Paddle Leash???

[HeaveToo]

I guess this is a question and maybe survey like in nature:

What type of paddle leash do you prefer for your fishing kayak? Why?

I have been giving this some thought and I would like to get some opinions. Part of me thinks that the coiled leashes could hang up on fly line when I fly fish and I maybe better off with a bungy style leash.

[Mark]

I'm probably in the minority on this but I do not use a paddle leash on either of my kayaks.

In my Hobie, I secure my paddle to the right gunnel via the factory installed bungee cord. It stays in that location 99.9 percent of the time during my trips.

In my Native I secure my paddle one of two ways.

When I fish with conventional rods, I lay the paddle in my lap as I cast and retrieve line. I am always in physical contact with it.

When I fly fish, I attach my paddle to the right gunnel via clips for that purpose offered on the secondary market by Native. The reason I clip it to the right gunnel is twofold:

1. I fly cast with my right hand and strip line with my left. If I leave the paddle in my lap, it interferes with my stripping motion.

2. Since I cast right handed, I predominantly throw line to the left side of my kayak. I therefore keep my left gunnel completely free of anything that could snag my excess line. No fish finder on that side, no rod holders, absolutely nothing that will get in my way or snarl my line.

You have alluded to that possibility already with your concern about your fly line tangling with your paddle leash. You can rest assured that if your fly line can snag something in or on your kayak it will. Therefore I keep my left gunnel clear and my deck also free of clutter.

As to paddle leashes, I used to use one. But I found on those very rare occasions when I lost my grip on my paddle, it floated. Note that I installed Yak Grips on the paddle I use in my Native. They're made of foam and have some flotation properties.

Of course, if I ever dropped my paddle in a strong current, I could literally be up the creek without...well, you know the rest.

But especially when I fly fish, I find the less stuff I carry that can interfere with my line management the better. No paddle leash for me.

Again, congrats and good luck to you with your new kayak.

[HeaveToo]

Thanks for the reply. That is one suggestion that I will have to consider.

[J.A. Veil]

I am a minimalist in what I bring on my kayak. I like to keep the working area in front of me as open as possible with few things on which to tangle a line or lure. I have never used a paddle leash. Like Mark, I added Yak Grips foam sleeves to my paddle to keep it floating in case it falls off my lap. On my pedal kayak, the two paddle halves are stowed behind the seat where I can get to them but they are fully out of the way. On my paddle kayak, the paddle remains across my lap when I am not actively paddling.

Everything has a cost/benefit relationship. There is a cost in time and convenience of leashing every loose item on your kayak (paddle, rods, tools, etc). Many kayak anglers choose to do that with the benefit that they are less likely to lose items during regular usage or if they roll over. I would be highly frustrated by spending several extra minutes at the start and end of each trip attaching leashes, plus I would end up using some choice language every time a lure tangled in one of those leashes. For me the cost of avoiding lost item through leashing is higher than the benefit of keeping things open and clear. That is a choice that each angler needs to make for him/herself.

[J.A. Veil]

As a side note, I will have a pair of Native cam-lock paddle holders for sale at the HOW flea market. They slide into a gear track and offer an alternate type of paddle storage. I believe these are the ones that Mark mentioned.

Retail cost is about $30 for a pair -- I am asking $15 for a pair.

cam-lock paddle holder.jpg

[Oldbayrunner]

My paddle is carbon fiber so it floats. Prior to my installing a motor, at first I didn't use a leash but once I had to hand paddle my heavy kayak to chase it when it popped out of the holder, I became a believer. I use Propel Bungee Paddle leashes on all of my equipment, It has a quick release buckle so it makes it easy to swap out equipment from one location to another.

[Mark]

As a side note, I will have a pair of Native cam-lock paddle holders for sale at the HOW flea market. They slide into a gear track and offer an alternate type of paddle storage. I believe these are the ones that Mark mentioned.

Retail cost is about $30 for a pair -- I am asking $15 for a pair.

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Those are the "clips" I referred to in my post.

They work great.

John is offering them at a good price.

[Slobber Bob]

You can throw me in the NO paddle leash club as well. I just can't deal with the leash always in the way, so I opt not to use one. I tried a leash briefly when I started out in a kayak, but it was always getting caught on something, twisting up, or restricting me when I was either one-handed paddling of using it to maneuver in really tight structure like bridge pilings, so I ditched it pretty quick.

If I'm anchored, I secure the paddle to to the side with the stock Ocean Kayak bungees. Works great, never an issue. Since I'm in a paddle kayak, my paddle is almost always in my hand anyway when I'm not anchored. When it's time to fish, I just quick slide it up to the bow and either under a bungee cord or strap (see picture). The other end sits snuggly on my opposite hip for quick access again. It takes me no more then a second to put it in that position, and another second to remove it for use. It works for me, not all I'm sure.
P1030826.jpg

Paddle floats too.

And *knock on wood* I've had 3 crappy paddles give out and break at the connection joint while out on the water. I've never had one get away, or even start to get away, from me because it wasn't leashed...

[RavensDfense]

In the event that you go over board, a leash is one more thing for you to get caught in while trying to reenter. When you're upright and fishing, it is just one more thing to get in the way and hook into. Most paddles float and you can retrieve them if they go over. A small hand paddle is a handy thing to keep on board in case this happens.