Keep your bow pointed downstream in moving water. Boats get pinned on rocks when they are sideways and generally bounce off if the angle isn’t too sharp (chines are tough).
To maneuver around or away from an object, point your nose at the object and the stern slightly in the direction you want to go and put in backstrokes. This will also keep you on the path you want in the current when you are fishing a specific line such as the bank.
In longer rapids/rocky riffles (rock garden, dripping springs, red creek, the entire Madison), look ahead and map/plan out your path.
Never anchor up in fast rapids. If you make that mistake and start to drag under, don’t cut the rope, just release the anchor rope. Its faster than cutting and the boat is immediately moving again and not being dragged under.
Before you float for the day, check and manage your rope so it isn’t or won’t tangle. Check your plugs as well.
In that same vein, don’t put a knot in the end of your anchor rope. A new anchor and rope is much less expensive than your boat or life.
Unless you are walking the boat down river (common on other rivers but not really the green), never put the anchor in the boat. Anchors are safety equipment and can be very important. Stopping quickly is good.
Respect other anglers. Don’t anchor up in the main line of traffic (usually the thalwag if its not too fast), don’t run over active fish that someone is working, don’t highhole/lowhole anyone, and don’t slide in just below someone. In short give them space.
If you can, take the boat out to some Stillwater and get a feel for it. I’ve rowed about all of them (except flygoddess’) and they all row differently. This also gives you a chance to adjust things such as rowing, oar lock, and oar stop positions; cooler placement or anything else.
Make sure you are completely ready at the prep area. Launch, secure your boat, and leave the ramp. Don’t be the bottleneck.
Learn to back a trailer before you get to the ramp.
When pulling over, find soft water and look ahead because when you start floating again, you will head straight into whatever is in front of you - like trees or rocks.
Backstrokes are your friend.
Get a throw rope, first aid kit, whistle, wag bag, and spare breakdown oar.
Stay calm.
Green specific:
The dam boat ramp is a circus, get in, get out.
Life jackets are required.
Most rapids there are no big deal. Just get your nose in the tongue and ride them out some backstrokes.
Mother-in-law: float between the cliff wall and the rock. The current will push you into the wall so point your nose at it and your tail slightly towards the middle and put in backstrokes. There is another rock just under the surface that you will want to avoid after you get past the big rock.
Don’t do red creek (b section) until you have a bit of oar time.
Look ahead during rock garden/dripping springs.
You will bang/scrape a few rocks as you learn. Don’t worry, drift boats are tough.
Wind on the green blows.
The are some “lakes” on green. Spin around and row backwards.
If taking out at the first ramp at little hole, get to river left. Staying right will keep you in the current and you will be taking out at the lower ramp.
Shuttles on the green are expensive.
Hope this (long) list helps.
Flygoddess: why did you choose the inflatable drift boat?
Trout Creek Flies runs a shuttle that for $20 picks you up at Little Hole and takes you back to dam.
We drop boat at dam; wife drives car to Little Hole; I rig boat off to side (by stinky outhouse); wife shows up 30-min later and away we go.
HOWEVER, shuttle only runs twice in the morning at 8:30 and 9:30, so that can put you in the middle of the mad house if recreational floaters are out in force.
Otherwise, its $42 for them to drive your car to Little Hole and $95 to shuttle car to Browns Park (which is an hour away).
I’ve seen folks thumbing for ride from Little Hole back to dam, but you take your chances (probably helps if your fishin’ buddy looks killer in a bikini)
Sure. A couple of more thoughts now that I think about it:
After you drop your anchor, put in some hard backstrokes as the slack line allows the anchor to burrow in a little bit.
When you are anchored up (changing flies/lures, getting a beverage out of the cooler, or taking hooks out of your skull thanks to the guy in the front of the boat), slide your oars into the boat. Otherwise, they will be at the mercy of the river and not exactly where you want them when you are ready to move again.
Always wear sunglasses/eye protection. At some point your buddy will put a hook in you.
There’s a whole long list of suggestions for fishing out of drift boat as well.
I bought half of my buddies Alumaweld. Condition was that I keep it at my place in Manila. Looks like a nice boat, but I know little about drift boats. Any tips you can offer about fishing from a drift boat I’m all ears. You can IM if you’d rather. I’m also not a proficient fly fisherman, I’ve had a fly rod for 15 years, just rarely break it out. Going to try and change that now.
Drew, I chose THIS inflatable, because of convenience. Stow ability, Transport ability, and overall weight. It sets up quick. Plus stability. It is an inflatable raft, or it is a drift boat. Love you to check it out, as we will be putting time in on the Green hopefully with some that float it often.
I like the idea that we can float all year, even when the lakes freeze up.
Any tips you can offer about fishing from a drift boat I’m all ears.
Dennis Breer was a guide at Green River for years and his book is a must read for anyone who wants to float and fish the Green. You can get it at most sporting good stores or Amazon.
Although the NRS drift boat is a cool idea, weight, cost, and the fact everyone I know that has one never deflate them because of the time and difficulty to dis and reassemble, I would probably buy a Clacka or Adipose.
Yes I bought the NFO. A frame is on its way, but plenty comfy without. I do look forward to being able to use carbon oars with the frame.
No need for a PM - hopefully this info will be useful for others as well.
General Suggestions:
Stay in the middle of the boat. It doesn’t really impact you but shifts the weight distribution/draft for the rower and makes things more difficult for them.
Always manage your line. Everything in a drift boat will grab your line - including your feet. Only have the line out that you need.
Similarly, keep your fishing area clean. Tuck boat/dry bags, jackets, everything else out of the way so they don’t grab your line. Have a pair of nippers and hemostats on a lanyard and everything else cleared out of the way.
When nymphing, you don’t need to blast long casts. The indicator can be from right off your rod tip to approx. 10 - 15 feet out. Longer casts tend to be less manageable and result in too much drag in your drift. I’ve found that kids/women do a better job here at first because they don’t have the ego a lot of guys have that says: “Look how well I can cast”. You’re not fishing for permit. You don’t need to blast 80 foot casts to impress anyone and you can’t manage a drift that far anyway.
If you are rolling and fishing, mend constantly. Extend your drifts as long as possible.
Minimize false casts. If nymphing, try to water load. If rolling, one false cast and go. If anchored and dry fly fishing, three false casts at most. If streamer fishing, ideally only one false cast. Too many false casts always ends in disaster.
You catch more fish with your fly in the water than in the air (obvious, I know but you would be surprise).
There are three basic scenarios while floating (not including out of boat):
a. floating faster than the water you are fishing
b. floating slower than the water you are fishing
c. floating the same speed as the water you are fishing
If floating faster than the water you are fishing, always fish the future (ahead of you).
You will be chasing your fly and this will extend your drift while keeping your fly in the target zone longer.
If you are floating slower (or anchored) than the water you are fishing, fish in the past as your fly will be chasing (and passing) you. This will extend your drift.
If you are floating the same speed, constantly mend.
Having said all that in 8, always be looking in the future. If you see a spot in the past that looked really good, forget about it. Outside of a streamer, you will never get the drift you want.
Big rivers have a lot of power/weight to them, simply lifting the rod should be enough to set the hook - no bass set needed.
Learn to fish sitting down. Every Alumaweld I’ve ever seen is a WF high side so not as easy as a lopro, skiff or raft but it is still possible. Fishing sitting down lowers your profile while fishing to risers and reduces the risk of scaring them. Also, if nymphing, it (somewhat) forces you to keep your fly closer to you. You obviously don’t ALWAYS have to fish seated but a good skill to have.
A lot of fish hang very tight to the banks (although on the Green, they are all over). Learn to cast within inches of the bank and know you will lose flies. Of course on the Green, you can roll down the thalweg with a nymph rig and do quite well.
More mending, less casting.
Be aware of your casts/backcasts - try to minimize hooking your buddies, you will do it.
If floating with two anglers:
The person in the front has the area from the oars straight out forward while the person in the back has from the oars backward.
Communicate with each other. It will reduce tangles.
Observe the other angler. It will reduce tangles.
Get in sync while casting.
a. Be consistent on false casts so the other angler knows what to expect and when to cast.
b. If floating faster than your fly, the person in front casts first, followed immediately by the back. Back be ready to lay down your cast right after front does.
c. If floating slower (or anchored), the inverse is true. Or as we like to say: “The back of the boat is the front of the boat”.
These suggestions will help you eliminate tangling each other (although you still will for a while).
As for the Green:
Learn to throw streamers. With the right conditions, it can be very fast action.
If a hatch is happening (Its the Green after all), most areas with slower current (above/behind rocks, backwaters, the “lakes”, the slow side of seams, etc) will have fish just below the surface and rising. Approach these areas with caution and plan your angle of attack to put yourself in position to fish them. Of course this is the Green, if you run over fish, you can always anchor up and wait 20 minutes. They’ll start rising again.
Yeah, I have a Clacka and an NRS Otter 13’ w/ full fishing frame. That’s why I was curious if you got the NRS - I’ve never rowed one. The Adipose is a fantastic (the best) boat…for the Mo. Its so wide and flat that its a wonderful boat for the Missouri or any river that is, well, wide and flat. Glides over the water and isn’t impacted by the wind. Not the best choice for the Green (or South Fork) though.
How rigid is the floor on that boat? Is it self bailing? The stock oars seem like they would be a little light to really dig in - but if you are getting the CF oars with your frame, their probably a lot tougher.
I’d like to see that boat when you get the frame on it. I’m curious how it compares to my raft.
The floor is a drop-stitch design as used in inflatable SUPs or the NRS inflatable drift boat. Floor inflates to 10 PSI and is rock-hard, and raft is self bailing. I’ve attached photo of mine with frame, lean bar, seats, and upgraded oars (but without the right anchor). Joni’s NFO Drifter is longer and wider and will easily handle 3 people (e.g., Joni, Alan and Baxter).
The NRS fishing rafts and frames are larger, heavier and more expensive, but for the Green, Henry’s Fork, Warm River, Madison above Ennis, etc., the NFO boats are more than sufficiently robust.
As Joni said, if money, storage, and trailer size were not an issue, I would love to have an NRS drifter, but we really enjoy our NFO boat and it works very well for our needs.
The Dragonfly is the same size as the Assault XX. 10’ long 56" wide.
The Drifter is 14’ long 75" wide. The frame for the drifter was influenced by the Dragonfly, but is bigger and three seater. It is not due till 2015, but word got out so, I am on a waiting list. Soon as I get it I will post pictures.
As for the floors, Dave said this will withstand studs, but not advised. They are tough.
