Capt. Ethan Bilderback

Name: Capt. Ethan Bilderback
SKU: 3HCE0000
Price: 500.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing guide located 30 minutes north of Wilmington, NC.

Item #3HCE0000

Free Standard Shipping on orders $50+ Details

100% Customer Satisfaction

has been our commitment since 1856. It’s who we are. If you aren’t happy with a product or service, we want to know about it. And we’ll make it right. That’s the Orvis Way.

Ethan Bilderback

Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide

(443) 758-3638

Stellerangler@gmail.com

stellerangler.com

303 S Topsail Dr,
Surf City, NC 28445

Highlights:

Redfish and speckled trout
Hunting shallow flats and flooded grass
North Carolina coastal fishing is outstanding
Rates start from $500 to $800 for the day
We have a year-round fishery that provides a variety of looks at redfish and other species

Orvis is pleased to offer our travel customers access to two valuable services: Global Rescue travel membership and IMG Signature Travel Insurance℠.

Learn More

The Story

Enlist the services of Orvis-endorsed guide Apt. Ethan Bilderback on your fly-fishing trip to North Carolina. Captain Ethan dove into the redfish game when his baseball days were over. In 2014, Ethan moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, from Portland, Maine, where he attended school. Since he was a young boy, Ethan has always spent time on the beach, surfing up and down the East Coast chasing waves. Upon moving to Wrightsville, Ethan was coaching baseball and surfing daily. However, when the waves went flat, he turned his attention to the marsh and the rest is history. Captain Ethan’s energy was no longer put toward baseball but into the sport of fishing. After catching a redfish over 27 inches in his backyard, the ball just started rolling. It began with every YouTube video about redfish, then every article written about redfish. Ethan immediately felt the drive to spend an incredible amount of time on the water studying redfish behavior and patterns. Eight years and 260 days on the water per year later, the thrill of the hunt is still ever so real. To actively hunt fish in shallow water—the stalk, the presentation, the eat. There is nothing that’s more exciting than watching it all unfold in front of your eyes. Let’s get to work!

Topsail Island, North Carolina. Surf City is the hub of Topsail with restaurants, bars, and grocery stores. There are Airbnbs, VRBOs, and local hotels on the island. Depending on timing, contact Captain Ethan for the best options.

Meet at the dock at sunrise
We will be fishing out of a Hells Bay Marquesa or Maverick HPX Tunnel
Everything will be provided except food (rods, flies, water, and trash talk are all included)
Finish up late afternoon
Make dinner plans supporting local businesses and breweries

Coastal North Carolina provides an awesome year-round fishery. From massive wintertime redfish schools to summertime flooded spartina grass tailers/crawlers. Summer provides floodtide fishing as well as low-tide crawlers. These redfish will crawl high up on the banks trying to eat anything that moves, and you will see their backs and eyes out of the water; it’s exciting to say the least. Then floodtide tailers are a must for any sight caster. To see a redfish head-down digging for crabs while his tail is waving right in front of your face is addicting. If you present the fly properly you will find success. Wintertime water in North Carolina becomes tropical clean. Starting in November, you will see redfish starting to school into their winter patterns. Then, as you get deeper into winter you will see schools from 50 to 100 plus. Redfish will take a liking to an area and stay until spring.

$500 for four hours
$600 for six hours
$800 for eight hours

Do you ever get to fish anymore?

Yes, every day. While the game is no longer me on the bow, if I can get a client to follow my instructions and guide them through catching what we have stalked, that’s a bigger win than doing it myself.