High attendance
Attendance was high from Friday onwards, and continued until late Sunday afternoon. Visitors were curious and eager for answers. For the kayaks, we were positioned just in front of the Erdre, 100 m from the test pontoons. Well, there's room for improvement here. Launching the kayaks was a bit tricky, and we had to be very vigilant to get brave visitors into the floats. But everything went smoothly: young children, mothers, grandparents - there's no age limit for testing a kayak.
An opportunity to test fishing kayaks
It was also an opportunity to compare different models from the brands present, each with its own specific features. 3 major brands made the trip. Galaxykayaks, Hobie and Old town kayaks. Visitors could try out all the models on the nearby Erdre river. The weather was fine, and there were no problems getting out on the water (safety vests and zodiacs were provided).
Hundreds of budding testers were able to compare these boats. A real discovery for many of them, a confirmation for others who came to fine-tune their choice before buying. One small remark: the kayaks on offer for fishing were all propelled kayaks, for the 3 brands present, pedal propeller or stepper, it seems that fishing with paddle propulsion no longer has many fans.
The Strike, a slightly different boat
I did get to test something else, though. I'd already featured it a few months ago, but hadn't really been out on the water with it. The Strike, a 2 m X 1 m kayak/barque/annex from Galaxykayaks. This little model was a huge success, and a lot of people wanted to get in it. This float is designed for freshwater, lakes, calm waters, slow-moving rivers and salt ponds. For the occasion, it was rigged with a 3 LI propulsion motor with lithium battery. I was able to appreciate the stability and, above all, the extreme manoeuvrability of this float. First with a standard, slightly raised seat, then with a higher, 360° swiveling seat, like a bass boat. At the end of the article, I've included a video made from the various rushes filmed during the festival. It's easy to see the potential of this little craft weighing less than 30 kilos...
The 3 days passed quickly, and those who were able to get out on the water were all delighted by the experience. In general, initial feedback on this Festival has been very positive. There will undoubtedly be a few adjustments to make for future versions, but what a pleasure to feel the dynamic that our hobby, fishing in general and kayak fishing in particular, generates. A big thank you to all those who made this possible, above all the public, who came in droves, and of course the organizers, see you next year...
