Keys to Fly Fishing for Redfish In Louisiana

The Weather

In my experience, the biggest factor that determines success is simply the weather and water conditions (not that different than any other type of fly-fishing) – the best days have a little breeze, clear skies, and water with more than 1-2 feet of visibility.

Guide, Flies, and Skills

Add a knowledgeable guide to the mix along with a handful of good flies, a powerful fly rod paired with a fly line with an overweighted head, and things should get interesting – it does help to be able to stand up in the bow, see fish yourself, and to be able to quickly cast 20-30 feet!

Fish Multiple Days

I have had the opportunity to fly fish for Redfish throughout Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Florida as well. Weather always seems to be the biggest factor in determining how well the “catching” part of the fishing trip will pan out. Fish at least a few days and hope that you get some good weather over those days. Weather systems move through quickly this time of year, so it's reasonable to expect some tough conditions as well as good ones

Have Flexible Travel Plans

When planning a Louisiana redfish fly fishing trip, I pick the dates that work for my schedule and am always prepared to cancel the trip a few days out if the weather is going to be bad, as there is no “workaround” for lots of wind, cloudy skies, and dirty water when you are planning on sight fishing in shallow water with a muddy bottom.

Most fly fishing guides in Louisiana are 100% on board with this policy of canceling a few days out if the weather looks bad. I have had some good days on those bad weather days, but I have had many more bad days than good ones when the wind is blowing hard under cloudy skies.

Louisiana Redfish Fly Fishing Guides

There are as many fly fishing guides in Louisiana as there are marshes lining the Gulf Coast. Seek recommendations and get to know a few over the phone or e-mail before making a reservation.

I fish with Captain Ben Cooley of Muckin Marauder Fly Fishing throughout the marshes south of Houma, Louisiana. I have known Ben for several years, as he has been the general manager at Cross Currents fly shop in Craig, Montana, from April to September. Ben started exploring these marshes a few years back and has done a remarkable job of learning every facet of fly fishing for redfish in Louisiana by putting in days, weeks, months, and now years running around the marshes, learning the intricacies of this vast fishery.

His thoughtful knowledge and preparation ensure a great redfish fly fishing experience in a variety of conditions.

Excerpt From A Louisiana Fly Fishing For Redfish Trip Report

"Most of the fishing on this most recent trip was concentrated around cuts through marsh islands and small lakes within the bayou system, where the water remains less turbid than the larger pieces of open water. Somedays, we fished well inside the marsh, while other days, we were fishing areas with the Gulf of Mexico off one side of the boat and a marsh island on the other.

We caught fish in water up to 5-6 feet deep as well as in water where the fish's backs were literally sticking halfway out of the water.

Ben always had a “plan of attack” for each flat or “creek mouth,” and more times than not – when the weather was cooperative – they came together flawlessly, resulting in a double-digit Bull Red or two coming to hand.

Besides the beauty of the area and the fish, I absolutely love fishing big, brightly colored flies that sink quickly and are visible in the water. Give me a 4/0 Chartreuse, White, or Light Tan fly with lead eyes with a big Bull Red to target, and you will find me in my “truly happy” place. Once they hear the “plunk” of the fly and pick up on that color - they just can’t help themselves - more times than not – the ferocity of the redfish is put on in full display and is a bucket-list fly fishing experience for serious anglers.

The “thing” with fall fly fishing for redfish in Louisiana is that this is when the big fish (Bull Reds) come into the shallow water marshes. Although there are large redfish from the Carolinas to northern Mexico, they tend to spend their lives offshore and rarely come into shallow water because of significant barrier islands and reefs. The Louisiana barrier islands have been heavily eroded by centuries of hurricanes and storms, resulting in tidal marsh areas blending directly into the Gulf of Mexico.

These big fish move into the shallow waters in September and can be found here as late March. Although I enjoy fly fishing redfish in Texas as well, Louisiana is where I head during my fall and winter redfish travels as the lure of big fish in shallow water is just too much fun!"

Expert Gear Picks for Louisiana Redfish Fly Fishing

I owned and operated the premiere Bozeman fly shop - Fins and Feathers of Bozeman - for over 23 years. I sold the fly shop to Yellow Dog Fly Fishing in 2022 and am now out of teh retail game, altogether. I had always been hesitant to go “all in” on my gear recommendations out of concern for my information being perceived as “self-serving”. Well, those days are over!

Best Fly Rods for Fly Fishing Redfish in Louisiana

For this trip, our rods included a St. Croix Evos Salt 990, Sage Igniter 990, Hardy Ultralite+ 8 weight, and G. Loomis Asquith 10 weight – all in 9-foot lengths. We primarily fished the nine weights, and both were awesome for this style of fly-fishing (short, quick casts with heavy flies and lifting power).

The St. Croix Evos Salt has a functional blend of power and sensitivity, making it ideal for anglers with intermediate to advanced fly casting skills. It has become my "go-to" for most scenarios.

The Sage Igniter is a high-performance fly fishing masterpiece. In the hands of a skilled caster, wind, heavy flies, and hard-pulling fish are "just in a days work."

I should mention that I have several models from every major fly rod manufacturer in my quiver these days, they are all really good and would work well – these were just the ones that I brought on this trip (the Evos Salt is my favorite for all-around use when fly fishing in Louisiana)…but I didn’t say that!

Fly Reels For Louisiana Redfish

A solid reel is essential when fishing for Bull Reds as they are big fish and generally make at least one pretty fast run that gets you well into your backing.

I typically use just a few feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon for my leader. I like a reel with a strong drag that I can completely shut down the fish with when it gets close to the boat.

Any reel you feel good about will work – as is the case with just about any fly-fishing scenario. However, I think that if I am going to go through the time and expense of traveling someplace cool to fish for something that I don’t have easy access to. I might as well have something that will “tip” the odds in my favor.

The Hatch Iconic 9+ is my reel of choice for redfish in Louisiana. I have a lot to choose from in the reel department as well, and I would consider Hatch and the Abel SDS to be at the top of the list.

Fly Lines for Redfish Fly Fishing

I’ve done this long enough to know that the right line taper and core make a big difference when it matters most. No, your saltwater bonefish taper or bass fly line will not work. Get a redfish line from either Rio or Scientific Angler and your trip will go better. They have heavier heads with short front tapers to turn over heavy flies in close quarters. I have fished both the RIO and SA Redfish lines with equal satisfaction – get the RIO Premier or SA Amplitude Smooth series of these tapers.

The SA Grand Slam line is a great all-around saltwater fly line and works well for Redfish, too – however, having that Redfish line is worth the investment every time.

I don’t use tapered leaders for this type of fly fishing as the casts are short and the flies are heavy so you don’t need that taper to help turn over the fly during the cast. I count on the RIO Saltwater Fluorocarbon tippet for reliable use and carry several spools of 16-30 pounds with me on every trip.

Louisiana Redfish Flies

The guides will always have flies they like, so there is very little pressure on the angler to go out and put together an assortment. As I owned a fly shop for many years, I have amassed quite a collection of flies. One thing I always noted, however, is that we would sell gear to folks going for Redfish, but rarely did we sell flies. Additionally, we sold lots of saltwater flies online but rarely did we sell flies that we stocked specifically for redfish.

My approach to flies in Louisiana is to take what I have and rely on the guide’s choices if mine don’t work (they usually do).

If you want some of my favorites, go to Dirty Water Fly Company and get yourself some Smoke N Mirrors in 2/0 or 3/0 in the Chartreuse, Tan, and Black/Purple colorways to get started. They are heavy and less than ideal to cast at 50+ foot ranges, but they work GREAT in close when you need to get that fly in front of a cruising redfish.

Other Essentials for Louisiana Fly Fishing

It’s no secret that I am a Skwala Fishing fanboy – their waders and fly-fishing apparel are second to none in terms of design, technology, and function. I wear their Sol Pants in the boat, the Sol Tactical Hoody on warm days, the Fusion Hybrid Jacket during the ride out in the morning, and the Carbon Jacket as my protection from the elements on those rainy days. This gear is as comfortable as it gets, but it has the unique technology story packed into each piece that makes it perfectly suited for any fly-fishing outing. I wear on-cloud running shoes when I’m on the deck as they are more comfortable and offer more support than any other fishing-designed shoe (and they look cool, too).

Bajio sunglasses with Silver Mirror glass lenses cover a wide range of light conditions and offer better optical clarity than other glasses I have used. Plus, their frames are made primarily of plant-based materials, which reduces the presence of plastics in our lives. I carry a pair of Smith low-light ignitor lens glasses with me on all of my saltwater trips, as they are game changers on dark, cloudy days.

Louisiana Fly Fishing For Redfish Resources

Reach out to me, Toby Swank, via e-mail for help reviewing your gear, vetting a guide service, or sourcing some new flies for your Louisiana redfish fly fishing trip.

I have also fly-fished extensively in the Port Sulphur and Venice marshes of Louisiana and would be happy to provide insights into various operations there as well.

Tailwaters Fly Fishing is a fly shop and worldwide fly fishing travel service in Dallas, Texas. They have a variety of online resources related to Louisiana fly fishing for redfish. If you prefer to book your travel with an agency, these folks have the most experience in booking fly fishing trips to Louisiana.