ON A BOAT
Fly fishing from a kayak, canoe or inflatable opens up your options
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#3 BRUSH UP ON YOUR CASTING
The most common question I get about fly fishing from my kayak is, “How do you cast while sitting down?” The answer is simple, but not what most anglers want to hear. Fly casting while seated is exactly the same as when standing. If you can’t do it, you don’t have a boat problem, you have a casting problem, likely with some fundamental mechanics.
That’s because there are a lot of bad or sloppy casting habits—creeping your arm or dropping your backcast, for example—that may not kill a cast when you’re standing in ankle deep water. When you’re low to the water in a boat, however, with your movement restricted, such mistakes become critical. The solution is to practise at home, including from a sitting or kneeling position. Also consider getting a tune-up from a casting instructor.
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But it’s not all doom and scolding. Even if you can only cast 30 feet, you can still catch a whack of fish thanks to your boat’s stealth and shallow draft. Rather than bombing out 70-footers, it’s usually much better to sneak in and target fish with short, accurate casts.
Fly-line management is one of the biggest challenges#4 GET ORGANIZED FOR FISHING
The most vexing part of fly fishing from small boats is line management. Fly line has a preternatural ability to tangle around any possible obstacle, and kayaks and canoes bristle with them: ribs, rivets, the tag ends of straps, and even your shoelaces. Snagging any one of those can blow a cast or cause a break-off.
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The solution is organization and discipline. Start by storing all your loose gear away from where you dump your line. You can also use a stripping basket—purchased or makeshift—to corral loose line. Another trick is to spread a towel across your lap or at your feet to make a safe landing spot for line. Then you just have to train yourself to dump your line in the designated spot. It takes a little practice, but you’ll be glad you did it—especially when you’ve got a big fish on the line, and it’s running for the other side of the lake.
BONUS TIP: KNEE NEEDS
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If you prefer to fly cast while kneeling in a canoe or kayak, try strapping on a set of tradesman-style knee pads. Your bruised and aching patellas will thank you.