Pontoons & the Owens?

[fishing_addict]

Just curious, anyone ever use a pontoon boat on the Owens? I have friends that are big into using them on the Green River in Utah/Wyoming but haven't seen any posts in here where guys are using them. Being on a pontoon you have total access to the river and since a lot of the Owens is flanked by tall grasses in many areas I was toying with the idea of picking one up...

[hnscaddis]

I floated the Owens from 5 bridges down past the big radar sattalites, the ones that were in the movie about the ailiens. Not in one day of coarse. The Ownes is not wide, so you wouldn't want to use a big boat. And another thing... it winds back on itself so the river is 3 times longer than the crow flies, or more so allow plenty of time to float. We floated it in a conventional 10 raft, with a home made rowing frame.

[fishfinder]

I was thinking of float tubing it. I have heard the fishing is awesome if you float down the river. we were thinking of parking down river and hitching a ride up river.

[Mike274]

Don't know if the pontoon boat would work on the Owens? However, I do know several people who tube and drift boat the lower Owens.

Mike

[dockboy]

Tubing it would be a little too hairy IMO, lots of sweepers and underwater obstacles to pull you under. A 'toon or small drift boat/raft is the way to go. Kayaks are good too, but you its much harder to fish from a yak if you fly fish. With a pontoon or boat, you can anchor up just upstream of a good run and fish it from your vessel. The section below the Wild Trout Section is very brushy, and some of the best areas can't be waded effectively. And ditto on the drift length....take what you think is good and divide by 1/2 or more. Its a sinuous river, and you can get in trouble or end up rowing back to the take out in the dark (or worse yet, having to camp on a gravel bar without supplies) if you bite off more than you can chew. 3-5 miles is a good beginning float on the Owens, and gives you a good deal of water to fish.

[fishfinder]

Don't know if the pontoon boat would work on the Owens? However, I do know several people who tube and drift boat the lower Owens.

Mike

not a pontton boat, he means a pontoon float tube.

[fishing_addict]

Thanks for all the input guys... definitely won't tube the Owens, saw plenty of downed logs and strainers out there the last time I fished. Want to ride as high in those waters as possible.

[TroutOnly]

lots of above water and underwater hazards,,and probobly better on a lower flow,,,,,,,,,,