Thursday, August 13, 2009

Now for the fish....and the learning curve......





Today was a success, no massive fish but I was able to put the Kayak to the test. It is still a learning curve for me though. I'm not the most organised of people and I think I did alright but, I can do better. Remembering my glasses would have been a great help.


There is a lot to learn with Kayak fishing. It isn't just learning how to use the Kayak, it is also learning how to load the Kayak onto the car without wrecking the car. Unfortunately, I learnt the hard way. I have lost control getting it off the car and I have lost control getting it on the car. You can be fooled into thinking you are in control of the Kayak, you are not, it will lull you into a false sense of security and then, with a little help from it's friend the wind, jump off the roof, slide down the wind screen and then onto the bonnet. Now with the damage done I have a solution, The Karitek loading system. A fantastic system designed to out think the Kayak and save the car from damage.






Why Fish from a Kayak?

Well, I have owned a number of small boats with motors and trailers that got very little use. This was because finding suitable launching places wasn't that easy or cheap. Add to that, the cost of maintaining and running an outboard it seemed like a good idea.
So, I sold my Dell Quay dory for £1800 and bought my Kayak and accessories for £1710. The Kayak I chose was a Hobie Outback. It is a versatile little craft that can be sailed, peddled or paddled. You just tie it to the roof of your car, find a beach or lake and you are away.