I think I saw a video a while back of Jeremy fishing out of the Ultimate 12..just looking for a review. I flyfish down in southwest fl for tailing redfish and snook in the mangroves...the areas I fish are prone to being in the wind. Just wondering how the Ultimate handles in these conditions. I'm used to fishing out of a kayak that is somewhat hard to stand up in, so I'm thinking the Ultimate may fit my needs for flyfishing.
Hi. I believe this is the article and video you are referring to
http://www.fliesandfins.com/article743.html
Here is my honest review.
1. I am 5' 9" and 160 pounds. I think that is probably the first thing for someone to consider as each persons weight and height will influence the usability.
2. I have always been fairly athletic and have pretty good balance. When I was a kid I skateboarded, surfed etc.. and did things like that. Again .. athleticism and balance vary from person to person. I am not saying you have to be able to walk a tight rope in a circus. I am simply saying that someone who has a background of playing computer games vs. someone with a background of playing all kinds of sports that require some level of agility etc.. might have a different experience. A pretty good measure here would be .. can you stand up in a canoe and although its wobbly can you stand without totally freaking out and/or tipping over. If the answer to that is "yes" .. Than i think the person might be a good candidate.
3. I got it. And, was able to test it before buying. I put the thing in the test pond, immediately stood up and was sold. I proceeded to get home take the seat out and any of the "extras" .. cuz I wanted it strictly for fly fishing. I got so comfortable standing up in it to fish that I found i never sat down anymore. meaning that i actually paddled up rivers, across bays and flats while standing up. why? because while standing up i can make better use of the muscles in both my arms and legs and relieve the often "cramped" feeling that comes from sitting in a kayak or canoe.
4. Fishability - once you get comfortable using it .. fishing out of it standing up becomes second nature. i just leave my line stripped off while paddling standing up .. see a fish, put paddle down, grab rod and cast as though i was standing on a rock. no problem. also standing up and paddling poling in combination with paddling (using the paddle as a pole) .. i think for some reason i had a longer than normal paddle which helped .. so, consider getting a paddle that is not as short as you might get with a traditional kayak.
5. no seat? - if i do want to sit - i kneel ... or if i really wanted to, i could easily slide the seat back in .. but, i have yet to do that.. i just leave it out.
6. 2 people! --- here is an added benefit! .. let's say that you are a trout fisherman and you want to drift a short section of river with a friend or cross the other side with a friend ... you CAN get 2 people in this thing and use it for transportation purposes .. sure, it will ride a bit low to the water but no worries .. i have done some pretty amazing distances with 2 people .. so a great tool to get 2 people across a river or across a bay to get out and fish different spots ...
Final Answer - Depending on #1 and #2 above -- A great tool for those applications you mention in Florida. I go to florida and fish out of a canoe these days ... I was telling my friend who introduced me to the canoe flats florida fishing about my native kayak and how great of a tool it would be for me in florida .. (other than the fact that it would be kind of a pain to bring on the airplane )
Thanks a lot for the quick reply/review. The previous kayak I owned was stable enough to stand up in at 28" wide (just not comfortable) so I think my balance in the Ultimate will be more than adequate. I still have to test paddle it to make the final decision but your input helps.
Oh ya and some of your tunes got me through some tough times last winter..keep on writing man!
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