The Beginnings of a Kayak Fly-Fisherman
Andrew
Kerlin
(Riverrat)
This article is
about how to begin fly-fishing out of a kayak. It will contain several bits of
information and advice that I have picked up through reading books and
magazines, advice from fellow kayak fisherman or off of kayak fishing forums.
The hardest but most remembered lessons that I have learned were a couple of my
own stupid and somewhat humorous mistakes. One such lesson I will refer to later
in the article. I am writing this article from the perspective of a kayak
fisherman who wants to learn to fly fish and then do so from his kayak and
second a fly fisherman who wants to extend his wadding range by learning to
kayak
The one thing
that I want to stress to anyone starting out kayaking is SAFETY! There
are several aspects to kayak safety that need to be mentioned. The first one is ALWAYS
wear a Personal Flotation
Device (PFD)
that is sized correctly and is rated for your weight!! There are many
types of PFD’s that are specifically designed for kayakers and fisherman and
are relatively comfortable to wear.
The second is
that the proper clothing needs to be worn. A kayaker needs to be dressed for the
water temperature first and then the air temperature second.
Dressing in layers is the best method to stay warm and dry. Most of us
start out trying to learn to kayak in the early spring of the year. The trouble
with this is that the air temperature is warm outside, while the water
temperature in most of the nations waterways is still dangerously low. Water
temperatures in early spring can be in the upper 40’s and lower 50’s.
Temperatures like these can cause hypothermia in a matter of just minutes if a
person is not wearing the proper clothing!
The rule of thumb is basically the same as inclement weather survival. “Cotton fiber kills. Cotton fiber is one of the most absorbent materials made. This is why most towels are made out of 100% cotton.” Wet cotton against a persons skin will drain the body heat from it and prevent the body from re-heating itself.
The first and
main layer that needs to be worn for cold-water temperatures is some kind of
material that wicks moisture away form the body such as Polypropylene, Polar
Tec, Polar Max, Cool Max or the newest product on the market, Mysterioso, which
is based on what the US military uses for winter survival clothing. I hear that
this stuff is really warm. The second layer depends on the air temp. Normally
wool or insulating fleece material is good. Make sure if you choose fleece that
is the insulating kind. The final layer should be a breathable layer of Gortex,
breathable waders with a breathable top or a complete breathable suit. This
final layer keeps water/wind out, but allows moisture to escape so that you
don’t over heat and also stay dry.
The third aspect
of kayak safety is to learn how to get back in or on your kayak once you have
fallen out. In the water recovery is essential if you are going to be kayaking
in moving water. Methods of self recovery are explained in many kayaking books,
one of which is Captain Ken Daubert’s book, “Kayakfishing: The
Revolution”. Another way to learn these techniques is to take a class. Most of
your kayak dealers, outfitters and guides offer these types of classes. These
techniques must be learned and practiced before you kayak solo! To illustrate
why, we will return to the story I mentioned earlier.
The first time I
put my kayak in the water was at a friend’s pond with him looking on. I had
paddled a kayak before on an echo tour where they gave a paddling and kayak
safety lesson. And of course when I decided to put mine in the water for the
first time I didn’t have time for all of the safety and equipment stowage I
had learned. I was in a hurry and did not put my PFD on or stow my stuff
properly. I had a stadium seat that that I had bought from Walmart. It didn’t
feel quit right, so I lifted up leaned on the side of the kayak with one hand
and reached behind me with the other. This put my center of gravity higher and
outside of the right edge of the kayak and of course I was dumped, cell phone,
wallet, rods not tied down and all! I broke the first rule of paddle crafts here
and that was not wearing a PFD and the second rule, which is to be aware
of your center of gravity. Fortunately I was all right and did not drown in the
cold water that I was dumped in. But if I had panicked when I dumped, I might
not be here to write this article. But the point I am trying to make here is
that I had no clue how to get my kayak flipped back over so I could get back
onto it! If I had been in some swift moving water I could have been in real
trouble!! The other lesson I learned after my hysterically laughing buddy and I
successfully fished one of my brand new rods out of the pond with a grappling
hook and I had to go get a new cell phone because the one I had on me got dunked
and never worked again and the two days it took to dry everything out in my
wallet is stow everything in your kayak properly. Make sure all of
your equipment is tied to something or you will loose it in a spill. All
electronics that is not waterproof and probably your wallet need to be in a
waterproof bag!
Ok, enough about
safety, lets talk about some kayaks. There are two basic types of kayaks, which
are the Sit Inside
Kayak (SINK)
or the Sit On
Top
(SOT).
Many
manufacturers make both types in
models that would be suitable for fishing. Most kayak fisherman prefer the SOT
type, due the ease of entry and exit and they are also self-draining. The
particular model that is suited for you depends on your height and weight and
the intended use. It would take a really large article to go through all of
them. The best advice I can give you is to research it on the Internet with the
manufacturer sites and on kayak fishing forums. These forums are a wealth of
information from people who have already tried many boats, rigging and done a
lot of fishing out of kayaks. Try to buy a used boat first to see if you like
the sport. Don’t worry about selling the used kayak or owning more than one
kayak. Kayaks are like fishing rods, you can’t own just one! Selling and
buying used kayaks can be done through local papers, kayak shops and most of the
time over the Internet. Shipping is usually less than $100.00, which isn’t
much considering you can save $300-$600 or more on a used, fully rigged kayak
with a paddle.
Rigging a kayak is a personal thing. Just
remember one thing; you need to paddle your kayak before you mount accessories
on it. You don’t want to mount anything somewhere that will interfere with
your paddle stroke or interfere with you getting on or off of your kayak. Once
you determine where you can mount things, you will probably want to mount either
some flush mount and/or surface mount rod holders. In particular for
fly-fishing, Scotty makes a rod holder specifically for a fly rod. Another
accessory that you might want is a fishing crate, which is a milk type storage
crate that usually will have pvc tubes mounted to it to hold extra rods, a net
and/or a gaff. Small plastic utility type tackle boxes can also be bungeed into
the crate for fly, lure or terminal tackle storage. Some other accessories
include compasses, fish finders and even a mount for your portable GPS unit.
Kayak fishing forums will come in handy here. Many pics of already rigged kayaks
of all types and models are on these forums. I have gotten lots of suggestions
and tips from people off of kayak fishing forums.
Once you have got your kayak rigged and ready
to go and you have learned to paddle it with reasonable confidence or if you
already are a kayak fisherman then you are ready to learn how to fly fish. The
first thing I want to talk about is equipment. The most economical way to get
started is to buy a combo outfit. Many manufacturers offer these and they are
matched outfits. The rod, reel, fly line and leader all match. Most
manufacturers also list what line weight to use for a particular species. For
pan fish anything from a six weight down will do. For largemouth bass a seven or
eight weight is the ticket. For heavy fresh water or light to medium saltwater
fish, an eight to ten weight is required. Most manufactures have entry-level
combos that are good enough to learn on and if you decide you like fly-fishing
more outfits will probably follow. Just as with any sport, the more you learn,
the better equipment you will want.
I recommend using a good fly shop to help you
with these decisions. They will usually know what works in your particular area.
Most shops also provide lessons. I highly recommend some casting lessons.
Fly-casting is a lot like learning to golf. It is all technique. If you learn
either sport using bad habits, you will never reach your potential performance
in either sport. Learning from an instructor will cut the learning curve
substantially and will only add to your enjoyment of fly-fishing. This will also
keep you from spending many frustrating hours trying to learn on your own or
being taught by somebody who doesn’t have the correct skills and techniques.
There are many books, videos and DVDs available on fly-fishing. These will also
help out tremendously. Lefty Kreh has written several books on all aspects of
fly-fishing and fly-casting. Captain Ken Daubert has written a book on kayak
fishing titled “Kayakfishing: The Revolution”. This book is a must for the
kayak fisherman to have. And as previously mentioned kayak fishing forums are a
really good place to ask questions about fly-fishing. Most of them have a
separate board just for fly-fishing.
When you go fly fishing for the first few
times I would recommend doing it from the shore or at least wading before I
tried fly-fishing from a kayak. Casting while in a sitting position will be a
little different. But once you are comfortable with your casting, then get in
your kayak and as OLN says “Out You Go”.
If you are already a fly-fisherman, then the
main thing I recommend to you is to paddle your kayak until you are comfortable
maneuvering in it and can do self-rescues out of it. Also get comfortable trying
to access items from the different hatches while you are on the water. Once you
have accomplished this, then grab your fly rod and “Out You Go”.
Fly-fishing
is a challenging and very satisfying way to catch fish. Fly-casting is an art
form and is revered by most fishermen who have either tried it or not tried it
for one reason or another. Kayaking and fly-fishing is the ultimate stealth
method to catch fish. I hope you try both and enjoy the same countless hours
that I have putting fish in the yak with a fly rod.
Andrew
Kerlin
(Riverrat)
References:
“Kayakfishing:
The Revolution” By Captain Ken Daubert
Wildernesssystems.com
(Wilderness Kayaks)