I am thinking of floating the Skykomish this weekend with a friend, and was wondering how important it is to have an anchor. I will be in a 11 foot self-bailing raft (with frame), and would like to back troll plugs, or trade off casting spoons and spinners.

How critical is an anchor, and if I were to buy one for a raft, would it be possible to attach it directly to the frame? Does anyone have experience with this?

Also, if I need an anchor, how heavy should I go?

Thank you.

In my opinion you should have one, if you don't have an anchor mount on your frame you can have one made or you can buy a bolt on one for some frames. As for anchors 25# or 30# should be enough with the later being better.

[ 10-31-2001: Message edited by: FISHNBRAD ]

Outdoor Emporium in Seattle has pyramid anchors from 5 lb up to 30 lb.

Not sure what the price is though.

Go to http://www.nrsweb.com . They are a whitewater outfitter and have special anchor system mounts for rafts and catarafts.

Good luck

Thanks for the help. I'm going to invest in an anchor, but I don't have the $$$ to do it right (the NRS setup looks ideal) now. In the immediate future, and I'm anxious to catch my very first silver this weekend in the Skykomish, and hopefully a float trip will increase my odds. In the meantime I'm thinking about purchasing a 25# anchor from Outdoor Emporium, and attaching it directly to the frame (in the very back). Of course I would take the necessary precautions associated with excess rubbing on the tubes. Has anyone tried a similar setup?

Thanks again.