[xixray]

trying to deicide which tube to buy - either a Sparton Cruiser or Guideline Drifter Pontoon *GC0273* (Float Tubes) £191.30

Would be grateful for your advice!

Ray

[Peter McCallum]

my choice would be the shakespere expedition tube. best plan would be to get yourself to haddo and have a paddle first

[xixray]

Thanks for your input Rabbitangler - but acording to Steve Parton; Shakespear have dicontinued the Expedition float tube.

Ray

[xixray]

I really am a NEWBEE; I don't even know where Haddo is!  Please enlighten me!

Ray

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

I know its lazy, but you will find info on Haddo here:

http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/haddo-trout-fishery.html

[Paul Rankine]

Hi,

Shakespear have dicontinued the Expedition float tube.

Google the online shops .Still plenty around.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Have to say the guys on here told me the Guideline was no good (too high out the water so wind caught it etc) so I ended up with the Shakey. However, if I had the choice again, it would be the Guideline, hands down.

The reason, I used a Guideline from one of the guys in the Pike Fly Fishing Association (almost to a man they all have guidelines) and I found for bigger waters it was much more stable than the shakey in a chop, sitting higher up, actually out of the water was much warmer, and when hauling line, your left hand/elbow does not end up soaking wet. It was also extremely comfortable with none of the slipping forward all the time that you get on an unmodified Shakey.

Although wind did possibly affect it a little more, I found it MUCH easier to turn into the wind and hold station than the shakey, probably as you only have your legs in the water you are not trying to push against most of your torso as well.

Lastly, going through weed and over shallows was a doddle!

However, for a first tube on somewhere like Haddo, the Shakey is fine, although in reality its not a 5 bladder tube, but a 3 and a half as the smallest bladder needs to come out else you are pushed too far forward, and the "back rest" bladder is quite small..but still safe

And as said by everyone..get a life jacket!

[Dave Olley]

I would echo Robs response.
I have an Outcast Fat Cat which is another tube where you sit out of the water. Much more maneuverable and much warmer as only the lower legs are in the water.
Also easier to cast and retrieve as you have more space for your elbows.
I have fished from the Sparton / Shakespeare and much prefer my tube.
One thing I would say is get a decent pair of fins. The little one supplied for tubing are a waste of space.

[xixray]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.  It helped me make up my mind.  I have bought the Guideline Drifter and I am planning my maiden voyage at Trybergh on Sunday 11th October.
Tahanks again everyone

Ray

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Ray,
let us know how you get on & give us your opinion on the tube.

Iain

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Ray
Great stuff, I hope you enjoy your "maiden voyage"

Yes, we need more float tubes folks ....... "Shakeys" are becoming far too common    

Best wishes
Mike

[xixray]

Sfter reading the following post; I decided to delay my maiden voyage until Tuesday 13th Oct and make a few safety inprovements to my tube;

 Re: Guideline Drifter Pontoon
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2008, 20:57:15 PM » 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

     I intend to add a crutch strap or seat belt!

Ray
 
 
 
 

[Rob Brownfield]

Xixray,
I would class the "accident" as the chaps own undoing to tell the truth...The same would have happened if he had lent too far forward in a boat, or even worse in some tubes. (see below)

But, at least if you do come off or flip the guideline you can actually get out of it quick. The Scottish secratary of the PFFA has had two very lucky escapes from a standard tube. Both times he ended up head first in the water with the tube upside down on top, holding him under. If it were not for the life jacket I doubt he would still be about.

He now has a guideline..lol.

Seriously, a bit of common sense is the most important thing when out in any kind of watercraft. Over stretching, under inflation, bad laoding can all lead to accidents. I am sure you will love it once out on the water and have got a little confidence

[Dave Olley]

I don't think that this is a problem with the tube, more likely operator error.
I don't need a crutch strap to stop me falling out of my armchair and I certainly do not intend to tie myself into a float tube.
Mt tube (Outcast fat cat) has an open front and I have never felt that I was going to fall out of it

[xixray]

Hi everyone
             'decided to go ahead with my maiden voyage today, regardless of what I said in my earlier post.  Weather was good with a slight breeze.  On the first launch of my Guideline Drifter I found that

controlling the tube was rather dificult, so I beeched the tube and took most of the air out of the seat bladder and I took more air out of the main pontoon bladders.  This allowed me to sit deeper in the

water and I found I was more able to control the tube n much easier, using much less effort.  I was actually more confortable sitting lower in the water; it felt like I was fishing from an armchair.  That problem sorted out; I got on with a bit of fishing.  I soon discovered another fault; this time it was the line tray, if you can call it a line tray.  The tray is supposed to be secured at the side by vecrose strips. Totally useless, the velcrose strips never stay closed. The linetray was too small, there was a four inch gap between me and the edge of the line tray.  Every time I stripped line in, it ended up down the gap and tangling with my legs. I need to make a new stripping tray.

             Those were the only faults I found with tube today and once I'd mastered the paddling and turning I started to enjoy my day as best I could.  Unfortunately, I did not catch a fish, although I

did hook into two and lost them. There's always a next time!  AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME; now that I'm hooked on TUBING!


All the best

Ray

[Iain Goolager]

PS: My wife took some pics, but I can't work out how to include them on this post!

Hi Ray, try here
http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1951.0

[xixray]

Thanks Goolager - got one pic on the forum - now to try more!

[Rob Brownfield]

In reply to you struggling to turn the boat etc. I think you will find it will come with practice. As I said before, I fount sitting higher much easier. However, I do have proper divers fins rather than the wee things you get with the tube. This may make a big diference.

The line tray puzzles me. I found it sat snuggly against my tummy. Could it be that because you are sitting lower it is being pushed forward??

Scratch that...just looked at your pictures again..you have the latest version with the much thicker seat etc. have a look at this picture of the older style..

compared to yours

Looks like the line tray is longer and narrower and the whole tube a little smaller.

[xixray]

Hi Rob
        you're right my float tube is a differant version to your version.  You can see by comparing both your photos that my line tray is nowhere near as wide as yours.  Also the way your tray is connected to the straps at your side help to pull the tray snuggly up to your body.  My pathetic line tray has two strips of velcrose that are supposed to stick to the side pontoons.  The line tray on my tube only just reaches the front of the seat. The seat is also, as you say, a lot thicker and higher when it is fully inflated.  Once I took most of the air out of it , it was fine.
       As for flippers, my mate is a scuber diver and he offered to sell me a pair of his diving flippers (brand new) for £15.  having read through most of the post referance flippers, the general consensus is that I should first of all get used to the smaller flippers and then upgrade to the larger flippers when my legs gain more strength.

cheers Mate!