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#23 ·
freestoneangler said:
What are the advantages that Maravia and Aire offer?
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Maravia will tout their rubber as better than hypalon or pvc and that their self bailing floors are the best on the market. The first may be true but not sure about the self bailing floor claim. I do think they make the best looking boat right now.

Aire will sell you on the bladder system as Poff mentioned although it makes for a heavier boat since there is twice as much material. They do provide a 10 year warranty where the standard is 5. The guy down at the raft shop said the only issue he'd ever seen on this boat was from a dude who rain it into a piece of rebar while floating and tore a hole in it.

I don't know that much about the Odyssey boats but believe they are less expensive that the other brands we've discussed. I think one of the reasons is they use a lighter fabric than the other boats mentioned. I don't see too many guides running Odyssey boats and personally just don't like the look.

NRS are made in Mexico which is one reason they are a bit less expensive.

Lots of good options right now...
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
Ok, the forum has spoken... that particular rig is off the list. We have just started this search and I really appreciate the feedback as I don't know much about rafts... other than I love the way they row on SW MT waters, their quiet, and that's definitely the type of boat I want. A couple of you have suggested the longer length -- I've been focusing in on the 12-13'. Aside from the obvious extra room/capacity, are their other advantages? I doubt I'll be using for overnight (on the river) floats and the majority of time will be with 2 people.

Another question is the frame arrangement. My neighbors (photo) does not have the small hard floor or cast braces at each seat. In a way, I kind of like not having that stuff in the way (built in line tangler's). Which arrangement do you have (prefer) and why?

Image
 
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#25 ·
freestoneangler said:
A couple of you have suggested the longer length -- I've been focusing in on the 12-13'. Aside from the obvious extra room/capacity, are their other advantages? I doubt I'll be using for overnight (on the river) floats and the majority of time will be with 2 people.
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Then go with the smaller boat.

freestoneangler said:
Another question is the frame arrangement. My neighbors (photo) does not have the small hard floor or cast braces at each seat. In a way, I kind of like not having that stuff in the way (built in line tangler's). Which arrangement do you have (prefer) and why?
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Catch points suck and, besides the way a raft rows, are the biggest disadvantage of a raft over a hard boat.

I have a casting platform and brace in both the front and back. It is more comfortable having a a solid platform to stand on while fishing all day.

I also have what I call a hippie bag in front of the rower to hang my cooler and then a dry box behind the rower which hangs from the frame. With this system there is little to no weight directly on the floor but rather it is dispersed through the tubes.
 
#26 ·
Based on your requirements, I'd go with a 14' and I'd definitely get lean bars. You can always take them out and stash them in the garage for a specific trip if you want. I have a 13' and wish I had the extra foot for storage.

Here's my raft setup for an expedition trip.
Image


Here's the gear list:
Dry bag with tent, hammock, inflatable pad, sleeping bag
Boat box with all fishing supplies
70 QT Igloo sportsman cooler
food in cooler
2 large waterproof ammo cans strapped to running boards
2 roll top tables
3 camp chairs
Rod tube and all necessary rods
BBQ, propane, plate-ware, plastic-ware, tongs, brush, and steak seasoning in an action packer under my rowers seat
Oh and of course vests for 3 people and an extra oar

So, as you can see, you can fit a lot of junk on a 13' boat, but in this case, the extra foot would be nice.
 
#27 ·
A 14ft boat will draft less water than the smaller boats and should maneuver about the same. Boats over 14 ft are more designed to haul cargo and will be a bit more sluggish on the water. I'd go with the braces if the fisherfolk will be casting while the boat is moving. If you only cast while at anchor, then it really doesn't matter.

As a reference, I purchased my first raft about 6 years ago. It was a nine year old Aire 15.5 ft with a whitewater frame, casting brace, two dry boxes, cooler, and cataract oars for $3,400. Bomber boat that I've taken on well over 3k river miles including GC, MFS, Selway, Rogue, Illinois, etc. Not one issue other than a sandy valve from time to time. Found a used raft trailer in excellent condition on CL for $800.

The boats I'd consider if purchasing again: Aire (Tributary lower quality materials made overseas, Outcast), Sotar, Maravia/Streamteck, NRS, and Hyside. From there, the material and build quality diminish quickly.

My .02.
 
#28 ·
After 7 trips to Missoula (2-4 days on the water each time)* I have yet to see the Montana guides I've fished with have wooden floors or casting braces in their rafts. I'm not saying they don't have their place or aren't helpful, but it appears that many guides are not sold on the benefits these feature would provide in a guiding situation. When fly fishing from a raft, most guides have you cast from a sitting position.

*I work for WKU (Western Kentucky University) and have been privileged to lead fly fishing programs to Montana for our university over the past several years. It has provided a unique opportunity to observe the guiding community in Montana. Our university program utilizes a local outfitter to provide the guiding services for our groups.
 
#29 ·
Poff said:
After 7 trips to Missoula (2-4 days on the water each time)* I have yet to see the Montana guides I've fished with have wooden floors or casting braces in their rafts. I'm not saying they don't have their place or aren't helpful, but it appears that many guides are not sold on the benefits these feature would provide in a guiding situation. When fly fishing from a raft, most guides have you cast from a sitting position.

*I work for WKU (Western Kentucky University) and have been privileged to lead fly fishing programs to Montana for our university over the past several years. It has provided a unique opportunity to observe the guiding community in Montana. Our university program utilizes a local outfitter to provide the guiding services for our groups.
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Well, in WASHINGTON, us guides have casting braces and solid floors because we fish on the go. I am sold on them and probably wouldn't even consider taking a new angler on the water without them. I've had guests try to walk off my boat in more than one occasion even with them in place.
 
#30 ·
Luke77 said:
Well, in WASHINGTON, us guides have casting braces and solid floors because we fish on the go. I am sold on them and probably wouldn't even consider taking a new angler on the water without them. I've had guests try to walk off my boat in more than one occasion even with them in place.
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Same in the Kootenays fishing on the go, but I know my buddy runs just seats and no platforms.
 
#32 ·
So, let me get this straight - you moved to MT so you can row instead of fish???

Another good 'made in the US' raft company is Jack's Plastic Welding. Jack has been around forever and is a good guy who makes great boats.
 
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