Zach Matthews
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I personally like the mitten style cap-tops in wool. I have never found any fleece to be anywhere near as effective, and the claims that the fleece continues to be warm after soaking is pure BS. With wool gloves you can wring out the glove and immediately get a lot of warmth back.
Zach
I agree with Bob. For fishing around a farm pond or in a smallmouth stream with a seven weight, the only thing the reel really does is hold line and balance out the rod. You should be able to put your finger on the front lip of your cork grip and balance the rod, with the line all on the reel and the unstrung rod on the other end. With too light a reel that may not work and as a result the rod can end up feeling top-heavy when you cast, but there’s an easy fix: lead tape. Just wind a little around the arbor of your reel and it should work out fine.
Alternatively (and this is what I would do), you could pick up a cheap bigger reel at Wal-Mart for like $15 and go from there. Something like this would work:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Martin-MLT63-Fly-Reel/16651715
Zach
Very cold and potentially dangerous that time of year. Feb 2 is typically when Bull Shoals State Park opens. You need a boat with a motor and an experienced hand running it. Most people deep nymph White River Beadheads, which are a kind of white marabou flesh fly.
If you plan to fish that time of year it’s doable but you need to do your research in advance. Look for articles on the “shad kill.”
Zach
Very helpful Stuart, and what an interesting job. What was the craziest or most difficult mount you ever did?
Dom those are very cool man. Did you get a chance to check out Monte Burke’s recent podcast on fishing for striped bass in New York harbor? Might not be feasible from a driving perspective but I definitely think it would give you some ideas:
Monte is a writer for Forbes among other magazines and lives in NYC.
Good luck and let us know how you do.
Zach
That’s great JMill. Try and post a report from the Little Red if you get a chance, too.
I am going over to Arkansas this weekend for my brother’s wedding. I’ll likely be locked in doing wedding stuff the whole time but if I could sneak away… I would. Need to toss my fishing stuff in just in case.
Zach
Justin –
When are you going to India? Is the appeal that the Mahseer is some kind of really awesome fish or just that it is a great excuse to go fishing in India, or both?
Zach
That’s really cool Steve.
My thinking is, I could drop in at Johnson Ferry (if I am in my long-desired driftboat) or at Powers Island (if I am in anything else) and float to the new ramp at highway 41, call uber, lock off my equipment, then ride back up and get my vehicle. Way more convenient than begging a friend to shuttle me or paddling back up myself.
Zach
Very interesting, thanks everyone. Stuart, how have you shipped hundreds of skulls? Are you doing a LOT of hunting? Anyone know the rough cost of a European mount treatment like this?
Also has anyone actually tried burying it in an anthill?
What exactly is a gypsy cab? I’m not familiar with that.
And Steve do you mind sharing what the prices typically were for a taxicab “shuttle”?
Zach
Check this article out (it was for Fly Fisherman) from the float I did with Kyle Kosovich, Brian Wise, Randy Hanner and Bryan Yates:
Great river, super unique.
George I have been looking at the inflatable thing pretty hard. The problem with our garage here at work is, even a SUP would be a tight fit on my CR-v, and it is approaching the end of its lifespan at almost 150k miles now. I am probably going to get a 4Runner next spring when the note on the CR-v is paid off, and those things are really tall these days.
How hard are the SUPs to inflate? About like a pontoon boat?
Mark the complaints I heard about the HDPE boats was that because they sat higher in the water, they were more prone to swirling and tipping at anchor. Some of the HDPE guys learned that they had to anchor up in slower water than they had before — maybe just something to experiment with when you get your boat.
I definitely like the inflatable concept — there are a few places here where you almost have to bounce yourself into the water. I am *hopefully* going to finally be buying my drift boat next year. Unfortunately it’s low-side or skiff all the way down here. Not enough gradient.
Zach
That’s interesting Mark. Have you rowed one of those yet? I’m curious whether they sit higher in the water/catch wind more, kind of like the problem with HDPE boats.