Whether casting from a hard-sided drift-boat or a fishing raft, the experience of fishing from boats gives anglers a chance to cover far more fishable water than they’d see simply wade-fishing the same rivers.
But like wade fishing, floating requires some specific skills and gear to make the experience safe and rewarding.
Zigco SpinRx Anchor Attachment
The name gives a hint to this gadget’s function – it provides a prescription for spinning/twisting anchor lines. But it does so much more. The SpinRx pulley does eliminate anchor rope twisting thanks to a tough swivel at its core. At the same time, the SpinRx’s pulley provides a 2:1 mechanical lifting advantage. That is, with the SpinRx properly installed on the anchor, oarsmen will be able to lift their anchor with half the effort they’d otherwise expend.
The folks at Zigco build the body of SpinRx in Montana, using aircraft-grade aluminum for strengthen and corrosion-resistance. To further protect the gadget from wear, the components are hard anodized. The use of stainless steel for the pulley shafts and pivot pins — backed with sealed stainless-steel roller bearings — provides durability and strengthens those areas of friction and movement.
The SpinRx attaches to the anchor and line easily. Pull the clevis pin and slip the rope onto the pulley. To link to the anchor, either pull the locking nut off the bolt below the swivel to lock onto the anchor ring or clip a locking carabiner to the bolt and to the anchor ring instead. This allows for fast removal of the anchor for safer boat transport, though it does lengthen the anchor assembly a few inches. Price: $80
Rising Fish Rigging Station
It may seem counter-intuitive, but having too much room to spread out stands as one of the significant downsides to fishing from a drift boat. With space all around your feet, and seat, it’s easy to spread gear far and wide. Then when you need something – especially something small like a spool of tippet material, or a specific tool – it can be hard to find.
That was the inspiration behind the Rising Fish Rigging Station. This small plastic box holds up to a dozen spools of tippet material, and has zinger-equipped docks to hold nippers, fly clips, and bottles of fly floatant and wet-fly treatment. A pair of foam panels on the sides work as fly drying patches, while a small open-topped bin catches forceps, scissors and pliers.
The Rigging Station includes a mounting bracket fitted with an adhesive patch so the station can be hung on the inside wall of a drift boat or the knee brace in from of an angler’s seat. It can also be lashed to a seat back, bottom-mounted to a seat board, or fixed onto any number of surfaces.
The small plastic box is simple in design and looks, but incredibly clever and effective in use. Price: $40
Rising Fish Lunker Boat Net – 38”
In responsible catch-and-release fishing, the faster a fish is netted and released, the better its chances of survival with no ill effects. Toward that end, boating anglers should opt for a net with a long reach so the netting action can be accomplished easily from anywhere in the boat.
The Rising Fish Lunker Boat Net sports a 38-inch handle, and a 21-inch long hoop. That’s long enough that the oarsman at mid-boat can swoop up caught fish for either anglers at the bow or stern without trouble. Best of all, the nearly 5-foot-long net is light enough to handle comfortably thanks to its machined aluminum tubing construction.
The 1-inch diameter handle features a textured knurl grip for non-slip handling, and both the handle and hoop include anodization for durability and coloring. The rubber net bag protects fish and is easily replaceable should it become damaged. Price: $209
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