What to Bring

On the what to bring page you will find Guide recommendations for preparing yourself for a day on the saltwater. Suggestions for sunglasses, flies, rods, lines, and wading boots are all found below.

BOOK NOW

What is Provided

smith, optics, chromapop, techlite, igniter, lens, sunglasses, guides, choice, fly, fishing, port aransas, texas, gulf, coast, redfish, best, black, drum, red, speckled trout, blue, mirror, brown, copper, polarized
Every lens you need for sight casting the Texas Gulf Coast

Sunglasses: Capt Kenjo keeps the best in polarized optics by Smith onboard the skiff for you to use and experiment with. Brown Mirrored and Copper Mirrored lenses are available for most applications. The Ignitor lens is best for low-light conditions and I have become fond of the Blue Mirror Chromapop Glass which is good for late spring all thru Summer when the sea grasses is getting re-established. Green mirrored lenses also work well on bright days fishing over the many types of seagrass we have in the summer months. Over the years, I have acquired this array of Optics tech and find that these choices are a perfect match for whatever situation the light, weather and water might present to us.

fly, rod, fishing, rl, winston, bull, red, drum, fish, guide, trips, charters, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, airflo, smith, optics, trout, hunter, tippet, leader, spool,
The RL Winston Alpha+ lives up to its name! It is THE leader in modern fly rod technology!
what to bring, crab, flies, texas, red, drum, fly, fishing, saltwater, flats, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, guide, charters, skiff, boat, hatch, outdoors, airflo, tropical punch, winston, rod, company, lines, alpha, plus, r.l., beavertail, yamaha, f70, winston, fly, fishing, trips
Brown/Tan Fighting Crab (similar to the Kung Fu Crab) tied on a sz. 2 TMC 811s hook

Fly Rods: Normally on any given day we use a 7wt floating, 8wt floating for heavy flies and 9wt floating for topwaters or bigger mullet patterns. During certain time of the year we will incorporate sinking lines, intermmediate lines on the 11 and 13wt. Rods are RL Winston B3+ and Alpha+. High quality reels are from Hatch Outdoors in the 5+ 7+ and 9+ sizes. All Fly Lines are by Airflo, and absolutely the best choice of fly lines. Once you hook a few fish and make some long-bomb casts with these lines, you are sure to garage sale all your other fly lines and buy new Airflo Fly Lines

PUR Filtered Water: These canteens are provided for each person on board the skiff during your fly fishing trip. Plastic water bottles are not used in an effort to conserve our natural resources as much as possible. Each canteen is washed in a high-temp dishwasher each night to ensure cleanliness. Then every morning, the canteens are refilled with PUR Pitcher Filtered Water.

what to bring, fly, fishing, redfish, trips, charters, guide, beavertail, simms, yeti, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, gulf, mexico, drum, red, speckled, trout, hydration,ditch, plastic, no more, red, drum, fly, fishing, texas, coast, gulf, mexico, dark, stormy, guide, trips, charters, beavertail, skiff, rl winston, rods, airflo, simms, hatch, outdoors, conservation, protect, port, aransas, pa, boron, plus, smith, optics, , trout, hunter, bottles, pollution, bpa, PUR, filtered, water, life, smith, optics, skiff, winston, airflo, not, yeti, canteen
Reusable Water Bottles – PUR Filtered

Your own Gear: If you want to bring your own gear please arrive 15 minutes earlier than scheduled so that assembly and a quick inspection can be made without causing delay of our trip. Let your guide know in advance. Recommended rod sizes are 7 and 8 weights for the flats and 9-12wts paired with quality reels are highly recommended when chasing tarpon and jacks. Light spinning gear can also be provided for those who prefer conventional tackle over fly fishing tackle.

Boat trips will also be equipped with all safety equipment as required by the United States Coast Guard (Life Jackets, Fire Extinguisher, throwable pfd, air horn, first aid kit and flare kit). Additionally you may be asked to wear an inflatable pfd when running to/from the flats particularly in the dark hours or during inclement sea conditions.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING:

***Fishing Licenses are REQUIRED*** You must purchase a Texas Fishing License + Saltwater stamp when fishing with a guide. It can be purchased online here

Pack light, storage is limited. Sun Protection: long sleeved shirt/pants, hat, polarized sunglasses if you prefer to use yours or have corrected vision. Most colors in the brown spectrum work well.

simms, zipit, flats, booties, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiff, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, airflo, lines, rl, winston, rod
Ready to Wet Wade the Texas Coast

Wade-fishing: ASK YOUR GUIDE WHAT TO BRING! Truly wade fishing the the best method most of the time. Simms Saltwater Zipit Wading boots are highly recommended (versus shoes) as it offers a little more protection above the ankle. Boat Shoes: I use daily and highly recommend a pair of Brooks lightweight running shoes for arch support and they have soft non-marking soles to help keep footsteps on the deck quiet and clean. Some flip-flops are ok but please, no black rubber flops. You can go barefoot or with socks if you prefer but your feet might complain at some point while standing in one place on the casting platform for long periods.

redfish, drum, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, guide, saltwater, charter, airflo, sims, hatch, beavertail, marsh, spartina, grass, sunrise, mullet, crab, shrimp, fly only, catch and release, trout, speckled, speck, snaggletooth, smith, sunglasses, ignitor
Low-Light Redfish! Kenjo Fly has Smith Optics for you in every situation!

Wind & Rain Jacket/Pants (seasonal) layered fleece recommended in colder months.

Food/Drinks/Snacks of your preference

For winter trips it is a good idea to have layers of synthetic materials or fleece for inclement weather. Simms Gore-Tex Jackets are perfect as well. Staying dry is essential to staying warm and that can be difficult to achieve in the humid winter climate we have here. All-in-all, ask your Guide and they will tell you what you may need for the day!