# reviews on Curlew shallow water performance



## redfishcannon (Oct 19, 2016)

Anyone have experience with the Curlew model made by NewWater Boatworks. Looks like amazing piece of gear and have heard generally good comments.:fish:


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## Popperdave (Jul 9, 2016)

as transportation and then get out and wade it would be a great ride. I see a lot of them down in Laguna Modra. They do run very shallow. As a fly casting platform I would look for something with less deck clutter. I have fished out of the Stilt and it is a great boat quiet easy to pole and very dry., a very good fly casting platform. Any of the NewWater boats are really good, you just have to decide on what you want most from your boat.

My $0.02


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## redfishcannon (Oct 19, 2016)

*Curlew as transport*

YES on transporting to wade fishing area; boat apparently runs very shallow and can pole thru shallow water but much more ungainly and bulky and less responsive than the narrower, very lite technical skiffs from what I understand.


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## salty_waders (Feb 13, 2006)

Made very well and the fit and finish is impeccable. The curlew will beat you up in chop but that's true with almost any shallow flats boat. If 90% of your fishing is in super shallow water then its a good option. Does not pole well.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

I fished one quite a bit. Very well built and finished boats. Too much stuff on the particular boat I was on to be a good fly fishing platform. Lots of little things to catch the fly line. It was definitely a bumpy ride in the chop but the trade off was really shallow draft running and drifting. Handling at speed going through turns was more of a controlled slide. Predictable and smooth but just something to keep in mind. Poling that boat sucked. It is wide for it's length so it doesn't track well on pole. The hull also has a lot of hull slap. As said above, a great boat for getting to the flats and wading or drifting. If you do a combo of conventional and fly then it would probably be a good fit. If you are mostly fly fishing, consider a proper fly fishing style skiff.


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## Seymour fish (Dec 6, 2019)

*Curlew*



Bird said:


> I fished one quite a bit. Very well built and finished boats. Too much stuff on the particular boat I was on to be a good fly fishing platform. Lots of little things to catch the fly line. It was definitely a bumpy ride in the chop but the trade off was really shallow draft running and drifting. Handling at speed going through turns was more of a controlled slide. Predictable and smooth but just something to keep in mind. Poling that boat sucked. It is wide for it's length so it doesn't track well on pole. The hull also has a lot of hull slap. As said above, a great boat for getting to the flats and wading or drifting. If you do a combo of conventional and fly then it would probably be a good fit. If you are mostly fly fishing, consider a proper fly fishing style skiff.


Owned one for several years. Extremely well built and finished out. Floats skinny. Excellent tunnel design. Extremely dry boat. Boat design parameter was the ability to get in and out of Paulâ€™s Mott. Once propped for grip, have personally spun it up on a measured 6-1/2â€ on extremely hard sand. Once on plane, it will run in 3-1/2â€ on hard sand and maintain water pressure. That is the absolute lower limit. Will cost you a prop to do so, but beats spending the night. Poling the boat was futile, as hull slap herds sophisticated reds away. Effort required was significant. Flat top requires various means of keeping line in/on the boat. With custom prop built to get up skinny, top speed will be high 20â€™s to very rarely 30. The Ibis is a stretch version, and poles much better, yet the hull slap is still there. With a 150/counter rotating prop set up, the hole shot is fantastic and the speed is adequate. Have not been in a stilt. Suspect a better ride in chop than the curlew, yet wonder if it might be tipsy. Current answer is hpx-t but always looking. Seymour


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## redfishcannon (Oct 19, 2016)

Many thanks for great feedback!! Seems to be good consensus


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## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

Here is something to ponder. If you were planning on buying a new Curlew boat, motor and trailer that is approximately $70K plus - right. Think how many guided trips that equates to where you won't have to maintain (ave. $500.00 per year), store ($1,200.00 per year), repair (boat = "break out another thousand" per year), pull (extra gas), insure ($500.00 per year), title and register ($150.00 per year). Plus a good guide will put you on the fish, pole you all day, and keep you from having to bother with dropping and picking up boat at the ramp. I did the math, that is close to 200 trips. 

DUDE JUS SAY'N!


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Golden said:


> Here is something to ponder. If you were planning on buying a new Curlew boat, motor and trailer that is approximately $70K plus - right. Think how many guided trips that equates to where you won't have to maintain (ave. $500.00 per year), store ($1,200.00 per year), repair (boat = "break out another thousand" per year), pull (extra gas), insure ($500.00 per year), title and register ($150.00 per year). Plus a good guide will put you on the fish, pole you all day, and keep you from having to bother with dropping and picking up boat at the ramp. I did the math, that is close to 200 trips.
> 
> DUDE JUS SAY'N!


I don't think any of us own a boat because it makes good financial sense...:rotfl:


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## seadave (Feb 7, 2005)

*Curlew*

Well built, fit and finish is excellent. Boat runs crazy skinny.... Poling it is tough and there is some hull slap, especially on the stern. I have a casting platform on the bow of mine and I find drifting slow across large open flats is great for fly fishing instead of trying to pole in a confined space....

Don't get me wrong, poling can be done, its just tuff especially fighting the wind.

The rod storage compartment is awesome, I keep my two 9wt fly rods and all my bait casters, waders, boots tackle boxes, two trolling motor batteries a trickle charger and anything else I want in there. It's like a giant cave in there.

I love mine. Tim builds a great product.... I don't think I would ever purchase anything but a Newwater in the future.

Hope this helps.


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

I would love to have the new water Willet.


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