Completely new to the sport

[rev0h]

Hi guys,

Seen your forums while browsing the internet for local fishing spots on a kayak.

Recently bought a cheap sit on top kayak, rod and reel in the hopes of going out fishing whilst being out in the peace and quiet.

I was looking at sea fishing for pollock and bass, however my boat is only 10 foot ish and possibly too small for sea fishing, i thought i could do that when it's flat out at sea and do some coarse fishing inland when it's too rough.

I'm currently living in Somersham, Huntingdonshire and looking at any of the nearby water for fishing. Currently don't have any licences to kayak or fish, but looking into it!

If anyone has any suggestions i'd greatly appreciate them!

ReV

[Izzetafox]

Hi ReV,

First off mate you need to get some safety gear a PFD ( Personal Floatation Device). Many people say " I don't need one, I am a strong swimmer", but in reality we all need one as a first purchase.
If you are intending to fish outside the 2/3 warmer months then a drysuit is also essential.
If you are heading for the salty stuff then you should also consider a VHF radio and the relevant operators course so you can contact the emergency services if the worst happens.

10ft ish? You are right at the bottom limit of what would be considered suitable for the sea but the actual model of kayak. Some cheap generic Chinese hulls are not suitable for anything other than small lakes, canals and rivers. Bear in mind that a flat sea when you launch can quickly turn into a dangerous sea with change of wind and tide.

For freshwaters it is essential that you have an Environment Agency Rod License and a navigation permit for rivers and canals in your area this would need to be a British Canoe Union Membership.
You would also need the consent of the owners of the fishing rights to fish from a kayak along with the relevant fishing license for that water.

It is not a straight forward process but one that we have to follow to comply with the law.

Terry

[rev0h]

Hi Terry, thanks for the quick advice!

I have a PFD and other accessories for my kayak already. Bought them with the boat, safety first and all that!

I'm gonna buy my BCU membership this pay day along with my environment agency rod licence.

Are there any places which i can fish from without any more licences? Not long been living down here (origially from Newcastle) so my partner and i are still building up some cash to buy a house etc.

[Izzetafox]

Sadly there are very, very few places that are not controlled by clubs.

There are a couple of members from near you who may have suggestions.

Terry

[rev0h]

Ahh, ok. I'll have a phone around once I've got both of my licences and see what I can come up with I think.

[greygoose]

Hi mate ,I,m just down the road at cottenham ,fish the ouse at earith, ely is good, huntingdon , lots of places about here but the crap bit is , if there are no or very few boats (drains mostly ) they do get weedy! rivers with boats on best early or in the evening. Winter is good but we get a lot of flooding on our rivers , spent a good bit of time finding areas that fish well then.
On the sea I tend to go to Felixstowe , good fishing there, Clacton is good to, north Norfolk around brancaster is good for bass , for cod and mackerel you need to go further round, join angliankayakangling for more info, good site but mostly for sea fishing,a few of the guys on there are on here to.
There is a lot of free fishing if you hunt it up, a lot of river bank just wasn't being fished and the clubs let it go, CFPS have a lot of water and are happy to let you kayak fish their waters -see info on this site,river venues -and Kings lynn angling society also are ok for us to fish ,both clubs are ok for day ticket or cheaper to join the clubs. KLAA have a water ,the cut of channel which I intend to fish a lot more, big water the hardly anyone fishes now, ely is free. Peterborough is patchy on its fishing.
Hollywell has a natural slip ,free fishing and parking with a pub next to it if you want a half before the drive home, all the best Chris

[rev0h]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for that! That's a lot of valuable info! If you ever fancy going out and need some company, gimme a shout.

I'm gonna get my kayak licence this month along with the rod licence. Hopefully I will get to try out my brand new ugly stik gx2 kayak soon!

[greygoose]

Was down for the comp. at graffham this weekend but its looking doubtful, but will pm when getting out for a fish or a fitness paddle , Chris

[rev0h]

Cool, I'll have to wait until next month as I still need to buy the licences.

[philpot]

Welcome aboard matey.

How much time have you had on the water with the kayak because if you are a bit raw, it would be a good idea to paddle the kayak until you are happy with yourself on a kayak before you start fishing. It takes a little time to get used to the balance and what happens if you move one way or another. Keep you head in the centre of the kayak which will in turn keep you well balanced.
The last thing you want is to catch a fish of whatever size and lean over to pick it up, you will be swimming with the fish so enjoy the sport but take the time to learn the ropes.

Phil

[rev0h]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I've been out on it a couple of times and I feel quite happy on it. I suppose the only way to find out just how happy is to get fishing. 😛