Pushing the paddle for fish
BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northerner staff
I’m no expert at anything, but I’m always learning. If there is one area in my outdoors skills set I feel I do have solid experience in, it is fishing from a canoe.
I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. It has been a massive passion of mine, especially the last decade or so, where I have spent a majority of my fishing time in a canoe.
I know a lot of people believe canoes are tippy. I see how they got that stigma. Not all canoes are created equal. With some research, one can find a good canoe for fishing. I researched and tried out canoes for 11 months before I pulled the trigger on a canoe.
I can recommend a Souris River Quetico 17. I have a carbon-tec version. It is light, tough and hands down the most balanced and stable canoe I have ever been in. (I have written about it before for the magazine.) I have used it since 2010 for fishing and it is one hell of a fishing machine. I’m not here to push one brand or the other on anyone. I would highly suggest doing extensive research on any boat before you buy it and test a bunch out. It takes time, but it is a wise move.
Here are a few other notes about canoe fishing from my observations which I find make it a thrilling experience every time out.