Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/116174
a shell bank, and I jumped out with a spinning rod to approach the shallow school from another angle. While he and Jeni landed a couple trout in the boat, I jogged up the berm, stumbled through the oysters and hooked a fish. But the wise red seemed to have played the game before and instead of running out from the bank, stayed close and hugged the shellrake. Even with my rod high in the air, the fish knocked the jig loose and shot away toward Florida. The ride home was completely satisfying. Jeni was relaxed, entertained; we had cold drinks in hand and fish on ice for supper. In fact, Toby had earlier called the chef from the boat to tell her we were bringing fresh trout fillets to the kitchen – to which she offered a sautéed with Portobello mushrooms idea. So with dinner waiting and the day's last light gilding the flats, we eased north in the Intracoastal and finally docked. Jeni walked to the lodge to freshen, and I waited at the dock while Toby cut fish and rinsed down the gear. I may or may not have caught numerous trout off the dock in the interlude. No one will ever know. A mentor of mine once told me there's no use going on a long, expensive fishing adventure if you don't have the right lures. It's all about completing the pyramid. In the end, fishing – like great hospitality – is a game of understated but extremely important details. Cabin Bluff and its guides have mastered both. Those towels clipped to the dock are akin to the hanging cast iron pot of water and lemons for oyster-covered hands. The correct equipment is a lot like a comfortable bed. Live shrimp equals stocked fridge and so on. But more, it's about location. The outfitted dock would just be a nice dock if it weren't perched on the Waterway, teeming with fish and convenient to the destination flats and creeks. This historic hunt club-turnedresort sits on a perfect property – the canopied, deep-water cusp of 24,000 wild acres where the guides and their anglers can motor north to Georgia, east to Cumberland Island and the ocean, or south to Florida. Redfish and trout abound. Tarpon cruise from the S P O R T I N G inlet up into the rivers. Cobia, tripletail, grouper, flounder and sheepshead are seasonal targets. As full-service coastal sporting and lodging opportunities go, Cabin Bluff is a rarity in the Southeast, and arguably one of the most unique destinations in the country. On our last evening Jeni and I walked the trails around the property, had drinks with the other guests at the poolhouse bar, watched the evening fade while egrets and night herons squawked their way to roost. We ate a fine meal that included our panseared trout. We thanked the chefs and passed our thanks to Troy and Andy, Toby, Dave, Ron and Gary, and told the manager we planned to leave early to get back to our jobs and baby boy waiting in Charleston. "Well, we'll have an early breakfast out for you, then. And coffee," they said, as we eased back to our cottage, past the crackling fire pit and up the starlit trail. C L A S S I C S 107 IF YOU WANT TO GO To book your own fishing or hunting adventure, call 912-729-5960 or email: contact@CabinBluff.com.