How About a Raft? Or, What's In A Name?

How About a Raft? Or, What's In A Name

Aug 24, 2021
David Hutton, Palmetto Fly N Fish

One of the things I enjoy about the internet, and in particular, social media, is the often ambiguous, misleading references people bring to it. It's a source of constant entertainment... and its often educational.

As an example, today the question was asked in a Facebook fly fishing group, "Should I get a raft to cover more water?"
That intrigued me both for its relative simplicity, but more, for its rather vague inferences. The social media sphere is like that - most people just assume you are on the same page with them. Me, I have questions.... "Hey wait! What Raft? Which Water...how?" But, I got nothing more. So, let's roll with it, shall we? Covering Water First off, "covering more water" does seem an impressive thing at first glance.

But right there, we start off with a hiccup in interpretation. Me, I'm nearly always interested in effectively working the fishable water in a given area... But I'm 90% certain this guy really means seeing landscape pass by, quickly, on the way to some place that is supposed to have fish. Somewhere, "fishy." Of course, that logic holds out the promise that if you can go farther, faster, then you'll have more CHANCES at fish. To which I normally respond, "Well... maybe." Much of the water into which we might cast our lures is likely devoid of fish. They are not in every dram of the stuff, after all. Or, as often happens, our finny quarry may be in the water, but they are somewhere other than where we expect. What we rely on, then, is more of a hope-and-throw scenario - a numbers game, essentially. The conversation goes something like this: "Just wear your arm out casting your lures/tackle/flies, to enough logs/riffles/rocks along the way,... and you'll catch something." And to be fair, there is some validity to that numbers game. Really, it's our standard practice, as anglers.

The careers of most fishing guides are clawed out from little else, after all. Confusion But, where I had my real foggy moment of confusion was with the term, itself: "raft." In todays world of ready-made-everything, and, anything-you-want-can-be-purchased, well... the word R-A-F-T has a different meaning than what I envisioned. What I pictured for a raft is seen below....

         Huck Finn Would Be Pleased

However, what the guy had in mind was something else, altogether. He actually means a high-dollar, inflatable boat intended for drifting on rivers. Seen below is what HE wants....

Now, to me, this isn't a raft, at all; not in any sense of the word. HE wants a vacation vehicle, a floating, UV-stabilized RV with which to facilitate his destination safaris. A waterproof GoPro camera, $5 bottles of craft beer, and boutique logo wear are surely part of the outfitting for his raft. Cost appears to be of only secondary concern.

ME, well,... My image of The Palmetto Raft is one of plastic drums and old pallets. Baling wire and decking screws hold it together. The camera on a Walmart phone captures the adventure, Busch Light in cans fills an ancient Igloo cooler, and cut-off jeans are the standard uniform. Johnny Cash is playing on that same, crappy Walmart phone. Lesson Learned In the end, I got what I'm calling a, "learning moment." I came to understand another aspect of the fly fishing world, hitherto unknown to me. Yes, I've seen how the other half lives. I will know better, now, when I hear the word, "RAFT," in that context. Wisely, I backed away from the discussion after his expectations, and my cluelessness, became apparent. I was on another plane, obviously. On another planet, even. No sense sticking my foot too deeply into my mouth, at that point. On the other hand, perhaps he, and they, are the ones on another planet. It's hard to tell... the lines blur.

But one thing is sure: if he gets his "raft," I expect he'll get his wish to see a lot of scenery going past.

And that, I've also learned, counts for something.

Thanks so much for reading and,

Tight Lines!

David

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