Summer days in South can be hot and long... The past ten days down in the Lowcountry were certainly no exception. I decided to bring my new little skiff, a Towee Calusa, down to the marshes of South Carolina to hunt some reds. The fishing was fairly challenging— high tides were high enough to flood the spartina grass, but no redfish were seen, and strong winds hampered us for the first few days. We eventually found a backcountry creek that was absolutely packed with reds— the fish were so plentiful that you could feel them bumping the hull and pushpole as they moved past the boat. Fishing the low tide was key and the most productive flies were black, flashy patterns that could be seen in the muddy water. We also found ladyfish chasing shrimp around the dock lights at night. These fish were tremendous fighters and were eager to take down a small Gurgler stripped through the light.
My trusty little skiff.
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." -Kenneth Grahame
The thrill of the hunt.
Low tide creek fishing. My buddy Ping hooked this redfish on a Keitech swimbait. Killer lure.
The fruits of our labor.
The redfish we found were all in the 6-8 lb range. They put a nice bend in an 8 weight. Or a 5 weight if you're like my friend Ping.
Night fishing along the docks, however, was easy pickings for the "poor man's tarpon". I honestly don't know if a baby tarpon can fight better than these... Amazing jumps, runs, and stamina.
Sunset in the Lowcountry.
Whoa! Nicely done Steve! That's a sweet rig you got there. Glad to see some saltwater action on this blog.
ReplyDeletePerfect post to read as I sit and wait for flight in helsinki. After meeting hundreds of people to talk about technology, nice to dream about tug on line. Tight line brothers.
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