Charleston, SC fly fishing guides for Folly Beach and Kiawah Island.
Charleston SC fly fishing guides
Happy Thanksgiving from FishWater Outfitters!
Charleston, SC fly fishing guides
The fly fishing in Charleston, SC has continued to be great and we’ve had a few cold fronts that have really cleaned up the water. The winter fly fishing in Charleston can be some of the best of the year with clean water that makes for fantastic sight fishing for Redfish. As the water continues to cool, the redfish will begin to school up for the winter months. This provides some of the best fly fishing opportunities of the year, sometimes casting to 50 plus Redfish pushing wakes down the bank towards you. FishWater Outfitters and our Charleston, SC fly fishing guides have been targeting Redfish around the low tide recently and will continue to do so throughout the winter months. The 3 hours during the falling tide and the 3 hours after the low tide, during the incoming tide will produce the best opportunities for fly fishing for Redfish in Charleston, SC.
Low tide Fly Fishing in Charleston, SC
FishWater Outfitters have already booking a lot of days for the summer of 2022 in Ennis, MT.
Contact Captain Braden Powell to book your Charleston, SC fly fishing guides and Ennis, MT fly fishing guides now.
Fly Fishing Charleston, SC
Charleston SC Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing in Charleston, SC
A great redfish on fly in Charleston, SC
Although we are still in the middle of winter here in Charleston, SC the fly fishing continues to be good, when the weather also cooperates! Our Redfish are still in large schools trying to protect themselves from the hungry Bottlenose Dolphin. This provides some of the best fly fishing Charleston, SC has to offer.
Sunrise while fly fishing Folly Beach, SC
FishWater Outfitters is also still mostly targeting these redfish around the low tide. This allows our fly fishing guides to sight fish for redfish in very shallow water and in some instances the redfish will have their backs out of the water. During the winter months we are typically casting small baitfish patterns while fly fishing Charleston, SC. There isn’t very much bait in the marsh this time of year so a small baitfish pattern in black/purple, white, olive/white usually works the best. I tie and fish with a lot of clouser minnows and EP baitfish patterns during the winter.
Redfish Tail near Folly Beach, SC
Give Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters a call today to book your next fly fishing in Charleston, SC trip. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced saltwater angler, we will work very hard to get you into some fish.
Don’t forget that if you are starting to plan your summer fly fishing trip out west, give us a call for the best fly fishing the Madison River in Ennis, MT has to offer!
Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters
Ennis MT fly fishing with stoneflies
FishWater Outfitters and Ennis MT fly fishing guides rely very heavily on one major insect both during its beginning life stages and its adult life stages. This is the stonefly, a very well known insect which can be found in waterways throughout almost every continent in the world. If you have ever been fly fishing on The Madison River or any other river, especially in the Western Rocky Mountains, you have fished with or atleast seen a fly that is meant to imitate a stonefly. The most common and well known nymph fly is the Pats Rubberleg. This stonefly nymph is just as common and used most often as the prince and pheasant tail nymph and sometimes used more frequently. Our Madison River fly fishing guides will have hundreds of these patterns in our fly boxes throughout the year. They are especially effective both before and during the main salmonfly hatch. The stonefly nymph can be used under an indicator, tight lined, stripped or even hanging off of a large dry fly pattern.
Madison River Brown Trout
The stonefly nymphs can spend up to 3 years in the river until they hatch into adults. The nymphs can sometimes breathe out of a developed gill system or just out of their exoskeleton and they require cold fast moving streams. They spend the beginning stages of their life hiding out in the riverbed between crevices, rocks and pebbles. As the nymphs begin their staging towards emerging into an adult, they are congregating near the shore in softer moving water. Once they begin to start the emerging process as an adult, they will begin to latch onto exposed rocks and twigs on the shore line. FishWater Outfitters and ennis mt fly fishing guides will often target the trout that are feeding on these stonefly nymphs that are starting to hatch along the shore. Generally, we will look for dropoffs, edges, buckets and other shoreline characteristics that will have these nymphs congregating. The majority of the time, when fly fishing the Madison River, when the angler is able to cast the stonefly nymph into the correct spot on the bank and ideally keep the flies in the spot for a short duration, the trout are going to eat it.
Rainbow Trout caught on The Madison River
Although the nymphing with stoneflies can be unbelievably good, once these bugs hatch into adults, the real fun starts! Once the nymphs hatch into adults, they tend to live relatively shorter lives considering their life span in the river. Some adults can live a few days while other, larger stoneflies can live a week or so. These adult stoneflies mate while they are on the grass or branches over the river. The female adult will then lay the eggs back into the river where the new eggs will sink and adhere to the rocks on the riverbed to start the next 3 year journey. When the female adult lays her eggs in the water is one of the best times for fly fisherman to take advantage of the hatch. The adult stonefly will often dip their abdomen into the water to drop the eggs. Trout will really focus in on this and a well presented dry fly can raise some of the biggest trout of the season. These large adult stoneflies can also be blown into the river or knocked off of the branches, this will also help the trout to key in on this large meal. Madison River fly fishing with FishWater Outfitters will position the drift boat in the best spot throughout your float on the river for the best opportunities to catch that trout of a lifetime.
Dry Fly fishing on the Madison River
The largest of the stonefly insects is the Salmonfly and it can be very difficult to time it properly, unless you are able to stick around Ennis MT for a few weeks. FishWater Outfitters typically will see these big bugs begin the hatch any where from June 16th to July 4th. Every year the beginning of the hatch changes from date to date depending on how much snow and rain we had had the prior winter and throughout the spring. For example, if the winter was mild and the spring pretty dry, the hatch will start earlier. Just as if the winter had a lot of snow and the spring was very wet, which has been the case the last few years, the hatch will start much later and sometimes last even longer. If you are fortunate enough to catch the hatch head on, be very very happy because this can be some of the best fly fishing madison river has to offer.
Madison River rainbow trout
If you are already starting to think about warmer, long summer days in Montana and starting to plan your vacation to Ennis MT, call FishWater Outfitters today to schedule your trip. We still have some prime dates available to try and catch the famous Salmonfly hatch!
Charleston SC Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing in Charleston SC
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend and is enjoying the first couple days of December! Here in Charleston, SC we had beautiful weather over the holiday weekend and even with a cold spell here today it is still very nice outside. We have started to see the Redfish turn more into winter feeding habits and are beginning to school up in larger groups. This is one of the best times of year for fly fishing in Charleston SC. The cooler water temperatures bring along much cleaner/clearer water which allows our fly fishing guides at FishWater Outfitters to sight fish for Redfish.
Capt. Mark with a nice Redfish on Fly
For the remainder of winter and into the beginning of Spring, FishWater Outfitters will mostly be targeting Redfish around the low tide. We are mostly finding redfish a couple hours before the low tide and then for a couple more hours as the tide starts coming back in. The low tide fly fishing for redfish is typically the best time to target Redfish as the fish are much easier to see and cast a fly to. During our Folly Beach fishing charters we have been having good success fly fishing Kiawah Island area, especially in the Kiawah River. Poling a Hell’s Bay Boatworks skiff around all those oyster beds and seeing Redfish pushing wakes and making muds is really fun. Our fly fishing guides in Charleston SC have also been spending a lot of time in and near the Folly River near Folly Beach. This is a massive area with many different creeks and sounds full or oyster mounds. Our main type of flies used for fly fishing Folly Beach recently have been shrimp and small baitfish imitations. The Redfish are starting to form their larger schools as the air and water temperatures get a bit cooler in the coming weeks. The Winter fly fishing charleston sc can be fantastic as the water temperatures cool down and the redfish form large schools, mostly to protect themselves from Dolphins. This provides a great sight and opportunity for fly fishing. Its such a sight to see 50-200 redfish pushing a wake down the bank of a river, coming straight towards the boat!
Nick Brown sight casting to redfish in oyster mounds near Kiawah Island
Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters looks forward to the winter fly fishing in Charleston every year as the cooler air and water temperatures can make for some great fly fishing. The fly fishing charleston sc area should continue to be very good throughout the remainder of the winter months.
Captain Braden Powell and his charleston sc fly fishing guides are here and ready to help you have a great day on the water. Whether you are an avid fly fisherman or a beginner looking to catch their first redfish on the fly, FishWater Outfitters will provide you with all the tools you need to succeed while having a safe, no pressure and fun time on the water.
Contact Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters for all your Charleston, Folly Beach and Kiawah fly fishing and inshore light tackle charters!
Looking for redfish near Kiawah Island
Fly Fishing Charleston South Carolina
Charleston SC Fly Fishing Guides
Its great to be back in Charleston, SC from a great season fly fishing the Madison River in Ennis, MT! Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters have been busy fly fishing Folly Beach and Kiawah Island waters over the last week. Our Charleston SC fly fishing guides have had good success recently while fly fishing for redfish around the low tides. The Fall Redfish bite has been good and we are excited for more Folly Beach fishing charters coming up throughout the fall, winter and spring.
Recently while fly fishing charleston sc, FishWater Outfitters were mostly targeting Redfish around the low tide. We were mostly finding redfish a couple hours before the low tide and then for a couple more hours as the tide started coming back in. The low tide fly fishing for redfish is typically the best time to target Redfish as the fish are much easier to see and cast a fly to. During our Folly Beach fishing charters we have been having good success fly fishing Kiawah Island area, especially in the Kiawah River. Poling a Hell’s Bay Boatworks skiff around all those oyster beds and seeing Redfish pushing wakes and making muds is really fun. Our fly fishing guides in Charleston SC have also been spending a lot of time in and near the Folly River near Folly Beach. This is a massive area with many different creeks and sounds full or oyster mounds. There is still a lot of bait fish in the marsh and the water temperatures are still hovering in the low to mid 70’s. Our main type of flies used for fly fishing Folly Beach recently have been shrimp and small baitfish imitations. The Redfish are not in big schools yet, however, that will start to happen as the air and water temperatures get a bit cooler in the coming weeks. The Winter fly fishing charleston sc can be fantastic as the water temperatures cool down and the redfish form large schools, mostly to protect themselves from Dolphins. This provides a great sight and opportunity for fly fishing. Its such a sight to see 50-200 redfish pushing a wake down the bank of a river, coming straight towards the boat!
The fly fishing charleston sc area should continue to be very good throughout the remainder of the fall and throughout the winter months. Captain Braden Powell and his charleston sc fly fishing guides are here and ready to help you have a great day on the water. Whether you are an avid fly fisherman or a beginner looking to catch their first redfish on the fly, FishWater Outfitters will provide you with all the tools you need to succeed while having a safe, no pressure and fun time on the water.
Contact Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters for all your Charleston, Folly Beach and Kiawah fly fishing and inshore light tackle charters!
Ennis Montana Fly Fishing
Fall Fly Fishing on the Madison River from Ennis, Montana
Madison River Fly Fishing Brown Trout
FishWater Outfitters had phenomenal fall fly fishing on The Madison River in Ennis, Montana! The hopper fishing continued to be good through the middle of September until the cooler Montana weather began to take hold and stick around for good. Our Ennis Montana fly fishing guides continued to work hard throughout September and the beginning of October as the leaves turned and the weather started getting much cooler. The streamer fishing on The Madison River fished well, especially on the cloudy overcast days.
Ennis Montana Fly Fishing and a beautiful rainbow trout
Once we were finished with one of the best hopper seasons that we have had in many years in Ennis Montana, all of our Madison River fly fishing guides made the switch over to steamers and nymphs. Montana Outfitter, Braden Powell and the ennis montana fly fishing guides that work with him prefer to use a technique called tight lining. This fly fishing technique works well on the Madison River mostly because of the shallow depth and continuously fast current. While fly fishing from a drift boat, this technique allows our guides to position the boat and the flies properly while also minimizing the amount of times that the flies get caught on the bottom of the Madison River. Our Madison River fly fishing guides prefer to throw medium to small sized streamers that are imitating bull head sculpin. Some of these patterns include the pearl and copper zonker, trevor sculpin and the mini loop sculpin. There a many different streamer patterns that work very well for madison river fly fishing but those are some of our top choices. Many of our Ennis Montana fly fishing guides like to trail a small nymph behind the streamer to have two different options for the trout to feed on. The majority of the time, for madison river fly fishing, basic, very well known nymphs will work great. Such as, prince, lightning bug, pheasant tail, hares ear to name a few. Overall, the fishing was great throughout the summer and into the fall and we are now transitioning back to the Lowcountry of South Carolina for our winter and spring guiding in beautiful Charleston.
Mike with a great brown trout while fishing with one of our Madison River fly fishing guides
Its never too early to start planning your summer vacation to Ennis Montana, Braden Powell and his Madison River fly fishing guides are booking for the summer of 2020 now!
If you are planning a trip to visit Charleston, SC and are hoping to experience the Lowcountry Marsh from a boat, don’t hesitate to call Captain Braden Powell now to talk about Folly Beach and Charleston fly fishing charters.
Madison River Fly Fishing
We’ve had a great summer here in Ennis, MT!! The river temperatures have remained cool throughout August and the dry fly fishing on the Madison River has been fantastic. Our Ennis, MT fly fishing guides have been enjoying the hopper fishing the past month and with a warmer temperature forecasted for the next week or so, the dry fly fishing should continue to be great on The Madison River.
Our salmonfly hatch happened a little later than usual this past July due to a large snowpack and a very wet spring. We even had snow on June 21st in Ennis, MT. The hatch this year was fairly inconsistent partially due to the Trout gorging themselves on the stonefly nymphs. That being said, when everything was just right, the big Trout showed themselves and were very happy to come up to the surface and devour large dry flies! We at FishWater Outfitters typically see some of the biggest fish during the stonefly hatch and this year was the same. The golden stone hatch that follows the salmonfly hatch was, in my opinion, better this year than the big bug hatch. Our Ennis, MT fly fishing guides decided more often than not to throw smaller golden stone imitations to try and persuade the big brown and rainbow trout to rise to the surface on The Madison River.
Throughout most of July we were able to throw the big single dry fly and when the trout didn’t want the big bugs, the smaller dries such as caddis and mayflies worked very well. Typically earlier in the morning a small purple haze or parachute Adams would work well and could produce some big fish in addition to lots of numbers. Fishing these smaller dry flies very close to the banks and around rocks will typically provide the best results.
Once August came around and the air temperatures started reaching the 80’s, the hopper fishing turned on and it has continued to be great throughout the whole month of August. Our Ennis Montana fly fishing guides at FishWater Outfitters have had great success throughout the past month with medium to big sized hoppers in tan and pink. We typically find the best fishing and the biggest fish floating single dry flies right down the middle of The Madison River. Our River has a lot of character in the middle which might not be very visible unless to an experienced Ennis MT Outfitter. The most difficult part of successfully catching the big trout on hoppers is figuring out the timing on the hook set. For the most part the bigger trout come up to the fly very very very slowly and if you’re not patient enough, you will definitely pull the fly away from the trout. This can be very frustrating but very rewarding once you can get the timing down. The Hopper fishing on the Madison River should continue to be good for at least the next week or so while we have some warmer temperatures.
Once the warmer weather turns to cooler days and more fall like temperatures and as the leaves all start to turn, the streamer fishing on The Madison River should really get going good!
Call Braden Powell with FishWater Outfitters to schedule a trip with one of our Ennis, MT fly fishing guides for the remainder of the season here on The Madison River!
Fly Fishing Charleston, SC
We have had a great last month here in Charleston, SC. The weather has been relatively warm and thankfully the wind hasn’t been a huge problem on most days. FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell have been very fortunate to meet a lot of new faces and also spend time on the water with some of our local anglers. As I continue to see the massive amounts of snow adding up in the mountains of SouthWest Montana, which makes me very happy and excited for our upcoming summer in Ennis, fly fishing the Madison River, I can’t help but be grateful that I am able to be in Charleston looking for Redfish throughout the winter months.
There is such a vast amount of marsh surrounding Charleston, SC which includes oyster mounds, beautiful spartina grass, stands of pine trees and rivers and bays full of fish. FishWater Outfitters primarily focuses on the Folly River, Kiawah River, Stono River and The Wando River throughout the winter and spring months. Especially fly fishing the Folly and Kiawah River areas which have large mud flats and oyster mounds where the redfish will go to not only find food and shelter from the dolphins but also warm themselves in the colder winter water.
Throughout this past month FishWater Outfitters has still been targeting the mid morning low tides around Charleston, SC. Ideally, we are looking for a 10 am low tide so that we will have a few hours of the falling tide and a few hours around the incoming tide until the water gets too high and we can’t see the redfish anymore. We have been using various different flies and different color options, such as white clousers, black clousers, black/purple toads and tan/olive kwans. Our most effective fly and typically what we use the most throughout the winter months fly fishing Charleston, SC is the black clouser. I tie this fly on a Gamakatsu SL 11 3H size #2 hook with medium sized lead eyes. I will however tie multiple different flies with different sized eyes dependent on the depth of water that I will be targeting Redfish. Sometimes I prefer to use medium sized bead chain eyes on flies that I want to land especially soft in very shallow water as to not spook the redfish coming our way. I then just use Denier 210 black thread with black extra select craft fur and a small amount of pearl or red krystal flash. Its a very simple fly to tie and works well for many many different species of fish, but especially well for the winter time redfish in Charleston, SC.
If you are planning a spring break vacation to Charleston, SC, Folly Beach or Kiawah Island and want to get some time out of the house and on the water please don’t hesitate to give Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters a call or email. We can assure you that you will enjoy your time on the water and get to see some of the beautiful marsh and waterways that surround this beautiful city and our barrier islands.
If you are starting to plan your summer trips to Montana, their are still a lot of available dates to fish with FishWater Outfitters on The Madison River in Ennis so don’t hesitate to give us a call or send over an email. We will be more than happy to help you with your fly fishing trips.
Charleston, SC Fly Fishing Report
Redfish on Fly
Happy New Year! We here at FishWater Outfitters hope that y’all have all had a great holiday season and are enjoying the new year. We have had a great winter here in Charleston, South Carolina so far and are really looking forward to whats in store for the new year. We have had pretty good weather so far and we have been out on the flats fly fishing for redfish as much as possible. The fly fishing in Charleston, SC during the winter months can be phenomenal while all the fish are schooled up and pushing wakes along the flats and in the creeks. As usual we have been trying to target the redfish while fly fishing during the falling tide in the mornings. While fly fishing in Charleston during the winter time we are typically looking for a mid morning low tide. This allows us to get out in the morning when the winds are lower and find the redfish pushing wakes in search of bait. Once the tide comes back in and gets pretty high, it is much more difficult to locate the redfish and catch them fly fishing.
Low tide fly fishing in Charleston, SC
On most of our charters recently FishWater Outfitters Captain Braden Powell has been using darker colored flies including black clousers, olive clousers and black redfish toads. Even though the water surrounding Charleston, SC can be very clear during the winter months, these dark colored flies show up much better to the fish looking for small baitfish. Recently, we have been running most of our charters on The Wando River and around the Folly Beach area. We really enjoy fishing the Wando River near Charleston Harbor in the winter because the water clarity is fantastic. It seems to stay cleaner longer than most of the other areas which provides us with great fly fishing opportunities. The Folly Beach area, especially the upper ends of the Folly River and The Kiawah River also offer up some really clean and clear water throughout the winter months.
Redfish on Fly
As we continue to go forward into February, we will still see the Redfish schooled up in large numbers. The fish mostly do this to protect themselves from their main predator, the bottlenose dolphin. Assuming they’re aren’t dolphins on the flat that you are trying to fish, it will be fairly easy to see the redfish. When they are in large numbers and schooled up, they tend to make pushes or wakes on the flats and edges. If you can’t see the actual fish, looking for pushes is your next best thing. Always try to determine which direction the fish are moving and get the fly out in front of the redfish and strip fairly slowly away from them so that you are imitating a baitfish fleeing. This will most often result in a strike from the redfish. Make sure to keep your fly rod tip down towards the water while using a strip strike until you feel the line come tight. Then it is ok to raise the rod tip and continue to fight the fish.
Charleston, SC
We still have some available dates for great winter time low tides open and also dates open for spring time so be sure and contact Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters today!
Also don’t forget that summertime is right around the corner and our dates for fly fishing in Ennis, MT on The Madison River are filling up fast. If you are interested in fly fishing the Madison River this upcoming summer click below to schedule a day in Ennis, MT.
Ennis MT Fly Fishing Guides
Here at FishWater Outfitters, we have had a great June and the beginning of July on The Madison RIver! We had a great snowpack and plenty of rain in the spring and in June with cooler temperatures allowing for the river to stay fairly high and providing us with a good salmonfly hatch. We still continue to have good water levels and temperatures throughout the day. Fishing has been good with every technique from dry fly fishing to streamer fishing.
Nice Madison River Brown Trout
FishWater Outfitters had great success throughout the middle of June on many different patterns but especially on girdle bugs as the big stoneflies were crawling their way to the banks to get ready for the big hatch! At times, our guides would have 4 girdle bugs on at a time and the fish were chewing them up! Tight lining two size 4 girdle bugs very close to the banks as the water was very high produced some very nice Madison River trout. We also had a lot of caddis around during the time before the salmonfly hatch, and the prince nymph among other caddis imitations worked very well.
Madison River Brown Trout
Once the water dropped a little bit and cleared up, the big bugs started to hatch and the big fish started to eat big dry flies! This is one of the best hatches of the year on The Madison River and its a chance to see some big fish come up to eat the dry fly. We at FishWater Outfitters enjoy nothing more than throwing dry flies all day, whether large or small flies. Thankfully, the Madison River salmonfly hatch moved slowly up river and some cold days and nights helped to create spot hatches well below the main hatch. This allowed us to fish multiple different stretches of the river and still being covered up in big bugs. There are tons of different patterns to choose from and most of the time, if the fly is in the right spot, the fish will come up and eat it. A couple of our favorite flies include the Fluttering Stone and the Salmonfly Hedgehog. Both of these are pretty old school patterns mostly comprised of hackles and elk/deer hair. Our salmonfly hatch on The Madison River usually starts mid to late June and can last anywhere from a week to multiple weeks fishing different stonefly patterns. Contact us at FishWater Outfitters to book your salmonfly fishing for 2019!
FishWater Outfitters big Madison River Brown Trout
Now that we are starting to transfer from the big bugs to smaller dries, we are still finding plenty of good fish throughout the entire river. Thankfully, we still have plenty of water and it seems as though that should continue throughout the summer. We are seeing a lot of caddis, yellow sallies and various different mayflies hatching throughout the day. Some of our favorite patterns for post salmonfly include Royal PMX, Royal Trude, Para Wulff, Purple Haze and various different colors of Chubby Chernobyls. As the water has dropped plenty the middle of the Madison River is starting to fish very well. The banks get hit so hard during the early season that it is very nice to find the fish moving out into the middle river and eating dry flies.
Madison River Brown Trout
We are very excited that Hebgen Dam has finally been fixed and we will have bottom release water on the Madison River throughout the summer! This will provide us with colder water as the air temperatures remain high throughout July and August. Hopefully, we will also continue to see many hatches throughout the summer instead of all our bugs hatching at once.
If you're interested in fly fishing the Madison River with FishWater Outfitters this summer, please give us a call or email and we will be sure to set you up with a great guide! Also, if you are planning any winter travel plans, keep in mind that we are located in beautiful Charleston, SC from October to June and the lowcountry marsh is a great place to spend a day looking for Redfish!
Shore lunch on the Madison River
Call or click now to book your Montana or South Carolina fly fishing vacation with FishWater Outfitters!!
Madison River Outfitters
Well, THANKFULLY, the Madison River proposed regulations on Outfitters will not make it to a public comment period! Four of the MT FWP commissioners voted against the possible regulations yesterday in Helena after hearing from multiple Outfitters and reviewing the information that FWP had.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has not yet released any input on this decision and I'm not surprised. I don't think that the three individuals who came up with this plan are too happy with the results from yesterdays meeting. However, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle did write an informative article on the subject and hopefully we will hear more in the near future.
As I stated in a previous post, I was not and still am not in favor of most of the regulations in the proposed plan. The total commercial use from licensed Madison River Outfitters and Special Recreation Permit holders comprises of 13%-17% of total use. For the FWP to reduce the amount of commercial use so drastically doesn't make any sense at all. Yes, I agree that the river is seeing more use than in the past and yes, that is probably still going to increase in the future. However, there has got to be a better way to go about this than to restrict the sections or river that I as an Ennis, MT Fly Fishing Outfitter am allowed to float on any given day. Those proposed regulations would only increase the amount of crowding on the river. We only have 38 river miles on the Upper Madison River and to close off one of those sections would greatly increase the amount of commercial traffic on the other stretches. I understand that this plan may or may not have worked on the Big Hole River, but there is over 100 river miles to float over there so the amount of pressure can be alleviated.
Also, to think that MT FWP wanted to close off two entire stretches of river to all vessels is not Montana at all. One of, if not the best thing about Montana is our public access laws. If you don't allow a vessel to float through a navigable waterway, such as The Madison River, then that goes against our public rights. Those two stretches of river are large enough and have enough river where a boat that floats through can access a lot of water that someone only on foot cannot. So therefore, there is plenty of options for wade only anglers to still find water to fish and not be crowded out by commercial boats. We at FishWater Outfitters, often float the Ennis to the Lake stretch and I usually don't even stop around the Valley Garden access point. There are always people wade fishing in the general area near the access site so I continue to go further down the river where the wade fisherman doesn't want to go. This way I am not interfering with wade fisherman at all and I still have tons of great river to fish.
I do agree that The Madison River is getting more and more popular and the use is increasing, but to put all the blame on Outfitters and not even recognize that the majority of the use is from the public is absurd. I do understand that in the future something might need to be implemented but I think that FWP still needs to sit down and come up with a plan that actually helps the future of the river and continues to realize just how important the fishery is to South West Montana. Not sure when they will come back with another plan but I am interested to hear it and hopefully it will be better for everyone.
If you are visiting Charleston, SC for business, vacation or live near by and are interested in an inshore light tackle and fly fishing charter with FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell please click below to schedule your trip!
Also, if you are interested in fly fishing trips in Montana from the town of Ennis, don't forget that FishWater Outfitters and Ennis, MT fly fishing guides will be there from June to October fishing daily on The Madison River.
Whether in the beautiful Lowcountry Marsh surrounding Charleston, SC or floating down the Madison River in Ennis, MT, FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell will help you have a great day on the water and hopefully catch that fish of a lifetime!
Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters
Although we at FishWater Outfitters are still here in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC, we have been paying very close attention to all the snow thats been piling up in South West Montana. We couldn't be happier with the amount of moisture that is in the mountains now and that will continue to come down throughout the spring. It has still been snowing in Montana and it will provide everyone with plenty of cold water that will hopefully last throughout the summer! Click the link below to see exactly where the snowpack is for the Madison River drainage.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/mt/snow/products/NRCSEPRD1137464/
We are fortunate on The Madison River to have a dam to retain most of the good cold water that will come from all the snow this winter and thankfully, after many years, Hebgen Dam is fixed! For the past ten years, all of us in South West Montana and especially in Ennis and West Yellowstone have been dealing with water that comes off the top of the reservoir instead of pulling from the bottom. This has been dumping much warmer water from the surface versus the colder water from the bottom. Which has had a direct effect on the river temperatures and in turn the fishing. FishWater Outfitters is anxiously awaiting the upcoming season as well as many other Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters to see exactly how the colder water will affect our trout fishery. I personally feel that it will only benefit the river, as the water will stay much cooler throughout the heat of the summer. This will also help our hatches and hopefully will not only extend the life and duration of the hatches but will bring back some of the mayflies that we haven't seen in quite some time.
In other news, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are trying to figure out a way to reduce the amount of commercial pressure on the Madison River. There have been talks of this happening for a handful of years now and I personally was part of some initial meetings with other Outfitters and FWP trying to figure out exactly what would be a good way of going about addressing the issue. Personally, I do not agree with everything that MT FWP has come up with in their new ideas. Again, these are just preliminary ideas and they are possibly going for public input on April 19th. Although I think it is unfortunate to cap the amount of Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitters, it also is something that might prove beneficial in the long run. I highly disagree with MT FWP trying to close certain river stretches on particular days to commercial use. If their goal is to reduce crowding (per their surveys) then not allowing Outfitters to use a particular stretch on a given day would produce more crowding on the other stretches. I do understand that they are trying to alleviate some stretches for the general public. However, The Madison River has plenty of different options to have a not so crowded day. For example, don't go to Lyons Bridge at 9 am on any given day. There are plenty of ways to get around the mass amounts of boats that operate on a daily basis, you might just have to wake up a little earlier or go later in the day. Another major proposal is to close the two wade sections to all vessels, be it commercial or recreational. This seems absolutely ridiculous to me as an Outfitter in Ennis, MT. I'll talk more about this in another blog but, it seems as though their is something else going on in the decision process other than commercial use. Their are many, many wealthy home owners along the banks of both these stretches of river and I can't help but think that they are making plenty of noise so that they technically have private water. Ok, again, I'll post more about this in the future as we move into the public comment period. For now, check out a good article written by The Bozeman Daily Chronicle that highlights some of the proposed changes and also has commentary from another Madison River Fly Fishing Outfitter, Joe Dilschneider.
If you are visiting Charleston, SC for business, vacation or live near by and are interested in an inshore light tackle and fly fishing charter with FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell please click below to schedule your trip!
Also, if you are interested in fly fishing trips in Montana from the town of Ennis, don't forget that FishWater Outfitters and Ennis, MT fly fishing guides will be there from June to October fishing daily on The Madison River.
Whether in the beautiful Lowcountry Marsh surrounding Charleston, SC or floating down the Madison River in Ennis, MT, FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell will help you have a great day on the water and hopefully catch that fish of a lifetime!
Charleston, SC Harbor Fly Fishing
It seems as though Spring is actually here in Charleston, SC. The weather is starting to become more stable and our day time temperatures are in the mid 70's. The water has also warmed up quite a bit, averaging temperatures in the mid 60's. Unfortunately, the wind is still cranking almost daily but if you're able to get out early for the sunrise fishing it has been really nice. Captain Braden Powell has had the pleasure of taking out some first time fly fishers recently and he had a lot of wind but was able to find some happy fish.
Ned Taylor and his father were visiting from Boston, MA this past week and called FishWater Outfitters for an early morning fly fishing trip. It was a high tide at about 7:45 am so we met at the boat ramp at 7 to get a start on the day. Thankfully, it was a beautiful morning with minimal winds but tons of gnats! Always a good idea this time of year to wear long pants and long sleeves for fishing charters as the gnats will chew you up otherwise. Once we were at our first flat, the tide was still coming in and the Redfish were following the water up into the grass. We were really hoping to see some tailing fish, but due to water temperatures and lack of bait, the Redfish aren't tailing yet. I would imagine that within the coming weeks, the water will continue to warm up and plenty of bait will return to the marsh and the fish will begin tailing. After seeing a handful of fish floating just below the surface and getting some really good opportunities and casts at those fish, only for them to swim under the fly and not eat, Captain Braden Powell decided to move to another flat.
After we ran up the Wando River about fifteen minutes or so, we came to another great flat were the water was still high but had started to fall. Its always best to fish while the tide is moving, whether flooding or ebbing. The fish are always more active when there is tidal current pushing bait around for them to eat. We were happy to see more Redfish floating around in the top of the water column, easily showing themselves for a properly presented fly or lure. Thankfully, the cast was great and Ned Taylor was hooked up to his first ever Redfish! The fish fought hard and took a handful of nice runs to add to the excitement. After taking a couple quick pictures, Captain Braden Powell released the fish back into the water to let him be caught another day. All of our Captains and Guides at FishWater Outfitters practice catch and release and try to handle the fish that we catch with the utmost respect and care to ensure they swim away healthy. We think that it is very important to practice ethical techniques for catching and releasing these fish. We all want the fish population to be as healthy and strong as possible for future fishing!
If you are visiting Charleston, SC for business, vacation or live near by and are interested in an inshore light tackle and fly fishing charter with FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell please click below to schedule your trip!
Also, if you are interested in fly fishing trips in Montana from the town of Ennis, don't forget that FishWater Outfitters and Ennis, MT fly fishing guides will be there from June to October fishing daily on The Madison River.
Whether in the beautiful Lowcountry Marsh surrounding Charleston, SC or floating down the Madison River in Ennis, MT, FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell will help you have a great day on the water and hopefully catch that fish of a lifetime!
Charleston, SC Fly Fishing Guides
We are still experiencing the Spring time weather fluctuations here in Charleston, SC but thankfully the water has warmed up a bit and when the weather is good, the fishing has been good also! Captain Braden Powell has had plenty of tough days on the water recently, but there have also been some really really good times. We have still been targeting the Redfish on and around the low tide and especially the am low tides. It won't be long now until the fish are up in the grass feeding on crabs and waving their tails around for us to see!
We at FishWater Outfitters have been fishing some different water recently, looking for new spots and checking on old spots that we haven't fished in a while. That is one of the best things about the Charleston, SC area. We are surrounded by so much water that we don't have to fish the same small areas everyday. A few days ago, Captain Braden took one of his local clients South of Charleston to the North Edisto river, out of Cherry Point Boat Landing in Rockville, SC. This area is really beautiful with very few houses and mud flats and oyster mounds everywhere. It is an area that we fished almost exclusively about four to five years ago. This was the first time that Captain Braden had been down there in 2018 and the weather and tides were perfect for a sunrise charter on the flats. We had launched the boat at 7 am just as the sun was coming up and the tide was almost at dead low. The first flat that we went had a lot of juvenile redfish on it and a few good sized fish.
After sight fishing to some of these fish we decided to go up the North Edisto River into Wadmalaw Sound. The Sound is full of very fishy spots that have mud flats, oyster mounds, big creeks and small tributary creeks. We ran over to a spot that we used to fish regularly and found that there was a big group of about 40 redfish bunched up at the mouth of a tributary creek. As the tide was just now starting to come back in, these fish would hold in the current right at the mouth of the creek and wait for a meal to come floating by. There were times that we could see fish tailing in the mud and other fish with their backs out of the water pushing around looking for food. Thankfully, we were able to catch some here and then head on to the next spot.
As we continued our day, the tide flooded in really fast and the wind also decided to pick up and start cranking out of the South/SouthWest. Being in a large sound, we weren't able to find as much lee from the wind as we would have liked but still were able to use it to our advantage and have the wind at our backs. As the water rose, the fish also started to push up on the grass edges and float with the incoming tide. Its always great to see 'floaters' as they are just a few inches below the surface and still provide great sight fishing opportunities. Captain Braden Powell and his guest decided to try some soft plastic artificial lures that allowed them to pole up and down the grass edges casting for fish that might not otherwise be seen. This technique worked very well and they caught a few more fish!
After 5 hours of great fishing and a beautiful morning they decided to head back to the dock to get home in time to watch The Masters. Charleston, SC offers some of the best saltwater fly fishing and inshore light tackle fishing in the south and with so much water surrounding us, there is always a place to go and search for Redfish to be caught!
If you are visiting Charleston, SC for business, vacation or live near by and are interested in an inshore light tackle and fly fishing charter with FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell please click below to schedule your trip!
Also, if you are interested in fly fishing trips in Montana from the town of Ennis, don't forget that FishWater Outfitters and Ennis, MT fly fishing guides will be there from June to October fishing daily on The Madison River.
Whether in the beautiful Lowcountry Marsh surrounding Charleston, SC or floating down the Madison River in Ennis, MT, FishWater Outfitters and Captain Braden Powell will help you have a great day on the water and hopefully catch that fish of a lifetime!
March 2018 Charleston, SC Fishing
Well, its been a pretty typical March here in Charleston, SC. We've had big temperature swings, with some days in the 70's to some blustery cold and windy days in the 40's. Overall, this is pretty normal for early Spring here in the Lowcountry. Recently we have been fishing for Redfish with both fly and conventional spinning gear. Using soft plastic lures and also live mud minnows and shrimp. The water temperatures have also been going up and down as the weather changes daily. We were seeing some water temps in the mid 60's and recently it has been in the mid 50's. Along with daily temperature fluctuations, the changing water temperatures really really affect the activity of the fish. The fish aren't the only ones that are ready for some warmer consistent weather patterns!
On our most recent trips out, FishWater Outfitters Captain Braden Powell, has been fishing the early morning low tide. We have been going out just before sunrise and poling the flats around creek mouths and oyster beds. The Redfish will congregate not only in and around the small tributary creeks but especially where these creeks dump back into a larger flat or river. Often times as the tide is falling, the redfish will slowly make their way out of the creeks and onto the flat to feed with the tide. The fish are waiting as the bait also moves out of the creeks in search of more water and safety. When the water is low enough an angler will be able to see the fish push or make wakes in the water as they are feeding. This provides a great visual for sight fishing with soft plastics or a fly.
The Redfish not only use the small creeks to move on and off of the flats but also to feed. You can target these fish by casting artificials and live bait into the mouth of the creek. The fish will also be on the edges of the creek mouth using the tidal current to bring the food to them, another great place to cast while searching for redfish. Our Captains at FishWater Outfitters like to use popping corks with live mud minnows or shrimp underneath while we are live bait fishing. If we are not sight fishing with a fly rod or blind casting soft plastic artificial lures, then we are using a popping cork to find the fish. Using a popping cork works well when searching for fish and also when you are on the fish. The copper beads on the bottom of the cork help to hold it upright when not twitching or popping the cork. Also, the beads on the top and bottom help to make a noise to draw attention to your bait. This is a great technique for covering water where you haven't seen any fish activity but you know they should be around. We like to rig our corks with 15-20lb fluorocarbon and around 18" from the cork to a number 2 circle hook. This will allow the fish to eat the live minnow or shrimp and be hooked in the corner of the mouth instead of swallowing the hook. We always like to practice catch and release when fishing our inshore waters around Charleston, SC.
Targeting points and oyster mounds is another very important aspect when fishing for Redfish. Casting your artificial or live bait within a few feet of the oyster mounds can be a very productive way to catch fish. The fish will use the mounds as a form of structure to not only find food but to also protect themselves from becoming food for the bottlenose dolphin. Points on any island or creek or in a back bay or flat will also provide great holding water for the fish. They can use these points to ambush their prey as the current rips around. Not only are the fish feeding but also trying to protect themselves in all of these situations. Remember to always try and target small tributary creeks, oyster mounds, points and any other structure that may provide a vantage point and a safe place for the Redfish to hold.
Whether you are in Charleston, SC for business or a family vacation or you live here and just want to get out on the water, FishWater Outfitters offers great fishing charters for the beginner angler or child to the most experienced fly fishing angler! Please contact us today to schedule your inshore fishing charter.
Also, remember that Captain Braden Powell spends his summers floating The Madison River in SouthWest Montana and offers full day and half day fly fishing trips from Ennis, MT!
Madison River Fly Fishing Guides
Lower Madison River below BearTrap Canyon
The Madison River near Ennis, MT is our home river here at FishWater Outfitters! We spend more time on this river than any other in the state of Montana. It offers some of the best fishing in all of Montana thanks to shallow, fast and cold water. The headwaters of the Madison River start in YellowStone National Park at the confluence of the FireHole and Gibbon Rivers. It then flows down into Hebgen Reservoir and through the dam into a section called Between the Lakes. This section refers to between Hebgen and Quake Lake. Once through Quake Lake, the Madison River flows through a wade fishing only section and past the famous Raynolds Pass and Three Dollar Bridge access points. Its great wade fishing up there with many large boulders and tons of pocket water and slicks that all hold fish. Lyons Bridge is the next main access point and where anglers are allowed to fish from a boat. The Upper stretch from Lyons to McAtee Bridge can be phenomenal fishing with dry flies, nymphs and streamer rigs.
Madison River Brown Trout
From McAtee Bridge down river, the river begins to make somewhat of a change, going from large boulders to a very shallow riffle. This section down to Varney Bridge access can be quite tough to figure out but once you get it, its one of the best parts of the river. This section of The Madison River is a favorite of the FishWater Outfitters guides and we spend a lot of our time in here. The river gets can get really shallow and it also gets it widest on the upper stretch. Some of our favorite areas of the river are from Storey Ditch access to Varney Bridge. The dry fly fishing is our favorite through this section of river. Anything from Caddis to salmonflies to mayflies, our guides all enjoy and prefer to throw the dry!
Madison River Dry Fly Brown Trout
The Madison River changes once you float under Varney Bridge. Instead of the wide open valley, the river begins to drop in elevation and break into different channels. There are big bends and deep holes in the river and some of the biggest fish are seen down here. This is the closest stretch of river to our hometown of Ennis, MT. The banks of the river are deep and covered with willows and you can expect some of the best streamer fishing here. Thanks to some deep holes and lots of undercut banks, we have seen some really big trout chase a streamer out from the depths. That being said, the dry fly fishing below Varney Bridge can also be unbelievably good at times. There are certain times, if your fly lands within millimeters of the bank and is drifted properly, a large trout will come to the surface and either crush or simply sip your fly down. The dry fly fishing down here can be challenging, but well worth the site of seeing that fish come out of nowhere on an undercut bank to eat your fly!
Big Brown on The Madison River
From the town boat ramp to Ennis Lake is also a wade only stretch. You are allowed to float through but cannot fish from any watercraft. This part of the river, also known as the braids or channels, offers some great fly fishing of all kinds. Finding a deep hole and running a nymph rig through it or drifting dry flies under willow covered banks will be sure to produce some great trout. Our guides at FishWater Outfitters have spent hours and hours exploring this stretch of river and it is usually where you might find a guide fishing on his day off. The wade fishing can be tough during higher waters but once the river drops after the runoff and throughout the summer, its pretty easy to cross and find all the hidden channels that abound and are full of fish.
Wade fishing the Madison River
Below Ennis, after flowing through the braids, the Madison River flows in Ennis Lake. The Lake is very shallow on the southern end and can provide phenomenal sight fishing to large brown and rainbow trout. Throughout most of the summer months, the callibaetis hatch on the lake is in full force. Depending on the wind, an angler can go to the lake and see thousands of bugs and hundreds of fish rising to eat them. This can be very challenging dry fly fishing, as it often requires long casts to fish that are feeding in erratic patterns, but if done properly, you will be rewarded with a great catch!
Dry Fly fishing Ennis Lake
The Madison River dumps out of Ennis Lake and through a dam, into The BearTrap Canyon. This canyon is about as beautiful as it gets and offers really good wade fishing and float fishing. However, there are some big rapids so whoever is on the sticks needs to know what they are doing. The wade fishing from below the dam for a couple miles is great. It offers deep runs and large boulders. An angler could be very productive with a nymph rig in the deeper holes and dry flies on the ledges, boulders and slicks behind the rocks. Once through the canyon, Warm Springs is the first boat access to the Lower Madison River. The lower river is very different from the upper river. It is much slower and with not nearly as many large boulders. The lower river fishes very well in the spring and the fall as the water temperatures will get too high during the summer months for fishing. Some of the best dry fishing of the year can happen on the Lower Madison River in early May during the mothers day caddis hatch. Clouds of caddis are everywhere and fish are rising and eating constantly! Our guides at FishWater Outfitters really enjoy driving the short distance to the lower river during the fall and stripping streamers looking for the really big Brown trout. Crawfish are in abundance down on the lower Madison River and they provide plenty of food for the trout to get big!
Madison River Brown Trout
Whether you are interested in wade fishing below Quake Lake, drift fishing through the upper Madison River, sight fishing Ennis Lake or chucking big streamers in the fall, FishWater Outfitters experienced guides will help you have a great day on the water!
Click above to contact Captain Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters to schedule your next Montana fly fishing adventure!
Ennis, MT Fly Fishing Guides
Although we at FishWater Outfitters are still here in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC, we have been paying very close attention to all the snow thats been piling up in South West Montana. We couldn't be happier with the amount of moisture that is in the mountains now and that will continue to come down throughout the spring.
Check out this link below for a in-depth look at the snow pack levels for all of SW MT, but especially for the Madison River drainage. This is a great site to check back on as we move closer to summer!
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/mt/snow/products/NRCSEPRD1137464/
Madison River Brown Trout
It's always a good thing to have plenty of snow throughout the winter and then also plenty of rain in the spring and early summer. The more snow and rain equates directly to the amount of cold water we will have throughout the entire summer. That being said, we are also happy to announce that Hebgen Dam has been fixed and we will hopefully be getting water off the bottom of the reservoir instead of the top. This will help to keep The Madison River water temperatures lower during the heat of the summer. Trout love cold water and with that cold water, we will hopefully begin to see our hatches last longer and continue throughout the summer. Ideally, within a few years the Madison River will be back to its old self producing lots of good dry fly fishing again.
Healthy Madison River Rainbow Trout
Just a heads up for all the anglers who enjoy exploring and fishing in Yellowstone National Park, they recently released a statement which bans all felt soled wading boots in the park. Look at the link below to read about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and how you can help to stop the transfer of them from rivers to lakes.
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/18010.htm
Our summer season is booking up quickly so if you haven't already contacted us about your Madison River Fly Fishing trip then do so now by using the link below.
If you live in the SouthEast or are planning a trip to beautiful Charleston, SC then don't forget to give us a call to book an Inshore Fly Fishing or Light tackle charter. We offer 1/2, 3/4 and full day charters for anyone from the seasoned fly fisher to the beginner angler who just wants to see the waterways throughout Charleston and catch a Redfish!
Charleston, SC Redfish tail
Charleston, SC Winter Fly Fishing
As we are all enduring the winds of March here in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC, I thought it'd be a good time to look back on some of the great weather and fly fishing we had in January and February. The old saying of In like a lion, out like a lamb has definitely been true for our Spring so far. It seemed as though right as we turned into the month of March the winds started to blow heavily and daily. All of us here at FishWater Outfitters were very thankful for really good weather through most of the winter months.
Sunrise on the Stono River
We had some chilly mornings out on the water but we also had some unbelievable and unseasonable weather too. In mid to late February, Charleston temperatures were in the mid 70's with a some days that tipped out in the low 80's. Although that is not very common, it sure was welcomed by everyone and everything. The fish were very happy to see the water temperatures rise from the dismal 40 degree temps in the beginning of January to the upper 50's and low 60's in late February. We had fantastic fishing on many of the early morning low tides using a variety of different flies. As always, any combination of black and purple feathers worked well in addition to basic olive and cream colored clouser patterns. White baitfish patterns seemed to work well also, especially while targeting Redfish in the oyster mounds.
Redfish pushing wakes around oyster mounds
Generally while Fly Fishing in Charleston, SC during the winter months we are targeting Redfish around the low tides. My personal favorite is a mid morning low tide where we can launch the boat at sunrise and fish 2-3 hours of the falling tide and then another 2-3 hours of the incoming tide before the water gets too high. Once the tide gets too high, it makes sight fishing much more difficult.
Charleston, SC redfish on fly
As we continue through the brutal winds of March, the springtime weather patterns can't come soon enough! Once we start to see more consistent day time temps in the mid to upper 70's here in Charleston, SC the fishing will only get better and better! The water temperatures will become much more stable and a lot of the bait will return to the marsh. This means more shrimp, crabs and other baitfish that our Inshore species love to eat.
Redfish Tail
Whether you are planning a trip for business or for fun here in the Holy City, FishWater Outfitters can offer half day and 3/4 day Inshore Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Charters for your needs. We cater to all families and corporate groups alike and are always excited to show a beginner angler how to catch their first Redfish! Spring dates are booking fast so use the link below to schedule a charter with Capt. Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters.
Thinking about your summer vacation plans already? Don't forget that Capt. Braden Powell and FishWater Outfitters offer fly fishing trips on the legendary Madison River in the trout town of Ennis, Montana during the summer months!!
