On Oct 14, 10:02 pm, mdk77 wrote:
I'm saving my nickels for a canoe to fly fish from. I'm hoping, God-
willing, to be able to buy one over the Winter, or early Spring. Do
many of you fish from canoes? I'm thinking a canoe would be a simple
way to get onto the many ponds, rivers and lakes around here, without
the hassle of having to trailer a bigger boat. My brother-in-law in
Oregon has had a canoe for years, and it sure seems peaceful and
hassle-free.

I'm looking at a 17 footer that is stable, light and capable of being
a tandem OR a solo canoe. Have any of you had experience (or heard
good or bad) about the Souris River Canoes? I'm looking at the
"Quetico 17". Here's a link to what I'm considering:

http://www.redrockstore.com/quetico17.html

I think this canoe would be great for the places I fish around here in
Central Illinois -- and be easy to take on trips out-of-state.

Let me know if there is something else worth considering in a fly
fishing canoe. Thanks.

- Dave K.

All the advice you have been given is good.

In a nutshell, the very things that make a canoe good on the water
(responsive, quick, etc) make them scary to stand and cast in. And if
they turn easily when you paddle, they can twist all around when you
cast. If you have an excellent sense of balance, then you could stand
and cast in almost any canoe...including a whitewater boat with a
curved bottom (tippy), but its far from relaxing.

For the intermediate caster/paddler, then you will need to compromise
somewhere....something flat bottomed (so it won't tilt side to side),
with little rocker (so it won't twist around), fairly long, in the 17
foot range (anything longer is a bear to paddle, anything shorter is
skittish to stand in), and BEAMY (that means wide...makes it more
stable). A flat-bottomed, rockerless, beamy 17 foot boat won't be a
Maserati on the water, but it will satisfy your 'peaceful flycasting'
requirement and still be paddleable.

Look at the WeNoNah website http://tinyurl.com/2p5pyn and look at
their 'Fisherman". Its made for fishing ONLY, so its properties are a
bit over the top, but notice that its flat lengthwise, flat in cross
section, and beamy as all get out. The Adirondack that Fortenberry
recommended is an excellent choice: it also is flat bottomed with no
rocker and quite beamy. The Boundary Water 17' is another good choice.

I think as long as you avoid boats with rocker greater than 1 or 1.5
inches, keep to boats with as flat a bottom as possible, and ones with
at least a 35 or 36" width, you'll be fine.

Your selection of the Quetico is not bad, but probably right on the
limit as far as rocker, width and length go. I don't know what the
hull shape is, but if its rounded at all, I'd avoid it.

Good luck, WEAR A LIFEJACKET.

--riverman