Paddling Education

Bending Branches Ambassador Casey Ryan loves to kayak fish and loves to be with his dogs. It’s only natural that he brings his dogs along on his fishing kayak when he can. He has tips for you too, if you’d like to try to bring your 4-legged friend fishing.

If you’re new to canoeing, new to your area, or simply ready for a new adventure, there are several avenues you can explore to find the best canoe trip options close to you.

If you love canoeing but prefer to rent canoes, it’s still absolutely worthwhile to invest in buying your own canoe paddle. There are several reasons for that…

Naming the 6 top canoe destinations is sort of like naming the 6 best ice cream flavors. It depends who you ask!

Here’s our list of 6 top canoe destinations in North America…

La Maison du Canoë is a canoe and kayak shop that serves paddling enthusiasts of all skill levels in beautiful southeast France.

Bending Branches Ambassador Casey Ryan offers expert advice about how to cope with some of freshwater kayak fishing’s most common challenges.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeast Minnesota is America’s most-visited wilderness area. Several Minnesota-based organizations have arisen to help protect this important environment along with tens of thousands of concerned citizens.

2024’s Kayak Adventure Series is a unique kayak fishing tournament series with six events planned across the eastern half of the US. Each event features a different location with an incredible fishery, a revitalized downtown area, and a historic theater for awards and a film that will show some anglers’ best tournament footage on the big screen.

One of the favorite topics of kayak angler (and Bending Branches Ambassador) Joshua “Mek” Evans is rigging a fishing kayak so it’s as functional as possible. What you bring along and how it’s laid out in your boat can really enhance your fishing experiences—or be super annoying.

If you’re just joining the kayak angler ranks you may wonder why you need a paddle that’s specific to kayak fishing. Why can’t you just use any kayak paddle?

Whitewater the Canoe Centre (WWTCC) is a paddlesports specialty shop near London, England, located on the banks of the River Thames. It’s been serving canoeists and kayakers in their region since 1954.

Bending Branches ProStaff team member JD Desrosiers offered some of his time and expertise to tell us about his photography life and work. Our conversation with him will inspire anyone interested in combining kayak fishing (or any kind of paddling for that matter) and photography.

Ashley Bredemus and her husband Victor Pilon own and direct Birchwood Wilderness Camp in northern Minnesota. Canoeing and canoe trips are core to the programming of this small boys’ camp.

Bending Branches Prostaffer and long-distance canoeist Martin Trahan wrote an Instagram post about the pros and cons of smartphone use on wilderness canoe trips. “Toxicity or an essential tool?”

Ever wonder what to bring along for a kayak fishing and camping trip? Bending Branches Regional Ambassador Moo Lee shares his gear list with us from a recent trip of his.

Minnesotan Rob Bossen has his hands in several paddling-related ventures including Bending Branches, Greg Duck Outdoor and US paddling’s newest trade coalition. We were able to catch him for an interview recently. Here’s what we learned from Rob…

Kayaking and kayak fishing are ideal activities for older adults. Bending Branches ProStaff team member Bill Schultz is himself a senior and an avid kayak angler. He offers his best tips and tricks below.

Bending Branches Regional Ambassador Terrell Hester is a huge advocate of turning kayak fishing trips into overnight camping trips. Here are his best tips.

Kristen Elgo has been a volunteer with San Diego Girl Scouts for more than a decade. She and other adult volunteers have gotten ACA certified so they can pass on their love of canoeing and kayaking to the girls they serve.

Camp Manito-wish YMCA is one of the top wilderness camps in the country. 2023 staffer Dave Scott co-led a 45-day canoe trip in northern Canada and shared his experience with us.

Thousands of you read our blog! We thought it’d be fun to highlight your favorite canoeing and kayak fishing content of 2023.