Standing In Kayaks And Canoes, And Other Stuff

[jdmidwest]

Jeeze Al, did not read the complete book you posted, but gathered enough from the title to compose a response.

I normally wear the swimming trunk shorts while fishing out of a boat that allows me to wade fish. They have that mesh netting that leaves little imprints in my butt and starts pulling hairs. I have to stand and re adjust from time to time to be comfy. It really has nothing to do with paddling, I would never do that while standing.

[Mitch f]

They have that mesh netting that leaves little imprints in my butt and starts pulling hairs. I have to stand and re adjust from time to time to be comfy.

I could've gone all weekend without hearing that!

[Al Agnew]

Great post, Al. I know you said this was about fishing and not canoeing, but because traversing riffles is such an integral part of the process of fishing Ozark streams, can you elaborate on the proper technique of controlling (steering) the craft while going down a riffle? I have to admit my error of using speed to avoid obstacles on the outside bend : )

Wayne mentioned it, but let me explain it in a little more detail.

The worst riffles on Ozark streams are those curving riffles with sweeper trees or other obstacles on the outside of the curve. Sweepers are almost always on the outside, because of simple centrifugal force. The current is always fastest and strongest on the outside of a bend, and so it erodes the outside bank, undermining the tree, which eventually collapses into the current.

So here you come, believing that you have to forward paddle faster than the current to get past that sweeper. Let's say the riffle bends to the right and so the outside bank with sweeper are on the left. So you're wanting the canoe to move to the right to get around the sweeper, so you're forward paddling hard on the left side. Now, the canoe is turning to the right, for sure. But as it turns, the current begins pushing harder on the right side, actually pushing the canoe to the left. So now your canoe is angled so that the bow is to the right, in the slower current toward the inside of the bend, and the stern is to the left, in the faster current toward the outside. At this point, you're probably screwed, because the canoe is being pushed sideways toward the sweeper, with the stern being pushed harder than the bow so that the canoe continues to turn more and more sideways. If you're really lucky and it's not too strong current on the outside or you started out far enough to the inside of the bend, you end up avoiding the sweeper, but your bow gets stuck in the slowest current on the inside of the bend and the canoe turns completely around as the stronger current keeps hitting the stern. You survived, but you look really stupid, and now you have to get the canoe turned back around facing the right direction, which is a pain at best and dangerous if you're in tight quarters.

So here's how to do it right.

As you begin to enter the fast water, you want to immediately turn the canoe so that the bow is facing to the LEFT, TOWARD that outside bend and the sweeper. So the first thing you do is make a couple of hard backstrokes on the LEFT. Now the canoe is angled so that the current is hitting it on the left side, and actually pushing the whole canoe away from the left bank and that sweeper. Now just continue to backpaddle, hard, switching sides if necessary but mostly on the left side, to KEEP the canoe at that angle so that the current keeps hitting it on the left side. You want to FEEL that current hitting the left side of the canoe and pushing it to the right. What you'll find is that the canoe is going much slower than the current, with the bow continuing to point to the left, toward that sweeper, but the whole canoe sliding rightward and away from it and also wanting to straighten, since the strongest current is hitting the bow of the canoe. And all the while, you're continuing to backpaddle, dragging that canoe away from the sweeper. Once the bow clears the sweeper, then all it takes is a backstroke or two on the RIGHT to straighten out the canoe, since the current is still wanting to straighten it out anyway. Or alternatively, just start forward stroking on the left if the river is clear downstream, and it will straighten just as quickly. You may actually end up with the stern of the canoe in the slack water on the inside of the bend, and eddy out there, but if so you'll be eddied out facing downstream, and look like you meant to do it! At worst, you hit the sweeper...but you hit it head on, which is always preferable to hitting it sideways. Sideways is a sure flip, head on gives you a bit of time to figure out how to salvage the situation somehow!

Do much the same to avoid any mid-stream obstacle. Point the front end of the canoe toward the obstacle with the canoe angled so that the back end is pointing away from it, and backpaddle. Not only does it slow you down and give you more time to work to avoid it, but the current is actually doing a lot of the work for you, pushing on the side of the canoe to move it away from what you don't want to hit. This is the classic ferry, and it's just like what the ferry boats on the rivers did--having the current do the work.

And if you want to enter an eddy, it's the same principle. Say you're in fast water, and you want to get into a big eddy to stop to fish. This can be a dangerous proposition if you're in heavy water, because if you try to paddle straight into the eddy, when your bow enters it the bow suddenly stops, but the stern is still in fast water and still moving fast. So the canoe swings violently around, often so violently that it flips, especially if you don't lean the right way. It doesn't even have to be really strong current if the eddy line is sharp and you lean a bit the wrong way. So instead, as you approach the eddy from upstream, angle the canoe so that the stern is pointed to the side where the eddy is, and backpaddle to slow down. You want to time it so the stern hits the eddy line just as you reach the upstream end of the eddy. Then backpaddle hard, and the stern slides into the eddy, with the strong current continuing to push the bow right into the eddy.

[bfishn]

Al, don't ever quit.

[DaveMac]

Hey thanks, Al, for the detailed answer to my question. Somewhere way back in my past I learned the different canoeing strokes - on a lake at summer camp! - but am mostly getting by with trial and error. Fortunately, most Ozark streams are pretty forgiving unless there is high water or a tree falls into the water in a bad place.

[jdmidwest]

After spending years of fishing in a boat where you do not stand unless you really need to, like when you need to adjust the guys, I have finally bought a boat that you can stand in and walk around in. You don't have to paddle it unless a major failure occurs. And it is nice to get up and air things out on a nice steamy day.

But reading Al's posts, If I ever get in a canoe again with another person, I hope it is him. He seems to know how to paddle a boat.

[RSBreth]

No surprise here that I agree with Al - standing in a solo craft sounds good (and on a quiet lake would be good) but on our streams isn't necessary or even efficient. I love being able to skip lures under trees where someone in a boat would have a hell of time trying to do it.

Second - getting up and down constantly through the riffles on some our streams would be silly.

Lastly - most people are barely able to keep a regular, pretty stable tandem canoe upright on our streams, so standing up - yeah, you just go ahead and have your fun with that.

[Gavin]

I'd have to say that Al looks almost effortless when he floats...Great boat control, spot on casting....great to watch..Thinking Dan K...is every bit as good as Al....not there yet...

[Terrierman]

I'm still going to try a short - maybe 12" - drag chain.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I still never pass on a chance to get out and fish an area as long as I think it's necessary. I know that isn't always possible, but in many summer holding areas the current won't allow you to really work an area, much less change lures.