COASTAL LOUISIANA FLY FISHING CHARTERS

OUR STORY

Our story begins with a fishing trip to Louisiana from accomplished angler, author, and philanthropist “Boca” Bill Douglass. Having spent a lifetime on the leading edge of exploratory fly-fishing adventures—from Arapaima in the Amazon to Taimen in Mongolia and everything in between—Bill developed a real affinity for fly fishing in the Louisiana marsh. Ever the explorer, he wanted to hire a guide to fish coastal Louisiana waters that few, if any, fly anglers ever venture to—places like Marsh Island, the Atchafalaya Delta, Four League Bay. But he couldn’t find a guide to take him to such places. So he partnered with Captain John to create a new guide service that would accommodate anglers looking to fish off the beaten path. Thus Coastal Louisiana Fly Fishing Charters was born.

"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated." - Ernest Hemingway

MEET YOUR GUIDE

Captain John Zablocki grew up in Central Texas and has spent a lifetime fishing and working to protect fisheries. His passion has taken him all over the world as an angler, scientist, and conservationist. He’s led expeditions to document endangered native trout in hard to reach places like Tajikistan, eastern Turkey, and remote corners of Southeast Europe.

He’s worked as a fisheries biologist in the American West, a marine fisheries observer in the central and south Pacific, and a former Program Director for the Nature Conservancy protecting rivers and fish habitat. In between, he’s pursued everything that can be pursued on a fly rod—from giant Muskies in Canada, bonefish in Bermuda, to roosterfish in Mexico.

After a lifetime of movement, he moved his family to raise his son in the one place he always wanted to live, South Louisiana to pursue his favorite fishing anywhere in the world: sight fishing Redfish in the Louisiana Marsh. Captain John is USCG Licensed Captain and holds a Louisiana State Saltwater Charter Guide license.

PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE

Please reach us at johnzablocki08@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Guiding philosophy

Every angler is different, and Captain John believes in understanding the particular needs and interests of the angler and tailoring his guiding to bring the best out of each particular angler. Whether it is a first time saltwater fly-fisher, a veteran angler in pursuit of a trophy redfish, or a spin angler wanting to try sight fishing, Captain John works tirelessly to coach, teach, and assist whoever is in his boat to grow as an angler and have the best possible experience they can on the water.

What to expect on a trip

The quarry:
Our primary quarry is the Louisiana Redfish, but also will cast to Black Drum, Sheepshead, and other species as the opportunity presents itself. A “slot Redfish” is a fish that is18-27” in length and typically between 3-9 lbs. These fish live in the marsh year round. A Bull Redfish is a Redfish over 27” in length, although many anglers only consider fish over 30” as Bulls. Bulls can grow to an excess of 50” and 50lbs, but most fish we see are in the 30”-mid 40” range and between 20-40 lbs.

The fishing approach:
Captain John focuses on sight fishing for Redfish, primarily with fly but can also accommodate spin anglers. On occasions where the conditions make sight fishing unproductive, we target redfish blind casting spinning gear in productive spots. We do not fish with live bait.

When sight fishing, we fish only one angler at a time on the casting platform, but in some situations can have a second angler fish with spin from the deck of the boat if they desire.

When sight fishing, accuracy and timing are key. Captain John will work to put you in the best possible position to cast to the fish, however we cannot control what the fish do. Sometimes fish are moving quickly and there is little time to cast. Redfish will eat a fly or lure most of the time if they see it, so the challenge is placing the fly/lure 1-3 feet in front of the fish’s head. Casts are often short, as close as 10ft, and most often 20-40ft. Rarely will a cast over 50 ft be needed. Anglers wishing to maximize their success rate should practice casting at home making 20-40 casts accurately and quickly. Captain John will coach anglers on their cast and presentation and is patient with and attentive to anglers of all different skill and experience levels.

Designing your trip:
Give us a call to help design your trip today. Our preferred trip is to fish hard to reach waters that see few, if any, fly anglers. This typically involves longer runs to cross open bay and reach remote islands and corners of the marsh. Our skiff is designed to handle bigger water while also being able to pole in super skinny water for tailing fish. However, we will always adapt the trip to the experience that best suits our clients’ skills and interests. So if it’s a new fly fisherman, we recommend trips where we can maximize the number of shots on fish. If it’s a seasoned angler with a single minded interest in trophy fish and okay with fewer numbers of opportunities, we will design our trip to maximize those odds. For female anglers, we have an onboard camp toilet whenever needed. Whatever it may be, if you want a sight fishing adventure in the Sportsman’s Paradise, give us a call.

The only constraints on our trips are that we always fish from the boat and do not wade, spin fish when conditions are unfavorable for sight fishing. We can accommodate 3 anglers, but prefer no more than 2. Our default is catch and release fishing but will allow keeping a few fish for a meal or two upon request.

Trip options & planning

We will custom tailor your trip to suit the anglers’ skills/interests and to take advantage of conditions. We recommend flying into New Orleans/Baton Rouge/Lafayette and renting a car. Based on length of stay and budget, we can advise on lodging/accommodations or book it ourselves if requested. We supply drinks, snacks, on board but anglers are responsible otherwise for their meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner). On some occasions the Captain may offer to cook dinner or have a cajun seafood boil for clients, but it is beyond our capacity to provide full meal services.

The seasons:
As they say in South Louisiana, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes—it will change.” Weather can be unpredictable and change quickly over the course of a trip. For this reason, we advise clients to try and book 3-5 day trips to improve chances of getting good weather and avoiding bad weather. However, we are also open to booking single day or two-day trips when available.

September and October are great months for fishing. The conditions for sight fishing Reds are typically the most stable and best of the year. This time of year usually offers the most shots at fish. While shots at trophy Bull Redfish may still present themselves in Sept/Oct, those more focused on trying to catch a trophy Bull should focus on November/December after the first cold fronts start pushing the Bulls onto the flats. However, while fishing can be great November/December, the weather is unpredictable with cold fronts and storms often creating unfishable conditions.

What we do not do: By default we practice catch and release, however if clients wish to keep a few fish for dinner, we can accommodate upon request. If you are looking for a guide to go out and load up the fish box with limits of fish, we are not them, but are happy to recommend some that are.

Boat and gear

We run a top of the line Maverick 18 HPX-V with a 115 Yamaha. This boat is a high performance fishing machine—designed with a 13° deadrise in the hull to handle chop and provide a more comfortable ride in open waters while still being able to pole fully loaded in less than a foot of water. We have a customized casting platform with lean bar 270 ° available to provide support and safety for anglers worried about their balance on the platform.

We supply all tackle (rods, reels, lines, flies, lures, etc) and anglers need not bring any gear. We recommend anglers use our gear. However, if anglers wish to fish with their own gear, they are welcome to do so.

What to bring

· High quality polarized glasses are essential

· Fishing license

· Comfortable clothing for conditions + rain gear

· Any lunch or specialty drinks/snacks angler wishes to take on trip

· A positive attitude and readiness to have a good time

*You will need a fishing license for your trip and are available for purchase here: FISHING LICENSES

Any personal items angler needs while onboard. To minimize space and weight on the boat, we advise anglers only to take only what they feel is essential (e.g., medication). We have sunscreen and bug spray available onboard, but anglers are welcome to bring their own.

Please speak to the captain prior to booking

Please call and speak with the Captain before booking. A 50% non-refundable deposit

is due at time of booking. If the Captain decides to cancel a trip due to

weather/conditions, the deposit for all cancelled days will be fully refunded. If a client

wishes to cancel a trip after booking, we will refund the full deposit only if we are able to

rebook those days.

Trip rates

$800 for a full day of fishing for 2 anglers
$100 for an additional 3rd angler
Gratuities are appreciated

COASTAL LOUISIANA FLY FISHING CHARTERS

COASTAL LOUISIANA FLY FISHING CHARTERS

OUR STORY

MEET YOUR GUIDE

PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE

BULL REDS ON THE FLY

Book YOUR TRIP NOW

COASTAL LOUISIANA FLY FISHING CHARTERS

COASTAL LOUISIANA FLY FISHING CHARTERS

OUR STORY

MEET YOUR GUIDE

PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE

BULL REDS ON THE FLY

Book YOUR TRIP NOW

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