im thinking of joining a fishery club that includes use of boat when you go fishing now ive been to the place before twice now and used boat twice. ive never caught in the boat yet but have today on their bank. i was using floating line with 10ft leader . its only shallow in some places 4ft with weed that you can pull though easy and other places its 8-10 ft deep. so im looking for any advice/tips from fishing from a boat . floating line ? intermediate ? how long of leader on intermediate any advice that could be of help please
cheers

A floating line will do you fine most of the time, as you can use a goldbead to get you down if needed. You should also have an intermediate line for early and late season, this will be a very useful tool for you.
There are several "musts" for boat fishing, I have listed them below for you, if you already know these, perhaps they will help someone else.
1. No standing in the boat, 2. You will need a drogue at times, and you would be as well to buy the Pattern Drogue from Steve Parton, this is the best that I know.
3. Buy yourself a garden chair, either tubular or even the plastic type, this will stop backache, not to mention bum ache. 4. Always fish your own side of the boat, and do not jump up to cast behind, or to the side of you, unless you have asked your partner's permission. THere is no better way to get a birds nest in both casts than doing this.
5. I assume that the club supplies lifejackets, if not, this should be your first purchase.
6. Never "cut up" another boat, that is motor up their drift, or move immediately in front of them, and start fishing. Oaths will be heard all over the lake.
7. Do remember that you are drifting towards fish, so do not put them down with trying to cast to the other end of the lake, and making a complete mess of it, you will eventually arrive over the fish without hunting them to the other side of the lake.
8. Remember that the primary reason for you being out fishing is to enjoy yourself, watch nature in the raw so to speak, and have a bit of banter with your boat partner.
Trout are an added bonus, except in comps.

The length of your cast should be 1 1/2 times the length of the rod you are using, eg 10ft. rod, equals 15ft. cast. If the fish are picky, go down to two or even one fly on the cast, finer nylon is obviously needed as well. For myself, I never fish with more than two flies for rainbows, the first fly being 6 or 7 ft. down the leader.

Get into the art of fishing dries for rainbows, this is the supreme way of flyfishing, and great to watch. Klinkhammers are a must in sizes from 10's to 16's, colours to suit the usual fauna of the water, cdc flies, shuttlecock buzzers, etc. etc. are a must as well.
ENJOY your days out,
Sam

cheers for taking time to write that informative post . some good tips there

the chair . i was getting back ache and did notice one of them plastic chairs in the lake while there.
life jackets are provided fee too

the drogues ill have to look into and see what they actually do . i thought they was some sort of drag to slow boat in drifting but the boats do have anchors

as for the casting well we was today casting as if we was on a bank and trying to get as far as we can.

so thanks for all them tips

All good advice there from Doonicus

I would add a contour map of the lake to your list of acquisitions. This can help you locate fish as well as highlighting any potential dangers from submerged rocks, reefs etc.

If you're using an outboard, bring a spare shear pin. The shear pin is a safety mechanism that will break if the torque on the prop is too great (ie if the prop gets snagged or hits a rock). And it's much cheaper to replace a pin than a prop! It's happened to me several times, expect it to happen to you at some point!

Longer rods (11ft or so) make it easier to dibble your flies on the surface. Shorter rods are good for fast sinking lines.

Try and avoid hooking your boat partner on your backcast!!

Doonicus and I are probably making it sound like a minefield of potential dangers. Although dangers do exist, fishing from a boat is one of the simplest and most relaxing ways to while away a few hours.

Have a great time!

Alex

__________________
You're a long time dead
Life is for living

Save your money and use one of the chairs that are available, mind you, once the rest of the members catch on it will be first come, first served.

Great tips from the Bloody Butcher, so do keep them in mind, and you will then have a safe, and a really wonderful way to enjoy your fishing.

Anchoring is fine, I have no probs. with that, but a good drogue will let you cover far more water, and will let you find the fish quicker. You can then go back over the drift, and anchor up where you found the fish.

As you get more confident, I am sure you will want to try other waters in your area, then the drogue will become a welcome part of your necessities. It is amazing just how much tackle and accessories you will end up with, and you will find these indespencible for your day out. Remember that a drogue will slow the boat down, and allow you to fish the water better and cover more ground than the boat that was beside you at the start of the drift, which suddenly appears in your vision a mile down the water from you, with the flyfishers having only had 6 casts each!

Sam