Rowing Tips

Mastering the Water

Rowing effectively during fishing trips is key to positioning your boat in prime spots, maintaining stealth, and ensuring a smooth experience on the water. Whether you’re on a drift boat, raft, or canoe, here are some essential rowing tips for anglers:

1. Row, Don’t Paddle

Unlike a kayak or canoe, where you paddle forward, rowing a drift boat or raft requires facing downstream and pulling the oars towards you. This technique gives you better control over the boat’s speed and position, allowing you to slow down in faster currents or hold steady in productive fishing spots.

2. Use Subtle, Quiet Strokes

Avoid big, splashy strokes that can spook fish. Instead, aim for smooth, quiet movements to keep your approach stealthy. Smaller strokes help you make micro-adjustments to your position without disturbing the water too much, especially when navigating shallow areas or approaching rising fish.

3. Plan for Current and Wind

Always be aware of the river’s current and the wind’s direction. These natural forces can either help or hinder your rowing, so use them to your advantage. If the current is strong, row gently to control speed while letting the river do the work. When dealing with wind, angle the boat to minimize resistance, and use stronger, controlled strokes to stay on course.

4. Hold Your Line in Prime Spots

When you reach a productive area, use the oars to hold your position. Row against the current slightly to stay in place and give your fishing partner or yourself enough time to cast to promising seams, eddies, or structure. This is especially important when fishing with dry flies or drifting nymphs through key runs.

5. Practice Rowing Before Your Trip

If you’re new to rowing, it’s a good idea to practice before hitting the water with your fishing gear. Practice how to back-row, spin the boat, and make smooth transitions between holding position and moving. The more comfortable you are rowing, the more you can focus on the fishing.

6. Communicate with Your Fishing Partner

In a drift boat, clear communication between the rower and the angler is crucial. The rower needs to understand where the angler wants to cast, and the angler should let the rower know if adjustments in positioning are needed. Syncing up makes for a more successful and enjoyable fishing trip.

By mastering rowing techniques and understanding how to control your boat, you’ll have a more successful fishing trip, with better positioning and stealth on the water.