Kayak Fly Fishing

 

 

Please check out my blog and others http://riverbum.com/blog/ 

Please check out my blog and others http://riverbum.com/blog/ 

Kayak Fly Fishing

Posted by RiverBum Pro: Eric Henson on February 05, 2016

Kayaking and fly fishing can be a beautiful marriage. They complement each other in so many ways. Fly fishing for example, you must be extremely stealthy and you have to use most of your senses. Eyes, to engulf your surroundings and zero in on your target. Mind, to evaluate the wind, speed, and direction for the perfect cast. Then your body, to feel the load of the line bending through the eyes and then as it transmits the energy through the rod. Kayaking is nearly the same with a stealthy approach where you need to utilize your senses. Eyes, to see your surroundings and take the desired path. Mind, to process the wind, current, and speed to get you to your destination. Then your body, to transmit the power and energy through your paddle as you glide through the water. Both kayaking and fly fishing are a full body experience and I can’t think of a stealthier way to do both…

People kayak for many reasons. Some for the sport, exercise and health. Others to sight-see and to enjoy nature to the fullest. Many kayakers go to places where most boats or people can’t get to. I kayak to do all of these things and also for FISHING! Kayaks are one the most quiet/stealthy ways to move through the water with little disturbance. They can take you to places that you didn’t even know existed. There is no other feeling in the world like being in a remote area, where all you can hear is the wind pouring through the tree tops, birds squawking on the shoreline, and water as it pushes through the blade of your paddle. Just when you are wondering to yourself if anyone has ever been here before… a fish pushes out from the mangroves. Your heart starts to flutter and knees begin to shake as your mind starts to race towards a plan of action.

Similarly, people fly fish for many reasons. Some do it for the beauty and artistry. Others for a more primitive feel of fishing. Lots of people fly fish for the sheer challenge of it. I do it for all of these reasons and much more. There are so many motions that a fly angler goes through to landing that special catch. First picking the right rod, reel, and line leader for the task at hand. Then choosing just the right fly that matches the hatch of the area and the targeted species. Once you’ve managed to located the fish, now all of your primal hunting instincts start to kick in. You feel the direction of the wind in your face as you determine the direction of the tide for the perfect cast. You listen to the line as it loops back and forth, trying to sync your breathing. The line lays down onto the water and then the fly to follow with the slightest splash. The fish turns on the fly, you hold your breath as you begin to strip your line. Strip, strip, and BOOM! Fish On! A huge sigh of relief exhales. The sound of the screaming drag sends chills down your spine. When the fish finally makes its way into your net, you are filled with emotions that are indescribable!

The similarities between kayaking and fly fishing make for a fantastic joint venture. I believe that those who are drawn to fly fishing would definitely love the fun and challenge of trying it from a kayak. Look me up if you are ever on the west coast of Florida and I’ll show you how it’s done!

Tight lines & Screaming Drags!

Eric Henson is a RiverBum Pro, and the owner of Casting Kayaks LLC, Eric Henson has over 30 years fly fishing experience and frequents the waters of Tampa Bay down to Charlotte Harbor in Florida. His favorite targets are redfish, snook, trout and tarpon. Read more on Eric at his website and blog.

Website: www.CastingKayaks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CastingKayaks 
Blog: castingkayaks.com/new-blog/


New Beginnings!

John was freshly retired and looking for a new Adventure. He picked up a nice used kayak that he modified to fit his needs. I could not believe some of the ingenuity that he came up with... The one thing that stood out to me the most was the up raised seat he designed out of a luggage rack! Great Job!  He was new to kayak fishing and wanted to learn the basics. After teaching him a few tricks and techniques about rigging fishing gear/kayaks, we headed out on to the water. When showing new people to artificial fishing, I always start them out with soft plastics. Showing them different colors, size jig heads, hooks, and speed variations for certain situations. And Why?  I began showing him what to look for and where to look for that prized fish. Before  you know it, he put it all together and hooked into a Nice red fish. After a nice red fish sleigh ride from a beautiful lit up up fish. John had fell in love with kayak fishing! We ended up catching a only a couple of red fish and a few trout but, he was ready to rock n' roll in the future on his next kayak fishing adventure! Great Job John!

On The fly!

    The Fishing and weather has been Great!  Fly fishing this time of year is great because the water is starting to clear up, making easier to sight fish. Although you can see them better, they can see you better!Lol! So taking a stealth approach is a must. Match the hatch with your fly, and make sure its the right fly for the water column you are fishing. I have been Catching tons of trout in the 3-6ft depth.  Snook and reds  have been in super skinny water, which I have been catching most of them on top water flies. Keep an eye out for huge Jacks coming through.  They can be a lot of fun on the fly rod! Till next time... Fish On! Fish On!

The Red Fish RUUUUUNNNN!!!!

  The last couple of days, there have been insane numbers of red fish!!! This is the time of year where they group up in large numbers to get ready to spawn, eating just about anything that is in their path! I cant even explain how sick it is watching these red fish exploding your top water! The explosions are so big that it literally looks like killer whales chasing the lure across the water. I had to swap out my top water baits to the Yo-Zuri Shashimi 3DB with thick circle hooks because, we had two separate Heddon spooks have all six hooks completely broke off! Every single fish was over slot but, It still sure was fun!  Yo-Zuri coming through as usual!:) We both lost red fish in the 40+ inch class due to hook failure! I have some great video footage that I will be posting soon... Don't worry clients my new kayaks are almost here:) Should have you guys on the water by next week:)

Snook still on the beaches!

Headed out a little later than usual, due to the tides. We had a nice east wind so, I decided to paddle straight to the beach before the wind decided to switch. As soon as I came over the hump of the beach I saw my first line sider (snook) of the day. I threw a fly right in front of its face and it immediately turned on but, missed!  Spooking him, I headed down the beach where there were tons of snook... Mostly small ones but , a few pigs in the mix. After catching a few fish I new the tide was coming in fast and would hopefully have a good shot at Mr. Red Fish! I shot back over to the bay side to look for the schooling reds. Finally I get anchored up on this point where they normally come through. Just as I get all set up, here they come! Unfortunately they were just out of reach for the fly but, I manage to throw a jerk bait at them. Boom Fish On! There were red fish all around me when I realized I had a huge Jack instead of one of the many red fish around me! lol! By the time I was able to land this Jack the school of red fish had moved on. Oh well... It was't the fish I was looking for but, still an amazing fight!:) Wind was really starting to pick up so I decided to take off. Till next time FISH ON! FISH ON!