# New to mountainbuzz- but another "looking for boat on a budget" advice thread



## mcnealstash (Aug 2, 2017)

*New to mountainbuzz- but another "looking for boat on a budget" advice thread*

Hi everyone- midwest newbie here. Seeking advice on the purchase of a raft and frame for floating in the midwest. Currently, my 2 buddies and I go on day long fly fishing trips out of a 18' (it's a haus) janky metal canoe (1 person in rear paddles, the middle and front get to fish). It gets the job done, but it is far from comfortable and the stability can be a little sketchy. It's also very difficult to steer this thing in the wind... I'm on a pretty tight budget and have some fairly unique requirements. I'd really like a drift boat, but even a used one is really expensive and not really a necessity given that we are only doing day floats on slow water (low flows are also more of a concern with a drift boat). Could somebody help suggest a raft that would fit the above and following needs:

-fits 3 fly fishers comfortable with 1 day worth of gear (don't plan on doing any overnights so don't need extra space)
-the rivers we fish are so mild that we don't really need an entire fishing frame. All we need is 3 total seats and a frame that allows the middle seat to row. Fishing frames that I've seen are pretty damn expensive and seem unnecessary. 
-late summer flows can get really low in some spots of the rivers we fish, the material of the raft should probably be pretty tough for this reason. 

I'd rather not have to buy a trailer for the raft, but setting up and breaking down the raft seems like a pain in the ass if it takes a long time every time we decide to float. Are there many rafts that can travel safely on the roof of a car? If not, are there any fast to set up and break down raft/ minimalist frame systems that you could get up and running in <15 minutes? From what I've seen most of the rafts and their entire frames can take 30-45 minutes to set up and break down.

I'm not going to put a budget on the whole rig, I'd like to see how creative people can get while keeping in mind that cost should be kept as low as possible. Thanks for the help!


----------



## johnovice (Jul 17, 2009)

I used to put a 12' raft on the roof of my car; not bad with two reasonably strong people (had pretty wide cross bars). A 14' would be pushing it in my opinion, though stranger sights have been see,. If you are used to fishing from a canoe, you don't need a full on fishing frame (until you feel the need), just a small rowing frame. However, a 12' raft is a bit tight for a rower plus two -- let others weigh in on that -- find one somewhere and sit in it. Good luck.


----------



## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

I'd try to buy an old bucket boat from an outfitter that runs a mild stretch of river. The boats won't be beat to hell and you can find some great deals. I bought a '97 DIB 14' bucket raft for $200. Deals are out their just gotta look for them. Wooden frame would suit y'all fine. Bucket boats roll very small so they fit easy in a hatch or even a big trunk. Throw the frame on the roof. Blow her up with a barrel pump ($150) at the river, four straps on the frame and you're ready.


----------



## pjcalla (May 6, 2016)

I just finished putting together my Midwest fly fishing poverty build. Bought the raft (Avon Redshank) last fall for $150 off Craigslist. Started piecing together a frame from chainlink fence posts and speedrail fittings. Ended up scrapping that idea, and went with Gary at rowframe.com. Bought some used Carlisle oars off MB, and chopped them down to fit. Bought a "grab bag" of straps from salamander paddle gear, and we were fishing.


----------



## pjcalla (May 6, 2016)

pjcalla said:


> I just finished putting together my Midwest fly fishing poverty build. Bought the raft (Avon Redshank) last fall for $150 off Craigslist. Started piecing together a frame from chainlink fence posts and speedrail fittings. Ended up scrapping that idea, and went with Gary at rowframe.com. Bought some used Carlisle oars off MB, and chopped them down to fit. Bought a "grab bag" of straps from salamander paddle gear, and we were fishing.


As for putting it on a car, it fits on the back of my truck on top of the bedcover. It's fine for local trips, but I'm looking for a trailer for highway travel. 

Pics:


----------



## fishingraft (Aug 30, 2015)

pjcalla said:


> I just finished putting together my Midwest fly fishing poverty build. Bought the raft (Avon Redshank) last fall for $150 off Craigslist. Started piecing together a frame from chainlink fence posts and speedrail fittings. Ended up scrapping that idea, and went with Gary at rowframe.com. Bought some used Carlisle oars off MB, and chopped them down to fit. Bought a "grab bag" of straps from salamander paddle gear, and we were fishing.



Lot of good info here. Once you find a boat, get a hold of Gary. Be persistent, he's a busy man and hard to get a response from sometimes. The money I blew trying to built a solid wood frame was only a little less than a solid double rail setup from Gary that'll last a lifetime.

Great tip on Salamander gear straps too. Straps add up fast.

Set Craigslist alerts. They'll be your best friend. I found my NRS boat and oars and oar locks in Michigan years ago, within about six months of each other. Both on Craigslist in unsuspecting cities for rafting gear. A little driving around and some patience got me on the water very cheaply within a year of starting my build.

Word of advice: lean bars are more important than you realize. You'll get more brazen with the raft than you were in your canoe and hit rocks. Your bow fisherman will get knocked out of the boat without a lean bar. Can you fish without them? Yes. But it's so much better with them.

Also, build PVC rod holders right away. they'll save you big time.


----------



## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

Gotta use the thwarts with a wood frame....there's always the two canoes with a frame option. Makes a really efficient and stable craft...I used to pole around the Potomac on thick pieces of styrofoam when I was a kid. Whatever gets you on the water works, y'all don't have many of the concerns CO rafters do because your rivers are so different.


----------

