[SpeyCatr]

As an owner of an Outcast PAC 1100 (made by AIRE, marketed towards fisherman), I'm curious how many of you run "the little cat that could" and what you think of or what surprised you with your "Mini-Cat?" as far as what it could (and could not) do? What cat tubes/boat do you have? Also, what frames are you running with your Mini-cats? What upgrades or accessories do you have that made it better?

 

[k2andcannoli]

Got the same little outcast with some new purple demo tubes (brand new in box) stock little frame. Ive run a bunch of water on the east coast (pa, wv, md). Its awesome on little tech rivers and will hold its own on some "bigger stuff" but ive also been eaten alive a few times, namely on the cheat canyon wv.

Taking it out on the green for a day trip through split mountian next weekend!

I want a wider frame to do multi days and new better oars

 

[k2andcannoli]

See if this works on mobile

The lil guy before overnight in westwater canyon. Met some great folks!

 

[SpeyCatr]

Looks cool

Based on your picture of your demo tubes/toon you have Pac 1100 HD tubes, which have a twin bladders (as per the extra valve per toon in your picture) compared to mine with single bladders, and you got slightly heavier duty PVC fabric then mine more than likely as the HD's had heavier duty fabric (or equivilent to the fabric found on regular AIRE cat's). The Pac 1100 HD would have been the boat I bought if it was still around new as it had a heavier duty frame (yours looks like the basic Pac frame found on all pac boats from their 8 footers to their 11 footers and the same as mine roughly), and an extra D-ring per toon, along with twin bladders. I'm still slowly finding out what this boat can do. I've run some decent class 2 to date while fishing but next weekend when I do a pontoon course on the Chilliwack River up here in BC, Canada, with a whitewater rafting instructor coaching myself (and a few others), I'll be doing some Class 2+ to Class 3 stuff for the first time. Every river I've done to date has been a step up as far as challenging water. I'm taking it slowly, but it's a lot of fun so far. I started doing this as an angler to get me to some more remote fishing spots along with being a good way to cover water for fish, but the fun factor of the drift certainly keeps me intrigued and is another interest that seems to be developing in me altogether.

Here's a picture of my boat rigged up to go fishing on the Thompson River between Juniper Beach Provincial Park and Ashcroft last weekend. It was a really enjoyable trip, although the fish weren't cooperating as well as we'd like.

The thing I can't believe is the Pac 1100 to me feels "just right" as far as length goes for my intended uses, but MOST anglers elect to go with 8-10 footers. I'm happy I elected to go with the 11 footer to start. I'm already pondering something bigger potentially down the road but I'm happy for now.

 

[cataraftgirl]

I started running whitewater 16 years ago with an Outcast 900, then upgraded to an Outcast 1000. I still have it. Stock frame. I also upgraded to the Cataract Mini magnum oars. Much nicer than the stock oars. I use a Carlisle for a spare. I flipped it once....Split Mountain, Moonshine rapid at high water. The Mini-cats are fun, but they are designed to turn on a dime for fishing. Short tubes and lots of rocker makes big waves a thrill ride. Gotta keep'er straight or over you go. Easy to reflip though. Lots of good memories & learning experiences on that little boat.

I've done a few weekend trips with it, loaded about like K2andcannoli's picture above. A few years back, while on a fall Middle Fork trip we saw a big group of Mini cats. About 8-10 of them, supported by a couple rafts & regular cats. They were fishing their butts off and seemed to be having a blast. We talked with them at the Cache Bar takeout, and they had each flipped at least once, many of them several times over the week. They said it was super fun and they'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[k2andcannoli]

Yup your right about the tubes, they are the discontinued HD version.

The cat was made in 94, based of the serial#. It sat in the boat barn at the outfitter I used to work for in Maryland. One winter the owner told me to get all the crap outa the barn (lost and found, junk, ect), under a bunch of repair material I found original fs tubes and the frame against he wall. This being the east coast, no one knew enough to desire to take it home over the years. I spoke with the boss and he told me to enjoy my new "fly fishing boat" lol... cataraft girl showed me the way to rig it and ensured me that it was of whitewater quality here on the buzz.

I later had found, through a mutual friend, that the original owner had passed away after losing his fight with cancer, and that he would be thrilled to know his cat was still seeing use.

Last summer I caught some rebar (debris from an removed dam) in a real bad way on the savage river md, it sliced about a seven foot tear in my right tube and popped my bladder. I sent it back to Idaho for repair but it was to far gone (poorly cared for tubes, and another big old patch). I spoke with the shop manager about getting a single replacement but apparently thats not legal (coast guard requires matching serial #s). That when he said they had a purple 11ft in the demo fleet. Made in 2009, it is actually a prototype that they never bothered to put on the water. The pvc is inside-out, the thinner pvc coating is on the outside... he gave a awesome deal on em and the aire warranty!!!

I love my mini-cat

 

[cataraftgirl]

Yup your right about the tubes, they are the discontinued HD version.

The cat was made in 94, based of the serial#. It sat in the boat barn at the outfitter I used to work for in Maryland. One winter the owner told me to get all the crap outa the barn (lost and found, junk, ect), under a bunch of repair material I found original fs tubes and the frame against he wall. This being the east coast, no one knew enough to desire to take it home over the years. I spoke with the boss and he told me to enjoy my new "fly fishing boat" lol... cataraft girl showed me the way to rig it and ensured me that it was of whitewater quality here on the buzz.

I later had found, through a mutual friend, that the original owner had passed away after losing his fight with cancer, and that he would be thrilled to know his cat was still seeing use.

Last summer I caught some rebar (debris from an removed dam) in a real bad way on the savage river md, it sliced about a seven foot tear in my right tube and popped my bladder. I sent it back to Idaho for repair but it was to far gone (poorly cared for tubes, and another big old patch). I spoke with the shop manager about getting a single replacement but apparently thats not legal (coast guard requires matching serial #s). That when he said they had a purple 11ft in the demo fleet. Made in 2009, it is actually a prototype that they never bothered to put on the water. The pvc is inside-out, the thinner pvc coating is on the outside... he gave a awesome deal on em and the aire warranty!!!

I love my mini-cat

What a great story. Have fun on Split Mountain!

 

[k2andcannoli]

What a great story. Have fun on Split Mountain!

Thanks!!!

I'm sure ill have a blast, its really close to my new place in Rangely. Im sure it'll look much different from the day you flipped ;-)

Keep me in mind come spring for empty permit spots!

-Jesse

 

[dport]

Thanks!!!

I'm sure ill have a blast, its really close to my new place in Rangely. Im sure it'll look much different from the day you flipped ;-)

Keep me in mind come spring for empty permit spots!

-Jesse

Win a permit in the lotery and you can invite us to help fill the empty spots...

 

[k2andcannoli]

O, I plan on trying. My fiance too.

I just dont have much of a network of friends out here. Without the buzz it would be pretty tough to get on trips. Plus I live in Rangely, so I see lots of boaters driving by but haven't met many locals.

 

[SpeyCatr]

Here are some pictures of myself in my Pac 1100 from a Pontoon Course I did with Chilliwack River Rafting last weekend (Sept 14/13), taken by our instructor Russ Brown. We had a blast!

 

[cataraftgirl]

Rocking out on the little cat! Nice.