fly.

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