jason brooks photo
be covered up . It took a couple of days of scraping and sanding to get down to bare aluminum but then I applied Coat-It , which is a waterproof epoxy sealer made by Tap Plastics . This stuff is slick and does a good job helping your boat slide over rocks and through the skinny water . For a brief description on how to do , refer to the sidebar .
5 . Make and Check Your “ Boat Box ”: Drift boats are a fun and easy way to fish but like any other boating there are a few “ must have along ” items . I keep a boat box behind the rower ’ s bench with some key items . In the box is a spare anchor rope that can also be used to lead the boat down a dangerous chute or rapids or be used with a second anchor . A spare anchor is a good idea , and I keep a small folding anchor to be used as a front anchor while in back sloughs twitching jigs for coho or in soft water floating eggs for Chinook . A burlap sack is something else that should be added as it can be used as an emergency anchor if you lose your main anchor . Fill the burlap sack up with rocks and tie it , then tie the anchor rope around the knot on the sack and it will work in a pinch . And the most important item in my boat box is a road flare . If you flip the boat or simply fall out ( yes , I ’ ve fallen out of my drift boat , luckily while summer steelheading on the Skykomish ) then you need to be able to start a fire quickly to keep from getting hypothermia . A road flare can get wet and still work , strike it on a rock and it will get wet wood burning quickly . www . salmonandsteelheadjournal . com 21