News: Entrepreneurship hits coastal fly fishing conveyances… SUPs and an inflatable flats boat.

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ot too many years ago it was the canoe that was the alternative to fishing from a flats boat. Then the kayak took over as the lord of do more, then, and most recently, the Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP). Now there is an inflatable flats boat that fits in an SUV, carries a 48 quart cooler and fishes two in 5-inches of water.

In The Bahamas, lodges are beginning to see advantages by offering SUPs. If you’ve ever fished for bones in The Bahamas, there can be a considerable amount of flats walking as part of each day. A work out by any standard. Enter the SUPs. You can, with a little trial and error, learn to maneuver a SUP ( not all SUPs are born equal) and be comfortable (especially if it’s built for the job like dragonflypaddleboards.com/ ), covering three  times the ground and do it quietly with the advantage of height.

But the coup de grace may well on it’s way. It’s called Bare Bones and it’s made by avid fly fisher Richard Swan, founder and CEO of Airborn Inflatables. The company is in Nevada and builds and repairs inflatables that are FAA required for aircraft both commercial and private.

Bare Bones specs: The “drop stitch” floor and the 48” beam allow one or two fishermen to stand up to cast or pole, draws less than 5” of water, packs down to fit in the trunk of a car and checks as baggage on most airlines, boat and “DP” floor weigh only 58 lbs and you can pole it, row it, or motor it with 2 HP outboard or electric motor.

Sets up and is ready to launch in 12 minutes, 2-year warranty on materials and workmanship, 26-inch inside width (much more room than a kayak) and top model under $3,000.00

Bare Bones will be at the Miami International Boat Show [read press release to find out details]