Kayak Fishing – Starting Out !!!

Stay Safe When Kayak Fishing – You Know It Makes Sense !!

Anyone who knows me will know that I despair when I hear the words “Health and Safety”. Not that I don’t believe in keeping ourselves safe whilst pursuing our beloved hobby, but rather because it reminds me of all the good things in life that it is now not so easy to do because of unnecessary red tape.

When I took up kayak fishing, almost 3 years ago now, I was pleased to be amongst a small group of anglers who wanted a new challenge from our fishing. My tutor on my first days kayak fishing was a local based long term kayaker Ken Oliver from Hull. Ken kept a close eye on me all that day as I paddled around the beautiful coastline of Flamborough. I can not begin to stress on you just how important it is to have the help of someone who knows what they are doing when you first take to the water. As already mentioned, I have a real dislike of health and safety zealots, but in the case of kayak fishing it really does pay to have someone knowledgeable point you in the right direction from the off.

In various parts of the world there are a multitude of laws, rules and regulations that you must adhere to before you can even set out on a kayak. In some US states you need to be licensed to use a kayak. In Australia you are legally obliged to adhere to strict safety rules or face prosecution if you don’t. Thankfully in the UK we still have the right to make personal choices about our safety and the degrees we need to go to in order to protect ourselves from harm. However, as your life depends on it it makes perfect sense to take safety very seriously when sea fishing from a kayak.

A Personal Flotation Device (PFD) IS Your Best Friend

In order to minimise risk and keep yourself safe when kayak fishing it is paramount that you have a means to stay afloat should you be unlucky enough to fall in the drink. Most kayak anglers wear a personal flotation device also known as a PFD

A PFD is slightly different to the everyday lifejackets that you see Yachters and the likes wearing. A PFD is often smaller, more lightweight and essentially will enable you to move about and remount your kayak should you fall into the sea. Most PFD’s are nicely designed to aid freedom of movement for paddling and swimming if your required to do so. PFD’s are rated depending on their buoyancy which is measured in Newtons. The higher the Newton rating the quicker you will come to the surface and the more support you will get whilst in the water.

There is a massive choice of PFD’s on todays market, and whilst it is not essential to spend the earth ( A cheep PFD will still keep you afloat) you do get what you pay for and the more expensive PFD’s are certainly more comfortable to wear. When you first practice remounting your kayak (It is a good idea to throw yourself in the water on a calm day close to the shore in order to practice remounting) you will notice that your PFD can actually ride up on your body. This is why it is essential to get one that is a good fit and to ensure you fasten all the necessary straps correctly.

Kayak And Angler Must Stay Together

On A beautiful summers evening with the sea as flat as glass and not a breath of wind it should be almost impossible to fall off a kayak. Indeed, so long as you take all the right precautions like watching the weather and wearing the correct gear you should never fear the sea. Conversely you should never become complacent and you must always have respect for your new environment. The picture below illustrates what happened to my mate Mike Marshall whilst bass fishing on top of a local reef. Even on the calmest of days the tide and shallow water can combine to make large waves capable of knocking you straight off your kayak.

Fortunately on this occasion Mikes Skill meant he rode out the wave and managed to stay afloat. However we could both quite easily have ended up in the water, and this is why it is essential that if you should come off your kayak you must have a means of staying close to the yak in order for you to be able to remount. Think about it, if you were unlucky enough to come off and find yourself separated from your kayak – what would you do ??? You would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle !!!

The use of a paddle leash could be your life saver in this situation. One end of the leash is attached to the paddle whilst the other is attached to the kayak. This way, should you be unlucky enough to come off the yak, just keep hold of the paddle and you will still be attached to the kayak via the paddle leash. Many anglers attach the leash to their PFD’s . However attaching them to the yak must be the way to go in terms of personal safety.

Dress For The Water

I have been fortunate enough to attend a kayak safety course run by Simon Everett. One of the core factors emphasised by Simon throughout the course, was the need to dress for the water. The seas around the UK are cold even in the height of summer, and spending any amount of time in there will quickly lead to hypothermia. It is therefore essential to dress for the worst case scenario.

In terms of kayak fishing clothing there appears to be 3 approaches. No one approach is significantly better than any other although a good quality dry suite would probably be the very best option. Some anglers also opt for a good quality wetsuit whilst others prefer the waders, belt and dry cag approach. There is a long and ongoing debate about the safety of wearing waders whilst afloat. I dont really want to get into it here, but I must admit that I have used this method for the past couple of years, I have been in the water, and am still here to tell the tale.

The amount of clothing options are immense and well beyond the scope of this short article. My advice to anyone starting kayaking is to get on the various websites and forums and research all aspects of the sport thoroughly. One of the best places to start is the Whitby Sea Anglers Forum which is home to a mass of experienced kayak anglers who are always willing to offer advice and take newbies under their wing. Just hit the following link to go there – http://www.whitbyseaanglers.co.uk/forum/index.php

A VHF Radio To Call For Help

In terms of kayak fishing safety, another essential item is some form of communication. Most kayak anglers prefer a hand held VHF radio. Such a device is preferable to a mobile phone as the radio will enable you to communicate direct with the local coastguard and any vessels close by who will be able to come to your assistance if you are in trouble.

Always make sure that you carry your radio about your person and not on your kayak. Some PFD’s come with pouches for your VHF. Should you not have such a pouch then you should consider putting your VHF in one of the aqua pack waterproof radio bags. This is not to keep your radio dry as you should purchase a fully waterproof one. The aqua pack has a draw string attached which will enable you to wear your radio around your neck. Please make sure you do not attach the radio to the kayak. Should you become seperated from the yak, you will then have no means of communication.

Other Essential Items For Kayak Fishing

The list of items you could consider taking with you when you go kayak fishing is endless. Above we have listed what we believe to be essential items. The list below also includes items you should consider taking with you in order to stay safe whilst on the water.

• Flares (Day and night double ended flares are very popular)
• A whistle is a great way to draw the attentions of other near by
• A compass (Ideal for navigation should the fog come down)
• A Knife (To cut yourself free if you become entangled in anything, such as rod leashes)
• Waterproof GPS (Useful for finding your way home, but never depend on it. The batteries may run out at anytime)

Oh Yeah – and don’t forget the rod and reel. Kayak fishing is fun, and around the UK caostline you have some of the best fishing available anywhere. Get out there and enjoy it !!!

Article Gallery

Article By Glenn Kilpatrick

If you feel the information given here is incorrect, or if you are able to add anything extra then please feel free to use the comments box below. We would love to hear from you !!!