Fly Fishing With Stand Up Paddle Boards

Last evening I had the pleasure of taking my first spin on a SUP – or Stand Up Paddle Board. In layman’s terms, it’s pretty much a long surfboard with a grippy top and a super long paddle. There are rigid ones and inflatable types; some are made for surfing waves and many are for flat water paddling. Recently, companies like Bote are making them exclusively for fishing with accessories like ridged aluminum fishing posts, integrated coolers and rod holders. Check out the video below to see a fishing SUP in action.

After a short time paddling the board and getting my sea legs, so to speak, I immediately wished I had a fly rod with me – as bass, carp and bluegill were breaking the surface everywhere. While I won’t say it’s for everyone, getting the hang of paddling and feeling comfortable was remarkably easy and came to me much quicker than I expected.

I went to bed last night thinking of the possibilities of where this thing could go: deep in the mangroves, super skinny flats or back bays that the bass boats can’t get to. Unlike a kayak or belly boat, they give you the advantage of height. And if you have good balance, you don’t have to get wet. You can even take them down rivers. No, I didn’t actually cast a fly rod yesterday evening, but I mimicked the motion and can say there would be no issue whatsoever. I think the video below of my friend Michelle Bowman speaks to the fact that it’s entirely doable.

What about you? Anyone out there using a SUP for fly fishing?