Buyers Guide to Inflatable Rafts for Fishing

Non-Rigid Inflatable Rafts for Fly Fishing

Non-rigid inflatable rafts are without question the most popular inflatable raft on the market today. While guides and river running outfits use the larger fishing and whitewater rafts, these smaller and non-rigid inflatable rafts are designed for the individual and small family who either take a multi-day trip on a river somewhere or just want a simple day float. These inflatable rafts are significantly smaller than their whitewater and frame raft counterparts. However, despite their smaller size, they work almost just as well for fly fishing as the larger rafts does, and, in my own opinion, much more fun to take down a river - especially one that has whitewater.

Middle Fork Flathead River in Montana is an excellent river to use an small raft for floating and fishing.

A quality non-rigid inflatable raft is what the name implies. Unlike the whitewater rafts described on a previous page, these inflatable rafts are not rigid. What this means is that when you press your thumb into the side of the raft (when the raft is fully inflated), you can generally push you thumb down by around ¾ of an inch. Similarly, when you sit on the side of the raft, the side will be soft and you will sink down into the raft a bit.

Most people think that this softness in these inflatable rafts poses durability problems. This is not quite true. While these inflatable rafts are not as durable as the rigid rafts, a quality non-rigid inflatable will not get destroyed simply because of bumps on rocks, being run over gravel bars or due to mean encounters with rocks. In fact, the soft nature of these rafts allow the raft to literally bounce off obstructions. I've run my soft sided inflatable raft into many rocks and never yet had a puncture, simply because the raft tends to bounce off the rock instead of getting hung up on it.

Indeed, the most common type of puncture in a non-rigid inflatable raft is the "puncture," with the puncture generally caused by the owner dragging the raft across the parking lot or along the rocky shoreline of a river to put the boat in the water. By doing common sense things like picking up the raft when out of the water and not dragging the thing along the ground, the odds of getting a puncture in the inflatable raft go way, way down.

Yet, sooner or later a puncture is bound to develop. Happily, a quality non-rigid inflatable raft is easy to repair. You can easily repair these inflatable rafts with a supplied repair kit (which can be used "on the water") to patch it up or, in emergencies, slap a piece of duck tape over it. A repair made with the repair kit makes for a permanent repair of the boat, and only requires about 1 hour or so to permanently setup.

Non-rigid inflatable rafts are popular because of several factors. The first factor is their cost. Where a quality rigid inflatable raft can cost several thousand dollars, a quality non-rigid inflatable raft will rarely cost more than $400. Secondly, this type of inflatable raft is incredibly easy to setup. From the time you park the car to the time the raft is fully setup and ready to go generally takes no more than 10-15 minutes. Setting up a rigid inflatable raft takes significantly longer and is not nearly as easy. And finally, non-rigid inflatable rafts are extremely versatile. A good non-rigid inflatable raft performs well in Class III whitewater, paddles relatively easy on lakes, can have a small motor attached to it and still make for a perfect platform for fly fishing on a sedate river.

Non-Rigid Inflatable Raft Summary

In summary, a quality non-rigid inflatable raft gives the angler on a budget a very versatile inflatable boat that performs well in a wide range of conditions. And the portability of the boat makes it ideal for the angler who travels around a lot and lacks the time or the desire to set up a full sized rigid inflatable raft.

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