new yaker

[Punchshot]

it may seem I ask all the silly questions @ Reel-Time, and here's another. I'm getting into the sport of flyfishing this year after a long time off from the sport, and I'm also getting into kayaking too - picking up my yak this weekend, so here's the question - do guys troll with a flyrod ? is there a rod holder set up to troll, or is it to hard to do - balancing, paddling, trying to grab the rod if a fish on - thx for the time - Punch

[ruge13]

This might help....

Trolling Thread (http://www.reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29798&highlight=trolling)

[joev]

Its not to hard :D

[joev]

That fish along with many other nice fish was caught trolling.
Not on fly rods.But I am going to change that this year.

JoeV

[Punchshot]

sweet fish joey, that one must of towed you around for awhile. Is it easy fighting a fish from a yak - balancing your weight and the weight of the fish. What tools besides a rod holder should I equip. my yuk with - just bought a pungo 140, also, another silly question - what type of clothing do ya wear - thx Punch

[SamRiley]

Originally posted by Punchshot
it may seem I ask all the silly questions @ Reel-Time

There are no silly questions here Punch :)

I don't troll much so I can't help you there but lots of folks on the board do. Clearly if can pay off, as Joe has shown you. Good luck

[joev]

Rod Holders are a must have.I use the Ram Rod ones.I have them mounted behind me.With the trolling rod on the right.
Another good tool is a lip gripper or boga tethered to the yak.
There is another Kayak fishing site that I cant list here because of my partnership with them.However it has a ton of info pages on it .Maybe someone can help you out with a link.
There are alot of threads on this forum you can read thru also.
I use waders neoprene and brathable with a 6 inch wide back support belt worn over those .Along with a gore Tex jacket.Lots of guys use dry tops with the waders.Some use wet suits but I dont like being wet.

Anything else just ask.

Oh once you start fighting bigger fish you just have to be a bit more careful on what you are doing.

JoeV

[RIBill]

Shaun: that was a great thread, thanks for bringing it back from the archives.

Punch: you ask good questions. I agree with JoeV and others that rodholders are real important. However, I don't troll dead-stick with the flyrod... you miss too many fish. I'll troll with a spinrod in the holder, but I like to keep the flyrod propped by my legs. it takes a little practice, but when they take the fly, you know it, and the rod is right there. your results may vary.

the rodholders are also very important for storage of rods while you are paddlin between locations etc. it helps to use holders that swivel on both axis so that you can get the extra rod out of the way while casting etc.

clothing? a lot of common sense involved there... layers, breathable rain- and wind-wear. hats, paddling gloves, booties. there must be a prior thread, and then there is the whole issue of wetsuits, stockingfoot waders etc.

[Wes]

Taking big fish like the one Joev pictured does take some skill and practise, particularly landing them. With the first few fish you'll figure it out and you can learn a lot quickly if you have an experienced yakker to fish with. When I started out I kayaked a little without a rod and then starting taking very simple gear at first, just a spinning rod and a couple jigs, single point barbless. Keep it simple. It's rare to hear of anyone swimming but it happens so you want to be prepared. it's critical while water is cold.

[Punchshot]

If flyfishing I'm thinking you don't need to cast too far, because your probably spot casting to fish you see, and can get pretty close to them in the yak ?. I have the breathable waders - stocking foot - should I wear them stockingfoot in case I dump :eek: .Lastly I'll be getting the rod holders, but are there paddle holders too. Thank you all for all the great adice - Punch

[bluewatr]

Punch,

I second RIBILLS post... That's how I troll too (i also tether my rod).... I do have rod holders but mainly use them for transport only... If your worried about losing fish while trolling with the rod holder... Try using circle hooks. They work very well... Personally, I don't use circle hooks as much as I used to because I dont like the way they make the fly trak in the water but your chances of having a fish drop off are far less..... There are also some tying limitations with circle hooks. But there are ways around that too...

[joev]

Punch
I would wear them only if you have a good belt around the top.If you do dump it you dont want them filled with water.it might make it very hard to get back into your yak.

You can use paddle clips .I only tether mine then leave it accross my lap.If its tethered you can just drop it toward one side or the other.Or stow it in your paddle clips.Always keep it tethered though.

JoeV

[RIBill]

YES!! good advice re: tethering. you don't want to find yourself paddleless. even with a tether, I was towed thru some weeds during a worm hatch and after releasing the fish, I found that the paddle had been pulled free from the tether's velcro holder. it was very disconcerting. fortunately a nearby tinboat saw my predicament and located my paddle and helped me retrieve it. since then, I now stow a small plastic paddle between my seat that the hull as a back-up. the paddle is from a kids toy raft. does the job it a pinch and delivers peace of mind.

[bluewatr]

Punch,

Two things to tether!

1) your paddle
2) Your fly rod

IN THAT ORDER!

Losing a paddle sucks and may kill you....

Losing your fly rod sucks too. And can make you cash negative (as well as kill you)! :)

Posts here on tethering the rod are few and far between. That is because LIFE SAFETY is the biggest and farmost concern here! We can always replace rods..... Lives we can't (no such thing as spare body parts)....


If you tether your rod correctly and with the right type rope, you will never know the tether is there! I use a 1/4"x 8' section of rope. I do not know what kind of rope it is but it has NO memory and has a very fine tight braid. I stow directly behind my seat in a loose 1'x2" diameter coil. I connect one end to a beaner that is directly attached to my yak (behind my seat) and the other end is attatched just over the butt end (flange of the handle) of my fly rod. I use a slip knot for the rod connection. This works for me... I would hate to see a $900 setup sink to the bottom never to be recovered....! If this happened to me I would have nothing to send back to ORVIS for replacement... Thus I would be sh!$ out of luck!

-mike