Well, it’s January now, and I have a full season of fly fishing from my kayak under my belt.
As a beginner, I found fishing in lakes to be pretty straight forward. Yes, keepeing the line off the water behind me was problematic at first, but once I learned to keep my arm high, casting the fly rod from a seated position started to come together nicely. It took some practice, but I got there. And the payoff is huge.
Then, there’s creek fly fishing in the kayak. That’s an entirely different story… Overhanging trees appear out of nowhere as you drift, paddling and casting can’t happen simultaneously, and a host of other issues.
So here’s a quick primer on how to successfully fly fish from a kayak on your favorite stream or creek.
2.) Wear a personal floatation device. See number 1.
3.) Bring your old fly rod. Yes, it’s sexy to pitch your $600 Winston around when you’re wading a blue ribbon trout stream, but while you’re drifting and paddling, and have that rod in a kayak rod holder, it bangs off of trees, gets hooked in trees, and bends in horrible ways. No shame in carrying your $60 Browning for your kayak fly fishing adventure.
4.) Use floating vegetation as an anchor. Paddle right up on it. If it’s thick enough vegetation, it will anchor your kayak in place. If it’s thin, it will give you just enough time to pitch a few flies to that undercut at the shore, or to change flies, or to do whatever else you need a few moments peace to do.
5.) Scout the water. Kayaks, when handled properly, are stealthy. You can paddle upstream, drift down, make mental notes of the spots you want to hit, and then paddle back up and make your real downstream run. It won’t work in phone booth sized trout water, but your bigger waterways will afford you this opportunity.
6.) Take advantage of your carrying capacity. In a kayak, you could literally fish a creek for a week given the space you have to carry food, water, and amenities. Even if you’re planning a 4 hour trip, why go hungery or thirsty?
There’s much more I’ve learned this year, and I’ll be writing a lot more about it until ice out. I can’t wait for Spring 2009. I think there’s even more fish waiting for me that I couldn’t have gotten to from shore.
Related posts:
- Black Creek Near the Genesee
- The Must Hit List for my Summer Kayak Fishing
- Good News on the Ice Storm
- Black Creek Churchville 5 6 2008 X marks the Spot
- First Kayak Trip 2008
- Why I Love Kayak Fishing
- First Kayak Fishing Trip
- Black Creek, Smallmouth Bass
- Fishing, Kayaking, and Land Owner Rights
- Preparing for the 2008 Fishing Season
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent article, and just in time (I am contemplating buying a kayak for fishing). I'll bookmark this post to re-read it before I go kayak fishing.
Thanks Geno. Let me know if you have any questions. Picking the right kayak can be tough.
Ok. Will look you up if I have any questions prior to buying a kayak, Kevin.
Thanks Geno. Let me know if you have any questions. Picking the right kayak can be tough.
Ok. Will look you up if I have any questions prior to buying a kayak, Kevin.