Early this spring I sold one of my old toys and picked up another watercraft. After browsing the web for weeks I finally had found what seemed to be a very versatile fishing vessel. For a long time now I’ve watched kayak fishing become more popular and the demand for boats suitable for fishing has brought on a number of great looking yaks. I ended up settling on the NuCanoe Frontier 12; the canoe/kayak hybrid. Every “fishing kayak” on the market these days has countless accessories and arrangements for different situations, but where the NuCanoe seemed to excel was in its stability. The wide deck and grooved hull design combine the best of stability and easy paddling. The boat also has a track system running the length of the boat for adjusting seat position and adding accessories wherever you want. For me a stable, open deck, free of snags, is what I love about this boat. I’ve fished from pontoons for a couple years and found that while they’re great for paddling in rougher water they’re not so good in stillwater, and can be tough to fish from. You sit lower to the water and I’m the only person I know who’s feels comfortable standing on my pontoon seat, so many times it’s easier to get out and wade once you get to a spot. With the Frontier I sit higher above the deck in the 360 degree swivel seat making it very easy to stand up and make some cast while floating. I can also paddle into a head-wind on a flat body of water without much trouble. There will be more to come on this boat in the future, but for now I give it two thumbs up.
Fishing one person from NuCanoe’s Frontier 12 is spacious and the open deck is perfect for fly casting. Throw in a casting bar for extra stability and you have one fine watercraft for the fly angler.
