Fly fishing kayak help?

JJ- if you wanna get stoked for your Glacier trip, pick up a copy of The Wolverine Way by Doug Chadwick. I'm reading it now, and it paints a great picture of the park.

Quite ironic that you say that, as I NEVER read, but bought/finished the book a few months ago.  I have been enamored by animals since I was crawling.  And have always favored the Mustelids-Weasels, Otters, Badgers, and Wolverines.

My goal was to backpack into Grinell and watch the sun rise on the morning I turn 40.  And if God blessed me with the sight of one of the most tenacious and dynamic creatures, so much the better to bless my next 30 years.

Funny how some of those things work.   Pesonally, I am a Die Hard hunter.  A total life consuming passion.  My mind is engaged in it every waking moment and while dreaming.   But I have little success.  But I am "allowed" to see many wonderful snap-shots of Nature.  Been blessed with watching bear cubs tussle and wrestle many times.  Watched mountain goat kids get retarded and flip out for no reason and bounce all over hills.  Seen badgers dig for a half and hour only to have the coyote steal it's rodent unknown to the badger.

My kayak search is to steer me away from hunting, or hunt with fly rod and camera, rather than rifle.  I hunt solo and backpack into remote areas.  The kayak I am searching for would get me a few solo trips into the backwoods areas to watch beaver, otter, mink or whatever.  Over here, early morning trips to the mountain lakes to watch moose.  Simply put, I am trying to listen and take a hint.

How's that for heavy?

Now, Native Ultimate 12 or Wilderness Commander 120?

My goal was to backpack into Grinell and watch the sun rise on the morning I turn 40.

 The kayak I am searching for would get me a few solo trips into the backwoods areas to watch beaver, otter, mink or whatever.

 Over here, early morning trips to the mountain lakes to watch moose.  Simply put, I am trying to listen and take a hint.

Now, Native Ultimate 12 or Wilderness Commander 120?

I really don't want a pontoon boat, which are so popular for fishing these rivers.  I'd like more speed, more use, not having to wear waders 24/7, more carrying capacity.

Just to confuse you a bit more, you might want to consider an inflatable (not the pool toy).  I don't think they are really well represented on this board (Zee?), but my favorite boat to fish in before the Hobie was a Sevylor svx-200. Lots of  capacity, not too slow, rock stable, and dryer than any kayak that I own. 

Yeah, you'll hear shiz like "what'll you do if you pop it" and "are you gunna fish with hooks?" so ignore it. If those things happen, you'll fix it.  I got it to travel with and it checked as a bag, and travel it did. A bit much to backpack though.

All that said I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER SEVYLOR IF THEY PAID ME. Like I've said, it was a great boat when it held air, and that's somewhat critical in an inflatable. Hooks and pokey things were never the problem though, the bladders were from day one.  I bought it at Andy n Bax and they took EXTREMELY good care of me. Sevylor did not and it was a factory problem.

That said, the Aire and Innova kayaks look good and share all the positive attributes of my inflatable with a better reputation. They are also lighter and may better lend themselves to backpacking or at least a much easier portage than any SOT. 

In any event, those boats would handle all of the situations that you described with aplomb.

Then again, what do I know? I have a rack full of Columbia shirts, an assortment of crocs, hang my feet in the water, and wear funny hats. 

I have a Sevylor inflatable, and it is really damned stable.  It's a wet ride though.

To the colorful guy in El Paso-You must be having a blast kayaking the Rio......not!

Colorful?? ME?  i've been called lots of things but never that...

Rio Grand right now might still be half a mile wide but it's only 3 inches deep when it does have water in it... unless the druggies are using catapults again to toss bales of pot across.... then there isnt any water in it cause the bales make a great dam when they fall short of the US side... and that is honest truth...

Seriously, do call outdoorplay.... they can help you in so many ways.

But I've had way too much kava

Remind me to tell you a story sometime, a story involving 2 shells of kava, a volcano in Vanuatu, and jungle music playing to all hours of the night.  And what's a good story without 3 nurses in it?  Oh, toss in a blue marlin or 2, shoals of yellowfin, and all the hungry wahoo you would ever want.

-Allen

All ears!! 

 

Yeh! what HE said!

I know you're not BSing about the Rio.  Lived within a mile of it for a few years and I just left it a year or so ago.   Could drive my Blazer up the Rio during the winter months......

So, Native or Commander?

Guess more irony....was blessed to watch a sow bear and her THREE new cubs try to find something to eat for 20 minutes tonight.  Cute little SOBs.  Two were black and the odd-ball was cinnamon.  Saw 2 other bears also, so instead of a 3 Dog Night, I had a 6 Bear Evening.

So, Native or Commander?

Best advice anyone can give you is to go paddle each of them (and more, if you can manage it). It's kind of personal thing, once you've figured out what you want to do with the boat.

Would love to.  I have made several calls and there is not a dealer for either anywhere close to Spokane.  Best I could find is a Tarpon 120 over in Sandpoint, ID.

Would love to.  I have made several calls and there is not a dealer for either anywhere close to Spokane.  Best I could find is a Tarpon 120 over in Sandpoint, ID.

Might be a bit of a trek for you but Alder Creek carries the Wilderness Systems Commander 120. As a matter of fact, that's where I bought mine that you see in my avatar. I really really like this kayak! The problem is my kayaks have multiplied in my back yard like rabbits, and I need to thin out. I have switched over to a SOT for the salt. If you want to try mine out, you are welcome to it. I have paddled this thing in some rapids on the Willamette and several other smaller rivers in the area, and it fared really well. Oh-- and it was loaded with the beer cooler and all my other gear. For fly fishing, you would like the unique ability of the Commander with the captains chair. I easily stand up in it... stretch my legs... and you can even dangle your legs over the side if you want- BOTH legs over the same side! Very stable boat. My only complaint is that because it is so open, it will take on water over the bow from a wave of any appreciable size like a canoe. They do make dry bags that can go in the bow and stern that will shed much of this water.

Erik

Thanks for the offer Browney.  I will have to Google and possibly take you up on the offer.  If your Commander 120 is in the pile of kayaks that may be getting thinned out, I may now a guy who may be interested

    Goofy hats, ( I've got my share )   have a useful purpose.       This kayak  may be perfect for what you want.   Would you like to demo this ?

   http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/gear-guide/92-staff-reviews/1351-santa-cruz-raptor.html

 Paddleandflies review.

Hey Jesse, i love my Ultimate 12! I fly fish slow rivers, estuaries, lakes in it.  Might even get another one, but maybe the U-14.5 so I can convert to tandem. Maybe the U-12 Tegris  for lighter weight, since I have to pack mine in a couple hundred yards by skinny trail sometimes. The poly U-12 is right-on for the type of fishing I do.

For those that may still be tuned in, I pulled the trigger on a kayak this week.

Changed my mind at the last minute due to finding what I thought was a good deal and non-stop research.

Chose the Jackson Coosa after much deliberation over the Wilderness Commander 120.

The self-bailing eventually sold me.  As a non-kayaker(til now), I thought the ability to self rescue if/when I dump it over-ruled some of the niceties of the Commander. 

Plus wanting to be on the river 50% of the time, I found the Coosa to be the better built craft, or at least that's what I have been told by experienced kayakers.  Knowing it will be cold in the fall months and the thought of being completely dry during a ride was probably a Pipe Dream, I wrapped my head around wear some dry gear/neoprene and fishing a SOT-the Coosa.  And since I will most likely be getting on and off to wade/still fish some of the better looking areas, the waders were already going to be a staple part of the equipment.

Got free shipping into Spokane for my pick up.  And a neat camo molded in color.   Can't wait.

Thanks for all of the help and be on the look out for some Coosa fishing pics from the Inland Empire in the next few weeks.