Amelia Island backwaters are teaming with shallow water bays and tidal estuaries offering a wide variety of fly fishing opportunities. Fly-fishing is excellent year round, but is more productive during the warmer months. However during mild winters, some of the best redfish and sea trout fly-fishing can be experienced.

Redfish on the fly is the ultimate backwater fly-fishing experience! You will see foraging redfish in water depths ranging from two to less than a foot of water, so we recommend a premium pair of polarized sunglasses. Look for the best fly-fishing for redfish to come when the flood tide covers marsh flats and oyster bars and during a falling tide when redfish hold on shallow water mud flats and at creek mouths. Amelia Island redfish weigh from two to over twenty-pounds!

Sea trout are also great sport for Amelia Island fly fishermen. Large schools of sea trout hold over flooded oyster bars and a wide variety of fish structures, including docks, creek mouths, deep channels and rock jetties. Sea trout often weigh to ten-pounds!

Jack crevalle are simply a "Big Blast" for Amelia Island fly-fishermen! Large saltwater poppers will produce a bomb like explosion on the surface from a three to fifteen pound jack crevalle. Look for the high incoming tide to produce the best action.

Other species that can be taken on the fly at Amelia Island include shark, flounder, spanish mackerel, bluefish, cobia, amberjack, sheepshead and the occasional tarpon. An eight-weight, nine-foot fly rod and reel are recommended, paired with a full floating fly line and 1-X tapered leader for the majority of Amelia's backwater species. Some of the more successful redfish flies include the black "Clouser Minnow", epoxy spoon, crab patterns and "Deceivers" in lime and white patterns.