by Rob Peddie of Driftwood Anglers
The NuCanoe Frontier has re-ignited my passion for guiding and float fishing by creating a
boat that is ideal for the waters where I grew up. I have always enjoyed sharing my passion for
the outdoors and have been guiding anglers for over 20 years with the majority
of these years spent out west fishing for trout. But I grew up in Southern Indiana and was
born with a strong affinity for the Smallmouth Bass. The Frontier 12 has enabled me to bring the
western style of float fishing back home to Indiana.
There are
several small rivers in Southern Indiana that hold quality Smallmouth’s but floating
anglers down these streams has always been tough. Limited access and flat water make using a
drift-boat nearly impossible. Rafts are
easier to launch without a ramp but the sharp limestone ledges, occasional
rebar, and stick-ups will create an unpleasant situation. Canoes and Jon Boats have been the main boat
of choice but both have major disadvantages.
Canoes are a pain to fish, literally, and Jon Boats require motors and
are too wide to get into the good spots.
I fell for
the Frontier the first time I saw a picture of the Bass Angler. I knew it was the perfect boat for my fishing
service in South Central Indiana where streams are narrow and boat ramps are
few. The seating arrangement caught my
eye at first. The seats looked very
comfortable plus the front seat was raised up higher than the back seat which appealed
to my guide eyes. I imagined front
boating my favorite angler, my dad, and figured he would really enjoy the
comfort. He loves canoes but sitting in
them for hours is no longer an option.
The front seat on the Frontier is easier for the angler to get in and
out, allows them to see into the water better, and helps keep their flies from
finding my skin.
Once I
examined the picture I took notice of the shape and nice lines of the Frontier. The sharp bow, wide body, and square stern
spoke to me. The low profile was another
turn on. I was intrigued and had to know
more. Then I learned about the endless
options to customize. After further
reading I discovered the incredible stability and saw the picture of two guys
in the boat. One angler was standing in
front casting a fly rod while the other was seated and paddling. Hooked, I immediately wrote an email to
NuCanoe and quickly received a reply. After
a couple of emails I was impressed with NuCanoe’s quick responses and felt
comfortable with their customer service.
In less than one day I went from not knowing the Frontier existed to
needing one. So I ordered two and in
less than three weeks they arrived.
The waters
we fish are full of driftwood and fallen timber. The Frontier allows us to paddle in and out
of tight spots with confidence and control.
Big fish love tight cover and placement of the boat can make all the
difference when fishing these areas. We
can sneak through narrow slips to set our anglers up on that perfect
angle. Float fishing is often a game of
inches and the action of the lure is not enough to get that big fish to leave
his cover. Your first cast to any target
is the most important and the Frontier lets us sneak our anglers to the best possible
position to make magic happen on that first cast.
Because of
the timber and driftwood our waters are technical to paddle. You can easily get swept into a fallen tree
or its branches so we need a boat that responds and maneuvers quickly. The Frontier does just that. Whether using a canoe paddle or a kayak
paddle the bow responds very well and is able to be navigated through trouble
spots with relative ease. This handling
coupled with the excellent stability gives me the confidence to take my anglers
into those hard to get to areas.
Speed of the
boat is another important factor for float fishing. In most cases the more casts an angler gets
at a target the better the odds of hooking up.
A fast boat makes the rower work too hard to slow down and a slow boat
makes the rower push too hard to keep time.
The Frontier excels in this area because it drifts at a manageable pace
but will speed up when you push it. This
allows us to make up time on the water if we stay in one spot a little too
long.
Another
place the Frontier excels is underwater.
The bottom of the Frontier has tracking channels that will grab the
water and hold the boat on its line.
These channels along with the small keel really help the boat track
true. A boat that tracks well is the
most important feature of a boat when guiding.
Nothing will wear the paddler out quicker than constantly having to mend
the bow of the boat to stay on the right line.
Even the angler will get annoyed after a while. The less time and energy spent having to
correct the track means more time spent on fishing and anglers. This makes a huge difference as much time as
we spend on the water.
The boat is
an extension of the guide. A good guide
can make any boat work but combine a good guide with a good boat and great
things will happen. Anyone can paddle a
boat but paddling for anglers requires much more work and precision. Because of its shape and design the Frontier
allows us to work water like surgeons. Most
people don’t think of a boat to catch you more and bigger fish but the Frontier
has done that for us.
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