Your fishing guide's reports from fishing charter trips in Beaufort County aboard the fishing skiff On The Fly  

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Overcast with 3-5 mph NW winds with some gusts to 10 mph.  With no fishing charter booked and good fly fishing conditions, your fishing guide headed out on a mid-afternoon -0.3 low tide to explore new territory.  Arriving at a huge flat with oyster shell mounds inshore and deep water offshore, we began a drift down the flat aided by a moderate current.  Staking off after sighting a flash from the side of a redfish, some surface ripples indicated a school in about a foot of water.  On the second cast, a brown/white clouser was inhaled by a fish that meant business.  On the first run, the spot tail took up my slack line and was on the reel.  After some give and take, the fish caught sight of the boat and got the reel singing with another run.  A few minutes later, the nice ten-pounder posed for a picture and was on his way.  The school had not moved far.  With a little maneuvering, I was able to stake off within casting range and land a four pound fish.  The spot was recorded, and I headed across the river to check out another fair sized flat at the mouth of a large creek as the tide turned.  With some stronger breezes creating some waves, surface ripples from fish were harder to observe, and we got too close to a couple of schools resulting in no responses to some quick casts as the schools moved away.   Though no additional redfish were landed, your fishing guide was delighted to add two new locations for future fishing charters.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Clear with 5-10 mph E wind. Mid-day fishing charter with a fly fisher aboard to fish a +0.1 low tide on one of our old favorite flats.  Your fishing guide positioned the boat at the head of a creek splitting the flat to drift the falling tide with the wind at our backs.  Casting to a surface push with a brown/white clouser, our fly rodder hooked up with a slot sized redfish.  The short battle got the spot tail’s schoolmates moving about with the ‘troubled water’ indicating a group of 30-40 fish.  As we attempted to add to our count, the school was ambushed by two dolphins, scattering fish in all directions.  The dolphins thrashing about in shallow water attracted the attention of a group of pelicans that added to the chaos with a few dive bombs into the periphery of the mayhem.  Guessing that the survivors might be a little nervous, we repositioned. 

The wind increased to 10 mph while we searched the larger expanses of the flat.  With small waves now disturbing the surface, we overran the outliers of a large school.  The school settled down a short distance away, permitting casts to the edges.  A five-pounder liked the brown/white clouser and provided a nice fight which unfortunately sent the school along its way.  With winds now gusting to 15 mph, we headed for home.  Too many dolphins, too many pelicans, but two redfish – not too bad a way to close out the year.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.Sunny with 0-5 mph S wind. Near perfect conditions for fly fishing on a visit to one of our old favorite flats on a +1.6 low tide.  With great anticipation, your guide started a drift through oyster rakes and some bottom hugging weeds on the falling tide.  Mullet in multitudes, plenty of pelicans, and four hundred yards later, the travelogue was over and it was time to find some fish. 

Moving to the shallowest waters at the head of the bay that had been quite productive last spring, we began a drift through an area with a slight breeze in a foot of water.  We were soon rewarded with the sight of the tails of five redfish slowly moving forty feet ahead of us.  Our flyrodder cast a merkin crab pattern three feet to the right of the fish and got a strike on the first strip!  Puffs of mud erupted as all fish fled.  As our fly fisherman fought the fish we staked off in the hopes that the fish would not flee very far and that others might be in the vicinity.  After releasing the slot sized fish and throwing some searching casts in front, we scanned the waters for any sign of more spot tails.  More searching casts to the sides produced nothing.  Scanning 360 degrees, we sighted a large mud directly behind us. After turning the boat, our flyrodder was able to take care of the rear guard action despite the light breeze by picking off another three fish measuring 18 to 22 inches.   Slow start to the day, but a nice finish by watching our backside.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 2-4 mph NW winds.  Promising conditions for our first fall fishing charter after returning from Canadian waters.  Morning start for a spin caster to fish either side of a +1.7 foot low tide.  Tied on a ¼ ounce clear DOA shrimp with gold flecks to fish a medium sized lagoon surrounded by oyster rakes.  After some light fishing guide work poling through a few schools of mullet, we spotted some redfish pushes in about 18 inches of water.  From his bow position our fisherman delivered a nice cast a few feet in front of a red’s v-wake and the rod doubled as the fish inhaled the DOA. A few runs against the drag showed us we were dealing with a spot tail that had some spunk.  Following a short tussle, your guide lifted out the first fish of the day – a nice four pounder.  Over the next twenty minutes the water boiled each time nearly identical redfish inhaled the shrimp pattern, adding two to our tally. After a dry spell with a few refusals, we replaced the DOA with a gold spoon with a plastic skirt but did not improve our luck as fish kept moving out of range. 

Sensing it might be time for a change, we moved to a large expansive flat with scattered oyster rakes and about 12 inches of water.   After some surveillance, we caught a flash from the side of a redfish as it foraged the bottom.  A long cast ended up spooking a school of about thirty fish.  As the fish scattered, one thought there was time for a bite to eat, and grabbed the spoon.  After a brief battle and a quick release, we were pleasantly surprised as smaller groups of the school that had gotten over their surprise cruised about providing additional opportunities.  One more spot tail from the school brought our count to five.  As the water neared the grass line with the rising tide, our last fish of the day succumbed to the sinuous movement of the skirted gold spoon.  Shrimp boils, gold fever, and a great trip!        

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 3-10 mph E winds.  Dawn start for a fly fishing charter to fish both sides of a median tide on one of the guide’s favorite old flats.  Having had some success with crab patterns in the warmer weather, we started with a Copperhead to mimic the fiddler crabs one might expect on the mud bank among numerous oyster rakes.  With the wind at our back, the first leg of our trip resulted in a couple of casts to surface wakes, but no takers.  Shifting to a different part of the flat we took advantage of the current from the falling tide for our drift and began to sight small groups of redfish along the lee shore.  We were able to get off one or two casts to several schools; however, the fly fishing was difficult with a wind that created awkward angles and fish that spooked fairly easily – still no takers.  At low tide we moved to another part of the flat to fish the rising tide with the wind directly behind us.  As your guide positioned the boat, we noticed a lot of activity in a smaller bay just downwind from us: redfish were slashing through schools of baitfish in about a half foot of water!   Switching to a chartreuse/white clouser, our fly fisherman quickly hooked and landed a slot sized redfish.  This spot tail seemed small for the wakes and splashes we were seeing.  After a number of near misses, a good sized red took the fly and broke the tippet at the knot.  Having tied a hasty improved clinch knot, your guide was a little chagrined as he tied on another chartreuse/white clouser with a stronger Palomar knot - we were ready to rejoin the battle!  To frustrate us, the redfish stayed just outside of casting range and continued to throw up large eruptions of water as they hammered bait fish.  Finally, a large v-wake moved steadily towards the boat.  A perfect cast lay the fly directly in front of the fish.  As the fish neared the fly, our fly fisherman began stripping in the fly until suddenly his fly rod bent as our quarry took the fly.  The fish continued straight at the boat.  With rod high, our fisherman stripped in slack like crazy till the rod doubled after the fish passed the boat.    The fish ran out all the slack and then was on the reel.  After a good tug of war, we were greeted by big brother – a nice nine pound 28 inch redfish.  Apparently a tough act to follow, no more fish were landed.  But the small bay on our old favorite flat has been filed away for a return trip.

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 8-12 mph S winds.  Afternoon charter with two spin casters to fish a large sand/mud flat with deep water access on either side of a minus 1 foot low tide.  Entering the flat with the wind at our backs, your guide was pleased to note extremely clear water.  A white flash 50 yards out suggested a feeding fish turning sideways and the likelihood of a school of redfish.  As we drew closer, a few muds in the water indicated our flasher had some company.  Casts to the edges of the muds shortly produced a strike on a gold spoon with a pink skirt. A few minutes fight on a reel with a light drag setting and a 16” spot tail brought a big smile to the face of a first time redfisherman!  Criss-crossing the flat to relocate the school without success, we shifted to the outer edge of the flat near low tide.  “Troubled water” soon gave away the location of the school.  After the boat was staked out by your guide, a Berkeley Gulp crab bait fished slowly in front of the school was just the ticket for a 22” red for the second fisherman.   Continuing our drift down the outer edge of the flat, we began to have trouble spotting fish before over-running them due to stronger winds and deeper water.  Adopting a ‘stop, blind cast, forty foot drift, then cast again’ approach, we had no action.  Returning to the main part of the flat, another white flash foretold the presence of our quarry.  Some troubled water and muds provided a target and the gold spoon enticed another spot tail to make a curtain call for a photo-op.      

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 5 mph W winds shifting to E.  Mid-morning trip to fish a rising tide on a large expansive flat.  As we entered the flat with one fly fisher aboard, we were greeted by a flock of pelicans splashing around the edges of a large school of 50-75 redfish in very clear water of about one foot depth.  After the boat was guided to a downwind casting position, we hooked up with a 20” fish on the second cast with a brown/white clouser despite the commotion being created by the pelicans.  The pelicans departed and the school meandered in and out of casting range requiring repositioning of the boat in very shallow water in order to avoid spooking the school while keeping the wind at our back.  Successive casts produced one more hookup followed by refusals with clousers, merkins, and lectric chickens.  Conversations with other guides indicated a similar pattern of one or two fish landed on their trips.  Our thoughts on the matter included: having to fish from extremely shallow water to lessen visibility to the school, meaning casts were only in water with visible fish for a short time; a rise in barometric pressure over the length of the charter; and the old adage “when the wind is from the East, the fishing is the least.”  An okay day, but we would expect more activity from schools of that size.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Fog with 5-7 mph NW changing to sunny with 1-3 mph S winds.  Dawn start to fish two hours either side of a mid-morning low tide on a flat with oyster rake ‘hedgerows’ bounded by a large creek and a smaller creek with shell mounds.  Used the prevailing wind and falling tide to drift the entire length of the flat searching for redfish movement.  With no activity sighted, your guide moved back to the starting point off the creek with shell mounds with the intended strategy of staking off every 30-40 feet of drift and fan casting the area downwind.  The second cast with a brown/white clouser produced a strike and a fight was on!  This spot tail had no interest in being reeled in and made two extended runs across the bow of the boat before finally pulling up alongside – a nice 24” fish that smiled for the camera and was on its way.  A few casts later another strong strike led to the first red’s twin putting on a similar show.  After a dry spell we pulled stakes and drifted forty feet in hopes of finding the school with our next casts.  Small mushroom clouds of mud told us the sorry facts – we had over run them.  Seeing no surface movement, we staked out immediately in the hopes that the school would not travel far.  Five minutes later, we landed a fish that was either a straggler or not easily spooked, which suggested that the school might not have left the county.  After an extended period without any action, we drifted a little further and picked up another fish grazing near an oyster rake.  Dissipating fog, increasing sunshine, and diminishing winds foretold good conditions for sight fishing.  However, we ended up drifting the entire flat over the rising tide without seeing any surface wakes or strikes from blind casting.  The fish were apparently moving slowly in deep enough water not to transmit their presence – and definitely preferred the creek mouth over the rest of the flat!  Four reds on the clouser was a respectable morning for the fly rodder. 

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with calm winds.  Headed out with two fly fishers on board after a dawn low tide.   We entered a small lagoon with a glass surface and anticipated easily sighting redfish movement.  Immediately, splashing water and a large commotion erupted -- as a dolphin ripped into our quarry.  Sensing no need to stick around for this spooked school, we shifted to a large expansive flat at the head of a tidal creek with varying densities of oyster reefs where we fished the rising tide through the morning.  Still surface waters allowed us to spot pushes by two schools of redfish.  As we poled towards the closest pod, our bow fly fisher threw a brown/white clouser to the edge of the wakes.  The second cast resulted in a strike that doubled the fly rod.  After a good tussle, the first red of the day was landed – a hefty 24” spot tail.  After a photo op, we were back to work and shortly smaller brother was on the line and bull dogging like a much larger fish.  After our disaster in the first lagoon, things were looking good with two reds landed in quick succession.

With bright sun and extremely clear water, we began to have schools meander towards our stakeout and then spook as they sighted the boat just out of casting range.  Finally, a school barrelled across the flat directly at the boat and was greeted with a well thrown black clouser.  The lead fish in the group grabbed the fly and showed us why he was out in front of the others.  This bruiser criss-crossed the flat without breaking the surface for a few minutes while the fly line sliced the water nearer the boat.  After one more run when the boat was sighted, a 27” seven pounder provided us with a photo op!  After a dry spell the brown clouser picked up a few fish from a school working over an oyster rake.  Rising waters finally shut down the sight fishing and we headed for home with the score black clouser three to the brown/white clouser’s eight.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Mostly cloudy with 1-3 mph E winds, 44 degree water temp after long cold spell.  Mid-day start on an old favorite flat two hours before low tide.  Drifting with the ebb tide, spotted a school of redfish two-hundred yards down the flat which were also moving with the tide.  After ten minutes of poling, caught up with the spot tails the at mouth of the bay. We got off a few casts with tan/rootbeer maribou/estaz 'explorer' before losing the school.  Staked out, we were able to cast to a few surface wakes as the school meandered around us, but cloud reflections prevented any actual sightings despite very clear water. 

As the tide turned we shifted to a new position to allow for a long drift with the flood tide along some oyster shoals.  After drifting the entire length of the flat, we finally came upon a school of about fifty fish grazing at the base of the oyster rakes.  When ten casts to the edges of the school with the explorer resulted in no signs of interest, we tied on a brown/white clouser.  On the second cast, a small pup became the first fish of the day.  After repositioning the boat among the shoals, a stronger tug on the line indicated a little more serious customer.  After a brief fight, we released the five pounder and called it a day. 

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Overcast with 2-5 mph E winds.  Mid-morning start two hours before low tide on a lagoon surrounded by oyster rakes.  After winding through oyster rakes, a small group of redfish was sighted along a mud beach – one took a rootbeer/tan ‘lectric chicken.  Birds agitated a school of 30-40 reds into action further down the bank, so we began drifting with current and wind in that direction.  With two people fishing, isolated groups of fish resulted in two more slot-sized spot tails landed on the lectric chicken and two misses on a merkin crab pattern.  When in range of the larger school, another red was landed with the ‘lectric chicken and two misses with a tan/white clouser.  When the activity slowed down, we shifted to an expansive flat at the head of a tidal creek as the tide began to rise.  Staked out on the edge of a large pool, we were soon in hog heaven as successive schools of fish funnelled through two oyster rakes directly at the boat. With nearly constant targets for twenty minutes the score was ‘lectric chicken – two more and brown/tan explorer three misses and one puppy drum.  With fish now in the middle of the pool, we shifted to the head of the pool just inside of more oyster rakes – one fly fisherman zeroing in on a record day and the other smelling a little skunky.  After a lengthy break in the action, we began to see some pushes on the surface - one more spot tail for the ‘lectric chicken.  Now it was time to fumigate the skunk – two fish landed on the brown/tan explorer which then succumbed to a break-off with a larger fish.  After re-tying and throwing out a tan/white clouser, the line went taut with a ton of bricks on the other end.  As this freight train moved out, slack line disappeared and the reel began to squeal.  Ten minutes later the skunk had cleared the air with a 29 inch ten-pounder.  Quality had balanced out quantity and each fly fisherman had scored a personal best.

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Heavy overcast with 2-3 mph NW winds.  Mid-afternoon start on a narrow flat an hour before low tide.  Slow drift with wind and current saw no activity.  Moved to a wide tidal bay at low tide an hour and a half before dusk.  Gull activity had indicated the possibility of a school of fish, when a particularly aggressive bird caused a fairly large group of redfish to bolt.  As we worked our way into casting range, surface wakes and tailing redfish showed the school to have near to fifty fish!  After three casts to outlying fish, a merkin crab elicited a bite from a hefty loner.  Two runs and a twist of the body and the fly had been shaken.  With the school moving closer, a cast to the front runners brought an immediate strike from one of the youngsters in the group.  After a short retrieval and release, a quick cast brought another hook-up with a young bull!  At the end of a five minute fight, adrenaline was pumping enough to snap off the fly on the boat’s poling platform while beginning a forward cast.  With the fish almost milling about the boat and tails flapping in the air, the fly that leaped into our hands from the tackle box was a brown/white clouser.  A quick knot and a fifteen foot cast to a tailer brought no response.  Three more casts to tailing fish and no responses had us wondering if the expediency of the fly change had cost us the effectiveness shown by the merkin.  As the school turned and began to graze away from the boat, a cast in front of the leaders and a few short strips brought another hook up with a strong fish.  A few long runs through the middle of the school scattered fish but did not result in an all-out stampede.   By the time the fish had been subdued and landed, the school had moved out of range.  We stalked the perimeter of the school until shortly before dusk and ended up with a noteworthy day - - nine hook-ups with seven fish landed!

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with calm to slight ENE breeze.  Mid-morning start on a narrow flat with water still into the grass about two hours before low tide.  No action with chartreuse/white  and brown/olive clousers prompted us to move to a huge flat with deep water access an hour before low tide.  Small groups of redfish  were sighted moving between oyster rake bays in about a foot of water, but we were unable to get off very many casts to these steadily moving fish.   As the tide turned, a dead calm helped us spot the wakes of meandering small groups of reds.  Positioning ourselves on the edge of two groups, we were delighted as both groups worked their way to either side of our boat.   A shooting gallery with merkin flies as our projectiles!   One shook the fly after a soft take, then his comrade grabbed it.  The light tension and slow swimming as we reeled in made us believe we had a youngster – until the fish saw the boat.  Fight on!  This fish dragged the boat one direction, then reversed course and took it in the opposite direction!  After a five minute tussle, the muscular twenty-four incher was landed.   Only fish of the day, but quality easily exceeded quantity. 

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 3 mph ENE winds.  Dawn start on an expansive flat at the head of a tidal creek shortly after low tide rewarded us with the sighting of a large school of reds milling about a fair sized opening in the oyster rakes.  Successive casts with a merkin crab resulted in no takers.  As the fish began moving towards the grass, we shifted position to a spot along the grass and put on a brown/olive clouser.  The school split into smaller groups and we were able to hook four fish and land three as they cruised the grass line

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 8-12 mph ENE winds.  Started on the same tidal bay as the day before with dramatically different outcome.   Muddy water with riffled surface pretty much precluded  spotting fish.  Blindcasting a shrimp pattern and a clouser produced no interested parties.  Shifted to a sheltered flat at a river’s mouth where fish movement could be spotted on the surface – no fish movements.  One more shift to another sheltered flat rewarded us with what at first appeared to be a tailing fish that soon revealed itself as a small shark.  Strike three!

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 6-9 mph ESE winds.  Fished a wide tidal bay on either side of low tide.  One flyrodder started with a merkin fly, while another tried an olive/brown clouser.  Two redfish successively inhaled the merkin, prophesying  its continued success the rest of the afternoon.  The next spot tail outdid its name – nine spots in a beautiful array over its body!  Near low tide we followed a large school of reds up the river bank only to be out-maneuvered by two dolphins – we headed back to the bay.  As the tide came in the wind picked up, causing muddy water and poor conditions for sighting fish.  Nevertheless, moving back and forth across the bay casting to surface disturbances in about a foot of water resulted in two more reds in the 22-24 inch range,  a slightly chewed up merkin, and one very pleased flyfisherman.

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 10 mph S winds. Drifted long narrow flat on rising tide. Cast chartreuse/white clouser to three different muds.  Some surface motion detected, but no fish sighted or hooked.  Shifted to an expansive flat as winds picked up to 15 mph. No activity or muds sighted – blown out.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort Coounty.  Dawn start with slight overcast and 5 mph S winds which increased to 12 mph SSW during the trip. Fished grass edge of small flat encircled with oyster rakes on falling tide with water depths dropping from 2 feet to a half foot as the tide fell.  Two schools of 15 to 20 fish moving up and down the grass edge yielded a first ever redfish from a boat on a pink/chartreuse lectric chicken for a novice saltwater fly fisherman.  Moved to an expansive flat as the tide changed; wind conditions obscured evidence of fish movements.  Succesive stake-outs and blind casting with merkin crab, brown/white clouser, and Dupree spoon produced no results.  With winds at 12 mph, drifted downwind towards large mud.  While staked out, caught 25”red on a chartreuse/white clouser to end the morning.

Port Royal Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 5 mph S winds increasing to 10 mph S.  Fished large flat on either side of a negative low tide.  Surface waves made motion sightings difficult, but was able to zero in on muds in 12-18” water as the tide was falling --  landed two redfish on a rootbeer sparkle/tan bonefish explorer.   On the rising tide, was able to spot two small schools in 8-12”of water and get off a few casts to each.  A couple of turned heads and follows were only additional action.  

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sun giving way to heavy overcast, 5 mph S winds increasingto 10 mph SSE.  Fished extensive flat either side of low tide.  Started withbrown/white clouser in clear water with sun, switching to brown/green clouser as day became overcast.  Chased down school of redfish and staked out as they turned in my direction.  Wind gust diminished casting range as they passed upwind.  One follower but no takers among the three fish we were able to reach with casts.  After continuing drift, lone fish milled about near the boat, but showed no interest in four casts. 

Moved to small flat at mouth of river.  Exposure to winds and waves had turned first20 feet from shore into mud soup. Drifted outside the ‘mud  line’with no signs.  Staked out at creek mouthand blind fished a chartreuse streamer with hour-glass eyes to an oyster barand across the creek mouth - no  takers. Deteriorating weather ended the day.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.   Heavy overcast, intermittent showers with 5-10 mph NE winds.  After days of bad weather, decided to try a window between storms on a nearby flat at low tide. in consideration of the dark day, tied on a black lectric chicken.  With a higher low tide, saw no signs of fish on the surface.   Blind-fished oyster rakes with short drifts between stake outs.  One redfish pup landed before approaching storm closed our window of opportunity.  

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Sunny with 5-10 mph E winds increasing to 10-20 mph E.  Fished one of our old favorite flats either side of low tide; cloudy water that got murkier as wind picked up.  Drifted with minor poling till flashes indicated a school of redfish.  After positioning boat, got off three casts with a brown/green clouser before the school went kamikaze -- swam directly at the boat and then scattered.  As wind picked up and drift speed increased, over-ran  two small schools of reds and sent them on their way.  Blown out shortly after the tide changed.

St. Helena Sound tributary, Beaufort County.  Dead calm on overcast morning.  Fished a rising tide on expansive flat athead of a tidal creek.  Found school of 60+ slot sized redfish in shallow bay. Quick hook-up on brown/green clouser and long fight with a 29incher!  Followed fish onto flat with rising tide. Successive stake-outs at thirty-forty feet from the school’s wanderings, we landed five more fish 15”-26” over four hours