Any flyfishing raft guys? looking to buy one

[Jesse Jaymes]

Moving down to Salmon, Idaho. Want to advance from a walking/wading fishing guy to floating. I've fished with my good friend on the Mo a handful of times and he's directing me toward what to look for. He's in a Star and admits there are better and more stout vessels.

I've skimmed over several on Down River and NRS. Trying to compare the specs and materials. And of course YouTubed.

Never piloted my own raft, just rowed his a handful of times.

Looking at the "next tier up" it seems the Aire Puma series is the exact same material and weight has the Star. Am I missing something?

I am not generally a "gotta have the best" type of purchaser. I am super cheap. But I would pay extra for durability and puncture resistance over add ons and comfort.

Overall goal is to float the easy waters and fish in the general area. Be it the Bitterroot, the Big Hole or the main Salmon. I don't see me ever needing Middle Fork type class 3/4 ability.

Would just like to take my wife and a handful of dogs on a day long float and fish. Or my buddy and his kid and reciprocate an Idaho fishing experience.

Think I am married to a 14' boat. In the mainstream for boats I see NRS, Aire, Moravia and Hyside. Maybe SOTAR also. Prices climb pretty quick.

From my brief research there aren't many/any terribly sketchy pieces of water between Challis and North Fork. That would be the area for new "home waters".

 

[wyogoat]

I’ve rowed a 14 foot NRS a lot and they’re a great boat. I think in a raft I’d be happy in about anything that size that was durable though.
I’ve done overnights with one other person and the pup and it’s been plenty.
If you’ve rowed some and have some basic skills on reading water and maneuvering the boat I bet you will pick it up pretty quick. All rafts are slugs though so anticipating what you will need to do is important in any raft.

 

[Dos Perros]

Following. I'm looking to buy myself. The price premium for new is pretty staggering to me. Lots of good used boats on the market.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

^^ Agree. I live kinda in the "mecca". Easy drive to Missoula or GF and lots of rafts around. Many are rentals or guide boats....which is kinda a turn OFF. I'd assume a rental raft has been Whooped and a guide boat seen many many trips on the water. FB MP and Craigs are great options....I am simply not quite certain what I am REALLY looking for. Have cash in my pocket and could buy immediately, but want the right fit, not what's right now is all.

 

[Bachto]

Me and my wife have a 14' RMR and we love it. I do fish from it but it's mostly been used on Hells Canyon, the rogue etc. for multi day trips. RMR seems to be the best bang for your buck in my opinion and I have heard other people who raft way more than us say the same. They have fishing frames for it. They come up used from time to time.

 

[3Esski]

The RMR is a great option as it is a more capable rafting option that can be used for fishing instead of a more fish friendly style raft. As a rafting fisherman, I'd rather have my drift boat.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

@3Esski I never see rafts on this stretch of river. When I called the Fly shop...kid kinda giggled when I asked "Why no rafts"

He said "Rafts suck...my guides don't want to row them. Drift boats any day"

 

[Wyohunth]

I have an Aire cataraft and a Hyside round boat. Both are high quality but I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the brands mentioned above. One thing to consider is the boat material and how you store it. From my understanding, Hypalon/Penna Orca (Hyside, NRS) and Urethane (Sotar, Moravia) will do better with long term UV exposure than PVC. If you store indoors or covered that's largely irrelevant. Same with welded vs glued pvc rafts. If you are looking for used, keep an eye on MountainBuzz. I imagine you won't have trouble finding a decent used rig in that part of Idaho.

 

[mtnbiker208]

rubber flounders, dories dance

I don't believe that, but there are some that do. like all things you get what you pay for. A Maravia is a nice boat and will cost you. A nrs expedition raft will be the last one you buy. A nrs otter is alot lighter but does not take the punishment. Buy a cheap boat and learn how to row and read water, then after you know what you want go buy the better boat. Some materials are easier to patch, some do better rolled up.
aire, maravia, nrs, sotar all make great boats.

Challis to north fork can be a boring river, but at the same time, i do have a picture of a drift boat wrapped around a rock just downstream from challis.

 

[Article 4]

I live and fish in the Idaho/montana area in both a composite Clacka drift and my fishing buddy has a NRS Otter - Pros and Cons

Raft

• super stable and loves big/rough water
• lots of room and easy storage in the off season - deflates
• 3 people have lots of room for gear and coolers
• heavy to maneuver quickly
• takes someone with some savvy to read the water and get there with the oar weight

Drift

• Ferrari in the water - easy to maneuver
• feels light on the oars
• sometimes less room in shorter boats
• less beam usually - less gear room
• Easy maintenance and less worry about rocks and stumps
• get a cover for storage if its not in the garage or shed

 

[3forks]

I rowed a ton of different boats, and used to guide fishing out of both rafts and drift boats.

I’d tell the OP to look at a Sotar Strike because it’s got less rake in the front end and will catch less wind. I think that’s the biggest differentiator between any manufacturers/rafts at similar price points.

Rowing a raft in a headwind is the pits, and you’ll understand what a big deal that is when you get some more time in a boat. Even when the wind isn’t blowing too hard, less rake in the front end will make the boat feel more nimble and easier to keep in position off the bank you’re fishing.

Regardless of what boat you choose, keep the frame to a minimum so you can keep the weight down. The accessories you add to a frame add up quickly (especially a hard floor), and you will regret having a heavy boat. Also, eliminate everything you can on the frame that will catch a fly line… you’ll find out about the importance of that too. *I’d even ditch casting braces and just have have everyone sit when fishing.

 

[Ferrulewax]

I am an eastern guy, so take this with a grain of salt, but the newer style rafts (like the NRS slipstream I believe) with hard floors are so much better for rowing and fishing than the older water bed floor NRS rafts. That being said, I think they are significantly less suited to true whitewater. The drop stitched floor lets you get rid of the (terrible) casting platforms, and some significant weight savings, that have to be present in many of the other brands of rafts. The hard bottom also glides better than the older softer bottom boats, but it's still far from a drift boat.

We run smithflys, flycrafts and saturns which are significantly smaller, less durable, and lighter (great for around here) but the NRS slipstream has the same style floor but a more "big water friendly" boat.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

rubber flounders, dories dance

I don't believe that, but there are some that do. like all things you get what you pay for. A Maravia is a nice boat and will cost you. A nrs expedition raft will be the last one you buy. A nrs otter is alot lighter but does not take the punishment. Buy a cheap boat and learn how to row and read water, then after you know what you want go buy the better boat. Some materials are easier to patch, some do better rolled up.
aire, maravia, nrs, sotar all make great boats.

Challis to north fork can be a boring river, but at the same time, i do have a picture of a drift boat wrapped around a rock just downstream from challis.

You never fail to recall and recollect every nook and cranny from Porthill to Yaak to Shoup....WTF?

 

[Hondo0925]

I have an RMR as well with a DRE frame. I love it and second what some people have said, RMR is great for the money

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

14’ is a great size for what you want to do.

I would head over to Mountain Buzz. Tons of great insights on selecting a raft along with a really good classified section.

Last Best Ski and Paddle in Missoula is a Hyside dealer and flips their fleet every year. I rowed one of their rental boats on the Blackfoot this year and really liked it.

Having said that I will say it’s pretty wild how quickly things add up when you factor in a trailer, cooler, and dry box.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ashy Larry]

I’m an eastern fisherman (NW NC, SW VA, and East TN) and have a 14’ RMR drop stitch with NRS Frame. I fish it a dozen or more times a year now (used to be 3-4x that number before I got a hard boat) but rafts are awesome. Just don’t go float a drift boat first. When we take it to the tailwaters over in TN it does fantastic but all those guides run fiberglass boats. When I’m doing smallmouth/musky stuff near the house on bony rivers I never see drift boats. You can go where they can go, but they can’t always go where you go. There are trade offs but rafts get you on the water for cheaper, are more customizeable, and bounce off rocks better. I could talk for hours on this, I’ve been in and rowed most brands of oar powered boat.

 

[Mikej]

For the money the nrs slipstream is a great boat because of the minimalist frame and sturdy floor. For fishing you want a hard floor.

If you want the Cadillac of rafts. Buy a sitar strike from Blackfoot river outfitters in Missoula. That’s what I bought. Buy the streamer package with wood floors and leg locks.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Many thanks for all the insight. My buddy has been recommending the SlipStream as best bang for buck. States that floor is a game changer...which has been vetted here.

A question for those still following. Has anyone ever fabbed a platform or "rack" for the stern? I think I saw a Flycraft a while back that had essentially a rear square cooler carrier? I would like an option for a place to chunk a dog when rafting with just my wife and I. Dog will probably make every run with me. A dedicated flat spot would be nice.

 

[3Esski]

Someone recommend it earlier, but mt. Buzz is a great resource for rafters and has lots of different frame configurations that guys have come up with and usually pros and cons of them. May as well check it out, you're gonna end up there eventually anyway.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]