An enjoyable paddle about in less than Ideal conditions 07/07/2012

After finishing work around dinnertime and pacing the house looking at the mist blocking the view of Errington woods from the living room window then checking the back where I couldn't see the sea but I could at least see the cars on the coast road I figured a launch might just be doable I had been out in worse.
So got my gear together and headed out for a paddle to Saltburn and back I didn't fancy sitting out there at anchor so took a very light spinning outfit and a couple of plugs to do a bit of trolling also packed some very small Hokkias just in case I fancied a bit of jigging.
I arrived at my usual launch spot and as soon as I stepped out of the car I could hear the surf rumbling but on inspection it looked easily within my capabilities for launching but landing would be fun I was soon ploughing out through the surf and had a big breaker crack right over me which swamped the seat and made for a damp ass as I made my way down towards Saltburn

The visibility was quite good except for pockets of fog lying around Huntcliff and very thick fog just slightly inland

By the time I had arrived at Saltburn I hadn't a touch on the Yo-Zuri which didn't surprise me as the water was quite mucky with a pronounced line where the tide had gathered debris washed out by the rivers with some large tree stumps/limbs mixed in not good for the boats 




There was plenty of Surfers out at Saltburn enjoying the swells rolling in I trolled back towards Marske and still not a touch so on with the Hokkais 14lb braid 2oz bomb and 7ft ultra light rod this would be fun I was soon over a mark I knew would hold fish but the visibility was still not that good but I was soon into the trusty Coalie by the bucket load great sport



Then I had a micro Cod


Every time the rod bent I had these 2 land very close to me they aren't daft they know I only catch gull sized fish 

Every now and then the fishfinder would light up with fish and the feathers would be hammered before they were even at half depth great fun

I also got a very small beautiful red codling the pic doesn't do it justice it was really orange/red




After endless action on the Coalies I managed a solitary Mackerel and then made my way back to my launch site as I could now hear the surf building and see it smashing into the rock armour at St Germains from around a mile away so it was everything stowed and secured and then asses the surf for a bit before  riding the swells to just outside the breaking zone and timed my run into the beach quite well catching a good size breaker and having to lean back to stop the bow burying but landed without incident 

The surf never looks as big in photos 
Must have been fairly wild though as the rear tank was full

No special fish but way better than watching telly and keeps me fit
Also got some video footage if it works

Andy

BCU Kayak angling module

Today I took part in a newly introduced BCU kayak angling module at Runswick bay ran by Kim Bull with the assistance of Ken Oliver and thoroughly enjoyed the day I learned a few new things and was surrounded by eager enthusiastic Kayak anglers that were new to the sport.

 

 

 

 

I’m sure this course will get the new lads started on the right foot and will be a great platform for them to build on as their experience grows.


The course covered things such as paddling techniques and planning for weather and tides along with some excellent buddy recovery methods and also went into safe anchoring systems and basic kit requirements. I should have a certificate soon! my first in the world of Kayaking Happy Days

A brief trip to SW Scotland

		A brief trip to SW Scotland VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

A few pictures to share from a trip to Kirkcudbright that was cut short due to a stronger than forecast easterly wind but superb scenery and great fun playing in the tide race around little ross in the mouth of Kirkcudbright bay need to get back up there in search of my first Tope

I had been asked by a moderator of a forum if I would write a review of my Kaskazi Dorado fishing Kayak so this is what I came up with just thought I would share it to kick my blog off.


Just thought I would share with you my own personal opinion of the Kaskazi Dorado





I bought my Dorado at the start of last summer I had been in contact with Simon who is the distributor for these fine kayaks (http://kayakuk.com/) in the UK for a few weeks and had decided to get an aqua blue Dorado then a couple of weeks before I was going to pay a deposit a Dorado in as new condition was advertised very close to me and had only been launched 3 times, this was too good an opportunity to pass up as these Kayaks rarely turn up for sale second hand and when they do they go in a flash.


I got in contact with the seller and took the plunge , after informing Simon of my actions who was still pleased that I had bought a Dorado even though it meant I wasn't sending him my hard earned money for one he still offers me advice and help freely a top bloke to deal with.




My first thoughts of the Dorado were great I loved the storage available and the fact it has a factory fitted rudder which I rarely use unless there is a bad cross wind to contend with as I feel it makes you a less effective paddler to rely on it when a decent paddling technique would do the job but it does have it's uses in unfavourable conditions and I use it a lot whilst trolling as I tend to keep my eyes fixed on the rod tip which would mean my paddling would see me heading all over the place.



The other thing is the weight of it I can easily load it on and off my car on my own which was a struggle with my Ultra 4.7



My first paddle saw me punching out through the surf on my local beach finding it a bit wobbly for the first few seconds then being amazed by how I could handle the kayak in the breaking waves and white water and also edging it to turn was great and something the I couldn't really do in the ultra as its tipping point seemed to be all or nothing.

Then I paddled out passed the breakers and tipped myself out to practice re entries this was a lot harder to do than on my ultra I managed to do it but not as confidently as I wanted I needed to do it 100% as it is very important that you are competent in your re entries and something I practice a lot I found that the Dorado being a good bit narrower beamed than what I am used to and the hull shape being more of a proper V shape it was turning right over easier hence my problems after letting it bug me for a few days and the weather not allowing me back out for practice I was back out in the surf and once I got my technique sorted out I can be back on it as quick as flash now just a case of finding the best way to do it which for me was to hold onto the kayak and let my legs float up to the surface and then just pull myself onto the kayak whilst dragging the kayak under me.



Once I was happy with that I started to get out on fishing trips on it and found paddling out to my marks was much quicker and still can't get over the way you can ride the swells using just a few strokes to keep you going in the right direction sometimes it just feels effortless




I always found surf landings in any decent sized surf very intimidating in my previous Kayak but this is something I have grown to love in the Dorado with its low seat and the fact that you have your legs in tight to the fish box you can grip it and lean/brace to the wave and it gives you very good control I still get wiped out a few times but with the cavernous fish hatch along with all the other hatches no harm done no risk of snapped rods or lost gear.



A few pics for you showing the storage and a bit of rigging







Fish hatch lid scotty mount for trolling fishfinder mount suunto orca compass and GPS mount



Fish hatch with spare paddle permanently stored there and plenty of room for anything else including fish and rods




Hatch behind seat with transducer stuck down




Battery box slides up snugly next to the moulded in seat inside the same hatch




Rear hatch showing one of the bulkheads in the hull




And also possible to get a C-tug in this hatch broken down but the wheels are secured in my crate





I also changed the anchor trolley lines down one side of the yak to my own system which I find works better for me








I still kept it in two separate lines as I prefer it and also look neater and added cleats so I can lock the anchor off at the stern for most of my fishing but I find locking the bow off very handy for using it to haul the anchor keeping bow on to tide really makes all the difference








Rigged up and ready for a trip




a successful summer trip




The Dorado really does inspire confidence in you and have never found myself in any kind of situation that I haven't felt in control of and as a kayak it is capable of much more than I am at the moment but feel as my ability grows I will never be wanting anything else as all weather fishing kayak





I even managed to get my son who was 4 at the time of these pics to have a good paddle about in it which he loved only a matter of time before I have a regular fishing/paddling partner me thinks











There has been quite a lot written on various forums about the robustness of the fibreglass kayaks and while yes they are a bit more 'fragile' than a plastic kayak they are a lot easier to repair and keep looking good just got to use some common sense on where you land them and how you handle them I have had to do small cosmetic repairs to mine which was easy enough to do and also found by fitting a small strip of protective tape to a section of the bow and stern the repairs were a lot less frequent but this really is a small price to pay to have a kayak that glides and cruises so effortlessly and yes it is a little more confined of a space to fish from and sitting side saddle is not as practicle but I wouldn't swap it for anything else.




Thats not to say I won't be getting anything else as I would really like a surf ski style kayak for the rougher days but as an all out fishing kayak the Dorado really is hard to beat



as said at the start of this review this is just my opinion and I'm sure I have missed loads of points out but I will add to it at a later date




Hope this has been of some help and offers some help to would be purchasers


Andy




Read more:http://eastcoastkayakangler.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=kayakinfo&action=display&thread=173#ixzz1xzPwuX7b

I'm hoping to get a blog going of my Kayak fishing sessions along my home patch along the Cleveland coast so will try and keep the posts coming weather permitting and hopefully have some decent photos to share.