Відео

Very kind of you to say. I have been humbled many times. Finally a positive outcome!

Well you can get a book, watch as many UA-cams as you can or contact canoe training folks in your appropriate country. American Canoeing Assoc., Paddle Canada or British Canoe all do instruction. Best is to knock up a 12 foot pole somehow and just go out and work on it!

I thank you! I just returned two days ago from the Bonaventure river for my second time. I was the only poler again. The water was 40 to 50% higher and it was unrecognizable to this. Brilliant, but different.

They are usually twelve feet long. I have gone to making aluminum poles in three pieces so that they are easy to store in the boat when it is not a poling area.

You are very welcome! Now try it!

That is a Nova Craft 16' Prospector in Royalex. The longer the better for poling.

You said in a reply that you have a swift yukon too

@@stephenreitsma1761 Yup, but it is worn through to the foam and needs the full repair, so it is out of the water for now. I love that boat and especially for poling. It is 17'-6" and a nicer shape. Quicker.

This is a Royalex boat. I have actually put down a couple of strips of truck bumper step grip tape which is non-abrasive. It is not like sandpaper like the top of a skateboard. You don't need this, but I saw that the folks that do poling racing in the U.S.A. had grip tape down, so I added some. They use the same as for skateboard decks. I didn't want to sand away my packs or knees when not poling. You can pole recreationally just fine without anything, unless it is below freezing and then the water in the boat turns to slush and you can't get any grip if you are going upstream hard.

Thanks. Love your videos. I'm busy on my local creek try to learn to pole thanks for more inspiration!

@@stephenreitsma1761 You are very welcome. That is why I do these videos. About where do you live?

Close to where you live

@@stephenreitsma1761 Then we should go poling!

Thank you for your comment. I don't paddle a solo canoe (except a w.w. boat), but I have. They are lovely, so I get your point. Poling is a skill with real value and so it is worth pursuing for WHEN you have need of it. If you are doing a trip that is good for your solo canoe... you probably won't be poling. If you have chosen a route that will demand poling, then you use the appropriate boat. If you work on this skill around home until you are pretty good, then you might be able to pole the solo boat well enough to get past a surprise problem spot. All I am saying is if you may end up in a place where poling would really help, then you should get after these skills. On top of this, with poling skill you can choose many more routes, both upstream and downstream, low water times as well as high. I like this option. Your boat is great, but on those occasions that you run out of water, then you might be able to pole it a bit. Mostly walking, though. (oh, and it is not necessary to brace a shin agains a thwart... people do sometimes) Solo boats are lovely though...

The training in the U.K. for canoeing is so great! You get taught to pole (and to sail). It is very rare in Canada. It is a great way to see a river. I go upstream so I don't have to find someone to shuttle my car. You also really appreciate the downstream afterwards! Thanks for your comment.

Thank you for your comment! Poling is a skill that has all but disappeared and so I work at it, promote it and teach it to help bring it back. I do carry a paddle, but this trip lent itself to poling more than most. I make my own poles, both wood (spruce and ash) and aluminum. There is no commercial production of canoe poles in Canada and only one company in the U.S.A. I have four poles because one might get it stuck between some rocks or broken. I have more in case one of the other guys wants to take a try. All I want is for others to try poling.

I always carry a paddle. I don't necessarily use it if it will be shallow again in a few minutes. If you use a pole (from standing position) the same as a kayak paddle, you can move along much more quickly than you might imagine. You will see this in some of my other videos. ( ua-cam.com/video/VPcGpH3R-dg/v-deo.html )

Thank you! It means a lot from another poler!

Thanks so much, Priscilla!

Thank you as always. I know I preaching to the choir with you. Ya, the resistance to the idea of poling is incredible. I honestly think that people feel that since nobody does it, then it can't be of much value. You and I just have to keep wearing them down. ;)

I forgot to add that that is the beginning of the Bonaventure River. If you still haven't gotten there, you must. It is a two day drive for me and, what... four or five hours for you? Come on, Tim! ;)

@@canoepoler Well, maybe some day we could meet and run the Bonaventure, it is on my bucket list. I just participated in a ACA sanctioned polling race. it was a blast.

@@downeastprimitiveskills7688 I am doing the Bonaventure again this year with a big group (too big, but they are nice). I want to try my hand in a poling race some day. Maybe next year. Gotta take full advantage of my senior's handicap!

@@canoepoler For every year over 50 or is it 40 you get bonus point/time. I get some of those.

On occasion, but probably not much in this type of creak. In big pushy stuff I often do.

I use a tripod set up at my fire to hang cooking pots from, I often use one or two of my pole in the tripod. 3 Minutes with a Maine Guide has a great series of videos on using poles for a tarp set up. I also have a Y branch attached to the end of one of my poles for muddy conditions and has saved me many times. The pole can be stuck into some tree branches as a clothes drying rack, tree to tree kind of set up no string needed. I've tied my Silky to a pole a few times as well.

@@downeastprimitiveskills7688 those are some great tips thanks!

These are all great! Thanks again for your comments and you are very welcome! Now convince some others in P.Q.! ;)

@@downeastprimitiveskills7688 You are way ahead of the curve... or just way back in the day! Cheers!

In this video I have both spruce and ash poles. I also use aluminum poles. All of my wooden poles have a piece of tubing 2-1/2" or so long, tightly fitted and epoxied onto each end to stop splitting and brooming. I have also drilled about that same depth into each end and turned in 3/8" hanger bolts so they stick out about 1-1/4" and then put a washer and a couple of nuts tight to the ends.

I'm convinced. Thanks for the video. Where is this little beauty?

@@petercoutts7256 So it is now a thing to not post a location because it may cause some over use. I am not so naive as to believe that I am that big a deal as to sway the canoeing community, but I will play my part. (ok... see my second from oldest video)

Nice work Stephen. Maybe you should also post a video of how and where you store your pole while portaging.

@@tiamaria1618 I will see about including that. Nice to see you here and thanks again for the support!

I have a lot of edits in the works, so I better get on it! Thanks for the sub!

I am glad that you liked this (them?). Your canoe will be no different than another canoe of the same shape. Just keep it eight inches deep or more and you won't have to worry. Just work on your boat control and you won't have to worry about the rocks. Poling it the best canoe technique for manoeuvring, so you should be safer with a pole than a paddle! ;)

@BaroudeurAventure I am sure it could be done. If you have a hard place to stand. They have a nice shape!

Thank you! Now you must go out and start poling... for so many reasons!

I was tandem paddling the river with a group, so I paddled mostly. I always bring a pole for the fun and practice when I have an opportunity. I am a Paddle Canada poling instructor so I am always looking for opportunities to experiment and video post. Time to add it to your tripping toolbox of skills! ;)

That is a 16' Prospector. Generally a longer canoe poles better in many applications. I have a 17' - 6" Swift Yukon which I love to pole. You didn't tell me if you were near me to attend a course. (contact me through "Canoepoler" on Instagram.)

I don't know what problems you are having, but an Equif prospecteur should be fine. Just practice going straight. Make sure you keep your pole parallel to the centre line of the canoe and then do a little rudder to maintain your line. Watch and listen to this guy, since he is the American champion. ua-cam.com/video/hlsZADQ2V6g/v-deo.html

@@canoepoler OK! Thank you! it just turns on a dime...but yes that maybe just me needing more practice! thanks for the tips!!

@@blackspruceroutes I teach canoe poling for Paddle Canada. I spend the majority of my time getting folks to be able to go straight. After that, the rest just comes. Think of it like this. If you can already solo a canoe, then you are just changing the motor... paddle for pole. It is still a canoe in the water. Remember to just pick a point and stay on that target to go straight. Don't look at your pole. The other thing that might help is to put some weight in the boat to engage more of the length and allow you to stand farther back in your boat. The hull will be more narrow and allow you to keep the pole parallel more easily. How about a food barrel pack right up in the bow and fill it with water or fill a bunch of dry bags or big water containers. It makes a big difference.

@@canoepoler OMG Those are all fantastic ideas!!! Can't wait to try them out!!

@@canoepoler This I totally get!!!

It depends on what you are doing... the same as with paddles. I like a spruce pole at twelve feet and 1-1/4" diameter, but it is just me. I have spruce, ash and aluminum poles. I even have a spruce pole where the last three feet is 3/8" steel rod. Just make a pole and start poling. Don't sweat the details. Worry about that later.

@@canoepoler Thanks!

It really depends what you are trying to do with your poling or maybe where you want to go in your canoe. If it is a general tool (like paddling, lining...), then you use the boat you have and learn how it poles and it's limitations. If you are hoping to be a more dedicated poler, then the longer, flatter bottomed boat is better. Don't go under 16'. About the "Prospector" though, every manufacturer's is different. My Nova Craft 16' is fairly flat bottomed, so is good for general poling in tripping. If you want to play in moving water, like the A.C.A. racers, then you want a lighter and more responsive boat, like a Mad River Explorer (and Kevlar). That is a speciality. I have a Swift Yukon (Royalex 17'-6" - no longer in production) that poles very well, but heavy. I have been assured by the Canadian polers who really know (in New Brunswick) That the Equif Prospecteur 17' is a beauty for general river poling. I tried one for only ten minutes, but I would say they are right. Many old/original designs like the Chestnut Ogilvy were produced for river guides who very often poled their canoes. They came in six lengths from 16' to 26' (I just looked that up. I am not a canoe expert). The same goes for the old manufacturers in Maine, like E.M. White and Old Town. These are wood and canvas collector's items, so... pole what you gots and adjust from there! :)

Ok, so now get a pole and stand up! (oh, and thanks for the comment!)

How very sensitive of you, Raina. I was hoping that the video itself was of some value and not just Jean's capture of my wipe out! (lovely paddle Saturday past! My fingers thawed out by Sunday evening! ). 😉

Whole thing is quite cool! I’d love to get out on the gorge someday. I also was searching through the comments for the answer to this question… are poles like cabers… must you go out to the bush to find your own

@@rainavingerhoeds6154 ?cabers? Anywho, you make your own pole or get someone to do it. No commercial pole manufacturer in Canada. There is one in the U.S. and believe it or not... the British Canoe training scheme has poling as a core skill that you must learn. You can buy a canoe pole in the U.K. but not in Canada. If I knew what I could charge for one, I would start that business myself. :). We go to the Gorge regularly. Guelph Kayak Club is always there, so join their group.

I once worked for a fellow who was a Scottish Athlete, since they had a fair bit of bush at their place it was the place to come when you needed a new caber to toss. That was my assumption when I saw you with your pole! Ash borer would make my prospects a little slimmer for that right now unfortunately.

@@rainavingerhoeds6154 I guess that I have never seen the word caber written! Ha! So embarrassing for a pure blood Scot. My wooden poles are mostly ash. It might be because there are plenty of trees to harvest these days...

I aim to please! :)

When you get to where you really have to push, the pole has to flex or it will break... like everything else. The most valuable aspect of pole flex is when you have to stop yourself while descending at speed. It acts a bit of a shock absorber. 300 lbs going 5 kph is quite a jolt, if you try to come to a dead stop.

I trim level on a run like this, because I am empty and going fast and then slow. Otherwise, you trim the same as you would for paddling. Slower than current, upstream light, faster level. Travelling upstream the opposite.

@@canoepoler Thanks.😊👍

@@jasonhammond4640 So I know a guy that has one of these ( www.cabelas.ca/product/140582/cabelas-northern-flight-push-pole-duck-marsh-foot-attachment?productVariantId=365107&Google+Shopping+Free+Listings&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsqZBhAlEiwAqAHElSY41zS8vPhFlqWge1WTxVasqZzZlAIC5E8QBlGxgaRwTMk5ihyT0hoCEXQQAvD_BwE ) wow! that link looks nasty when you paste it. Anywho... I googled "canoe pole duck bill" and that open and close thing came up. They have been around for ever. I just tried that link and it works.

If you are on facebook, there is a canoe poling group with some of the top folks around. I know that the American Red Cross canoeing manual (1978) has illustrations of shoe options. I can't add a picture to this reply. Sorry. Having said that, I have never made one.

@@canoepoler Thanks again Sir. Really enjoyed your videos.😊👍👍

I am in Ontario Canada. I am in a Nova Craft Prospector. It isn't agile. It is very shallow arch bottom, but a good boat to learn to pole on. Yours will be more agile.

Your Tripper 172 is a good boat for poling. The longer (usually) the better. It will allow you to move around and adjust your trim better than a shorter boat and will allow you to travel shallower waterways.

@@canoepoler Thanks for info. I'm gonna give it a try- Now off to find pole of some sorts-

@@jacklowe3788 Where abouts are you?

@@canoepoler Central Virginia- James River. Never seen anyone pole Canoe around here actually most young people in Kayaks - I have Kaysk but not much for them - Could you recommend type pole Where to locate or maybe I could fashion one from wood?

@@jacklowe3788 try these: www.haydencanoepole.com is a manufacturer in the U.S.A. You can check out these options for making your own. w.brockeng.com/AmusingRaven/pole.htm ravensjester.smugmug.com/Boats/How-To/Building-a-Two-piece-Aluminum/

So be impressive yourself! It isn't that hard... it is going to be the next big thing!!!! ;)

You make one. Here are two links. w.brockeng.com/AmusingRaven/pole.htm ravensjester.smugmug.com/Boats/How-To/Building-a-Two-piece-Aluminum/ I have my doubts about finding a wooden pole with straight enough grain at a lumber yard, but many options are available. Spruce is best for wood, but find a 2by6 or wider that you can rip a 12 foot length from with no knots isn't easy either. Aluminum is comically expensive, but a simple way to go. If you live near place where you can saw down a black spruce sapling, so that you can shave it down to around an inch an a quarter diameter and then fit a piece of tube or electrical conduit to either end and screw in a 3/8" hanger bolt so it sticks out an 1" or so (5-minute epoxy tube and bolts), you have an easy solution. Pole must be straight and smoooooooth! Paddle Canada teaches poling, though there are only a couple of instructors in the province (me in Guelph) and a good guy in Kingston. Facebook has a canoe poling group with some of the best in the world as members. Don't over think it. Make something and just go out in shallows somewhere and get on it. If you look in my playlist tab you will find a bunch of my favourites on youtube (not mine).

Oh and your "100km Loop in Algonquin Park" at 10 minutes in where you look disheartened is totally poleable in either direction except where you can't actually float the boat. :)

@@canoepoler thank you so much for the information. I have been on the search for a year now and have concluded I’ll be trying to make my own. So many great spots around here in Ottawa for poling it’s a shame it’s not more common place!

@@Evan_Le5 Well... you can help with bringing it back to its place as a valuable tool in canoe trippers' tool boxes. Get out there and show those sit down snobs! ;) Cheers!

Wow!!! I spoke with him for about half an hour and I was so taken with the man. I looked him up when I got home and realized that we had been so lucky to have met him. He is greatly missed, I am sure. I hadn't said anything about poling and he volunteered that little tidbit about having to travel both ways. I got him to repeat that to the other guys that I was with. I don't think that I told him I taught poling for Paddle Canada. It is a moment I think about often. You are blessed to have known him, I believe. Now get out and start poling... and take your friends!!!!!!!! :)

Don't beat yourself up too much. You just have to walk before you can run. A good river runner should take to poling very easily. Here is the thing, though. A paddle or a pole is just the tool to provide the force vector, if you will. What matters is the canoe shape in the water. With a paddle you are pushing or pulling the hull to interact with the river currents, so you just learn to apply your force vector with a pole. You are trying to get the canoe to interact with the river the same way... just a different motor. Get a book for the basics or take some training. A good one day course would set you on your way!

Thanks for the comment and subscription. It is more than that. You can head up a river or creek that you couldn't paddle and return without a shuttle, or just explore new routes that were never possible with a paddle. It is just a fun way to travel. Please give it a try!

Thank you so much!

Thanks a lot! I am waiting for your call.

Thanks! So they are straight forward to make or if you are in the United States, you can get an aluminum one from www.haydencanoepole.com/. You can order one to ship to Canada, but the cost is prohibitive. I like a twelve foot pole. Many folks like eleven foot poles. I figure that there isn't much difference in weight and why not have the length to get the best leverage and extra depth. I like the feel of a wooden pole, but a 1-1/8" diameter aluminum pole is lighter and unless you are a clever woodworker, it is more trouble to make a two part or three part pole out of wood. As with any skill, one must get out there and practice and if their pole comes apart into pieces, it is more likely to be taken along than a twelve foot section (not that it isn't worth it). Having said that, just get/make a pole out of anything and get started! Then you can thank me! For instructions on making your own pole, check out these sites: w.brockeng.com/AmusingRaven/pole.htm ravensjester.smugmug.com/Boats/How-To/Building-a-Two-piece-Aluminum/

This is the whole point of my videos... to get a response like that. There are a lot of resources out there, so please do try it! Thank you for commenting. There are eleven more poling videos on this channel outlining other attributes and just fun. Have a look!

Another first! You must try this. It is a great way to travel in a canoe. It isn't about strength. I have taught lots of women to pole. If you will excuse the seemingly sexist term, a well known American poler is a great booster for "Chicks with Sticks!"