Pulling up that anchor

Thanks for the suggestions, I guess I was hoping for a magic bullet I hadn't thought of.
I've considered or used most of the methods mentioned except for the guide that would point the yak forward which in theory sounds like it would work pretty well.  But then I think of the line wrapping around the guide as the yak goes over etc etc.

The situation doesn't arise that often, mostly when sturgeon fishing in the bay/delta system like off Sherman Is or Pittsburg area and you need to pull it during a max flow period. It would be nice to plan to pull anchor during a slow tide but that's not always practical as far as when you get to go.  It's only been really sketchy a few times usually when wind and tide combine.

Using the QRAS I pop the anchor, paddle back to the buoy and put it in the kayak then paddle further upstream, past the point where my anchor is directly below me.
From there, as I drift back towards the anchor point, I pull the line very quickly into the kayak.
When there is zero slack I pop the anchor loose and pull the rest of that line into the kayak..
I keep the anchor in the kayak but toss the excess line over the side then reel or wind it back onto the line keeper (depending what you use to keep the line organized).
Yes you will lose a little ground during the process. But if you PRACTICE in a calm environment so you have the process down pat it won't be a big deal.
The biggest thing to making this work is don't have TMS (too much $#hit) on the deck of your kayak. Keep things clutter free and it will go a lot smoother.

Yeah, first it's time to go so everything is stowed and deck is clean, then pretty much follow Tote's list but two things happen at least for me. First I find myself getting pushed past the place where the line is vertical so I'm right back to pulling broadside against the current. second I look down at the pile of line laying in the yak between my legs and think that's a bad place for a bunch of line should things get worse and I go over, a perfect tangle scenario. 

In answer to why I let myself get pushed past the vertical point, seems like that shouldn't happen, easy peasy to not let that happen right?  So then the brain works overtime and this is what I came up with as an explanation. Assume a 2kt current, that's 3.4 ft per second. Assume I let out 90 feet of line to anchor in 40 ft of water. So to get vertical I need to pull in 50 ft of line (90-40). Paddling up stream I can only get about 80 feet past the anchor point until I just start pulling it upstream with me. The current is pushing me back downstream at 3.4 ft/sec, that takes about 24 seconds to get back to the anchor point.  24 seconds to stow the paddle, get ahold of the anchor line and pull 50 ft of line into the yak in a pile that isn't likely to get tangled up (on anything).  The key is Tote's comment "very quickly", I guess in some cases I'm just not that fast.

In practice the current is usually pretty mild and I just pull and wind it up at the same time so as not to have a pile of line to deal with, if the current's an issue I'll paddle up stream but still expect to have a few sketchy moments just before the anchor pops loose.

In truth it's a rare occurrence and just requires some extra caution and planning.

But I don't think the hazard should be understated, especially for newcomers who, as seen over and over, do things without much "what if" thinking and planning. Tote's method sounds simple but it isn't especially for an inexperienced person.   
 
And if you've read this far I was hesitant to post this as it shows how anal I can get when I really start analyzing something.

Its better to be anal and having a plan than not. My anchor has a ring attach point that will slid down to the flukes when I peddle upstream past the anchor. Then its an easy pull up. All that extra line should not be in your lap but over oneside of the yak out of your way. The current will also keep it from over tangling.

Most of the time I pull the rope up on my left side and put it back in the water on the right side unless I am just moving and don't want to drag the rope as I paddle to the new spot. After I get the anchor on board I pull in the line and wrap it around the holder. Maybe next season I'll try paddling upstream and see if I can recover the line fast enough while drifting to the anchor. Sometimes I practice the skill of "I'm getting the hell out of here" before things get really choppy or "I'm not even going there". I consider everything to be higher risk when using an anchor.