The stripping apron on my Fat Cat (older model) is totally worthless. Even when I adjust it so it is super tight when the float tube is fully inflated and out of the water, as soon as I sit in the tube in the water the tubes move closer together and the apron sags so much it just serves as a place to strip line to before it dumps the line in the water.
Since I like to flyfish stillwater subsurface using various sinking lines, that generally means that unless I am really really careful every stinkin' minute, the line ends up in the water and sometimes wrapped around my fins. Trying to get it loose from the fins is quite difficult.
That stripping apron is such a frustration to me that I dread using the float tube, and am in process of switching over to a pram.
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[cool][#0000ff]You are not alone in your dislike of the wimpy aprons provided on Fat Cats and other tubes. In some cases you would be better off just catching the line in your lap or using a small stripping basket.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been tossing the factory aprons and installing rigid aprons (sushi boards) for several years now. I seldom fly fish but I do appreciate having a good apron for working on tackle or controlling fish. Also, saves a lot of gear if you drop something.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are a couple of pictures of recent models. All you need is the plastic lid from a storage container and something to cut and smooth it to fit your tube and your personal needs. Some elastic cord and a couple of clips rounds out the project.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have an older Fat Cat, there are D rings on the top front of the tube for you to use in attaching your modified apron. The newer models use the vertical supports that fit in slots and have eliminated the top front D rings. I put an elongated PVC stabilizer bar on my PVC rod holder setup and drill a hole in the end to hold a ring.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are quite a few other BFTers who are now using the rigid aprons and seem to like them much better.[/#0000ff]
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My H3 didn't come with an Apron. I tried as they suggested, about stripping into one of the side bags. Sit a little to low to do this comfortably. On my pontoon there is enough room next to me for a basket.
SO, I bought a WADING basket. I like the William Joseph retractable.
![[Image: L.jpg]](http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Fly%20Fishing/L.jpg)
The problem with the smooth surface lid, is if there is any wind. You could put small cones to keep the line tangle free and on the lid.
I have to say...with all the complaints OUTCAST gets over the years about their apron, I am surprised on how many they still sell and why they do NOTHING to fix it.
Kind of like they are saying....you will buy it no matter what[
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The new H3 apron, although it is an added accessory, is awesome, but there goes the killer price of the SFC.
I bet they wish Dave still worked for them...LOL [angelic]
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Hard "aprons" like the PVC covers and such work
very well for spinning fisherman, because of the way they
set the hook. Rod goes up and no problem.
Now if you go with the hard apron and try to strip set hook like its normaly done with the fly line, you may bang your
striping hand on that cover real bad.
Also with the rigid hard apron the wind would
dump your fly line in the water all the time . What I did is reinforced the front part on the striping apron with a piece of aluminium so its nice and rigid.
That way the apron does not sag at all. I can even rest my fly rod on it when Im troling and no problem at all.
Look at the picture below- Line is in the apron, fish is in it
as well and nothing is in the water.
The piece of aluminium is inside so you cant even see it.
I hope this helps.
Peter
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didnt you post on this a while back and show how you reenforced your stripping apron.. ?? if not could you post that in the near future??
MacFly [cool]
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Peter,
So as not to hijack this thread I have started a separate thread to ask your thoughts on using the new Sage short bass flyrods from your float tube which i noticed in your picture.
God Bless,
Don
P.S. Inspired by Tube Dude's experiment with the rigid plastic aprons. I have been using that approach for years, I use a sinking line more than a floating line and it doesn't go anywhere. Any wind capable of blowing your line off the rigid surface would have forced you to stow your flyrods and revert to spin or baitcasting equipment.
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[quote macfly55]didnt you post on this a while back and show how you reenforced your stripping apron.. ?? if not could you post that in the near future??
MacFly [cool][/quote]
I think I talked about it before but I dont have any
pictures of it.
It is very simple. All I did is cut open the front brace of
the apron in the corner just a nuff to insert the piece of aluminum all the way.
The aluminum piece is the size of the brace .That is
24'' x 2'' on super fat cat apron.
Then I hand stitched it closed.
My body Eric did the same thing on his fish cat four
and his happy with it.
I took some pictures, maybe that will help you a little.
Im not sure what kinda apron you have on yours but
this kind of apron after the fix workes like a dream
for fly fishing.
Peter
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looks good to me.. :-)
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[quote smallmouth89]Peter,
So as not to hijack this thread I have started a separate thread to ask your thoughts on using the new Sage short bass flyrods from your float tube which i noticed in your picture.
God Bless,
Don
P.S. Inspired by Tube Dude's experiment with the rigid plastic aprons. I have been using that approach for years, I use a sinking line more than a floating line and it doesn't go anywhere. Any wind capable of blowing your line off the rigid surface would have forced you to stow your flyrods and revert to spin or baitcasting equipment.[/quote]
Scadden Aprons have a NYLON pole like for springbar tents in them to keep the shape. Light weight and flexible.
I do think an Apron is not necessary for Fly Fishing. It is just getting use to stripping to the side.
I have tried a hard surface, and the line does slide off. I do use both floating and sinking. Little cones do help and cheap and easy.
As far as switching back to spinning or bait....WHAT and WHY?
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Which little cones are you talking about? I would like
something like that in my apron to help with line
tangling.
I seen someplace the use of heavy mono loops to
stop the fly line from moving around in the apron and
tangling. Not that it happens a lot but sometimes it does.
Peter
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cones like pictured [url "http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=1433&dir_id=758&group_id=10657&cat_id=5402&subcat_id=6011&adv=12082&cm_mmc=Froogle*Prod_feeds*Prod_feeds*12082&CAWELAID=28340984"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]
here[/#800000][/font][/url] ....[
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MacFly [cool]
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Ok, I have a busket just like that (orvis ) with cones
inside. But how do you get JUST the cones ???
I would hate to cut them out of my busket ( $50.00).
Peter
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[quote flygoddess]Exactly. The heavy mono loops are great also. I know of people that buy these and glue them down
[url "http://www.dkhardware.com/...ozzles.html[/quote]"]http://www.dkhardware.com/...ozzles.html[/quote][/url]
Maybe I will try the mono loops and see what happens.
I still like the cones idea. Where can I get cones ONLY ?
Peter
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[quote flygoddess]Exactly. The heavy mono loops are great also. I know of people that buy these and glue them down
[url "http://www.dkhardware.com/...ozzles.html[/quote]"]http://www.dkhardware.com/...ozzles.html[/quote][/url]
OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, I get it now [shocked][shocked][shocked][shocked]
Thats a great idea !!!!
Thank you FG
Peter
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I take it the yellow fluffy thing is a fishin' buddy?[:p]
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Yeah, he likes to know what Im doing at all times. Wherever I go, he goes. Kinda like a dog I guess.[
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But only at the house of course. Hes just so cool
that way.
Peter
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Cool, ours is a lazy scaredy cat that we have to chase around the house to catch.[crazy]
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That cat is probably in 7th heaven with the fish smells on that apron.
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Why not use the largest wire nuts you can find and drill holes in the plastic, insert a screw from the bottom into the wire nuts and tighten up.
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