Streamlining my boat options - NRS Slipstream 96??

[brownheron]

Right now my river boat quiver consists of:

Clacka Big Eddy
Maravia Scout 13' w/ NRS fishing frame
Catchercraft Freestone w/ deluxe frame
Outcast Clearwater
Outcast Commander (original version)

I don't have enough covered space for all these now that I bought a tractor and have a growing set of attachments. Plus, more importantly, since we bought a place on the river in '21, my fishing has changed a lot. A lot less trailering a boat to a ramp and floating an established beat, more sneaking around to avoid crowds. I mostly float fish for steelhead/salmon and flyfish for trout although I'll strip streamers for coho whenever the opportunity presents.

I'm thinking about selling most of the above mess of boats and going to just the Slipstream 96 and the Outcast Commander (maybe keep the Clacka just because it's pretty). I almost never fish with more than one person and not using a trailer would be a big plus. I have a home base on the OP so drives are pretty short to my normal fishing spots. If I kept the Clacka, it'd be mostly for stuff on very tame water and the odd trip to the Yakima once or twice a year.

Any thoughts on the Slipstream 96 (or similar) and the real world usage of a smaller raft as a primary fishing boat?

The Rundown: An All Encompassing Look at the New NRS Slipstream Raft - Flylords Mag

In this installment of, "The Rundown" we will be going over all the new features and specs of the NRS Slipstream Fishign Raft.

flylordsmag.com

 

[Evan B]

So what would the Slipstream do that the Maravia doesn't?

 

[Stonedfish]

That 96 looks like it would be pretty nimble little fishing machine based on where you live on the OP.
SF

 

[brownheron]

So what would the Slipstream do that the Maravia doesn't?

Ride in the back of my truck without a trailer. It only weighs 145lbs.

 

[Evan B]

Ride in the back of my truck without a trailer. It only weighs 145lbs.

 

[brownheron]

Evan, that's the big one. You need to look at the specs for the 9'6" boat: https://www.nrs.com/nrs-slipstream-96-fishing-raft-packages/pzkz

Weight:	Standard Package - 130 lbs Deluxe Package - 145 lbs

 

[doublespey]

Hey Thomas - you have the Catchercraft Freestone. Have you checked out the Sea Run Bull? I love it - full frame, self-bailing, anchor, casting bar, and rod storage. It's narrow enough to fit in the bed of my truck and is ideal (IMO) as a smaller whitewater raft for 2 people.

I hate trailers and agree that if you usually only fish 2 people that having one that will fit in the truck bed is the ideal.

Other than that, I like the look of the NRS Slipstream 96. If it had been available when I was looking it would definitely have caught my attention.

 

[skyriver]

I can only speak from the Outcast Striker pov, which is about the same size as the Slipstream. The Slipstream is a bit more beefy and has the frame. I am actually adding a frame to the Striker based on a few trips when I felt like I needed a bit more rigidity. I'm 6'4" and about 240 with wet waders & boots. Even pumped hard, there is more flex for the rower in the Striker than I like on fast rivers like the Klickitat. It's no biggie on the Yakima or Deschutes, but rivers that spill fast like the Klick and like your rivers I need it to be a bit quicker.

The benefits of a 96 raft-
Fits in the back of my F150
I can load it in the back of my F150 mostly pumped. I'm putting a 50w x 60l frame on it with a rower seat so we'll see how that fits. I have a canopy.
2 guys can put on top of a tonneau or SUV.
Even with 2 big guys, it's still quite nimble and still only 9'6" so can fit on small water.
I can strap it, inflated, to my bike trailer and walk into places like Lenice. Not sure I would try that with a 13' raft.
Still big enough to overnight for 1 and 2 of us have spent 3 nights on the John Day. Packed the Striker like a mule and the other guy floated in my Commander.
It stores very easily. Pumped, fits on top of my 14' Valco. I've also transported on top of a 16' drift boat. Deflated, easily fits under my 14' Valco in the garage. Easy to move if getting the Valco out. Obviously, the frame will add to that, but still will be really easy. Pretty easy to stash a 50x60 frame, especially if I break it down.

The drawbacks of a 96 raft-
I avoid Class 3 water if I can. The length to cut big waves just isn't there. The stuff your Maravia cuts right over will give a 96 some issues.
Storage inside the craft is at a premium when 2 anglers. No biggie for day floats, but you have to think about it. My old 36 gal Igloo fits under the front seat and then there is some room behind the rower and under rower seat.
Rod storage is bit of an issue. For steelhead trips with no bobbers involved we just break them down, still rigged, and put them in cases if the brush is bad. Otherwise they stay 12'6" and 11'6" and just poke out the back. We have a rule- Don't exit the port side! Trout trips are easier, but still an issue sometimes.

I think the Slipstream 96 is the best small raft setup out there right now. I'm essentially making a poor man's edition by adding a frame to my Striker. If I were in your position, I would do the following:
Clacka Big Eddy- Sell it.
Maravia Scout 13' w/ NRS fishing frame- Keep it.
Catchercraft Freestone w/ deluxe frame- Sell it
Outcast Clearwater- Sell it
Outcast Commander (original version)- Keep it.
Buy the Slipstream 96. Heck, it's your $$ not mine.

Good luck!

 

[brownheron]

Thanks Skyriver. Super helpful and we're thinking along the same lines. As you know from my other unfortunate thread, the Sol Duc is in my back yard (literally) so I 100% get your point on having something a little longer for the rapids in some of those floats when the flows are up. In low flows, I think the 96 would be OK except for a couple spots that I avoid anyway as I'm well aware of my limitations as a shitty rower.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Alpacka. Under 10lbs. Very nimble. Easy to inflate. Easy to take down.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I’m interested in the Catchercraft freestone if you decide to sell! Other than that, good luck on the new raft decision.

 

[BDD]

I'm in line after Bob on the Freestone. I don't have one at the moment either.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I'm in line after Bob on the Freestone. I don't have one at the moment either.

That’s awesome! They are a hot commodity

 

[cdnred]

I agree with @skyriver's assessment on the boats you have now. Looking at your Maravia Scout 13' w/ NRS fishing frame, I'd say that should suit you well for the type of fishing you're doing. That's a rather expensive setup compared to the others you're looking at. You have a great boat for yourself and another fisherman, so why sell it. The Maravia isn't that heavy at 101 lbs plus the weight of the NRS frame unless it's an issue fitting in the back of your pickup and as you say you don't expect to be trailering..

Your Clacka looks to be your biggest boat and if you don't see a major need for it, it'll save you the most on covered space. The Outcast Commander is a great boat for solo fishing and light enough that you can store it on top of the Maravia to save further space..

Save yourself the stress of selling and do the following:
Clacka Big Eddy- Sell it.
Maravia Scout 13' w/ NRS fishing frame- Keep it.
Catchercraft Freestone w/ deluxe frame- Sell it
Outcast Clearwater- Sell it
Outcast Commander (original version)- Keep it.

 

[brownheron]

Thx cdnred. Yes, it's more about the ease of just throwing the boat on the back of the truck and eliminating at least one trailered boat to make room for landscaping equipment (dump trailer, tractor attachments, etc). My most frequent put-in / take-out are very close to my house so not dealing with a trailer makes things very fast/efficient.

Because of the above, I make a lot of late or spur of the moment fishing calls. Having a boat small enough to do that but big enough to support a decent anchor system for salmon fishing the 'holes' would make things easy. My very patient wife just drops me off where I want to launch and picks me up at the tailout. With the bigger boats, I'm much more likely to decide to do something else given the time, need for a shuttle, etc. They aren't getting used nearly as much as the little ones which prompted this whole thought experiment.

The Scout is a pretty nice fishing platform with the long flat waterline, a little wider and flatter than the Wider Spider or Aire Super Puma. I talked to them a long time and it's what we came up with although it meant a custom length NRS frame. Maybe because it'd compete with the Streamtech at a lower price point? I have yet to see or hear of one on the water much less as a fishing raft. Maybe back in the Rockies.

 

[speedbird]

I was just about to post over here about the Slipstream 139, it looks like a pretty decent value for money compared to the traditional raft/heavy frame style of boat, but most importantly it looks amazingly easy to transport. The frame is simple to assemble, so if I wanted I could probably take the boat apart and stuff it in my hatchback. If I wanted to be efficient with time, it doesn't look hard to tow at all. Only downside I can see is it isn't as comfortable as a frame like this:



I gotta ask, how is that clearwater on the OP? Taking a pontoon down there sounds a little scary to me, but if that thing is stable enough, I might pick it up as my starter river craft instead of a pontoon.

 

[brownheron]

I gotta ask, how is that clearwater on the OP? Taking a pontoon down there sounds a little scary to me, but if that thing is stable enough, I might pick it up as my starter river craft instead of a pontoon.

The Clearwater is a pretty decent sized little raft at 9'4" with 16" tubes and 3 chambers (the seat chamber is big). Unless you spend a lot of time in lakes where you want to stand up to fish, I'd choose it over a small pontoon but others will have a different view.

It all depends on the flows for each individual rapid. The nice thing about the Clearwater is that it has an almost solid-frame rowing feel (not quite there for really heavy pulling) but is still super light and maneuverable. So, if you know that at a certain flow, if you don't want to run the rapid in the Clearwater, you can still walk around it by pulling out upstream and dragging over the bank side rocks, all good. However, at a higher flow, the water is up in the willows or a log jam and walking around it won't be possible so you may be fvcked. People often say, never row something yourself without having already been down it with someone who knows the line. Actually, you have to know both the line and what the line looks like at the CFS flow you want to fish.

Not getting lazy or complacent, scouting each drop and being willing to do something really tedious like dragging down the "chicken channel" or through the woods will be the key.

I was fishing with a well known guide back in early Jan and we were leapfrogging another boat that was two other very well known fishing guides just fishing for fun on their day off. We pulled up behind a third guide at a riffle that was CII tops but there was a log sticking out. You'd think they'd just row by that thing but no... They hemmed and hawed for 15min trying to figure it out and no one wanted to go first. And these are the guys who row this stuff every day. Their level of caution on something that didn't look that bad (and ended up not being bad) was a good reminder for me to take this shit serious.

Be safe and have fun.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

you have to know both the line and what the line looks like at the CFS flow you want to fish.

Not getting lazy or complacent, scouting each drop and being willing to do something really tedious like dragging down the "chicken channel" or through the woods will be the key.

I was fishing with a well known guide back in early Jan and we were leapfrogging another boat that was two other very well known fishing guides just fishing for fun on their day off. We pulled up behind a third guide at a riffle that was CII tops but there was a log sticking out. You'd think they'd just row by that thing but no... They hemmed and hawed for 15min trying to figure it out and no one wanted to go first. And these are the guys who row this stuff every day. Their level of caution on something that didn't look that bad (and ended up not being bad) was a good reminder for me to take this shit serious.

Be safe and have fun.

This is such good advice.
Full disclosure, I've taken the 'chicken channel' a time or two. Although I refer to it as the "100% chance I'm still alive channel". I know, not as witty, but there's some truth to it.

 

[DKL]

I can only speak from the Outcast Striker pov, which is about the same size as the Slipstream. The Slipstream is a bit more beefy and has the frame. I am actually adding a frame to the Striker based on a few trips when I felt like I needed a bit more rigidity. I'm 6'4" and about 240 with wet waders & boots. Even pumped hard, there is more flex for the rower in the Striker than I like on fast rivers like the Klickitat. It's no biggie on the Yakima or Deschutes, but rivers that spill fast like the Klick and like your rivers I need it to be a bit quicker.

The benefits of a 96 raft-
Fits in the back of my F150
I can load it in the back of my F150 mostly pumped. I'm putting a 50w x 60l frame on it with a rower seat so we'll see how that fits. I have a canopy.
2 guys can put on top of a tonneau or SUV.
Even with 2 big guys, it's still quite nimble and still only 9'6" so can fit on small water.
I can strap it, inflated, to my bike trailer and walk into places like Lenice. Not sure I would try that with a 13' raft.
Still big enough to overnight for 1 and 2 of us have spent 3 nights on the John Day. Packed the Striker like a mule and the other guy floated in my Commander.
It stores very easily. Pumped, fits on top of my 14' Valco. I've also transported on top of a 16' drift boat. Deflated, easily fits under my 14' Valco in the garage. Easy to move if getting the Valco out. Obviously, the frame will add to that, but still will be really easy. Pretty easy to stash a 50x60 frame, especially if I break it down.

The drawbacks of a 96 raft-
I avoid Class 3 water if I can. The length to cut big waves just isn't there. The stuff your Maravia cuts right over will give a 96 some issues.
Storage inside the craft is at a premium when 2 anglers. No biggie for day floats, but you have to think about it. My old 36 gal Igloo fits under the front seat and then there is some room behind the rower and under rower seat.
Rod storage is bit of an issue. For steelhead trips with no bobbers involved we just break them down, still rigged, and put them in cases if the brush is bad. Otherwise they stay 12'6" and 11'6" and just poke out the back. We have a rule- Don't exit the port side! Trout trips are easier, but still an issue sometimes.

I think the Slipstream 96 is the best small raft setup out there right now. I'm essentially making a poor man's edition by adding a frame to my Striker. If I were in your position, I would do the following:
Clacka Big Eddy- Sell it.
Maravia Scout 13' w/ NRS fishing frame- Keep it.
Catchercraft Freestone w/ deluxe frame- Sell it
Outcast Clearwater- Sell it
Outcast Commander (original version)- Keep it.
Buy the Slipstream 96. Heck, it's your $$ not mine.

Good luck!

Are you getting a custom frame made for the Stryker? I’d love to see it on the boat once you have an image to post.

 

[skyriver]

Are you getting a custom frame made for the Stryker? I’d love to see it on the boat once you have an image to post.

Building it myself. Parts list-
From local metals place:
2 Side rails- 60" sched 40 1.25" T-6061 $99.52
2 Cross bars- 50" sched 40 1.25" T-6061 $96.44
From Zoro.com:
4 Structural Pipe Fitting, Tee-E, Aluminum, 1.25 in Pipe Size $7.50 per
From NRS:
4 U bolt kits for $13
1 Seat mount $85
4 Frame plugs $10

It will be very similar to NRS Longhorn, but just a straight cross bar instead of a foot bar and about half the price. The front cross bar will go just in front and under the passenger. The passenger will still use the Striker "frame" and seat like normal. The rower will use the cross bar seat mount. The Striker seat can be attached to the seat mount.

The 4 U-bolts are to attach the existing Striker oar mounts to the side rails.
The oar mounts are the wild card item. If not stable, then will buy the nice ones from NRS for $106.

I'll post when I'm done!