A Fly Fishing Boat Will Get You To The Fish

There are so many choices to make when it comes to boat fly fishing. As more
and more anglers venture out on the water, they do so in a variety of craft. However, most
fly fishermen prefer smaller fly fishing boats. Why? Fish often feed in areas that are difficult for
larger boats to access.

Inflatable boats such as pontoons and float tubes are ideal as fly fishing boats. Their use
is increasing every season on lakes and still waters everywhere.

Boat fly fishing skills

Once you have decided on your fly fishing boat you need to develop your boat fly fishing skills.
Fishing from a moving platform takes some getting used to. Even a boat at anchor on still
waters will move when you move.

Fishing punts have the advantage of being able to enter weed-covered water where fish
are often holding. Boats like these are often used for fishing towards the shoreline,
especially useful when targeting bass or spawning trout.

Casting a fly line from a boat requires both skill and balance. It is even more difficult if
you are fishing moving waters. You have to take into account the movement of the boat
as you cast otherwise your line might not land where you had planned.

Navigating moving water takes some practice. The rule of thumb on moving water is to
aim the boat in the direction the current is moving. If you have to negotiate rapids, then
stow your fishing gear and point the bow of the boat towards the tongue, or vee, and enter
the rapid there. If you are moving forward you can see any problem spots as they appear.

Much of the time on moving waters you will want to get out of the boat and wade. If this
is your fishing preference then buy a boat with easy access. It is fine to clamber out and
fish a pool or two, but if you can't get back into your boat you are faced with the problem
of manhandling it to a safe place. That could be a few miles downstream.

Boats for fly fishing are often portable and light weight. Anglers will hike several miles
to a mountain lake or river carrying an inflatable float tube so that they can still get on the
water. Some float tubes fold into their own backpack, convenient for the hiking angler.

Pontoon boats are excellent for fly fishing. They are easily set up and come with
inflatable or permanently inflated hulls. I prefer the inflatable for portability reasons but it
is a matter of choice. Once set up both the rigid hull and inflatable pontoon works equally
well. It takes a few practice runs with a pontoon boat to fine-tune your fly fishing skills
on the water.

Boat fishing fly rods

Boat fishing fly rods are no different than those you use from the shore. From the boat
you don't often have structure behind you to interfere with your cast. If you are sitting
low in the water, like in a float tube or low punt, make sure that your rod is long enough
so that you don't touch the water on your back cast.

I prefer a 9 foot rod for most of my fishing. The longer rod allows for easier back cast when
sitting low in the water and is much easier make mends when foating down a stream.

If you are using an inflatable fishing boat, make sure that there is a place to attach your
rod. It doesn't take much of a knock to send your loose rod into the depths. This is an
expensive lesson to learn and can really leave you feeling very frustrated. I haven't lost
a rod like this but I have caught one as it was going down. If you lay your rod down, take
a second to strap it to your tube or pontoon boat.

Boat fly fishing

Fly fishing boats allow the angler to access water not available to a shore fisherman or
woman. Boats designed for fly fishing can be relatively inexpensive. When you go looking make
sure that the one you choose is suitable for the type of water you intend to use it on.

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