fishyfish Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I am new to this forum, and a very new drift boat guy. We finished building our macKenzie River Drift Boat late in 2012 and got only one drift in that year. Then the floods with only 2ce on the water that year! Since the flood, I find it very hard for a relative novice like myself to drift the Bow. Picking the right channel and knowing where to slow down for the good fish holes has been very challenging for me. It seems to me like you need to drift it an awful lot to get to know the river every year. How many drifts does it take you experienced guys to "re-learn" the river after the ice goes out and again after the June floods? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ÜberFly Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Hard question to answer as everyone learns differently and at different rates. Get out as much as you can now while the water isnt as busy nor high and fast would be my reco. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayhad Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 I find I feel out of touch with the river the first few drifts of the season. You can really shorten the learning curve if you go out with a guide for a drift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcubed Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 My hint, always slow down. Fish everything. You can always row out when it's dark... Stick to the main channel if you're unsure about what is floatable (and right now, most back channels are not), park your boat at the bottom of channels and walk back up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishyfish Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 All of your advice sounds good. I especially like the idea of walking back up the secondary channels, not only to fish but to also check out the navigations hazards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Float a 100 yds stop get out walk around repeat.Anchor, fish for 10 minutes, slide down 20 yds anchor again fish repeat.You'll find all the spots within the spots that you just wouldn't see if you just floated by. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDoctor Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 It seems to me like you need to drift it an awful lot to get to know the river every year. This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmomar Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Although it may not be apparent based on the behaviour of other oarsmen on the Bow, drift boat etiquette generally dictates staying out of the skinny side channels. If someone is fishing a side channel, you'll have no choice but to drift over their water. My advice - find a boat who's captain appears competent and follow them at a reasonable distance (500-1000m). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyomingGeorge Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Fishyfish: I would do the opposite. Think for yourself! Go places others don't go. Fish secondary and tertiary spots, especially on busy days. Don't follow the pack! Fly fishing is intrinsically individualistic. To me, fly fishermen who feel inclined to follow others should stick to team sports. One small anecdote, and yes, it's shamelessly boastful: was following a boat run by a reputable guide a couple of autumns back, down a long riffle ending at one of the big classic banks. The lower part of the riffle widened suddenly behind an island, edged by a seam. Mr. Guide drifts straight on down, oblivious, missing the entire seam. My guy sets us gently to the left, my other guy casts across the seam, and WHAMMO, brown on. Coming near the end of a slow day, it was great. The boat ahead of us missed the entire event. We were following the other boat only in the physical sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmomar Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 I agree with you WyomingGeorge - but if you're still learning the ropes, follow the leader is a great way to learn the basics for the OP. It's a big river, and until you learn to read water, it's helpful to learn by example. I'm all over fishing the water everyone leaves behind, but it takes experience to identify those areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyomingGeorge Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Mrmomar: You are right, of course. I got carried away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishyfish Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Float a 100 yds stop get out walk around repeat.Anchor, fish for 10 minutes, slide down 20 yds anchor again fish repeat.You'll find all the spots within the spots that you just wouldn't see if you just floated by. WOW! you really do need to spend days and days and days and days on the water. Waht a great life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishyfish Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Although it may not be apparent based on the behaviour of other oarsmen on the Bow, drift boat etiquette generally dictates staying out of the skinny side channels. If someone is fishing a side channel, you'll have no choice but to drift over their water. My advice - find a boat who's captain appears competent and follow them at a reasonable distance (500-1000m). I had not heard of this boat etiquette before, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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