Kayak Fly Fishing

Are there any kayak fly fishers on the Kayak forum? I have been flyfishing for a few years, but I just bought my first kayak. I will be taking it to the San Juan River in New Mexico next month but I would like to get comfortable with it before I go. I live in the Austin area and would like to get some ideas about fishing locations, flys, methods, etc.

I bet a few will pop up. It seems I have seen a few posts regarding fly fishing with kayaks. I've seen several on the water. One was an angler on Wheeler Branch a few years ago, but others too.

What did you buy, what make and model? It is popular enough that Jackson Kayak has one model made specifically for fly fishing. And, Diablo is another popular platform . . . very stable.

Your New Mexico trip sounds great!

Brad

I fly fish from my kayak frequently. The biggest problem is that your fly line will tangle on everything on your kayak. Limiting items on your kayak will help with this problem. I generally break out the fly rod when nothing else is biting and target sunfish but I have caught black bass, sand bass and catfish with it.

I do it, but I am not in the Austin area. As mentioned, learning how to control the line to avoid tangles is important and not always easy to do. Head over to Zilker park or anywhere else you can get on the water and chase sunfish and bass to get comfortable casting and controlling the kayak.

I fish flies 99.9% of the time. Sitting sidesaddle, with your feet in the water, makes line management a little easier. You can spread a large towel (wet it so it doesn't blow around) in your lap to control the line also. I will generally get out of the kayak when I can to cast, but that isn't always feasible. Just get out there and do it; it'll all come together for you.

Good open deck with nothing mounted helps. Some guys use a laundry basket to strip their line in. Little poppers, Clousers, Muddler Minows, and Wooly Buggers are my favorite where I fish for bass and probably work good in hill country streams. Trout I like to match the hatch. Ask the local fly shop close to where you'll be on the San Juan river what they are biting on. Probably San Juan Worms .

Good luck and welcome to the addiction!

Thank you all. My new kayak is a JK Mayfly. The deck is supposedly "tangle free". We shall see because I can usually get tangled anywhere. I've lived in Austin for 37 years and was on Ladybird (Town Lake) for the 1st time last week, just learning to paddle the thing so far. I am trying to get my sea legs for standing. I have been debating whether to add a standup bar or not.

That kayak looks like a good choice if you want to fly cast. Another option to avoid tangles is to lay a towel across the area where your fly line is laying. Before you buy a standup bar, I recommend you check it out carefully and evaluate exactly where it installs, etc. I checked it out for my ATAK and realized its impossible to paddle with the bar up. You would have to raise and lower the bar every time you move to a new spot. I decided against it. If/when you try standing up, just remember to stay focused on the standing part 9as opposed to just the casting part). If you get completely distracted, you'll be wobbling around and maybe going for a swim. Keep your feet set wide and pointed mostly straight ahead. It's very helpful to get your kayak pointed in the right direction before you start casting. Its very difficult to fish 360 degrees, or even a full 180 degrees.

Keep you kayak surface as free of clutter as possible. Its amazing what line will hang up on. Start out slow with small amounts of tackle. Targeting blue gill or easy fish will help get you experience with casting and bringing in the fish.

Sound advice. I have been thinking about the priority of concentration thing for sure. I will definitely give it a good try before I buy a standup bar. I had not considered the conflict it may present with paddling. How about an anchor trolley?

Regarding the stand up bar, they come as standard equipment on the Big Rig. I do put mine up occasionally . . . it looks sort of cool, but I have not found it to be of any particular added value as regards standing stability. It is something that you can put a paddle across or a fly-rod. And, I suppose one might reach forward and grab it as an alternative to grabbing the stand assist strap.

And, I should add that at least on a Big Rig, it is very far forward and well out of my forward paddle strokes. Being very far forward means, on a Big Rig, one moves from the point of maximum stability where the vessel is widest and balanced (feet just in front of the seat) to standing up near the stand up bar where you are pressing down on the bow a bit. On a Big Rig, it feels a bit less stable up there as it should.

I'm still glad it is there; I can see several possible advantages to it, things to mount to it, etc.

Yes, to adding an Anchor Trolley. For fly fishing, most fishing, I'd want it to run from as far up the bow and and as far back on the stern as I could. This way, you can fish into and opposed to wind and currents. Flexibility.

Brad

I fly fish from my kayak.
Made a really poor quality clip of one of my trips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn-Cp8-mQbM

I fish from a Diablo Amigo, so standing is second nature. It's unbelievably stable. The foot braces will catch your fly line, but I havent had to make excessively long casts yet, so I havent had any issues.

Just get out there and try!

Looks like an anchor trolley is 1st on the to do list and the stand up bar is on the wait and see list. Kurt Actual, I did paddle a Diablo Amigo. They are amazingly stable (maybe a wee bit more than my Mayfly even). If ACK was having their sale a month earlier, and JK wasn't, there might be one on my truck rack right now.

So how many fly rods do you carry at one time? Different weights, different baits? Do you rig extra leaders ahead for easy swap outs?

The Frog Boat was invented and is built by a Fly Fisherman. Sportsfishing on the Fly TV Show features the boats in many episodes. Check them out. They can be shipped direct to your Home and you are welcome to contact me any time to demo. my cell is 574-536-6617.

I fly fish from my WS Commander. The more you get out there, the more comfortable you'll get with all the particulars like line management.

Everyone comes up with their own solutions to fly fishing from a kayak. Standing vs sitting, I like standing for the vision advantages and I find it easier and more comfortable to cast from a standing position. One tip would be to forgo footwear were applicable. Fishing barefoot helps me not to stand on the stripped line plus there aren't any laces or straps to snag the line.. I like to strip the loose line right on my spare fly set ups. They seem to help prevent the line clumping on itself which can lead to tangles in the running line.

Keep in mind the kayak can frequently get pretty close to the fish without spooking them. You don't have to be able to cast a mile, you can often get close by paddling to within easy casting range. I'm a big fan of 7'6" to 8' fly rods while in the kayak. I just find them easier to manage and land fish and less tiring overall with a great potential for accuracy. But if you fish by doing a lot of mending and dead drifts a longer rod might be better. Not every rod needs to be 9'. They can be longer or shorter depending on what you are doing with it.

I really don't think there is a right or wrong way to go about fly fishing from a kayak. Think creatively and try some things and see what fits best for you.

I got to see a Mayfly this weekend. Didn't get to paddle it but looked great. Watched a girl almost do a hand stand in it. It was stable enough but she tried cartwheeling into it and it kept pushing the kayak backwards.

I just bought a mayfly about a month ago. Love it so far.

I had the Mayfly out this morning on LBJ with my fly rod for the 1st time. I have to say, not one time did my line snag on anything in the boat. Considering my inexperience in a kayak and just slightly more experience at fly fishing, I would say mission accomplished, although I didn't catch anything. I was able to stand and cast about 180 degrees and my cast were about as good as they are normally.

What's the opinion about wearing waders while on a kayak? I'm planning to use a combination of kayak fishing and using my kayak to get to some wade fishing on the San Juan next month. Of course a PFD is always mandatory for me

Scotty, we wear waders on the yak down on the coast when the temps start dropping, and in early spring until the water warms up a tad without any issues. I like to straddle my legs over the side while fishing. Just get a pair of lightweight breathable and you'll be fine depending on when and where

Thanks. I believe I will do the same. It will be cool enough to layer up on the San Juan in Oct, and the water is supposed to be a constant 42 degrees at the dam.

Wear a waist belt around the waders. If you have the storage space, carry a dry bag with a towel, lighter, and s=dry clothes. One day, sooner or later, you'll be glad you did. And now, while it's warm, try some deep water reentries in the waders and PFD.

Scotty brings up something we have discussed here a few times: You can get out of your kayak at times and work sandbars and remote banks. It isn't always an option but when it is, it's a great way to work a stretch of water very thoroughly, stretch, then move on. Brad

My waders do have a waste belt. Good advice on testing a recovery with the waders in warm water.

I have swam a few rapids on whitewater trips both intentionally and accidentally. One time while wearing dry pants, they tfilled up, and it definitely changes the dynamic. I couldn't keep my legs up and in front of me like you are taught to do. My PFD kept my head above water but instead of floating over the waves, I kind of sliced through them. I took a few more waves over my head than usual and ingested some water. After that experience, I ended up cutting off the ankle seals to allow the water to drain freely, essentially converting them to splash pants instead of dry pants. They weren't keeping me dry anyway.