Fishing Australia

Within just a minute of launching we had paddled under a jetty to avoid a rain spell that had crept up on us in the dark of the night. 

It was a very low jetty and crouched under there looking upwards at slowly dripping gaps in the planks my camera man Gary Dixon and I had to wonder just how we got into this predicament.  It wasn’t the best start to a kayak review but heck we were still the first two people on these shores to sit in the all new Hobie Pro Angler and the rain was not going to stop our adventure.

A few hours earlier we stopped in to pick the craft up from Rob and Rene Hook at Adventure Marine in Batemans Bay and our first impressions were: it is huge!

Coming in at 4.17 meters long, 0.97 meters wide and 40 kilograms (un rigged) this is a Texas sized single person kayak. At about 7 kilograms heavier than my two man Hobie Outfitter the next question you ask is how would you load this onto the roof racks? 

Interestingly Gary and I loaded it easier than the outfitter thanks to the brilliant beefy carry handles at each end. I can see how just one reasonably fit person could with a bit of practice and effort pop one end up on a car and then slide her up onto the roof racks. 

In the USA where the craft was spawned anglers are using their XL pick up trucks and trailers to lug these things around.  Down under anglers will also find your average house hold 7’ by 4’ trailer holds her no prob and Hobies is bringing out a specialized trailer to our shores in the near future.

However you transport her, the little bit of extra effort is all worthwhile because once on the water this more like full on bass boat with a mirage drive than a kayak. For example you have 6 horizontal rod holders that protect your wands and allow unrestricted casting.

There’s also a spacious and comfy cool ride seat, built in tackle boxes, cutting and mounting boards and a squillion features that you can see were designed on the water not at a desk. Best of all she’s super stable and you can stand up with confidence and stretch or sight fish when ever you like.

As the rain started to ease we relocated under the Princess Highway Bridge and Gary went to get a jacket from the car.  I threw in a line and as luck would have it hooked a large fish which smoked of 70 meters on 15 kg braid and cut me off on a mooring! 

I would’ve got the fish and the lure back if I was in the kayak…

The next day was the sun was shinning, we could see the craft in her full glory and it was all systems go.

Because I didn’t want to be tethered to a camera man on the shore I took him with me.  We simply propped up the front carry hatch with a small esky so the lid wouldn’t buckle under his weight.  The Pro Angler is not designed for this but it worked and also helped us check how much weight she would hold. 

With 60 kg of Gary on the front, 60 kg of concrete bags on the back to counter balance him, my big bum in the middle and a stack of camera and fishing gear we were getting up around the 272 kg max payload. 

So how does she handle?  Well at first it was disappointing, I am used to the other Hobies in the range where you turn the rudder hard one way when needed and then turn the other and it responds. 

On full lock the Pro Angler would rip astonishingly hard one way but would take forever and a day to swing back the other way…

We eventually figured out that all you have to do during a hard turn is put the rudder straight for a second or two before turning the opposite direction and you are in full control…make that more nimble than ever! 

Yep that’s right the position of the rudder and design of the hull makes this craft more manoeuvrable than any yak ever; it’s delightful.

By now the current in the Clyde was howling out but with the speed to burn of the Mirage Drive and the super sensitive steering accustomed too I was playing like a fish in the current more than ever.

Holding downstream of a Pylon and casting to it was getting easier by the minute and I found a tiny incremental movement of the comfy finger tip rudder control would change my line of direction slightly as needed.

A big tailor around 2 kg came my and there were flatties and bream on tap so I popped a nice lizard on ice in the easy to get too 60 litre front hatch tub. 

Becoming a part of the constantly water flow really helps you work out where the biggest fish have been drawn towards and l found but dropped a nice jewfish in the limited time I had left.  Next time big fella…

If I had to sum up the Pro Angler up I can fish and position quicker, quieter and more easily in the current than a bigger boat with an electric motor yet still have all the comforts I need.

A quick hose down, no batteries to remember to charge, no motors to fuel up, no boat licences needed and zero maintenance.  I just went through my normal routine of flipping her up side down to rinse her off and then back on the roof racks she went. 

I seriously can’t wait to get her back out on the water for more testing; she’s a full on freedom machine this baby!

See you on the water.

Rob Paxevanos.

Robs Column Proudly Sponsored by the Hellenic Club of Canberra.

For more information on the Hobie Pro Angler please visit the official Hobie website:
www.hobiecat.com.au/fishing/proangler.html