What about a rookie and a canoe?

Fishing Paddling
1

I am brand new at flyfishing, as most of you probably know from all of the questions I have been asking. I still have a 2 man canoe that me and my Dad fished in when I was a kid. There is a small watershed nearby, that was full of bluegill and crappie when I was a kid and I have been thinking of going there this spring and trying it out. But as I haven’t tried this, I was wondering if I should start practicing casting sitting down or something like that? I still can’t cast very far, only about 30 ft. or so, but I keep practicing every chance I get and I’m hoping for maybe 40 to 50 ft by spring. I thought if I could stay in the canoe, out in the middle of the water, then maybe I can stay out of that ?@!#! tree. :smiley: Anyway, that is my idea, any thoughts from you guys?

As far as the canoe goes, I have made many trips down the creeks and rivers around here. I’m no expert or anything, but I am not worried about the canoe as much as I am casting out of the canoe. Mostly, I just want to stay out of that tree.:rolleyes:

Thanks,
Jason

2

Jason;
Practice casting sitting down is not a bad idea. One of the “Contests” at the Michigan Fish-In is casting while sitting at hula hoops about 30’ away. This would also help with your accuracy. Another one of the “Contests” was hitting a hula hoop that was placed under a tree. That was easy, it was just like fishing in Tennessee! :smiley:
It sounds like you have some experiance with a canoe so fly fishing from one should come along well. Just remember the PFD

3

Jason,

If you are trying to get a away from the trees being in the canoe is certainly a good plan. I have flyfished from a canoe several times and found it to be a very productive and enjoyable experience. That being said, there are several things that you must consider. First, you should be able to cast sitting or kneeling. This shouldn’t be much of a problem if you have a decent casting technique, but you will need to practice. I would personally reccomend that you practice while sitting on the most unstable chair that you can find. this will help you to learn to keep your body centered and stable as opposed to throwing your weight back and forth. It’s easier to get up off the ground than it is to get out of the water. Second, I would suggest that you stop worrying about casting for distance and concentrate more on being able to cast accurately. If you can learn to cast 30 feet accurately from a canoe, then you have a very good shot at catching fish. Also, if you concentrate on accuracy and casting properly then distance will come on it’s own. Finally, I would reccomend that you devise a method to secure all your gear so that if you should have the misfortune of tipping you can recover your gear without diving to the bottom of the pond.

Fish

P.S.- Always wear a PFD!

4

In the warm water and pan fish forums there are many stories on fishing from a canoe, with a lot of good advice.

A quick tip is you will need anchors, one fore one aft. to keep you in place over the good water.

Have fun with it.

Eric

5

There’s the real jewel, along with don’t stand up in yer canoe…ModocDan

6

Don’t take my wife with you in the canoe is another jewel. We made a trip on a river nearby once. It was our first, last, and only trip. I am not sure which of us would survive if we tried to make another one. :slight_smile:

Thanks for all the help,
Jason

7

I fish while standing in my canoe all the time
No big thing

8

My wife and I fish all the time from our canoe. She chucks spoons from the bow and I fly fish from the stern. It’s the only way to go.

9

I really do not remember whether I started fly fishing from a canoe or wading first. Grew up with canoes and fished with “the other method” out of the canoe some time before taking up the fly rod. Now having done so for years I can tell you I always fish from the canoe sitting down … and can do so with ease and accuracy. Cannot cast as far as standing, but certainly adequate. Another thing I will do with the canoe is fishing downstream to some good fishing holes and beach the canoe and then get out the wading attire. I should add here that not only have I been doing the canoe fishing for many years but also that I learned at the cost of taking an unexpected bath or two, plus losing some fishing gear, that standing up in a canoe is not too good an idea ~ at least for me and the type canoes I use for fly fishing.

Dale

10

Jason,

My own personal preference in canoe fishing is to cast from the kneeling position. I like it because anytime I sit down (canoe or otherwise) my natural tendency is to slouch? This quickly leads to aching back and neck muscles. Plus, when sitting in a canoe I’ve always feel insecure and tippy, and that makes me feel that I can’t react as well to any sudden movements the boat makes?

When I am kneeling I have four points of contact with the floor of the boat – both knees and the tops of both feet. Combine those with my butt parked on the paddling saddle and this give me a 5-point contact with my boat. The result, for me, is that I feel like I’m part of my boat – or the boat is part of me, whichever. It’s like we’re both the same entity, whereas when I sit in a canoe I feel like a visitor, almost a stranger.

When you kneel in a canoe your lower spine will automatically assume a more upright position. To your spine it’s almost as though you are standing on dry ground casting from the bank. Lots easier on your spine.

But kneeling can be hell on your knees, on the tops of your feet, and on your Achilles tendons. The way I dealt with these problems was by installing glue-in kneeling pads for my knees, and glue-in pads for the tops of my feet to rest on.

I also made two rolled-up strips of closed cell foam; once seated in the canoe I stick these foam rolls underneath my ankles (between the boat hull and my ankles. The foam rolls keep my ankles at a more natural angle, very close to the 90-degree angle they’d be at if I were standing? This keeps my Achilles tendons from getting painfully compressed.

I also have constructed a paddling saddle out of closed cell foam. The paddling saddle is custom-fitted to my leg length. The reason for making the saddle was that I wanted my butt to be high enough above the floor of the canoe that the angle of my knee joints is open enough to allow good blood circulation to my lower legs?

Overall, my kneeling arrangement results in a somewhat higher seating position than most people have, but it suits my body lots better comfortwise. And again, having that 5-point contact with your canoe gives you much greater stability and boat control. Plus, kneeling keeps your lower spine oriented in a more natural shape.

In my case, this all adds up to many comfortable and safe hours of canoe fishing.

Joe
“Better small than not at all.”

11

My personal choice for fishing from a canoe involves concern for stability. I like to fish alone, sittihg in the “front” seat facing the rear. Yhis puts you at a wider place in the canoe. This will also let the canoe “weathervane” slightly in modest breezes and help avoid drag if fishing dries. Just remember to bring that second paddle.

12

If you think about it, you are higher off the water sitting in a canoe than you are wading over your knees. In the canoe you lose some of the solidity of your position when you cast, but you will compensate for that rapidly. Like Ray, I sit in the front seat facing the middle of the canoe to balance it out. My knees would not take the kneeling.

One thing, tho, is that is can be tough to land a big fish in a canoe, if you don’t have a net. I learned that steelhead fishing once. Ended up beaching the canoe and landing it from shore, which was almost as much trouble as leaning over and falling out of the canoe would have been.

13

Been there, done that. The “barge” is a less-than stable platform under the butt of this boy. I like to use the canoe to get me from spot to spot, then I get out and wade. I will also reiterate the need for EVERYTHING to be lashed down or have a tether attached to it…including your flyrod! PFD should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway.

14

One thing I can tell you from experience is that you reallly don’t have to cast very far when fishing from a kayak or canoe. That’s the benefit of being stealthy. Most people can’t cast as far sitting down and they can standing, but it’s no big deal because you can get much close to the fish!

15

Of course you know the safety stuff, which cannot be overly emphasized.:smiley:
One item we ALWAYS use is our water proof gear bags and all our stuff gets attatched to the stick thingies that cross the canoe between the seats.:wink:
As to your casting concerns and distance…balderdash.:rolleyes: We had a “distance guru” in the club at one time. After his expounding to us the “need” for greater distance and the method of attainment (practice) and “what would we do if we could not reach the fish?”, he merely shook his head and wandered off when we told him “Hell, if we can’t reach the fish, we’ll just move the danged boat!”
Amazing, but it still works.:roll:
…lee s.

16

I fish from both a canoe, and a kayak. These are the ultimate adventure vehicles.

I see no problem with standing in a canoe, if it’s done properly. It is sometimes necesary to stand in a canoe, to scout the water up ahead, etc…

A kayak is different, because you can completly change directions in less than half of the boat length, come to an immedeate stop, or instant reverse, go over a 20’ waterfall and come out unscathed, etc…something impossible in any other type of watercraft. Kayaks are unsinkable. I crash right over rocks and trees in the river all the time.

You can get into places impossible for other people to fish. You have the right boat. Just have fun with it.

17

All good advice in my experience. I have fished from a canoe every summer weekend for 20 years - until I got a kayak about 5 years ago! Anyway, my only additions are these:
In the canoe I don’t wear a vest, it just gets in the way. A small tackle bag/pouch is sufficient for all I need for warmwater fish. I can leave it on the floor of the craft. I agree that gear should be attached to the craft, but have never leashed my rod - nor have I ever dropped one overboard.
When wading or in a john boat it is tempting to cast to the side if a fish rises. In a canoe, cast no more to the side than about 45 degrees. You will overbalance if you twist farther (I have never dumped a canoe either.)
Lastly, since you are new to this fly fishing thing and can only cast 30’, let me add this: Casting is NOT throwing. Don’t bend your wrist so much (I presume here), don?t extend your arm, and stop the forward cast VERY firmly.
Fishing from the canoe will be one of the memories I will have in my last moments I am sure - it is the best of times.