I have several friends who are firefighters. They have done some pretty amazing things, including prying apart upside down vehicles to rescue the passengers and pulling people out of burning buildings. What they don’t do is start fires.
Levers are basic tools that have been in use for millennia. They are important to fly fishing, specifically in playing and landing fish, in ways that many anglers don’t fully grasp. By understanding how levers act when fighting fish, in relation to your fly rod and the hooks you use, you will become a more effective angler.
Kayak fishing is something that takes a little while to learn and perfect. Once you find the fish you will need to learn how to control your boat while you cast, play and land your fish. And you will need to do this quietly. You will also need to figure out the best place for you to put your rod, paddle and other items so you can get what you need when you need it. You will develop your own technique as you paddle and fish but here are some general ideas to get you started.
One definite benefit of kayaks is that they take up much less storage space than a traditional boat. If you have a garage or a small area outside your house you should be able to find room to store your kayak. If you live in an apartment you might have to be a little more creative. People have been known to store them on apartment porches, on living room floors, or suspended from the living room wall or ceiling.
One very nice thing about kayaks is that they are very easy to transport and can be put into the water almost anywhere. That said, 50 or 60 pounds is still a fair amount of weight and a 14 foot kayak does tend to be a little bulky and difficult to manage. With the right equipment and techniques however, you can easily get your kayak from place to place and into the water.
A nice kayak will get you to where the fish are. A nice kayak that is properly rigged and outfitted will get you to where the fish are and help you stalk, hook and land them. We suggest that you buy your kayak from a dealer who sells a range of kayak accessories and can install them for you. If you are unsure as to what you want on your new boat we recommend that you spend some time paddling before you decide to drill any holes. Drilling new holes is much easier than filling in unwanted ones.
There are two basic types of kayaks available; sit-on-top kayaks and sit-inside kayaks. Sit-on-top kayaks have a closed upper deck with a seat built into or strapped onto the upper surface. Most will have scupper holes that allow any water which gets inside the cockpit or cargo areas to drain out. Sit inside kayaks have a cockpit in which the user sits. Kayaks intended for fishing and generally poking about will tend to be fairly wide and stable with room for some gear.
Florida is known worldwide as a top saltwater fly fishing destination and visitors to our area will not be disappointed. The Orlando area also offers excellent opportunities for fresh water fishing. There is a wide variety of species available to target in many different types of water. A main unifying characteristic is that most of the water requires a boat to fish properly. A kayak is the ideal boat to fish the vast majority of this water.
There's an impressively large fish within easy casting range. It's been feeding aggressively and has no idea you exist. Maybe it's a big bass in the lily pads, a redfish cruising a shoreline or a permit chasing down crabs. You know you can make the cast but the fly at the end of your leader is all wrong. The color is too dark, it doesn't move right in the water and you're sure the fish won't eat it. The fly you need to have on the end of your line is in a small box in your pocket. Inches away and yet there's no way you can get it tied on in time. You could catch this fish if only you had time to change flies. You make the cast but before the fly hits the water you know the fish will never eat.
It's 4:15 am and my alarm is going off far too early to get up, and yet I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, searching for my shoes in the dark. It’s late enough in the season, the end of August, that even here on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula it will remain dark for another couple of hours.
