Jet boats in small rivers!!!

[pharper]

Just need to vent! AHHHH

http://www.flyfishalberta.com/boards/sh ... php?t=6319
This is absolutely ridiculous!!

Why do people think they have the right to tear up little rivers, then point fingers at us, basically calling us a bunch of selfish fish huggers. "Share the river"?!? Fishermen are regulated in Alberta, Boaters can go where they want and when they want.

It shouldn't be allowed in a place like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaguPZpXXco

Sorry,

[gonfishn]

Looks to me like a reason to dig out the snag hooks.
A medium heavy or heavy rod and thirty pound line oughtta yank them out of the boat really well.
If they want to run their boat wide open on a big river fine as long as they aren't swamping anybody but on a small river like that you just don't have enough reaction time or room to execute an escape manuever.

[DShock]

That's sickening! I would contact your province authorities.
Doug

[Joe Valencic]

The Youtube video reminds me of the jet boats on the Rogue at Grants Pass, OR. Neither one pleases me as a fly fisherman.

Joe

[ducksterman]

I was thinking of the Deschutes

[DShock]

Joe,
You are right! The Rogue Jet Boats are on the wrong water! They have arguments and fights between the rafters and jet boats.
Doug

[Avalon]

Dear pharper,

The video you posted reminded me why I haven't had my jetboat in the water for 2 years.

It's not because I'm an irresponsible jetboat operator who lives on making high speed runs through dangerous water for giggles and grins. It's quite the opposite, I have a modest 16 foot open jon boat with a 40/28 outboard jet and the people with their 20 footers with 150/105's laugh at me at the ramp.

I live within a couple of miles of a river that is 3/4's of a mile wide, very shallow and filled with rocky ledges. At safe wading levels the river is still flowing at 7000 cubic feet per second and while wading is an option you really cannot range very far in those kind of flows. A jetboat, or a small boat with a small outboard and pitchfork welded to the skeg is the only practical way to fish the river.

I put my jetboat up in the garage because I was tired of getting up early and making my way to a good spot only to get blasted by the jet wash of a hot-rodder.

I thought the fellow who posted on the message board link you provided about using a modest jet on the Kootenay River seemed like a nice fellow and by all indications he seemed to be respectful of others. He seemed to suffer a lot of abuse from the other board members in my opinion. I admit to not knowing anything at all about the river in question, but I have used my jetboat succesfully and unobtrusively on my home river many miles upstream where it is much smaller. I've run it through chutes not much wider than it's 7 foot beam, that simply could not be waded due to the the flow.

I guess what I am trying to say is that while I see your point and frustration, jet boats are valuable tools when they are not operated by tools. They are like anything motorized that is used to access the outdoors. Eventually someone makes one that is bigger, stronger, louder and faster and everything goes to heck in a handbasket.

Maybe your best course of action would be to petition local authorities to set a reasonable horsepower limit on the boats used on local waters?

Just the thoughts of a jetboat owner who is suffering from feelings of inadequacy.

Best Wishes,
Avalon

[J Castwell]

good post, well stated. tks

[DShock]

I actually think jet powered boats are the way to go in shallow water and in rivers that are BIG enough to handle boat traffic.
Small rivers, creeks should be off limits to jet boats.
There should also be a speed limit on normal rivers.
There is always going to be a percentage of powered boat owners without manners.
Doug

[pharper]

Avalon,

I agree with you. Jetboats are a valuble tool. In this case they are using the tool destructively.

The first poster in the topic was fine and is a responsible user... his boat is unable to run small mountain rivers.

I have used jetboats on larger rivers, where it was the best means to get from A to B. I have no problem with jet use on these rivers. My issue is with this type of user, that, as an extreme sport, will run jets up shallow rivers as wide as the boat. They build the boats to run these rivers, to hit riffles and jump logjams. This destroys the rivers.

Some places deserve no-motor regulations.