Best Redfish Flies for the Texas Coast

Different flies and tactics require different situations and being prepared is crucial. Adapting your setup according to the situation will make all the difference when staring down your eight weight at a pod of tailing redfish. That is why we have compiled a list of our favorite RIO redfish flies for the Texas coast that have proven themselves, time and again.

The inshore waters of the mid-portion of the Texas Coastal bend are a patchwork of turtle grass and sand flats mixed with marsh lakes that fill and drain with the tides. This is home to our favorite species to target, creating a dynamic sight fishing experience unique to Texas.

Black drum that can reach fifteen pounds or more frequent these shallow waters. They rarely refuse most redfish flies that are placed in their line of sight. Sheepshead are also common on these flats and have developed a cult following up and down the coast. They have earned the nickname “Texas Permit” because of their ability to refuse our best presentations and most detailed flies, much like their sickle-finned cousins further to the south. Texas is also known for its ability to grow some of the biggest speckled sea trout on the Gulf Coast. They can grow to nearly 30 inches and will aggressively chase surface flies before inhaling them with their bright yellow mouths. All of our favorite redfish flies will convince any of these species depending on the conditions.

But the main attraction to the Texas coast is redfish.

To say redfish are opportunistic is an understatement. They will eat anything near them that moves and the takes are extremely visual. They attack baitfish, tail for crabs, and chase shrimp, everything fly anglers could ask for in a fish species. Redfish on a flat can sometimes be subtle. When hunting crabs in turtle grass, redfish can blend in surprisingly well with their surroundings. A push of water will give them away as they move from one meal to the next. Sometimes all you will see are tails tipped in neon blue that wave in the air like small, iridescent flags attached to an underwater flagpole.

But on the wide sand flats of the Texas coast, the bodies and shadows of traveling redfish contrast with the light-color bottom making spotting groups and singles easy. Redfish also like to patrol ambush spots along the edges of gutters that drain backwater salt marshes. Certain tides or wind directions create currents that flush food out into the open. Here, redfish get reckless and charge forcefully into places so shallow that their eyes are above water. They often crawl on their bellies as they move down a shoreline, spraying shrimp and baitfish in all directions. Each of these scenarios calls for a different approach and fly selection.

Conditions Are Important:

One of the most important factors to consider when trying to decide which redfish flies to knot onto your leader is weight and castability of your offering. Fish in skinny or ultra-clear water can be spooky, so pick a weightless or lightly weighted fly and lengthen the distance between fly and fish on your presentation. Being able to pick up a long cast and stealthily resituate it without blowing up a pod of feeding fish with a disturbance is far easier with a light fly. Beacuse tailing fish tend to be focused on the piece of ground between their eyes, it is critical to cast accurately and get your fly to the bottom quickly. Even in deeper water or water that is dirty, weight, dark colors, and big profiles will grab the attention of a picky redfish.

It is also important to remember that the food eaten by redfish, black drum, sheepshead, and speckled trout is noisy. Crabs and shrimp click, pop, and even sometimes splash. Hunting fish detect these noises and vibrations triggering feeding responses even when cloudy water blocks their line of sight. Profile and bulky flies that push water will send hunting fish into a feeding frenzy.

It’s a safe bet to start the day with suggestive patterns such as Grab Crab, Liquid Courage, or Lagoonatic. But take note of how the fish react depending on how you present and retrieve these flies. They can be fished effectively as a crab or shrimp simply by the way an angler moves so are a great tool to take the fish’s temperature. If you notice that fish are reacting well to twitched and slow-moving flies on the bottom, switch to a crab fly and fish it with confidence. Fish traveling quickly across a flat or pushing wakes up a shoreline are most likely trying to flush out shrimp or baitfish and will aggressively chase down fast-moving flies higher up in the water column.

To Conclude:

The inshore waters of the Texas coast are a mesmerizing wilderness full of life and opportunity for anglers of all skill levels, making it one of the premier fisheries available to us to explore. Its vastness and complexity can sometimes make putting all the puzzle pieces together a daunting task. But with these 9 redfish flies in your fly box, know that you have all the tools necessary to keep your rod bent all day under that bright Texas sun.

Top RIO Flies for Texas Redfish in No Particular Order