Fear No Rock ... Or Repair!

I love my Clackacraft 16LP MegaBox drift boat. The layout has tons of storage and is easy to access. The boat rows like a dream. And, despite having had a hard life as a working guide boat, she's in solid shape.

I also love companies who stand behind their products. Had it a year back with my Remington Versamax shotgun when not only did they replace a problem part I identified, but also checked and found a few others and sent those - despite being over a year out of warranty. Nice!

Recently I've notice that the rower's bench in my Clacka won't stay put. It rides on rails so you can adjust for different leg lengths, gear loads, etc. Even when thoroughly tightened, as soon as you get your feet on the brace and pull a good oarstroke, you slide back. Gets old fast.

So, I give Clacka a call this morning, figuring I'll need to order some new screws or something. As soon as I get the guy on the phone it's evident that he knows this problem well. "Do you have the plastic clip or the metal one...". Of course, I don't know as I've yet to take it apart. "No problem," he says "I'll send you out a set and some new screws. Just give me your address." Wow - impressive. No warranty questions, no hassles, and no charge.

And that, my friends, is why I'll likely never row another brand of drift boat. I truly value companies who stand behind their products. When I hit the Lottery ($152 mil drawing tonight, just sayin'), I'm ordering up a Clackacraft 16' Eddy in Central Michigan Chippewas maroon and gold.

Looking for a new drift boat? I can't say enough good about the Clackacraft brand. Well-built, and well-backed! Kudos!

-Sean-

Initial Impressions: Kast Steelhead Gloves

These past few years I've been finding that keeping warm hands has become a challenge. Cold hands while skiing are no issue other than discomfort. Cold hands while Winter steelhead fishing are a problem. Can't tie knots properly. You drop stuff. And God forbid you actually hook something...

As a result, I've been paying more attention to gloves. In the past year or so, I've heard a lot of buzz about Kast's Steelhead Gloves. Most give them very high marks. I'd been looking at them, but they were pretty spendy for an experiment. Plus, I've been pretty happy with my Simms Windstoppers (I have both the fingerless and full-finger models). But when I stumbled upon a good deal on a pair of Kasts, I picked them up.

One quick caution - many reviewers I read made comments that they ran large and to size down. I have to vehemently disagree. I wear an XL in nearly every glove I've ever bought (except, curiously the aforementioned Simms Windstoppers...). And the Kast Steelhead was a perfect fit in size XL. So, try 'em before you buy 'em.

Last weekend I spent both days floating the Pere Marquette river chasing chrome. Not very successful, but saw some new water, and got to try out my new gloves.

My conclusions were a bit surprising to me. Almost immediately, I noticed that my Simms gloves felt warmer. Maybe it's just the fleecy interior, or some other factor, but they feel a good bit warmer. I've got three days in NY on the Cattaraugus Creek swinging flies so I'll have some more solid experiences coming. But my first impression is that they're not as warm.

But...

They're waterproof. Like as in submersible. That's really never been an issue for me previously as I've not found much need for this quality. Until the drift boat. So - where does the anchor go? That's right - in the water. And what attaches the anchor to the boat? Correct again - the anchor rope. So the anchor rope gets - anyone? Anyone? Bueller? That's right - soaking friggin' wet. When you're hauling the anchor up after every stop, your hands end up soaked. This is where the Kast's shine. Of course, it took me until the second day to figure that out (after I soaked my Simms on the first).

First impression? Great glove -- extremely well made. Excellent fit. Roomy but not bulky. Surprisingly good tactile qualities. But not quite as warm.

More to come as I get in some additional time on the water with these. But for now, I think these will be my rowing gloves and my fingerless Simms Windstoppers will be my fishing glove. Perfect combo!

-Sean-

Goal Setting

I love the idea of a New Year. An opportunity to capitalize on opportunities missed in the old year, to try new things, and to set goals that remind you that you're alive. I don't think outdoor pursuits require "resolutions" (though some of my personal resolutions overlap with these goals). Here are a solid dozen I'm shooting for in 2014:

1. Land a musky on the fly. I had three on last Fall, but nothing in the net.
2. Swing more for steelhead. I learned a lot more on the December trip to NY on how to actually fish a swing rig. My tying skills are solid, so now I just need to put in the hours.
3. Complete a full Century ride. I met last year's Metric Century goal quite easily (in fact, I did 3 of them). I'm pretty certain that with an earlier start this season, I can do hit this one. Overcoming my dislike of riding while cold has certainly helped me in this regard.
4. Shoot more sporting clays. Last year, I'd made exactly zero outings prior to duck season. And my results showed it on my first hunt. I've already made two outings since that hunt (including yesterday) and my performance is already up. So much of shotgunning is muscle memory.
5. Learn to shoot a shotgun with both eyes open. Crack shots that I know swear by this. In my mind it makes sense. And yesterday when I did it, the results were solid. Now just to work this into #4 above.
6. Ride my bike over 2,500 miles. Last year, even with a weak start, I hit 1,738.5. With an earlier, stronger start, I know I can crack 2,500 and maybe even get over 3,000.
7. Ski more days in Michigan. Last year's total? One. Yup, you read that right. And that's only due to getting some lucky late season snow. My love of Winter steelheading, my day job, and having a household to maintain don't help. Having my first day on snow be in Colorado last year was NOT a solid plan. By day three, I was pretty solid again, but getting there was painful. Hoping to hit Utah, or head back to Colorado this season. This time I'll be ready.
8. Touch my toes. Yeah, OK, this one sounds stupid. But I've always lacked flexibility. One nice surprise from last year was that cycling actually improved this considerably. I think with some more miles, I can do this. I literally halved the distance last year.
9. Build my rowing skills. I learned to row a drift boat last year at age 47. And I friggin' love it. It's forced me to learn about currents and their effects. I got very comfortable on bigger water, especially when it was slow. Now I want to learn to be comfortable in tighter spaces and faster water.
10. Use my gear more. I have a gear addiction. I've always loved gear-intensive outdoor pursuits. In recent years, I've been fortunate enough to acquire PLENTY of gear to cover nearly anything. Now I need to stop buying it and start USING it more.
11. Improve my fly casting skills. My overhand cast, especially with a floating line, SUUUUUCCCCKKKKSSS. But I took a lesson last year and learned some good base skills. Now I'm committed to doing the one and only thing that will improve my skills - practice.
12. Try something completely new. I've added a lot of activities in recent years. I've tried some things that really weren't for me, and others I loved. The key to finding things you love is trying new ones. Last year it was turkey hunting (pretty fun - but not sure it will become a core passion). Who knows what it might be? Is this finally the year of deer hunting? Or, maybe it's golf. No, it's probably not golf...

Hope the Holiday Season found you playing outside a little bit and that you're looking forward to the coming year as much as I am!

-Sean-

Milestone

I love milestones. They make me feel growth and accomplishment. Whether it's my first solo steelhead on the fly, or riding my bike over 50 miles. They mark progress and become waypoints on a journey toward proficiency.

Finally got a nice pic of my boat on the river!

Recently, I had a big one on the fly fishing front - my first "unsupervised" float on the Pere Marquette river. While I've had the Clack out a number of times, I've always been with an exerienced rower who could offer guidance and assistance when needed. This time, it was just my Dad and I.

On the recommendation of a guide buddy, we picked a target stretch (sorry, not revealing it -- find your own damn water, I'll be working this stretch for a while). As we were arriving and departing separately, we had two vehicles, so no need for a car spot.

Parking lot prep feels a bit frenzied. I don't really have my program down as to what goes where. Patience, Grasshopper. It will all come with time. So, I put the cooler on the wrong side (cupholder on the boat gets in the way) and then have to swap it and the boat bag. But I'm starting to get things figured out. Dad gets a new permanent assignment - his job is to remind me to put the drain plugs in.

Eventually we get rods strung up, gear loaded and the boat headed down the launch. My trailer backing skills are much-improved, so I nail it on the first try. Launch goes smoothly and we load up for a day on the water. After an initial bad call (oops, that log was shallower than I thought and we can't get over it), my rowing's going well. I'm able to control speed, and boat positioning is no longer a complete mystery. And, best of all, it's happening naturally -- which frees my head up to concentrate on good water to find steelhead.

We find some nice water, and even both get one on (mine on the swing, Dad's on the float) but neither lands a fish. I even rowed through a couple of tricky spots with confidence and poise, which feels pretty damn good. One did hang me up and force me to walk the boat through, but this isn't bad for a first run.

At the bottom of the float, we run into one of the top guides on the river - nice proof that I'm on the right piece of water. And, it validates our decision to run it again the next day.

Takeout goes smoothly with one exception. While my trailer backing skills have improved a great deal, I still lack in one area - trailer sans boat. Getting down a pretty broad, simple ramp has me zig-zagging all over the place. Eventually I get it down to the boat and get the boat on the trailer.

The next day goes similarly - only no fish on. But this was a great accomplishment for me. I've found a stretch of water I'm confident I can float successfully. I even feel like I could solo it readily. This was a proud couple of days for me. Plenty of room for improvement - like catching fish - but I've reached the next level. Feels pretty good.

-Sean-

Tweaking

I'd forgotten how much I like owning a boat. While I did a fair bit of tweaking to make the raft better to float, there wasn't really that much you could do with it. Now, with the Clackacraft 16LP, there's definitely been a few things to do. Some are purely cosmetic, some are personal preferences, and others are necessities. Thus far, here's what's happened:

• New bottom - courtesy of the crew at Stealthcraft. While "Fear No Rock" is a truth about a Clacka, as mine was a guide's boat, it needed some love.
• Trailer re-wired, converted to LED lights for brighter operation and greater reliability and pivoting tongue jack installed by SLM Trailers. If you need repair or upgrade work done on your trailer, these guys rock the house. Great work at a fair price.
• Tracked down new seals for the Dexter EZ-Lube hubs. One seal had torn, blowing grease all over the wheel, so I just started fresh on both.
• Replaced broken latches on two cargo boxes.
• Built a boat tool kit. Can't tell you the number of times I've been on someone else's boat when something broke and I found myself with a Leatherman as the only tool available. The Boy Scout in me can't stand not to be prepared.
• Upgraded the strap. Critical component, I don't need something janky failing as I'm bouncing down some UP back road.
• Moved the boat forward on the trailer to get it in the garage. Then back after I figured out that made the balance SUCK. By simply removing the anchor bracket, I gained the much-needed foot of clearance to get it in the garage, and have it properly balanced.
• Cleaned off all the decals. Guides love deeks, and from the look of my truck, I do, too. But I wanted to start fresh and make this MY boat. Once I got the deeks cleaned off, I discovered I liked it better. Shows off the boat's lines and cool color scheme.

Am I done? Of course not. I still have trim to install. And my bunks are shot, so I've come up with a high-tech system that will be durable, and make it slide like butter off the trailer. I had planned to upgrade the oars, but now I'm feeling like that won't be necessary. Cool - a few hundred bucks staying in my pocket.

Today I'm off in search of my 20" smallmouth on an undisclosed river. This will be my second float in it and I'm looking forward to every moment!

-Sean-