Fishing

Redfish and Oysters on the Half Shell: Fly Fishing and Feasting in Charleston, SC

Discover Charleston's hidden gems: exceptional fly fishing opportunities amidst a backdrop of rich history, vibrant culture, and world-class restaurants

Ken Baldwin

Fly fishing the waters of Charleston, SC includes taking in the famous Lowcountry sunsets.
Fly fishing the waters of Charleston, SC includes taking in the famous Lowcountry sunsets. / photo by Bryant Wilson

If you're looking to take a trip that allows you to sight fish for tailing Reds with a fly rod, have a chance to cast to a tarpon, explore a world-class city, view historical architecture, experience rich culture, and eat at some of the best southern seafood restaurants in the U.S., here's your destination.

Undefeated for 12 Years in a Row

For twelve straight years, Charleston, SC has been crowned the "Best City in the U.S." by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. Twelve years in a row at the top means Charleston must be doing a lot of things right. To even crack the top 10, a city needs high marks in several areas. Think: interesting things to see, good places to eat, friendly people, and a feeling that you're getting good value for your money. (And for this audience, let's add to that, a great fly fishing fishery.) But Charleston doesn't just make the top 10; it's been number one for 12 years in a row.

When Inshore Fly Fishing Meets World Class City

Travel brochures will tell you about Charleston's vibrant cultural scene, excellent museums, music festivals, the culinary landscape with all the award-winning restaurants, add to that a walkable downtown historic district with cobblestone streets and horse-pulled carriages. All of these attractions are great, but what the brochures and travel agents usually leave out is that Charleston is also a great saltwater fishery with quality fly fishing. Depending on the time of year you can target tarpon, jack crevalle, and cobia. And all year-round you can target redfish.

Happy Wife, Happy Angler: Exceptional Fly Fishing in Charleston

We have an agreement in our household. When I take a fly fishing trip that involves packing and a plane ticket—a 'real' trip, so to speak—my wife gets to choose our next vacation. Sometimes I get lucky, and her ideal destination happens to have fly fishing nearby. Charleston does this one better. Charleston doesn't just have fly fishing nearby, it is situated smack dab in the middle of some of the best fly fishing on the East Coast.

A Fly Fishing Culture

Fly fishing for Reds is a big deal in Charleston. It is a culture and community unto itself. You will find social events, clothing companies, tournaments, all centered on the Redfish. This fishery is a big part of what makes up the Lowcountry lore. But the pursuit of the redfish with a fly rod is not as easy as walking up to the water and casting. 

An angler admiring the red drum he caught before he releases it in a marsh that surrounds Charleston, SC.
The redfish fishing in Charleston, SC is engrained in the Lowcountry culture. / photo provided by Bryant Wilson

Fly Fish the Lowcountry With a Local Expert

Charleston is surrounded by 66,000 acres of marshes and saltwater creeks. Between the shifting tides, pluff mud, and maze-like landscape, it's easy to get lost. The best way to experience fly fishing the Lowcountry as a newcomer is through a guide. Hiring someone who knows the lay of the waterways will allow you to step right into the redfish culture and experience the adrenaline rush of sight casting to tailing Reds.

A Native Son of the Lowcountry

Bryant Wilson is a native of the Low Country. He's been fishing and navigating the waters around Charleston and Beaufort for over thirty years. The Lowcountry has always been his backyard and there isn't a fishable corner he hasn't explored. He tried to do the nine-to-five, but the water kept pulling him back, so eight years ago he stepped out of his corporate job and into a career of guiding full-time.

Bryant Wilson operating his boat in the creeks and rivers around Charleston, SC.
Bryant Wilson, a Native-Son of the Lowcountry and an exceptional fly fishing guide. / photo provided by Bryant Wilson

A Patient, Knowledgeable Guide

If you are new to fly fishing or fly fishing in saltwater, Bryant is an exceptionally patient instructor. He has the kind of knowledge you can only acquire when you spend your developing years exploring the marshes and rivers of the Lowcountry. He's not a guide who will bark at you if you mess up a cast. He's easy to talk to and be around, and his focus is on making sure your time on the water is positive.

A fly angler holding up a big redfish he caught in Charleston, SC
A Capt. Bryant Wilson client with a beautiful coppered up redfish in the Lowcountry. / photo by Bryant Wilson



Check out Bryant's Instagram page and you'll see photos of beginner anglers catching their first Red on a fly - something he takes great pride in. Bryant is also a wealth of information about the city of Charleston. He is a native son and he can recommend things to do in the city that have more of an authentic feel to it.

For the More Advanced Angler

If you are an experienced angler, and depending on the time of year, Bryant can target tarpon, jack crevalle, and cobia. These aren't easy species to fish for but if you have the skill, Bryant has the knowledge and ability to find them. 

A fly angler with a Jack Crevalle he caught while fly fishing around Charleston, SC
You can fly fish for Jack Crevalle in the waters of Charleston, SC / photo by Bryant Wilson
Fly fishing guide Bryant Wilson releasing a giant tarpon caught in the waters of Charleston, SC.
Guide Bryant Wilson releasing a giant tarpon. Charleston, SC / photo provided by Bryant Wilson

Top Tier Fly Fishing Gear

You are welcome to bring your own gear but you don't need to. Bryant can outfit you with top-tier equipment such as Sage rods and Hatch reels. His boat makes the pursuit easy and comfortable. He guides from a Floyd Skiff that is built for this kind of fishing. It rides smooth and dry and can get you into 6 inches of water where the redfish hunt for their meals. This will put you in a great position for presenting your fly to the fish, and makes line maintenance easy with nothing for your line to get tangled in while casting.

Charleston, SC - World-Class City, Exceptional Fly Fishing

Is there such a thing as a perfect trip? Maybe not, but Charleston in the Spring, Fall and Winter is darn near close. The weather is mild, the fish are plentiful, downtown Charleston is perfect for walking, exploring and eating at some of the best restaurants in the country, and in Capt. Bryant Wilson you will find a native of the Lowcountry who is a skilled fishing guide that will get you into some fish. You don't get voted "The Best City in the U.S." for twelve years in a row on a fluke. Charleston is doing something right. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

Published |Modified
Ken Baldwin
KEN BALDWIN

Ken Baldwin's career in fishing and the outdoors started twenty-two years ago. For twenty of those years he guided anglers in remote Alaska. Along with his work as a guide, he created a TV show called Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports, worked on the nature documentary Our Planet 2, for Netflix, specialized in photographing the Alaskan brown bear, and has published his photographs and writing in several magazines. Ken Baldwin is a graduate from the University of Washington.

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