Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I'd take a Mirrocraft over a Tracker, no question.
As for overall boat design, I like a deeper hull because of where and how I fish. I like riding "in" a boat instead of "on" a boat like I feel when fishing and riding a bass boat. I like having gunwhales to lean up on when fighting and boating a fish. But you can make most any boat work for fly fishing. That should be a secondary concern. First concern is where and how you fish. If you're in big water most of the time, I'd look for something larger than 16'. Not that you can't put a 16'er on big water, but it will limit the days you can fish and limit the comfort you have doing it. So get that figured out and go from there. Getting it fly-ready will come after you get it home.
I've fly fished from many boats. In my travel bag, if I'm going to be fishing from someone elses boat, I carry a drop net to lay over the front deck and that covers up any snag hazard underfoot. You just take a couple of mesh laundry bags, cut them open so they lay flat and crimp split-shot sinkers around them so they don't blow in the wind. You can lay them over cleats, trolling motor heads, bags, whatever and you're snag free.
If you're in your own boat, you can customize as you see fit. I've got retractable cleats on my boat, but I still have a trolling motor and HDS on my bow, and mostly, a dog in the boat. I made a casting basket from a seat post and it's mounted on the front deck at all times. All my line goes in there, even in the wind and I can wear whatever shoes I want to.
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