Boat decision

[Matt Haygood]

I know there have been discussions in the past but was hoping there might be some more up to date insight. I’m deciding between an aire traveler canoe or a Flycraft. I fish the Potomac, Shenandoah, rappahannock and Susquehanna mostly for smallmouth and am looking for a boat I can maneuver myself since I’ll usually be alone or with my young son. I’ve seen some people mention Aire but not much on the Flycraft. Once you throw in frames, oars, etc the cost is pretty similar. Any thoughts or insight? I will put a small motor or trolling motor on either to be able to go up or downstream in calm areas. In a few years my boys will be big enough that I will want to take both of them. 

Let the opinions and thoughts begin...

Matt

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Matt Haygood

[Owen Williams]

Hi, Matt, 

I don't own a boat (don't really have a place to store it), BUT

I would consider if you are using it mainly as point-to-point transportation or plan to cast for smallies from it as you drift, with occasional pull-outs to work a spot. If the latter, I'd certainly want to go with a raft with a larger and more stable floor. While it would be heavier and more awkward to maneuver (on the water and at the launch and take out), it would also be more stable through any seasonal rapids and probably more versatile all around. And soon enough your sons will be able to assist on these fronts. 

Curious to hear what those with actually experience of inflatables on these waters would say. 

Best, 

Owen Williams

[Chris Young]

I have a flycraft.  It is good on skinny water and very maneuverable on and off the water...easy to toss on the roof of your car, but (a) it is very tippy (could be an issue with a kid)....need to be pretty careful the first couple times you get it in any fast water...takes a little practice  and (b) its a massive pain in the ass to fish from the rowing seat....the way its set up is to be much lower than the casting seat.  So kind of depends on what you plan to use it for.  

[Dalton Terrell]

I'll throw one more boat into the mix: Sea Eagle Foldcat - https://www.seaeagle.com/FoldCat/375fc

I've fished on TPFR member Misha Gill's Foldcat and it's a sweet rig. It's much more maneuverable than the 3-person Star and NRS rafts I've rowed, and the coolest feature is that it's symmetrical--the oars are half way between the two seats. To swtich from angling to rowing, you just spin the boat and seats around; no crawling over seats or getting out of the boat. I think Misha modified his so both seats are elevated to make this possible. It's also pretty compact compared to rafts and frames, and not too complicated to set up.

Maybe Misha can weigh in on this as well.

Dalton

[Andrew R]

My two cents: Get a Smithfly Big Shoals. Richie at District Angling is a smithfly dealer and can hook you up. 

The smithfly is pretty much the same as a Flycraft but better materials and design (in my opinion), particularly the frame, plus it's American-made too. I've also found the flycraft to be less stable than the smithfly due to its smaller tubes and narrower footprint. The Stealthcraft Hooligan and Hooligan XL are in the same class as the smithfly and flycraft (light enough to carry apx 125-150 lbs) and very good options, just slightly more expensive. I've fished out of all three (and own the Smithfly) and the Smithfly is my favorite hands down. 

I previously owned an Outcast PAC-1300 (similar to an NRS, RMR, or other more "traditional" fishing raft"). It's a great boat but much less versatile in terms of the water you can fish than a Smithfly or Flycraft. Super stable and can run class 5 whitewater but weighs over 300 pounds and you'll need a trailer. The bigger tubes and wider width make it drag in flatwater so it's really only good for moving water. 

You can put a 2.5 or 3 hp motor on the smithfly (or flycraft or Hooligan). I've used mine on tidal creeks for snakehead, reservoirs for pike and largemouth, the NB Potomac for trout, the upper Potomac, Rappahannock and Doah for smallmouth. You can get a poling platform and casting platform to turn it into a carp poling skiff, or even fish certain out of the way places on the bay (tribs, inlets, etc). 

If you want strictly a one man boat, I'd suggest a Dave Scadden or Watermaster. 

Dalton, you and I both agree that Misha is the man, but the sea eagle foldcat is not nearly as a good a boat as the aforementioned three, hence its much lower price. Its oar tower system is not well designed at all (I was scraping my thighs on every stroke) and those cheap aluminum oars have pretty much no backbone. Misha likes his and will likely strongly disagree with my disparaging comments of his boat. 

Keep in mind that any boat you order is likely going to take at least a couple months to deliver. COVID has screwed up supply chains everywhere and recreational boat demand is through the roof. 

Tight lines,

Andrew R

[Matt Haygood]

Thanks so much for your post, Andrew. Helpful for me to consider. It seems like the Big Shoals and Flycraft Stealth X are comparable in size, whereas the Little Shoals and regular Flycraft Stealth are more the same dimensions. I'm worried about being able to manhandle the Big Shoals or Stealth X by myself, which is why I'm looking at the smaller boats. Have you tried the Little Shoals? I'm curious to know a bit more specifically about why you like the design more for the Smithfly. 

I appreciate your insight! It's a lot of money to sink into something I can't try out. 

Matt

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[Andrew R]

I've never been in the little shoals or smaller Flycraft so unfortunately can't really say. Dave Scadden has a two person as well.  

Outcast makes a cool two person raft, the striker, with a drop stitch lean bar that rolls up really nicely and has a very minimal frame, but is really designed for moving water.

The big shoals is a lot of boat for one person, but I've been able to drag it out of spots on my own. I took an old heavy duty canoe dolly and modified it with a 2x12 to roll my Smithfly around. I use it for a particular spot on the Potomac that's otherwise a 200 yard carry-in and it works really well.

[Christopher Kent]

Chris, 

FYI you can flip the frame to raise the rowing seat though rowing gets compromised. 

Chris 

[Misha Gill]

Thanks for the shout outs Dalton and Andrew ahaha. I'll weigh in only to make the point that there is no such thing as a perfect boat, and as with anything fishing related, half the fun is figuring things out for yourself and dialing in your rig. I've listed the pros and cons of my FoldCat elsewhere on this forum, if you want to find it.  It has been a great boat for my last ten years of life circumstances, when I've moved around a lot, had small cars, lived in apartments and garage-less houses, etc. but it definitely has some compromises. If I lived on the Susquehanna I would get a jet boat. If I lived on the Bay I would get a center console bay boat. Really the wisest thing to do is to make friends with boats and let them feel morally superior for being the financially responsible party while you enjoy the benefit of fishing in the front of the boat. Or you can hire a guide and let someone else worry about all the logistics. Are you seeing how many ways there are to skin this cat? At the end of the day, go with you gut, purchase within your means, and get a boat that makes you excited to be on the water.