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[indent][font "Arial"]At club meetings, on the river, and around the tying bench, I often hear the same question, "What's the best boat for fly fishing?" Fortunately for the fly fisherman and sports fisherman there are many choices that can be tailored to fit most any need. Unfortunately, the choices are so many you may have difficulty choosing just one. Like everything else in fishing, you probably will end up with more than one to meet varying conditions.[/font]
[font "Arial"]I have my personal preference, but rather than share that with you and influence your decision, I will present a summary of my investigation which lead to my decision. Hopefully you will build upon it to search out what is right for you. [/font]
[font "Arial"]We will review personal watercraft in four categories: [/font][/indent] [center][font "Arial"](1) Float Tubes (2) Pontoon Boats (3) Kayaks (4) Canoes. [/font][/center] [indent]
[font "Arial"]The industry is continually designing and redesigning to meet the discriminate demands of the fly fisher, so you will find some "hybrids" between categories.[/font][/indent]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Good stuff, lad. Now you can take over this board while I go fishing more often.[/size][/blue]
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I think you are still the Captain of this Ship(Tube). The best I could do is co-pilot or navigator. I thought it would be a good article for some of the craft weary people that are still out there lurking.
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[cool][#800080][size 2]You are our fishing prophet, My Lord. I had to watch Blm kickmyass today at Mantua on your pretty itty bitty Sparkle jigs. I did better him on the bluegills. [/size][/#800080]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey tomegun, sorry I had to contribute to your bass-kickin'...in whatever small way. Hate to suggest this, but fishing the wrong lure the right way will usually catch more fish than fishing the right lure the wrong way.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1](Sometimes it's as much technique as tackle.)[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Are you gettin' about ready for some open water soon? Been a long ice fishing season this year.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[laugh][#800080][size 2]Can you say cabin fever? [mad] All of our bodies of water are frozen for the first time in my memory. [/size][/#800080]
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[cool][blue][size 1]That explains it. I heard an unsubstantiated report of some guy fishing on the ice last week. Seems he had a huge artificial sun, and was pitching jig and pig into ice holes from 10 feet away. The final straw was when he drilled a line of holes and started dragging a buzzbait from hole to hole.[/size][/blue]
[#ff0000][size 1]Tell me that wasn't you tomegun. [/size][/#ff0000]
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[  ] [#800080][size 1]Are you trying put to ideas in my head? Where is the sunblock? I found some jigs at Hooked that imitate yours. I'm going to try'em out next weekend. This jigging crap is like reel fishing. I try to read when I'm ice fishing. Oh btw, I did get the biggest lmb. [/size][/#800080]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Well, ya gonna keep us in suspenders? Just how BIG was that bass? And how was the action, overall? You mentioned some bluegill too. Any size on those?[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]By the way, shoot me a PM. I have some new ideas in buzzbaits I want to run by you...some incorporating bunny fur. Others are built on a spoon blade, rather than a jig head, for slower runs in skinny water. I also have some new "flatheads"...hammered lead jigheads. I am planning on making up some skirted jigs as well as some buzzers on those. They flutter when dropped and plane upward when retrieved.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Oh yeah, I might even trust you with some new models of ice jigs.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[cool][#800000][size 2] I have fished from a canoe & a row boat many a times as a youngster. Forget about a kayak. However, I have found it so much easier to fly fish from a float tube. I mean there is nothing in front of you but water. Out of the other types of crafts one has to go out to the side or similar angle. Bait casting from a tube is likewise a simple act for me since I am a side arm caster. [not with a fly rod though]. Now that I have said my piece I will just wait for a response.[/size][/#800000]
![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=2863;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=2863;)
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I've been going the opposite way. I grew up fishing in a round style tube and have recently stol . . . er, "inherited" a very stable boat that is a cross between a row boat and a canoe. I have young kids and I figure that if I'm going to get fishing at all this year, I will need to have my 4 1/2 and 7 1/2 year old daughters with me.
Any tips for fishing out of a canoe sized craft????
ES
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Don't rock the boat!!! lol. With 3 people in a small boat you will, of course, need to pack light. It is a different experience for younger kids in a boat to learn how to maintain balance and get rid of the fear.
I'm sure that you will have appropriate PFD for the little ones. That should be must. Don't forget your own too. Pleeeeeeese. I work with the LA County FD. I've been out on calls where there has been victims that have come close to drowning due to panic of others. The others had their PFD and the victim didn't.
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I care too much about my kiddies to not wear a PFD. In fact, I'll wear one when I'm out and about on my pontoon by myself. A couple of years ago a tri-athlete died at Utah Lake because the waves got so bad. I am no where near that good of a swimmer. A little extra sweat in the summer is worth wearing one.
I'm excited about getting the boat out, so are the kids. Now, if the water will get a bit softer . . .
ES
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Hey EmuScud it won't be long now with what a nice day it is today that ice is bound to start softening up this week! People out icefishing better be careful. This is the time when things can get dangerous in a hurry.
I remember when I was out duck hunting in December a few years ago there was ice out in the slough, and I was out walking on it (it was about 3 inches thick). It was fine when I went out in the morning, but it was a fairly warm sunny day and by the time I started heading back the ice had gotten soft. I began to fall through (I had neoprene waders on and the water was only 2-3 feet deep -- I knew this or I never would have walked out on such thin ice). It ended up taking me a couple of hours to walk the mile back to dry land because I had to fight the ice breaking nearly every step and the thick mud holding my feet to the bottom.
Moral of the story -- BE CAREFUL WHEN THE ICE BEGINS TO MELT!!
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[cool][blue][size 1]My mama drowned all the dumb ones. Neoprenes or no neoprenes, that was silly. Some folks just gotta push the limits.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Glad the story had a happy ending.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Now let me tell you about the time I was surrounded by a school of snapping blacktip sharks, while fishing for corvina in the Sea of Cortez. If I had been wearing neoprene waders they would have had more water on the inside than on the outside.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Actually, as soon as I noticed the little 4 footers coming in to munch on the school of corvina, I kicked in the few feet to the beach and got out. Then I had a fun time playing with both species. Those little blacktips hit a lure just like gamefish. Chomped off a few jigs though, since I didn't have wire leader.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Dumb is as dumb does.[/size][/#0000ff]
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I quote from a good friend, "Hey, I resemble that remark!"
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That reminds me of when I was thinking of going Salmon fishing up around Frisco. This dude gave me his camera to take his picture. He never asked for it back.
![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=2887;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=2887;)
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I purchased a Water Skeeter Water Bug recently and thoroughly enjoyed the comfort but found it to be a little unstable in that it tended to lean back considerably. However, I took the back rest bladder out and put it between my back and the zippered pouch that it is supposed to go in and voila...comfort, stability and my satisfaction were now 100%!
Now I probably need to find a way to either glue it permanently in that position or install some velcro so that it stays put. I have owned around 8-10 float tubes in the twenty five years I have been fishing with them and I can tell you that this is definitely my favorite.
Now...to the next order of business: Great site guys, I wish I would have found it much sooner!
Good fishing,
Steve
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[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard and thanks for the report. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have owned and/or floated in a whole buncha different craft over the 50 years I have been doin' this crazy stuff too. I am still looking for the "perfect" ride. Seems like there is always some kind of modification you need to make, in order to get what you want...or close to it.[/#0000ff]
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Great articles, tubeN2. Very helpful. I've looked at a few kayaks lately until finally, I got to pilot one, loaned to me by an avid kayaker, for a few hundred yards. Don't know whether it was my fault or the fault of the yak but it punctured my lust to have one - perhaps for good. Felt too tippy and I didn't like what Dryrod mentioned - having to fly fish out of the side in order to have easy access to the water. It was nice to be able to cover the water quickly. Maybe if I tried again, perhaps with a different design, I might revive my interest. But for now I guess I'll stick with my tube and use my canoe as a backup when I need to paddle a distance.
z~
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