[Rob Brownfield]

Any of you chaps have any experience with this tube? I like the idea you sit above the water like a pontoon boat, but paddle with your feet. Being higher will be an advantage, i think, when using heavy fly rods for Pike.

I also like the safety features as the waters i want to try are all LARGE!!!

Any advice appreciated,

Cheers

[Hamish Young]

Caddis Navigator II is just as good and half the price 

[Peter McCallum]

I second Hamishes thoughts. How BIG a water do you want? Lochs Cam or Fionn in assynt? Loch Shin? The big caddis has taken these in its stride, in fact its first outing in the wild was on shin with a real hoolie blowing where it performed admirably even when I lost a fin!!

[TubeNFish]

Pontoon kick boat? .... Looking at the picture - isn't it a vee tube?
Looks like a Trout Unlimited Togiak to me, in different colours. And at a different price.

Nice looking, but those big pontoons are wind catchers.
I would think that it IMHO is most likely a very comfortable small water tube, or tube for medium waters with some wind protection from shoreline trees, but less suitable for larger windswept expanses of water.

[Rob Brownfield]

see..I am glade I asked now

What i likes about the Guideline was the fact you sat above the water line so to speak. Because i am wanting the tube for Pike on places like Awe, Lomond, Alvie and Insch I want to sit high firstly because I want to see where the Pike is and the 4/0 fly! but also I think it would be easier to control a large Pike being that bit higher up.

Oh..and the fact its a damn good looking ship

[Hamish Young]

Pop over to Dinnet and I'll let you borrow the Ark Royal for a bit 

A slight spratt like yourself will sit nice and high in the water 

H 

[Rob Brownfield]

Oi oi...upto nearly 13 stone!!!!..I am ashamed!!  Thats what an office job does for you !

[TubeNFish]

...What i likes about the Guideline was the fact you sat above the water line so to speak. Because i am wanting the tube for Pike on places like Awe, Lomond, Alvie and Insch I want to sit high firstly because I want to see where the Pike is and the 4/0 fly! but also I think it would be easier to control a large Pike being that bit higher up.
Oh..and the fact its a damn good looking ship

Yes it does look good.
The ride height will place your body higher (more comfortable), and then your body and those larger pontoons will catch more wind (less desirable when windy).
So it becomes a tradeoff.
If the seat is out of the water, with less of you submerged and reduced water resistance, you will be able to move faster with less effort required, and this suits covering the large distance of a large lough, making it a nice choice for calm days.
But not when the wind is blowing against you. And the big lough has more breeze on an average day.
So on windy days a lower profile tube will still fish after the higher one has left the water.

Like I said .. a tradeoff. Depends on which water types, and weather types you fish more.  

I wonder about that inlatable seat.    If it is deflated to temporarily lower the seated angler, will it still be comfortable then? That would be handy sometimes. If it could be reinflated while out on the water, that would be very handy indeed.

[Rob Brownfield]

Like I said .. a tradeoff. Depends on which water types, and weather types you fish more.  

Its Scotland!! I think I have seen Lomond calm once in 25 years!!..lol Last time i was up at Ness even the cabin cruisers could not go out onto the loch. the North end resembled the sea as waves where crashing in. A surf board would have been more suitable

Thanks for the advice. i think i liked the idea of being out of the water as I will be using it through the winter, so staying drier hopefully means warmer. Having said that, on some days its a pleasure to sink into the water than stand out in the cold air!

I have been tubing a few times now and it certainly seems the way to go for me!

[Russ]

This is a extract from the BFTA Thryburgh fishing report concerning Guideline drifter pontoons, it may pay you to look into them a bit closer before buying one, as a nasty accident nearly happened to one of our members!

Now it is with some sadness that I have to report a very unfortunate incident which happened to John D. It appears he hooked an enormous trout out in the middle of the water – “with a tail like a shovel and far too big to go in the large Sparton net”. As he was leaning backwards with his rod hand, and forwards with his net hand, the fish lunged and pulled him off the seat of the tube so he disappeared out of the front and had to hang onto the crossbar with his chin. Determined not to let go of the fish, and equally determined not to bear the cost of a rearming kit for his lifejacket, he had Stevie drag him to the shore, (is there no end to this guys talents)? Whereupon John managed to get the line stuck around the reel and the fish broke him to escape, saluting John with a couple of victory rolls on the surface to say goodbye. Now on the plus side John saved the cost and inconvenience of having to park outside a laundrette with his big motorhome - by getting a complete full body clothes wash, and also a free bath to boot! Mmmm now what was I thinking about those geese earlier?? As you can imagine John received a lot of sympathy for this jolly escapade, but we couldn’t persuade him to repeat it for the camera after supper – you will understand, so we could put a picture in the gallery to demonstrate how to survive by hanging on to a tube with your chin. Very inconsiderate of him – we’re all willing to learn!

As a serious rider to this report – if you have a guide float tube, or any tube without a crotch strap, it would be worth investing a fiver or so on a big snap buckle and a length of webbing to affix under the seat and onto the cross bar, which would actually prevent this situation from happening.

The conclusion to this is that we think that the seat of the pontoon is positioned too far forward, and you only have to move forward a inch or two in the tube in order to tip forward out of the tube.

Hope this helps with your purchase decision.

All the best

Russ

[Peter McCallum]

Personally I would suggest that if Awe, lomond, Alvie or Insch are your targets you want to be as low as possible, higher means less stability and more for the wind to push. Take up Hamishes offer - I did before I bought my navigator 2 (Gremlin fishing on e-bay, give them a go) - and have not been disappointed.

[Iain Goolager]

Thanks for sharing Russ,

Field info. like this is invaluable as I'm sure there are a number of 'unafilliated' potential Tubers that troll forums for buying advice & unbiased reviews.
I for one liked the look of this Tube but the lack of reviews steered me to in another direction.

Iain

[Rob Brownfield]

Cheers for that...decision made....The Wavely Paddle Steamer!!

[Hamish Young]

Tubes are like rods - or cars - try before you buy 

Sure we could rig up a test of 4 different tubes for you to try out Rob
None will requre the effort that the Waverley does to get around the place

[Rob Brownfield]

 

well, if Ben had not sold me that Mach IV on saturday..I would have had the cash just now!! Most of the guys in the PFFA swear by the Shakey one...but my problem is i developed Asthma about 6 years ago...so i need one that will take a pump or mini compressor (I have one in my Landy)