St Simons Island, GA
Fly Fishing For Red Fish
FLY CAST CHARTERS
Call or Text
(706) 540 – 1276
Captain
David Edens
is Endorsed by Orvis as
Fly Cast Charters and Outfitters
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Fly Fishing For Red Fish in Georgia
– St Simons Island
– Jekyll Island
– Sea Island
– The Golden Isles
4 Hours - 1 Angler
2nd Angler - $50- $100 For Every Hour Over 4 Hours
- Most Trips Run 4-5 Hours Because We Fish The Tide
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,
Current Conditions
Spring has come to the Golden Isles of Georgia. Water is warming and the fish are responding. The big schools of winter are breaking up. The red fish are in the usual places, however, they are more scattered now. We have to move around to find them. We still have pretty good numbers of red fish from the previous 4 years of recruitment success.
There is concern. The South Atlantic Fisheries Council completed their Red Drum stock assessment. As a result of the assessment, they found that the red drum populations of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are overfished. Many of us could have told them that years ago. Why our DNR has not reduced creel limits or changed the slot limit since the 1990’s when fishing pressure has increased so much is far beyond me. Fortunately, they will have to institute some changes to increase escapement. The survey determined the escapement rate (where reds in the marsh fish mature to adults and leave for the ocean to join the breeding stock of Bull Reds) is 30%. A 40% escapement rate is necessary for a sustainable fishery. With Georgia having 1/3 of all the salt marsh-in other words, 1/3 nursery ground for red drum, on the East Coast- for the stock to become sustainable, Georgia must reduce harvest dramatically. Let’s hope our DNR does the right thing for my kids and grand kids.
Speckled trout fishing will heat up as the water warms. We will be able to find them on Oyster bars and at creek mouths on moving water. Plan to fish for them on the neap tides when the water is clearer. A chartreuse clouser in size 4 or 2 will get the job done. Look for an early morning surface bite. They a “popper/dropper” arrangement to enjoy a top water bite.
Triple Tail are floating in front of Jekyll Island. This is an unusual fishery where we sight fish free floating fish. Check out my Triple Tail blog on my Musings page.
I do not want to take anyone on just a boat ride. I will be honest about your chance of catching fish. Check out my weekly fishing reports on Orvis.com by clicking here.
Give me a call or click the Book Now link at the bottom of the page and let’s go, “Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn.”
Hunting Fish in the Marshes of Glynn“
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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.
- Send me a note through my contact page
- Email to flycastcharters@gmail.com
- Call or send a text to 706-540-1276 (cell, best) or 912-289-1061 (home),
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.
