Drift boat instructor?

[Rossflyguy]

Picking up my first Clackacraft in a couple weeks. Anyone know of instructors to give the basics on proper and safe rowing techniques?

[k.hanley]

This program offered by the American Canoe Association might work for you......
http://www.americancanoe.org/?page=Courses_Rafting

You might want to touch base directly with Clackacraft to see if they offer a program (or recommend one of their Pro Staff members?).

Cheers, Ken

[pgw]

Are you picking it up at Clackacraft in Oregon or Idaho? Both locations have staff that can help you out. If you're looking for a "how to" on a specific river, do a guide trip and pay attention to the guide more than you fish.

Have fun and remember, if there's an hazard ahead, point your nose at it and row your ass away.

[gitt]

Clay Hash of Fly Fishing Traditions in Grass Valley provides instruction on Drift Boats. He worked with us in a kiddie pool under the Highway 20 bridge before letting us loose on the Yuba. Check out his website- http://www.flyfishingtraditions.com

[BumpBailey]

Picking up my first Clackacraft in a couple weeks. Anyone know of instructors to give the basics on proper and safe rowing techniques?

If you like how to video's, Hyde has an instructional video on rowing drift boats. I know you got a Clacka so don't hate on the Hyde... I thought the video was very helpful. I bought a drifter too without ever having rowed on moving water.

PGW makes a good point. Hire a guide on the rivers you like to fish and they can help you too. I also second the Fly Fishing Traditions recommendation. Good info on his web site.

Enjoy yourself and be safe! Moving water is no joke! Shit can go wrong fast!

[StevenB]

You can learn what you need to know with variety of methods. Since you have a few weeks before you get the boat
spend some time watching videos and check with your local library or buy some books to read.
This will give you a handle on the basics and the terminology.
Then take the boat out on still-water (a local lake) and row it around to get a feel for how it responds to input from the oars.
Then as suggested hire a guide with the idea of teaching rowing more than fishing.
When I first got my jet and was learning to run the Lower Sac I hired Dave Simmons to go out with me for a day on the boat and show me the river and how to run it.
When I got my drift boat I was lucky enough to have a few guide friends with years of experience to show me the ropes.
I would still like to take an advanced rowing class some day to learn the real sneaky tricks like rowing the boat sideways while pointed downstream (actually I know that one, but I bet there are others I do not know).

Finally remember the most important point in rowing a drift boat on moving water:

Don't miss the take-out.

[Dragking]

I believe Clacka also has a video (for what it's worth). You might also consider finding some tame water (a brave soul to join you), and going for it. In Redding, the stretch from Posse Grounds by the Sundial Bridge to Kutras/Aqua golf is straight forward. It seems like it would be hard to get in trouble there. You could keep going down to Bonnyview (although the spot by Wyndam can be tricky depending on the flow). I won't recommend launching at Bonnyview. It's not bad, but there's some moves in the first half mile or so. Below Anderson there's some fairly tame stretches. There's probably some tame floats on the American you could do to get comfortable.

Some pointers for starting out: the boat only goes in reverse. Keep control of your speed and pull away (in reverse) from trouble. When pulling away from trouble, make sure you aren't back rowing into the current. Pivot the boat first, pull away, pivot back. When you want to move the boat, start with short strokes to get some momentum. Clackas row great, but all drift boats feel like a brick shit house for the first pull or two on the oars. Make sure you pull the oars together so your hands are close together and in front of your chest. Don't let the oars rest on the rubber stoppers and have your hands wide of your torso.

If you stick to fairly easy stretches of river, the main concern starting out will be eddy fences and unobtrusive hydraulics that appear at higher, summer flows. To a new boater, these can be unnoticeable or unthreatening looking. If you come into swirly water where strong currents meet, keep the boat/chines in the ribbon of current that's moving down river and keep the bow pointed down river. Needless to say, you and your passengers should wear pfds for the first few trips.

Good luck,
B

[Randy B]

Tons of video on YouTube, most of the drift boat manufacturers have videos or blogs, or both, on their websites. Also "Drift Boat Strategies: Rowing and Fishing Skills for the Western Angler" is a decent book on rowing a drift boat.

[Rossflyguy]

Lots of good info. I’ve owned a pac 12 and learned some rowing on it but I’m sure a legit drift boat is drifferent. I’ll be taking it in some easy water first then on to the lower Yuba to get it down a little better before I go to more technical rivers. I’ll be contacting some people for a row session and take a look at some of the books recommended. Best way to get good is to get the boat in some water.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I am sue that Jeff Putnam could take you out on the Lower American River?

http://www.jpflyfishing.com/