Looking for drift boat advice

[rouleur35]

Hi,

Looking to buy my first drift boat and looking for advice. Am interested in opinions on fiberglass vs aluminum vs wood. Also length, is a 14 ft ok for 3 people or would 16 ft be better? Mostly it would be used by 2 people on the trinity and the valley rivers. Any opinions appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

[SeanO]

14' is too small for three people. Wood boats need to be stored out of the weather, lots of upkeep it seems.

Good luck on your search,

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I guess a fiberglass drift boat or rafts would be quieter on the Trinity River.

High sides are for heavy water.

Low sides are for flat, smoother rivers and great for old clients to get in and out.

.

[dude02]

Would not have wood as as stated above due to maintenance (though they can be beautiful).

Also agree that 14' is too short for three guys. A 16 x 54 aluminum is as small as I would go for three people. The rear stands in a 16 x 54 can be a bit close to the rower. For three guys, a 17 x 60 is much more comfortable. I've drifted the Trinity multiple times in both sizes. Both would be fine meaning that there would be no penalty for the bigger boat. The Lower Sac, Feather, and the Yuba are all easily drifted in this size, but I have no experience on rivers further south. I know some rivers are quite small and may be better served with rafts.

The bulk of all Clackacrafts are 16' models and measure more similarly to 17' aluminum boats. No problem on the Trinity. My guess is its the same for Hyde and other glass boats.

Lots of threads on the web on the aluminum vs. fiberglass debate. I've only been in Clackacraft and Willie boats and can't speak for the rest. Both of these manufacturers make great boats. I prefer glass but honestly if I were buying used I would look for the best deal either way. Most used glass boats tend to be set up for fly fishing whereas used aluminum boats see a mix of fly and non-fly set ups. It is not particularly comfortable nor safe to fish without braces and this can add some cost to remedy.

If the budget allows, buy the best oars you can afford. It is a night and day difference between the basic Carlisles that came with the Clack and a set of Sawyer MSXG's with Dynalite blades. Sawyer Square Tops with Dynalite blades would also be a killer set up. Shoal cut if you float lots of skinny water like the Trinity. Seriously, a nice set of oars makes the day a whole lot nicer.

Let us know what you end up with.

[TaylerW]

Love my clacks. 2nd on the premium oars. Square tops!!

[SeanO]

Good info, dude.

I will also say lots of older 16 x 48 Aluminum boats for sale for cheap up in OR and WA as folks are upgrading to a larger boat. The 48" wide boats used to be the standard back in the day and one might be good for a first time boater? They are fine for two people, you can squeeze in three people once in awhile but performance will suffer with more weight.

The trend is definitely going towards longer and wider boats.

Would not have wood as as stated above due to maintenance (though they can be beautiful).

Also agree that 14' is too short for three guys. A 16 x 54 aluminum is as small as I would go for three people. The rear stands in a 16 x 54 can be a bit close to the rower. For three guys, a 17 x 60 is much more comfortable. I've drifted the Trinity multiple times in both sizes. Both would be fine meaning that there would be no penalty for the bigger boat. The Lower Sac, Feather, and the Yuba are all easily drifted in this size, but I have no experience on rivers further south. I know some rivers are quite small and may be better served with rafts.

The bulk of all Clackacrafts are 16' models and measure more similarly to 17' aluminum boats. No problem on the Trinity. My guess is its the same for Hyde and other glass boats.

Lots of threads on the web on the aluminum vs. fiberglass debate. I've only been in Clackacraft and Willie boats and can't speak for the rest. Both of these manufacturers make great boats. I prefer glass but honestly if I were buying used I would look for the best deal either way. Most used glass boats tend to be set up for fly fishing whereas used aluminum boats see a mix of fly and non-fly set ups. It is not particularly comfortable nor safe to fish without braces and this can add some cost to remedy.

If the budget allows, buy the best oars you can afford. It is a night and day difference between the basic Carlisles that came with the Clack and a set of Sawyer MSXG's with Dynalite blades. Sawyer Square Tops with Dynalite blades would also be a killer set up. Shoal cut if you float lots of skinny water like the Trinity. Seriously, a nice set of oars makes the day a whole lot nicer.

Let us know what you end up with.

[rouleur35]

Thanks for the info, now I will keep searching for a good used one.

Tom

[pgw]

I have a 14 ft Clack. with me and a fisherman up front, it does well however, when there's a 2nd angler in the rear seat, the stern rides in the water preventing the current from flowing under the stern and instead the current pushes on the stern...causing the boat to "want" to travel faster and forcing me to back row harder to maintain control (and slow the boat to a better fishing speed). It's been my experience that if the rear fisherman in a 16 ft boat stands in the knew braces, his weight moves far enough forward to keep the stern out of the current flow. And on the Trinity, nothing beats an inflatable for riding higher in the skinny water...most of the scrapes on my boat are from the Trinity with just me in the boat.

Have fun, and try to find copies of "Driftboats" by Dan Alsup and "Drift Boat Fly Fishing" by Neale Streeks (Both from Frank Amato Books).

[Dragking]

I bought a used Clacka WF last fall, and I have a fairly useful tip for searching for used boats. I searched Craigslist and other used boat sites for a long time, and I talked to a lot of people selling their boats. It became very clear that used boats in California (and on the west coast (as opposed to interior west)) are very overpriced. Out of frustration, I called Clackacraft to inquire about a used boat. I asked if they had any used WFs, and the guy said "probably, but none ready to go." I probed that further and found out that they often are sitting on many used boats that they take in on trade. However, they don't list them for sale until they are completely "refurbished." I asked if they could refurbish one of the WFs for me, and voila--8 or 10 weeks later I had a boat.

My boat was in Idaho (I'm in Redding). Clackacraft shipped it to Portland for free, and I drove up to get it. (I think they offered to have someone drive it down for a modest fee, but I wanted to go myself). Clackacraft completely refurbished the hull (fiberglass and gel coat) and resprayed the interior. The only parts that weren't completely new were the seats and interior fiberglass benches and braces. The boat looked basically brand new, and it was a 2001. Also, the boat came with a 100 year hull warranty. I got the refurbished boat and a new old stock (never used) 2011 galvanized Clackacraft trailer for $4,400 (that included anchor, rope and standard oars). I upgraded to square top Sawyer oars and nicked myself to about $5,000 on other accessories, but I never found anything used in that price range in such good condition.

Sooo, if you aren't finding good used options, call Clackacraft (both Idaho Falls and Clackamas locations) and see if they have something lying around that could be refurbished. I never would have thought buying a used boat from the dealer was a good idea, but I have been very happy with mine. Good luck!

[bigfly]

I picked up a new Clacka 16 ft LP, with a Mega box in front, at Idaho Falls recently....Love it!
Promptly went about meeting several rocks on the Henrys Fork up in the Box Canyon....sleepers...invisible in low light/shade..
Warm River to Ashton is showing some bones already...(a little lower than average snow pack here as well.)
Wasn't sure about the soft floor before.. now I'm sold!
Where other boats would have stuck, we just slide up/over and off.....(Fear fewer rocks..)
A used boat would be less traumatic to start meeting rocks with...
Great boats, great service...Tell John in Idaho, Bigfly sent you.......
Come see me at Three Rivers Ranch if you guys get a chance....Golden stones have fish looking up....and Green Drakes are starting to show......

Jim