Float fishing offers fly fishermen a means to escape the crowds and explore more water. At Flylords, we’ve fished in or rowed just about every boat on the market, including a number of rafts—our boat style of choice. We favor inflatable rafts because they are easy to transport, can be launched anywhere, and are much more budget-friendly than hard-sided drift boats. While there are several raft-style boats out on the market, NRS has been our go-to for several years now. Their boats and accessories are designed with intention, allowing any angler to customize a raft to their style of fishing. Add to that premium components, and your fishing raft will be ready season after season. Here’s our list of NRS favorites as well as raft essentials to build your own do-it-all fishing raft.

Float Fishing Gear Guide

• Boats and Frames
• Storage
• Accessories
• Safety

Boats and Frames

NRS inflatable rafts come in all shapes and sizes, each with a specific purpose. Below are some of our favorite boats and frames we’ve used across every fly fishing scenario.

NRS Raft Fishing Frame

You don’t always need to buy a fully ready-to-fish raft package to get on the water. Some anglers may already have access to a raft or might be on a budget. The solution for these anglers is an NRS Fishing Raft Frame. These fully customizable frames come in a variety of sizes to support just about any raft platform on the market. With a number of accessories, anglers can tune the frame to how they fish while ensuring comfort and stability on the water.

NRS Slipstream 142

At 14-feet 2-inches long, the Slipstream 142 is the biggest dedicated fishing raft that NRS makes. It has ample room for three anglers and is our pick for serious fly fishermen and guides. The Slipstream series also features the widest beam of any NRS fishing rafts, offering a stable and whitewater-capable platform. Additional features like dual rod holders and molded thigh hooks make this a ready-to-fish package out of the box.

NRS Approach 138

If versatility is important, choose the NRS Approach 138 Fishing Raft. At first glance, this three-person boat looks fairly simple, but a deeper dive reveals otherwise. The Approach series is designed with modularity in mind, including slot rails and a range of accessories to customize the raft to your fishing style. Just check out how we modified our raft across fisheries this summer.

NRS Boundary 100 Personal Fishing Raft

If you fall into the category of a solo angler, then the Boundary 100 Personal Fishing Raft is the boat for you. The Boundary 100 is a one-man boat built around the principle of versatility. It does this with an open bow design that enables anglers to row the boat or use it as a kickboat for still water. An additional slotted frame for accessories and stern storage completes this one-man fishing package.

NRS Riffle Packraft

Sometimes less is more, and that’s the motto behind the Riffle Packraft. At just 12 pounds, the Riffle is designed for anglers who enjoy getting off the beaten path. You can hike in, inflate the raft in minutes, and fish the most remote rivers, streams, or lakes. The raft’s tube also doubles as storage, so all the gear you don’t need can be kept dry and out of the way.

Storage

On the water, storage is always an issue with fly fishing boats. Figuring out creative ways to maximize the limited space you have goes a long way in the quality of your fishing experience. Your line won’t get tangled with gear on the floor, and you gain extra space to comfortably move around. These are some of our favorite storage solutions to maximize space and stay organized.

NRS Fishing Rod Holder

One of the biggest storage concerns with fly fishing rafts is where to store your rods. The nature of inflatable rafts means built-in gunwale storage is not an option. As a solution, NRS created its modular fishing rod holder, capable of holding two 9-foot fly rods. This setup mounts to your raft’s frame and is configurable for either side. Add one on each side, and you have enough storage for four rods.

NRS Boat Bag

In an ideal world, you could keep your raft inflated and ready to go at all times, but this is not the case for most anglers. Rather than keeping your raft exposed to the elements, NRS created its boat bag to store and protect your raft tube from the elements. It’s available in four sizes, with the largest fitting most rafts up to 18 feet in length.

YETI Tundra 45

Adding a hard cooler to a raft is one of the easiest ways to gain extra storage. Not only does it keep food and beverages cold, but it doubles as extra dry storage when not being used as a cooler. You can also get creative with how and where you mount your cooler. Some anglers may opt to use it as a rowing seat, while others may opt to mount it on the back of the boat with the NRS Cargo Rack. Wherever you choose to mount it, a cooler is an essential piece of storage gear on our rafts.

NRS Approach Cargo Rack

Some fishing situations call for extra storage, like multi-day floats. For that, NRS developed the Approach Cargo Rack specifically for the Approach series of rafts. This simple stern-mounted rack enables anglers to store extra gear, coolers, and duffels with ease. Even better, you don’t have to sacrifice the rear seat for this added storage.

Pelican R40 Ruck Case

The Pelican R40 Ruck Case is one of the most affordable yet crucial pieces of gear on our fishing rafts. This small waterproof case is perfect for storing valuables like phones, wallets, and keys. Floating any river comes with a certain level of risk, so securing your valuables in case you get wet is a worthy investment.

NRS Throw Back Fishing Seat Bag

Figuring out creative ways to improve storage on an inflatable raft is the biggest issue most anglers face. Luckily, NRS took most of the guesswork out with the Throw Back Fishing Seat Bag. This nifty bag slots over the seatback on your raft and has ample room for all your flies, tippet, and other fishing accessories. A slotted back can also hold gear like a net.

NRS Aluminum Dry Box

Depending on the raft you have, extra storage might be a requirement. NRS created the Aluminum Dry Box as a universal answer for dry storage. It’s available in two sizes and can double as a rower’s seat. Sturdy handles on either side support heavy loads and allow anglers to remove the box for a riverside lunch or overnight camping trip. No matter the raft, this is a piece of gear all anglers can benefit from.

NRS HDPE Frame Side Rail Racks

On a hardsided drift boat, the gunwales can serve as walking or storage space. However, rafts don’t have this benefit due to the nature of their soft tubes. To solve this issue, NRS created the Frame Side Rail Racks, which act as a hard-sided gunwale on your boat. Made from HDPE, these side rails are capable of holding some serious weight for extra gear or walking room.

YakAttack x NRS Slot Rail Net Holder

Landing nets always manage to be in the way when you don’t need them and buried in the boat when you do. Figuring out secure mounting solutions keeps the net in the same place every time for easy and quick access. For rafts with a slot rail system, the YakAttack x NRS Net Holder is an excellent choice for a plug-and-play option that solves net storage once and for all.

Accessories

The right boat accessories can make a day on the water more enjoyable, but the wrong accessories add weight and get in the way. Regardless of whether you’re building a custom frame or have a ready-to-go fishing raft, the following accessories will enhance your fishing experience.

NRS Frame Raft Motor Mount

An easy upgrade for rafts and raft frames is to add a motor mount. This expands the raft’s use to stillwater lakes and allows anglers to put through long stretches of frog water. Depending on the raft frame, NRS has several options, including the Frame Raft Motor Mount and the Slipstream Motor Mount (specific to Slipstream Rafts). Once installed, anglers can opt for a small outboard or an electric motor depending on their needs.

Down River Double Cup Holder

Down River specializes in creating useful products for rafts, and the Double Cup Holder is a perfect example. Fishing rafts in particular tend to lack cup holders, leaving your drinks rolling around the floor when floating. When they do have cup holders, rarely are they big enough to hold large water bottles that most anglers bring on the river. Down River fixed both of these issues with the Double Cup Holder. It attaches directly to raft frames, can hold large water bottles, and is made from recycled post-consumer waste and scrap webbing.

Deschutes Step Raft Step

One of the most overlooked things when buying a raft is getting in and out of it. The wide tubes can be tricky to get over, especially in water deeper than a foot. The team at Deschutes Step came up with a versatile solution for this with its inflatable raft step. It mounts on the raft frame and features a folding step. Simply fold it down, place your foot on it, and you can easily hop back into the raft.

NRS Stripping Basket for Molded Thigh Hook

Rafts, like any type of fly fishing boat, can lead to tangled fly lines. The best solution to avoid this altogether is a casting bucket or basket, preferably one that mounts directly to a raft’s thigh hooks. The NRS Stripping Basket achieves this with a two-part mounting system, hooks that hang over the thigh hook, and micro straps to secure it to the posts.

NRS Advantage Oar Shaft

A simple yet valuable upgrade for any fishing raft is a quality set of oars. The NRS Advantage Oar Shaft is an affordable aluminum offering that doesn’t sacrifice performance. They are available in seven different lengths and are compatible with several different oar blades. Depending on the fishery or river conditions, you can swap out oar blades to optimize performance.

NRS Helix Oar Blade

With record low snowfall throughout the West, low flows this spring and summer are inevitable. This can make floating rivers tricky, requiring the right boat and oar configuration. One product that excels in these conditions is the NRS Helix Oar Blade. Its asymmetrical shape is designed to deliver even pressure in shallow water. These oar blades pair perfectly with the Advantage Oar Shaft.

NRS Spare Oar Keeper

On the water, accidents happen, and valuable gear like an oar can get lost or damaged. To keep you from getting stranded, carrying a spare oar is something all boaters should do. On a raft, figuring out where to store it can be an issue. Using the NRS Spare Oar Keeper enables the rower to carry a full-size spare oar securely fastened to the side of the raft. The cam buckle system that secures the spare also enables the rower to quickly access the oar when needed.

Safety

Some stretches of river are remote, others have dangerous currents and rapids, and all require safety equipment. In addition to standard items like a first aid kit and signaling devices, these are a few pieces of gear worth adding to your kit.

NRS Chinook PFD

Most life jackets sacrifice comfort for safety, especially when sitting/rowing. This can be problematic if it leads to anglers not wearing the proper safety equipment. To solve this, the NRS Chinook has a mesh lower back paired with a higher back flotation panel. When you’re sitting or rowing, this allows for a comfortable full range of motion. Two large front pockets and a tool pouch keep fly boxes and additional tackle organized.

NRS Titanium Co-Pilot Knife

Every angler should carry some sort of knife on the water. Inflatable rafts and traditional knives, however, don’t exactly mix well. NRS solved this with the Titanium Co-Pilot Knife. Its blunt edge and rounded serations mean there are no points to accidentally pop your raft. The titanium blade is also corrosion-resistant for use in and around saltwater. Secure this to your life jacket for easy access.

 

For March Madness, we thought it would be fun to put to the test a topic widely debated by fly anglers: the best species. In this March Madness Bracket Challenge, vote for your favorite species in each of four regions and see what comes out on top.

Excerpted from The Orvis Quick-Start Guide to Fly Fishing, by Philip Monahan. The book is not a comprehensive guide. It is written to help you achieve an initial level of competence, to provide the basic instruction and know-how that will allow you to enjoy your first forays on the water.

Aside from insects, trout feed on smaller fish, crayfish, leeches, and other organisms that inhabit rivers and streams. Anglers imitate these prey items with streamers, which come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, but all are long and thin. Because these larger prey items provide a high-calorie meal, they often attract bigger trout, and fish are more willing to chase down such a potential windfall. This means that casting accuracy is not as important as it is with dry flies and nymphs, and you are able to cover a lot more water with a streamer.

As with nymphs, most of the action occurs below the surface–depending on the depth you’re fishing–but because you are usually fishing streamers with an active retrieve, strike detection is rarely a problem. The line is usually taut between you and the fly, so you’ll feel the take. If your fly is close to the surface or is tied with bright colors, you may be able to see the fish strike, and in many cases, the fish hits the fly so hard that it hooks itself.

The depth at which you fish streamers depends on several variables, including the depth of the water, current speed, water clarity, and temperature. In general, you want to be close to the bottom, which is usually where the fish are holding, but aggressive and active trout will move quite far, both laterally and up in the water column, to eat a well-presented streamer. The caveat is that the trout aren’t always in the mood, and you may bonk a trout right on the head with your offering and get no reaction. 

Streamer Presentations

There are three basic ways to fish a streamer–swinging, stripping, and dead-drifting–all of which are quite simple and don’t require perfect casting or delicate presentations. The main goal in streamer fishing is to cover a lot of water, so you can get your fly in front of as many trout as possible. Obviously, you’ll want to take extra care to get your fly into likely trout-holding spots, such as in front of rocks or near fallen trees, but you’ll often be surprised to pick up fish in places you might not expect to. Plus, some trout will follow a fly for quite a while before they eat it.  

When you’re fishing a streamer, you’ll often want to try a few different presentations and speeds to see what the trout want on that day. Sometimes, a slow, steady retrieve will draw strikes, while at other times, only a fast, varied retrieve will produce fish. It’s one of the mysteries of fly fishing that makes the sport endlessly fascinating. So before you try changing flies, try changing retrieve speed and cadence.

Swinging a streamer is both easy and effective: all you do is cast the fly, perhaps make a mend or two, and then hold on. This makes the presentation perfect for beginning anglers. Start by casting downstream at a 30- to 45-degree angle, pin the fly line against the cork handle with the fingers of your rod hand, and then let the pressure of the current against your fly line cause the fly to swing across the water downstream from you. The fly will look like it is swimming across the stream until it comes to the end of the swing, where it then looks like it is holding in the current. 

You can control both the depth of the fly and the speed of the swing through mending. If you cast across a fast current and don’t mend at all, the fly will swing across the current very quickly. To slow the swing, make upstream mends to reduce the amount of pressure the current is putting on the belly of your line. Experiment a bit with how mends affect the speed of your swing, and you’ll quickly become adept at adjusting your presentation.

Trout will often strike right at the end of the swing–perhaps they think that the prey is about to get away–or while the fly is stationary at the end of the presentation. This is why it’s important that you don’t give up on a swing too early. Instead, let the fly dangle in the current for a few seconds, and then give it a few strips. This new motion may trigger a strike from a trout not sure if it wants to commit. I’ve caught many trout on “the dangle” over my career–sometimes when I’ve simply left the fly hanging in the current as I do something else, such as take a drink or look through my fly box.

Stripping is the preferred presentation for most streamer anglers, as they believe that an active fly looks more lifelike and triggers a trout’s predatory response. Stripping a streamer involves the same process as stripping in slack: you simply hold the fly line against the cork with the first one or two fingers of your rod hand, and use your line hand to pull the line through that pinch point. It’s important that you keep your rod tip low, just above the surface of the water, so that your connection to the fly is as straight as possible. This will make setting the hook easier and more effective.

You can vary your retrieve by making each pull longer or shorter, faster or slower. You can even mix things up by going short-short-long or fast-fast-slow or any other combinations you can think of. The trout will tell you when you’ve gotten it right.

When you’re stripping a streamer, the possibilities for presentation are wide open. You can start by making the same quartering-downstream cast described above, but instead of letting the fly simply swing, you can add stripping motion. Or you can cast straight across the stream and strip the fly quickly back to you. Try to change things up as much as possible until you get a strike. For instance, try a down-and-across cast followed by an upstream mend, then try the same cast with a downstream mend. There really are no wrong answers, as long as your fly is getting down in the water column and is moving through places where trout might live.

One way to pinpoint your presentation is to arrange it–via casting, mending, or your position–so that the fly moves or swings right in front of a good trout lie. So, for instance, if there is a boulder two-thirds of the way across and 30 feet downstream from you, you could cast quartering downstream and then make several upstream mends, which would place more line directly upstream of the fly. The tension of the line on the water would cause the fly to swing farther away from you. Experiment with how you can change the dynamics of the fly’s swing, and soon you’ll be able to determine, with a fair amount of accuracy, where the fly swings.

Dead Drifting a streamer is a less common tactic, but it works surprisingly well, especially in situations where you want to keep the fly in the strike zone a long time or where your target area lies parallel to the current. If there’s a deep slot or a log against the far bank, for instance, stripping or swinging a fly would quickly take the fly away from the target area. In this case, fish the streamer as you would a nymph: cast to the upstream end of the lie, make the appropriate mends to achieve a dead drift, and then let the fly drift through with the current. Watch the end of your fly line for signs of a strike, or you can even use a strike indicator, if you wish. Since trout will generally eat a streamer with more aggression that they would a nymph, strike detection isn’t as much of a problem, but this technique works best with a short line. 

Streamer fishing is great for beginners because it involves less precision. You’re usually not trying to target a specific fish, your cast doesn’t have to be delicate, and achieving a dead-drift is not a requirement (although, as you’ll see below, it does work). Since the fly moves across the current and downstream, you have the potential to get it in front of more trout in a given stretch of river. And since the fish are willing to chase, you may have more opportunities to draw a strike.