[Flynutz]

Just wanted to say Hello and introduce myself. I live in South eastern Pa and fly fish almost daily for trout. I have family that lives on Hilton Head island year round. My family and I make several trips a year down there and I'm interested in getting some Redfish on the fly. Since I'm unemployed right now I have to try and do it on my own since I cannot afford a guide right now. I have been researching for about the past month and I managed to borough a Sage 9wt rod from my father. I found a good deal on a Lamson Velosity 4 reel and line to boot. I'm having trouble finding place in and around hilton head to wade for reds. I was wondering if there is anyone here who maybe able to give some help with this? I will be down there for the week of Thanksgiving and would like to try and get my feet wet so to speak. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[DavidR]

Let me know when you get down here and I can show you some places to wade - although the flats fishing has pretty much ended for the summer with the cold fronts that have been coming through.

You will need some decent footwear - the flats here are mostly mud flats with the odd clump of oyster shells which are as sharp as razors.

Plenty of lagoons in the plantations with reds, trout, blues some tarpon in ... oh yeah and gators !!

[Flynutz]

David,Thanks I have been all over these sites looking for some help and all I keep getting is to hire a guide, which I would love to do, I just can't afford it. My Mother in law lives on the island year round for the past 12 years and I'm very familiar with the gators in her lagoons by her house. My son and I were down in July and went on a fishing charter with Triple Threat. The captain said nothing to us about fishing for reds in shore. That would have beat sharks off the coast. Buy the way is there anywhere on the island or close by that sells flies and such for fly fisherman. The only one I can find is Bay Street in Charleston. Thanks for putting yourself out there for me, much appreciated.

[DavidR]

There is a store in Moss Creek village on the left just before the bridge onto the island ... but there selection is somewhat hit and miss - in fact last time I was in there they had no flies suitable for Redfish.

Bay Street is a good source in Beaufort, or if in Charleston there is a good fly shop there. Otherwise I can give you a short list of suitable flies. Most of which can be easily tied or many of the sponsors on here such as DRO can source them for you.

Which plantation does you mother-in-law live in ? One in fact has a fishing club that I know of.

[Flynutz]

My mother in law lives in Indigo run. My son and I bass fish the lagoons around her house. Last July we tried fishing Veterns park right off 278. There were fish in the tidal pond there leaping out of the water and boils all over the top of the water. We could not get them to take anything. Did not try any flies.
I buy most of my flies on the internet at a huge reduction. They have saltwater flies ranging from $1 to $2. Just don't know if their flies will work for that area. If reds are not around will sea trout still be around?

[DavidR]

Sea Trout will be about - easier to target them from a boat or a dock with a light on it.

Without access to some of the gated communities getting on the more accessable flats can be tricky. A kayak is the other, relatively cheap, way to go.

[NCCY]

Sounds like mullet flynutz.

[Flynutz]

David, I have a three man creek company inflatable pontoon boat. It would be hard for me to bring it along with all the family gear. I also do not have a electric motor for it and I feel that there may be a lot of rowing to get where I need to be. And it is very sensative to the wind. I also thought about renting a yak for a day or to but one place I looked into wants $35 an hour to rent a yak. 10 hrs of fishing and I could almost buy one.
NCCY, I'm just starting with this saltwater stuff and do not know the species to well. Do mullet get to be 18 to 24 inches? I have seen small mullet in the stores for bait, but these fish were alot bigger, had a dark black back and silver bellies with a v shaped tail.

[DavidR]

Inflatable pontoon would be hard work against the tide and wind - not to mention the risk of slicing it open on oyster rakes - which would not be a good thing.

$35 per hour for a kayak - that sounds a little high.

[Flynutz]

Yeah thats what I was thinking. It supposedly comes with a guide also. But it does not say wether that is for fishing or sight seeing. Yak also has electric motor on it. It's thru one of the charter boats out of Broad Creek. The pontoons on my inflatable are 3 layered with the outside cover being a Poly coated canvas that seems fairly durable but I would still not be willing to ruin it on the oyster beds. Maybe I will see if I can trade or sell on ebay for a nice ocean yak. Sounds like a boat of some kind would be key to get access to the better flats? Is there any where to fish in the Sea Pines community, I know you can $5 to get in but I don't know if they allow you to fish? My mother in law my know some people in some of the other plantations, maybe I could get access that way? My father in law was a business owner down there until he passed away, and did alot with the rotary and other organizations in the area and my mother in law does alot of charity work with legal aid, so she may have some contacts.