It's Row Time!

Well, OK, not quite yet. But the bottom should be re-glassed by the end of the month. I'm making arrangements to get the raft and it's trailer back downstate and listed for sale. I've just decided that for a recreational fisherman with a day job and a ton of other competing hobbies, owning two boats is pretty ridiculous.



This would be the "before" picture...

For those new to the blog, it's a 2009 Clackacraft 16LP. It's got some fishing mojo, as it's last owner was Mike Schultz of Schultz Outfitters (and a bunch of other places before that). If you can fly fish for it in the Midwest, it's been caught from this boat. Mike's a good friend and I'm proud to be the next owner of his boat.

The new boat came with some great advice from guides and drift-boat owning buddies. Some highlights include:

• "Dude - now you'll never fish. But your Dad will love this!"
• Buy some good oars - later. Learn to row on the beaters first. But after that a good set of sticks will make your life SO much easier.
• A drift boat is like a sheet of plywood. It'll never plane and a higher horsepower motor will only cost you a bunch more, burn more gas, and be heavier to lift on and off. 3-4hp will do you just fine.
• If you can't row, you can't go. I'm even applying this one to Dad. The wife might get a free pass. I suppose the dog will, too.
• Point at danger and backrow.

All seems solid. I've got lots to learn. But I'm already plotting floats to take and places I'll explore. Thus opens a new chapter as a fisherman. I can't wait.

-Sean-

It's A Sickness - Part Deux

Yeah, you knew how yesterday would play out. I bought it.

I am now the proud owner of a Scott G2 905/4 fly rod. Funny thing is that it's the antithesis of my fishing style. I've gravitated toward faster rods to make up for casting deficiencies. But, I think this stick will help me in improving my casting stroke. If you cast this one wrong, you end up with a puddle of line 5' from you.

Burled maple meets finely-machined aluminum

The Abel Classic reel looks like it was tailor-made for this rod. The classic black, non-ported reel looks right at home atop a burled maple reel seat, some fantastic cork, and a sleek unsanded blank.

This will be such a sweet stick for an evening on the Escanaba, the South Branch of the AuSable, the flywaters of the Pere Marquette, the upper Manistee, or any of my other Michigan trout favorites. Heck, it might even get me to make another trip to Haymeadow Creek with Dad...

I'm lining it up with Scientific Anglers GPX Mastery series line (the extra half weight tends to help my casting stroke). I tried SA's Trout Stalker and while it definitely lends a nice stealthy presentation, I've had really solid results with the GPX on my Scott A4 906/4.

This should be the perfect rig for all but the largest dry flies, as well as some small ant or beetle patterns. Nymphs, hopper-droppers, and big terrestrials will be left to the A4 906/4.

Did I need this rig? No, but this, as my buddy Schultzy commented, is a lifetime set-up. As classic as it is high-performance. I'm pretty damn happy.

-Sean-

The Right Stick

On recent trip I took the perfect trio of rigs. Each has a purpose and suited it well.

Scott A2 9' 6-weight/Ross CLA 3/Rio Gold

My all-rounder. Casts beautifully, excellent balance. I'm continually surprised at how well it performs -- especially in windy conditions. Winds were pretty high on both Two Hearted and AuSable and I had no trouble covering the water I wanted to. I think a real strength of this combo is that it's well-matched; the reel complements the rod and the line (Rio Gold is AWESOME) is ideal for the rest of the package.

TFO Signature Series 7"6"/3-weight/Ross Flystart/generic Ross line

On small streams, I have tons of problems with 9' rods - lots of flies lost in trees. Two casts in on the upper Two Hearted with the Scott, I realized I'd selected the wrong rod. So back to the truck for this one - MUCH better. It was also perfect on the very-small Blind Sucker. Great for short casts in tight cover. I didn't put much money into this one, but it seems to outperform my expenditure. Another bonus -- TFO rods come with a lifetime warranty. Nice!

Orvis Clearwater II 9' 8-weight/Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor V/Orvis Wonderline Steelhead

Originally set-up for indicator steelhead fishing, I now realize I'll get a lot more use from this big monster. It's outstanding for chucking big bugs - streamers, bass poppers, and more. And I love it for steelhead. The Orvis BLA reel is a solid, reliable performer, even in the coldest winter conditions. A recent deal on a Scott S3 in 9'6" means this one's getting an upgrade, more on that later.

I feel like I've found the perfect quiver for most of the conditions I'll have the opportunity to fish in Michigan. For relatively little money, I'm assembled a set of tools that have served me well and should enable me to pursue most species in most settings.

-Sean-