Overview:

Beautiful, clear water, wonderful air temperatures with low wind made it a great December. Sight fishing redfish in Beaufort County was an excellent experience this year. By the middle of the month, the reds were in larger schools.

Fishing:

Nothing short of spectacular to see so many fish in gin clear water. We are seeing good numbers of overslot fish. We did not observe many slot-sized fish in December. One factor could be that the harvest rate was high in fall. The pressure on reds is at an all-time high; changes in regulations are needed to protect them. The bite was good, some of the trips in December were the best of the entire year.

The best way to find redfish is the old-fashioned way. On a few outings this month, once we located a school, we flew the drone to survey the number. One important takeaway in winter is that there are more fish in front of you than you may initially see. The drone pictures prove that out and are beautiful.

Technology will never replace the joy and skill at finding and getting close to redfish. If you want to be good at red fishing, rely on sharpening the technology God gave you. The key to intercepting redfish is anticipating where they should be on each tide. Focus your search in those suitable set ups and habitats.

Fly Tying:

Small, lightweight offerings in natural colors are our favorite this time of year. Size 2 and 4 hooks with small brass were the go-to out on the flats. Just enough weight to touch the bottom combined with the material selection. This month, we’re tying guide flies that get the job done day in and day out. The remainder of the winter for refining ideas and testing new clear water patterns for Lowcountry reds. As we anticipate spring, a dabble in the Cobia fly box with refinements based on lessons learned last season.

Low-tide redfish are over mud. Therefore we tie a lot of them up without weed guards. The hookup ratio is so good when using a light wire hook with no weed guard. On high, the reds are going to be in the grass or on the line over shells. Opt for a weed guard in that scenario. Without it, fishing for them will be hard and the fly will get snagged on everything.

It’s worth your time to have dedicated winter patterns for various tides, locations, and winter redfish boxes. Winter offers a nice change of pace to be able to use a natural color pallet with the clear water.

Equipment spotlight:

This month the gear spotlight is on something very simple but very important. The business end of the line, the hook.

Hooks are by far the most essential component of your setup. Anglers should never compromise on using quality hooks. We put in a lot of work in crafting flies and positioning the boat to get in front of fish. Therefore, it would be unconscionable to use an inferior hook.

I am 100% confident in using two hooks for redfishing. These are Ahrex SA220’s in 4 and Umpqua XS420 BN5X’s in 2. They are relatively the same size.

We started using the Ahrex hooks for redfishing about a year ago. I have been using the Umpqua hooks for many years. I checked my hook archive and found some I purchased 20 years ago. Each has its own attributes that I really like.

The Umpqua’s:

• They have the perfect sharpness and wire diameter for an easy hook set on reds.
• The hookup ratio on these is just awesome. Don’t trout set it, but you can get away with a weak strip set.
• Great for low tide flies with no weed guards.
• They last a long time without corroding.
• I have a fly on my desk that I caught over a dozen redfish on. It’s still sharp enough to catch many more. You should check your hooks for sharpness. If you snag it on shells, it may need to be discarded. Until you can re-sharpen it or just replace it.

The Ahrex SA220’s

• They have a very good eye diameter which is nice and big. This is nice for tying a lot of materials up by the eye or doing a lot of wraps.
• They last a long time. I have a bunch of heavily used flies on these from last season, and they still perform great.
• They are super strong and will not bend during the hardest of fights. Great for warmer Lowcountry months when reds are in thick grass, you can put a lot of pressure on them and you will break the line before you bend this hook.
• This is a good go to hook for high tide in the grass flies with weed-guards.
• My buddy casted one into his arm this summer, and I brought him down to the Beaufort hospital, ER. As they were inspecting the injury they commented on what a nice fly it was. That started a good conversation. In the meantime, the doctor struggled to find a tool that could cut the hook in half. We continued discussing fly fishing; they were unaware that you could fly fish for reds. We had a nice sidebar adventure into the world of tailing reds while they worked. After multiple tools failed to cut it, I was even more confident in this hook. Finally, they got it with a mini bolt cutter.

Looking forward:

We still have a few more months of winter clear water sight fishing in the lowcountry of South Carolina! Reach out to schedule your flats fishing charter or any questions or comments! Until the next time enjoy the wonderful sport of fly fishing and tight lines! – Capt. Randy