[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’ve been using the Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie this summer and I’ve been loving it. Here are the main reasons why this product has become essential for my fishing:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Storage
I love flies. The Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie holds all of my leaders, tippet, floatant, an extra reel spool, and a bunch of other junk too. This allows me to devote all of the room in my boat bag to fly boxes. The Drifty Boat Caddie has a convenient fly patch that can be zipped up to protect used flies from wind and from being forgotten in your buddy’s boat. Despite the simplicity of the “throw ’em in the cupholder” method, it’ll end up costing you in the long run. I’ve had my Drifty Boat Caddie in several heavy rains and it’s kept the gear inside dry.
After I went fishing this morning, I dumped out my Drifty Boat Caddie and you can see everything I have in there in the image below.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”19827″ size=”us_600_400_crop” align=”center” onclick=”lightbox”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Portability
When I get the chance to hit the river, I’m often fishing out of somebody else’s boat. As a result, I like to keep my gear as portable as possible. When I’m headed out the door, I grab my boat bag, the Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie, a couple rods, and I’m ready to go.
In the images below, you can see the Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie in use in an Adipose Flow Skiff and in a Koffler Rocky Mountain Trout Boat.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”19830″ size=”us_600_400_crop” align=”center” onclick=”lightbox”][us_image image=”19828″ size=”us_600_400_crop” align=”center” onclick=”lightbox”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Versatility
I haven’t met them, but the guys from Fishpond gotta be some smart dudes. All their products are cleverly designed and the Drifty Boat Caddie is no exception. One of the coolest things about this product is that it can be mounted in such a variety of ways. When I’m in my Koffler, I use the gunnel hooks to hang it from the rod tray cover on the side of the boat. Then when I go fishing in an Adipose, I sit it on the large open storage tray. If I get the chance to fish from a raft, I can strap it to the frame. Additionally, you can even mount the Drifty Boat Caddie to the front of your hard-sided cooler.
Beyond the Caddie’s boat use, it’ll also make a sweet shoulder pack for spey season. I’ll swap out the boat straps for a shoulder strap and replace my dry fly tippet and floatants with MOW tips and a couple streamer boxes. If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate the significance of having a cupholder built into your pack while spey fishing.
You can see the Fishpond Drifty Boat Caddie in sling pack mode in the below image.
[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”19834″ size=”us_600_400_crop” align=”center” onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]We still have a few of the Boat Caddie’s in stock, so give us a call or stop by the shop if you’re interested in checking one out. I’m sure you’ll love it too.
If you want to see Fishpond’s description of the the Drifty Boat Caddie, you can check it out on their website here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Most impressive review Braydon. I own more stuff than I will ever use but you just put the caddie #1 on my Christmas list. I’m eagerly waiting for an entomology/use this approach/ then try this info-blog on pseudos with great interest. My wife knows nothing of mayflies but says when I start saying the word “pseudos” , I usually take 3 steps too many off the edge…
Thanks, Russ. Hopefully you’ll like the caddie as much as I do. A pseudo blog is on the way. We’ll all be taking a few too many steps off the edge soon enough, but for now, we can enjoy throwing some size 6 hoppers.
Excellent review, looks like a great product, thanks for posting this up!
Just curious, do you actually use those *press-on* strike indicators shown in your “what’s in my bag” pic? Has someone finally made some that don’t end up as trash in the river? Semi-related, what is your preferred non-lead spli-shot?
Myself and a bunch of our guides use the Palsa Pinch-On-Floats for “short-leash” nymphing. That’s what we call it when we’re fishing flies shallow. By shallow I mean anywhere from 4 feet to less than a foot. Some guys/gals will even use them when fishing deeper. There is a trick to attaching them to your leader: Don’t fold the individual tab over. Instead, take a whole tab (shaped like an 8) and stick it opposite another whole tab running lengthwise with your leader. To make them grip even stronger, some guides will tie a several-inch-long loop at the attachment point so that there are effectively two strands of leader to attach them to instead of just one. When you’re done using the palsas, rip them off and properly dispose of them. As far as tin shot goes, we usually use the Water Gremlin brand.