PNW Drift Boats

CCooper

CCooper

WKR
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Messages
1,111
Location
Western OR
Curious if anyone in the group has any experience with these. I've been in the search for a new drift boat for a bit, and have really narrowed in on a Willie 17x54 but recently saw these boats online and they piqued my interest. I didn't make it out to any of the local shows to check them out this year. Would love to hear from someone who has one or can provide some feedback. Curious how they stack-up to a Willie or a Koffler. Thanks in advance.
 
I am the last of my crew without one. This boat will most likely be a leisure boat for the wife and I. Those guys are way better fisherman than me, if I want to catch I'll jump in with them.
 
check out ifish.net. Oregon fishing website. There will be plenty of people on there who can give you their thoughts.

I'm a ClackaMax owner so can't help with the boats you're looking at specifically. In general though, you get what you pay for and the top brands are all solid...ie: Willie, Pavati, Clackacraft, Alumaweld....
 
The Pavati's seem they like would be heavy and a little Gucci for my taste, never rowed one though. Have had the chance to run a ClackaMax some- It's a little more boat than I am after. I really liked my Koffler 16x54 that I parted ways with, but they are 6 months out on builds is what I'm hearing.
 
Tesoro said:
I am a southern oregon coastal guy. I learned a long time ago its best to have friends with drift boats. Because they all tell me if I buy one I dont get to fish..just row!
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policy on my buddies drift boat.. "If you cant row... you dont go" though i will admit he spends more time at the oars than anyone else. but we all try and get our hands on them
 
Tesoro said:
I am a southern oregon coastal guy. I learned a long time ago its best to have friends with drift boats. Because they all tell me if I buy one I dont get to fish..just row!
Click to expand...
Ain't that the truth.........I learned the hard way and rowed....
 
I am baffled at how rowing is apparently a difficult concept to grasp for some people. My younger brother has 2-phd's and has absolutely no idea how to do it and "I'm a horrible teacher" for telling him to point the boat at what you don't want to hit and backpaddle; I won't even let him row on anything but the easiest water. Keeping it sort of straight in rapids is another tough concept for some. I get how learning to read seams in the river to make the fly look good for the people fishing and not going right over the top of the good spots would take some time to learn, but holy shit, it's not that hard to row a boat.

We're looking to upgrade our boat in the next few years, but we haven't really looked into it much yet.
 
I've been in drift boats since I was 4 years old and rowing one on my own since 14 in everything from flat, lazy water, to class 4 rapids....it's been a lot of years.

While drift boats may look similar there are quite a few differences depending on what type of fishing you're doing and the type of water you're floating. I might choose a clackacraft if I was just fly fishing but if I was gear fishing, back bouncing bait or plugs, I'd probably go with the Willie simply because of the hard chines they tend to track easier on the backstrokes against the current. Clackacraft has tried to remedy this with their tunnel and gulf stream bottoms but I still feel the hard chines on a metal boat work better in that regard but they can get you in trouble if you hit a hard eddy at high speed at the wrong angle.

Fiberglass boats stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than metal boats. For the most part you can customize a metal boat more than a fiberglass boat. Fiberglass will "slide" over rocks on their own while you will want to coat or put uhmw on the bottom of a metal boat.

As far as brands go I've had Willie, Kofler, and Clackacraft. They were all great and each had their advantages. You really can't go wrong but if I was fly fishing out of the boat instead of just using it for transportation I'd more than likely go with the clackacraft because it's more "rounded" inside and fly lines tend not to get caught up on as much stuff. For customization and creature comforts I'd definitely go with a metal boat like a Willies or Koffler.

I've rowed a Pavati, and while nice, just felt like a tug boat to me. It wasn't as nimble as the others but if you're not doing anything technical that's not much of a worry.

If this is your first drift boat, buy used. Put some dents in it, bang it off some rocks, slide it down some banks, and use it hard. After that, if you still want another one you'll have a better idea on what you truly want and need.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask
 
CCooper said:
The Pavati's seem they like would be heavy and a little Gucci for my taste, never rowed one though. Have had the chance to run a ClackaMax some- It's a little more boat than I am after. I really liked my Koffler 16x54 that I parted ways with, but they are 6 months out on builds is what I'm hearing.
Click to expand...
pavati makes a nice boat, but their prices are out of control... it's still a damn drift boat! the PNW looks like a nice boat, but their prices don't seem too far from Willie, and if you do decide you don't use it enough, your resale is gonna be a lot better with clacka/willie/koffler... umpqua marine makes a nice boat for the money.

i bought a new clacka big eddie a couple years ago, and it was a lawn ornament for a year and a day, and i sold it for 150.00 less than i bought it for... same thing with Willie... if you are actually gonna fish it hard, it's a non issue.

i miss the big eddie, that's a sweet boat for our region, but when there are 50 shuttles per day every day i assume get away from people and bank it and enjoy my day.... there are way less hatchery steelhead these days and way more exploitation of them, i just couldn't get motivated to join the mess. i have had 4 drift boats, and none got used much for their intended purpose, and they suck in tidewater.... they troll too fast and get blown around like crazy.... i fish my little sled a bunch, but drift boats are hard to enjoy using a lot these days.... i mostly fish alone, so i enjoy bank fishing drift boat fisheries or going with buddies
 
A Clacka Big Eddie wouldn’t be out of the question, but fiberglass is just weird to me.I was born and raised and now live on the McKenzie and Grew up in Kofflers. I have all but given up steelhead fishing with the exception of a trip or 2 each year with a buddy, it just doesn’t spin my prop combat fishing. What I have come to enjoy is chasing cutthroat with a fly rod, although we usually do that from my buddy’s boat. This will be a lower McKenzie Sunday afternoon boat- toss a couple flies and enjoy some sun w/ the Mrs. when the weathers nice. I really like the idea of level floors front and rear, walk around rowers seat, and front box seats that can be configured one center or two side by side. Thinking flat rear deck for the dog- no need for a motor or tiller seat. Basically just want a nice play boat- If I really want to fish the 22’ sled will get the nod every time.
 
CCooper said:
A Clacka Big Eddie wouldn’t be out of the question, but fiberglass is just weird to me.I was born and raised and now live on the McKenzie and Grew up in Kofflers. I have all but given up steelhead fishing with the exception of a trip or 2 each year with a buddy, it just doesn’t spin my prop combat fishing. What I have come to enjoy is chasing cutthroat with a fly rod, although we usually do that from my buddy’s boat. This will be a lower McKenzie Sunday afternoon boat- toss a couple flies and enjoy some sun w/ the Mrs. when the weathers nice. I really like the idea of level floors front and rear, walk around rowers seat, and front box seats that can be configured one center or two side by side. Thinking flat rear deck for the dog- no need for a motor or tiller seat. Basically just want a nice play boat- If I really want to fish the 22’ sled will get the nod every time.
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the big eddie checks quite a few boxes for you and is pretty light compared to a clackamax or big aluminum boat, i do understand the hesitation with glass, it takes some getting used to, but it's a mental thing, not a real concern. i have fished out of Kofflers a good amount, and like them too, as well as Willie, a good friend of mine currently fishes a 19' Willie, and it's a sweet platform, but way too big for mine or your needs obviously. i like glass because it's quiet, temp stable, and clacks row easy, but there is an argument for either for sure... if there was a "best" there would only be one. i am also a fan of how clacks look, they are just great looking boats.

sounds like you have a good niche for a drifter, and i agree with the combat fishing, it has become so ridiculous it's not even fun.

my sled is 14x7', huge fishing platform for it's size, and i wouldn't get rid of it for nothing, and would be impossible to replace. i too like fly fishing cutts in the summer, and i do it out of my sled in the upper stretches of tidewater around the central coast (tidal effected but no salt) nobody around, nice quiet day on the water, and plenty of hungry fish to chase, i could see getting a driftboat just for that in your area.... a means to get away and enjoy some sun and fish in relative peace.
 
Flyjunky said:
I've been in drift boats since I was 4 years old and rowing one on my own since 14 in everything from flat, lazy water, to class 4 rapids....it's been a lot of years.

While drift boats may look similar there are quite a few differences depending on what type of fishing you're doing and the type of water you're floating. I might choose a clackacraft if I was just fly fishing but if I was gear fishing, back bouncing bait or plugs, I'd probably go with the Willie simply because of the hard chines they tend to track easier on the backstrokes against the current. Clackacraft has tried to remedy this with their tunnel and gulf stream bottoms but I still feel the hard chines on a metal boat work better in that regard but they can get you in trouble if you hit a hard eddy at high speed at the wrong angle.

Fiberglass boats stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than metal boats. For the most part you can customize a metal boat more than a fiberglass boat. Fiberglass will "slide" over rocks on their own while you will want to coat or put uhmw on the bottom of a metal boat.

As far as brands go I've had Willie, Kofler, and Clackacraft. They were all great and each had their advantages. You really can't go wrong but if I was fly fishing out of the boat instead of just using it for transportation I'd more than likely go with the clackacraft because it's more "rounded" inside and fly lines tend not to get caught up on as much stuff. For customization and creature comforts I'd definitely go with a metal boat like a Willies or Koffler.

I've rowed a Pavati, and while nice, just felt like a tug boat to me. It wasn't as nimble as the others but if you're not doing anything technical that's not much of a worry.

If this is your first drift boat, buy used. Put some dents in it, bang it off some rocks, slide it down some banks, and use it hard. After that, if you still want another one you'll have a better idea on what you truly want and need.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask
Click to expand...
Excellent work FlyJunky! You nailed everything exactly on the head!

If I did high-gradient rivers with more rapids, I wouldn't have the Max. I'd have a shorter Willie. I do a lot of low water fishing and coastal streams so my Clack is perfect for it (especially because I usually fish 3 adults or my family).

While the Clack does track nice for puling plugs, aluminum boats are better for that.

ONLY time I ever wished I had a Pavati is when I'm with my Dad and he has trouble getting in/out of the boat. Pavati has pretty slick doors.

100% agree on getting a used boat first. You're gonna knock some rocks and put some scratch and dents in it. I'm a very capable rower and still need to bump rocks to get down at low water.

One other thing to note, for the size and weight of the ClackaMax, I'm always astounded at how low of water I can go through without stopping. I've floated through gravel areas with no more than 4-6 inches of water and didn't have to get out to push!
 
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