Pontoon Boats for Fly Fishing : Guide
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| North
Fork Flathead River in Glacier Park |
Pontoon boats
are excellent fly fishing boats. And no, we're not talking about
those party boats that are frequently seen haunting many popular
lakes or, even worse, the kind that you "peddle around". Instead,
we're referring to those one man and two man pontoon
boats that have been specifically designed for fishing, fly fishing
in particular.
If you're not
familiar with these type of boats, pontoon boats for fly fishing
are small boats, usually not more than 8 feet long (although much
larger boats do exist). Two pontoons sit on the water on either
side of the angler. The pontoons can either be inflatable or solid
air bladders. Regardless, the pontoon hulls are shaped in a V hull
pattern, greatly minimizing water resistence when paddling and allowing
for excellent maneuverability. The pontoons are connected by a frame,
which also contains the sitting area for the angler and the paddles.
Pontoon boats are paddled similarly to that of a rowboat, and the
frame of the pontoon boat makes paddling these boats a breeze, at
least when it is not too horribly windy.
Pontoon boats
for fly fishing are a relatively new boat, as they first became
commonly available just back in the 1980's. But, although pontoon
boats are relative newcomers to the world of fly fishing, they have
quickly sprouted up to be one of the most popular fly fishing boats
around.
Benefits of
Pontoon Boats for Fly Fishing
The popularity
of pontoon boats for fly fishing is not without cause. Pontoon boats
have many benefits for anyone who enjoys fly fishing and needs a
boat to fish from. The benefits of using pontoon boats for fly fishing
include:
- Maneuverability
- Pontoon boats, due to their V shaped pontoon
hulls, are extremely maneuverable, at least once you pick up the
basics of proper paddling technique. Additionally, the rowing
frame that comes on pontoon boats allows for very powerful strokes,
allowing for both quick turns as well as relatively easy long
paddles across flat water spots.
- Durability
- Pontoon boats are very durable. The pontoons
on these boats are extremely rugged, being designed for the hazards
of river running and fly fishing.
- Versatility
- Pontoon boats are equally at home on rivers as
they are on lakes. Most pontoon boats are fully capable of running
Class III whitewater, and some pontoon boats will do well in Class
IV whitewater under a skilled paddler.
- Portability
- Pontoon boats are extremely portable. The inflatable
pontoon boat varieties can easily fit in most trunks. The solid
air bladder varieties of pontoon boats, while not quite as small,
will still fit nicely in the back of a pick up truck. Both of
these varieties of pontoon boats are also relatively light, allowing
a solo angler to easily carry and set them up.
- Organization
- As pontoon boats were designed for fly fishing,
pontoon boats have many little "compartments" built
into the frame of the boat that allows for easy storage of rods,
reels and other on the water necessities.
Thus, pontoon boats have
many excellent benefits for fly fishing. Interested in shopping
for one? Then read our Pontoon
Boat Buying Guide on the next page. Our Pontoon
Boat Buyers Guide covers the different types of pontoon boats
available and what you should look for when shopping around for
one.
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