by Scott T. Starbuck , September 04, 2016

If you can’t yet afford a ClackaCraft Drift Boat, or even a fine pontoon, an improvised raft is one way to access areas beyond the reach of bank anglers. There are clear advantages and disadvantages. In short, the advantages are greater flexibility, compared to a drift boat, in where you launch and take out; ease of storage and transport; the ability to easily cover summer water where a drift boat will drag; and smaller rafts can be carried on upriver trails. Disadvantages may be holes from underwater branches and wayward spinners; the time it takes to pump them up; more difficulty anchoring in fast water; limiting yourself to one watershed a day; and the need to deflate them at the end of the trip. By far the biggest disadvantage may be the safety factor depending on the size of river and quality of your raft. I learned from ten years as a commercial salmon troller not to take risks with water safety. These days, I limit my raft fishing to small rivers and/or low water.

I learned this the hard way. In my 20s, I ran big winter rivers in a two-man raft, like an idiot, and had near misses with drowning. The logic here is simple. You are going to miss a lot of fishing seasons if you drown so avoid big waters, and remember to wear a life vest. Unlike the old days, there are thin ones now so you don’t have to scare low water steelhead with bright orange bags designed to be seen from Jupiter.

I still mostly bank fish so I can jump from river to river at will. Some days I will be on the coast in the morning, and on mountain rivers in the evening. I choose a raft when I know fish are in a stretch of water than can only be reached that way. As you can see in my photos, my Sevylor Fish Hunter Inflatable 6-Person Boat gets me to summer steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout. My next raft purchase will be a better quality, heavier boat, but I can’t complain because the Sevylor served me for about four seasons of heavy use before it started leaking.

While rafting, a bundle of car chains allows me to anchor far above where I cast. This way I don’t scare fish. Make sure you have enough chain, and rope, to secure the raft so it doesn’t float away from you. Sometimes it is easier to tie the anchor rope to a branch.

There are other items to consider. I use plastic pipe so I can extend the oars for better control in fast water; board for a seat; throw bag in case I need to rescue someone (happened twice); camouflage skirt to prevents chaffing and punctures; hand pump; repair kit; sunscreen; sunglasses; water; bug spray; whistle, flashlight, and Clif Bar for emergencies; cooler with ice for fish; and a sponge to bail water.

Jesse Shultz of the Aquatic Invasive Species Unit in Washington told me, “All aquatic conveyance transports throughout Washington must meet clean and drain requirements.” Click Here for the WA RCW on aquatic invasive species.

To be legal in Oregon at the time of this writing, you need an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit for: “All non-motorized boats (paddlecraft) 10 feet and longer.” My 6-person Sevylor is 11 feet 9 inches and weighs 47 pounds. To reduce spread of invasive species, it’s always good to clean, drain, and dry.

Before going to the river, consider a raft shuttle from a local tackle shop. A second option is to use a bike and bike rack for do-it-yourself shuttle. It is useful to have two sets of keys so you can give one to the shuttle driver, and keep one in case he is too good at hiding keys.

Sometimes you may forget things, and have to creatively improvise. Once, on a coastal river, my brother forgot oars, and we had to use branches with tennis shoes tied to the end for oars. I endured laughter from onlookers but still caught a steelhead that day.

Another thing to consider is the distance if you bring someone with you. I’m so addicted to fishing, time and space are completely irrelevant any time I’m on the water. I learned years ago, not everyone feels the same. Some anglers immediately lose interest in rafting / fishing for what I consider mild issues like cold water up your butt, hunger, and shivering once the sun sets. Therefore, it may be better to start with a half trip or go it alone.

Etiquette is something to keep in mind. If you arrive where someone is fishing, try to avoid the sweet spot of the run where the fish are. Understand that many anglers work downriver so don’t fish directly below someone casting. Ask permission to fish above the angler if the place is large enough, or far below if you are willing to wade downriver. Walking behind someone casting a fly may result in a pierced ear, nose, or worse.

I owned many kinds of rafts over the years, from swimming pool specials to thick rubber beasts that went years without leaking. If there is no danger, and you don’t mind walking several miles, go cheap, but just remember to toss it over your shoulder as you leave so it doesn’t end up in the Un-Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In all other cases, go for something more riverworthy. The AIRHEAD AHIBF-06 Angler Bay 6 Person Inflatable Boat seems to be a decent low-budget boat at $204.99, and a shipping weight of 45.4 pounds, but I agree with the reviews that 4 people or less would be more reasonable. Ideally, two people for this boat would be best, one rowing and one in the front. A second option would be to look for a used higher-quality craft such as a seaeagle.com Stealth Stalker 10 Package which sells new for $999 (45 lbs -- “hull only”); BRIS 12 ft Inflatable Boat White Water River Raft for new price of $949 (106 pounds); or the 9'6" Saturn Whitewater Raft for a new price of $1,099 (80 lbs). Even half price or less, though, puts you in pontoon territory so make sure you consider both options before making a purchase. If you like to fish alone, and the water is safe enough, a pontoon may be a better choice.



Frequent area angler Scott T. Starbuck has a new book of fishing poems, Lost Salmon, by MoonPathPress.com (and available at Amazon.com). He is grateful for praise from noted fishers Frank Amato, Jon Broderick, Henry Hughes, Marty Sherman, David Joy, Jack Driscoll, and Larry Gavin. His next book, Hawk on Wire: Ecopoems, written at a PLAYA Climate Change Residency, will be out this spring from Fomite Press in Vermont. Starbuck’s blog Trees, Fish, and Dreams, with his recent catches, is at riverseek.blogspot.com.