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Tag Archives: Canoe/Kayak
Imperial Dam Modifications to Improve Fish Habitat
Imperial Dam Modifications
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is taking public comments on plans to modify a dam on the Saranac River a few miles upstream from Lake Champlain.
Imperial Dam behind the Plattsburgh High School
The proposal for the Imperial Dam in Plattsburgh calls for decreasing the height of the spillway by 8-½ feet and building a concrete fish ladder to allow salmon and trout to swim nine miles upstream to spawn.
Anglers and conservationists have asked that the dam to be removed or modified for years, saying that it serves no purpose and is a barrier to spawning fish. Derrick Miller, President of the Lake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited, says the dam proposal is great news.
The Saranac River is also part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
A public information meeting is planned Wednesday evening at Plattsburgh Town Hall.
Fishing Lake Champlain From a Small Craft
Small Craft Fishing
Fishing Lake Champlain from a small boat or watercraft can give an angler the flexibility to fish water that is not normally accessible to the shore angler. Small boats- varying in size from 20 feet in length to as small as a 6 foot car top boat. Kayaks, canoes, inflatable boats, and other watercraft can be used in a variety of locations such as harbors, marinas, tributary rivers, river mouths, small bays and other near-shore areas. Power options for mobility of the watercraft can vary from self propelled or paddling to outboard motors or electric trolling motors. Fishing methods used can include many of the same methods used from shore (casting, float fishing, fly fishing, bait fishing) or even a variety of trolling options.
Safety
Safety is crucial when fishing from a small boat or watercraft. Common sense is your most important asset. Carefully choosing the days when you can fish safely is extremely important. Bad weather, strong winds and wave height can all impact small watercraft dramatically. Cold water temperatures can result in hypothermia. No fish in the lake that is ever worth risking your life; if the waves are too high or weather is bad, simply fish another day.
Equipment
The most important piece of safety equipment is a good PFD (personal flotation device). A dry suit should be used if fishing from an inflatable or kayak in cold water. After that you should have signal flares, an air horn and whistle. Most of the time, small boat anglers are within sight of shore, but if a fog comes in it is easy to become disoriented so a good compass and GPS are very helpful. A GPS is also helpful for keeping track of your speed while trolling.
Additional Safety Information:
PFD Selection, Use, Wear and Care: Information about selection, use, wear and care of Personal Flotation Devices from the US Coast Guard.- Hypothermia and Cold Water Survival: Hypothermia and cold water survival presentation from the US Coast Guard.
- Kayaking Safety (The-Lake-Life.com)
More Articles About Lake Champlain Safety:
A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake Champlain: Exploring the New York, Vermont & Quebec Shores- (Book Review)
A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake Champlain:
Exploring the New York, Vermont & Quebec Shores
(Book Review)
A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake Champlain is not just a guide for kayakers, or for canoers or boaters; it’s a great all-around guide for anyone to Lake Champlain. Although the book is a perfect companion for any level kayaker, as it explores Lake Champlain; it will benefit anyone interested in this beautiful Lake Champlain that we are fortunate to share. Featuring Lake Champlain’s treasures and history from a lake-level view, the book’s personal stories and descriptions come to life, delighting the reader.
The book offers fifty chapters, each a one day’s paddle, and is broken into eight sections: the Champlain Islands, the Inland Sea, Missisquoi Bay, Broad Lake North, Malletts Bay, Broad Lake East, Broad Lake West, and South Bay. Each chapter describes the day’s trip- the weather, encounters with wildlife and the scenic beauty, while history and natural history are featured in separate breakouts. Each trip provides a very personal exploration of Lake Champlain.
Historically, A Kayaker’s Guide to Lake Champlain traces and describes of Samuel de Champlain’s 1609 visit to the lake that bears his name. It features the battles of Valcour Island and Plattsburgh, describes Lake Champlain’s importance in the French & Indian wars, the Revolution and the War of 1812. It shares a history of Native Americans, heroes, smugglers, shipwrecks and lighthouses, and a fossil history from the world’s oldest coral reef, when Lake Champlain was actually part of the sea. Present and future concerns are also addressed- issues like algae blooms, runoff, Eurasian milfoil, zebra mussels and endangered species.
A Kayaker’s Guide… is well-organized, and filled with information that even those of us who are not paddlers, but who love lakes, history, and wildlife, can appreciate. It offers a well-rounded overview of Lake Champlain, and added appendices include information about Lake Champlain’s environmental organizations, museums & historical places, wildlife areas, state parks, and launch sites. The book includes 54 maps, 93 photographs, and 9 original drawings.
About the Authors:
Cathy Frank is a former instructor at the Community College of Vermont, and is currently an independent computer consultant and Web-site designer. She has served as a member and chair of numerous nonprofit boards locally and regionally. A long-time summer resident of the Champlain Islands, she is a biker, hiker, swimmer, and cross-country skier. She kayaks daily in the summer, and has hiked the length of Vermont’s Long Trail.
Margy Holden has worked for nonprofit and for-profit corporations, and as an organizational development and career consultant. She has chaired and served on a number of nonprofit boards. She writes occasional articles and coauthored the ‘Women’s Job Search Handbook‘. Happiest when she is outdoors, Margy runs, hikes, bikes, paddles, and swims in the Champlain Islands in the summer and the Bahamas in the winter.
Margy’s and Cathy’s travels on Lake Champlain have been featured in presentations before organizations, on television, and in the local press. Both are committed to increasing awareness of Lake Champlain, its strengths, and its issues.
Helpful Articles:
Kayaks
Kayaking Safety
Kayak Paddle Strokes
Kayak Fishing Tips
The Kayak Shop
Carry A Canoe? Do It Right!
How To Carry A Canoe
Get Your Boat to the Water
Unlike larger boats, which can be moored or put up on boat-lifts to avoid damage from wind and waves, canoes and kayaks are typically stored out of the water. They need to be moved to the water to be used. Here’s how to carry your craft.
First, be sure that the boat is empty. Although most modern canoes are made of aluminum or plastic, one person usually can’t carry it alone, so two or three people should help move it to and from the water.
Two Person Carries
Some modern canoes have handles fore and aft. If there are two people and the carry distance is fairly short, this offers a simple way to carry your craft. If there are no handles, it is still possible to move the canoe by each person standing on opposite sides of the canoe and lifting the canoe by the gunwhale (the reinforcing strip running along the top edge of the hull – pronounced gunnel) at the center of the canoe. Then, simply walk the canoe to or from the water. This, too, works best for short carries.
The Portage
The more traditional portaging technique should be used for longer distances, or carries over uneven terrain or around obstacles like trees. In this case, the canoe is turned upside down and one person lifts the bow off the ground. The second person (the one who’ll do the carrying) walks underneath and positions himself, allowing the yoke to settle on his shoulders. If there’s not a yoke in the canoe, one can be fashioned by securely lashing the paddles to the thwarts with the painter. The painter is a line (rope) attached to the painter rings fore and aft. It is used for “lining” (walking) the canoe or for tying up.
With the yoke resting on her shoulders and one hand on either side of the canoe, the person carrying lifts it with their legs and balances it. The weight of the canoe is carried on the shoulders; the hands are used strictly for balance and steadying the craft. When doing a solo carry, keep the canoe balanced. Let it ride a little down at the stern; it will be easier to see ahead. There’s no hurry, take your time, and be sure to watch where you step! The canoe is then carefully walked to the desired location, and the entire process is reversed.
Are you looking for an easier way to move your kayak or canoe to and from the water? Carts offer an easy way to walk your craft to the launching site. Check out this comparison of the top canoe & kayak carts.
Let’s Do Launch
Where possible, load your canoe while it’s floating in shallow water. If that’s not possible, load it on the beach- as close to the water as you can get. If you load your boat in the water, tie a painter to a tree along the shore to keep it under control. On the other hand, if loading on the beach, don’t over-pack. You’ll need to be able to carry the loaded canoe the last few feet to the water. Modern materials are certainly strong, but dragging a loaded boat over sharp rocks won’t do it any good. Treat your canoe as if your life depended upon it. It does.
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