Yes, Virginia, a $1500 pedal kayak is real!

Someone asked if this blog will cover kayaks, even if it's not considered gear or tackle.  Most of the pioneers of kayak fishing were fly anglers - folks like Jon Kumiski, Chrystal Murray, Drei Stroman, Jimbo Meador. Most saltwater and warmwater fly anglers fish from kayaks.  So YES, kayaks are critical gear to the flyfisher!

At the ICAST Demo Day yesterday, a slew of new pedal kayaks were introduced.  We'll cover them all, as well as a few new paddle models.  But the one that was most intriguing to demo attendees was the Brooklyn Kayak Company's new UH-PK11 - a pedal powered kayak.  For simplicity, we'll call it the PK11.

The PK11 builds on a market trend to make smaller (less than 12 feet) yaks that are lighter in weight.  It's an appeal to the fast growing number of women taking up the sport (almost 30 percent in the last two years!).   The PK11 is 10'6" in length, and only weighs 60 pounds minus the pedal drive!

Of course, it's the pedal drive that most excites.  The bicycle style pedals turn a high efficiency propeller.  A hand-controlled rudder allows for sharp turns.  The ergonomic frame seat can be positioned for ideal comfort and leg movement. 

At 34 inches wide, and 60 pounds, it's both fast and light, and stable enough for some standup fishing (but not ideal).  However, it's the price point that will generate the most excitement - retail price is $1495.