Two Posts in One Week!!

 

Everyday during the pandemic I’ve been walking the dog around the lake near my house so I’ve seen all kinds of wildlife. Great Blue Herons, green herons, fish, ducks, geese, etc.  This heron sat so still it looked like a decoy. 

It's 2020

 Is this thing still on?  Man it's been a long time since I posted anything.  If 2020 gets any stranger...

I'm ready for this pandemic to be over and to get back to normal life.  In the meantime, enjoy this pic of a campfire.  

The New Trailer

I shared my homemade trailer for the back of my truck.  The truth is that while it worked ok, I wanted a "real" trailer.  I tried to find a nice used one, but where I live people always either wanted just about what a new one would cost OR the trailer didn't have a title.  In Virginia, a trailer is no good without a title, so I decided to buy a trailer from Harbor Freight.

It came in the mail in three packages.  

Here's my trailer on my front porch.

I had read reviews and everyone said it arrived this way so I wasn't too concerned at first.

Soon, I had the frame put together.

Coming along nicely.

Then, a flip, an axle, and wheels.

Notice the messy garage.  And, the old homemade trailer on the side!

Almost done.

Basically put together here, just had to wire it.

And voila, finis!!

One thing I really liked about building this is that I really learned a lot about trailers.  How to pack the bearings, get the wiring all straight, adjust bunks and so forth.  This was a big deal with the bearings, which are probably the most fickle part of a trailer, at least so I've read.  

This was a fun project that took some time but makes me feel like I have a real boat now!

Happy New Year 2015!!!!

The last few year's I've always made my new year's resolution to catch more fish, and more specifically, to catch a redfish.  It hasn't gone too well with each year seeming to have less and less fishing.

So this year, no fishing resolutions.  I'm just hoping to get out on the water more.  Here's a pic to keep you warm as we look forward to 2015 and the upcoming tarpon and bonefish seasons!!

Tight lines and fish boat side in 2015!!

A Long Island Bonefish.

                            

The Trailer Evolution

One reason I went with a 13 foot Gheenoe is so I could throw it in the back of my pickup truck.  I thought that since it's "only" 120 lbs, I can do this no problem.  I did that a few times and about broke my back.  The problem is that when you add the weight of a motor, cooler, some gear and gas, the ole' girl gets heavy.

So at first, I designed a wooden trailer that I could roll into the back of my truck bed and rest on a kayak rack.  Pretty slick, huh?

Once you load the rack in the back, the back legs come off so that they don't hit the road.  

Part dragster, part wooden boat trailer. 

Here she is loaded.  Drove three hours like this.  You should've seen the looks I got at the boat ramp.  

The Gheenoe

If you're not familiar with a Gheenoe, it's part of the micro skiff revolution.  A micro skiff is nothing more than a small skiff, often in the 12-15 foot range.  Gheenoe's were designed by Harley Gheen back in 1970.  They are a cross between a canoe and a John Boat blending the best qualities of the two.  I have a 13 footer which is a small one, but great for scooting around local rivers and exploring the edges of the Chesapeake Bay.  I have a little 4 HP on the back.

To me, the real advantage of this boat is the stability.  I can stand up and fly fish.  I have a kayak for fishing but since I really love the long rod, I always found it difficult to sight fish sitting so low to the water.  Couple that with the fact I don't have to paddle and the Gheenoe really opens up a lot of water for me to fish.  I've made a few modifications to mine which are all pretty simple, but there are guys out there who have made this little boats into pretty fancy skiffs.

Here's how she looked when I got her.

Where Has the Bonefish Flat Been?

It's been a busy year for me.  I haven't updated the blog for over a year, though that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about fishing.  The truth is that is about all I've been doing on the fishing front.  I got a Gheenoe about a year ago and have had a lot of fun getting that up and running.  I've been planning to add a separate page at the top of the screen to update folks on my little micro skiff and how much fun it's been.

Me and the boy getting ready to go find a carp.

I did a little carp fishing this year.  And, I saw a lot of carp, but didn't do too well at the catching part. I also "assembled" a trailer for the Gheenoe which was fun too.

My daughter and son are getting bigger so the summer was spent at a lot of swim meets and "other" things which is just fine.  I just didn't have as much time for fishing which consequently meant not as much to write about and of course not much time to write.

Maybe 2015 will be the year of the fish!  Every year the my New Year's resolution is to fish more and for some reason I fish less.  So this year, no resolutions on the fishing front.