100_0256 Study Topic Of  The Week: Rowing a Drift Boat

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Most people think that rowing a drift boat is easy, until they try it. This week we give you some great advice to rowing a drift boat for the first time or for a seasoned guide.  

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ClackaCraft Rowing Instruction

How To Row A Drift Boat
Courtesy of Rocky Mountain Guide School

 

ROWING

Rowing is a skill just like fly-casting. You need to be able to read the stream, just as in fly fishing, but with an eye toward working with the currents, rather than against them. Although rowing is not difficult, the untutored oarsman will often react by moving the drift boat in the desired direction down river, which is the exact opposite of the correct response. With practice, rowing will become second nature and you will enjoy learning how precisely you can maneuver your boat.
Rowing is an excellent upper body work out and proper body mechanics are essential to stay strong and not cause unnecessary injuries. In addition, take into consideration the elements. We all want to do the best job for our clients, but rowing in heavy currents or fighting the wind can cause impairment. Learn the river, and let it work for you. The following information will assist you in achieving maximum efficiency with your rowing skills. The professional guide takes in to consideration that tomorrow is another working day.

THE BACKSTROKE

When rowing with fly fisherman aboard, the object is to slow the boat as much as possible, while keeping the anglers in the best casting position. Therefore, the first rule in rowing a drift boat is to do everything with backstrokes. As you and the bow of the boat face downstream, develop the habit of backstroking to maneuver and avoid obstacles. The backstroke is much stronger than the foreword stroke because it combines the energy of the arms, back, and legs.
When a boulder or a log needs to be avoided, you can depend upon the backstroke. The problem with using the forward stroke is that with the current, it speeds up the boat, driving it even harder into the hazards you are trying to avoid. Additionally, the forward stroke moves the boat faster, which prevents the anglers from working the water thoroughly.

BASIC AVOIDANCE MANEUVER

The general principle to keep in mind is to point the bow of the drift boat to the danger, and row back away from it. The seven following steps will outline this principle in greater detail.
  1. LOOK – While rowing you will be dodging low casts, spotting fish, tying on flies, or getting a something from the cooler. To avoid any surprises, map your course to allow ample time to set up properly.
  2. AIM THE POINT – towards the back of the boat (STERN) into the direction in which you plan to back away from the rock. In the example this is achieved by dragging the left oar and pulling two or three times strongly with the right. Pull with the right oar until the boat pivots to the “escape angle” you need- about 45 degrees across the current ( the current and the river banks aren? always parallel; cross currents can be deceiving).
  3. PULL – Now that you have the proper angle, pull on both oars to get away from the rock. Even in a moderate current, three to six strong strokes are usually enough. In rougher water, with big waves and cross currents, it may require several more adrenaline fueled strokes. Momentum will keep the boat going several yards after you stop rowing. Beginners tend to over-row, using more strokes than are necessary and end up zigzagging all over the river. With practice it will become second nature. If you observe an experienced boatman, they maneuver efficiently, without wasting a stroke, missing rocks by inches. A minimal amount of rowing helps maintain a steady casting distance from the bank or target water which is an asset to your angler.
  4. STRAIGHTEN – Now that you’re far enough away to miss the rock, straighten out the boat to pass by it. Dragging your right oar will do the job, with perhaps one pull on the left oar. Naturally, your anglers will want to cast around the rock, so you’ll be far enough to the side of it for them to cast without needing to adjust the length of their lines to reach it. It is easier for your clients to cast if you keep the boat parallel to the bank. This allows them to cast from the side of the boat minimizing the danger of hooking the oarsman, or each other. This is the science of rowing fly fisherman.
  5. RETURN – Now that you’re passed the rock, aim your stern back toward the bank. In the example this calls for dragging the right oar and making a few strong pulls on the left.
  6. POSITION – Now that you’re cocked at the proper angle again, several strong pulls with both oars will get you back to your original distance from the bank.
  7. RESUME – Straighten the boat in the current by dragging the left oar. Ideally you will want to maintain a comfortable casting distance to the fish for your client while drifting down the river.
All these steps were made using backstrokes to slow the boat down. On swift, rocky rivers, you seldom have a moments rest between slowing the boat and maneuvering. Wearing light gloves can help to avoid blisters. The faster the water, the sooner the set up must be to avoid obstacles. In boatmans parlance, “set up” means to know what’s coming up, to maneuver the boat to the appropriate angle for backing away, and beginning to row early enough to avoid the danger. It is very easy to underestimate the power of rapidly flowing water, which can be dangerous.

COMMON ROWING PROBLEMS

In addition to dodging boulders, there are several other situations which you will encounter. River velocity is generally greater on the outside of a bend, where the current often accelerates. Rocks and downed trees are often also lodged on the outside of a bend. Upon entering a bend, plan in advance to back away from the outside of the bend, aiming your stern toward the inside corner, ready to power away from the outside bank. Set the boat up before you enter the situation. The more swift the current, the more power you should be ready to apply. If you are on a river with big rapids, it is wise to land the boat upstream of an especially “loud” corner (most rapids can be heard well in advance) and scout the rough water ahead before running it. Have long length of rope on hand to tie the boat up or to yard the boat through the rapids from shore. Wind is a problem on many large rivers, and there is nothing worse than trying to row in a strong cross wind. Unfortunately, few drift boats were built with this in mind. Most drift boats were designed for serious white water and less windy conditions. Boats with only moderately high sides (just enough freeboard to avoid shipping water in turbulence) are best for navigating the majority of wind swept Rocky Mountain trout rivers.
ClackaCraft offers a very low profile fly boat designed for high wind and relatively flat water conditions.
The only recourse when rowing in a gale-force cross wind is to keep the stern pointed into the wind, and row like a madman to avoid being blown into the banks. (A tail wind is easiest to deal with.) This often means poor boat positioning for casting and blisters on your hands at the end of the day.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

The first is to keep the boat straight, or parallel to the banks or target water whenever possible. This helps the fishermen to fish the banks without tangling each other. (This will result in the angler’s casts being parallel to each other. Fisherman who are unfamiliar with the close quarters of a drift boat will have problems until they develop their own float-fishing skills.) Another point to remember is that a neat boat will tangle fewer lines. Anglers accustomed to dropping their stripped line in the water between casts will find that in a boat, anything nearby – including their feet- will snag their lines. Keep the floor of your boat as uncluttered as possible. As noted, the oarsman usually wants to slow the boat down, to give the anglers more time to fish every spot next to a bank. It doesn’t require tremendous power, technique is the key. At times you’ll want to hold the boat stationary in the current to work a rising fish, or even back upstream to undo a snag. When it comes to snags however, fishermen should be prepared to loose some flies. They shouldn not expect the guide to row back upstream for every fly caught in a bush or on a rock; that’s hard work if you need to do it 50 times a day. Instruct your client to point the rod toward the fly, then hold the line to break off the fly.

COMMON TERMS & MANEUVERS YOU MUST KNOW

BROACHING
Sooner or later, you’re bound to broadside a rock in your boat, and be pinned there by the current. The beginner usual reaction is, again, exactly the opposite of what it should be. When you broadside something, lean into it, not away from it! The rushing water will tend to climb the upstream side of your boat and push it under water. Your natural reaction, leaning away from the object that you are going to slam into, only facilitates flipping your boat or wrapping it around the rock. If you know that your going to broadside an obstacle, get ready to lean into it and push or spin off of it with your hands, feet or oars. If you are floating water that you would not feel safe swimming in, don’t be ashamed to wear a life jacket; a supply of which, the U.S. Coast Guard says must be in every boat.
OAR STROKES
There are two factors that contribute to the strength of your stroke. First, the harder you pull on the oars, the more force you are applying to your boat. Secondly, the longer you apply a force, in the form of long sweeping strokes, the more accumulative energy you are applying to your craft.
You want to use long sweeping strokes rather than short choppy hard strokes, for a smooth comfortable ride for your clients. Keep your long strokes shallow, submerged in 10-12 inches of water. The long shallow strokes will be easier on you and more stable for your clients.
SHIPPING THE OARS
This maneuver puts the oars in a stable position so that you can exit the boat, or do other things for a while. This is done by drawing the oars into the boat in front of you, clear up to the blade. There are many instances where this needs to be done quickly. Practice shipping the oars until they can be instantly placed correctly.
RE-SLAMMING
An oar that has popped out of the oar lock has to be replaced in the oar lock quickly. Become familiar with how your oar fits your oar lock, and at what point along the oar it will first pass through the gap of the oar lock. You must be capable of accomplishing this maneuver in two seconds.
SPARE OAR
Know how your spare oar works. Does it fit your boat? Is it in usable condition? Can you access it quickly, and is it easy to assemble if you need it in a hurry?
FEATHERING
As the blade of the oar enters the water it will help you make smooth strokes without slicing deeply into the water. The angle that the blade enters the water should be vertical or tilted slightly. Excessive angle will cause the blade to slice the water.
SCISSOR STROKES
The scissor stroke is the most effective turning stroke. By simultaneously pushing on one oar while pulling on the other, the boat will spin in a circle. Using both oars to spin the boat is much more effective than pulling on just one.

EXITING THE BOAT

Exiting the boat involves first shipping the oars then jumping out over the side of the boat, back by the transom. By exiting the boat back where the boat is narrower it reacts much less violently than if you were to jump out near the oar locks. If you need to stop the drift boat, you must pivot around and catch the stern as it passes by, then dig your heals in and hold on.
Remember – you are the anchor and the brakes.

EDDY-IN AND EDDY-OUT

This is the most hazardous maneuver for the oarsman. The difficulty is that the boat is transitioning from water moving one way into water moving another. Fast current hitting the side of the boat can tip or roll the boat. Care should be taken to cross the eddy line with the bow pointed as down current as possible. The object is to meet the oncoming current bow or stern first rather than from the side. Cross currents are much more likely to glance off and pass underneath rounded drift boat chines with out spinning the boat than they are sharpened square chines. Drift boats with rounded chines are also much more maneuverable for cross current set up.

MISCELLANEOUS

As a last note, leave prepared for the day? float. Have rain gear, jackets, life preservers, first-aid kit, waterproof containers, the proper amount of food and drink, sun screen, toilet paper, flashlight, shuttle arrangements, keys, and anything else that you may need for a long day on the stream.

 

 

 

Drift Boat Basics

By Willie Illingworth

Written August 14, 1989, updated October 18, 2005

 

How to Run a Drift Boat

It is certain that there are very few boats as specialized or unique as a river drift

boat. Drift boats are riverboats, specifically designed to run rivers, and although they are

not unsinkable, they are amazingly maneuverable and seaworth, especially in the hands

of an expert oarsman. Although their popularity began in the Pacific Northwest , they are

now used in many rivers across the United States ,, Canada and Alaska . Although drift

boats can be used for general river running, most white water enthusiasts prefer rubber

rafts. Without question, fishermen and hunters who seek unlimited access to river prefer

the easy launching, handling, anchoring, and comfortable dryness of the solid floored

drift boat. This information is to not only help you become familiar with drift boats, but

also with drift boat handling., the basic how to’s of running a drift boat, the do’s and

don’t of drift boating. Drift boat selection, making sure to choose the right drift boat to

suit your needs, and some straight talk about river courtesy. Which in itself can be

intimidating to novice drift boaters. As a fisherman, I can not help but point out that drift

boats not only provide access to the bank bout angler, but open up a whole new world of

fishing techniques, many of which can not be employed from shore.

If you study a drift boat’s basic design for very long, it becomes obvious why the

boat is built the way it is. Its bottom is flat from side to side, there is not keel. This wide

bottom area means that the boat draws very little water, thus able to float through shallow

riffles. The bottom is dished from the bow to the stern, which allows for quick turns and

maneuverability so the oarsman can pull the boat away from obstructions. The point bow

is the high end which faces down stream, and in white water situations allows the boat to

cut the wave and lift the boat through it. The blunt angles stern piece is just high enough

to keep following waves from spilling over the side, wide enough to mount an anchor

bracket, but not so wide as to spoil the turning maneuverability.

People who have had experience with conventional boats have a hard time

adjusting themselves as to how to maneuver a river drift boat in swift water. The reason

for this is that a drift boat is a little backwards. Even though the bow is the high end and

point down stream, it does not control the direction you wish to go, but rather the stern

end, and which way it is point, determines your destination. The key thing to remember

when staring out, if you are sitting in the row seat, which is located on the stern end of

the boat, is to pull on the oars and slow the boat down as you proceed downstream. If the

boat is drifting towards an obstacle and you wish to avoid it you turn the stern to the

direction that you wish to go and pull on the oars, thus pulling yourself away from the

object before straightening the boat out to proceed downstream. Most peoples’ inclination

is to push on the oars, which only insures that you will hit the obstacle before you can

maneuver away from it.

When maneuvering a drift boat downstream through somewhat quiet water, you

may wish to push on the oars to move downstream faster, or if you are in an extreme

white water situation with large waves, you may push on the oars to carry your boat

through those large waves, but 95% of your boat maneuvering you will be pulling on the

oars turning the boat at a 45 ° angle to the stream flow and pulling away from obstacles

then straightening the boat out to proceed downstream. Most classic rivers are made of a

series of pools or holes and riffles or chutes. Often times you will set-up to run a chute or

rapids and unless you are familiar with the river, you should start in the middle of the

river looking downstream trying to read the water and pull your boat away from the

obstacles. If the river tries to push you into a corner, tree or any obstacle, the key thing to

remember is to point you bow into the obstacle and the stern 45 ° to the flow and pull

your way away from it.

Do’s and Don’t of Drift Boating

Never anchor in deep swift water. Never cut your oars too deep when rowing, especially

in boily water. Never let go of your oars, while free floating, unless you are paying close

attention. Often times the river can grab your oar blade and result in a broken oar or a

bent oarlock. Never allow your passengers to stand-up while maneuvering white water.

Make sure that they are seated unless you are in an anchored position or perhaps in calm

water. Always carry life jackets for everyone on board and wear them if you are in any

white water situation. Always carry a spare oar and oarlock.

It is worth noting that even though drift boats are built for running rivers, and can

maneuver in white water situations, they are not unsinkable, especially in the hands of an

inexperienced oarsman in rough water. Thoroughly checkout the section of river you are

running, making sure that there are not waterfalls or heavy rapids, which exceed your

capability. There are may rivers or sections of rivers which can be handled easily by the

novice, at the same time there are sections of streams which are either unrunable, or

runable only by the very experienced oarsman. Also, just because you ran a section of

river successfully last year. For example, a tree may have fallen across the stream or

heavy winter flows may have narrowed the channel or changed the river course. Talk to

your fellow fishermen, stop in and ask at the sport shop or maybe even maintain a local

map with recommendations as to which section or sections of a stream would best meet

your qualifications. If you are really unsure on how to run the river or whether or not you

wish to invest in a drift boat, either go with a friend who has one or consider booking a

trip with a local river guide. Booking a trip with an experienced river guide can not only

help you get the feel for running the river, but you can learn the better fishing spots, and

even which lures or techniques are producing. Most sporting goods shops can

recommend the better local guides. Get several names if possible, call them and base your

choice on which one your like the best.

River Courtesy

Although owning a drift boat does able an angles to get away from the crowd and

reach, otherwise, inaccessible areas, you will run across occasional bank fishermen, or

sometimes float by crowded fishing areas in an effort to reach inaccessible places. Bank

fisherman or other boat fishermen might resent you rowing over the area they are fishing,

or they might resent you anchoring right where they are casting. Also, anchoring in a

sport perhaps boats have been taking turns fishing.. Most of the time a little common

sense and a friendly hello are all that is required.

Here are a few things that you might keep in mind, as you maneuver downstream

keep an eye out for other boats and bank fisherman. If you see a bank angler, try and

watch where he is casting, if he is casting short then you may wish to run the river on the

opposite side, the same would be true if the river bank was considerably congested, then

you would be safe to run the river on the opposite the populated shore. If an angler is

casing all the way across the river, fishing the obvious pocket on the far side, then you

may wish to maneuver close to him, avoiding running your boat over the top of the area

he is trying to fish. If there is a boat rowing in the current, running plugs (backtrolling),

the worst thing that you could do is to drop downstream just below him and begin

casting. Usually when drift boats setup to backtroll plugs, through a drift, they fully

intend on fishing all the way through that hole and either rowing back up to the top and

running again or proceeding downstream. If there is a boat pulling plugs in the river, you

could either setup to pull the plugs beginning upstream from him or if you intend on

casting you may wish to wait until after he has covered the water once. Likewise, if there

is a boat anchored casting, it would be rude for you to pull plugs through the water that

angler has been working. It is no different than anything else in life – try your best to

treat people as you would like to be treated and keep in mind that part of being a

sportsman is learning to share and although probably not everyone would agree. It is my

personal feeling that boats do not scare fish, except in critically low clear water

conditions.