Page 87 - 2022-08-01 Paddling Magazine

DEPENDING ON THE TYPE
OF FISHING YOU LIKE TO
DO, THE PERFECT FISHING
CANOE MAY ALSO BE YOUR
PERFECT TRIPPING CANOE.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

THE FIRST AND MOST CRUCIAL ELEMENT to the disturbance cause by reeling and landing fish.
consider when choosing a canoe for fishing is where You can even stand to cast and increase visibility.
you plan to wet your line. Lakewater anglers tripping for a week in the back-
Are you a river angler targeting walleye, or will you country may prefer a touring canoe—often with
be carrying over portages to out-of-the-way ponds to a longer waterline and deeper sides, which means
target lake trout? Perhaps you’re after the brook trout of more speed and greater carrying capacity on long-
Lake Superior, or you’re targeting trophy pike in roadside distance travels. And any angler who is regularly
bays. The dream is to own a one-size-fits-all canoe—light portaging from lake to lake will be pleased to have
enough to easily portage yet tough enough to withstand a lightweight canoe.
the bump of rocks while you’re fighting a lunker. Many For anglers fishing narrow creeks and lazy rivers,
anglers would also like a canoe that’s easily maneuver- a canoe with more rocker—curvature in the bow and
able for a solo angler yet also tracks efficiently out to stern of the canoe—will help the angler maneuver to
the fishing grounds with the family aboard. small pools amidst currents. One thing to consider
While there are many versatile fishing canoes, there when fishing on moving water is the toughness of
is no one canoe perfect for all purposes. Performance the hull material. Wrestling a monster is a sure way
in one area often means compromise in another. to steal your attention from unseen rocks under the
CANOES ARE FAVORED BY MANY Almost any recreational canoe can be a serviceable water’s surface.
ANGLERS FOR THEIR VERSATILITY. THEY fishing craft. However, the category of sporting And though canoes can be paddled on the ocean in
OFFER MORE SEATING POSITIONS, MORE canoes is designed for hunters and anglers. These calm conditions, most anglers choose sit-on-top kayaks
STORAGE CAPACITY AND OPTIONS FOR
BRINGING MULTIPLE ANGLERS. canoes tend to be shorter and wider to create a more to fish the deep blue. Kayak fishing is such a big thing,
stable platform. More stability allows you to handle Paddling Magazine has a sister publication, Kayak Angler.

WHAT’S IN A GOOD FISHING HULL?

WHERE YOU DO MOST OF YOUR PADDLING increasingly, some specialized composites are rough-and-tumble Voyageur history, nowadays,
helps decide the hull material that will perform being made for river environments). As long as wooden canoes are showpieces and babied
the best for your fishing adventures. Material will they’re not treated recklessly, expect composite from rack to lake and back again. They require
dictate the weight, durability and longevity of a canoes to last a lifetime. maintenance to last a lifetime and are as heavy
fishing canoe. Plastic polyethylene canoes can take a beat- as many plastic canoes, but damn, they look and
Composites refer to a range of woven fabric ing in shallow and rocky river environments. This perform beautifully.
materials and resins. The most commonly used is the same material they use to make most white- Inflatable and folding canoes are an evolv-
composite materials are fiberglass, aramid and water kayaks. Though they tend to be the cheapest ing category. These canoes and kayaks offer the
carbon, with fiberglass being the most common, type of canoe at the cash register, you’ll pay on the portability and storability needed for urban living
heaviest and least expensive of the three. Aramid portage trail as they often weigh the most. Plastic and public transit. They’re popular at some re-
(Kevlar and Twaron) and carbon blends tend laminates, like T-Formex, offer durability, perfor- mote fly-in fish camps for the very same reasons.
to have the best strength-to-weight ratios but mance, and some weight savings, while costing a They are made from a variety of materials, in-
expect to pay more for it. Composite canoes are bit more than polyethylene canoes. cluding vinyl and plastics, and performance can
stiffer than plastic, which makes for a faster and If aesthetics are important, nothing makes for vary widely depending on the technology used.
more responsive craft, but means they’re ill-suited a more lovely photo than a catch laid out upon Good ones are tough enough to resist punctures
to getting knocked around on rocks (though, the wooden ribs of a cedar canoe. Despite their from rocks and hooks.
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