Kayak fly fishing

Fredrick

Fredrick

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So when ever the topic of kayak fly fishing comes up on here I always here guys saying that the kayaks are to heavy for them to load and unload from the roof tops of thier cars . I fly fish out my kayak allot and I highly recommend you give it a try there are some nice fishing yaks out there for cheap that will definitely fit your needs . Well anyways here is a nice video I seen the other day on how to load and unload your kayak so easy an Christy can do it :lol:

https://youtu.be/R_75VKNDnTI


https://youtu.be/8gmdovPwsBM
 
I just got an NRS Pike inflatable and am looking forward to my first season of serious WW fly fishing from a kayak. There is a little more fuss time on the front and back ends than I'd like (pumping, rigging, etc. before launching and then all the same stuff in reverse, plus drying with a towel when I'm done), but I have a 12V pump on the way and that should cut it down.

Probably the best part is that I don't have to wait on my moody brother to decide he wants to go and show up with his 14' aluminum boat to get me. The Pike weighs under 50 lb, fits in the back of my Outlander and I can go solo any place or time the mood strikes me.

I have over 20 small lakes loaded with LMB, panfish and pike (some anyway..) within a 90 minute drive of my door. There are, at best, a half dozen trout streams worth bothering with within the same distance.

I'd be stone nuts not to do it this way..:)
 
I used to haul my kayak all over the place using my Honda Accords. I didn't have a roof rack. I used foam blocks I bought at Bass Prop Shops and it always worked really well. I'd use rope and a trucker's hitch to tie it off at both bow and Stern and then ran a strap over the yak and through my doors. Even at 70 mpm the boat never budged. While it wasn't the most pleasant thing I could just grab my kayak and throw it up on the blocks. My boat only weighs like 65 lbs though. I'm sure some of the newer fishing yaks are heavier than that.
 
A lot of kayaks, fishing kayaks, that you would want to stand and fly cast out of are sit-on-tops and are very heavy, like 100 lbs heavy. I car top because I didn't want to spend another $1500 for a trailer and tow hitch. I stand and cast quite comfortably from a Jackson Kilroy and a Native Ultimate. A person who sells kayaks says that , actually, he would prefer a canoe with an outrigger (think Hawaii 5-0) for light weight, stability, versatility...etc. And I can see his point. The Native Ultimate is a modified canoe. The seat is low so I put a 4" crosslinked foam block on the seat to lift my perspective. It's light enough to be easy to car top and well stable enough to stand and cast out of.

syl
 
I've been thinking about getting a basic canoe for a while now. My Kayak is a sit on top but it wasn't designed with standing up in mind. I bought it quite a few years ago right before the huge boom in kayak popularity. Fly casting and sitting is okay but in moving water it is a pain to control the boat and manage all of the aspects of fishing. I generally don't use my kayak much but when I do it is often just used as a way to get me to a location that is more difficult to reach without the use of a boat. I often then hop off and wade or fish from shore.
 
Mine goes in the back of my Yaris hatchback so no lifting overhead. Strapped in with ratcheting straps and hatch pulled down with bungee cord. I drive from 5 minutes from home to over an hour to the main places I go. I haven't done much moving water, 99% lakes, and I have a blast. It is a sit in and is the smallest Emotion model many seasons old now and I beat it up pretty good but just love spending time in it especially first light and late evening. Not a fishing kayak but I have not found the need for more features than I've got at this time.
 
If you are going to mostly still water fish-dig deeper and get a Hobie-won't have to use the paddle- a blessing to all but three handed anglers--one drawback to sit down anglers-long rods-not the casting but the landing-a rod just long enough to reach line around front of kayak because smallmouths anyway will invariably dive under boat--hobies on rough shallow bottom moving water-forget it.Patch,patch ,patch.
 
This subject makes me smile.

I had people complain when I was fly fishing from a 20 ft pontoon boat. I rocked the boat, literally, trying to get it out there a few more feet.

Imagining me fly fishing from a kayak is what makes me smile.

 
Sylvaneous wrote:
A lot of kayaks, fishing kayaks, that you would want to stand and fly cast out of are sit-on-tops and are very heavy, like 100 lbs heavy. I car top because I didn't want to spend another $1500 for a trailer and tow hitch. I stand and cast quite comfortably from a Jackson Kilroy and a Native Ultimate. A person who sells kayaks says that , actually, he would prefer a canoe with an outrigger (think Hawaii 5-0) for light weight, stability, versatility...etc. And I can see his point. The Native Ultimate is a modified canoe. The seat is low so I put a 4" crosslinked foam block on the seat to lift my perspective. It's light enough to be easy to car top and well stable enough to stand and cast out of.

syl
Click to expand...

I used to fish out off a commander 140 but I mainly fished of the captains perch seat . If I had a Kilroy I would use a cooler for the seat I'm not a fan of sit In's for fly fishing unless you have a high seat . When I started kayak fly fishing I would try to stand up and fish as much as possible but with time I got more experienced I almost exclusively sit and fish now. Casting requires a little more of the core muscles but after a while I have no problem getting 70' cast out regularly . I fish out of a wilderness sytems atak 140 it has a high seat the yak is on the heavy side around 100 lbs, it felt real heavy at first when loading and unloading but after I got the technique down I can load and unload it with ease probably faster then most people take to put on their waders,and i'm not a big guy by any means i'm barely 5' 8 if Christy can do I'm sure as hell going to be making it happen. I'm not a fan of canoes they get blown around by the wind way to much and are cumbersome/slow in the water.

BTW Farmer Dave there is plenty yaks that can accomidate you including mine.

MY YAK ATAK 140

 
Yea, I know, I checked out a few but haven't pulled the trigger, yet.

I will probably spend a few extra bucks and get a good one.

I just remember that day when I took my old antique bamboo fly rod out on the lake on a friends pontoon boat, and it made me smile. I also weighed a lot more then.
 
Anyone have recommendations for a fishing kayak under $800? I have a little Pelican that I've used for a couple years and it's trash for fishing. Casting a fly rod from it is extremely unstable, and you definitely can't stand in it. Essentially use it to get around and then I hop out and fish. I want something I can stand up on, as I'd like to target musky this summer on a lake. As well, likely would use it to float on the upper Delaware a bit with an anchor. Doesn't have to have a motor, I'm fine with paddling. I'm fine with open top or closed top, would prefer closed as a little whitewater never scared me.

I like the idea of a flip up balance bar that I can grip when I fish.

The pelican premium catch 100 looks nice for the price. Finding others but many look to be $1000+...
 
bradtheflyfisherman wrote:
Anyone have recommendations for a fishing kayak under $800? I have a little Pelican that I've used for a couple years and it's trash for fishing. Casting a fly rod from it is extremely unstable, and you definitely can't stand in it. Essentially use it to get around and then I hop out and fish. I want something I can stand up on, as I'd like to target musky this summer on a lake. As well, likely would use it to float on the upper Delaware a bit with an anchor. Doesn't have to have a motor, I'm fine with paddling. I'm fine with open top or closed top, would prefer closed as a little whitewater never scared me.

I like the idea of a flip up balance bar that I can grip when I fish.

The pelican premium catch 100 looks nice for the price. Finding others but many look to be $1000+...
Click to expand...

I doint know of any yaks it the at price range that are made for stand up fishing there is some in the 7- $800 range that are. Your best bet maybe to look for one used on craigs list.

 
bradtheflyfisherman wrote:
Anyone have recommendations for a fishing kayak under $800? I have a little Pelican that I've used for a couple years and it's trash for fishing. Casting a fly rod from it is extremely unstable, and you definitely can't stand in it. Essentially use it to get around and then I hop out and fish. I want something I can stand up on, as I'd like to target musky this summer on a lake. As well, likely would use it to float on the upper Delaware a bit with an anchor. Doesn't have to have a motor, I'm fine with paddling. I'm fine with open top or closed top, would prefer closed as a little whitewater never scared me.

I like the idea of a flip up balance bar that I can grip when I fish.

The pelican premium catch 100 looks nice for the price. Finding others but many look to be $1000+...
Click to expand...

I have an Ascend (Bass Pro Brand) from when they first came out. Their newer boats look like you could stand and fish and they are in that price range. How about a paddle board? I have a buddy that swears by his paddle boards and loves fishing from them..strap a cooler to the one end as a seat for when you want to sit. He has multiple so I'm going to try it out this year once the waters get warmer.
 
I like the Ascends and they're within price range. I've thought about getting a paddle board but they're pretty expensive too. Now time to sell my shitty Pelican for like $75-100 and time to start saving for a new one...

I'll be scouring craigslist for used ones as well...
 
That's a good way to fish the upper Clarion. You can pitch streamers as you go, then get out and nymph the riffles.
 
bradtheflyfisherman wrote:
I like the Ascends and they're within price range. I've thought about getting a paddle board but they're pretty expensive too. Now time to sell my shitty Pelican for like $75-100 and time to start saving for a new one...

I'll be scouring craigslist for used ones as well...
Click to expand...


This might help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_VEmge04yg&t=11s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etLm89f6f8s
 
I got a Feel Free Lure 10 footer two birthdays ago... I absolutely love it. Use it fairly regularly on the Susquehanna. Throw down the anchor and I can stand on top and cast. It's fantastic. I think they are retailing between 900-1000 now. Weighs about 75 (with a wicked comfy seat that you can remove and save 20 pounds when loading).
 
I use a regular sit-in yak. I used to fly fish while sitting in it, but now prefer to dock it in the shallows and wade out into the river. Sometimes that can be a pain because I have to walk back and forth to the kayak and that's double the walking for the same amount of fishing.
 
I considered the kayak route but this spring I pulled the trigger on an inflatable SUP instead. The ability to deflate it and roll it up into a backpack puts it on another level IMO. I'd never carry a kayak for a mile to a pond, but won't think twice about taking the SUP. The backpack with board, pump, paddle, and other small accessories only weights 35 lbs! Far less than any kayak that is stable enough to stand on.

With that said, its effectiveness as a fishing platform is still TBD - but I plan to find out in the coming weeks and will report back.
 
Anyone have recommendations for a fishing kayak under $800? I have a little Pelican that I've used for a couple years and it's trash for fishing. Casting a fly rod from it is extremely unstable, and you definitely can't stand in it. Essentially use it to get around and then I hop out and fish. I want something I can stand up on, as I'd like to target musky this summer on a lake. As well, likely would use it to float on the upper Delaware a bit with an anchor. Doesn't have to have a motor, I'm fine with paddling. I'm fine with open top or closed top, would prefer closed as a little whitewater never scared me.

I like the idea of a flip up balance bar that I can grip when I fish.

The pelican premium catch 100 looks nice for the price. Finding others but many look to be $1000+...

Brad, you live in Conshohocken, so French Creek Outfitters is not too far from you. Check out the Vibe Sea Ghost yaks there.
I got the 110 in Sept and it has the raised seat. Very stable and not too heavy. I got mine for $700, normally $800. It is a very good price for a good yak. Comes with a rudder and paddle. They have several manufacturers and models to look at, but I went with the 110 since I know others that have them. I was not disappointed.

 
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