PONTOON BOATS

We were wet wading in the trout ponds the other day. I was in my float tube and my friend was in his pontoon boat. The weather was strange as soon as you got dressed like this the sun would come out and you'd have to shed all the raingear. Then about 10 minutes later there would be another downpour. With the combination of the rain and getting wet up to the top of my thighs in the Fat Cat float tube I was getting chilled when the wind started to blow. After we finished up and went for a heartwarming supper I noticed that he was only wet to the knees. I had suggested coming back after supper to fish the evening rise and he was all set to leave his pontoon waiting on the bank for him to return and pop right back in it. I, however was done and thinking of dry clothes and casting from shore. This got me thinking again about the strengths of a pontoon boat.


He can row faster than I could ever kick.

He can still use his fins for handsfree fishing.

He is almost completely out of the water, especially if he chooses not to use fins.

When we were out on the river he was just as efficient as me in my sit-on-top kayak. (Except for the capability to go back upstream.)


So I came to the conclusion that when fishing with my two pontoon buddies I would like to enjoy the benefits of a pontoon. These guys have a blast on the trout ponds and management for some reason does not allow canoes or kayaks. So to make a long story short, I am soon to be the proud owner of:
FISH CAT 10 IR

from Outcast. This boat is tough enough to do rivers really well. And will hold enough gear to satisfy the camper in me.

Will this replace my float tube for my flyfishing adventures? Not a chance. I may even stow my lightweight backpackable tube onboard for portages to lakes inaccessible by other means. Check my earlier post on float tubing Saturday June 9, 2006 to see the advantages of the tube for total hands free fishing.

SHORE CAUGHT RAINBOW

After much consideration I have decided to add a pontoon boat to my collection of flyfishing vessels. The two fellows I float the local rivers with both use pontoons and with my kayak I am always ahead of them. (especially if we fish a lake) I figured with the three of us in pontoons it would keep us together like the 3 Musketeers. "One for all and all for one!"

After a nice outing in my tube on Thursday, the best fish was taken from shore while casting an extremely small rabbit fur streamer that I tied up to imitate the abundant pinhead minnows in these trout ponds.

I'm hoping to pick up my Fish cat Pontoon before I leave for my annual bluegill trip. Don't laugh the bluegills are a blast on a 3 weight flyrod. They are all pretty much the size of the one at the top of my BLOG and they give an excellent account of themselves. Makes you feel like a kid again!

A Good River Smallie

Look How Fat He Is!

This fish was caught on the "Big Nymph" (See pic on June 16th posting. Click on it and you will see it in all its glory.) This fly is weighted with a hook length piece of lead solder and casts nicely on my vintage 308 ultra-lite.

Floating A River With My Sit On Top Kayak

Smallmouth bass are a great sportfish to pursue with a flyrod or an ultra -lite spinning outfit. My friends and I had a great float trip last week on an Ontario river. They used their pontoon boats and I brought along my new Tarpon 120. We caught some nice scrappy smallmouths and got a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise. Here's one of my friends with a good smallmouth.