What Is A Good Canoe To Fly Fish From?

[Jack Jones]

Having received some input on my post about the Discovery 119, I figured I'd ask those who do so, what is a good, reasonably priced, and relatively light canoe to fly fish from? I will be going solo 99% of the time, so it will need to be light so I can cartop it and such.

[Wayne SW/MO]

You know you don't have to stand to fly fish from a boat. With a canoe you can cut your distance to something that doesn't require that you have a lot of line in the air. Obviously it's required if you are targeting fish, but for structure it's not necessary.

Stability to stand is going to dictate that you have more weight.

[fishinwrench]

I have a OT Guide 147 that is as good a stand-up/poling canoe as I've ever been in. She's pretty hefty, but for an all around solo it's pretty hard to beat.

[Wayne SW/MO]

You can get rack extensions that pull out allowing you to lift and place the nose of a craft on it. You then swing the stern on and slide the bow over. The point is you only lift half the weight. I have one and they work.

I know Wrench has had his Guide a long time and it would be a good choice. You can solo or tandem and the price is right on them.

[Jack Jones]

I've seen the rack extensions. I'm sure if I get a trailer hitch for the car that it would work. However, I don't have rails or racks on top. With my yak, I've been using foam and straps. I'm not horribly concerned about the paint job though. If it's secured well, there isn't much scratching anyway.

As far as rod selection for fly fishing, does anyone think a smaller rod...like a 6' 5wt would be better suited for fly fishing out of a canoe?

[Greasy B]

I would lean toward a canoe that performs well on a river as opposed to one that allows you to stand. Fly fishing from a solo canoe is an exorcize in controlled chaos. If the wind is light it's not to difficult, if it's blowing hard your screwed. Sometimes you just have to let yourself spin and pinball down the river getting a cast in here and there where you can. If you make a huge effort always trying to position the boat for the perfect cast you'll spend all you time paddling instead of casting. An anchor is an option but once I drop it and make a cast or two I'm bored and have pull it right back up to find new water. More times than not I'll hang my foot over the side or wedge the canoe on a rock or tree.

[eric1978]

It's not so much the length of the rod that makes it challenging. It's having line everywhere and trying to cast while you control the canoe. If you're in a pool of frogwater it's doable, but as soon as you get into some current and you have to make course corrections, everything goes to hell because there's just too much going on at once. Fly fishing is best left to stopping and wading situations like Ronnie said in another thread. Bring a spinning rod with you to cast at nice looking spots while you float.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I've seen the rack extensions. I'm sure if I get a trailer hitch for the car that it would work. However, I don't have rails or racks on top. With my yak, I've been using foam and straps. I'm not horribly concerned about the paint job though. If it's secured well, there isn't much scratching anyway.

As far as rod selection for fly fishing, does anyone think a smaller rod...like a 6' 5wt would be better suited for fly fishing out of a canoe?

Go long if you're going to be casting from it sitting. If you're going to be doing both sitting and standing a 7 1/2 or 8 will stay out of harms way in a short tandem canoe. I used Cabelas 50th glass rods last and I though they did well on the rivers. They're slow enough to push a bug, mend and at 7 1/2' they lay low in the boat.

[Gavin]

As the others have said...Fly casting while soloing a canoe in current is an excercise in futility..... but casting from a canoe while another person paddles can be a very effective way to fish.

[RSBreth]

As the others have said...Fly casting while soloing a canoe in current is an excercise in futility..... but casting from a canoe while another person paddles can be a very effective way to fish.

Tread carefully - as soon as a got my Pack I started using spinning and casting gear more - just easier to do correcting strokes with one hand while using conventional tackle - I can't remember my exact words but I said basically you need two hands to flyfish, and you need at least one to do do correcting strokes when paddling - that means unless you have three hands it's pretty hard to do. I still use my fly rods out of the solo - just in the right time and place. And a longer rod is better, not shorter. anything to keep your backcast from slapping the water.

Gavin is absolutely right about having someone else paddle while you cast in a tandem canoe - it's one of my favorite ways to fish. But that's not the answer you're looking for.