Wild Northerner Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 8

Gearing up for spring outings

Here’s the scenario:

You’ve saved up some money. You’ve been good and been working hard. Now, it’s time to loosen the purse strings and spend some of that cash. The spring season is as good as any time of the year to grab new gear and head into the bush. The people at Ramakko’s Source for Adventure have a few ideas of new gear for the season and beyond, whether you’re hiking and camping or fishing and hunting.

Pedal over paddle

Kayak fishing has been growing in popularity in northern Ontario and is now firmly established as a serious fishing machine. The Wilderness Systems Radar kayak was designed for one thing: Putting the operator on top of fish. All you have to do is the rest! The Radar features S.M.A.R.T. Hull Technology that combines stability, manoeuvrability, acceleration, responsiveness and tracking throughout the entire design for ultimate performance in multiple water environments. When you add in the Helix PD Pedal Drive option, the kayak gives the operator total control over the vessel while leaving both hands free for fishing. The Helix boasts 6:1 gear ratio precision-tuned to a 14X17 two-bladed fixed pitch prop. It also features an innovative auto-raising mast which achieves zero draft with a spring-loaded kick pedal, and the unit can be further stowed forward and out of the way to complete the three-phases of possible positioning.

“It’s geared for all day touring and it’s amazing what people will be able to do with this kayak,” Ramakko’s sales consultant Derek McDonald said.