Buzz Bryson
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Hey Zach,
Pelican makes one of the “Yeti” type premium cases. There’s a 45-qt model:
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail_coolers.php?Case=45QT
Buzz
The problem with the down drawers is that when you sit on your . . . down . . . you compress the down, and effectively lose much of the insulating factor of the down loft. They used to make them, with down and synthetic down substitutes. Certainly better than nothing, but not much. I like the fleece options better.
Or maybe search a few flea markets ’til you find an old wired corset and hook a battery to it???
David,
I’ve tried several of the waterproof bags, from the older roll-top ones (Seal Line) to the semi-rigid Patagonia one, and the “zip lock”-like closure ones from Watershed. Some have camera inserts, some I’ve rigged with inserts from a bag full of insert leftovers I have. I find myself going back to the Pelican type hard cases. The soft ones make me nervous in boats, not so much because of water, but getting stepped on, bouncing around if in compartments, etc. To some extent, at least when the bag is in a compartment in the boat, those are non issues. I guess the biggest reason I stick with the hard cases is that it’s quicker and easier to get the camera out (and back in). Pop the latches, and there it is. No hard to open waterproof zippers, no rolling/unrolling, etc.
But when wade fishing, the hard cases aren’t too great. Heavy, hard to carry, etc. Still looking for the perfect wading bag/box that’s waterproof, easy to carry, easy to access, etc. Haven’t found it yet. At times, the Watershed Ocoee comes close, but at other times, eh . . .
Buzz
I have, or have had, the 1450, 1500, and 1510 (the latter being a maximum carry-on size roller). First thing, I’d try a set of the padded dividers. They’re expensive, but are more substantial than the foam, so the spacing between items can be less (the downside being, the perimeter padding is, in my opinion, thicker than it needs to be), allowing you to cram more into a given box. And the padding doesn’t shred like the foam eventually will.
That said, and assuming you’re talking about a fairly substantial boat (as opposed to a canoe/kayak), I’d go with a bit oversized box; you’ll always have something else you want to put in there (wallet, cell phone, coiled flash cord, spare batteries, etc.). If there’s a store nearby that carries the cases, visit it with your gear and lay it all out on the inside of the case. Lacking that, take a piece of cardboard, sketch out the interior dimensions of those you’re considering (they’re on http://www.pelican.com), and see which layout fits. The 1500 holds a lot, and the 1510 holds enough you’ll want to use the rollers.
I like Pelican cases, but would make two points. They’re heavy, and the latches are relatively tough to operate. The sister company (Storm) has cases that are a bit lighter, and have latches that are much easier to open. They are perhaps not as tough, but unless you sit on them, they should be fine.
I’ve carried both the 1510 and 1500 in boats (drift boats, center consoles, jon boats); no problem. Which brings one final thought to mind. If you’re out in a powered boat, with the typical small-boat vibration and bouncing, I’d suggested Velcroing a piece of closed-cell foam on the bottom. The extra cushioning may provide little more than peace-of-mind, but then it might keep a screw or two from loosening up.
Buzz
The stripping basket suggestions reminded me (particularly because of my eyesight, requiring coke-bottle-thick prescription correction) that the absolute best flats “gear” – – – particularly for seldom-fished waters – – – is a local guide who knows the flats, the tides and the fish movement patterns, and who has osprey-like vision. And if he happens to be masterful at poling a flats boat (think of it as a really big stripping basket) and is a good conversationalist, I’d say the day is beginning to shape up nicely!
Buzz
Proper clothing for sun protection. Plenty of good shirts and pants to choose from, but don’t forget the gloves and hat. My favorite hat has for many years been the Patagonia Vented Broadbill (the old style, somewhat different from the new). For once, I bought multiples back then.
Gloves, I like the simple fingerless ones, at least for smallish flats fish. If going for hard pulling fish, I like the fingerless ones, but with pads built in – – – not for if, but for when, there’s an unexpected run when you have the line trapped under your fingers. “Rope burn” hurts!
And then there’s shades, sunscreen, footwear . . . maybe even some differing thoughts on tackle!
Buzz
Zach,
Lots of options. I think the 16-35 is a good one for the wide/boat lens choice. I loaded up and weighed an FX body, 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200, and it was (for me, certainly) much too heavy a load to not be left at home too often, quality issues aside. I’ve read (not tried) the newer 24-120 is better than the original, both in focusing speed and image quality; it might not be as wide as you need, but it is a pretty versatile range. The Thom Hogan and NatureScape sites have considerable discussion about “what’s the best [single, WA, all-purpose, etc] lens.
And, of course, as soon as you get that 16-35, you’ll be fretting over what to do about the moderate tele range. That new 70-200 f/4 might be the ticket . . .
BuzzPhil,
Could be a great piece, or you could get frustrated going in circles. Quite a few years ago, there were several studies done, evaluating water quality, benthos, fish growth/size, etc., on streams below fish hatcheries/fish farms. Not unexpectedly, and all the more on freestone streams, the downstream areas had more bugs, more/larger/faster-growing fish, etc.
But then, where do you draw the line between “natural” and “artificial”. Are fish from man-made reservoirs or tailwaters “OK”.
Some years ago, I was at dinner with a bunch of friends, several of whom (Lefty Kreh was one) were involved in record keeping decades ago. And there were some amazing stories of the lengths people would go to to get their name in the record book.
Give it a go!!
Buzz
Zach,
Agree. And I’ll bet most of us have been “that guy” one or more times. Maybe that’d be an interesting thread: everyone share his/her “that guy/gal” stories.
But I’ll let somebody else go first . . .
Buzz
I’ve used fly lines for lots of things, but never got creative/artistic with it (no braid/weave). Used on glasses/sunglasses, with just a nail knot on each temple. Have some clippers I hang around neck using fly line, with just a nail knot on the overlapped ends (effective, albeit ugly). Made a shoestring for wading boots once, cutting off a few feet of the running line. Carried a length of parachute cord ever since. Good for jug fishing – – – oops, did I admit to that??? I do keep a few worn out lines around the house, though. Great string substitute. I don’t use rods for tomato stakes (although I’ve had a couple that would be good for that, and little else), but I have used old fly line to tie tomatoes onto wooden stakes. Wrapped some Xmas gifts for friends using old line for “ribbon”. They seemed to think it was funny; not sure if “good funny” or “bad funny” . . . Used an old one for a clothes line at a lodge once. Got plenty of comments on that. Never tried, but would probably make a nice grip on a wading/walking staff.
Endless possibilities . . .
I agree with the other posts. The LowePro DryZone is well-made, but heavy, terribly inaccessible, and I sold mine. That said, I think one has to start with what’s being carried. If just a small body (M4/3 or the like), flash and couple of lenses, a shoulder bag is probably OK. If a full-size DSLR and assortment of lenses and accessories, a well-designed backpack may be necessary to carry the load. Assuming the former (a reasonably light load), I’ve found the Stormfront to be OK. Not great, but workable. You’ll need either individual component protection, or some insert to protect the pieces. As mentioned earlier, the insert that comes with it isn’t too great. Generally, though, I don’t like backpacks for working from; they just don’t allow quick or easy response.
One shoulder bag that I’ve used with some success (again, the perfect solution has eluded me thus far) is the Watershed Ocoee (drybags.com). It’s robustly constructed, and is waterproof, using basically an industrial grade ziplock-type closure. Watershed has a camera-specific insert for the Ocoee, or you can fashion your own protection. And they have other bag designs as well. What I like best about this bag is that it’s easy to slip on and off, and gear is reasonably quickly accessible.
If you find yourself not carrying your camera because of the hassle, or skipping shots because you just don’t want to go to the trouble to get to your camera, it’s probably time to make some changes.
Buzz
Lots of fair to good smallmouth fishing in western NC, east TN, SW VA. French Broad, Pigeon, Little Tennessee, New, Nolichucky and other rivers. Harry Murray wrote a really good book on smallmouth years ago. Don’t now if it’s been revised/reprinted and/or is still available or not. But bigger water with nice smallmouth is not too far from you! Problem with too many of them is that they get muddy with every rain event.
Buzz
I always wonder if anglers on boards, kayaks, even canoes realize that some boaters don’t “see” them. It’s like the (car) driver who hits the person on the bicycle, and says “I just didn’t see him”. The mind is looking for another car, and looks right through a bicyclist. I’ve seen some near misses between near invisible kayaks in the salt and big boats in a hurry.
That aside, I was curious about the article saying the Atlantic salmon was “endangered” in NY. I checked the USF&WS web site (keepers of species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act) and the NY state DEC site (state-listed species). Neither lists the Atlantic salmon as endangered in NY (USF&WS lists it as endangered in the Gulf of Maine). Presumably, then, the state biologists were taking samples out of professional curiosity, as opposed to authority under the species’ “endangered” listing.
A minor point, and one that I’m probably too sensitive to. Recently retired after almost 40 years of working in the private sector environmental area. Generally, had nothing but positive relationships with state and federal regulators, but occasionally there was a “crusader” who wanted to impose authority that s/he didn’t have, under applicable regulations or statutes. Always discussed authority with them, and generally worked things out. Just that both sides work under same rules, presumably.
Sometimes, it takes a good attorney to work things out . . . (and, to clarify, I’m not an attorney!)
Buzz
Generally, or it has certainly been the case in the past, when rod companies outsource production of blanks (or other components, e.g., reel seats), the company and the blank manufacturer have a proprietary agreement. The blank manufacturer may make blanks for several others, but, under that agreement, sells specific blanks only to the one rod company.
Typically, that rod company worked with the blank manufacturer to get “just the right rod” (which is usually a combination of material, mandrel, pattern, etc), and then the manufacturer would produce that specific blank (or series, whatever was agreed on in the contract) only for that rod company.
Whether that same business standard applies now . . . who knows.
Buzz
On the reel thing, no science, just observation from fishing where there is a lot of casting of fairly heavy outfits (9-10 on up to 11-13) at decent distances either blindly or to breaking/schooling fish that can take out a lot of backing (albacore, dolphin, etc). So, big rods, big lines, big reels. I’m not a big guy.
Two points. First, a stiffer rod is more tiring to cast. I think it’s because the rod is bending less, and (forgive/correct any physics mistakes) the mass of the line is further away from your hand, putting more strain on your arm/wrist/thumb than with a more moderate action rod.
Second, on the reel weight, I agree with Zack. I’ve tortured the drags on some very light weight bonefish-size reels on albacore, and those few ounces less weight also make the rod feel heavier, or at least put more strain on the arm/wrist/thumb during long casting sessions.
Again, I’m talking about the larger outfits only. I don’t notice this with lighter outfits, and to a lesser degree with more moderate action rods. In fact, switching from a big stick to, say, an eight weight makes the latter feel like a four weight. It’s all relative . . .
Buzz
That review is really good. A couple of points they missed – – – or maybe I missed in a quick read of the comparison. One, the drag off the reel is only a fraction of the drag at the rod tip, with a well bent rod. Lots of friction over the guides. So a four pound drag at the reel is a lot more measured outside the tip top of a bent rod. Plus, while there’s really not a particular downside to having a tremendous amount of drag (e.g., the Hardy’s 30 lbs), it would never be used under most any reasonable fly fishing conditions. Even if a much greater than 20# class tippet was used, there are very few fly rods designed to support (literally) 30# or heavier tippets. Even if you point the rod at the fish, with a direct pull off the reel, try holding a steady 10 pounds of drag on a fly rod, much less 30 pounds (OK, I am getting older). Then there’s the stability of a drag. Some drags (notably the cork ones) typically work very well, AS LONG AS they are maintained to the manufacturer’s specs (whatever lube is recommended). But some cork (and other) drags “chatter” when too dry, and slip if wet, and can take a set (stay “squished”, to use a technical term), if left compressed. Jack Charlton’s overbuilt (and yes, the original Charltons were pretty heavy) reels used carbon fiber. Jack used to build brake components for Boeing, and chose carbon for the reel drags because of its stability under any conditions (including heat buildup – – – see F1 cars, along with jets). The surface area of the drag can be important in dealing with heat (and with being smooth, or not so smooth).
About 25 years ago, I did some calcs on reel volumes, as well as the volumes of backing and line. Best I recall, my number for 20# Dacron was about the same as the author’s (one cu in per 100 yards). 30# was about 1.5 cu in per 100 yards, if I recall correctly. The gel spuns were just being developed, and I didn’t include them, but those of course can be had in terrifically small (too small?) diameters, and commensurately high lengths for a given volume. That said, it’s the fly line that takes up the far larger portion of a reel’s volume, and thus the effective arbor diameter becomes much smaller, much faster, as the fly line is stripped off compared to the backing. Fat floating lines require close to an order of magnitude greater volume for a 100-ft length than 100 yards of backing. So the diameter reduction and drag increase is much greater as the fly line is stripped compared to the backing being stripped.
And, in practical use, the rod position (from pointing straight at the fish, effectively giving the drag off the reel, to a 90 degree angle, greatly increasing drag by the added friction) can change the effective drag enough to break, or not, the line.
Still, with all those other variables, when you’re fishing for a fish that requires a good drag (think tunas, not so much bonefish), it’s nice to have a really good reel, to eliminate that as a possible source of error.
Victorinox Tinker everywhere, and usually add a Benchmade Mini Griptilian.
Tinker is over 40 years old, and still going strong.
Both are stainless, which matters around water.
Direct sunlight can have an effect on knots (and lines, and waders, etc), especially if that sun is coming into a closed vehicle which can also result in pretty wide internal temperature variations, depending on locale and season. But I think we’re talking over a season, not over a day or two. Once (“back in the day”, as people say), I carried my Hodgman Wadewell waders in my fishing car (it was also my hunting car, as it was in fact my only car), a ’61 VW Beetle. The waders fit perfectly in the space behind the rear seat, which also was subject to direct sunlight. I did ruin the waders in one season, as the rubber boot portion developed numerous small cracks, which eventually opened deeply enough to cause multiple leaks. Converse Hodgman attributed those to the constant exposure to direct sunlight. Replaced them, covered them with an old towel, but still left them behind the seat. No more problems.
I’d be more worried about the ferrules getting stuck if the rod is left assembled for weeks at a time. Even with a light paraffin coating, some get pretty solidly stuck. And others work loose . . .
But, with normal fishing, I’d think the leaders would get changed frequently enough to not have excessive UV/IR damage.
And yes, fly lines can get cooked in sunlight too.
Y’all ever wonder what that smoky film that develops on the inside of car windows, particularly the front windshield, comes from? Mostly, it’s the plasticizers in the dash, seats, etc. So I’ve been told. Same “stuff” that keeps PVC fly lines nice and pliable.
Buzz
I’ve tried several of the point-and-shoot and mirrorless cameras recently. The former continue to get better (at least in the sense of adding features such as improved sensors, HD video, etc.). And those offer some really good value for the money. The Canon S100 is about as small as you’ll find, and has a great feature set.
The mirrorless cameras are improving quickly too. Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Nikon, etc. are all offering models. One thing to watch for is how many lenses the various models offer. The M4/3 bodies (mostly Panasonic and Olympus) seem to have the most at the moment. And features like EVFs can be important to those familiar with DSLRs. At the moment, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 is a popular hot seller.
I’m all over them. Half the size and weight, and half the price. And way more than half the image quality. And the best values are typically for models that are just being replaced.
Buzz
