A standing brace up front indicates the idea of fly fishing. Everybody else would rather sit down. As such I like to make the front deck area a deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep pocket of some kind, to act as a stripping basket for loose fly line.
On my current boat there is no front deck at all. I have a gunwale to gunwale crossbar with knee knobs. In front of that I used 3/4" inch clear plastic tubing and nylon strap ties to mount a large "salmon fishing size" molded rubber landing net. Collects fly line well. Makes a good place to drop wriggling fish and on camping trips it's a good place to put dry bags and rain jackets.
I'll never do the front deck any other way again. For me it will always be a large soft rubber molded landing net, that acts as stripping basket for loose fly line, place to drop fish and what ever else. It's one of the more successful experiments I've made.