# Ankona Shadowcast for flyfishing?



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Check with paint it black, he has his 17 non tunnel sc for sale.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Personally, the Heron is looking better and better to me, the more I see what's happening on the threads about it on this site.


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

I've got the 16 - small but been quite happy with it for stalking reds in Galveston bay. 
Went with the side console.


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## Nick (Sep 25, 2015)

I've got a 16 as well, tiller tho. I have a 25 hp on it and it moves quite nice. Only complaints are how long it can take to make it a turn. Besides that coming from a gheenoe, I love the stability and the fact that theres nothing on the deck that i can snag on is awesome. Also i've been on some pretty nasty stuff, managed to cross open water with some nasty winds and chop. Ofcourse, you have to steer into the waves otherwise you will get a little wet and experience your control starts to get tested. However take it half throttle and you'll be fine and quite dry. Its super easy to pole and i have like a 45 lb moonlighter push pole thats loaded with water inside of it haha and i still manage to make it thru the day unfatigued and pushing it real well. Its super silent, the only time i noticed theres a little noise when poling the hull is into a current which is sucuidal anyway. Anyway for a 16' skiff under 10k I dont think you can beat it! I'm uber impressed and thrilled with mine. The only reason i'd sell is for something that is a little faster and can handle some bigger water. Thats it lol


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## Hunt and Fish SRQ (Feb 10, 2014)

Imac, I am a very happy owner of a Shadowcast 18, and exclusively fly fish from it (except for the occasional trip with friends who live bait). Let me start off by saying that the boat has surpassed my expectations and any concerns or hangups I had about the skiff have been nullified after dealing with the great people at Ankona (Erin, Rory, and Mel are always there to help, even when problems that have arisen were 100% not their fault -- more to follow).

I chose the 18 over the 16 for a few reasons - the first of which is its ability to handle bigger water better. While the skiff is undoubtedly a technical poling skiff and will not keep you dry in a stiff wind, it always gets me back home and I have yet to feel unsafe. The worst weather I have been in in the skiff was actually on a trip in Flamingo where I stupidly managed to find out the hard way that the backside can in fact get nasty - I won't claim I was going through a 5' chop at 45 knots - I was in a solid 2' short chop and it was not fun, but I believe the extra 2' certainly keep the boat from pounding when conditions deteriorate to less than favorable. Keep in mind the boat was not dry in the least but it was a stiff 20-25 gust and I was certainly happy to find some cover that day. The second reason I chose the 18 was my comforts getting around it - I am a bigger guy and always feel comfortable on the pole. 

After nearly 2 years of owning the boat, my friends and I have joked that it has 9 lives, which attests to the build quality with which she is built (in my humble opinion). On a trip in LA last year, my trailer rolled with the skiff on it and the only damage to the skiff was a slight bending of the poling platform (where it acted as a pivot on which the skiff and trailer rolled on, and some asphalt rash on the boat). Every person in the shop in LA where the trailer was worked on was astounded that the skiff had such minimal damage. The crew at Ankona bent over backwards to get the skiff back in new condition and back fishing unbelievably fast. While the skiff and company doesn't necessarily have the same reputation of HB and other "high end" manufacturers, I have 100% confidence that if a warranty type issue were to arise, they would take care of it without a hitch. It is an added bonus to be able to call a skiff manufacturer and ask for the designer and have him on the phone in a minute or two if you have a quick question. 

In my honest opinion, I would not do a side console on any skiff this narrow as a hull that is 58+/-" wide is going to be very weight sensitive and if you end up with a 250lb buddy (or yourself in my case) sitting next to a person who weighs 135 soaking wet creates problems. Sure, you can drop tab on the port or starboard to make up for it, but I don't think the skiff needs tabs and would rather keep it simple. In some aspects I completely missed the idea of keeping my skiff simply and have guide box with a live well for tarpon season or dock lighting with people who live bait, but it gave me dry storage for boxes and a seat for the other person on the boat.

Now that I've rambled on much longer than I needed to, I will offer to let you ride pole and fish my skiff anytime I'm in S. Florida, or if you make it to the west coast am willing to meet you. The boat poles well and runs in spit. Good luck with your choice no matter what you choose.

PS just to prove that the Shadowcast can be a fishy skiff:


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

ahernandez033 said:


> Imac, I am a very happy owner of a Shadowcast 18, and exclusively fly fish from it (except for the occasional trip with friends who live bait). Let me start off by saying that the boat has surpassed my expectations and any concerns or hangups I had about the skiff have been nullified after dealing with the great people at Ankona (Erin, Rory, and Mel are always there to help, even when problems that have arisen were 100% not their fault -- more to follow).
> 
> I chose the 18 over the 16 for a few reasons - the first of which is its ability to handle bigger water better. While the skiff is undoubtedly a technical poling skiff and will not keep you dry in a stiff wind, it always gets me back home and I have yet to feel unsafe. The worst weather I have been in in the skiff was actually on a trip in Flamingo where I stupidly managed to find out the hard way that the backside can in fact get nasty - I won't claim I was going through a 5' chop at 45 knots - I was in a solid 2' short chop and it was not fun, but I believe the extra 2' certainly keep the boat from pounding when conditions deteriorate to less than favorable. Keep in mind the boat was not dry in the least but it was a stiff 20-25 gust and I was certainly happy to find some cover that day. The second reason I chose the 18 was my comforts getting around it - I am a bigger guy and always feel comfortable on the pole.
> 
> ...



Nice reply! I notice the Skyway in the background. I know exactly where that skiff was sitting! 

We look forward to more of your participation on this Fly Fishing forum.


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## captjsanchez (Sep 8, 2015)

I'm in boca raton and I won't mind taking you out on mine./sell 18 s.c. 50 tldi Tohatsu call or text me 
786 556 7041


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

I had a SC 16....one of the first....and poled great. It was an awesome fly skiff!


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## Imac (Feb 4, 2016)

Thanks for all the awesome replies guys. It was really helpful hearing everyone's thoughts. Now that duck season is over it's time to get back to fishing...



ahernandez033 said:


> Now that I've rambled on much longer than I needed to, I will offer to let you ride pole and fish my skiff anytime I'm in S. Florida, or if you make it to the west coast am willing to meet you. The boat poles well and runs in spit. Good luck with your choice no matter what you choose.


Thanks so much for the offer ahernandez, I'll for sure let you know the next time I'm over on the west coast. And nice fish man!!


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