From early October until mid-March, Capt. Tom moves from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana to take his clients fly fishing in what is undoubtably and inarguably the best redfish habitat on the planet. The Mississippi River is the source of massive amounts of nutrients, sediment, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and mineral-rich water that provides everything the truly massive Louisiana marsh needs to flourish. While poling the flats in the fall, you can see giant white shrimp fleeing for their lives as angry reds kill with an astonishing ferocity that is seen no where else. Oysters, crabs, shrimp, and mullet are almost everywhere you look. All of these components added together make the Biloxi Marsh a big bull redfish paradise! With tremendous amounts of bait spread across hundreds of square miles of marsh, these reds are there to eat and, most importantly, more than willing to eat your fly. The geography of the Biloxi Marsh also lends itself to large numbers of healthy redfish. Marsh islands and the ponds within them provide shallow flats adjacent to open Gulf water which allow large bulls to hop up into skinny water without traveling far. Oyster beds on the flats are great habitat for crabs. Redfish, black drum, and sheepshead are often seen tailing around these. In short, Louisiana is the perfect ecosystem for redfish to thrive in! It's also the perfect opportunity for you to take advantage of the world's best redfishing!
Capt. Tom puts his Hell's Bay Marquesa in the water either in Hopedale or Delacroix, LA (about 45 minutes southeast of New Orleans). From here, world class flats are easily within reach. Not only does the marsh provide excellent habitat for redfish but it also allows boats to travel long distances protected from the wind. The Marquesa does a great job winding through marsh creeks and ponds, but is also built for smooth rides through open rough water as well. Tom's Hell's Bay is a powerful fishing tool that will help you catch more fish more comfortably! Once on the water, Capt. Tom is thinking of three things: where are the fish, where is clean clear water, and where is the proper depth. Knowing how to get to areas that have all three elements simultaneously is the ticket to successfully and consistently sight fishing for reds with a fly rod in Louisiana. Tom has spent years researching and guiding in the Biloxi Marsh to know when, where, what to do in order for you to hook up to that monster 25-40 pound bull redfish that you've always dreamed of catching.
If you're coming to Louisiana to fly fish with Capt. Tom, there are definitely some things that you need to bring to have a fun, successful, and safe trip. The water temps can dip into the 40's during mid-winter. Bring a spare set of dry clothes! If you get wet, you'll need something dry to change into immediately. Showing up properly dressed will make your trip 100% more enjoyable than if you don't. Wear layers (lots of them)! I wear the same clothes I wore in Montana on a 15 degree day as I do on a 45 degree morning in Louisiana!! A warm hat, gloves, long under wear, and a gore-tex shell are must haves. As far as tackle is concerned, I have Sage TCX and Hardy Proaxis 8 and 9 weight rods on the boat (and sometimes a 10 for large poppers). Galvan and Tibor reels loaded with Scientific Angler Mastery redfish line are my preferred reels and lines. Feel free to bring your own favorite 8 or 9 weight rod and reel with a good aggressively tapered fly line. I'll have several boxes of my favorite Louisiana redfish flies. One of my favorite flies for big Louisiana bull reds is a modified version of Capt. Rich Waldner's Terminator Crab using orange or purple grizzly hackle with Finnish raccoon instead of Supreme hair for a tail. The one thing in common that all good Louisiana flies have is that they get down in front of a red's face FAST! Short quick shots happen all the time to fish of all sizes!
If you're planning a trip to fly fish Louisiana, you have a huge number of options in regards to lodging. Your accommodations can be very rustic (The Delacroix Lodge www.thedelacroixlodge.com) which is very close to where we'll be putting in the boat. Or, you can stay in a 5 star hotel like the Ritz Carlton in downtown New Orleans (about a 45 minute drive from where we'll be fishing). The Best Western in Chalmette is a very comfortable place to stay that's close to all that New Orleans has to offer as well as the fishing hot spots. Each angler must purchase a Charter Passenger Fishing license. They are $10 for 3 consecutive days. You can buy them online at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/licenses/fishing or at the Meraux Tackle Box on the way to meet Tom. It is located at 3124 E Judge Perez Dr. Meraux, LA 70075. Please give Capt. Tom a call to check for availability. You can reach him by phone- 850-225-3813. Or email - capt.tom@destiny-unbound.com
Louisiana Fly Fishing Rates
$650 for a full day (8-9 hours)
$475 for a half day (4-5hours)
Cash and checks are the preferred method of payment.
A 50% percent deposit is required to hold your dates. Please read our rates page in regards to cancellations. Cancellations must be made less than 72 hours before your scheduled trip will result in a forfeit of your deposit. The decision to cancel a trip due to poor weather is made by the guide. If the guide chooses to cancel a trip due to inclement weather or mechanical issues, then your deposit will be refunded within 5 business days.
