Weather has been all over the place here in Hilton Head and Beaufort SC  these last couple weeks of April, but we are still getting it done. Redfish, Speckled trout, and Flounder have been our primary targets.  Lots of migrating fish moving in and water temps still slowly rising.  Schools of bluefish, mackerel, and some triple tail have been seen almost daily.  Cobia reports are just starting to trickle in so getting excited for May with some Tailing Redfish Tides on the way too. 
#golocofly

When asked what I use for fly gear here in the LowCountry.  Here is my explanation.   Everything I use is for a performance reason. I like to use Clutch Fly Rods in 8/10/and 12 weights.  Everyone who steps on my boat can usually get at least a couple extra feet with them.  For me thats key. You have to get that fly to the fish.  My reels are Nautilus for my 8 and 10wt. That huge arbor allows bigger pick up ratios but more importantly it allows your fly line to come off in bigger loops which has less tendency for knots during line management. Fly lines are also a huge part.  By getting a new high end fly line you can usually get some extra feet right off the bat.  Taper will depend on what you are trying to do.  The taper on these Arc 99 is a little heavy on the front end.  This allows the rod to load with less line out of the tip.  Whether beginner or advanced, it brings speed up to those 20-50 foot shots.  This tends to be the majority of my conditions.  When paired together, (Clutch Tactical Fly Rod and Arc Fly Line) I have found a deadly balance.   For me,  I have not found a better combination for most of the conditions I fish.  Stay tuned for Leaders and Rigging coming soon.   #golocofly

Hilton Head’s other grass Tailing reds on grass flats elude most tourists.
Bryan Bowers  

June 05, 2014 at 9:00 am  | Mobile Reader | Print 
Bryan Bowers The better tailing flats for reds are those not too close to popular boat ramps.
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Folks from all over the world head to Hilton Head every year in search of one thing; golf. Golf courses, condos, shopping centers, jet skis, and likely the greatest concentration of Ohio license plates outside of Ohio pretty much sums up the Hilton Head experience for most visitors. A lesser known fact is that Hilton Head is also home to some of the best tailing redfish flats in the state.

Hilton Head is sandwiched between the Calibogue and Port Royal sounds and has several small inlets and large creeks that are highways for reds searching for forage on the numerous big flood-tide flats. While all of the flats will contain tailing reds at times, some flats are naturally better than others. Doing a little homework before heading out, experienced anglers regularly find dozens of tails-up reds shortly after leaving the boat landing. 

Capt. Mark Nutting (LoCoFlyCharters) credits most of his success to doing homework before scouting out new areas. He said, “I use Google Earth like everyone else, but mostly I use nautical charts when searching for good tailing flats.”

Why use an old fashioned chart when a desktop offers such easy access to maps? The answer is in the available details. 

“With a chart, I can see the gradient of the bottom and what the lead-up to the flat looks like, and I can easily find the areas where fish will stage before and after the flood” said Nutting (843-540-7302).

The staging areas are usually pockets of short grass on the edge of the flat or wide, shallow and grassy creeks cutting into the flat. Reds do not just pop up on a flat after it is covered in water, but rather, they will push through the grass on the rising tide searching for fiddler crabs and other critters that are easy pickings in skinny water.

By finding those areas where reds stage, an angler can add to the hours available for sight-fishing instead of just when the water is on the flat. 

“The rule of thumb for fishing a tailing tide is an hour-and-a-half before the top of the tide and after, but fish will be in the shallow pockets around a flat for some time before and after, allowing for many more opportunities,” Nutter said.

As soon as the water starts to flood the high grass — or approximately three hours before dead high tide — Nutting is searching those shallow pockets near the flat for reds. The same goes for the outgoing; as long as water is still on those shallow pockets, chances are reds are, too. Many anglers consider tailing tides a two to three hour opportunity at most, but Nutting has found a way to stretch it to almost a full day of sight fishing.

Opinions on the best tide height for tailing reds in the Beaufort/Hilton Head area vary, but the general consensus is 7.5 to 8 feet at the Savannah River entrance. Local angler and fly tier John Holbrook, who does most of his tail-searching on the flats on or near Hilton Head, has come to rely on weather conditions as much as tide-chart predictions for determining when it is go time. 

“A lot of time, people won’t even think about flood-tide reds when the chart says it will only be 7.0 or less, but the wind is a big part of tide height, and if it is blowing from the east, offshore, it will be a lot higher than predicted inshore” he said. “Some of my best days chasing flood-tide reds have been when the tide-chart prediction was low but the wind east, and on those days, I had my choice of flats without ever seeing another angler.”

Fortunately, reds do not read tide charts, nor weather reports; their movements are never dictated by what is supposed to be. Any day can be a good day for tailing reds. Even when the water is not high enough to flood the firmer walking flats, the staging areas Nutting likes to target will still hold tailing fish. Also, reds like to push shallow and are not scared to get a little sun on their backs if it means a crab dinner, so anglers on foot can often find a tail or too on the deeper edges of a flat.

High fishing pressure on reds makes sense, but in actuality, the pressure is quite low, at least on the flats farther away from the landings. These lesser-educated reds will readily eat a number of artificials and flies and are much less likely to spook from a poor cast, skiff, or wading angler. Let the hordes of visitors to Hilton Head have their golf and shopping, the real sport is just off the course and often in plain sight of the greens. 






 

http://www.southcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=3765

Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing the Flats of  Hilton Head, Savannah Georgia, and Beaufort South Carolina has been hot and cold.  Low Tide has been key, but with great tailing tides on the horizon we are looking forward for some sick tailing redfish here in the low country.  Crabs and bait are in full bloom which  means we got sweet fishing to come. If your not on the books give this Hilton Head fly fishing guide a call at 843 540 7302.
#golocofly

As we move from our transitional stage with our fishing here in Hilton Head, Beaufort, and Savannah.    We are catching fish of all sizes.  Warmer temps and baitfish flowing in brings a sense of excitement of things to come.  The bite has been turning on and when the wind calms, downright awesome.  Stay tuned to a #GoLoCofly fishing season…..