Rocky Mountain trout guide finds kindred spirit aboard South Carolina redfish skiff.
Story and photos by Dan Towsley.
Fishing small mountain streams with light fly rods and tiny flies equates to gentle presentations
and trout that you can handle on the line and not the reel. But when I think of fly-fishing
saltwater, I think of clear blue skies, salty water and big East Coast bull redfish tugging on my
line. Having guided the Mountain West states for more than eight years, I was ready to make a
pilgrimage to South Carolina.
I arrived in Charleston with minimal knowledge of the in-shore fishery. I knew I needed a guide
to show me the ropes of this alien landscape. I boarded Rob Williams skiff. Ron agreed that we
hit it off immediately. Kindred spirits.
“Dan’s whole vibe was all about absorbing, learning everything I said and did,” said Rob, who
owns Citadel Marine Services. “He had tons of questions and took the time to listen. It was
super cool.”
I had reached out to Rob on Instagram months before. He apparently did some research on me
as well. He knew I was a photographer and a fly-fishing guide out West. He knew that I knew
nothing about redfish on fly.
The gear we used was a much heavier setup than I use in Wyoming. He had an 8-weight rod
paired with an 8-weight reel with floating line. He also had a 7/8-weight fiberglass rod that I could
not wait to put my hands on.
As the boat came down from on plane to the first spot, I knew what to look for from our chat on
the way. I had an idea where to place my fly and how to retrieve it. On my first cast, I hooked up
with a massive red.
“It could not be this easy,” I said in my head.
I could tell by Rob’s reaction that this was special. He was in awe of seeing the fish on the line. I
got it to the boat, we took some quick photos, a few high-fives and released the fish back into
the shallows. We secured the deck, and jumped back up on plane.
The next spot would be different. We’d be sight-fishing over oyster beds. It was a much more
technical approach. He told me to grab the glass rod and have a little fun. With winds ripping
from the side, I was able to let my line go 3 feet to the left to compensate for wind. I dropped the
fly into a 2-foot-wide channel to the feeding reds.
Boom!
After the strip-set, the fun began. The fish fought in zig-zags, bending the rod like few Western
trout could. It was another chucky bronze red. A photo, a high-five, a release and on to the next
spot.
The day was one for the books. I learned more in those four hours than I ever thought
imaginable.
Rob said he’s planning on taking me up on my offer and heading West to try Wyoming trout
fishing.
“I’ve thought about the trip a few times since,” said Rob on a phone call with The Guidefitter
Journal. “I’ve fished with guides before, and it puts extra pressure…no, that’s not it. It puts extra
hope in the trip. Having another pro with you, I always am hoping hard that it all goes the way
your planned it in your head. At the same time it’s extra exciting, because I am thrilled to show
someone who knows West so well, to show them our redfishing, which is a whole different
game.”
Originally posted in Summer 2021 Guidefitter Journal.
