Fly Fishing

leadoverdistance · Location: Athens Ga.

G'day all

I was wondering whether anyone had experience with the fish craft super cat rafts? I will be fishing the boat down in the south east tailraces, with some skinnier water thrown in. Ideally something that will carry a little gear, and be fun to row would be great. The star wonderbug, aire super puma are also on my list to look at......... BUT a first hand account from someone who has spent time on these things is worth their weight in split shot!

Thanks

Paul Helmbold

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

hey --- i can't help ya .. i'm not a rower or rafter .. but my good fly fishing buddy greg "boz" .. IS ... without a doubt ... .. when it comes to anything raft/rowing in river systems ... i will shoot him an email ... and i bet he will hop on and respond and help you out ...

check out this article and video of a trip he took me on - and i am sure you will agree that his recommendations concerning anything "raft/drift boat etc.." advice would be sound advice: ...

Penobscot River Maine: The Salmon Experience Of A Lifetime
http://www.fliesandfins.com/article574.html

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

actually --- i just gave him a shout on cell ... he's at a hockey game right now ... but he has actually rowed both boats .. and he says he will log on tonight .. and give you the low down ....

leadoverdistance · Location: Athens Ga.

Wow! Thanks for the help. You really are fly fishing's great ambassador! Take alex up on the invite to Tierra if you can....

Paul

Boz · Location: Portland

Paul,

While I dont have much knowledge of the fish craft rig it appears to be very similar to the Star wonder bug, but with a non inflatable floor. Is that so?
I'm a big fan of an inflated floor as you can control how stiff you'd like it by pressure, which is everything to the standing angler. The wonder-bug series by Star are an excellent boat that I've spent considerable time in...Super stable, track well with minimal drag (good for anchoring). I also have paddle guided and rowed the super puma series Aire rafts also killer boats. The lines of the Super Duper Puma are about as close as you can get to a traditional driftboat. They ferry and track well. Most Aire boats are equiped with a balast keel system giving them killer stability in heavy water...the downside is that keel adds weight and drag when anchoring...not a good thing when trying to hold in heavy current...

I've enjoyed rowing both the Star and Aire and fishing in moderate rivers. When it came time for me to purchase a boat I choose an NRS Eseries 14 footer. This decision was based on the rivers I row in Maine carrrying two clients, and anchoring and handling in heavy whitewater...
I needed three things:

capacity an comfort
durability
performance in Class V water

I really liked the Star, but it was a turtle (slow)
The Aire lacked capacity
The NRS won overall as I've seen them be beat up day in day out, ride big water, hold in heavy stuff and, and respond to the oars well.
If I was guiding on milder water I'd have chosen the Star hands down. For the price, they can't be beat.

Send me an email if you'd like more info, as I know choosing the right craft isn't easy, and depends on what you'd like to do with it, and on what water.

Hope this helps...

P.S. As I said I'm really unfamiliar with the Fish Craft...So I can't give much helpful feedback there.

leadoverdistance · Location: Athens Ga.

This is a great forum. Thanks Boz ,for your input. Not having rowed some of these things, let alone seen them (except on a web page) makes it a tough call to make. Your experience and opinion has some serious heft to say the least! I believe the Fish Craft boat has a soft floor with plastic decking. I like the Cat aspect to it, as I think it might track well and hold well (fast). "But will it turn Bob?" is a good question:o)

I will drop you a pm when I compose some more coherent questions, or keep it on the board for reference purposes.

Thanks again Boz

Paul

(Jeremy, tried to pm you, but the message is stuck in my outbox?)

chromefinder · Location: Southeast PA

leadoverdistance,

I belive that Star rafts use glued PVC in their construciton which could and eventually will affect the longevity of the raft.

The inherent problem with Pvc is that it outgasses a glue-destroying chemical (softeners called phthalates), therefore all glued pvc boats will come apart at the seams sooner or later. Some will last far longer than others but it depends on the glue used and its heat resistance and also UV exposure.

I am not saying that all PVC boats are bad products just be aware that rafs with glued PVC seams may pose a problem down the road.

Star definately makes some nice inexpsensive raft and some people get years of enjoyment from them. I just wanted you to be aware that this is one of the factors you might want to consider when shopping for a raft.

I choose to go with an Aire raft due to AIRE's internal bladder design, customer service and reputation. My Aire raft will last a lifetime with proper care.

PM me if you'd like more info

leadoverdistance · Location: Athens Ga.

Chromefinder, that is a point I didn't consider. I have fished off R.I.B. s in South Africa quite a lot. My family have owned three, two Gemini's and a Zodiac. These boats were Hypalon, like Boz's NRS. There were pvc boats out there, but we bought hypalon because it was tougher, never mind the seam issue which I wasn't aware of. That NRS sure looks like a tough boat for serious whitewater! Definitely industrial grade. The aires are nice. The super pumas and super duper pumas don't seem to have the ballast floor right? (at least not on the three views?) Which one have you fished from?

So far it sounds like the NRS is the Range Rover, the Aire durable quality although a tad shy of capacity and comfort in HUGE water (like Jeremy's rafting vid in Maine!) while the Star is great value in a raft (like when my wife sees how much I intend to spend on a boat you have to row!....)

Thanks for your impressions Chromefinder. I appreciate first hand experience immensely. Words on a marketing page should best be written by guys that use the products Surprised

)

Cheers

Paul

Boz · Location: Portland

Paul,

Here is what you need to ask yourself...

1. How many days a year will my boat be on water.

2. Are you going to trailer it?

3. How much room do I need? Gear? Anglers?

4. Do you have a good dry place to store it in the off season.

5. (most important) What kind of water will I be running?

6. How much money can you devote to it?

All boats will break down with time... How you treat it can make a big difference.

I've seen boats from tons of maufacturers get used hard day in day out...and I've seen every brand have issues when improperly cared for. or handled...

UV damage is one of the biggest boat killers and unavoidable... good news is products like 303 or similar protectents can add years to a boat when routinely applied...

Give me ashout if you need furthur info...

I look forward to seeing you post a fish tale featuring the fish you've caught in your new boat!