I'm brand spanking new to the forum, and to kayak angling. I'm hoping to start my venture off by asking those of you who live in the same area as me (North Sacramento/Roseville-Rocklin/Marysville-Yuba City) fish on skinny water, rivers and small lakes:
Kayak fly fishing - worth it?
It seems like, as far as local water sources go, that can support kayak fishing, we've got it made. We have the American, Sacramento, Feather, Yuba, as well as some lakes, the delta and it's sloughs, as well as coastal and alpine fisheries within reasonable driving distance.
What sort of "routine" kayak angling do you find yourselves doing, and where are you doing it at?
As far as kayak fly fishing goes, I have no idea which of those above bodies of water are conducive for fly fishing from a kayak. I fly fish the American river (a seasonal striped bass, shad, steelhead and salmon fishery) the most since it's so close. I usually fish in the sections that are higher up on the river than where the boat let-ins are. Where I fish, I really only ever see drift boats pass me by, which leads me to believe the only easily "kayak-able" stretches of water are lower down the river.
As far as kayaks themselves, what are the popular brands/models around here? Years ago I worked at Fish and Game and a guy was a pro-guide with Jackson, and he swore by the Cuda, but I feel like the technology has come so far since then. I've been eyeing Hobies (possibly the Outcast or the PA), but are they just way more than what our local fisheries really need? And with pedal-powered kayaks, do you find them to be too cumbersome to manage a fly line - specifically on our local fisheries?
And is there anything else I really should consider before looking more seriously into this hobby? I'd really like to have something to get me in the water so I can cover more territory, but is there something more practical than a kayak for my use-case?
9/13/2021 Edit - I've changed the thread title, and edited the post slightly to be more encompassing to the type of fishing that interests me with Kayak fly fishing. I hope that this encourages more people to provide insight, and lessons learned!
9/17/2021 Update - My shift has focused to more paddle kayaking at the suggestion of some of you, and thinking more critically on the issue. I've been pretty seriously looking at the Jackson Mayfly. The only issue is - no one has it stocked, locally, to demo! I might have to travel out of the area to look at one!
Sakana Seeker:
I’ve got nothing for you, other than: WTTM!!!
fishemotion:
Yeah I don't know jack about flyfishing or the American, but did once take a 16' Hobie on the American for Eppie's race..was fun. Afterwards, I paddled up river towards the dam. It was quite enjoyable and a pleasure. This was done without the Hobie drive tho.
Welcome Fivefingers :smt006
Tinker:
I don't fish those rivers and I don't know a damned thing about them but I fly-fish from a kayak and I know about that - and it's basically the same wherever you fish.
I had a Hobie and didn't like it for fly-fishing. Although I never tangled the line in the flippers from outside the boat, stripped line was forever managing to drop through the opening for the Mirage drive and getting tangled up that way.
You could probably overcome that with something simple that would block the line form sliding into that opening.
It isn't hard to search this forum - and others - to find out what kayak(s) the cool kids are using. Try it. The problem is knowing whether those kayaks are a good fit for how and where you plan to fish.
There are some great fly-rod anglers on this forum, but not that many. Read what they're saying in this forum topic because, one more time, what we do where we fish is directly applicable to where you plan to fish. And consider asking the question differently, so folks who don't and may never fish the Northern Sacramento area can offer you some advice.
Trouter925:
I have a Native Titan. I’m always dealing with fly line tangles around the various attachments and pedal drive. When you add in tide and wind, it can be very frustrating. Most of the time when I’m casting, I’m standing. I don’t think I’d like to sit in kayak and cast, but advantage is keeping yourself in position via pedal drive.I think fly fishing from kayak with traditional paddle in current would be too much for me to handle. Personally, I would use the kayak to get from place to place on The river rather than to fly fish from.