Question to Drift Boat Owners

[zenherper]

I just purchased a Scadden Dragonfly, and I am starting to plan some float trips. For those of you who own your own boat, do you prefer to use a shuttle to get your vehicle to the take-out point? If not, how do you handle getting your vehicle to your take-out without having two drivers?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dave_W]

It depends on the situation. If I'm by myself, I'll pick a river section where I can paddle upriver and drift back down.

If it's an actual float trip (ie. miles downstream to another point) you need either a shuttle service or another car.

In some cases, if you're fairly sprightly and there is a decent rails to trails path, you can use a bicycle or put on your hiking or running shoes to get back up to the car. Of course if you opt for foot or bicycle, you need to factor into your planning a reasonable amount of time to get back to your car.

 

[krayfish2]

Zen,
Congrats on the new purchase. Like Dave said, depends on how / where you are fishing as to how you shuttle. Done it by foot, used bike and shuttle service. I'll put it to you this way.....if you have a long or rough day (upriver wind or great fishing that keeps you rowing 45 minutes after dark), the LAST thing you want to do is spend another 45 minutes getting your car and 30 more minutes loading boat / storing gear. The the car is at the takeout.... load, go and get dinner or sleep.

Depending where you go, you may or may not find services. I have services I use on the Delaware, they offer them on the Yough, I can run one for you if you fish near me and a forum member does some on the Lehigh. Other than that, there uber. Lol.

You were going to join us a few years back. Offer still stands. Now that you got a boat, let's go!

 

[1fish]

I've seen people use small dirt bikes that they park at the take out, or leave at the put in launch to pick up later. I've also seen pickup trucks with mounts on their front bumper, to carry a dirt bike while towing.

 

[wbranch]

When I float by myself I will pay for a shuttle. Sometimes I have been known to ask a complete stranger if he would like to float with me so I don't have to pay for the shuttle but use his vehicle to follow me down to the take-out point, then get in his vehicle and go back to where I dropped the boat.

If I float with friends I'm okay with using their vehicles to follow me to the take out if we are just doing a short, say 3-4 mile, float. But if it is a long float, say 10-12 miles, it is a real pain in the butt to have to first drive up to the put in and drop the boat and leave it unattended while you drive the boat and trailer to the take-out. The buddy has to follow you in his vehicle and then you both drive back to the put in.

Then at the end of the day after rowing, and fishing for 10 hours and all you want to do is get to the cabin and relax you know have to trailer the boat and take your buddy all the way back, 10-12 miles, upriver, Then and only then do you get to go home or to the motel and eat dinner and relax.

To my way of thinking that is absolutely no fun at all and if even if it is my best friend and he insists to do it the hard way and not split the cost of the shuttle with me I'd rather float by myself and pay the $30.00.

Another issue I didn't mention is I hate leaving my boat unattended for more than a few minutes. Stuff happens and while we like to think our brethren fly fishers are as honest as a priest I have known people who have had stuff stolen right out of their boats while they are doing the shuttle with a buddy. It only takes a few seconds to steal a pair of $500 composite oars, or an anchor, or whatever else you left in the boat. A couple of times I paid guys who appeared to be honest looking guys who were wade fishing around a ramp $5 to watch the boat for me for 15 minutes while we do the shuttle.

BTW all your friends, and even some you didn't know you had, are going to be wanting to float with you now. Unless you are okay with spending the day rowing them down river I would recommend never to take more than one guy with you on a float. Then you can both fish. Another recommendation I would make would be to tell your float partner the oar lock position is the middle of the boat and if he is sitting in the bow seat then any fish he sees rising in front of the oarlock he can cast to but if it is rising behind the oarlock then those are your fish. Maybe you have really nice friends who would never cast to fish on your side of the boat. My friends on the other hand don't have such manners and will cast to any fish they think they can cover no matter where it is.

 

[zenherper]

Thank you for all the detailed responses. You have all provided great information. I do plan to bring a friend along as often as I can.

Kray, The WB Delaware is one of the reasons I purchased the boat. I plan to do several trips this year. I want to get there a few times early in the season to familiarize myself with the river. How often do you float the WB? Maybe you can help me get to know the river a little better.

I also plan to float the Lehigh a bunch of times. No doubt, the boat will get used.

wbranch,
I think I have the same perspective as you. I don't mind paying $30 for a shuttle, and know my truck will be waiting for me at the take-out, as I would likely be doing longer floats.

Thanks again guys!

 

[mkerr]

Got a great group to get info from in regards to the float fishing in the region...Watch the meet up section of the forum, pack that raft up and wing it! I did a few years back and Haven't stopped planning trips since.

 

[zenherper]

mkerr, I'll keep my eyes open. Thanks.

 

[wbranch]

There are some areas on the main stem from the launch at Shehawken to the ramp at Buckingham where you need to know there are some monster rocks that just want to grab your boat an smash into it! SOB's! I hate those dam rocks.

Kray knows of what I speak. Once you get out of the bottom end of the WB it is smooth floating all the way down to the top of Stockport. But when the river starts to drop that area gets quite shallow and there are half a dozen jagged rocks on the upper end of that riffle that you need to see in advance so you can avoid them.

The next area is the riffle above Cemetery Pool but if you favor river right you can sneak right by them. Then you are fine all the way down until you get to the top of Knight's Run. Again if the flow is 1400 cfs or better you can go right down through the middle but at lower flows there are only two safe paths; very tight to the river right bank until you get through the very skinny water where the river hooks to the right. Or you can hug river left above the little island and shoot down the channel and you will come out in deep water below the island.

At the top of Russ's Run there is some dicey rocks and swift water when the river is low but if the flow is good you can shoot right through. When you have a drift boat it is good to be looking well ahead down river so you can plan how you are going to maneuver the next rocky section.

 

[Brianh]

Pick up Paul Weamer's book Fly Fishing Guide to the Upper Delaware River. It gives you specific launch/take out spots and even suggests floats with time and distance. It's the best guide to fish the Upper Delaware.

 

[krayfish2]

Matt,
Based on your above post, you'd scream at me for the lines I take. Lol.

I agree with the last post about picking up the book. Lots of good info in it but I think the float times are not accurate. There's also unknown factors like how much time do you spend hung up on a pod of fish, how far do you have left etc. My first float on the Main resulted in me getting to the ramp around 12:30am to hang out.... alone .....with the 2 bears that were in the parking area. Little unnerving. Experience and time on the river is truly the only way to learn it. Check your PM's Zen, I sent you some info.

 

[zenherper]

All great information, Guys. I really appreciate it.

Brianh, thanks for the advice about the book. I'll pick it up.

Kray, In my experiences floating with my pontoon, I usually take much longer than the "anticipated" time schedules. I had a similar experience on the Madison river 2 years ago. It wasn't 12:30 AM, but it got very dark, and I realized that I still had a couple miles to go.

wbranch, one of my biggest fears (justified or not) with the new boat is hitting one of those jagged rocks! Thanks for the info!

 

[poopdeck]

Sounds like a job for UBER

 

[vcregular]

zenherper - If you plan on hitting the Lancaster Show this weekend - stop by the Lehigh Coldwater Fishery booth. We can give you some insight on floating the Lehigh. Some stretches are more benign than however however all stretches are more technical than anything on the D system. We are also doing a Yeti raffle - so stop on by,.

 

[zenherper]

vcregular wrote:
zenherper - If you plan on hitting the Lancaster Show this weekend - stop by the Lehigh Coldwater Fishery booth. We can give you some insight on floating the Lehigh. Some stretches are more benign than however however all stretches are more technical than anything on the D system. We are also doing a Yeti raffle - so stop on by,.

Sounds Good, I'll be sure to stop by.