Mitzi Skiffs: Great Value

You can’t fly fish from just any boat. The typical fishing boat’s structures make it hard to cast a fly line without getting your line wrapped around a boat part. So flats boats, with little structure to get in the way, are a good choice for the fly angler. And Mitzi Skiffs are a good choice for a fly fishing flats boat, says Rick Leonard, Sales Manager for Mitzi Skiffs. “Fly fishing requires more room than regular cast fishing,” he said. “You need more foot room and more room to make a cast with those long fly poles.”

Mitzi Skiffs are a great value.

To get more deck room for the angler, the Mitzi line, which ranges from 15 to 17 feet in length, has a very useful feature-the Carolina flair. According to Leonard, the Carolina flair is the industry term for the very wide, flared hull of the boat. This extreme flaring of the hull upward and outward makes the deck much wider than that of a boat with little to no flair. The wide deck at the front of the Mitzi skiff is created by the Carolina flair. And the wider deck gives a fly fisher more room to make his cast. “On a Mitzi, you have plenty of foot room while the boat is still nice and stable,” Leonard said.

The wide bow deck of the Mitzi is uncluttered by storage compartments. Why? “When a fly fisher is stripping off line to increase the length of his cast, the extra line often ends up on the deck,” said Leonard. “If a storage locker is underfoot, the line can get caught on the locker. We want to keep the deck as clean as possible so lines don’t get caught.”

Mitzi Skiffs are a great value.

To further that goal, Mitzi skiffs also have a spring loaded, recessed bow cleat, meaning the cleat is stowed even with the deck, rather than protruding above it. This keeps the cleat from fouling fishing line. The cleat can be raised with a push when it’s needed to tie up.

Fishing the flats that surround most of the Gulf of Mexico requires a different kind of boat. The flats are favorite hunting grounds for redfish and black drum. “These fish will stalk their prey into water so shallow that their fins are above water,” exclaimed Leonard. To get to these fish in the extremely shallow flats, a boat cannot draw too much water. Flats boats are designed specifically to float in these shallow areas. The Mitzi Skiffs only require around six inches of water to float, allowing access to all but the shallowest flat. And once in the flats, stealth is required to keep from spooking the fish. Thus, a push pole platform is standard on each Mitzi. To increase the stealth element, the Mitzi’s hull is designed to prevent slapping noise from waves, which can scare fish.

Mitzi Skiffs are a great value.

These thoughtful design elements are one of the reasons for the Mitzi’s popularity. Another reason is their price-they start at $11,995, and top out around $25,000. That’s much less than a lot of other flats boats. “When I first started comparing flats boats,” said Leonard, “I was helping a friend. He’d heard of Mitzi Skiffs and wanted one. When I saw they were half the price of their competitors, it was a no brainer to get involved.” So in February of 2009, Custom Fiberglass Products, Inc., of which Leonard is a part, bought Mitzi Skiffs from its originator, Tom Mitzlaff.

There are only two Mitzi authorized dealers on the Gulf Coast, Rockport Marine in Rockport, Texas and Gulf Coast Boat Sales, in New Port Richey, Florida. “We have some really great dealers,” said Leonard. “We appreciate dealers that have the same passion for boats as we do. For example, John Harris, from Rockport Marine, the first time I met him, I knew he had the passion. I felt it instantly. Dealers with passion take care of their customers, and we’re fortunately to have great dealers.”

Mitzi Skiffs website

The Mitzi Skiff Boat Company
110 Salem Creek Drive
Winston Salem, NC 27103
Phone: 336 659 6062
Email: info@mitziskiffboats.com