Fly Fishing From A Canoe

I do most of my fly fishing from a Mad River Passage 14 canoe.  I caught this porker bass on a foam popper while enjoying an evening on a local lake with my wife.  I sit in the middle sit when I am solo and I stand up a lot to cast.  I have been on rivers and lakes and even a couple canals.  My wife is a bowfishing nut, so I paddle her around and she stands in the middle to shoot.  Folks always think we are a bit odd for showing up with a canoe.  I guess it is not a normal method of water transportation anymore?  I have found that my friends don't trust a canoe either.  Maybe they spent too much time on a beer drinking float trip where canoes are flipped more than burgers on a grill.  I have always felt comfortable on the canoe.  I always feel more comfortable in a boat then in the water!  Therefore, I stay in the boat.

Here are some benefits from fly fishing in a canoe:

1.  It forces you to think - You have to plan your trip and you have to scale down your gear.  The canoe doesn't have tons of room for every piece of gear that you own.  Only the effective and essential items.

2.  Stealth - You can get insanely close to fish if you are quiet.  My wife and I have paddled directly over  pods of carp only to have them freak out because I hit one with the paddle on accident.

3.  Shallow Water - A canoe can go where most fishing boats can't go.  Shallow water is not a problem with the canoe.

4.  Exercise & Accomplishment - Ok this one sucks.  It is just part of the game.  It is an added bonus though.  Carrying the canoe, paddling and carrying.  You do feel some accomplishment when you paddle a river all day and catch fish on flies that you tied.  Pretty cool.

5.  Cheap - A canoe doesn't have to be expensive.  Our first canoe was a 40 year old 17ft aluminum for $50.  It had a slight leak in the back and dents everywhere.  We loved it and took that thing all over the place.  What fishing boat are you going to buy that is $50?  No trailer or insurance needed too!

6.  Add Ons - I have installed a depth finder and anchor trolley to the canoe since I have had it.  Some folks even add a trolling motor.  I have seen guys add rod holders and pretty much anything you can think of.

This post goes out to my friend and fishing buddy.  My canoe.

Check out the specs, costs and reviews of the Mad River Canoe.

New Adventures

Life's rhythm changes with new beginnings and you don't always know how it will play out.  I haven't posted for a while because of new adventures.  I have still been fly fishing.  I still go to work.  I am working on tuck pointing our house.  The list goes on.  However, the best new adventure for 2012 is that my wife and I are going to have our first child!  My wife is 30 weeks and some change into her pregnancy and she is wonderful.  It also happens to be the first grandchild for either of our parents.  The excitement and anticipation has been crazy.  We decided to be surprised at birth to find out the gender.  I found out people don't believe you when you say that you don't know if it is a boy or a girl.  They think you are lying to them.  We do have names though.  Penny is our girl name and Eldon is our boy name.  I can't wait to be a dad and meet this little new life.  I also plan on teaching it all about the amazing things that happen in the outdoors.  Fishing will obviously be it's first skill learned.  :)

I also have a goal of catching a fish out of the Mississippi River this year.  I have been fly fishing the river near the St. Louis area on the Illinois side.  I have been skunked each time.  I feel super small when I go out to that river.  I am throwing little baitfish patterns in this monstrous expanse of water.  It  really changes your perspective. 

Any tips on fishing the Mississippi?  Or any tips on being a dad?