Canoes are an excellent craft to enjoy, whether you use them for leisure time paddling or for fishing. They hold plenty of gear, are easy to maneuver and many models can be outfitted to utilize a small horse-powered outboard gasoline engine or an electric motor. However, for many canoeists, paddle-power is their only source of drive. And, there are some fishing ponds in the state, such as Whittemore Lake in Bennington, that do not allow the use of any type motor. In those waters, no matter what kind of craft you have, paddle or row-power is your only option.

People invest considerable money in the purchase of a canoe and equipment, yet many of them seem to have absolutely no clue about how to paddle their canoe correctly. It is important to know how to properly control your canoe with paddling ease and efficiency. And, anglers need to know how to fish safely from a canoe. The lack of proper knowledge on the subject of paddling can be dangerous.

One such instance is the lone angler trolling from a canoe. The angler should add weight up in the bow. I use a couple of 40 pound cement blocks or two or three large size rocks, brought from home. Without this extra weight, the bow of the canoe sits too high off the water and the canoe may tend to roll over while you get in or out of it. In addition, your forward view is more restricted due to the bow riding higher off the water. The canoe also becomes more vulnerable to wind conditions and is less stable. You don’t want to tip over.

Cliff Jacobson's "Basic Essentials: Canoeing:

Knowing how to properly use the various methods of paddling strokes is also very important, especially the basic "J" stroke. The canoeist who doesn’t know how to use the very simple and basic "J" stroke will find it necessary to constantly switch the paddle from one side of the canoe to the other in order to correct or maintain a course of direction. A person trolling from their canoe will increase the chances of hitting their fishing rod (even breaking it) when paddling on the same side from which the fishing rod is extended.

Here is one example, I have seen, of a person who doesn’t know how to properly paddle a canoe. A mom was sitting in the bow, facing forward, and reading a book. Her little daughter
was sitting in the middle of the canoe, also facing forward. Her fishing rod was extended from the starboard (right) side. Dad was in the stern paddling. His rod was extended from the port (left) side of the canoe. He’d take two or three strokes with his paddle and then switch the paddle to the opposite side of the canoe and take two or three more strokes before switching back to the opposite side again. Each time he switched sides with the paddle, he’d get his little girl wet. Not only that, but several times he misjudged his lift when switching sides and whacked her in the head with the paddle.

That paddle switching routine was totally unnecessary. It could have resulted in serious injury to the little girl as well as equipment breakage. The child could also have panicked, stood up and tipped over the canoe, landing the three of them in big trouble. If dad had learned to paddle using the "J" stroke, these things would not have occurred. Switching sides constantly to paddle is also very exhausting.

When trolling from a canoe, the paddler’s fishing rod is best placed on the opposite side from which the paddling is to be done. The bow person should be seated facing the paddler and his or her fishing rod should be fished from the side that is being paddled and held straight out from the side so that the paddler won’t hit the rod or line. The one time the two anglers will need to be sitting in true tandem style, both facing the bow, is when they are deliberately casting to fish or when control of the canoe requires both persons to paddle. And, even if that be the case, the stern paddler can still stay using the "J" stroke instead of switching side to side.

There is an excellent illustrated book that is an extremely good source of information on canoeing. It is CANOEING, Basic Essentials Revised 2nd Edition, by Cliff Jacobson. The excellent illustrations are by Cliff Moen. The book illustrates all paddling methods, including the "J" stroke, and explains their specific uses. There are seven chapters that include: How to Choose A Canoe; How They Are Built; Canoe Accessories and Conveniences; Carrying and Car-topping Your Canoe; How To Paddle Your Canoe; Canoeing Whitewater and Currents, and finally a chapter on Hazards and how to avoid them. 

The cost was only $7.95 when I bought it last year. Readers can obtain this book from most book stores. However, I obtained mine from the Daniel Webster Council’s Boy Scouts of America store, located at Camp Carpenter, on Blondin Road, in Manchester, N.H. Directions to the BSA store are: Follow Blondin Road down toward the waterfront and the store is in the building on your right. Be alert and drive with care as the camp is in session. You can also call the store at: (603) 622-5060.

Another option is to order the book direct from the publisher, The Globe Pequot Press, at P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480 or call them at: 800-243-0495. You can also go to their website at: www.globepequot.com. Happy paddling and tight lines.