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Bill_729

Fly fishing from kayak

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I have been kicking around idea of getting an aluminum boat or even a (Nucanoe) kayak for months now. Towing and storage are two issues, I'd have to deal with.

It occurred to me that an inflatable kayak may overcome both of these obstacles.  Does anyone have experience in fly fishing out of one of those.  Oars/paddles secured to the kayak, would seem to be a big plus (maybe that doesn't make sense due to the "wear" that would put on the "boat").  My local target is small lakes, but these things pack up so small that it would be easy to take them long distances (much more convenient than pulling a trailer).  

Anyone have advise/experience they can share?

Bill

 

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My $.02 on blow up boats.   Don’t have inflate kayak experience but got a nice rig from Academy years ago to float Arkie Rivers, $2-300 can’t remember.  Not sure how oaring around lakes would be.    Two things punctures and seating.   We had to sit on coolers cuz the blow up seats too low and watch for sharp rocks.   Kinda harry putting out anchor in heavey water flow too.   Prolly good deal for young and adventurous.   70 yr old fat fart is kinda a challenge.   But it works. Good luck!

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The choice of kayak for fishing is a complex one.  First is weight.  Using 12’ as a reasonable standard SOT fishing kayak length, weights can vary from ~45 lbs to 125lbs depending on material.  Lighter kayaks are easier to handle and transport.  A heavy kayak limits your ability to handle it alone, especially if you want to car top it.  Stability is also important.  Do you want to stand and fish or merely sit?  Finally there’s cost.  What is your budget?  There are plenty of cheap poly kayaks out there as well as plenty of high quality (thus more $$) kayaks available.  If you are committed to only fishing in lakes, the cheaper, heavier yaks are fine.  But once you start venturing out to rivers with any sort of current, rapids, etc., you will regret the heavy, poorly maneuverable yaks.  As far as inflatables go, balloons pop and you’ve got yourself into a situation where you really have to pay attention to the integrity of the kayak itself.  That would not be the case of a high quality hard material yak.

 
I’ve owned high quality yaks for the last 20 years.  I still have three here in Montana and one in Florida.  Quality lasts.  I will give you a specific recommendation if you want one, but knowing exactly what you are aiming at is important.04409072-2767-45F2-B31F-E649D08F1417.jpeg.69ab2d09dc8bac47e3f14819e7179779.jpeg
A well appointed, lightweight Fishing SOT
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A Lightweight 12’ Hybrid Kayak

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I have several inflatables and folding boats, and have been a floater for about 30 years, both in guiding and in my own pursuits. Like everything, they all have their advantages and disadvantages.

I have two Ally Pac Canoes and one Russian army surplus folding Kayak, a 21 footer with three cockpits. They all work well in smooth water.

In rough water, an inflatable is preferable. I personally wouldn't even think about one of the inexpensive inflatables for reasons already mentioned (except to try the kayak experience without soaking too much money into it at first). The inexpensive ones are susceptible to popping, and who wants to mess with that? A good quality inflatable is almost unsinkable in regular fishing situations. They bounce off of rocks and pointy stobs with no problems. Hooks won't penetrate unless you do something really silly. They generally have at least three compartments and you'd have to pop them all to sink the dang thing. We carry knives with rounded tips (but with sharp edges) when using inflatables. Inflatables go together faster and more easily than the folding boats. If you should damage an inflatable, the repairs are not difficult, just a little trickier than patching a hip boot. If you damage a folding boat, (like break a rib) repairs are more of a problem.

One draw back to kayaks is that you are seated very low in them and some people find it difficult to sit with legs straight out in front of them for long periods of time. Fly casting can be a little more difficult in a kayak than in other boats. On the other hand, you don't have to bend over very far to net or release a fish.

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I have the Nucanoe Frontier 12 and have fished out of it for the last 6 years. I cannot say enough good about it. If you have any questions or would like to know about my experience with it, feel free to PM me. (These guys have heard me gush about it on here many times, so I'll spare them this time 😄)

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10 minutes ago, Bryon Anderson said:

I have the Nucanoe Frontier 12 and have fished out of it for the last 6 years. I cannot say enough good about it. If you have any questions or would like to know about my experience with it, feel free to PM me. (These guys have heard me gush about it on here many times, so I'll spare them this time 😄)

I'd love to hear what you have to say.

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I had an inflatable kayak for about two trips on flat water.  I now have a hard body sit in and an old tandem hardbody I'm retro fitting with new rudder, seats and foot pegs (and a little extra).  In any case I would not recommend an inflatable kayak.  Now, some of the inflatable boats are pretty good.  Just not the kayak style...

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If I'd had access to a good quality kayak all those years ago - I might never have gotten my first skiff with a motor... but that never happened in my case.  Friends that fish out of kayaks (a better choice than a canoe, mostly...) really get into fishing out of them.  In my area you can even find fit young anglers that will take a 'yak out into the edges of bluewater and actually fish out of them - something I'd never recommend - but each to his own... 

 

Down here in paradise (south florida) guys fishing out of kayaks are quite a common sight.  Down in the saltwater portion of the Everglades where I do most of my guiding... I see guys in 'yaks that are 30 miles and more from the nearest ramp (aka civilization...) and just covering ground (the national park has campsites specifically designed to be a half day's paddle apart... I know one or two 'yakkers that claim you can paddle right up into tailing bonefish if you're careful and quiet... That said - two points to make about the downsides... The first is that something like a kayak does limit your mobility and "reach" in a day's fishing - something that may or may not be important to you.  The second is that in the salt - no matter how big your paddle craft is... you're not the biggest thing on the water - and some of what lives in the water can be hazardous to your health... Lastly, if tangling with big fish out of any kind of paddle craft please remember it's entirely possible for some fish to tow YOU around when hooked... Not a bad idea to keep an anchor aboard so that at least you have something to pull against on a really big fish.... Nowadays with the emphasis on video there are a few definitely scary adventures in kayaks for everyone to see if interested... 

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I spent many years fishing from an inflatable raft in the Houston area. 

Downsides:

  1. They suck if you're trying to paddle against current or a stiff wind. 
  2. As has been stated, you're low to the water.  It never bothered me then, but I can't say it wouldn't now.
  3. If you get into submerged wood or rocks, a puncture is always a possibility.  Gives you something to worry about, but it never actually happened to me.  I had a pretty cheap raft, too.

Upsides:

  1. You can fish small bodies of water that no one else touches.  (or rarely enough that the fish ain't skeert o' nothin'!
  2. In larger bodies of water, you can get to places that few others ever try to get to. 
  3. Portability ... it fits in the trunk of a rental car, so no place is out of reach as long as you can get to it from a public road without crossing private property.

Other than age related frailties, the upsides outweigh the downsides.

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check out this guy's youtube channel:  seems very honest, and calls it as he sees it.   I have no affiliation with him or any product.  

 

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I'm sure times are different nowadays but i had an inflatable many decades ago. Not a kayak, just a standard inflatable raft/boat. It was free but what a mistake. Didn't take long for me to learn why it was free. Luckily I was able to pawn it off for free on the next sucker looking for a way to get out on the water.  I don't have the patience to unpack, inflate, load, unload, deflate and pack away. Can't put them away wet so you either have to let them dry before packing or unpack, dry and repack when you get home. I just want to grab and go fishing. I'd rather get an aluminum boat and deal with finding a place to park it than fuss about with an inflatable. I could deal with a 12' nucanoe if I had no place to park a boat but most of my fishing is when the water is colder and I wouldn't want to be that close to it. Conveinance in one area generally just takes it away in another area. Just food for thought.

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Fishing kayaks have changed a lot over the years. The trend now seems to be boats that you pedal rather than paddle, have high seats and allow you to stand. But none of the good ones are cheap or light weight, so, if I am going to need a trailer, there are plenty of used motor boats for less than a new premium kayak.

The other thing is than none of them do it all well. You have to be clear on what you want to do with it and go from there. There are some with pretty open cockpits that are good for fly fishing, like Bryon’s NuCanoe, but many others present challenges.

I just sold my old Bimini15. I might change my name to Viking Profish Reload in the near future... Vee vill zee...

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Thank you all for the video, info, and pictures!  I think the video JSzymczyk posted a link to is one of the "most informative videos"  that I've seen.  I have been looking at the 12 foot Nucanoe "Frontier"--actually, my wife found it on her own, way ahead of me (intending "to bird" with it) and she was interested until she found out that it was too heavy for her to load on and off her vehicle by herself.  Also in the running is a  Lowes 16' "utility" boat.   It is perhaps a good choice for the 3 of us to float along as harmoniously as a husband, wife and dog are able to...lol!    But I can't see towing it halfway across the country--sort of unfair to the boat, the trailer, and our vehicle (which is not a pickup).  I know of one place in Michigan that rents row boats...I think the "3 of us" should go for a ride before I make up my mind, so that I know for sure who will actually use our  "floatation vessel".  In the meantime, I enjoy wading (fortunately! : )  ).

Cheers, Bill

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By the way... something I forgot to mention... for a flats angler wanting to fish in shallow water bonefish country - the tactic I'd use would be to paddle to my chosen fishing area - then wade quietly towing that 'yak behind me.  The best of both worlds since you can approach big bonefish on foot better than any other way of doing it.  All that's needed is an oceanside flat that's not particularly soft (interior flats are notably soft - so soft that most would only go on foot once...).

 

Good luck on whatever you choose for you and your companions...  

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