5 Kayak Fly Fishing Tips

When using a kayak for fly fishing, there are five kayak fly fishing tips that will improve your overall fly fishing experience this summer. While you may be familiar with some of these tips, hopefully others will spark new ideas for your fly fishing experience. If you’re ready to improve your fly fishing in your kayak, than take a look at our top five list of kayak fly fishing tips.

1. “Line basket” One of the easiest, but most overlooked tips for kayak fly fishing is bringing along a small basket or garbage can for your stripped line. As you strip your line, you’ll need a place for your line to lie and not get tangled in. If you choose not to use some type of basket, your line may get tangled around your feet or other objects in the bottom of your kayak.
2. “Smaller, lighter rods” Using a lighter rod while kayak fly fishing will make your experience much easier. While heavier rods may be preferred for throwing the bigger flies that may seduce larger predatory fish, smaller rods will work just as well with a little patience. They also won’t wear you down the way a larger rod and fly will, too.
3. “Rod holder” Even if you’re not trolling your flies, a rod holder can be a very handy tool when fly fishing out of your kayak. A rod holder is a handy place to have your spare rods at. If you have to set your rod down for any reason, such as adjusting your kayak, the rod holder is the best place to temporarily place your fly rod at.
4. “One is okay, three is too many” Due to the limited space available in kayaks, don’t make the mistake of bringing too many fly rods with you. Having too many rods will take up space that you could use for coolers, tools and flies. Don’t make the mistake of bringing just one rod in case you run into troubles with it. The best setup is to bring two similar but different rods with you. Make sure they’re similar enough to throw the same flies but different enough to throw a variety of flies.
5. “The net” Our last tip involves bringing an adequately-sized net with you when fly fishing out of your kayak. You want a net that is collapsible so you can save space. Don’t bring a net with you that’s too small though, or you’ll really have problems when you catch the big one! A net is an essential part of fly fishing out of a kayak because you never know what kind of situation or fish you’ll run into while you’re on the water.