And a set of oars. I recently had the chance to take the Flycraft Stealth out for a spin. And thanks to a rare, wet Alabama summer, had the perfect place to try it out. Little River in northeast Alabama.
Flycraft promises a boat that is easy to get where you want to go. Easy to transport. Easy to launch. Easy to get where the fish are. Let’s see how they did.
Putting it Together
Assembly. Yep, there isn’t a task I hate more than that. Too many times putting bed frames and chest of drawers together, I guess. After getting the three boxes opened and all the Flycraft Stealth stuff laid out on the ground, I let out a heavy sigh. ‘Just please let all the pieces be here,’ I thought.
It turns out, my heavy sigh was for no reason. The Flycraft Stealth was a hell of a lot easier to put together than I thought. Even without an electric air pump.
Now, the Flycraft Stealth can be put together by one person, but it’s a two-person job. I managed to air it up in about five minutes and get most of the frame put together, but my dad helped me finish slapping the aluminum frame in place and the seats mounted. All-in-all, it took us about 15 minutes to get it together. And a good chunk of that was us going back and forth over which end is the front of the boat. Instruction booklet? Wait, it came with one?
Kidding aside, the folks at Flycraft put together a solid assembly video showing you how to get your boat together. Now, if only every company did that?
Now that the boat is together, how should you get to your favorite fishing hole? I opted for a pickup truck with a strap making sure my Flycraft didn’t suddenly live up to its name. Strapping it on top of an SUV is another option.
Or, you could keep it all packed up until you reach the water. Me? I would rather the boat be together before I get there. At least for the first few trips. You don’t want to be at the edge of the water and find out you forgot a piece at home.
On Little River
Now the real adventure begins. Flycraft promises a boat that can be launched from anywhere. So, my dad and I decided to put in at near a bridge crossing between Little River Mouth Park and Weiss Lake. The main park would have been easier to launch from, but I wanted to see how the Flycraft Stealth would do when dragging it over rocks and through high brush. Plus, we were outside the National Preserve so I could fly my drone around.
With the boat in the water, several things stood out.
Stability. My dad and I love to kayak, so I was curious to see how stable the Flycraft Stealth would be. Obviously, it would be more stable than the sit on-top kayaks we use – but can you easily stand while the other person is rowing?
This boat is a rock. No issues whatsoever with standing up or shifting around. The floor is a separate inflatable chamber that sits inside the boat. The result is a surprisingly solid floor for you to stand on. Just make sure you pump it up all the way.
Anyone who kayaks knows stability is something you learn when first starting out. I never once felt like the Flycraft Stealth (or me) was going to tip over. Even while standing.
Comfort. All the bells and whistles don’t mean a thing if the boat isn’t comfortable to use. The two seats included with the boat are great. Three hours on the water and no issues with my back. I don’t often look at my kayak and say the same. Flycraft’s seats get a thumbs up. I never thought, ‘man, this boat needs better seats.’
The seats swivel too making it a breeze for us to switch between who was paddling. Or, getting a better angle on where we were casting.
Plus, there was plenty of room. Two backpacks, two fishing poles, life jackets, and still plenty of legroom. Sure, there are no compartments to stuff your gear into – but there was more than enough room for us and all our fishing gear.
Sticking together. I mentioned how my dad and I love to kayak, but we use solo kayaks. Not tandem. With the Flycraft Stealth, we could hit the same small rivers and lakes and stick together. And we enjoyed every minute of it. My dad paddled while I fished. Win-win for me.
You can sit and chat without hollering across the water. For us, it was pretty damn great.
It’s also much easier to drag one boat than it is carrying two kayaks.
You know Flycraft has a winner on their hands when my dad asks if the boat was a loaner or if we could keep it. Sorry pop, we have to buy our own.
No problems in shallow water. Summer isn’t usually kind to Little River. Last year’s drought turned Little River Falls into a trickle. This year is a different story. Regular afternoon storms have the river flowing like it usually does in mid-May. Not quite white water rapids, but perfect for the Flycraft Stealth.
We pulled it past small rapids with ease. No problems. Climbed in and started fishing. A half-dozen nice bass later and we were having a blast.
The Flycraft Stealth performs as advertised. You just can’t beat launching a boat like this in tough to reach places.
The rowing struggle. It wasn’t all easy. I should have made a blooper reel of us struggling with the oars. Rowing isn’t quite the same as paddling a kayak. The brain signals were getting crossed up big time. There were more than a few times I struggled with rowing the way I wanted to.
It’s something to keep in mind if you decide to pick one up. Take it easy your first trip. I got the hang of it after about 30 minutes, but take it slow if you haven’t used oars before.
Wrapping up
One of Flycraft’s biggest selling point is its portability. This boat is tailor-made for those of us who don’t want to carry a boat on a trailer. And more importantly, don’t have the room to store a boat and trailer at home.
You can slap it together at home and easily put it in the back of a truck on an SUV. Or, put it together once you get to the river, lake, or ocean. Flycraft Stealth gives you the options to get in the river however you want. And it’s rugged enough to launch in spots you never imagined.
If you’ve made it this far in the review, you know I loved using the Flycraft Stealth. But is it worth the asking price?
Flycraft offers three packages:
Stealth Base Package – $2,995
Stealth Fisherman Package – $3,810 (this is the one I used)
Stealth Motor Package – $4,605
The Stealth Fisherman Package is advertised as their most popular. It’s also the most practical. You’re not getting the Gear Rack or oars with the Stealth Base Package. Unless you have a pair of oars lying around, you’re better off going with the Fisherman Package. Or, you can go all-in and get the Motor Package. I didn’t get to try that one out, but it would make getting around larger lakes and bays easier. I know my arms would have appreciated it.
No fishing rod holders was a bit of a bummer, but it’s a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.
You can’t put a price on fun, and my dad and I had a blast with the Flycraft Stealth. It was fantastic being able to fish together on a river meant for kayaking.
Flycraft opens up where you can go. From a boat launch to pulling over at a bridge. This boat is all about new adventures. If you’re looking for the perks of a drift boat with the portability of an inflatable, the Flycraft Stealth checks all the right boxes.
Flycraft provided a sample unit for review.