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,
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.
That’s sickening! I would contact your province authorities.
Doug 
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
I was thinking of the Deschutes :roll:
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
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. :lol:
Best Wishes,
Avalon 
good post, well stated. tks
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
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.
See jet boats all the time in Idaho on the Snake. I had fun with one once. I waded way out in the river to about the middle. The water was up to my chest. I saw a big boulder lying in front of me, so I climbed up on it to do a little fishing. Needless to say, the water was now half way up my calves and I couldn’t see the bottom in front of me. I stood there in this shallow water in the middle of a large river when a jet boat started to come down. It saw me, and shut down the motor to creep past me. I still don’t know if I fooled them into thinking it was very shallow or they were be polite. :lol:
Polite…they draw less water when up to speed…
I meant the wake :lol:
Some boat owners are considerate of others.
Doug
I meant the wake :lol:[/quote]
FG…I know… what I meant was it would have been better for them to go fast but they were being polite and not creating a wake.
Doug…I’ve seen and been with many considerate jet boaters on the Deschutes…unfortunately have seen the opposite too…never been with one though…
I meant the wake :lol:[/quote]
FG…I know… what I meant was it would have been better for them to go fast but they were being polite and not creating a wake.
Doug…I’ve seen and been with many considerate jet boaters on the Deschutes…unfortunately have seen the opposite too…never been with one though…[/quote]
I would like to think that. But, we are talking that it looked like I was in 6" to 8" of water, it could have freaked him out. 
Fly goddess,
It’s kind of counter-intuitive, but a jet boat is safer and and needs less water depth, the faster it goes. If an operator slows down the boat sinks into the water, risky if it is shallow. Supposedly there is also less wake if they go fast, because there is less hull displacing water… either way the boater that went past you was most likely being courteous.
Speed is part of the problem in small rivers, a jet boat always has to be up on-step (going fast) to maintain control and skim over shallow stuff. Ripping at 60 knots around blind river corners where an angler may be standing is not acceptable.
It isn’t just the speed boats. In my rivers, there aren’t speed boats on the rivers but occasionally and idiot will try a 2 man pontoon. Keep in mind the rivers I fish here in Utah are about 20’ wide for the most part. We were out fishing one day while an idiot did come down with his pontoon. My old man was in the river casting and had a fish on when this guy said, don’t worry, we will go behind you. Well they didn’t and the ol man lost the fish. In fact the boat bumped into my ol man and almost knocked him on his butt. Steaming Mad! You bet! :twisted:
I wouldn’t want to damage a small stream but I’m a bit of a hot rodder at heart. That’s why I push the limits on my motorcycle once in a while (never with a passenger). I have to admit flying a jet boat through the air does appeal to me but I would pick a better place to do it. I might have to trade in my outboard for a jet boat.
I’ve only had outboard powered boats, so I’m no expert on jet powered motors.
The only time I was in a jet powered outboard was with Guide Bob Toman on the lower Deschutes.
He had a 200 hp Merc jet.
I was immediately alarmed with how NOISY his motor was, as we powered through the current.
It sounded like a crazy washing machine!
I realized that Bob’s motor was working much harder as a jet than it would be as a motor with a prop attached.
Controlling the boat is different also.
Doug