The Quintessential Fly Fishing Boats
When most people think of fly fishers, they picture sportspeople with chest-high waders, boots, fly-covered hats, nets and creels carrying rods far into a river to do battle. Most fly fishers fit this picture pretty well. Unfortunately, in some areas, the wadable parts of the river are packed with people in chest-high waders, boots, fly-covered hats and well, you know. Depending on the type of fishing he has in mind, the dedicated fly fisher may also need a boat. For many, drift boats make the best fly fishing boats. Drift Boats The reason to use fly fishing boats is to get to areas that are free of too many wader, find fish that haven’t been spooked by too many waders and to cover more water in a day. Drift boats have one purpose – fly fishing in the big rivers in the Western states. Also called the McKenzie dory or Rogue River dory, the drift boat is really an open-water dory converted for river use. It has a flat bottom, flared sides, a flat bow and pointed stern and an extreme rocker allowing the boat to spin around its wide center enabling easy maneuvering in rapids. They allow more control than does a rubber raft. Like the best in fly fishing boats, they allow a fisher to stand safely while angling. The benefits of a drift boat begin with the fact that it was designed specifically for fly fishing in rivers with rapids. They have plenty of space and are easy to stand in and cast from. For the salmon fly fisher, this is great. For a saltwater fly fisher, this is a drawback. They are shaped for easy rowing and have great maneuverability. This allows the fisher to get right to the best place for fishing, even in a river with rushing currents. This is a great plus among fly fishing boats. These boats are very well made with durability comparable to a quality raft and far above inflatable fly fishing boats. The drawbacks include the need for a trailer for transportation and a boat ramp to get it into and out of the water. They are not made for low water and can easily run aground in such conditions. They are also expensive as far as fly fishing boats go with the less expensive costing two thousand dollars without a trailer. For the real, dyed in the wool river fly fisher, drift boats are the queen of all fly fishing boats.
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