Further North

Don't give up on conventional gear. My best days have been when I've been willing to switch back and forth. I make the purists (both fly and gear purists) crazy, but being agile beats both...

First, @Turkey sandwich has most of the details nailed. 2nd, if you read, get hold of these four books: 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079LPCFCG/ref=dp-kindle-redirDave ect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 2) https://www.amazon.com/Stream-Smallmouth-Fishing-Tim-Holschlag/dp/0811723844/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1547515435&sr=8-4&keywords=smallmouth+tim 3) https://www.amazon.com/Smallmouth-Fly-Fishing-Techniques-Destinations/dp/0976387603/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547515435&sr=8-3&keywords=smallmouth+tim 4) https://www.amazon.com/River-Smallmouth-Fishing-Techniques-Rivers/dp/097638762X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1547515435&sr=8-2&keywords=smallmouth+tim Holschlag also has a video worth watching: https://smallmouthangler.com/product/stream-smallmouth-fishing/ Holschlag's not the most articulate guy, but he's got the basics, and the details nailed. That said, the first link, the one for Dave Karczynski's book, is absolutely, positively, the best book on the subject ever written. Gear guys should read the book, just for the strategic component. Tim and his guys put in more focused time on one of the USA's best smallie rivers than most folks ever hope to and have compiled that into a useful, readable reference that any dedicated smallie guy can suck up in a week, max. There's all kinds of flies that'll work, and most have been covered...best advice I can give is to focus lees on the flies and more on the presentation...and practicing your casting...

That's it, right there. I went with the two blade set-up, haven't had a problem since.

@Scott kayak'n'float ...wow, it's been a long time since this topic started...and I wrote that post above in 2016... I will stick by my evaluation of the Axiom above, and though I've never used a BVK, I have heard only good things...but here's a thought: In the intervening time, TFO has come out with the Axiom II. Why they call it the Axiom II is a mystery because it has little in common with the original. It is an amazing rod, IMO nearly equal to my Helios H3 (another change since 2016, for me) at a fraction of the price. I can't say, and shoudn't guess, if it "beats" a BVK, because fly rods are very individual, and you may have different preferences, but holy cow is the Axiom II a great rod. I currently have mine paired with a Lamson ULA and a Rio Single Handed Spey line in 8 wt. (300 grain), floating line and it'll zing a popper a long way, is definitely an accuracy upgrade from the original Axiom. TFO's "Rod Performance Matrix" for both rods is as follows: Axiom II ROD PERFORMANCE MATRIX Presentation: 4 Distance: 8 Lifting: 6 https://tforods.com/axiom-ii-fly-rods/ BVK ROD PERFORMANCE MATRIX Presentation: 6 Distance: 5 Lifting: 1 https://tforods.com/bvk-fly-rods/ They don't quantify it as such, but I find the "lifting" evaluation as a good indicator of how well the rod will lift a big, wet streamer on a sinking line out of the water, pot it into a single back cast and put it right back out. I have my Orvis H3 (another used, discounted buy!) rigged with a Lamson Litespeed 3 reel and a Rio Single Handed Spey 3D (also 300 grain). This is my go-to subsurface rod for bass, pike and even musky as long as I'm not trying to throw a giant musky popper or a foot long articulated streamer. I was skeptical about the accuracy claims for the H# until I got my hands on one...and it's just almost eerie how much better thay are than most fly rods. The Axiom II is a close...very close...2nd. The Scott above has been matched to a Scientific Angler Titan line, and it's turned that rod into a serious popper/diver launcher. Let's talk about those Rio Single Handed Spey lines for a moment. First, no I'm not a Spey guy, or even a switch rod guy...tried it, didn't care for it...it's cool, but not for me...but these lines are the cat's PJs for that pick-it-up-and-put-it-back-down fishing style. Better than the Outbound Short, by a margin that's not insignificant, and the Outbound Short remains one of my top five lines, period. The Single Handed Spey lines also roll cast like you can't believe, until you try them...which makes sense, if you think about what Spey lines are designed to do. Unmatched for wading for smallies when your back is up against trees, steep bank, whatever...I can...and do, for practice...roll cast these lines in my yard. Give them a look.

I love my Ulterra for that ability to trim up/down....and for Follow the Contour, and "set it ind forget it" directional movement, particularly into, or across wind or current. I don't use spot lock as much as I thought I would, but when I do, it's awesome. Others have other preferences, but few have tried them all (including me). It really comes down to how you fish, not what anyone else does. That's important...

Yes. Economies of scale. Few are sold relative to numbes on cars/trucks, but it costs just as much to develop and refine the product. We have a Ford Edge. Ford has sold 1,340,065 of them, since 2006....and they use engines and transmissions and lot's of other parts that are common to other models (The Edge is built on the same platform as the Ford Fusion, Mazda CX-9, first and second generation Mazda 6 and Lincoln MKX, among others.) Mercury can't even come close to those kinds of numbers... Again economies of scale. How many boats are there in the US? How many car/trucks? That's true...but many people think that "mark up" = profit. It doesn't. That markup has to help support the costs of running the dealership. Salaries, benefits, power, paying for the building, water/sewer, taxes... It's very much not a 1:1 return.

A friend's wife used to try to tell me that dogs were more work than kids...because, basically, she didn't want her husband to have a hunting dog... I finally got tired of it, and one day replied with, "Chris...I toss the dogs in a kennel when I need to take a break.You can't do that with your kids. THat's pretty much the definition of 'easier", right there." The subject never came up again...

Funny thing, that market woulda made a lot more sense for them (him) to get into.

By the way: Great pun, whether intended or not. ?

Musk's stuff is impractical for anyone with a normal income who lives away from big cities. ...that he appears to running the company into the ground isn't helping. The tech is cool, but not ready for prime time. Not even close. All kinds of issues (infrastructure, charging rates/times, charging station availability...) I've thought for a long time that boats, bass fishing boats in particular, would be a perfect test bed for a lot of the technology. We'll see if anyone picks up on that.

That's pretty slick, if you're on a place where you can keep it charged (I'm guessing a semi-remote Canadian Shield lake wouldn't cut it) Seems expensive, but: No gas. Ever. way fewer moving parts, so maintenance will be low. Double the output, and it'll have a lotta people looking. I'll be one of 'em. Edited to add: Cut the price in half. Get a 150 HP equivalent motor for $12K and we're in the ballpark. I run a 140 HP 4 st. on less than $250/year in gas, so 10 years of that is $2500, 20 is $5000.

Tough topic, and it's awesome that it's gone this far without any lectures about "financial responsibility". That's what makes BR great, IMO. Here's my take: It's all about choices. Our choice, a long time ago, was to seek out gently used, two to three year old vehicles and thing like boats so that someone else took the huge depreciation hit for the first few years of ownership. We keep on eye on what's going on in those markets so we can time our buys, and make our choices quickly when opportunities present themselves. That's been important more than once. We wind up paying about half what new vehicles cost, loan terms are shorter and interest paid on those loans is a fraction of what happens if you go new. I bought my current boat four seasons ago for a bit more than $16K. It is a 2005 Crestliner CMV 1850, and fits what I do, really, really well. Unless something bad happens, or I do something stupid, with it/to it, I'll die with this boat. My boat was sold new as new/old stock in 2008 from a bankrupt dealer, to a guy who put less than 3 1/2 hours on the big motor over the next 6 years. The carpet still sparkled like new when I picked it up. The motor wasn't through break in yet. The motor is a Johnson branded Suzuki DF 140, the same motor I had on my old boat, but white. It was the aquatic version of the "Corvette in a barn" stories you hear now and then. It was the right boat at the right time, so I grabbed a short term personal loan to bridge the time until I could sell the boat I had at the time because letting it go because I couldn't write a check for the full amount on the spot woulda been stupid. That personal loan cost me $67 for the short time I needed it and saved me thousands against buying a newer, more expensive boat. I swapped my top level electronics onto the CMV, put the "Dealer Special" electronics on my old boat, priced it right and it was gone in less than a month. I'd worked my way to that boat with a series of buy-right/sell-right deals so it was paid for...so...all done. I've worked in the corrugated business in a technical role for 35 years. Not a glamorous, high paying job, but good enough, and crazy stable...other businesses always need boxes, regardless of what the economy is doing...we've always lived within our means, and own our home at my age of 56, my wife's age of 52. We saved like crazy starting before we got married, and it's paying off: I'll retire next June a few days past my 57th birthday. It's amazing what the cumulative impact of a few decades of good decisions can be as you're looking back at them.

Interesting...can you expand on that? ...never mind...saw what I wanted further down...

A friend just ordered the 225 XS for his 22 ft. Skeeter.

Haven't experienced that particular boat...but I think you're on the right path given your stated goals.

Nailed it, IMNSHO. What do they recommend when towing on the trailer you bought from their partner that supplied the boat would grind off the skeg in the first half mile? I'm thinking of Lund/Crestliner partnerships withe Mercury here, and Skeeter and G3 partnerships with Yamaha... But...OMC sold a buncha "saki burners" with their name on 'em. I've got one and love it... Well...yeah...duh...? I'm of the opinion, subjective, not objective, that reducing vibration and bouncing around is the goal. I broke three trailer-to-lower-unit "transom savers" in two years. Never again. My-Wedge, and similar will be what I use.

Lots of decent boat rentals on Canadian lakes, way up in the sticks...but a lotta fourteen and sixteen foot tillers with minimal accoutrements too. Do your homework, look around. I'll rent my boat for $1.5 a day, but I go along to monitor...and I drive...

That's how I landed on a similarly sized boat too. That, and launching a bigger boat would be really hard to do on some of our lakes.

I've a question for you: Did you have fun? If yes, why does any of that other crap matter? Signed, Confused in Chippewa Falls

Nothing is perfect...will be interested in your thoughs once the season is done.

My preference is...a little of everything, but nothing cheap. I find that, like folks who are breed-blind WRT hunting dogs, folks who cling blindly to one make of anything (cars, trucks, boats, motors, fishing gear fish species to chase...anything) miss out on a lot of great stuff.

I love how you guys customized that boat to your wants and needs. You asked a lot of thoughtful questions, pondered a lot of answers and it looks like you nailed it. I hope you enjoy it for a long time!

This. For a couple hundred bucks a year you buy protection form a host of things...including other idiot boaters.

Unless you make long uninterrupted runs on you big motor you cannot count on it to charge your cranking batter adequately.