Stessl Stress-Buster
Col Buckley

Dr COL BUCKLEY prescribes regular doses of lure-casting aboard a Stessl 435 Angler to relieve the tensions of modern life.

One of life’s little pleasures is poking around estuaries chucking soft plastics or hard-bodied lures at mangroves, sunken timber and oyster leases.

The peace and serenity of doing this takes away all the stress modern living heaps upon us. When precious time allows us to partake in this therapeutic activity, it’s important to have a good method of transport.

Recently I tested a well-designed boat from the Queensland-based Stessl stable that’s a wonderful stress-reliever – the Stessl 4.35 Angler. We launched at Wharf Road boat ramp at West Ryde and my companions for the day were Charlie Sultana, co-owner of Independent Outboard Services, and Kevin Bannon, the newly appointed general manager. Independent Outboard Services is starting to make a name for itself in western Sydney for quality products, a large choice of boats and personal service.

One thing the boys from IOS love is boat testing as it gets them on the water and away from the office. The day was hot and winds were light. I had brought a rod and a few lures along, as I couldn’t let enticing mangrove areas round Putney go without firing in a few casts for the resident bream.

There is not a great deal very radical about the design of the Stessl 435 Angler – it’s just a very good, solid, well thought-out aluminium work platform. With 3mm plate sides and bottom and wide coamings, this boat will not only fish calm waters but will take well to choppy bay work because it has a good entry, hard chines and broad shoulders to sweep spray well away from occupants. The large, flattish bottom gives good stability at rest and the Stessl ‘Trak Rails’ keep the boat straight with no slippage in tight turns. Multiple stringers support a marine ply floor and this gives the boat a feeling of solidness with little hard banging when negotiating lumpy water.

It’s amazing to realize that it was more than 27 years ago that Alf Stessl and his good lady wife, Dianne, started constructing aluminium boats up there in sunny Queensland. The fact they are still in business today is living proof that the company makes quality products.

Space galore

Let’s take a closer look. The main thing we all want for our investment when looking at boats is maximum floor room per length of vessel purchased. With over 1.6m of width and 3.5m of useable interior length, the Stessl Angler boasts plenty of space. The boat is designed for active fishing, such as lure- and fly-casting, with raised casting platforms fore and aft giving near 360° coverage. The two pedestal seats supplied can be fitted up front on the platform, on two mounts amidships or on one support towards the rear which allows the tiller to fall comfortably to hand. The fully marine-carpeted floor has no protrusions to stub bare toes and there is a mile of storage under hatches in the foredeck and in the three-quarter length side pocket on the port side.

A four-stroke, long-shaft Yamaha 40hp driving a three-bladed prop powered the test boat. I liked the Yamaha ‘bionic arm’ multi-functional tiller that sported electric trim and tilt, throttle and key start. For those who are meticulous about safety, the engine also has pull start in case the battery fails..

Comfortable 545mm-high coamings add to the safety factor – they come to just above the knee to give support when flinging out hardware or landing fish. I spent most of the time in the prime position on the boat – the seat up high on the front casting platform, casting into the mangroves around Putney on Sydney’s Parramatta River.

A glance confirms the clever thinking that had gone into this model. Raised battery platform, bow roller, 65-litre under-floor cruise tank, transom grab rails, rod holders, bow rails with navigational light plates – all features that make for a very comfortable day out.

Steering options

The Angler can also be ordered in a number of configurations. For those who like a helm position, the boat can be set up with either a side console or middle sports console. However, the rear tiller steer was easy to work and very easy to drive.

The boat has a tendency to ride a bit bow high and I couldn’t trim the motor in enough to negate this. A foil, such as the well-known Permatrim, would fix this problem straight away, as well as providing slower planing speeds.

The quietness of the four-stroke did a lot to ease stress levels and at times I had to check the motor was still idling and had not cut out. The lack of grunt out of the hole, something that was deficient when four-strokes first hit the market, seems a thing of the past – the Yammy-powered Angler was very responsive to sudden throttle input.

The Track Rail system, quarter-box sections welded on the underside of the hull, made the boat adhere to the water like glue in tight turns, although there was just a hint of cavitation from the motor on full power in tight turns.

The light aluminium construction made getting the boat on and off the Dunbier trailer a breeze and no effort was needed to launch or retrieve. The 435 Angler would be the ideal craft for the fairer sex to handle on their own.

In summary, if you have a lot of inland water close to where you live or maybe a bit of open saltwater to cross as well, have a close look at the Stessl 435 Angler. The boat performs well, has plenty of elbow room and represents good value for the dollar.

Price:

Boat as tested including Dunbier 4.4 Centreline trailer, all boat and trailer regos, 4 lifejackets, rope, anchor and chain, paddle and on-water instruction – $17,500.00 Inc GST.

Boat supplied by Independent Outboard Services 59 Holbeche Road, Arndell Park (Blacktown) NSW ph (02) 9672 1922.