I gave my son a Ruger SR22 a couple years ago. He does a lot of kayaking on rivers fishing for those bronzeback bass. The little .22 semi auto is always in the yak. He had to shoot one cottonmouth that wouldn't let him by and said it was comforting at the take out spot at dark one evening when two nefarious looking dudes drove in and parked nearby giving him the stink eye. He doesn't have to actually carry the gun but size is a consideration in a kayak. If it were me, I would probably have an Airweight J frame .38 along on my fishing trip. But I'm getting kinda old school and find that more often than not I usually have a S&W 642 with me. It is becoming my "always have gun."

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.