I do mostly fresh water fly fishing but am interested in fishing with a fly rod while in Charleston. Can you fish without sight fishing? Also, without a boat or guide?
I’m not a Fly Fisherman but I can’t believe this is a serious question from anyone that is! You see water, throw fly in water. You need a guide to find water? You don’t want your feet wet wear waders!
Helpful hint: Wade out at low tide, back up after that!
Yes and yes.
Yes Rob, pretty much where you would fish with a spinning or casting rod you can fish with a fly rod. The most common spinning lure would be a jig with grub tail or similar so you would use a clouser instead. For winter mud flats fishing a floating line is fine but if trying to fish a deep hole you should have one rod with a sinking head.
I plan on living forever, so far so good
Egret 167, Etec 130
Wooden Driftboat
Jon Boat & 2 Canoes
the beaches at low tide should fish well for you. access otherwise will be your biggest issue. renting a canoe/kayak will open up the world to you and a ff guide will have you sightfishing most of the day
Thanks. I was told by someone that most people in the area sight fish.
They do if they are in a boat and happen to see them tailing on the flats or just see a school. Nothing to say you can’t just blind cast!
quote:I have only fished here for 60 years or so, I can't speak for "most" people. Where and how do most of the people I have known, fish? They fish the same spot that they have caught a fish previously.
Originally posted by robkonowitchThanks. I was told by someone that most people in the area sight fish.
If they fish by blind casting and they caught a fish, they go back to that spot. If they caught a fish by sight casting and they caught a fish, they go back to that same spot.
Soooooooooooooooooooooo… all of this fresh water knowledge experience that you are bringing to this site… how should I fish fresh water (your water)? Definitely site fishing or definitely blind casting?
Oh, by the way… I enjoy fishing both ways.
Blind casting with a fly rod gets an F- .
That is why I asked. Freshwater blind casting is great
Either way Rob, just bring the fly rod and have fun. I certainly think sight fishing with the fly is the best of all fishing but I have done much more blind casting overall. Whether it’s freshwater bass, bream, musky, trout or saltwater sea trout, snook, stripers, shad, some tarpon, I could go on and on but that’s just fishing. Depending on the situation, we blind cast with flyrods all day long.
I plan on living forever, so far so good
Egret 167, Etec 130
Wooden Driftboat
Jon Boat & 2 Canoes
(**(). Some of you guys are hard on a brotha…Can you catch a Tarpon around here on a fly blind casting even if you know they are around…?? Not a ridiculous question. Some did not grow up a half mile from the mud flats.
Red, not impossible but you would have to be very lucky and not easily discouraged. All the tarpon I have caught on a fly have been in Florida. There are guides around here that target tarpon in the summer but they are probably all bait fishing. The water is not as clear here then for one thing. I admit I have cast to tarpon in Bull’s Bay when they were busting on bait balls but that is not true sight casting, just casting to places near where they are (or were!). I would be fishing for other fish but would have a big rod in the boat when they would show up, not heading there just to target them. Just opportunistic. I think Raz has caught one on a fly here but I haven’t hooked up to one at all here myself. Maybe I should try harder this year.
I plan on living forever, so far so good
Egret 167, Etec 130
Wooden Driftboat
Jon Boat & 2 Canoes