Feel Free Moken 12 Review

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Feel Free Moken 12 Canoe Shops Group - Review by Duffer and the Erk

Today we put the Tarpon 120 and Moken 12 on the water. Having fished the Tarpon 120 for two days (and liked it) its my turn to give the Moken 12 a test drive. Chris has the T120 and before we head down to our launch we fit front Scotty rod holders to the front sliders on the Tarpon. I make no mods to the Moken other than to tie off an anchor system. It is clear before we set off that for me the front rod holders on the Moken 12 are the wrong type in the right place. I would fit two flush mounted Scotty base plates after removing the front rod hodlers (the footprint is the same size). I will therefore fish one rod on the drift and two at anchor across my lap. Both these boats will be faster through the water than the Tarpon 100 and Moken 10. Today we plan to paddle a lot further so we need faster hulls than Tarpon 100 and Moken 10.

 

Lousy Weather Again

We have been so unlucky with the weather; low pressure after low pressure. Driving rain, swells and cross winds have made catching fish harder work but at least the boats have been put through their paces. When we landed after this trip (approx. 6hrs) we were greeted with flooding all around the area so wet was the day. We both got off the water wet and cold and after a week of this my hands are falling apart.

 

Moken 12 - The Review Bit

Footpegs and seat adjusted, kit loaded, off we go. Before we even think about fishing we have a few miles to paddle to get anywhere near the Pollock mark. What is very clear is the Moken 12 is a superb touring kayak. The boat is feature rich and built like a "brick outhouse". The Feel Free boys always toss in a few extra kilos of plastic (they like to call it their "comercial and hire" build quality) which makes the boat feel stiff and strong. This extra weight comes from a thicker hull, with the recessed stern wheel and hatches all weighing something. I also feel I am sat in the boat rather than on the top which helps make the boat feel very solid and forgiving in these lumpy conditions. The footpegs work, the seatback works, though by the end of 6 very wet and cold hours I could do with something a little softer under my backside. there must be a "British Standard Backside" somewhere but I don't have it.

 

Wind Against Tide, and More Wind

We are again restricted to where we can fish and can't reasonably leave the shelter of this small headland. On my first drift I send down a 4oz lead and plum a drift over 150 yards or so and I've found the rock shown on the chart. Ideal - the rock comes up about 10 metres and the tide is pushing up over it; the Pollock will be just down tide of the rock (I hope). Next drift I send down a small weighted sidewinder on its own on a 6ft flyer - sort of free lining a lead head - and a nice little Pollock takes the bait.

Chris is about 150 yards further out and drfiting back towards my mark. I send down the sidewinder again and Chris arrives in time to take a nice picture of me, Moken 12 and a splendid kelp Pollock. The colour of this fish indicates just how shallow this mark is. Light gear in shallow water and the Pollock go ballistic.

 

Sidewinder from www.veals.co.uk

We get about 6 drifts in and it's time to move away to a more sheltered area. We do not want to practice our deep water rescues in these conditions. The back tide is rushing out of the channel between the headlands and the wind over tide calls for a sensible withdrawal. We paddle across to cliffs seen in the background in the image above. Conditions are better but the mark is wrong; there is little or no tidal push here. We both get more Pollock to 4lb, some mackerel and a flock of Terns fishing all around us.

We are being pushed up the coast and are forced to anchor or call it a day.

 

The Rays and Dabs give us some sport and both of us land more really nice Spotted Ray, Thornbacks and Dabs. The Dabs are small again compared to the monsters we caught 4 days ago; with the tides heading towards neaps, this may be the reason.

 

The front hatch rod rest works for me and I like the rods in my lap.

Fishing the Feel Free Moken 12 on the drift or at anchor is brilliant. Another treat (remembering we are wet, cold and have been fighting the weather now for hours) the Moken 12 footpegs can easily be adjusted from the seating position and I set them so that my legs could lie flat and lifted my bum off the seat for a while which felt good and improved circulation.

The mile and a half back to the van was running downwind (force 5) across a busy chop. The Moken 12 and T120 were both weather cocking but you would expect that. The fine bow and front handle configuration on the Moken 12 was wetter than the Tarpon 120. Not that it mattered as we were both already saturated and part of paddling is coming into contact with the water. When your hands are saturated and falling off, and you're wet through, the handles and wheel on the Moken 12 are great.

Moken 12 fits inside the Swansea Canoes transit van and would look good on the roof of any car. The Moken 12 paddles like a dream and fishes beautifully. A very satisfactory few days' kayak testing - shame about the weather.

Special thanks to Chris for letting the Old Duffer catch the biggest fish!

Feel Free Moken 12 Review by:
Duffer and the Erk
for the Canoe Shops (Group) Ltd.