04-04-2009, 04:57 AM
[quote Zabber]Hi, I've been fishing for about 15 years now but have yet to flyfish. I would like to start this coming summer and am in the process of buying a float tube, rod, etc. I basically have it narrowed down to the "Outcast Fish Cat 4" float tube, "Creek Company ODC 420" float tube, and the "Creek Company ODC 616" float tube/pontoon hybrid (a friend of mine has one he's willing to sell me).
Personally, I think I'd prefer to be sitting out of the water so the ODC 420 (on the Creek Company website it says "Thick foam seat keeps you comfortable and out of the water while increasing floatation"), or ODC 616 seem like the best choices...If the 616 is from Cabellas recent $100 sale, it has no flyfishinng apron and the pontoons are sewn nylon with bladders made of air mattress material, which I consider low quality. Frame is thin metal and might not hold to heavy loads or rough use. Very stable, slow due to lack of streamline shape. Compact, will fit inside a small hatchback inflated if one of the pontoons is removed. I replaced the pontoons with versa vessel 6', but just about any pontoons could be adapted with ratchet strap fastners. With the ODC, however, I'm wondering if I wouldn't be sitting too high up (thus making propulsion difficult)... I'm 6'1" 180 and sit about 3" above flat water unloaded, which is too low for me so I added a 2" spacer so waves don't get me wet, since I don't use waders. If you have long legs, should have no problem with propulsion. Does anyone have any experience with this tube/pontoon that they are willing to share??
Can anyone (preferably around my weight) that has used a Fish Cat 4, or ODC 420, let me know how deep in the water you end up sitting?? I'm guessing you can't get away with just hip waders...
Thanks,
Rob[/quot
Hope this helps.
Pon
[signature]
Personally, I think I'd prefer to be sitting out of the water so the ODC 420 (on the Creek Company website it says "Thick foam seat keeps you comfortable and out of the water while increasing floatation"), or ODC 616 seem like the best choices...If the 616 is from Cabellas recent $100 sale, it has no flyfishinng apron and the pontoons are sewn nylon with bladders made of air mattress material, which I consider low quality. Frame is thin metal and might not hold to heavy loads or rough use. Very stable, slow due to lack of streamline shape. Compact, will fit inside a small hatchback inflated if one of the pontoons is removed. I replaced the pontoons with versa vessel 6', but just about any pontoons could be adapted with ratchet strap fastners. With the ODC, however, I'm wondering if I wouldn't be sitting too high up (thus making propulsion difficult)... I'm 6'1" 180 and sit about 3" above flat water unloaded, which is too low for me so I added a 2" spacer so waves don't get me wet, since I don't use waders. If you have long legs, should have no problem with propulsion. Does anyone have any experience with this tube/pontoon that they are willing to share??
Can anyone (preferably around my weight) that has used a Fish Cat 4, or ODC 420, let me know how deep in the water you end up sitting?? I'm guessing you can't get away with just hip waders...
Thanks,
Rob[/quot
Hope this helps.
Pon
[signature]