George F.
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Zach- My first 4Runner was a 2002. Went 212,000 miles with very little maintenance. It was awesome. Replaced it with a (white) 2012 SR5 that came with a luxury package. Entune, heated seats, leather, etc. So far so good. 55,000 maintenance free miles, I average mid 20’s on the highway not pushing it, 19-20ish around town. I think having a truck frame makes a difference. Just swapped out the standard tires (mine were Bridgestones) for a more aggressive Michelin. The standard tires are kind of car tires to keep mileage up.
All I have added are Thule Aero Bars. Very stable and quiet. They raise my Thule box high enough to clear the xm antennae. I put a Rodmounts RodLoft Pro rod holder in. They are good and you can just squeeze in a 9 foot fly rod but it depends on the rod handle how it fits. If you get one, use a little locktite on the screws. They are small and should the holder become loose, fly rod disaster. But mine has been a great addition. Especially because you can ROLL DOWN THE REAR WINDOW and slide them in. The rear window on the 4runner is the only sliding one left in the industry to my knowledge. Some still lift, but none slide down and open. Awesome feature.
Enjoy, it is a great vehicle.
Thanks Mike! I will be spending time in July looking for a place to live. Will check out all of your suggestions.
Hey everyone. Thanks for the comments. I get my work schedule one month ahead of time so I will know early July if I am on for August. Promise a trip report if I go.
Good question: I think we will both fly into Denver. My buddy lives near Baltimore and can get around cheap on Southwest. I am blessed with free air travel so does not matter to me.
I do have a friend in Salt Lake City that has a 10 year old Land Cruiser and he always said “if you want to borrow it”. I floated the Green river with him last year. Awesome day. If that approach to Colorado is better we can do it.
At any rate we are in planning stages. My long term goal is to scope out a place to retire. Looking for skiing, fishing, other outdoor sports but can’t afford Aspen area nor desire the craziness. So part of the road trip is to explore places for the future.
And yes, we can throw in a few tents and sleeping bags if that improves the trip. But a whole “regatta” of camping gear does get expensive. I ship my gear prior to and after trips. Don’t trust the airlines.
I was shocked. Flat out shocked, by lots of these results. Firstly, I have been using 20 lb. mono nail-knotted to the end of my fly line for years. I have never, ever broken a trout or any near-shore saltwater fish off at the nail knot. That just goes to show how much pull 10 lbs. actually is; in fact, that’s about where tarpon anglers set their drags.
Zach- This is quite interesting because my “pound the banks with big flies rig” is a 7wt. I use a 3-5 foot leader that is always half 30 pound, half 15. Sometimes 20/10 or 25/10. Whenever I get hung up on a log, branch, etc and pull really hard the fail point was always the nail knot. Not the 10 or 15 pound test which always surprised me. I would prefer the leader broke, not the nail knot so it is easier to get going.
Good tips all.
George
Wayne-
I purchased a hard SUP that I keep in San Diego and use in Mission Bay, San Diego Bay and La Jolla Cove. Mostly it is for exercise, watching dolphins, seals, exploring the La Jolla caves. SUP’s are a lot of fun, but I don’t think much of it as a two person transport. Perhaps to get across a channel or something like that. But a few things I have learned:
1. Wind is not your friend on a SUP. Offshore in San Diego the wind always blows us back towards shore. But I got stuck on the wrong side of Mission bay once, unable to make it back into about a 15t headwind. A kayak in similar situation is better due to less wind resistance, and ability to get blades in the water more evenly. On a SUP you are always going left or right, kind of like a canoe, but a little worse, and always crossing your paddle over the board. Going into the wind you can kneel and paddle or lay down and surfboard paddle with your arms. But keep wind in mind. A kayak has an advantage there.
2. You will get wet from time to time. More so on a SUP then a kayak. More in an ocean than a lake. But it will happen… Keep water temperature and hypothermia in mind. Not an issue for the Bahamas, but Kayak anglers wear all sorts of dry suits, wet suits, etc.
3. I have discussed Rod Hamilton’s book on Bonefishing in another post and suggest it. He uses Kayaks but is experimenting with SUP’s for the Bahamas. He considers bringing an inflatable a must have item and suggests always getting the best and being prepared for leaks, etc. Well worth the hassle of hauling, inflating, etc.
4. I saw a mother daughter on the Green River UT last year on inflatables. No Hard SUP’s allowed because of hitting rocks, etc. When I saw how much fun they were having I went into “have to own one” mode. The one’s listed above look awesome.
Let us know what you do and how it works.
George
Wow, beautiful pics Dave and great recommendations. You have mirrored the experiences of Rod Hamilton quite closely. He always brings two pair of glasses. He recommends fishing with a Guide on day one to get oriented, local tips, etc. In the book he recommends lots of unweighted flies because you will be closer to the fish and don’t want a big plop, and you will be in skinnier water than on a boat, i.e. less weight required to sink. And like you he talks about leader length in detail but closes with, throw what you can throw. That a properly turned over 9 foot leader is better than a poorly thrown 12 due to getting a strike with slack. Apparently that is a no no.
Regarding Barracuda he keeps flies rigged with a wire bite guard. The guard has a loop on the end. Sees a big cuda brings in his fly, loops bite guard over hook and flings it. Says a good quick down and dirty technique. Not sure if your barracuda strikes were intended or nuisance.
He does not spend much time discussing procurement of liquor in the book, but I appreciate the comments. Its a different story, but I picked up a motorcycle in San Antonio in November some years back. Drove in the rain till night fall and pulled into a motel in Hope Arkansas. I could not go another inch in the dark, cold, rain only to discovered I was in a dry county. Trust me, a mistake I won’t make again.
The destination I am looking at are remote (Auckins, Mayaguana) with air service twice a week. So if a bag does not show that would be very not good. But I get along well with the TSA so don’t expect problems with hooks, gear, etc. Never had a problem before. Normally I fedex my gear to all trips but that will not be an option.
Due to an unexpected pop up ski trip I am planning on bone-fishing the last week in February, seven day trip.
Here are two fun to read articles/blogs on Mayaguana:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/19/travel/winter-in-the-sun-plenty-of-fins-few-footprints.html
http://www.silverbowflyshop.com/blog/big-mayaguana-bonefish
Thanks again Dave, sounds like you had a blast.
George
Dave and Zach-
Bought the book, read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Actually my girlfriend bought if for me. She’s a Unicorn if you saw the hot crazy matrix video. Not x rated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKWmFWRVLlU
It is an excellent read. Rod Hamilton has a lifetime of experience stumbling over flats in search of Bonefish and has shared very well. A February trip is in the planning. His suggestion is a good one, hire a guide on day one. Get local knowledge and get the skunk off. Then go explore.
Will let you know how it goes, and will check the pod cast.
George
Dave-
You sound experienced, and like someone that has studied hard at the college of hard knocks.
Actually, I did see that DIY bonefish website and there were some good testimonials. I use google earth often to look for flats and fishy places. But it is hard to tell 2′ deep from 8′ deep water on google earth. Trust me, I learned that one at said college.
Fishing and driving liquored up. Very good advice. Picking stones out of elbows, knees and palm of hands. Ouch. Never had a bad grouper sandwich anywhere in the Bahamas yet, and I have eaten plenty of them.
I will keep you posted. Never caught a bonefish on a fly. Just caught my first striper and albie, now time to get a bone.
George
Uber has been fined in several areas, including Tampa and Berlin, Germany, for operating an unlicensed taxi service. It will be interesting to see if they can survive in the long run. I’m not sure what the difference is between Uber and gypsy cabs, other than the organizational structure.
Uber, AirBNB, etc are all under attack from both taxing authorities and entrenched business interests (hotel industry, taxi industry, etc).
But compared to gypsy drivers you have an app with a map to book, immediate response, a driver with a rating, insurance, etc. My limited experiences were actually very positive.
I think it opens up some new avenue’s for us traveling fisherman…
That is an interesting idea. Would not work where I fish, heck cell phones don’t even work. But for a more urban locale, definitely. BTW Zach, I have not used Uber, only their competitor Lyft. Having both apps I think increases your chance of a driver. I have only used Lyft twice, but excellent both times. For planning costs, about $2 per mile, and often less.
On the subject of personal sharing, I have also used relayrides.com for renting a vehicle from a local. That has worked out well for me and there are all types of vehicles for rent. Certainly something you don’t feel guilty throwing waders and fishing gear in. Check it out.
(no personal investment in any of these, just a casual user with limited but good experiences)
Zach-
I have a hard/epoxy board which I tool around LaJolla Shores, the caves, Mission Bay, San Diego Bay, etc but I have not rigged it for fishing. Last week I fished the Green River in Utah for the first time. There was a mother/daughter on SUP’s cruising down the river, even through the rapids, which looked like a blast. I spoke to them a little and they are required by regulation on that river to use inflatable SUP’s.
They say that is to avoid damage to the board by hitting rocks, etc. Makes sense.
For a broad range of fishing, ocean, lake, bay and river an Inflatable may make sense. Especially with tight storage requirements, you can just deflate with a pump, roll it up and store it. They appear very solid.
George
Chad-
Thanks for the reply. Like you I have stood in the wash in the evening and watched the Corvina rushing in and out of the surf. Two weeks ago I was enjoying my morning coffee in Mission Beach (plug for Better Buzz Coffee) when I guy comes walking down the street with a nice corvina in one hand and a spin rod in the other. The hook was still in the fishes mouth. We spoke for awhile and he split. Well he reappears 20 minutes later heading back to the beach. I tag along and ask to hang out with him. Turns out he took the fish home, cleaned it, drizzled olive oil, salt pepper and some lemon and wrapped in tin foil for lunch. Then headed back for dinner!
He scoops in the sand, finds a sand crab, hooks it on and casts into the wash. He says there are tons there. No bites in 20 minutes and he headed to work. I stopped at SoCal flyfishing, nice shop, bought some flies (orange to replicate the sand crab with eggs) but had a small problem. All my fly rods were back east.
So on my next trip I will go out with the recommended rig. Heavy sinking line, short leader, fly with orange on it and see what happens. The fish I saw were in the wash at Torrey Pines.
I have a SUP but have not fished from it as it has no rigging for a rod, hold down straps, etc. But I bet in Mission Bay I could have some fun with it.
George
Jay- Not my buddies boat. His was green and white. But based on northwest location I would have bet it was his. Good luck with the rebuild. Looks like you know what you are doing.
George
I will inquire and see if that was his. He was guiding two clients. Hitting the tree was inevitable. His clients climbed to shore on the tree with most of their gear. They lost some rod tubes. He lost way more then them. I believe a river rescue team came in and picked them up. The boat wound up downstream, upside down, submerged and partially buried in gravel.
The insurance company would not pay unless they recovered. He received permission from Indian Reservation to get on land, got long ropes, and pulled out of river. It was a total loss.
It is a small world. I will touch base with him and see if that is his.
Jay-
If you are interested. I have a friend that lost a boat on the Yakima. Went down the river one day and had a clean run. Next day went down the river and there was a sweeper across the side channel he ran. Was not there the day before. Lost the boat, gear, etc. Went in a week or two later with friends and recovered boat. Total loss, and insurance paid for it. Just wondering if same boat. Possibly interesting history for you.
G
