Kayak Rant

[kobalt335]

Last night I fished the Narrows on Fishing creek,. Every parking spot had at least one car in it, so it took a little walking to find a spot with noone in it. I sat on the shore watching the sulfurs start to come off, and a kayak comes paddling down through. I'm normally pretty tolerant of kayaks, however I feel the narrows is not a very appropriate place. Needless to say the few fish I saw starting to rise never came up again. Felt like a wasted evening to me.

 

[Bonzoso]

sign o the times!

 

[Canoetripper]

I do a lot of canoeing and am also a fisherman so I have been on both sides of the fence. When I see someone fishing while canoeing, I politely say; "I can see that you are fishing so I will do my best not to disturb the water. My fishing line and paddle are out of the water and I am going to drift right by as quickly as possible."

I never say; "Are you catching anything?"

Jim Casada(sp?) is a southern outdoor writer and he has a theory that I agree with which is that fish don't know the difference between moving watercraft which is not disturbing the water by having fishing lines or paddles in the water and a passing cloud.

I am not a biologist and don't know for certain, but I do encourage all paddlers to be respectful of fisherman and not disturb the water by taking their fishing lines and paddles out of the water and drifting by as quickly as possible.

 

[DriftingDunn]

I hear ya and agree with you. The Narrows are no place for a 'yak.

On the opening day of the season I had a kayak (an angler) come past me and dozens of other anglers on a stocked stream. Anglers had to quit fishing to let the intruder pass. The stream was so narrow he couldn't even have turned his kayak around in the stream.

But that wasn't nearly as bad as having a guide place an angler not twenty feet in front of me a few days ago...

 

[DriftingDunn]

Jim Casada (sp?) has an absurd theory.

 

[steliejim]

I tend to agree with the writer's theory. I've caught fish shortly after many kayaks have rolled through.

Agreed they can be a pain, but we can't dictate where and when they should be on public water.

 

[Canoetripper]

Jim Casada was writing specifically about the Nantahala River in western North Carolina which is both a well known kayak and rafting destination as well as a trout river.

I was once fishing on the South Branch of the Potomac River which is very similar in that it has a commercial canoe livery and is also the most heavily stocked trout stream in the state.

I once was fishing and had many canoers float right past me and they could have cared less about me fishing. I started catching trout less than 10 minutes after they were gone.

 

[redietz]

steliejim wrote:
I tend to agree with the writer's theory. I've caught fish shortly after many kayaks have rolled through.

Same here. And by "shortly" I mean within a couple of yards, sometimes while I'm still talking to floaters.

They're only a true pita when they pass by so frequently that I have my line out of the water more than in.

 

[poopdeck]

Jim Casada's theory is spot on. A kayak drifting by is nothing more then a fleeting concern to a fish, even a smart one like a trout.

 

[Mike]

There is a heck of a lot more water to fish on Fishing Ck than the narrows...miles and miles of it. I would have just moved on...either upstream or downstream if I were bothered by crowds or Yaks.

 

[Canoetripper]

My point all along in this thread is to be polite and respectful. I have probably been the canoer more often than the fisherman. That has just changed.

I am the fisherman now on private property.

That said, I must know the laws and explaination of why one can or can't navigate private property. I am not a lawyer so I must do my own research.

I always do my best to respect fellow fisherman and private property land owners. I don't ever want to ruin another angler's fishing day or trespass on private property.

 

[tomitrout]

yes!

How dare another citizen make use of a public resource that isn't fitting with your own personal use of that shared public resource!!! Such selfishness shan't be tolerated.

 

[shadspoon]

I agree! WE all are stuck in this overpopulated place we call home. We share the roads with bicycles and joggers. Share the airs with planes, balloons and now drones. WE share the waters with many users. Just be tolerant and respectful of each other and things will work out. We may not like it, but it is what we have. Take the good parts and ignore the stuff you do not like! Don't get me wrong, I don't like my world changing either!!! Pete

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Mike is correct there is many miles of good water on fishing creek besides the narrows but please everyone stay confined to that area.

 

[rrt]

In my experience, most kayakers are mannerly and are just out to enjoy themselves. One evening last year I was on an isolated stretch of water when two young women were coming down. Suddenly, one pointed at me and told the other, "There's one now." I presume she meant "fisherman." They went wide around me. Earlier this season I had a group of four kayakers see me and move to the other side of the river to avoid disturbing the water I was fishing. I believe most kayakers are like this.

However, I have had a couple unpleasant experiences with fly-fishermen in what I call personal pontoon boats who have come right at me as I try to work upstream, anchor, and then fish the water I was hoping to cover as I worked upstream or who have paddled right through a pod of fish I was trying to work. I believe these people are far less courteous than most kayakers.

Again, I think most kayakers are courteous people who are trying to enjoy a nice outing on the water and wish the same for fishermen.

 

[kobalt335]

I agree with most that has been posted. A kayak or canoe passing over without paddling I never see a real difference in the fishing. Someone who paddles straight through though I've seen shut down a whole pool. I also agree that there is many miles of fishing Creek that have good water. However, it was late and if I switched spots it would have been dark and time to leave. All I meant by the post is that some sections are better to kayak, let's say fishing Creek in Mill hall due to it's width. I have no problem sharing a stream with kayaks in appropriate sections.

 

[bronzeback]

In addition to stream trout fishing I do a lot of warm water, (wade streams but kayak fly fish warm water lakes), my yak is a camo wildy system and have fished same areas as a buddy who has a aluminum bass boat, I usually out fish him, my theory is I silently glide back into a cove in a camo looking log verses a noisy bright barge, that being said a yak in the narrows seems a little out of place to me but hey as smart as those trout are and considering how many times they've humbled me in my case probably wouldn't have mattered much and yea there is no other good water on Fishing Creek. Lol.

 

[PennKev]

shadspoon wrote:
I agree! WE all are stuck in this overpopulated place we call home. We share the roads with bicycles and joggers. Share the airs with planes, balloons and now drones. WE share the waters with many users. Just be tolerant and respectful of each other and things will work out. We may not like it, but it is what we have. Take the good parts and ignore the stuff you do not like! Don't get me wrong, I don't like my world changing either!!! Pete

Tolerance is great, but someone taking their kayak out on one of the most popular spots, on one of the most popular trout streams, during peak fishing season doesn't make them any less of an oblivious, mindless idiot.

It is just be as stupid as any of us trying to fish in that kayak course on Spring Creek during a kayaking event.

Preach tolerance all you want but that doesn't absolve anyone from the need to anticipate how large numbers of others use a stretch of stream and make their own plans accordingly and respectfully.

 

[poopdeck]

In general fly fishermen are an intolerant lot. Not sure why a kayaker has to plan his trip around someone's fishing. It's been a long winter for all and he has an equal right to be out there as anybody else. to expect others to have to play second fiddle to your fun over theirs is the height of arrogance. I find it breathtaking how some think. A kayaker floating by me while I'm fishing would not bother me in the least bit and I fail to understand all the anger and mindless name calling when it comes to others enjoying their day.

 

[kobalt335]

Once again I'm not mad at kayakers, actually quite the opposite as I love kayaking. I however do question his decision making on where he was. To pick such a small section of stream that you know is loaded with fishermen seems very ignorant to me. Once again if this were a wider section I wouldn't have seen such an issue. Also if the kayaker just floated by instead of constantly paddling, however I can chalk that up to him maybe not knowing that paddling through can put fish down.