If you have ever been to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina or Virginia to fish for mountain trout, you know that it is somewhat easy to catch small fish. Larger trout are less abundant and can often only be found on stretches of “private water.”
Hobcaw Barony Plantation has brought that concept to the Lowcountry, and Capt. Steve Thomas is the Orvis pro-staff guide with exclusive rights to fish vast stretches of salt marsh.
Hobcaw Barony is a 17,500-acre wildlife refuge whose recorded history begins in 1718 as a royal land grant and ended up with the Baruch family. Bernard Baruch was a Wall Street millionaire, and his daughter, Belle, was a grand dame of the Lowcountry woodlands, enjoying hunting from horseback and many other sporting diversions. After their passing, a foundation was established to care for the property, which also allows Clemson University and the University of South Carolina to have long-term research facilities on site.
In 2007, a fly-fishing program was launched as a way to utilize the almost 8,000 acres of salt marsh on the property. A guide fee associated with the program goes towards the endowment that manages the plantation, which extends from Horry County’s southern border line to Waccamaw Neck. Strict covenants keep this a wild place on the map; there are no paved roads on the property.
All fishing on Hobcaw Barony is guided, and besides sometimes using a kayak, no fishing is done from a boat. This is very hands-on fishing, with fishermen wading salt flats to get within casting distance of fish, while being surrounded by occurring birds and wildlife.
It’s truly amazing how close you can get to a fish that has not been pressured.
Thomas (843-997-6981) guided in Alaska for five years, catching grayling and many species of salmon. A fly-fishing expert, he ties his own flies and supplies his customers with the patterns that are “working” during their visit. Anglers can choose spinning tackle as an option, especially when backcountry fishing out of a kayak, but the trip is ideal for two people who want to fly-fish for tailing redfish.
Joe Bibbo of Florence has made several trips to fish with Thomas.
“The redfishing is the best during the warm months, because the tailing reds will gorge themselves on fiddlers until the end of October,” Bibbo said. “After that, it’s time to get in the kayak and fish the endless creek bends for trout, reds and flounder.”
Chris Hawley, chairman of the Waccamaw Chapter of CCA, said, “Thomas is a great guide who knows how to watch the tide tables for the best possible fishing times, with anything over a 5.5-foot tide being ideal.”
Thomas uses an Orvis mid-arbor Battenkill 7/8-weight reel and a custom Diamondback 9½-foot fly rod, and likes weight-forward Scientific Angler redfish line with a floating tip.
“The El Terro Crab, tied by Dan Neuschafer at the Myrtle Beach Orvis store, is deadly around here,” Thomas said. “The fly sinks a bit when you strip line, and the foam legs make it float upward after you twitch it.”
All fishing at Hobcaw Barony is catch-and-release, and Thomas uses a Lippa tool for releasing his redfish. The 2-piece tool carries the motto “Lippa for Life” because it does not actually clamp down on the fish’s mouth; it closes with a gap between the pinchers that allows another tool to slide down the line and remove the hook.
Slipping up close to a redfish for a cast can be exhilarating, but if you make any unnatural noises that cause a redfish to push out of your area, then you may feel disappointment. Hooking up with a redfish on the flats ensures an interesting fight, and if the fish makes it back into a channel before he is subdued, he may actually win the fight. You can’t catch ’em all, but you will have more fun trying it at Hobcaw Barony.
You can take any knowledge gained from a trip to Hobcaw Barony with you the next time you’re out fishing for tailing reds.
Be the first to comment