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Fly Casting from a Kayak

One major advantage to fly fishing from a kayak is that monstrously long cast are seldom needed.  Kayaks are stealthy, and fish are relatively easy to approach in a kayak.

Fly Casting From A Seated Position

The two biggest problems most fly anglers have when trying to fly fish from a kayak are line management, and back-cast.  Every good cast needs to start well.  You should start your cast with the rod tip low to the water, and all the slack out of the line before starting the back-cast.  Then you need to make that back-cast with authority, do it like you mean it.  Put some energy into that back cast; aim it high, and stop the rod while it is still moving in a upward direction.  It's just that simple, just like any good cast when you are standing upright; but trust me, many anglers who cast moderately well when standing erect, forget all the fundamentals when they are sitting on their rear-end and it's only two inches above the water.  I get guys who want to blame it on the rod, they want to try a longer rod or a shorter rod.  It makes no difference, 6' rod or 10' rod, the line will continue to go in the direction that YOU cast it.  One of the best cures for any casting problem is practice.  Better yet, practice while someone videos your effort.  Practice casting while sitting on the ground with your feet stretched out in front of you.  And remember, if you can make an accurate thirty foot cast from this seated position, fly fishing from a kayak will be a breeze for you.

Line Management
Time and time again I have watched good proficient fly anglers get frustrated by line management in a kayak.  They are letting it fall overboard and it drifts all under the kayak, or they get it all fowled up in the paddle, the leash, or other cluttering gear.  Line management does not have to be such a problem.  I have a system that has proven successful for everyone I have instructed.

First thing you must do is manage your paddle.  Don't drop it into the water to drift along with the kayak, for one thing, it will inventively be bumping up against the hull at the most inopportune times.  Secondly, you should have that paddle at the ready to make slight course corrections as you fish; so don't clip the paddle to the side of you boat.

Sit with the paddle leash between your legs.  Place the paddle athwart ship, and then pull the paddle leash up under one side of your button (the object is to be able to put some of your weight on to the paddle leash so that the paddle is held firmly in place across your upper thighs).  Now the paddle is held in a secure place, yet still at the ready (you can easily make little one-handed course corrections while holding on to your fly rod); and the paddle leash it tucked away from being snagged by loose fly line.  All you need to do now is strip the line into your lap.

Dealing With Heavy Sinking Lines
Fast sinking lines are often necessary for producing fish in deep water.  Even when stripers are blitzing on the surface, I have almost always found that the biggest fish will come from down deep.  Granted, a heavy shooting head is much easier to deal with if you have your feet planted firmly on the deck of a boat; but with the proper technique, 600 grains or more of high density shooting head are not a big problem.  Just like from a skiff, you have to get the line up to the point you can lift it from the water, either by striping it back in closes enough or with a roll cast.  If fish are swirling all around you, it's hard to resist the temptation to keep on striping.

The Water Haul (with a twist)
Let's assume I have striped back all but about 25' of the fast sinking shooting head.  I would roll cast once or twice (what ever it takes to the the line high enough in the water column to lift it clear for a back cast); then make a back cast with enough enthusiasm that I am sure all the shooting head (at least 30') plus the leader and fly will straighten out in a line behind me. In this description you need to understand that I cast with the rod in my right hand.  When I make this enthusiastic back cast, I make the back cast over my left shoulder (instead as one would normally back cast over the same side as your casting arm).  As the line travels to the rear, I will rotate my torso to the left and then extend the fly rod outward with the line and down closer to the water.  Just as the line touches the surface I will load the rod with a combination of surface friction and a hard haul with my left to make a long backhanded cast.  Once you get into the rhythm, it takes relatively little effort to continually cast a 500-600 grain head with a 10wt and easily reach distances in excess of 90 foot with a big fly. 

Fighting Big Fish From a Kayak >>>

Harry Hall sefly
Guided Fly Fishing