Pram boats

[texfly]

Anyone out there fish pram boats? Any advise on getting into one? Looking for a small one or two man for rowing on small creek's and rivers. Light weight would be a big plus.

[rel]

Check out Dan Blanton's site- thy're big into prams out west. rel

[iaflyfisher]

A few years ago I purchased a used Spring Creeks Pram's Classic. I have been very happy with it on the lakes and ponds I have fished with it. It does not have a problem handling me and my fishing gear. Once I pulled a fully loaded 17 foot canoe across a windy lake with not problem. (Electric trolling motor!) It works pretty good with the oars also.

You can reach Spring Creek at http://www.springcreekprams.com/

I have attached a couple pf pictures of the boat.

iaflyfisher

[Uncle Jesse]

What's the difference in a pram and jon boat?

[Sully]

Anyone out there fish pram boats? Any advise on getting into one? Looking for a small one or two man for rowing on small creek's and rivers. Light weight would be a big plus.

I had one as a kid. Couldnt steer it then...cant steer one now. Length to width is wrong.

If you want a true small creek / river craft....get a canoe

[Sully]

What's the difference in a pram and jon boat?

Length to width ratio.

[Jayatwork]

Prams have end to end rocker and sloping sides like a drft boat. Better in rough water. Most are designed to be able to stand in and fish. Some are designed to use in moving water and are really a mini driftboat. http://www.clacka.com/section.cfm?wSectionID=4238

[mcsteff]

I have built (and used) Bolger's Nymph pram from plans at the Small Boat Journal (now defunct). It was the first boat I had ever built but it turned out wonderfully. Rowed it in Lake Michigan swells and breaking waves and in the many ponds around here. Even tried fishing in it standing up though I wouldn't recommend it. Phil Bolger also designed a pram with a wider beam; it appears to have more initial stability. Here is a copy of the plans for the Rubens Nymph. I think the nymph pram I built would be better suited to rivers but if you wanted to stand, the rubens would be better. I built the boat in 1987 using Luan underlayment (I didn't know any better) and fiberglass tape and resin. Now I would use marine plywood and epoxy. That being said, the original pram is still usable; in 23 years I have only replaced the rub rails as the originals cracked--that's it. Since I built the Nymph, I have built 10 glued lapstrake boats. If you can saw to a line and read directions, you would have no problem building one of these; quite a fun little project.
mcsteff