Chironomid Fishing Boat?

[scel]

I am simply wondering if anyone has ever tried one of these boats.

 

https://www.cunninghamboats.ca/best-lake-fly-fishing-boat/

 

They look like the bees knees, but there is a fairly heavy price tag attached ($3000 CAD, I believe), enough to afford both a good pontoon boat and a good fishing kayak. I guess it is local company, but I have never seen one or heard anyone speak of them (other than the review in Fly Fusion Magazine). Oh, the places you could go with that light sleek frame and oars. The only downside (other than the price) compared to a pontoon or kayak is the on-the-spot manoeuvrability.

[Dangus]

One concern Id have is That it looks like a pita to deal with fish going under the outrigger plus your anchors.

[monger]

Not sold on the idea.

More traditional boat lets you store more stuff.

Fishing in the wind would be awful with all those line catching devices, let alone landing a big fish.

 

Good for exploring I guess.

[BrianR]

canoe with training floats...canoe tippy sob's floats /outriggers more things to catch on...

[bcubed]

I am simply wondering if anyone has ever tried one of these boats.

 

https://www.cunninghamboats.ca/best-lake-fly-fishing-boat/

 

They look like the bees knees, but there is a fairly heavy price tag attached ($3000 CAD, I believe), enough to afford both a good pontoon boat and a good fishing kayak. I guess it is local company, but I have never seen one or heard anyone speak of them (other than the review in Fly Fusion Magazine). Oh, the places you could go with that light sleek frame and oars. The only downside (other than the price) compared to a pontoon or kayak is the on-the-spot manoeuvrability.

Price tag probably reflects the hellman canoe..those things are perty damn pricey. Would actually not be a bad kit if you were into canoeing and could use this as an add on

[joeandjd]

Joe Cunningham here from Cunningham Boats ... Thought I would respond to some of your thoughts on the Chironomid. Yes, indeed there are not many of them around yet, this is our first season. The Chironomid was introduced in January. The boat was was designed over a 2 year period and went through 2 prototypes - it was meant to be fast, stable, easy to stand and cast in, very light, able to be double anchored more effectively than most other types of boats, and have everything included with no add-on neccessary. bcube is right, 2/3 of the price is reflected in the Kevlar hull which is built from our mold by Hellman's. Also, the rest of the boat is either built in Pincher Creek, AB or some components are made by a small company in Minnesota - Spring Creek Outfitters - except the swivel seat and mount which are made in China. I'd like to point out that they are not so expensive when you calculate some of the things that you DON'T have to add.

The boat actually excels in the wind as the pontoons are like a keel. The boat can travel up to 10 km/hr.

Bron and monger, when fishing you actually swivel around and face the clear end with nothing in your way to catch line. When I was developing the first prototype I was actually worried that when playing a fish, not always having control of from which direction it would come at the boat, that the outrigging could get in the way. I found that to be not a problem at all as the pontoons are only an inch or two below water and my rod extends well past them (and the oars) anyway. Anchor lines to the lake bottom are another matter altogether just as is the case in all boats The anchoring system is unique as the boat comes equipped with 2 locking anchor reels (line included).

The seat position is actually very high, so although I like standing up to cast, it's pretty damn good from the seat as well ... it's almost as high as a kitchen chair so for old guys like me ... I'm 62 ... it is extremely comfortable to be in all day and many of my friends swear it is the most comfortable boat to fish from they have ever been in. If you try standing up and sitting down repeatedly from a kitchen chair you'll realize that you don't need additional support to make that move on a sturdy surface .... that's what it's like.

scel, you are right that a pontoon boat has better "on the spot" maneuverability due to the ability to have flippers on your feet in the water. For me personally, I prefer the advantages I get from the boat's other abilities that are not available to a pontoon boat, but I realize the Chironomid is not for everybody.

tallieho1 you are also right...a canoe is a tippy sob ... I would contend that this is no longer a conoe but it retains, like a beautiful schooner, most of the canoes wonderful hydrdynamic properties. Yeah, on one level it's got "training wheels", but that's not the way I would think of a more traditional Trimaran, so I would contend that the other stuff that makes a regular canoe a horrible stillwater fly fishing boat doesn't really apply here anymore - like instability and being swung around in the wind.

 

I realize that this is a bit like eavesdropping on you guys, but honestly, I appreciate being able to hear honest first impressions and reactions ... so thanks. If you're close enough, and anyboby would like to try one out! ... fishing for real ... no strings attached ... give me a call, text, or email joe@cunninghamboats.ca 403-627-9864

[monger]

Thanks for the info Joe. I can see the advantages when fishing a large lake like Whitetail where you might want to travel from one end to the other. I guess one would have to try it in a big wind at Police (or further south) to experience the comfort level in the waves with a 25+ km/hr breeze.

One needs to consider what type of water(location) you are going to be exploring and your fishing style. It looks like a well built tool for fooling the fishes.

[JimMcLennan]

Here's an answer to the original question. I have tried the boat. It is extremely stable, moves very quickly and very easily even in a breeze. Perhaps best of all, you can stand up (easily, comfortably and with stability equal to a pram).

 

Stonefly, Monger, bcube and Bron, Joe is giving you a great opportunity to try one out. You should take him up on it.

[Dangus]

Wasn't bashing it, that's just the first thing I thought of.

I'd probably be a hard sell as I have no real reason to get out of my floating dock... and I can only imagine how well a fiifth fishing craft would go Over with the wife.

[joeandjd]

Understood Bron. 🙂 I thought the observation was fair and it gave me the chance to address the impression. Thanks!

[DougPaton]

I use the Chironomid and I love it! It's stable, incredibly light and moves really well through the wind.

 

I fished out of a canoe for years before getting the Chironomid and this boat just makes the experience better (especially the seat). I've had it since the beginning of the summer and have been testing it out as much as possible to get a sense of what it excels at. It's a good boat if you're on a windy lake. I took it out on a boat that I'm normally hesitant to take my canoe on a month or so back and instead of spending my time worrying about whether I would be able to make it back to the launch, I actually had a good time. I was actually surprised at how easy it cut through the wind and chop. It's going to make a few lakes that much more pleasant to fish from.

 

It's also good for lakes with slightly tricky access, like with a fence all around it or there's a bit of a walk to the boat launch (I have both near me). The boat is light enough to carry no problem at all. Way more so than my canoe. And once you've done it a couple of times, set up is a breeze.

 

I look at this boat as my solo boat now. I've never had a pram or anything like that, so this boat filled that gap nicely.

[DaveJensen]

Haven't been here in an ice age but heard this topic was here and hopefully can help a little.

Bron - I had the exact same thought as you about the outriggers when we showed up to film with that boat. The reality is that they are on top of the water and really don't get in the way. It was funny because I envisioned getting all gnarled & tangled but not a chance as they are out of your range of motion with any effort.

Tallieho & Monger - I'm 210 and wasn't even worried about falling out when standing. Sure, the first time standing you feel off balance but then you get the hang of reverse bracing your calves against the seat and it's no problem at all. As Joe said the boat's seat is well high enough to do everything you need to while sitting anyway.

Lifting it - if 40 year old Amelia can lift it off the truck and carry it to the lake first try, most should be able to or at least have someone help easily. And because it's extremely light you can carry it a long ways. I've tried walking a pontoon boat down some long cutlines and this is a breeze by comparison.

Time to set up - a little longer than a pontoon boat but marginal from what I saw. No matter what packable or portable boat you buy it will take time to pump up pontoons, snap frames together.

Price - well... what boat are you buying for what purpose? It's a lake boat that could be used on slower rivers by anyone with any kind of moving water aptitude. If you fish lakes I have yet to see a design that allows you to go anywhere near that speed and allows you to stand up and sight-fish. And touching on speed - it's not just that it can book it across a lake but the ease in which you get moving. Unlike a pontoon boat that chugs & stalls with every single stroke, this thing carries and glides. And standing to spot fish - that is worth a lot to people that want to do some neat things like watch for cruising rainbows or tailing browns in shallow. There's a ton of subtle things that have been sourced and crafted to make that boat work. And it does exactly what it is supposed to do, very well. I'm not sure how Joe could price it less based on being a small company using mostly locally sourced parts.

Hope this helps a little. Cheers

[monger]

Standing and sight fishing from a canoe is awesome. My buddy and I paddle together standing up and take turns with shots at the fish while the other guy controls movement. Having a couple of stabilizers would be nice

[Crowsnest]

I don't want to knock the boat. He's obviously put in a lot of resources to build it. Kudos to him, nice to see a local product.

 

The hydrodynamic properties and the stand up option are selling points for sure, but one can buy a PT boat with a 'stand up feature' for much less $$$.

 

And as Joe has said, the "on the spot' maneuverability of a PT boat just can't be beat (except maybe by float tube).

 

My brother and I can pack our 2 - 9' pontoon boats into his Toyota Corolla.

[Taco]

Oh goody more friggin choices... I have a pontoon. I've been thinkin' I'd rather have a hard boat of some sort so I've been doin' some snoopin' and come to the conclusion there too damn many options in things that float to fish outta..

 

Gawdamn stupid lakes.............................

[scel]

I took Joe up on his offer---I tried the Chironomid today. I spent an hour or so paddling around Glenmore Reservoir with Joe.

 

The Chironomid really is an amazing boat. It has the speed of a kayak, the payload of a 1-man canoe, and the stability of a pontoon.

 

It almost effortlessly glides over the water. With very little effort, I could get going to the same speed as my kayak. While it does lack the tight quarters manoeuvrability over a kayak or pontoon, the speed and anchoring system I believe are fair trade offs.

 

It is quite easy to stand up in it. Your ability to stand up is ultimately limited by personal balance. It would be incredibly hard to tip. To tip it over, I almost think the user would actively have to try to do so. I brought a rod and did some casting. Having the option of standing up is nice, but I actually think that I would spend most of my time in the comfortable seat.

 

The front half of the boat is almost completely free of any potential snags or tangles. All the 'clutter' is confined to the rear of the boat (and by 'clutter' I simply mean all the things that make the boat great, like the outrigger supports, rod holders, anchor reels, etc), but there is still plenty of space to pack your gear and supplies in the back part of the boat to maintain the clear area in front.

 

As a fishing boat, I have to reserve my opinion since I did not have a good chance to fish out of it. I cannot presently see any circumstance where it would be any different from a canoe or kayak.