Recent opinions on Float Tube fishing in Ireland

Fred Nash

Hi all,

I have been doing a lot of googling lately on the topic of Float tube fishing in Ireland, particularly since the 2017 season has closed for trout and looking to try different waters next season. I cannot find anything recent/current on this topic (seen various old threads on boards from 2008 - 2014, some with great info, also that website that is dedicated to Float tube fishing in Ireland, but nothing up to date or even within the last 3 years, that website of Norman Greene's appears not to have been updated since 2014 also).

While all the info about using them, do's and don't etc still apply today, I'm looking for some fresh feedback/ advice on what tubes you guys are using/ what are the better ones to buy? (Budget anywhere from 300 -600)

Looking forward to hearing from anybody with info.

Cheers,

Fred

pheasant tail

Hey Fred, I bought my tube online off Glasgow store about 3 years ago and it's one of the best bit of kits I've ever bought. Can't remember the price but I'd guess about 350-400 euro, it's the guideline one, but there are cheaper ones on it too but if you've the money then it's what I'd recommend. Mich more storage with it too compared to others I've seen. Very easy transported and ya can pop in and out to a few lakes each day with no hassle.

Fred Nash

pheasant tail wrote: »

Hey Fred, I bought my tube online off Glasgow store about 3 years ago and it's one of the best bit of kits I've ever bought. Can't remember the price but I'd guess about 350-400 euro, it's the guideline one, but there are cheaper ones on it too but if you've the money then it's what I'd recommend. Mich more storage with it too compared to others I've seen. Very easy transported and ya can pop in and out to a few lakes each day with no hassle.

I have read a few of your posts on this topic in the past, good to see you're still using it and still highly rate it, cheers for the reply will do a bit if research on that type of tube.

rpmcmurphy

Fred Nash wrote: »

I have read a few of your posts on this topic in the past, good to see you're still using it and still highly rate it, cheers for the reply will do a bit if research on that type of tube.

Coolwings here is a great source of knowledge on tubes. I own both a Shakespeare expedition and guideline drifter both excellent tubes but I'd lean more towards the drifter as I'm a large mammal and it's bigger. Excellent way to fish. I'd suggest maybe getting in contact with someone who has a tube close to your location and starting off with someone experienced to begin with,!

pheasant tail

I've never seen the Shakespeare one but I've been out with lads who use the Snowbee and the Keeper tubes and the guideline seemed superior to both them anyway

coolwings

The float tube has undergone some great developments in recent years. I think we are living in the golden age of float tubing, totally unnoticed by 99% of other anglers!
In the US, for places with not so much wind as Ireland, there appeared tubes which were float-tube-inflatable boat hybrids, along the idea of a pontoon-tube. They have the features of an open front tube plus a higher seating position, though not quite so high as a pontoon. The Zonker is a nice example. A little vulnerable to wind in Ireland but without doubt an extremely comfortable ride in smaller sheltered waters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOIsk4y7ek

Next there emerged a different design development that married float tubes with kayaks, with inflatable kayaks at first, then inflatable kayak-tube hybrids. These have inflatable kayak shape plus leg openings in a convenient place to allow feet/fins for no hands steering and movement (which is of course the tube's "killer advantage" ghillie-with-me-in-the-boat quality positioning by legs while hands are free for casting, presentation, hooking and playing fish etc). Outcast's Commander is a nice example of this direction of tube evolution.
http://www.outcastboats.com/frameless/osgcommander.asp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUgXMk1b5w

And recently another bright idea to improve the tube-toon in windy conditions. The flattened tube. Semi rigid inflatable boat meets float tube! The air tubes have a non round cross section) Low profile. Sits low on the water. Wind resistant ..... need I say any more? I'm really looking hard at these and trying to justify the expenditure! Check out the Dave Scadden Fuzion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XZ5iOz5wfM

One thing these "new float tubes" all have in common. More streamlined. .... = more water range possible by manual power Use of oars as alternate to fins = more speed when required, or to cover distance. Ability to lift fins from water onto a footrest while using oars = underwater streamlining = even more distance! Tubes are out of the bay and into more open water as a result.

Only problem with these next generation float tubes is the cost!

I have been work busy recently so I haven't gotten out much. Just popping into the forum now and then, and a few evening short fishing trips to local places. Sold my Bucks Bags Bullet tube this year and currently trying to make my mind up which tube to replace it with for 2018.

Fred Nash

Excellent post on recent Float tubes advancements, is it me or are they changing towards the boat type? One benefit of the Float tubes were that the hands were free as no use of oars but that seems to be changing now and the expense also.

coolwings

I agree with you on the cost. But the examples I gave, Dave Scadden's tubes in particular, are the highest cost out there. However, you do get to see the cutting edge of what's available, and then can move down the cost scale into other makes while still looking for the key features that suit your personal requirements.

I see a merging of float tubes with 1 small inflatable boats, 2 inflatable kayaks, and 3 inflatable paddle boards as used by eg South Africa salt water anglers.

Now we are not gifted with the warm water that is available in some of those exotic locations, so we want a dry ride. But we also have outrageous wind compared with most other places, so a low profile, and shorter sides (side profile) tube suits us best. the less there is to catch the breeze the better, but the other requirements are also to keep the gear dry because if swamped by every second wave going past, the gear's not going to dry out in irish temperatures.

Outcast are lower cost than Scadden. Many makes are available below that. Asian manufactured alternative names of similar look. Some under western brandnames. But those pair produce the designs they all want to emulate. it matters not to go over budget. It matters also not to go too big (you get tired paddling it) or too small (fair weather sheltered water use only).

I'm looking forward to seeing what Outcast produce next year. I have ideas in my head of eventually finding something that looks like a Fish Cat 4 but with tubes that are flattened (Fuzion style) when inflated to reduce the wind catching aspect while retaining the other overall shape, a lightweight fabric footrest and short auxiliary aluminium oars. Oh yeah it will weigh under 6 kgs for walking into anywhere. Simple....