Why fish from a drift boat?

River dories, or better known McKenzie styled drift boats have been the fly fishing guide's boat of choice on western rivers for nearly 100 years. The rocker design of the hull allows for shallow draft and high maneuverability in swift and changing currents. When we searched for the best designed boat for our great Southern rivers, we looked no further than the “Ro Skiff” designed by Ro Drift Boats of Bozeman, Mt.

The Ro Skiff has a sleek lower profile and lowered bow, which provides less wind resistance on big open rivers like the Broad and French Broad Rivers. The subdued rocker design allows for a larger footprint in the water with plenty of legroom, yet remains highly maneuverable in up to Class III white water. However, among its greatest assets is, with three passengers, it drafts only 3” of water instead of the 4” of water from most standard drift boats. The Ro Skiff seems to be purpose built for our large shoal rivers.

The advantages of a guided drift boat trip to a guided wade fishing trip is obvious. Drift boats carry passengers over miles of great fishing water inaccessible to wade fishermen. Passengers at the bow and stern have the ability to focus their time casting into likely hiding spots and around thick cover while their guide concentrates on keeping them in the most optimal casting position.

If you are interested in one of our guided drift boat fly fishing trips we encourage you to research our destinations page or call us today for the river best suited for you.

If you are looking for a more hands on boating adventure, check out our guided kayak/canoe fishing adventures.

Please call for availability and standard guide pricing will apply.