Many of us have tried our luck at fishing whilst out kayaking. Breton paddler Jean Louis Simon has come up with an unusual method of attaching the line to the kayak and it produced surprisingly fast results, although the bass on this occasion was to small to keep and was returned to the water.

He shaped a metal plate to the curvature of the deck and attached a standard fishing reel. It is held in place by shock cord. The line can then be fed out under control and when it is time to haul in the catch the reel is used in the normal way.

Just one lure is used as this helps reduce the inevitable tangle if more than one fish is caught at the same time, which is a distinct possibility of fishing for mackeral.

It is simple and effective although it times it is necessary to adjust your paddling style to avoid striking your knuckles on the reel.

Kevin Mansell

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