Sea Island Fly Fishers

Tie One On Tuesday - Fly Tying Workshop
2023-10-24 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York) | Southern Drawl Outfitters, 1533 Fording Island Rd, Bluffton, SC, 29910, United States
On Tuesday, October 24th at 6:00 PM, a fly tying workshop will be hosted by Southern Drawl Outfitters located at 1533 Fording Island Rd (Hwy 278) in the Moss Creek Village Shopping Center in Bluffton, SC. The presenter, expert tier Alex Altman, will lead the group in tying a pattern relevant to our local fishery.
Tiers of all levels are welcome. Tying materials will be supplied. Please bring your tying gear if you are so equipped. For beginners, we have several setups available. There is no fee for this program.

Membership Meeting - October 18th
2023-10-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – October 18, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, usually followed by our speaker.
This month, we are pleased to welcome Kristin Williams, Executive Director of The Open Land Trust, South Carolina’s first and oldest land trust working to protect open spaces, natural habitats and rural communities throughout the Southern Lowcountry. Kristin assumed the role of Executive Director of the Open Land Trust in January 2018. She brings with her 10 years of experience as the Executive Director of a conservation organization, Friends of the Environment, located in Abaco, Bahamas. Kristin has a track record of success in program development, partnership expansion and campaign management.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members. Guests are welcome!

Membership Meeting - September 20th
2023-09-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – September 20, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, usually followed by our speaker, Erin Levesque.
Erin is a biologist and a manager at the Waddell Mariculture Center located at Victoria Bluff in Bluffton S.C. The Waddell Mariculture Center is a field experiment station of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and is one of the country’s largest and most sophisticated facilities for mariculture research.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members. Guests are welcome!

Volunteer Opportunity - SCORE Living Shoreline Project
2023-07-25 10:00 - 14:00 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Update:
Thank you volunteers! The total number of volunteer slots for the upcoming July 25th S.C.O.R.E. event have been filled!
For those of you who wished to be part of this event but weren’t able to sign up, the work with SCORE will be ongoing for several years providing more volunteer opportunities in the future. More information will be sent as it becomes available. Learn more about the SCORE Program: https://score.dnr.sc.gov/
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Tuesday, July 25th from 10 a.m. – 2 pm!
Come and volunteer at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Weezie pavilion with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources S.C.O.R.E. division to assemble Manufacture Wire Reefs (MWR). This oyster reef substrate will be used to create new oyster reefs for a project funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This project will focus on increasing the coastal resilience of the shorelines adjacent to MCRD Parris Island. Reefs will be constructed on Battery Creek, the Beaufort River and Archers Creek over the next 3 years. The fabrication of these reef units requires the use of pneumatic tools, galvanized wire and recycled oyster shell. This reef substrate has proven extremely effective at recruiting oysters and in turn providing essential habitat for numerous estuarine species.

Membership Meeting - May 17th
2023-05-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – May 17, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, usually followed by our speaker. Meetings are open to members and guests.
This month we are pleased to feature John Mathews as our speaker! John, a long time SIFF member and creator of the Marsh Sense Clinic is a veteran wade fisher who, backed with ten years of experience and over 500 wades into the salt marshes of Beaufort County, will present “Finding and Learning a Wadable Tidal Marsh”. John will explain a myriad of tools to help you wade the marshes safely and effectively including Google Earth, Bing maps, and Map Quest as well as online resources for tide, wind, and weather information. He will discuss wading gear, equipment, and proven fly patterns while providing local knowledge of suitable wading areas. This presentation is not to be missed!
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members!

General Membership Meeting - April 19th
2023-04-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – April 19, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, usually followed by our speaker.
This month we have arranged to have a panel discussion with all the Bay Street Outfitter guides during our April SIFF Meeting. The panel will include Zeke Brant, who will mediate, John Hawthorne, Shannon O’Quinn, Tuck Scott, and Tony Welch. These guides represent years of experience in fishing our local waters! Bring along your questions and take advantage of this event!
To learn more about each guide, Click Here.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members!

Fly Tying Event - March 18th
2023-03-18 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
The Sea Island Fly Fishers will be holding a fly tying “Expo” at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s classroom on Saturday, March 18th between 9:30 am and 12 noon.
This event is the kickoff event to restart SIFF’s fly tying program. It is open to everyone interested in flies, tying flies, the art of fly tying, fly fishing, fishing the Lowcountry via wading or boating. Noted and experienced members of SIFF and the Lowcountry fly fishing community will be demoing the tying of various effective fly patterns and sharing other skills you’ll need to fly fish the Lowcountry.
Local and guest tiers are welcome to demo their favorite salt or freshwater pattern. All of the fly fishing community is welcome! This free event is open to everyone! We hope to see you there!
The Port Royal Sound Foundation campus is located at 310 Okatie Hwy, in Okatie, where S.C. 170 crosses the Chechessee River.

General Membership Meeting - March 15th
2023-03-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – March 15, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by our speaker.
This month, we welcome Heather Kraus from Nemours Wildlife Foundation who will be presenting “Historical and cultural events shaping our Lowcountry wetlands and the conservation movement sustaining them”.
Heather has been the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Nemours Wildlife Foundation since May 2021. There she gets to share her appreciation for the outdoors and its wildlife with others. She leads small group programs that explore the diverse habitats found in the Lowcountry and addresses regional conservation issues. When not coordinating public programs, she works to expand a network of wildlife tracking stations across South Carolina that can detect flying animals traveling across the landscape. She has been a naturalist in training most of her life. She earned her master’s degree from Emporia State University in Kansas and a BA in Biology from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. Her career has taken her from Massachusetts to Texas and a few places in between, but now she is happy to call Beaufort her home.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members!

Special Election - Board of Directors
2023-03-08 18:00 - 2023-03-14 12:00 | SC
At the SIFF General Membership Meeting on February 15, 2023 the members present adopted the amended club By-Laws by a majority vote. Article IV, section 1, allows for the expansion of the Board of Directors (BOD) from four to up to eight members with two classes of four members each being elected by the membership on alternate years.
At this time, the BOD is comprised of four (4) members with terms expiring on December 31, 2023. A special election is being held to increase the BOD to eight (8) members. Those elected in the special election will have terms expiring on December 31, 2024.
The Nomination Committee has reported its recommendations and they were accepted by the present BOD. The ballot will include:

Trent Bentzel
Greg Lyles
John Mathews
Tom Stevens

All 2023 Members are eligible to vote. To begin the process, please click the “Vote” button below. An e-mail will be sent to your address of record with instructions on casting your ballot.
Although the Board seats are uncontested, it is important for each member to cast their ballot and, by doing so, validate the election.
Voting is now open and will close at 12 noon on March 14, 2023.
VOTE!

SIFF Litter Pick Up - February 25th
2023-02-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Broad River Fishing Pier, Broad River Fishing Pier, Beaufort, SC, 29906, United States
SIFF Litter Pick Up Day
In furtherance of our mission to be good stewards of our fisheries and waterways, Sea Island Fly Fishers, in partnership with Beaufort County’s Adopt a Highway program, is planning an inaugural litter pick up event on Saturday, February 25th. Please join us at the Broad River Bridge Fishing Pier at 10am.
Pickup tools and bags will be provided. Please wear long pants and bring work type gloves. After cleaning up the Pier and boat launch areas, if time allows, we’ll go to Widgeon Point and pick up there as well.
If you plan on joining us, please let us know by signing up below. Doing so will give us an idea of how much equipment and supplies will be needed.
Thank you for your support!

General Membership Meeting - February 15th
2023-02-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – February 15, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by our speaker.
During the month of January, 2023, the SIFF Board of Directors met and agreed upon changes to the present By-Laws (adopted November 8, 2017). These proposed changes will be voted on by the active members at the General Membership Meeting on February 15, 2023. For more information and to view a copy of the proposed By-Laws, please Click Here
This month, we are pleased to have Capt. Tuck Scott as our speaker whose presentation will focus on fly fishing in Cuba. The head guide at Bay Street Outfitters, Capt. Tuck started fishing and shrimping the Beaufort area 30 years ago with his grandfather. He has heavily fished South Carolina’s Lowcountry from Charleston to Savannah and has incorporated his fly fishing experience of twenty plus years to exclusively target saltwater species here in Beaufort, SC. Tuck targets redfish, seatrout, ladyfish, cobia, tarpon, and sheepshead on the fly as well as on light tackle from a 2020 Maverick HPX-S Carbon Edition. Because of its unmatched excitement, sight fishing is his primary method of targeting most species.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members!

General Membership Meeting - January 18th
2023-01-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership Meeting – January 18, 2023
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by our speaker. This month, we are fortunate to have as our speaker, Kevin Swain from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, who will present “The Importance of Oyster Restoration and How Gamefish Utilize Oyster Habitat Throughout Their Life History”.
Kevin Swain is a biologist with the SCDNR South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement (SCORE) Program. Kevin is a Lowcountry native and has also lived in Louisiana, Florida, and the upstate of SC. After graduating from The Citadel in 2019 with a B.S. in Biology, he started working with the SCDNR Marine Gamefish Tagging Program where he tagged and recorded data for target gamefish species, primarily cobia. After finishing a joint MA master’s program through The Citadel and College of Charleston’s Grice Marine Lab, Kevin joined the SCORE Program in January 2021. When he isn’t knee deep in pluff mud building oyster reefs, Kevin can be found wading flats for tailing redfish, tying terrible crab pattern flies, or sight fishing off inshore oyster reefs.
Plan on attending! Membership meetings are a great place to learn about your fishery and to mix with your fellow club members!

General Membership Meeting - December 21st - Cancelled
2022-12-21 18:00 - 20:00 | SC
Due to the proximity of the holidays, there will be no membership meeting during December. Our next meeting is on January 18th.

SIFF Holiday Party - November 16th
2022-11-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Beaufort Yacht and Sail Club, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort, SC, 29907, United States
You’re invited to join your fellow members of the Sea Island Fly Fishers for the Annual Holiday Party to be held at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on November 16th! Mingle with friends at a beautiful waterside setting, enjoy a delicious meal prepared by John Mathews, and take advantage of the Silent Auction and Raffle, the proceeds of which will be used to support conservation efforts in our immediate area.
Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort
Attendees: SIFF members in good standing and their guests (2022 Dues Current)
Charge: $40 per single attendee, $75 per couple
Food: Assisted buffet service
Menu: By John Mathews
Drinks: Soft drinks, beer, and wine included

Please: Attendance is limited to 55 members and guests! Secure your spot by making your event contribution through our secure, on-line payment site.
Click Here to Register Now
Once again, we are excited to offer a Silent Auction and Raffle during the event. Scroll down to view just a few of the items that will be up for bid!

Looking forward to seeing you on November 16th! If you have questions, please send to info@seaislandflyfishers.org

General Membership Meeting - October 19th
2022-10-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Membership meeting – October 19th
This month, we are fortunate to have Capt. Shannon O’Quinn as our presenter. Capt. O’Quinn is a full time guide at Bay Street outfitters and has been salt water fly fishing in the low country for over 16 years. He is a certified casting instructor with Fly Fishers International and enjoys helping people become better casters and overall anglers. He tries to never stop learning, whether it be from a mentor, the river, the fish, or the student that he’s helping. In previous presentations to the club, Capt. O’Quinn spoke on strategies to find redfish in low country marshes and then provided insider tips on how to catch them once the fish have been located. This month, as requested by members, Capt. O’Quinn will cover a subject that doesn’t get a lot of attention, “mid-tide fishing strategies”. Don’t miss this presentation as it is sure to round out your fishing experiences!
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by our speaker. Membership meetings are a great place to meet with your fellow club members!
See you there!

General Membership Meeting - September 21st
2022-09-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
On September 21st, our first membership meeting after the summer hiatus, we welcome fellow SIFF member, John Holbrook. John is an accomplished fly tyer, fly caster, and one of the club’s premier flats authorities. John remembers catching his first tailing redfish during the “Tide is Right Tournament” in 2008 and has since spent countless hours researching and fishing the flats in Beaufort County. His presentation covers gear to take on the flat, how to research potential flats (Google Earth), and casting techniques to entice tailing fish. Attending this meeting will be critical for all members interested in fishing the flats in our area. Save the date!
The meeting will be held at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC between 6 PM and 8 PM. The agenda includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by our speaker. Membership meetings are a great place to meet with your fellow club members!

Fly Tying Workshop - July 21st
2022-07-21 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.
July’s pattern is to be determined.

Fly Tying Workshop - June 16th
2022-06-16 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
The fly pattern for June will be Del Brown’s Merkin Crab:
Del Brown (1918-2003) was known as the king of Permit fishing with over 500 Permit caught in his lifetime — a feat that will probably never be matched. It was a special fly, the Merkin crab, that Del developed and perfected that led to his success at catching one of the most elusive flats species. Crabs will migrate from one area to another by swimming near the surface using the tides and wind to propel them. This fly mimics a small or juvenile crab trying to escape by swimming to the bottom when predatory fish approaches. It is the crab swimming to the bottom that Permit key on. What makes this fly so special is the way it ‘swims’ to the bottom. A crab folds up its claws and non- swimming legs and swims sideways with its two swimming legs — the legs on the back of the crab. Because of the shape of a crab and the way the swimming legs move, a crab cannot swim straight down to avoid a predator — they swim to the bottom at an angle. The lead eyes, shape of the fly, and rubber band legs all combine to make this Merkin crab look like a small or juvenile crab as it swims at an angle to the bottom. Crabs, such as a juvenile blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), are a favorite food of many species besides Permit including Red Drum (redfish), Black Drum, speckled seatrout and Sheepshead. This pattern can be tied with different color yarn and rubber bands to mimic several different species of crabs. The pattern described below uses the traditional colors tied by Del Brown.
MATERIALS LIST:
Hook – Tiemco 811S size 4 or equivalent
Dumbbell eyes — medium silver or grey ( adjust size for sink rate)
Thread – Danville 3/0 thread or equivalent — fluorescent green
Tail – Krystal Flash and 2 brown hackle feathers
Body – Light brown, tan, or multi-colored yarn (the color of the yarn should vary depending on the species of crab but should be muted earth tones of brown, tan, gold, green or gray). Original material for the body is Aunt Lydia rug yarn 🧶 in tan and brown.
Legs – White round rubber band legs marked with Red marker
Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

Fly Tying Workshop - May 19th
2022-05-19 17:00 - 19:00 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
The fly pattern for May will be a Cobia Fly!
We plan to tie the fly in red and white. These are materials that we have in our inventories from other patterns we have previously tied.

Materials List:

Hook – Saltwater safe sz 2/0 or 3/0
Thread – black 210
Tail – magnum rabbit strip white over white bucktail
Body – magnum rabbit strip wound to form body
Head – red deer belly hair spun and clipped to shape.
Eye – 3/8 or largest you can find
Glue for eyes – e6000
Having a cauderizer helps setting the eyes

A substantial hook is needed that will not be bent by a large cobia. The black and grey version in the picture are mounted on TMC 600SP. The downside to using this hook is the cost. About a buck. This color combination was successful in landing a cobia last May. Other good combinations include tip dyed rabbit strips with a dark head. And chartreuse can be incorporated in the pattern to your liking. See you on the third Thursday, May 19th! – Ken
Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

General Membership Meeting - May 18th
2022-05-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
General membership meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through May. They are held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC. Each meeting includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by a speaker.
On May 18th, our last membership meeting until September, we welcome fellow SIFF member, Will Stephens. Will’s presentation will be focused on wetting the appetite of anglers for fly fishing experiences beyond the low country. He will be providing a snap shot of the locations, the logistics of getting there, accommodations, gear, tactics and a bit about the target species.
Will is an avid fly fisher hailing from New Jersey where he was introduced to the salt at an early age on the Jersey shore hunting for Stripers in Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook and out to Montauk Point on Long Island. Serving in the US Military and 35 years in Corp life always seemed to get in the way of pursuing a fishing passion. Planning for retirement coincided with him publishing a list of species to catch and places to catch them using international job assignments to successfully check them off. Fly fishing for over 25 years and logging thousands of miles in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the challenge was always finding far flung places untouched by anglers with a focus on the elusive, the largest and hard to catch. Along the way, a natural appreciation for the environment and the cultures of people around the world always factored into finding the next best place to fish. Will currently resides in the South Carolina Low Country where he is co-owner of Southern Drawl Outfitters a vintage fly and tackle shop supplying the communities surrounding Hilton Head Island and where he enjoys teaching and advancing the sport of fly fishing.

Will’s presentation will definitely be of interest to all members! Save the date!

Fly Tying Workshop - April 21st
2022-04-21 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
Marsh Banger
Our April 21st fly pattern will be the Marsh Banger, the third of a three part series presented by long time SIFF member John Mathews. This fly is just one of the flies John has developed for fishing reds in the tidal marsh and is part of the pack of flies given to attendees of the club’s very popular Marsh Sense Clinic.
The Marsh Banger is similar to a Bob’s Banger (Popovic) with a weed guard. Instead of a 4X Long 34011 hook, we use a 2″ fish joint and a short shank, wide gap hook with a collar of red deer body hair at the back of the foam body. The wire weed guard gets tied in first with the loop to the front of the hook. When the foam body slides on, pushing the weed loop back and leaving it at a 90 degree angle to the hook shank and in front of the hook point. The Marsh Banger is intended to be used with a “dropper” fly which will be attached later with leader material.
Those who attend the workshop will not only learn to tie a highly effective fly, but they will also have a chance to give back to the club. One goal for this fly tying class is to teach as many people as possible how to tie this fly and then tie as many as can be tied for the purpose of meeting the Marsh Sense Clinic’s demand. See you there!
PLEASE NOTE: All of the materials to tie this fly will be supplied by the club. If you have some or all of the following materials and equipment, please bring it along. If not, we have a number of kits, tying vises, and craft lights in the “club box” for your use.
Suggested Equipment List:

Red, white or black thread
Thread bobbin
White bucktail
Chartreuse bucktail
Red deer body hair
Crystal flash clear/white
Vise
Scissors
Bodkin
Glue
Light
18 or 20 pound test titanium leader wire

Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

General Membership Meeting - April 20th
2022-04-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
General membership meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through May. They are held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC. Each meeting includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by a speaker.
On April 20th, we welcome fellow SIFF members, Renee and Rob Mathai. Renee and Rob will be presenting “Do It Yourself Fly Fishing Adventures”.
Renee has been fly fishing for more than 20 years, and has called Beaufort home since 2016. Renee has planned and hosted women’s trips to Beaufort for the past 5 years. Working at Bay Street Outfitters has allowed her to meet and develop many fly fishing friends. She & her husband, Rob, are happy empty-nesters which has allowed Renee to do more casting instruction, fish the local waters, and pursue more hosted women’s trips.

Rob was introduced to fly fishing on a NOLS trip and has fished off and on for the past 25 years. While his fishing days have been limited, he has done a DIY bonefish trip in the Bahamas with his brother each year for the past 12 years. In February of 2022, Rob and Renee also did a DIY trip to Inagua. Rob and Renee are happy to share lessons from the school of hard knocks on DIY in the Bahamas for bonefish.

Renee and Rob’s presentation will be of interest to all members! Save the date!

Casting Clinic - March 19th
2022-03-19 08:30 - 16:00 | John Paul II Catholic School, 4211 N. Okatie Hwy, Ridgeland, SC, 29936, United States
The Sea Island Fly Fishers is pleased to announce that registration is now open for this year’s Casting Clinic. The clinic will be a one day event on Saturday, March 19th, and will be held on the John Paul II Catholic School grounds, 4211 N. Okatie Hwy, Ridgeland, SC. The clinic will begin at 8:30 AM and will conclude at 4:00 PM. A barbecue lunch, artfully prepared by John Mathews, will be provided at mid-day. Registration is required and a $40 contribution is requested to help defray the costs of the event. The cut-off date for registration is March 16th.
Please bring your rod and reel for saltwater (7 wt-9wt), including a saltwater leader and arrive early enough to have your equipment ready by the 8:30 AM starting time. There will be a limited amount of equipment available if necessary.
This clinic is open to all active members from beginner to expert. The clinic will focus on practical fishing casts and techniques.

Are you a member of the Sea Island Fly Fishers? Yes, I am a memberNo, but I would like to join To complete the membership questionnaire and make your dues contribution, please follow this link. Are your dues current for 2025? *YesNoDon't KnowFirst Name *Last Name *Phone *Email *How would you describe your casting skill level? *NoviceIntermediateAdvanced

Click below to make your Membership Dues Contribution for 2025!
$50.00
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Fly Tying Workshop - March 17th
2022-03-17 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
John’s Thang
Our March 17th fly pattern will be John’s Thang, the second of a three part series presented by long time SIFF member John Mathews. This fly is just one of the flies John has developed for fishing reds in the tidal marsh and is part of the pack of flies given to attendees of the club’s very popular Marsh Sense Clinic. John developed this fly after reading an article about a fly called a Wee Wiggler that used the squishy toy tentacles as a tail and hackle as a body. This fly is the Wee Wiggler on steroids! It has been modified for reds and is designed to imitate fiddler crabs, the primary food source for redfish feeding in the marshes of the Lowcountry. Those who attend the workshop will not only learn to tie a highly effective fly, but they will also have a chance to give back to the club. One goal for this fly tying class is to teach as many people as possible how to tie this fly and then tie as many as can be tied for the purpose of meeting the Marsh Sense Clinic’s demand. See you there!
Materials List:
Hook: Mustad Classic O’Shaughnessy size 1 to 2/0 or other large eyed, wide gap hook
Weed Guard: Nickel Titanium Knot so Kinky leader wire, 18# test or 20# test
Eyes: Medium to Large Lead Dumbbell
Body: FTD Kraken Enhanced Dubbing(s) blend to your preference.
Flash: FTD Starburst Dubbing-Gold,Copper,Purple,Red
Tail: Tentacle from Squishy toy or Zonker Strip
Egg Sack: Thin slice of Foam Fly body, colored orange.
PLEASE NOTE: All of the materials to tie this fly will be supplied by the club. If you have some or all of the following equipment, please bring it along. If not, we have a number of kits, tying vises, and craft lights in the “club box” for your use.
Suggested Equipment List:

Chisel point black marker.
Black or dark thread and bobbin
Bodkin
Comb
Scissors
Vise
Light
Cement or glue

Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

General Membership Meeting - March 16th
2022-03-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
General membership meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through May. They are held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC. Each meeting includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by a speaker.

This month, we welcome Bay Street Outfitters’ Head Guide, Capt. Tuck Scott. Capt. Scott started fishing and shrimping the Beaufort area 30 years ago with his grandfather. He has heavily fished South Carolina’s Lowcountry from Charleston to Savannah and has incorporated his fly fishing experience of twenty plus years to exclusively target saltwater species here in Beaufort, SC. Tuck targets redfish, seatrout, ladyfish, cobia, tarpon, and sheepshead on the fly as well as on light tackle. Because of its unmatched excitement, sight fishing is his primary method of targeting most species.
You won’t want to miss Capt. Scott’s presentation on March 16th.

Fly Tying Workshop - February 17th
2022-02-17 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
The Marsh Shrimp by John Mathews
Our February 17th fly pattern will be The Marsh Shrimp. This month’s presenter, long time SIFF member John Mathews, borrowed from other successful shrimp patterns and incorporated some different and new materials to produce a shrimp imitation that works extremely well at fooling Reds in our tidal marshes. This fly is just one of four of John’s flies he has developed for fishing Reds in the tidal marsh and is part of the pack of flies given to attendants as part of the club’s very popular Marsh Sense Clinic. Not only will you learn to tie a highly effective fly, but you also have a chance to give back to the club. One goal for this fly tying class is to teach as many people as possible how to tie this fly and then tie as many as can be tied for the purpose of meeting the Marsh Sense Clinic’s demand.
PLEASE NOTE: All of the materials will be precut and packaged for tying 4 of the flies while we’re there. Each person will get a pack with the tying instructions. If you have some or all of the following equipment, please bring it along. If not, we have a number of kits, tying vises, and craft lights in the “club box” for your use.
Suggested Equipment List:

Chisel point black marker.
Black or dark thread and bobbin
Bodkin
Comb
Scissors
Vise
Light
Cement or glue

Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert! Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.

Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

General Membership Meeting - February 16th
2022-02-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
General membership meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through May. They are held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC. Each meeting includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by a speaker.
On February 16th we welcome Dr. Al Segar who retired from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources having had a distinguished career as a veterinarian and wildlife biologist. Dr. Segar has dedicated his time tirelessly addressing how plastics have taken a toll on our marine mammals, sea turtles and fisheries. Dr. Segar is also a Board Member at the Beaufort County Land in Trust. Dr. Segar will present “The Human Impacts on Wildlife”. He will discuss ways we impact our wildlife and waters, both positively and negatively and what we can do to minimize negative impacts.
You won’t want to miss this presentation on an important subject given by a popular speaker.
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Fly Tying Workshop - January 20th
2022-01-20 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
On January 20th, with assistance from our presenter Ken Prager, Chair of the Fly Tying Committee, we will tie the Fish-Skull Fantastic Tail Forage fly in white. Tails are available in white, black, chartreuse and tan. A highly versatile streamer fly effective for targeting most saltwater species.

Materials List

Hook – saltwater sz 2 (suggest Kona UMS streamer)
Fish-Skull Fantastic tail white – one of 4 available colors
Fish-Skull baitfish head or fish mask
Eyes – Living eyes or other to fit head or mask depression
Thread -140 denier color to compliment color
Body – cross cut rabbit strip white to match tail
Flash – optional
Over Wing – optional

These materials are available at our local fly shop or can be ordered directly from Flymen Fishing Company’s web site. Frantic Tails are made of nearly indestructible, ultra-light synthetic suede that cannot be bitten off, will not shrink, and provides lifelike texture and movement when wet. Each suede body is precision laser cut, making each 100% identical and allowing for fine detail. – Ken
Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert. If you are so equipped, don’t forget a craft light and your tying gear. There is no fee required for participation. We encourage tiers to seek out the listed materials at their favorite fly shop. However, we have an adequately stocked “club box” to supplement the tiers’ supplies. For beginners, we also have a number of tying vises and craft lights for your use.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897

General Membership Meeting - January 19th
2022-01-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
General membership meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from September through May. They are held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Bay Street Outfitters, 825 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC. Each meeting includes a social hour with refreshments and food, followed by a speaker. This month, we are fortunate to have Capt. Shannon O’Quinn as our presenter. Capt. O’Quinn is a full time guide at Bay Street outfitters and has been salt water fly fishing in the low country for about 16 years. He is a certified casting instructor with Fly Fishers International and enjoys helping people become better casters and overall anglers. He tries to never stop learning, whether it be from a mentor, the river, the fish, or the student that he’s helping. In a previous presentation to the club, Capt. O’Quinn spoke on “How to find and catch redfish”, with the main concentration being on finding them. On January 19th, he will concentrate on catching them once you’re there. Approach, casting, gear, flies, etc. Don’t miss this presentation as it is sure to up your game on reds!

Fly Tying Workshop - December 16th
2021-12-16 17:00 - 19:30 | Port Royal Sound Foundation, 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie, SC, 29909, United States
Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River. Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.
This month, our Fly Tying Chair, Ken Prager, will be the presenter. Ken will assist us in tying a top water fly, The Saltwater Popper.

Saltwater Popper
This fly uses a preformed popper body that is made of high density (hard) white foam. Our presenter will be Ken Prager, an expert fly tyer and chairperson of the SIFF Fly Tying Committee.

“Hard poppers are used in applications where a floating fly is needed to create commotion. With a jerk strip the popper will push water and with a hard pull will throw water and pop. The splash and popping sound will call the fish in, and since the popper will float after each strip, you can see the strike on the surface. Use a weight forward fly line and a shortened leader to turn over a popper with better accuracy. Long casts are more appropriate as this allows for a longer strip before pick up. Adjusting the color of the back will help imitate sardine, anchovies, or finger mullet bait fish. Use a hook length that supports the popper body length you choose. Use a waterproof glue to fill in the slot in the popper body on the underside after positioning the popper body over the hook.” – Ken
Materials List:

Hook – kinked popper hook with straight eye
Thread – white 140 or 210 denier
Body – solid popper body
Tail – Four white saddles and bundle white deer tail
Eyes – stick on yellow with black dot
Color – blue, olive , or gray applied to top
Gill – red marker
Glue – E6000 waterproof adhesive

Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert. If you are so equipped, don’t forget a craft light and your tying gear. There is no fee required for participation. We encourage tiers to seek out the listed materials at their favorite fly shop. However, we have an adequately stocked “club box” to supplement the tiers’ supplies. For beginners, we also have a number of tying vises and craft lights for your use.
Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897.
