Flood tides allow poling anglers to stalk reds on grassy shorelines and at creekmouths.

“Don’t expect tailers to outnumber cruising fish in this area,” said LeNeave. On soft bottom in water over two feet deep, mudding fish are possible. Sometimes fish will “float,” or mill about at the surface with tail tips exposed. Long casts are needed in this situation, particularly on flat-calm days. A black-and-gold or a burnt orange-and-gold Clouser Minnow are LeNeave’s top redfish flies. Otherwise, a gold DuPree Spoonfly will take fish, and a small gold popper will score on both trout and reds.

There is ideal redfish bottom off of Rocky, Sink, Buck and Cow creeks, all south of Steinhatchee. There, you’ll want to pole over rocky patches surrounded by turtlegrass and the long “rock grass” that reaches the surface on lower tides. Quietly pole around these patches and sloughs and look for solo reds or small schools. Trout are harder to spot, and you’ll surely spook a few in the process. Make a mental note of what baits you see—mullet and pinfish indicate that predators are there, too. Take note, too, of the tidal stage at which you see gamefish or bait. My experience is that the reds move out from the shore with 12 to 18 inches of water on the falling tide. I don’t think they’re very comfortable with less than a foot of water over their backs.

Trout, like the big singles you will find close to shore, seem to prefer the same depths. On flood tides—particularly during the spring and fall—reds and trout get right up to the shoreline and the small rock and oyster bars near the creekmouths. Seasonally, you’ll tangle with tailing reds on the shallow flats on the falling tide on cold winter mornings, while summer high tides provide fly shots at reds pushing bait schools along shore.

Many fly rodders who fish here consider it to be 8-weight territory. Many days start calm and finish with a seabreeze, making moderate-distance casts a chore. I generally shift to a 9-weight outfit when the winds pick up, and when casting the heavier, sinking flies that are called for when fish are a bit deeper. Whatever your rod weight preference, just pick one that allows you to load up well for quick, short casts at reds that pop up close to the boat.

Seatrout are masters of camouflage, and that doesn’t change here. Many times you’ll only see a puff of mud from a spooked trout in clear water, and it’s generally (or always) on the outer edge of your accurate casting range. For this reason, to have a real shot at trout on fly, I recommend that you spend a few minutes where you spook a few, by quietly slipping over a small anchor. It’s sometimes tough to find soft spots in which to stake out. Make a series of long casts to holes and patchy rock and grass where a trout can blend in. Make a stealthy presentation, and you just might take a close look at one of those 6-pound trout that are again making Steinhatchee famous.

I recommend a floating fly line with anything from a 5- to 9-foot leader, depending on fly pattern, depth and wind. I always keep another rig on board with a sinking line or a shooting head setup. The sinking line setup will come in handy when you come across those 4- to 6-foot holes that can house a big trout or redfish.

Boaters should give rocky flats a wide berth while running the coast.

As for flies, I feel that brighter colors work better on this coast. Bright Clouser Minnows, spoonflies, Rattle Rousers, standard Bendbacks and Deceivers are great for reds on the flats and for blind casting to trout. A handful of Redfish Candy flies, including white, yellow and pink (for trout), is a must for these waters, as well. During summer, reds chase baitfish tight along the shorelines, and will take a popper or a deerhair diver, but it can be tough for mere mortals to cast quickly and accurately at moving fish.

No discussion of fly fishing at Steinhatchee would be complete without mentioning the potential of the area between the Steinhatchee mouth and Dallus Creek to the north. While the water is not as clear as that over the flats to the south, as mentioned earlier, sightfishing possibilities exist. The greatest disadvantage to fly fishing Steinhatchee is the inevitable wind combined with the fact that the topography is low, and there is no high shoreline cover, thus few lees in which to hide. The southern creeks are short and shallow and there are only a few islands. The northern end of Deadman Bay is more protected from wind than the straight, low shoreline to the south. Try wading the shell bars near marker 13, and the short creeks behind the spoil banks adjacent to marker 19 if the wind beats you up down south. Dallus Creek, like Rocky Creek south of Steinhatchee, has a primitive boat ramp that’s fine for canoes, kayaks and smaller skiffs. Be prepared to do lots of blind casting at this end of the bay as your sightfishing options are limited.