Drift Boats And River Dories: Their History, Design, Construction, And Use

Drift boats and river dories are superb fishing boats specifically designed for whitewater rivers. They originated in the early 1900s on Oregons McKenzie and Rogue rivers and are now popular throughout North America and the world. This is the fascinating history of the river pioneers who designed, built, and used the early river dories and their successive incarnations. Author Roger Fletcher has collected stories, diaries, and photographs and recovered and recorded the lines and plans of these early boats before being irretrievably lost. With marine artist Sam Mannings drawings, the book documents the traditional free-form method of drift boat construction and provides sufficient detail to model 10 boats to scale or build them full size. One of the best ways to learn drift boat building the free-form way is to model one first, and the book provides instruction and step-by-step photos for building a traditional boat to scale. Whether you are a fly fisherman who appreciates the gentle lapping of water on wood or a boat builder who want to recreate a piece of history, Drift Boats and River Dories is sure to satisfy.