Su-weet. Boulder Boat Works Gets Serious
- This topic has 42 replies, 24 voices, and was last updated Apr 7, 2012 at 1:53 pm by
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This has been an interesting discussion. I’m looking at building a drift boat in the not to distant future. It will be wood.
Brad’s comment about guide boats cracked me up. It reminded me of some things that we used to say when I was a waterfowl guide in Arkansas. Sports would sort of look at some of the boats we used with befuddlement. Depending upon the day I might be pulling a 16 foot aluminum john boat with an outboard, a 12 foot wooden john boat with oars and outboard, a 16 foot V bottom, or a sneak boat. The rest of the guides were pretty much the same. None of us painted our boats camouflage. The sneak boat was the only one that looked ‘ducky’. None of the rest would have graced the photographs of the magazines. (That little thing could be wild and wooly in a flooded rice field when a front would be whipping in!)
What is a guide boat? The boat from which a guide works.
I don’t have anything to add except I like reading Brad the musky man’s posts. Good stuff as always!
db
I have rowed Clack, Hyde, RO, HI, BBW, and Freestones……..and I would have to say that the BBW is the sweetest ride to row on the drink.
My personal interest in a BBW lies solely in their ability to quietly and smoothly navigate low, skinny water of which we here in the upper Gunnison valley of Colorado have no choice to row for the majority of the year. The purchases have proved it.
Well, I just can’t help but weigh in on this one! First let me admit my prejudice> I built and row a wooden boat. It’s a stitch-and-glue boat designed by Montana Boat Builders. Stitch-and-glue are the most beautiful of all driftboats – and actually easier to build than framed boats (you don’t all those double-mitre cuts!). They do take some maintenance but it’s like tying flies. What else are you doing in the winter (unless you own a place where bone fish live)?
I’ve know Boulder Boat works for a long time. They are good guys and good fishermen. You can see it in the set up of the boats. I’ve been trying to emulate their rod holders in my boat for 5 years. You can certainly guide out of them. I know three guides in Missoula who’s been guiding out of them for about 4 seasons – doing probably 130 days per year each. Their models had the wood trim and looked kind of nice – for a flat bottom canoe. I also know a bunch of guides in Missoula who row framed wood boats and take them to some very hairy places.
In my opinion Hog Island’s ugly. If you want to buy a “plastic” boat, take a look at RO and Adipose. The Adipose Skiff is a sweet ride if you’re not doing really big whitewater. (Check out their Wounded Warriors paint job. Really awesome). Ro makes a nice boat as well – especially for bigger, nasty water.
One of the great lines was delivered my the founder of Boulder Boat Works one day when I was visiting a few years ago. We were discussing chine design and asked him about repairing their chines if you hit a rock. He said, “Well, you’re not really supposed to hit rocks.” I always try to remember that….
Great discussion !!
Two years ago.
I still can’t believe they still don’t have a effing beer holder anywhere in the boat.
I picked up a used Boulder (thanks for spotting it Joel) and have had it for a season. I ended up with a high side. It is a bit “tubby” and does not handle as well as Joel’s boat, but it does have its advantages. I can attest to the fact that it will take a hit pretty well and slides over rocks great. 😀
As far as the river taxi goes… I’d love to float in one to check it out. It does look like there are a few of places for your line to get tangled up.
I still can’t believe they still don’t have a effing beer holder anywhere in the boat.
No doubt!
[ch8206]’Anglers who go down the river in boats learn best the language of water.”
Oh, I agree absolutely.
BD, I agree with you a drift boat has no place in Tennessee where you live, its much more fun and safe for 3 guys to fly fish out of a canoe
Probably the best Southern tailwater boat one could buy would be the Supreme or Shawnee boats as advertised on top of this board.
Only problem with the shawnee on the top of the board is that it’s hideous. Sorry man, if it looks good it flies good. Couldn’t handle the river taxi either, the yoke for the caster, reminds me of a porta john.
Problem with wood is that once you get into it, the rest of the materials looks characterless.
Hey Peter –
Ha, I don’t agree about the Shawnee’s looks at all, although I do prefer the longer lines of the Supreme.
I never said it wouldn’t fish. I know I have caught more fish out of a leaky aluminum jon boat than anything else. I do like the other boulders though.
BD, I agree with you a drift boat has no place in Tennessee where you live, its much more fun and safe for 3 guys to fly fish out of a canoe ::)
What Jarrod means to say is, “I feel terrible about that time Brian lost the top end of his rod out of my drift boat during generation, the current was too swift to row back upstream, and I didn’t have a motor to go back for it.
I hate to admit it, but I caught more fish before I built the boat. I didn’t spend time messing with the boat and floating over the fish. BUT, I have more fun and I certainly look cooler now….
Aluminum is noisy and seems to drag harder on rocks, wood is pretty if done well but no matter what you tell yourself they take more maintenance, fiberglass is ok,
But the guys I fish with that own BBW like the sharp chines for their handling on the water, they slide off rocks better than other materials.
They are also not afraid to launch down steep rocky slides that they would never take another boat down, but pretty ? They look buttugly to me.BD, I agree with you a drift boat has no place in Tennessee where you live, its much more fun and safe for 3 guys to fly fish out of a canoe ::)
What Jarrod means to say is, “I feel terrible about that time Brian lost the top end of his rod out of my drift boat during generation, the current was too swift to row back upstream, and I didn’t have a motor to go back for it. If only we were in his Gheenoe that wouldn’t have happened.” ;D
bd
Oh I forgot about that day BD
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