Drogues

[Wildfisher]

This is the drogue I use, works fine. A Black and Decker garden tidy sheet + some rope. Simple, compact  and indestructible.

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[haresear]

When I am fishing in a boat alone I attach the drogue to the bow of the boat and fish over the stern,the boat then drifts slower and it is also safer to retrieve the drogue after completing the drift.Have seen anglers nearly falling overboard when retrieving the drogue in a strong wind whilst drifting side on.This should not be the case if using a Para drogue.

That's what I do too.
Sometimes I put it out over the side or not at all until I find fish and then put it out the bow to slow me down once I have located  some fish.

Alex

[Wildfisher]

I think one very important thing about any drogue is you should be able to detach / collapse it quickly. If you ever get your drogue caught up on rocks in a gale you will realize  why, especially  if  it is attached anywhere except the bow. It is lethal and happened to myself and John Cargill on Loch Boralie years ago. We were lucky to get away with it and it was scary. So windy we had to abandon the boat and retrieve it in the evening when the wind died down.  Five minutes earlier it was flat calm. Do not tie the drogue  to boat seat unless you have an additional line attached  to one corner of the drogue so you can collapse it easily. This won't help much if it gets caught up on rocks of course.

[Allan Crawford]

Very true Fred and I said something similar earlier in the thread, the float is so you can go retrieve your drogue.

[Buanán]

I'm not that much of a boat angler and have limited experience of deploying drogues. I do have some knowledge of drogues from maritime experience. In bad weather a drogue can stop you broaching if power is lost, fore or aft depending on direction of travel sail or motor, dodging into it or going with a following sea etc.

But, depending how you have it deployed, in bad weather it can also cause you to become swamped. Same could happen if the drogue fastens on you. Not good.

In a small boat in bad weather, I reckon one should be careful with a drogue.   

[Hill loch gold]

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I'd also concur with the reccomendation for the Sparton drogues which really are absolutely bomb-proof bits of kit.

I ended up just buying 1 of these drogues. There were only 5 left on ebay and it said they weren't making anymore.

Alan