Thank you fishinmagician. Someone had to say it.

Goharley,
Please consider the following two points:

Safety-
Without resorting to tales of woe, let it suffice it to say there is a definate reason why you see pontoon boats mainly on lakes and rarely on our winter steelhead rivers in the NW. We're not talking river rafts here. Even on some of the "easy" stretches, I'd personally be very uneasy in a 'toon. Just this week I witnessed two DB incidents (1st got wet, 2nd broke a rod). Both could have been tragic in a 'tooner. I have seen enough tragedy on these rivers to speak out against these crafts for this intended purpose. But if you insist, stay with one that has a river rowing frame that you can really reef on and sits high enough that you could jump off onto a sweeper your craft gets sucked into.

Practicality-
Plus, have you actually fished a river from one? I get a crick in my neck just thinking of casting to the up-side all day while pointed downstream. Anchoring up in strong flows would give me the willys. Transport and portability may be their primary assets, but most of the prime bank fishing spots you can walk to anyway. Not to mention transporting that precious steelhead rod safely through chutes and channels without having to break it down all the time.

They sound cheap and effective, but on further inspection and closer analysis they are clearly less than practical or safe on the winter salmon & steelhead rivers of the NW. Think of it this way; you might take a Harley down the freeway but would you drive a go-cart, cheap or expensive, even if you could? While it might get you from place to place, it certainly won't be safely or comfortably.

On some lower stretches and lower flows they might suffice, but lakes are where 'toons shine!

Be safe and live long, brother.