# First Fly Fishing Raft



## caverdan

Dave Scadden rafts are light for a reason. They are made of very thin material and puncture easily if you drag it across rocks or hit anything. I would stay away from that brand.


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## cataraftgirl

I would highly recommend an Outcast product. I have had a PAC 1000 for over 15 years and it's bomber. A Fish Cat 13 or PAC 1200 would meet your needs & price point. The tubes are made by AIRE, and the frame is set up for 1-2 anglers. The prices includes the boat, frame, oars, side bags, and repair kit. If you want a boat for 2-3 anglers, then you might not be able to stay below your $3000 price (including frame & oars) and still get a quality product. I have looked at the Scadden products at outdoor expo shows and they are not in the same quality category as the Outcast in my opinion.
Fish Cat 13 | Outcast Sporting Gear
http://www.outcastboats.com/pontoons/pac-1200-pontoon.asp


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## Osseous

Ditto on the negative review of Scadden's stuff. I would look at a used rig, or if you want new, an Aire tributary or the Outcast version of the tributary line of rafts- Aire makes both products. 14' is the best place to start- gives you room, hauling ability and just seems to be the "right" size for an awful lot of folks.

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## Troutsky

Thanks for all the replies. I was suprised to hear abut the Scadden products as they are advertised to handle whitewater. The Outcast boats are nice as well, but preferably I would like to find a self bailing raft. I have looked at a couple Saturn and Rocky Mountain Rafts that we're at a decent price range. Would just like to find a good fishing frame that could be added on at my budget. I am going to keep looking around. Also, I have a truck, would I necessarily need a trailer?


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## pbowman

*Fishing rafts*

I posted on this topic at length a few years ago. Since then, I have sold my 11.5' Otter and replaced it with a 13' Otter. I also have casting floors and lean bars on both the 13' and 15' rafts now - great for fly fishing. To find the price point you are looking at, it will probably be necessary to purchase used gear. It may still be a challenge staying under $3000 then, but you might find it. There are also lots of opinions on less expensive rafts like RMR or Saturn, so you will need to do your own research there and make your own choice. 

As for size, the standard fishing setup will allow 2 anglers and one rower, with no real options for 3 fly fishing anglers IMO. If the rivers you plan to fish in No Washington are larger volume (2000 cfs +) with less technical whitewater, then I agree with the suggestion of 14'. But if you will be fishing smaller water less than 1000 cfs on a regular basis, I would offer 13' as a better size. As for a trailer, I think they become necessary with the more involved fishing frames. It makes things a lot easier to have a trailer, but it is not impossible to roll and haul in the back of your truck - just time consuming at the ramps. 

I share the same thoughts on Scadden as other posts - the capabilities of the product are grossly overstated and misrepresented on his website. Having inspected the products several times at different shows, I personally would not take it on anything over CL II. 



pbowman said:


> i have an older 11.5' NRS otter that i fish from with the basic NRS fishing frame (only one person fishing in front). i also have a 15' NRS otter with the full NRS fishing frame (two people fishing, one elevated seat in front and one seat on the stern).
> 
> i chose the NRS frames so that i could have maximum flexibility for different uses. i also row both boats for whitewater and overnight trips, so i can easily take the fishing seats off to rig the frame with a cooler, dry box, seat board, etc. the ability to reconfigure other frames such as DRE and AAA is both limited and cumbersome IMO, and the outcast frames cannot be modified at all. i have acquired a few extra cross bars for my frames, so i can just take the fishing seats off and put the straight cross bars in for whitewater with a cooler of beer. or i can leave the front seat on the big raft, and create some gear bays in the middle and stern of the boat to be rigged for a multi-day fishing trip.
> 
> my neighbor also has the 14' NRS Otter fishing package (included raft, frame, oars, lean bars, casting floors, etc) that he purchased in 2010, so i have fished on that several times. i don't find the casting floors and lean bars to be of much use for the type of water i like to fish in colorado, but that is admittedly my personal choice. if i were fishing slower water with very few rapids (like sections A/B/C of the green for example) more regularly, a casting floor may have more appeal to me. one thing to note here is that my neighbor sold a 16' cat with a NRS fishing frame set up (only one fishing seat up front) to buy his 14' raft package. he said he wanted the additional flexibility the raft would offer and he felt safer taking his kids in the raft instead of the cat.
> 
> if i were to only have one raft for fishing, i would choose a 13'. i think a 13' raft is large enough to comfortably fish with two people (one in front and one in back), but still agile and small enough to take out when the water gets a little low. my 11.5' raft is packed full for a day trip with just one person fishing, and it would be very tight (basically impossible) to put a stern seat on that set up. having fished and rowed my neighbors 14', i find it a little too big when the water starts getting low. it is also difficult to move around and get on the trailer if there are only two of us.
> 
> given all of this, a 13' raft would be an ideal size for fishing colorado IMO. if i could only have one, i would choose the 13' NRS fishing package and get a couple extra cross bars to give me the flexibility to rig for whitewater and booze cruises. i would also get the NRS anchor system added to the package, it is a great addition for the money. this is all based on my personal preferences, experiences, and the water i like to fish, so i certainly respect the opinions and preferences that other folks have expressed here. the bottom line is that whatever craft and frame you choose you will be able to enjoy some great fishing.


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## Osseous

http://www.outcastboats.com/osg-rafts/pac-1400-raft.asp

Self-bailing Outcast- though it's higher than your budget. RMR is a solid boat as well.

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## okieboater

you can put together a cheap setup and it might work ok for a while but most do not last and the buyer ends up wasting money.

watch the Buzz for a used Aire super Puma setup with a fishing frame
or
save money till you can go to an outfit like River Boat works in Salida CO and get them put a package together for you. I know river boat works sells a lot of fishing setups for use locally and they might have a used setup or trade in that works for you. I have no connection to River Boat Works except that I have purchased gear and boats from them for years and the service was good and price fair. There may well be local fishermen clubs that can advise you as well.


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## tomt36

*Why not a Cat? One boat...all rivers*

I have had a 14.5' Cataraft for the past 20 years that I purchased from AAA inflatables in Denver CO. The tubes are from NRS and it has withstood the "test of time" and very heavy usage. You cannot beat the versatility of a cataraft, and with the casting decks and stands both front and back, it is much more stable then any traditional self bailing raft that I have ever fished out of, and I really have fished out of a bunch of boats. Although I'll fish out of anything that someone else is rowing, standing up all day on an inflatable floor simply sucks and the tiny little floor decks they make for rafts are functional but not ideal. The cataraft is comfortable enough that I used it when guiding for about 5 years before I lucked into my Hyde drift boat (nothing beats a drift boat for fishing....ahhhhhhh). However, since most of the other rivers in Colorado I fish are not fit for a drift boat, I'm often in the cat. Also, I have used the boat on numerous trips down the Grand Canyon, Middle Fork, Green, San Juan, Black Canyon of the Gunny etc etc etc. Same boat for 400 cfs on the Rio Grande and 20,000 cfs on the Grand! I even put the frame on a set of 18 foot tubes once and it worked fantastically to haul my gear and a whole bunch of group gear down the Grand on my second trip down. The pros are numerous, the cons are that you have to be careful where you put your stuff down, the guy up front gets a bit wet unless you keep them out of the bigger rapids (NOT a problem for me or my friends, small problem for clients). Tape up the straps that connect the frame to the tubes and you dont catch up when your flies go under the boat.


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## pinemnky13

caverdan said:


> Dave Scadden rafts are light for a reason. They are made of very thin material and puncture easily if you drag it across rocks or hit anything. I would stay away from that brand.


Stay very far away
Very far


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## the_dude

pinemnky13 said:


> Stay very far away
> Very far


I am on my 2nd Otter and have loved both of them. I fish smaller streams in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming where weight and width are a big concern for skinny water. A few years ago, I sold the 13' boat and got a 14' boat when we had our first child. I bought the Otter 142 this time because it's 6" wider than the 140. If you're not as concerned about width, then the Otter 140 might be a good option for you. They both have plenty of room for 2 fishermen and a captain for day trips or overnighters or 1 fisherman and a captain for longer trips.

Both of these boats are great fishing crafts and plenty worthy of serious whitewater.

Good luck.


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## Osprey

Given the budget to start with I’d keep it simple. It’s easy to get caught up in all the pretty options, which are nice, but you don’t have to have them starting out. Add as you go, especially with no trailer, all the extra crap is just weight and complexity.

My .02…look for a used or value raft, I would look at a Vanguard or Aire Tributary or RMR 14 with a very basic NRS frame to start. The Vanguard’s in particular are known for having a hard floor to stand on. An NRS frame with front deck (or cooler there) instead of seat with just a lean bar and maybe a stern frame with seat is still pretty easy to roof rack and fast to setup/takedown for the back of your truck with an LVM pump. Once you go trailer then add all the heavy accessories that are nice for fishing. That will get you started and see what you like and those rafts or anything more expensive are going to last you a long, long time.



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## Jamie D.

If you've only got $3K, get some decent rubber, a basic frame and the rest of the essentials and call it good. All the dodads are cool, but far from necessary. Some people act like you need a thousand dollar rod and reel, a wardrobe full of Simms, a Tundra with all the right stickers and $6K fishing boat.

Get on the river, toss some bugs and have fun.


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## Jake D

Keep an eye on washingtonflyfishing.com. The forum has a lot of used fly fishing gear, including the occasional raft.


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## pvsprme

I second the above comments about Scadden, I have a 10 Skykomish Sunrise and while it's good for lakes or Class I & II waters, it's not what Scadden claims. It IS good for fishing still or easy waters by yourself as I can load (on Yakima Rack on the top of my truck shell) and carry it by myself. For what you want, get a real boat. I think you need to decide on a raft vs a cataraft; raft will carry more people for the same length, but do you really want more than 2 and an oarsman? Things get crowded quickly and you'll not be all fishing while drifting. They each have their virtues. I have a RMR 14' Cat that IIRC I have just about $3K into the frame & tubes and used oars (Cataracts), but that's not counting trailer and accessories. You don't want to carry a raft that'll handle 3 persons on your rooftop or assemble it at the launch site, really. So now you need a trailer, seats, boxes, PFD's anchor(s) etc/etc. I have about $5K or pretty close to it in mine.
As said above, check out WashingtonFlyfishing Forums. Always one for sale there.


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## Troutsky

Thanks again everyone for all of your suggestions, this is a really a great forum. I had no idea that there could be so many options, but there is some great advice here.


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## chiapet74

Used 13' or 14' boat with a NRS Bighorn 2 Frame. You can build from there


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## 2kanzam

Start simple (i.e. simple rowframe and boat) and build as you require and develop needs.

I prefer a simpler set up...especially when I'm flyfishing, as do most of the guys I fish with....otherwise there's just so much to get your line hung up on. 

I like having a light boat so we can do super low water runs in the summer and drag over shoals, I like being able to hit the big rapids without banging my body on all the frame pieces and lean bars. I like being able to move around the boat and sit/stand/board and unboard wherever and I like being able to put in at difficult accesses where there is no good boat trailer launch because it means fewer people fish it.


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## Jake D

Here's one for you.

https://boise.craigslist.org/boa/4969493315.html


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