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Drift Boat vs Fly Fishing Raft

  • Drift Boat

    Votes: 10 37.0%
  • Fly Fishing Raft

    Votes: 17 63.0%

Drift Boat vs Fly Fishing Raft

4K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  Out of Here 
#1 ·
Just wanting to know I currently own a raft but want to know the advantages to a boat and I want to see some argument ;)
 
#6 ·
I too own both, a 16ft river sotar cataraft with walking deck and a clackacraft ffb. The drifter can hold its spot and maneuver much better, but I can pound the hell out of my SOTAR raft In places I wouldn't dream tacking the clack. I intended on getting rid of the raft once I bought the drift boat, but that is no longer a consideration, in my world I like the options and don't need to worry about storage space. I'm a bit of a gear whore too, it's an addiction, I like manual float craft.
 
#7 ·
Thinking about this more, my raft has a shallower draft given the same beer load.;) I'm also a lot more willing to let
less experienced friends get some oar time unless the river is really technical or has a lot of fractured rock. Good training
for using the boat later or just learning how to read the water and control the boat for fishing. Lots different when your in the rower's seat.

On the downside, a raft has a more limited lifespan especially if left out exposed to UV. That being said I've seen some pretty
sorry looking drift boats that were treated with the same care (lack of)
 
#8 ·
If I had the storage, I'd own both.
If I had the storage and had to pick one, it would be a drifter with a 15hp long shaft four-stroke on the transom for lakes and rivers and the occasional crab pot.
If I didn't have the storage, like now, It would be a two-person pontoon.
 
#9 ·
i bought a raft some 25 years ago and the wife and Ifished from it for 10 years. I bought it because someone told me that I would be better off with a raft on the Yakima than a drift boat. Well it turns out I haven't fished the Yak that much. We had great times, but I got tired of having to put everything in dry bags. I trailered the raft and every morning I woke up on our trips I was happy some idiot with a knife didn't feel he had to punture it. I think it was the last show in the Kingdome that I bought a drift boat from the show. I can't tell you how happy I have been with the boat. No more dry bags. Room for 3 and on and on.
 
#10 ·
If you are talking trout waters, I have come to favor rafts simply because they are quiet, have very shallow draft (good ones anyway), and can take a licking. If you plan to use it exclusively on western WA rivers for steelhead and salmon, then a fiberglass drift boat would be my choice.
 
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#11 ·
I have both as well. I take the drift boat out 95% of the time. The drift boat is just so much more convient to load up with gear and people, and they are just so much more comfortable fishing out of. The raft is more versatile for sure, but for the average water/rower there aren't that many places that a raft would get you down that you couldn't get through with a glass drift boat. Picking one would be tough since I'm a hoarder of all things fishing related, but if I was a single hard core river fisherman I would say raft...you could fish anywhere without much limitaion. However, since I take my 5 year old much of the time, I don't see me getting rid of my drift boat anytime soon.
 
#12 ·
I was in a similar situation. I wanted a boat that could cover most of my needs.
I decided on a 16' x 25" diameter pontoon boat. Its a homemade job that was built to suit my specific needs. It has seats for 3 and a 4th if needed, a hard deck and room to move, no bars or trip hazzards to step over. I have dry storage, extra oar, lean bars, 4 rod holders, rod storage, depth finder, heater, radio, a raised fishing platform and a 15 hp motor for the bigger rivers. I use my electric on the lakes. Its gone down skinny shallow boulder filled water with no issues and its pretty easy to lift and drag over/around river blockage. It doesn't race up the big rivers, but it gets me back everytime.
Usually while on the boat i think of ideas to update or fine tune it. I am close to mounting a DR, a propane bbq and a stripping apron. I dont know what else there can be.... but i say that everytime i update it.
 
G
#18 ·
I've done some pretty nasty things to rafts like float over barbwire fences strung across a stream. I've always run Avons and they are very tough. When I guided there were a couple of marginal takeouts where I just threw a tow strap around the raft and drug it up a gravel hill with my truck. But, for the most part I tried to be kind to my gear.

That video was pretty impressive, but sliding down a hill like that in flip flops and knowing that letting go meant the boat was going to shoot out into the river wasn't something I'd do. I may have tied a rope to it and lowered it down the hill though since those aluminum hard sides are pretty tough. I wouldn't do it with a glass or wooden boat though. And yup that is going to dull your chines.

Trapper
 
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