Well done getting your son a yak. Getting tuned into the current and wind, the swell, tide, temperature all that, the water and coastline, appreciating the beauty of it all, it's a tonic and it will be good for your youngster Hopkins. 

Thanks Ginge but when I click of newest posts it takes me to page one of that forum

Couple, better late than never, trip reports. Have been very busy getting my boat ready for sale and getting my young fella all set up with his own kayak.... Special times.

After lots of research and letting him paddle my 4.1 prowler a few times I decided on a Viking Espri and am very pleased to say this kayak is great. Lightweight and tracks really well considering it has no rudder.

First trip out was just a dummy run down at Bucklands beach with the family, going through all the safety procedures before adding the fishing element. It all went really well and at one stage I had my 3 year old on my yak while my boy paddled his little sister around in the back of his Espri, all with life jackets on of course.

Sunday 2nd March we were up early and down to Mellons Bay just after sunrise. Water was silky and zero wind. We paddled out together about 500m and set up for a drift. I just clipped my running rig on to his yak to keep him close. We had a gentle southerly pushing us out towards Motuihe and we sofbaited for about an hour. Fishing wasn't flash but that's not what it was about. My boy got a small snap that was released and caught a couple that also went back. We had drifted about 1 - 1.3km and the wind was getting stronger so we paddled back in. This is where the Espri preformed surprisingly well. My boy was able to keep up with me the whole way back, making a corrective stroke every now and then...... I think he's a natural. All in all a great introduction to yak Fishing for my boy. Another TR to follow.

Very nice report mate just the sort of reports I like reading on this site. you could only post a report like this on this site, because on FB you would get all sorts of krankers making silly remarks. but I fear the last day might be coming for this site.

Cool hobby for a youngster, he's a lucky lad, he looks to have the right number of fishing rods too.

Sunday morning was spectacular to be out on the water early.