Here are my observations after three years of fly fishing out of my Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5:
I am seriously thinking of selling my canoe, and my boat and buying a 12.5 foot ultimate, I could fish by myself on most waters I want to fish in one. they look like a great little boat.
Eric
“boat is my stripping basket”
Exactly the reason I said the “propel” version wouldn’t be much good for fly fishing.
I fish from one of these bad boyz…
It fits in the trunk of a sub-compact, weighs less than 50 lbs ready-to-fish, is rated for Class IV whitewater and is certified for saltwater use, sets up in 10 minutes, and virtually cannot be swamped or capsized. You will fall out before you will drop a gunwale below the surface of the water. So stability is incredible. But the best features come from the AIR: comfort and absolutely nothing to snag a fly line on unless you put it in the boat (in a dumb place). Imagine the comfort of fishing all day from a select-comfort mattress. You can adjust the air in the fishing seats for max comfort and there is not one hard edge or surface in the entire boat. It will also comfortably fish 1 or 2 fly anglers: 1 angler fishing from the front and the person in the back moving the boat.
Durability? I’ve been fishing out of mine for a year wearing cleated wading boots with a 95 Weimaraner in the boat many times. I’ve duck hunted out of it several times…jamming us back into flooded tree-lines. I don’t pick the boat up when alone…I drag it…when portaging. I’ve had it in Class II whitewater and over one Class III rapid. I’ve used it in saltwater. I strapped it to the roof of the SUV and ran 2 hours down the Interstate @ 80 mph.
I’m also a big fan of using the boat as a stripping basket because I hate stripping baskets.
I find it important to use 9’ rods when fishing from a kayak to get more clearance above the water on long casts from the seated position.
I try to shorten the hauls and lengthen the casting stroke…relax and take it easy…even moreso than normal. This reduces boat motion and noise.
I will spot fish from a standing position on a saltwater flat or similar highly protected water. But I cast, move the boat, and play fish from a seated position - especially in clear water and when the sun is behind me.
Be mindful of any fly line hanging in the water. If the boat has a keel, or you have an anchor or painter line out, your line will eventually get tangled in it if you don’t pay attention and maintain line control. Again…use the boat as a stripping basket. And not all kayaks work well for this.
I need to try out one of the Native’s.
I guide out of the Malibu’s and they are okay. I like how you sit a little highter in the native’s.
We are a dealer for them through heritage. Trying to get one in this winter
You don’t really sit higher in the Native … unless you purchase a seat riser. It’s an accesory. It’s a block of closed-cell foam that fits under the seat and raises it so that you’re sitting higher. Makes it easier to stand up, too!
O, okay
I do like the malibu stealth for standing
but it looks like the live well is a toilet seat, haha
You will love the Ultimate. It is the ULTIMATE fly fishing kayak.
Do you ever get to Florida? Let me know and I’ll take you fishing!
My friend had a Selyor like that Blue one.
You dont get into one of those, you strap it on.
He’s right about the safety. You just cannot swamp it. YOu might get turned over though.
One thing nobody mentioned is sleeping. What an outstanding water bed.
After paddling 11 miles up a lake, fishing along the way, I just camped in the boat for most of the night.
You just push the seat back, shove the gear down past your feet, drop the anchor, pull the sleeping bag up over your head and enjoy! Its a great water bed.
Trepidations for a boat like that is Bears.
Two of us witnessed a Bear moseying down the River bed, and coming to our Raft, he began to investigate.
He romped down on one side of it, the other side popped up and hit him in the face. He bit at it as he jumped back, but it fell away from him and he missed. We heard those Teeth pop together over the sound of the River.
He reached over the Raft, with his left foot on the bottom, he bit at the other side. The side under his belly jumped up and he whirled and bit at that.
On and on until he finally picked up what was left in his mouth and shook it back and forth. Whipped it like a Terrier shaking a Rat.
Needless to say, we didn’t have enough patching material. So that Yellow Raft is still up in the brush along the Talkeetna River up near the Falls.
My Niece dropped a fish knife in the bottom of my brand new Metzler. I had to go over to the Beach and fix that so we could continue fishing.:mad:
lastly, the Sun killed the Coating on my Metzler. It came away from the fiber in long peel’s, like the Sunburned skin peel’s off you back and arms.
No way of fixing it.
So keep in inside, out of the sun and enjoy fishing in the safest boat you ever had.
thats funny…as I was reading it memories were flooding back to me…then I see where you were at…thats exactly where I used to guide…I have a house in Palmer…bears really like rubber in general…I always had trouble in them parts with the bears chewing the pontoons or trying to…also for the record dont ever pre spray rubber with pepper spray, they love it most of all…those bears are extremely aggressive around there…I have had some very close calls myself and even had 1 bear take my dbl rod case and destroy it with rods inside as well as being false charged…there was always clicking teeth sounds…anyway, thanks for the post
BTW…Freedom Hawk Kayaks, dont count then out until I get them on the water in Jan 2010…they are made for flyfishing…I will be fishing from them myself in the flats and Everglades…not one to suck up, it will be a brutal assessment coming up next month
At my regular Coffee shop in Cullman, a Bird Biologist showed up one day.
We weedled a lot of info out of him.
One thing he said was a little unnerving.
Some southers species are moving into our southern states.
Including Florida and all those protected swamps.
He said so far, the Big Snakes have taken ever species of Game in the swamps except Man.
Several Snakes over 20’ long have been photographed.
You might have left the Bears in Palmer, but you aint met the bully of the Okefenokee yet! :eek:
Dick
I see pythons and boa constrictors in the Everglades…the say over 30,000 just in Miami…pictures show 8ft gator eaten by python…what hope do WE have??? nothing to see 14ft’s while fishing on the banks these days…anyway, sorry to derail…carry on
Its a pretty real thing to deal with in a Kayak if your in the lilly pads. One of those buggers could have you before you could stick the paddle down his throat!
Yes, there are times/places where the rigid inflatable…kayak, raft, or anything else…is not the best choice. Heavy densities of large predators ranks high on that list. I was just duck hunting out of it this past week for 2 days in some very gnarly wilderness country. I have an awesome camo cover for it that turns it nearly invisible and provides great protection from wind and rain. Only makes it a tad bit more difficult to portage, too.
Oh you are so right about sleeping in the boat! Even just taking a needed break now and then, you can’t find a more comfortable way to do it whether floating or beached.
And since the thing packs into a duffle bag and I live in an apartment, no worries about leaving it outside. The sun and wind-driven dust of El Paso and New Mexico are eating the paint off of my truck (actually, everyone’s vehicles) after a year. I try not to leave anything outside.
When I had my Metzler I took a 12V vacuam cleaner with me.
It was reversible so I used it for a pump.
I could deflate the Metzler enough to cram it in my little pickup and re-inflate it at the lake.
Nothing is quieter on the water than a Rubber inflatable.
If your way out in the salt water fishing for Salmon and the water gets rough, you are actually fishing out of a big life preserver.