Fishing with a view: a belly boat expedition in the Port of Hamburg
15.7.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Lorenz Keller
Feet in the water, rod in hand, I went paddling through the Port of Hamburg in a little rubber boat to fish for zander. It was an intense experience.
On one side of the river, turbines are spinning away, generating electricity at the Hamburg power station. On the other, a crane is lifting a ton of scrap metal from the hold of a long cargo ship. Right in the middle, there’s me: sitting in a U-shaped rubber boat, using diver-style flippers to paddle towards the far end of a cove in the Port of Hamburg.
A bite on the water
My goal is to catch zander. I use a 12-gramme jig hook to bait my line with a small rubber fish, then cast. I let the bait sink all the way to the bottom about six to seven metres below me, then reel in the lure one or two turns. This lifts the rubber fish off the bottom before letting it sink back down again, making it look like a small, fleeing prey fish. Hopefully, a zander lurking on the river bed in search of food will strike.
Suddenly, I feel a tug on the rod. The tip bends. Acting quickly is paramount – I’ve got to set the hook right away. After a brief fight with the fish on the line, I manage to get it in the landing net. As my first belly boat catch, it’s quite the experience.
From car tyre to inflatable boat
Belly boats are inflatable boats designed specifically for fishing. In them, you sit upright, with your feet (wearing flippers) submerged in the water, leaving your hands free. The boats first emerged in the 1920s, when anglers in the US would sit on old car tyres to paddle out to spots that couldn’t be reached from the shore. Belly boats have been manufactured commercially since 1947.
The boats are popular for various reasons: you can stow them in a bag, you can inflate them and have them ready to go in 15 minutes and you can carry them to a lake or river and launch them without needing much infrastructure. When you’re out on the water, you have your hands free. Thanks to the flippers on your feet, you can steer or hold your position in light winds or currents – ideal for fishing. Belly boats are also cheaper than kayaks or real fishing boats.
However, you do need to be careful when there’s wind, waves or a strong current. The flippers don’t get you as far as oars or a motor, so belly boats are mostly for fishing near the shore in calm waters.
Learning the ropes with a guided tour
A great way to get to grips with belly boats is with a guided fishing tour. In Hamburg, there are tours available from providers such as Elbcoast-Guiding (website in German). For 150 euros, you get to enjoy the spectacular backdrop of the Port of Hamburg, and all your equipment – from the belly boat to flippers to a rod and bait – is included.
If you want to wear waders, Elbcoast-Guiding provides them too. Side note: these are waterproof but breathable trousers, and you can wear sweatpants underneath if it’s cold.
Tour participants are given high-quality gear – something you can’t always bank on with a guided tour. This includes rods from the Swiss premium manufacturer Bullseye. On a day like this, when the fish are barely biting, good equipment is crucial. The sudden shift from 30-degree temperatures and sunshine to rain and 20 degrees has upset the fish’s stomachs.
They’re hardly eating at this point. Over the course of the hours-long tour, I only get one bite similar to the one I got at the beginning. And it happens at the exact moment I’m taking a touristy photo on my phone – typical! By the time I react, the zander has already spit out the bait.
My second catch
Despite the conditions, I manage to hook a second fish. It only gives the line a gentle tug, but thanks to the Bullseye rod, I feel it and set the hook in time. If I’d had a worse fishing rod, this zander would’ve slipped through my fingers too.
Here’s where another of the belly boat’s strong points comes in. In Hamburg, you’re only permitted to catch zander measuring between 45 and 75 centimetres. Fish of any other size need to be released back into the water. The second zander I catch isn’t huge – in fact, it’s a little smaller than the minimum size. From my position on the belly boat, I can net it while it’s still in the water and don’t even have to lift it out. I use pliers to unhook the zander, quickly letting it swim away again.
Despite the difficult conditions and rain, I thoroughly enjoyed belly boat fishing. It allows you to reach spots you can’t get to from the shore, sit comfortably and still be active – all in close proximity to or in the water.
Back home in Switzerland, I’ll hold off from buying my own belly boat for the time being. They’re not allowed in my usual fishing spots near my home in the canton of Zurich. Across the country, regulations vary from canton to canton. Belly boats are permitted for fishing in some places, but not in others. If you fancy giving it a try, definitely read up on the exact rules for the body of water you’re planning to fish.
Instead of buying my own boat, I’ll book another guided tour when I’m next in Hamburg. Now that I know my way around and have all the touristy photos I need, I’ll be able to focus entirely on fishing.
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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