The Quest For The Ultimate Fly Fishing Kayak

Now that I live in Florida, I want to save up my pennies to get a fishing kayak.  I had thought I had figured out a way to get one on the cheap...but don't think I'm gonna go there...

Being partial to the fly fishing game, I'd like a 'yak that I can stand up in to sight fish, cast to them, and obviously get some leverage during the fight...which is a little bit of a tall order.  Most of the fishing kayak sites that I see feature dudes that are sitting down, using spinning or baitcast rods and stuff like that.  I definitely want to fly fish.  Plus, I don't really plan on taking it out in the ocean, more so in lakes, rivers, and intercoastal waters.

There are only a few other needs that I have outside of the fly fish/stand up thing - the two most important being size and weight.  I'd prefer it not weigh a billion pounds, and not be ridiculously long.  Basically, I'd like it to be something I can feel comfortable transporting myself, without too much struggle to get on or off the top of my SUV.

After a little research, these models really stand out.

NuCanoe Frontier - which comes in 2 flavors - 12' or brand new 10'.

Jackson Coosa, although maybe the Cuda 12' would be a better option...?

Freedom Hawk 12' - check out the crazy swing out outriggers...!!!

Or instead of going kayak, there are also pretty interesting hybrid stand up paddleboards geared toward fishing.  These are slightly less attractive to me, but still worth a peek.  Two I liked were the Badfish Badfisher and the Diablo Chupacabra...



Here are the specs on all of them, at least from a length & weight standpoint...and of course price (w/o additional options, because that can get crazy)...

So "survey says"...I don't know.

Each seem to have a lot going for them.  Every time I think Coosa, I waiver, and say NuCanoe...but then I look awestruck at the Freedom Hawk's detachable outriggers...right before my mind wanders to fun of the Diablo.  Maybe the only one that's "out" is the Badfisher, due to price...again, I don't know...

So do any of you own any of these fishing vehicles?

What about comments / recommendations?

I'd welcome any & all below...

Troutrageous! Storms 2012 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market (Part 1)

This post is an example of how much power us blog-wielding characters have in the eyes of "The Industry."

Actually, I really don't have much power at all, but it's good to know I can use my URL to score a friend a "press pass" to a trade show so he doesn't have to pay top dollar for a credential.  With that...Troutrageous! sent Chase Hundley on assignment (you may know him as @thechundley on Twitter or from the blog Feather & Scale) to the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show in Salt Lake City, Utah...ironically the week after I left.

Chase's assignment - check out all the new outdoor stuff, especially anything fly fishing, and do whatever he could to further besmirch this blog's name.  Enjoy...

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Thanks to namedropping Troutrageous!, I (Feather & Scale) had the opportunity to attend the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this past week.

The week started with an open-air demo day on Lake Jordanelle Reservoir, just outside of SLC. The open-air demo was basically a chance for brands to showcase their stuff in a more natural environment and allow people to test their products.

The demo was full of watercraft to test out, shoes to try and Redington even set up a casting competition. If you’ve ever wanted to be completely overwhelmed with Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP), this was the place to be. There was even a giant SUP.

Stand-up paddleboards were definitely the most heavily populated item at the show. There were also plenty of Yeti Cooler knock-offs, including one from Igloo. There were plenty of kayak companies, as well, with quite a few fishing kayaks.

My personal goal, in true Troutrageous! fashion, was to find Sasquatch at the show. I was successful in my Sasquatch hunt by complete accident and found him chilling by a car in the middle of the show (I guess being Sasquatch means you get to drive inside buildings).

I was honestly disappointed by the lack of fly rod companies at the show; I’m blaming it on IFTD being next week. There were quite a few brands that make fly fishing products, but there definitely could have been more. Packs seemed to be the common new product for the fly fishing brands.

Best Booth Swag

Montana Fly Company ended up winning the “best booth swag” award with a flask full of whiskey (decorated with a painting from Mike’s favorite fly fishing artist). They obviously knew how to win a fly fishing obsessed Arkansan’s heart.

Easiest booth to get a free beer without waiting in line for an hour

Free beer was pretty common once 4pm hit. You almost had to camp out if you wanted to get one very quickly. The “easiest booth to get a free beer without waiting in line for an hour” award was easily won by Redington. This was mostly due to the fly fishing brands being squeezed in the very back of the convention center, but turned out to be beneficial during happy hour.

Best free food

Keen did it real big at the show. Their indoor booth was huge and across the street from the show; they had a constant outdoor party (Keenfest) going with free food, shirts, live music and water misting from the corner of everything. They receive the “best free food” award for having a food truck with WHOLE FREAKING PIGS ROASTING one day being extremely generous with their portions.

Stay tuned for a breakdown of the best gear I encountered in Part 2.