Gearing up

Hey fellow FF'ers -

Newb to the Yak FFing game here 

Getting my ducks in a row to get set-up for FFing from the Yak.  I hope to have a OK Trident 15 or 13 by New Years...but we'll see  - this economy is a B#$%. 

Anyway, what do you guys do to handle stripped line on the boat?  There seems to be TONS of stuff such as clips, lines, nets, FF'ers gaffs, etc etc to catch when both shooting line, or for that special WSB, Striper, or Salmon that goes ballistic and clears all the stripped line from your deck in 2s flat.    Has anyone tried a stripping apron, or similar?  Is it necessary ? What about using a bucket like the Hip-shooter or similar??

What about tackle storage - vest and sos suspenders? one of the combo PDF/storage vests? separate gear bag and pdf?


Thanks in advance for the advice!
Bob V

I had my first flyrod - yak outing last weekend.  I didn't catch anything that stripped line out from me, but I didn't actually have any problems just stripping the line into the space between my legs.  I had to keep the paddle-leash out of the way, though.  I think, if you're going to use a basket, it better be pretty shallow or you'll have to hold the rod high as you strip line in.  I suppose some sort of mesh, like I have in my float tube, or a very shallow line basket with pointy things sticking up would help.

for tackle storage I had a basket sitting in the space behind me, held in by the crisscross elastics there.  It wasn't too hard to reach back and grab stuff from there, and there was room to spare for a keeper fish or two.

--Lars

I've seen them use plastic tarps laid out on flats boats that had potential obstructions. What about a piece of screen door material that you lay across your lap and legs (covering all the hazards)? Water will drain through, its cheap, and packable when not in use and should do the trick. I'd think a stripping basket may be to high when its in your lap. I could see your elbows hitting it on every cast.

Just thinking out loud

ewb is right about a stripping basket being to high, at least for me, and a mesh from a float tube sounds good but still not sure it will contain the line as you are rocking, what i find that works the best is just having the deck cleared of everything, and i mean everything, and stripping into the foot well. if possible, its better for me to sit side saddle and cast and just strip into the water, as for fly storage i usually only take two maybe three boxes and keep them in a waist pack attached behind my seat and a few spools of tippet in my pfd with nippers, cameron

just stripping between my legs worked fine.. and as long as you've got a secure paddle leash, you can float it on the side of the yak, keeping that out of the way as well.  This thread, though, has some nice solutions to the problem: http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,5870.15.html

I am still fairily new to the yak, and am still sorting out line management myself, but like others said, keeping things clear and clutter free.  I have heard some using a wet towel laid across your thighs and legs works well.  Also the lid of a rubbermaid with the pokey things should work too.

Here is what a I use in my kayak--a custom made floating stripping platform. It floats so when i get a fish I toss it out of the way and I can also strip onto it with my legs over the side while it is in the water next to the kayak. Easy to make with parts from Orchard or Home Depot, a bot pf pool noodle, and scrap plastic from Tap Plastics--one day soon I'll do an article here on the construction.

It might depend on what type of FFing you're doing. A full length line, shooting maybe 10-30', works OK stripping between my legs or onto my lap. If I'm using a shooting head and braided running lines, shooting 40-50', that still works OK if it's not too windy and the coils stay stacked. If I'm using a mono running line and shooting 60+', then I use a Hip-Shooter insert, which works even if it's windy.

I've been experimenting with different combinations of skinny/fat pins in the Hipshooter, 4 skinny pins scattered around seems to work fine. I would like to come up with a Hipshooter-type insert that I could fold, tho

mikechin

I built this for shooting head use only and for mono filament running lines that tangle a lot--strips on the deck got blown around by even a breath of wind and tangled on the next cast.

I don't need it for standard full length lines--just shooting heads.

I use an old bath towel across my lap, it has enough surface tension to manage the line, but I have no fear of letting loops dangle in the water also. I use floating running line now, I have less problems than when I used Amnesia.

I use an old bath towel across my lap, it has enough surface tension to manage the line, but I have no fear of letting loops dangle in the water also. I use floating running line now, I have less problems than when I used Amnesia.

I only have problems at the Forebay when it's a bit windy, the kayaks is spinning around, the line is going under the boat, and blowing into anything on deck that it can foul on if I get a fish or for the next shoot on the cast. Everywhere else I haven't needed it so far so I know what you mean.