THE Quintrex 450 Fishseeker is an aluminium monohull, commonly known as a “tinny”, manufactured down under in Australia. Yamaha are the importers and distributors of these craft in South Africa.

Sean Lavery from Yamaha had previously mentioned that these craft perform very well, being practical and versatile in all areas. And indeed they are. I had previously seen a 450 performing offshore at Vetch’s Pier in Durban in quite rough conditions, and I also fished off a similar tinny in Australia in February which I really enjoyed.

So it was that we set off to Hazelmere Dam to put the 450 through her paces, the main objective being to see how well-suited this craft is to general flyfishing.

GENERAL IMPRESSION
Viewing the boat on the trailer, the 450 looked very similar to many of the monohull-style ski-vees that we have on the market in South Africa, with her own unique good looks added to the mix. When you think of aluminium you automatically think of silver, but these craft, like the 450 tested, are colour-coded which makes them look like standard fibreglass boats. They come on sturdy, galvanised, high-speed trailers with rollers, which made it simple to launch off the slipway and retrailer at the end of the test.

CONDITIONS
Conditions for the test were perfect, with clear, sunny skies and Hazelmere Dam was shiny glass. Stuart Hewitt from Hewitt Yamaha in Durban kindly supplied the Quintrex 450 Fishseeker for the test.

MOTORS AND PERFORMANCE
As tested, the 450 was fitted with a 60hp trim-and-tilt Yamaha 4-stroke motor and a standard cable steering system that was smooth and easy to turn at all speeds. After slipping the 450 into the water, I headed off into the deeper part of the dam to run some basic checks, the first being the acceleration. This aspect was really good, both on the low-down torque and top-end, especially considering that it was only a 60hp motor pushing her.

Out of the hole the 450 had no quibbles getting onto the plane. With minor adjustments on the trim to raise the bow — and with the motor running quiet at low revs — I could achieve a fast, constant speed with the hull planing only on the last metre of the stern section. I found the 450 to be very responsive in turns at all speeds, and the ride remained stable throughout these speed tests.

At slower speeds and when stationary, as well as when driving and moving around from side to side, the 450 was still stable and comfortable for her size. Being such lightweight boats, I’m sure they could run on lower horsepower motors, although my personal preference would be a higher horsepower motor.

LAYOUT
For flyfishing, the general layout of a boat is extremely important. To begin with the craft needs to have a fairly flat deck without clutter and obstruction, and have enough space to move around in. The 450 Fishseeker has these characteristics. The general layout is really simple, consisting of the single motor application with a transom section that is neat and uncluttered.

A nice feature on the 450 is that she has a wet deck system, and with the addition of safety equipment one can use these boats offshore. I’m confident they will handle quite well in moderate sea conditions. In my opinion, having a wet-deck system is a huge safety factor. Even when only using boats on dams, the chances of sinking the boat are greatly reduced if your boat has a wet-deck system.

From the transom the neatly carpeted deck runs forward to a raised hatch which serves as a seat and for stowage of equipment. The centre console has a slim-line design and houses the petrol tank, as well as providing stowage for other smaller items. Having a narrow console on this type of craft maximises space for moving around.

The gunnels are higher than on most boats, a good feature when flyfishing as one can comfortably balance against them when fighting fish or casting. There’s also less chance of smaller kids falling overboard. The gunnels also house a protective area for stowage of short rods.

The bow area has a raised platform, which is the best area for fly-casting and spotting fish. It houses recessed hatches with flush mount lids, and has plenty of extra space for gear stowage as well as a small anchor hatch. With a few added extras, the 450 could easily be transformed into a flashy little fishing boat.

The Quintrex range encompasses many different styles and sizes of boats which are all crafted from high quality lightweight aluminium. Being aluminium, they are extremely durable and resistant to corrosion. The benefits of owning one would be that they can take quite a beating before they need a trip to the repair shop, and even then it’s usually nothing a bit of aluminium welding won’t sort out.

These boats are well-suited to families with children who go boating on a regular basis — especially when the children are learning to drive or are using the boat by themselves. At the end of the day you’ll retain your sense of humour, even if the kids bash the boat!

CONCLUSION
To sum up, the Quintrex 450 Fishseeker is a good lightweight all-rounder that is really simple to operate, even on one’s own. She is practical in all areas, from general fishing to boating with the family. Her general fishability is good and the simple layout means she’s well-suited to flyfishing.

If you’re looking for a craft that can handle dams, estuaries and even mild conditions offshore, then the Quintrex 450 Fishseeker is definitely worth considering.