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Fungi foraging

June 23, 2025

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Local chefs are hunting mushrooms for Lowcountry restaurant menus.

Story by Robyn Passante

**Mushroom lovers search for Chicken of the Woods mushrooms October through February. Many claim the mushroom tastes like chicken. It can be used as a substitute for chicken in a vegetarian diet.**

When Red Fish sous chef Josh Goldfarb spied a 7-pound Chicken of the Woods mushroom growing high on a tree earlier this year, the avid mushroom forager made a mental note to return soon with a way to retrieve it.

Unlucky for him, fellow forager Chaun Bescos spotted it too — and he keeps an extension ladder in his car all winter for just such an occasion.

“It adds to the fun of it, the treasure hunting feel,” says Bescos of the camaraderie and competition among the handful of certified mushroom foragers in the Lowcountry. Bescos, chef at WiseGuys, helped teach Goldfarb about foraging when Bescos was executive chef at Red Fish, and now the two share information — and occasional, good-natured ribbing — regarding their lucrative pastime.

Locally sourced mushrooms, prized for their flavor and their health benefits, are popping up more and more on menus across the Lowcountry, thanks to the hard, hot work of Bescos, Goldfarb and a few others.

Red Fish sous chef Josh Goldfarb shows off a massive lion’s mane mushroom he found here in the Lowcountry. The mushroom produces huge delectable fruiting bodies that can be an awesome addition to any meal.

How lucrative is it?

Chanterelles are probably the most popular and most plentiful wild mushroom in the area, and Goldfarb says a little hard work can yield a sweet paycheck. “During summertime if the weather’s right, we can pick up about 100 pounds a week if the conditions are right, and sell them for 20 bucks a pound retail,” says Goldfarb, who spends about 15 hours per week foraging in the summer, and sells first to Red Fish and then to a handful of chefs at other restaurants. “It’s hard, but it’s worth it.”

Why is it hard?

“It’s a mosquito and tick battlefield,” says Bescos, a Hawaii native who has spent time living and foraging in the Pacific Northwest and in upstate New York. “I’ll come home and have 30 ticks on me. It’s no joke. It’s hot, and you’re dripping sweat when you’re out there in the woods but you gotta dress up in full pants, long underwear, you gotta wear long-sleeved shirts. I wear two to three shirts, I tuck ’em in, long snake boots and then I put on that DEET and go.”

Goldfarb, who moved here from Dallas in 2014, agrees on the relative misery of the conditions in the South. “I come back and even after wearing 100 percent DEET, I’m covered in mosquito and chigger bites. It’s very miserable. But we enjoy getting out in the woods. And I enjoy the check that comes with it.”

OK but otherwise, how hard is it?

“I wouldn’t recommend anybody go out in the woods and try to pick mushrooms unless you absolutely know what you’re doing,” says Goldfarb, who along with Bescos had to go through a two-day training and test to become a certified forager in the state. It’s illegal for those who aren’t certified to forage and sell wild mushrooms — mostly because there are toxic lookalikes out there that can seriously harm or kill those who eat them.

“When I pick, I separate my mushrooms. I don’t put them together,” says Bescos, explaining that if he were picking chanterelles and mistakenly picked a jack-o’-lantern mushroom, the poisonous chanterelle lookalike, even if he realized his mistake and threw out the jack-o’-lantern before preparing the rest of the bunch, “that one jack would make everybody that had that dish sick, just from getting some pieces (of it) mixed in with the chanterelles.”

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Where do you forage?

The guys are secretive about their specific hot spots, but Goldfarb has one prime plot in Ridgeland that isn’t technically his but has become his through the generosity of a stranger.

“We were out pickin’ and this guy drove up on this little 4×4 and said, ‘Hey, this is my land.’ We said, ‘Oh, we’re sorry, we didn’t know.’” He asked Goldfarb and his friend what they were doing and when they told him about mushroom foraging, he was intrigued. “He’s given us permission to keep returning to his land, and we’ve found lots of beautiful mushrooms — lion’s mane, Chicken of the Woods, chanterelles — over the seasons. And we invited him to come eat at Red Fish and we made him a mushroom-themed dinner for him and his family. It was really cool.”

Local ‘shrooms

There are 20 wild mushrooms now approved for certified foragers in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Three of the most common wild edibles on local menus:

Golden Chanterelles – Bright orange-yellow edible that grows on the ground with the root system of live oaks, benefiting the trees. Typically can be found from mid- to late-May until the end of October.

Lion’s Mane – Edible, medicinal white mushroom with hanging spines that grows on dying oak trees. Known to enhance nerve regeneration and boost the immune system. Typically can be found between Halloween and Christmas.

**Chicken of the Woods – Bright yellow-orange edible that grows on dead or dying hardwood trees and is said to taste like chicken. Typically can be found from late October to mid-February.**

Fun facts

**Lion’s mane are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane as they grow. They have both culinary and medical uses.**

•Mushrooms are also called toadstools.

•Unlike plants, mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves.

•A single Portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana.

•Mushrooms are made up of around 90 percent water.

•China produces about half of all cultivated mushrooms.

•Mushrooms spores repel over 200,000 species of insect.

•Mushrooms have fewer calories than a rice cake.

•Ancient Egyptians referred to mushrooms as the plant of immortality in hieroglyphics.

•Mushrooms contain more protein than most vegetables.

•Mushrooms are an awesome source of vitamin D.

See also The Dark Side… Night Fishing for Big Brown Trout Let’s Face It, in Most Cases Those Big Brown Trout in Your Local River Aren’t Falling Victim To a Size 10 Woolly Bugger or a 16 Prince NymphTo be honest, you’re probably unaware of what lies beneath the surface tucked against a log jam or wedged under that giant boulder mid-river that you’ve fished countless times. In most cases in my night fishing experience, there’s almost always a much bigger fish that shows itself at night than any other previous fish you’ve might have seen during the daylight hours.The majority of the largest trout I have ever seen were at night in less than 24” of water. Some of the most dominant predators on the planet feed at night… and brown trout are no different.Before we go further into tips, tactics, and tackle, I’d like to preface that night fishing obviously has its additional challenges and even dangers. Safety is by far the utmost importance when fishing, especially night fishing. Understanding every inch of the river you plan on night fishing is extremely important. Knowing every boulder, drop off/ledge, and casting obstruction can prevent you from going for an unexpected swim, broken rod, or even a hook to the face (speaking from experience). Always wear eye protection (clear or light illuminating lenses), two headlamps (you’ll drop one in the river), and try to take a fishing buddy with you just for peace of mind.Where I live in Pennsylvania as well as many places in the country, night fishing is more of a seasonal approach. By all means, you can night fish every month of the year and find some success, but there is definitely a “prime time” to be on the water. Typically, I personally begin my night fishing season during the “post hatch” season. After the majority of the caddis and mayflies hatch in May, and the water becomes skinny and shallow, this is when I find brown trout to be starved and more eager to eat larger meals.This Will Change the Way You Fly Fish Pressured WatersNight fishing in May, June, and even early July definitely produces plenty of fish, but not THE fish we’re all looking for. Once August rolls around and water temps begin to drop into safe fishing temperatures, that’s when you need to fish until the wheels fall off. Sleep becomes a thing of the past and coffee becomes your best friend. Your best shot at consistently catching brown trout 20”+ and even 24”+ is between August and October.The worst conditions for daytime fishing are your best conditions for night fishing. Low and clear water is by far the best water conditions to target big brown trout at night. Dominant brown trout adapt and hide so well during these conditions during the daytime which make them almost impossible to target. Once the sun begins to fade, the fish will migrate out of structure and move into feeding areas for the night.Swing It! Spey Streamer Fly Fishing TipsA mistake anglers often make is fishing the same deep hole they typically would fish during daytime. Brown trout will move into shallow sandy tail-outs, or push into the head of a run where the water might be less than 24” in depth. The inside seam of a deep pool also offers a great ambush point for a large brown trout.Tackle used when night fishing is very similar to fishing big streamers. Any 6wt, 7wt, or 8wt will suffice. On larger rivers, a trout spey or switch rod works great for swinging streamers or skating rodent patterns across the surface. A floating fly line is the most versatile line for night fishing in my opinion. You can fish surface flies, “pushers” that sit barely subsurface in the surface film, or even a streamer if you want to swing a baitfish into deeper pools. Your leader is extremely important when night fishing as well. Typically when fishing a surface style fly, keeping the leader short and stout is critical. Two feet of 20lb tippet to a blood knot, followed by three feet of 15lb tippet is typical when fishing surface style flies. Your leader needs to be strong and abrasion resistant. It’s not “if," it’s “when” you toss your flies into a tree.I have personally witnessed brown trout eat mice, rats, bats, baby birds, and even water snakes. A large brown trout over 24” is not much different than a musky. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when night fishing. The biggest brown trout I’ve hooked at night was on a 6” rat pattern. The most important aspect of fly design for night fishing in my opinion is how much vibration, water displacement, or surface disruption you can create while not sacrificing your hook gap. Thin, but wide profile deer or foam body mouse flies work great. If using streamers, a pusher style fly that rides high in the water column seems to be extremely effective as well.Tied with a Surface Seducer Double Barrel Popper & Slider Body.How to fish you fly is totally dependent upon on moon phases, cloud coverage/ambient light, and speed of the current. A mouse is not going to swim upstream against the current.The two most effective retrieves are: Down and across just like you would swing a wet fly Casting upstream and working the fly back to youIf the current is a classic soft dry fly drift, I almost always work the fly down and across. Your rod tip height as well as your casting angle will dictate the speed of the fly. While fishing short and soft inside seams of a faster run/pool, orienting yourself downstream or below the fish will enable you to cast directly upstream and work the fly right to your feet. This is also a fantastic approach to work upstream along parallel with a heavily wooded bank. I have seen countless times where a fish will strike multiple times with this approach and ultimately eat the fly at your feet after missing 3-4 times in one drift.Be sure to always start your casts short, most fish are sitting right at your feet!At the end of a long night as the sun begins to rise; rest assure, that legendary fish most likely got away. More times than not, they have to make a series of mistakes in order for you to land them. Whether it ran you into a long jam, bent a 1/0 hook, or it came off just short of the net; the giants of the dark will keep you coming back for more. Tip your cap, swig some spiked coffee and keep after it. More often than not, they’ll leave you with a memory rather than a photo that you will never forget. Some nights, all you’ll have left is a fly patch full of chewed up foam. Want More Content Like This? Join the Flymen Mailing List at the bottom of the page!About Stephen Nymick:Stephen Nymick is owner of Stephen Nymick Fly Fishing LLC, and a Guide for Steelhead Alley Outfitters. He began fly fishing at just 5 years old on his local streams in Western Pennsylvania. The day his father took him out to get his first fly rod, he also came home with his first fly tying kit. Stephen has been fly fishing exclusively for over 20 years and has guided for 7 years. Throwing big streamers or mice for brown trout and swinging flies for Steelhead are Stephen’s true passions. You can follow Stephen on Instagram @stephennymick. For further questions, email Stephen at paflyco@gmail.com. To book a trip, contact Steelhead Alley Outfitters at 888-453-5899. Written by Stephen Nymick Filed under brown trout, fly fishing, fly fishing tips, fly tying, freshwater Tweet Comments on this post (8) Feb 26, 2024 Hi Sir/ We are manufacturers of fishing flies based in Uganda. We have qualified tiers who can maintain the best quality that a customer needs, we strictly deliver on time and use the right size of hooks.We tie all types of flies according to the customers orders.We are now looking for someone whom we can partner with for progress in both parties. Thank you as we wait to hear from you soon. under management by Fred— Fred luyali Apr 21, 2022 Hi,Re night time fishing for trout article.Thank you for a thoroughly informative article.Could you let me know what the chewed up flies in the picture are called and do you have any tying instructions you could send me?Kind RegardsDerek Coles— Derek Coles Oct 31, 2021 Dear Sir, I am Betty, a professional custom fly tier and the owner of a tube fishing flies fly group in business. With an experience of 20 years in fly tying in fulling mill company, I do produce all categories of fly patterns etc,Nymphs,Dries,Wets,Salmons,Saltwater, Pikes,Terrestrials etc. The quality of flies lies within my finger tips. I am always impressed with each and every fly that comes out of my vice.I have 20 good fly tiers who have experience in producing quality flies for the fly market globally. I will be glad if you would test my flies sample to match the quality of the same. I can assure you that with my flies you will emerge the best in the flies industry. If you are ready to foster flies business with me, I will be supplying you with a lower price per 1 dozen.I am eagerly waiting to hear from you. Best regards— Fred luyali May 04, 2021 This piece really got me thinking about my terminal obsession with netting three footers out of the Colorado where I live. I’ve actually landed a couple of those ghost browns @ zero-dark-thirty, and broke off even more. Your piece has me plotting already for some unconventional post-hatch, stealthy Ninja type spey missions.— Matthew Fullenwider Mar 18, 2021 I’m gonna be that guy and say that my biggest after dark brown came at 11:55 pm in mid-March…but overall I agree that late summer is the best time to raise fish in the late hours of the night. I would also add that a full moon is bad for mousing but great for streamers.— Patrick Houlton Mar 17, 2021 Nice article. Exactly what areas do you guide ?— John Kersting Mar 17, 2021 Great article, very insightful.— David Mar 17, 2021 Excellent article. I just started drifting my big tailwater after sunset last September to get the feel of casting streamers and catching fish after dark in big flows. Managing the boat and maintaining situational awareness is not for the faint of heart. One thing I wish the article had mentioned was technical specs on headlamps for night fishing— Drew Gilchrist Leave a comment Name Email Message