Pre-run off floating, Get Out There!

This weekend I got my first float in on the Arkansas in the Water Master. Now is the time to hit the rivers before runoff really starts.  The water is still clear and high enough to float without having to walk the raft over the shallow spots.  The rapids are still there so make sure you can handle the raft or you may get wetter than you would like.  Even on a Sunday I only ran into one other raft, a guided fly fishing raft not a white water company.  Also only a handful of fisherman lined the shores making for a friendly float.  This will change as the weather gets nicer and more and more rafts and fisherman hit the water.  Hitting the river now to float with less people on the water allows you to freshen up on your paddling technique.  Mine needed a lot of work. Floating a river to me is a totally different type of fishing then walking the shore, also floating in a commercial fishing raft vs. floating in a water master are totally different.  Your control is different, the areas you can fish are different, your presentations are different, and the speed you cover water is different.  I really like the water master as it sort of combines rafting and wading and you can turn it extremely easy to attack different structure on different shores.  It however is harder to handle in fast currents and not as easy to control as a commercial raft, plus having a guy row for you allows you to hit pockets that are impossible to hit when rowing yourself. While my day on the water was not the greatest day fishing, I was testing a new lure and only had one follow and two LDRs (Long distant releases), broke my fly rod I brought along incase the lure I was testing got me a dozen fish or so and I wanted to switch, all in all it was still a very nice day on the water.  I?m still a little sore from rowing to, lol.  There are some great shops out there that will take you on a float trip, some will even allow spin fishing make sure you ask.  (when spin fishing while floating the best spot is the back of the boat if there are two of you)  It?s a great time and should be on your list of things to do. I think it?s important to select a guide/outfitter/fly shop that is local and knows the river when paying for a float trip down a river.  The local fly shops are usually the best place to start.  However most fly shops do not allow spinning gear on their float trips, they are after all a ?fly shop?.  Here is a list of some companies that offer spin fishing float trips. http://www.theadventurecompany.com/otheradventures.html Rick Schroeder Owner Colorado Mountain Fishing.com [email protected]