I love to fly fish and I love to canoe. I've also done a pretty good job of assembling the gear to make things straight forward. I can anchor at the bow and stern. I can run a drift sock. I can keep things mostly clear so that I don't fight all the line as I strip in. What I can't do is figure out an actual strategy for fishing a body of stillwater. Not because I don't know where to look, but because it always seems I am fighting wind, my casting angle is poor, or some other annoyance that I am certain I can overcome with the right mindset.

So tell me, you fine canoe fly anglers, what sort of strategy do you use and what gear is important to you? Do you anchor? Use drift socks? How you position yourself in regard to the wind? Use a hand paddle for small corrections -- whatever you've learned, we want to know!

Thanks
Adam

Hey Adam,

Fly fishing from a canoe will always be a bit of a challenge due to wind. No getting around it. You pick your spots and presentation as weather allows. I troll a lot on spring trips for lakers, in summer I can catch walleyes trolling but prefer to cast for bass and pike etc if the wind cooperates. Still you have to work with it a lot, as you do often when saltwater fly fishing. For example a lot of backwards casting. You face away from your target area and your actual final cast is your backstroke...when it lands you turn around and strip in or pop your fly etc. another tactic is what I imagine many people do, whether fly fishing or spin fishing, when fighting a wind that wants to spin you away from your target, which is to spin your canoe in the direction the wind wants to turn you, but add a few paddle strokes at the appropriate moment to continue your turn in a circle to get your cast in. Other than that it’s just your mindset that you accept what Mother Nature gives you and deal with it. It’s almost always calmer at dusk and dawn and those are great times to be on the water fly fishing as of course you know. But try trolling during the windier parts of the day and for sure you will get a few more fish without the extra frustration.

Moonman.

I also love fly fishing and only fish from kayaks and canoes ,mostly kayaks, because they are better in the wind. So I am sitting on the water level. Be patience with your cast, be as quiet as you can, expect shorter cast, and anchor sometimes. One of the most important things I do is what I call scull, paddle with one hand using a short paddle and can hold the rod in the other and can sometimes maneuver the boat with the fly in the water , it is quiet, very important to me . https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCT9C0O?tag=duckduckgo-exp-b-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1 This is the one I use in kayak. In canoe I use a short plastic and aluminum one I found.

Luckily I have friends that like to fly fish in the BWCA as well, so we always team up. Take turns in the bow, the person in the back is expected to steer but can fish when they can. If it's windy we focus on the leeward side of the lake.

Normally we are targeting smallies so we stay near shore and cast to structure near the banks with top water flys (sneaky petes hold up well and get a lot of hits).

Apparently I’m “cheating” with my fly fishing in the BWCA. I mostly target moving water, especially below rapids or falls.

I will also work the shoreline structure, and then it’s trading off with the canoe partner like others have said.

I do a combo of spin and fly fishing. Usually ends up being more spin fishing due to the conditions. Every fish on a fly is better though.

Hi Adam,

If you are serious about doing a lot of fly fishing from a canoe, I would suggest getting an outrigger with stabilizers. It allows you stand- and pretty much nothing is going to capsize you. Huge casts, without a worry.

Good Luck!

https://www.duluthpack.com/products/spring-creek-hd-canoe-stabilizer-floats-complete-package?variant=13194014457915&utm_term=&utm_campaign=**LP+-+Shop+-+Bundles&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=pla-631286971147&hsa_grp=66151427683&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=330801024423&hsa_acc=1344706567&hsa_kw=&hsa_cam=1698372455&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpNr4BRDYARIsAADIx9y7yg2OsVE_L3eJQmEIcuhDZyhYfC-JOB4dmrHW2oVte5_GnjBsIZIaAoctEALw_wcB

I do a lot of fly-flinging from a kayak, and can second everything Ashland jack said: better in wind than a canoe, and maneuverable with one-hand sculls that can add zip to your strip.

However, back in Maine I started in a wide-beam Old Town canoe with an actual one-inch keel down the middle. I could stand up and cast in that boat. Must confess I did some terrible cheating in that boat by mounting an electric motor on it :)

Smallie montage

Guys... If you're going to post links, please use the Add a link to this message function. It's very easy to do, but if you need help, just ask.

Please edit your posts above. Thanks.