Recommended pontoon boats for Squamish and Fraser valley river systems
Reply With Quotei would run at least 9' pontoons. aluminum frame if you afford the extra expense is sweet if you have portage at all. i run a FishCat Cougar, made by Outcast. it has a quad pontoon design which is great for a few reasons. 1. the quad pontoons draw less water than standard designs. my boat only needs 3" of water. it glides over shallow riffles with ease. 2. i find it very stable, not tippy at all. standard designs are stable as well, but not quite as much. 3. if you hole on pontoon, you got 3 more to keep you on or near the surface until you get to shore. i had a leak in my outside left pontoon on a lake one day. i still managed to troll my was half a mile across the lake to the boat launch. it wasn't pretty, but it worked, and i didn't ended up swimming.
i love Outcast boats. they're the best there is as far as i'm concerned. they use tougher, superior materials, and have awesome designs. www.outcastboats.com. they're a bit pricier, but they're worth it.
as for other stuff:
i wouldn't wear fins, and i'd only wear waist high waders if you can. if not, a wading belt is mandatory. either way, i'd still have a belt cinched tight to minimize any water pouring into the waders if you take a swim. waders filling with water can be deadly. you won't need the fins in the river, since you'll be using your oars. and if you end up in the drink, they really won't help.
as far as knowing which rivers are doable, it all depends on your experience and comfort level. how good are you at reading water, picking lines, running rapids etc? i'd start on a small, tame rivers to start. the Stave is a pretty good one. no rapids to speak of and small enough that shore is never far away. the vedder is easily floatable in places as well. i'd start with peach road and downstream. don't outdo your abilities, and don't bullshit yourself into thinking you're a hotshot. start slow, and see how your skill set really is, then go from there. too many fishermen drown because they go beyond what they're skill level is.
a river safety course is a great idea. Western Canoe and Kayak in Abbotsford offers a whitewater rescue course as well as whitewater kayak courses for very reasonable rates. if i remember right, they provide all the gear as well. even if you don't kayak, an entry level whitewater kayak course will give you an excellent chance to learn about the different classes of water, and how to read it and pick lines.
hope this helps. best of luck to you.
Rick
Originally Posted by Ruger
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