Fishing from a Kayak

adventure is out there!

Fishing from a kayak can get you to the fish more easily

For the better part of 30 years I have been fishing with a fly rod. My passion for fly-fishing began with a trip to Scotland in the 1990s and I have been working on improving my skills ever since. The love of fly-fishing has facilitated visits to so many interesting countries and waters. While I still practice conventional rod and reel fishing, my preferred approach to getting to the fish is with a fly rod.

My first kayak was an Ocean Kayak

In the mid-2000s, I settled in Miami. There is some great fishing there, but a watercraft is generally required to get to the fish. For a number of reasons boat ownership was out of the question. On the other hand, owning a kayak offered a low cost, low maintenance alternative, and I bought my first vessel in 2005 – an Ocean Kayak. The adventure of fly-fishing from my kayak among the sawgrass marshes of Everglades City or in Matheson Hammock Park near Coral Gables was thrilling, especially while navigating around manatees and alligators!

my first model now resides on the Jersey shore for back country exursions

My second kayak wass a Wilderness Systems RideX 115

After a visit to a fishing show in New Jersey, I upgraded to a Wilderness Systems model, which i have launched into a variety of waters in the metropolitan DC area. This made fly fishing in my newly adopted home waters an adventure, which readers of my blog know is an exciting prospect for me.

plenty of room here for the kayak

The advantage of a kayak for fishing

One of the advantages of a kayak is that it is not a boat, which I can neither afford, nor do I have room. The kayak conveniently lives on a pair of sawhorses on the side of my house from where it is also easy to load up and head out. I have a nifty Thule product called a ‘hullavator’ that sits on the roof of my car, which makes loading and transporting the kayak easy. But there are other advantages beyond the portability issue.

cannot get to shallow back country marshes in a boat!

For one, launching the watercraft is does not necessarily require a boat ramp. There are many launch opportunities near me where a ramp is non-existent, but ‘wheels’ can get you to the waterside from a parking lot (e.g. Fletcher’s Boathouse in DC). In addition, the kayak can navigate low headroom and shallow conditions on the water. I should note that when launching from a public ramp, a kayak is treated no differently than a boat as it relates to usage fees and etiquette.

easier to reach shad migrating up the Potomac River from the kayak despite no boat launch

Maintenance and running costs of a kayak can be low

Then there is the maintenance and running costs. To start with, there is no gas and no dockage/storage. Cleaning is as easy as spraying a high-powered hose and a bit of scrubbing with a stiff brush. There are few, if any, mechanical parts, and depending on the jurisdiction, few licenses (apart from a fishing license) or registration requirements. And the entry-level investment for being able to get on the water to fish is much more reasonable!

Fishing kayak accessories are abundant

Add to that, accessories are abundantly available for a variety of fishing methods. Today, you can equip a kayak as easily as any watercraft with fish finders, rod holders, outriggers, anchors and storage crates. The ‘bling’ for kayak fishing is endless! And the intrepid fisherman is not limited by water type – open water, deep water, backwater, brackish, fresh or salty are all available to a kayak fisherman.

my outfit includes a slew of accoutrements

Is a fishing kayak right for you?

If you think a kayak is a good fit for you, but do not know how to start researching an appropriate model, consult this blog post. The intent of my blog is not to suggest a model but to present considerations for whether the platform works for you. To start with, kayaks are relatively heavy, even with today’s technological advancements. And since it is unlikely that you will be pulling a kayak on a trailer (although you might), at some point you will be lugging a 70-pound (plus) ungainly structure some distance to load up on your car or launch in the water.

Your automobile will also dictate how you transport your watercraft. If your preference is a vehicle with a flatbed, then utility is definitely built into the transport equation. But I am a lover of crossover vehicles, and do not want the complications of a trailer, so the top-load option is what I am limited to and this has ramifications for ease of portability. Even with my Thule ‘hullavator’, it is work getting the kayak onto the roof of my automobile.

Finally, there is the issue of which position you feel comfortable as you fish. Are you all right sitting low, do you prefer to sit high, or stand while you cast (how is your casting and are you fishing with a fly rod or conventional rod and reel)? For some ‘fly-rodders’, casting from a low, seated position might be awkward. Line management can also be cumbersome with a plethora of potential ‘obstacles’ mounted on the deck, such as rod holders, cleats, deck lines and even the paddle. Suffice it to say that an extra level of patience is involved with the line management while fly-fishing from a seated position in the kayak.

I am still early in my journey as a kayak fisherman and welcome any insights from my readers. I expect that I will migrate to a newer technology soon and look forward to any feedback.

Tight lines!