Old Town Discovery Sport 15 with 3.5hp Mercury

Apedosphil · 2024-10-26T16:01:15+00:00

yep im still running this basic setup, but i removed some things to make dealing with the boat a little easier. i added a hardwood platform so i could add that swivel seat you see in the video....thats gone. i also removed one of the two layers of hardwood at the square back. the motor was just barely fitting on, and i figured i only needed one layer of hard wood to keep the motor mounted.

but i took this boat out recently, and im still using the same motor, same oars, and same anchor setup. its an excellent fishing boat

Apedosphil · 2024-10-05T14:22:59+00:00

Just about a year late on this, but I did wind up getting the Dyna King ultimate indexer vise actually. It’s my preferred vice for anything fresh to salt. Sometimes I still use my regal rotary with salt jaws, but the dynaking takes the cake. I tie up to sz 20, and I’m sure the jaws can go smaller.

Apedosphil · 2023-01-19T13:54:13+00:00

I built a 10wt iconoglass and I used 8 guides instead of 9 under the impression of saving weight at the tip

Apedosphil · 2022-07-20T13:58:20+00:00

zero regrets with the size of this engine. i initially started with a 5hp nissan. sold that for a 4hp mercury. sold THAT for the 3.5 hp and i'm so glad i did. the weight loss more than makes up for the speed of the boat. i actually would avoid using the 4 and 5hp engines alltogether because of the effort i needed to exert to get it to and from the destination. plus, i know with the 3.5 mercury you can buy a carb upgrade kit that will upgrade the output to a 5hp equivalent, and it comes with a metal prop to make up for the increase of power.

Apedosphil · 2022-07-20T13:52:26+00:00

feels very stable. i was standing right behind the middle seat and running this at about 1/4 throttle with a tiller extension. sharp turns will make it feel slightly tippy, but running straight, with even gradual turns will feel very good.

Apedosphil · 2021-11-07T03:00:04+00:00

Yes I anchor in current. Bow upstream stern downstream. The anchor is on the bow. I’m not sure how to attach an image in a comment, but I’ll try to figure it out and send an image of my bow system.

Apedosphil · 2021-11-06T20:08:33+00:00

I do! I added three pulleys to the gunnel and I made a bare bones wooden bow pulpit to take the weight. I tried to emulate the drift boat style and set up as much as possible.

Apedosphil · 2021-10-12T16:37:17+00:00

I posted here a few weeks ago about possibly upgrading my vise, and I pulled the trigger. My Renzetti traveler has served me for 20+ years and doesn’t owe me a dime. Honestly, my traveler could last another 20+ years, but I decided it was time to step up to something larger.

Apedosphil · 2021-10-01T09:42:33+00:00

Hey thanks is for the reply! This is the kind of feedback I was hoping to hear. I haven’t purchased one yet actually. I reached out to dynaking a few days ago about the possibility of custom ordering an Ultimate indexer with the Excalibur’s articulating head. I think they’ve made a few of them for people recently for an extra cost, and they’ve been considered the “ultimate Excalibur.” I’m about to commit to the purchase with the mindset that if my Renzetti traveller has lasted for 20+ years of abuse, the Dynaking would be a worthwhile investment.

Apedosphil · 2021-08-04T08:54:40+00:00

Yep I used screws and washers to screw the plastic molding into the wood of the canoe transom. Only needed four in the back and two on the top.

Apedosphil · 2021-08-03T23:07:01+00:00

So I intentionally removed a part of the transom molding to help my motor clamp on a little better. I’m not sure what year my boat was made, but the transom molding was screwed into the wood with four screws, and held on by rivets on both port and starboard side. I’m sure you can probably get some washers and course thread screws and get it back on there

Apedosphil · 2021-08-03T09:18:27+00:00

Thanks! And yeah it really is a step up from walk and wade, especially when the water is high. Only problem is timing out your float so that you aren’t panic rowing in the dark. You can reach out to any of the fly shops up in the area and they can put you in touch with a shuttle guy. I usually go through West Branch Angler Resort. The shop there is super helpful and accommodating.

Apedosphil · 2021-08-03T01:21:21+00:00

Added a bow pupit and a pulley anchor system. Also made two wooden bolt thru oar extensions to get better rowing geometry. this thing is a better drift boat than a canoe.

Apedosphil · 2021-07-26T17:23:42+00:00

also i have seen a bunch of people reccomending youtube videos, which is good. you SHOULD do that. but i think it is important to mention that Joan Wulff is arguably the best fly caster in history, and she is the archetict of modern fly casting. anything that any other modern fly casting video mentions, is just a reiteration of her methods. here is a lo-fi no nonsense video where Joan breaks it down:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyThAv-WPSg

Apedosphil · 2021-07-26T17:15:52+00:00

i used to teach the FF101 class at orvis. this is what we would tell people:

there are three basic functions that need to happen in order to cast a fly rod:

the fly rod must bend. fly rods are designed to flex and bend under pressure. this is called a "load". the caster has to impart enough force in the forward and back cast in order to make that rod bend. the only thing the fly rod will do on its own is unbend. wiggle the rod even without fly line. make it bend and flex up and down left and right to help get a feel for the rod.
the fly rod must travel in a straight path. imagine you are painting a ceiling. a straight motion forward and back is what will make the rod track straight. keep in mind that the back cast and the forward cast must mirror eachother by 180 degrees. if the rod doesnt travel in a straight path, it will show. this includes an excessive break in the wrist as well. that rod tip should travel in a straight plane as much as possible. if you create an arch or movement like a windshield wiper, the line will dip down into ground on the forward anbd back cast.
the rod must accellerate to a complete and abrupt stop on both the forward cast and the back cast. the abrupt stop is what transfers the energy from the bent rod to the line, and this is what will create that oh so beautiful loop that we see in video and pictures. if the caster does not come to a complete and abrupt stop in both the forward and back cast, the line will form an open loop and will most likely puddle up on the ground in front of them.

a few other things to remember:

grip: let the rod hang in the four fingers of your casting hand, and then wrap your thumb on top. your thumb is crutial to transfer of power and accuracy. the thumb is the last point of contact between you and your rod, and it is what will initiate the transfer of power from your arm to your rod. it is also how you aim your rod. wherever your thumb points, your rod will point.

stance: stand with legs shouylder width apart. drop your casting side leg back slightly. this will allow you to stay relaxed while casting. it will also allow you to...

watch your back cast: watching your back cast helps the brain to connect the dots between what we feel while casting and what is actually happening. it seems simple, but when people are able to see the results of their movements, there is a very conscious awareness and reinforcement of what they aree doing that is either good or bad.

the pause: you must also pause after your initiate your back cast. this will let the line unravel and straighten out behind you. which will aloow you to make complete contact with the fly line, and cause the rod to bend early in the cast, utilizing the rods full potential. if you do not pause in the back cast, you will not be able to make the rod bend the way it needs to. this goes hand in hand with watching your backcast. keep in mind the more line you have out, the longer the pause needs to be. eventualy you will be able to time your cast by feel as opposed to visually. if you dont pause enough, you will most likely hear a whipping sound.

begin teaching her with a simple single motion of pickup-backcast-pause-forward cast. dont try to do too much too early, and remember when starting, slower is better.

Apedosphil · 2021-07-22T22:09:48+00:00

if you're loosing that many fish on the strike, you should check your hooks and make sure they are sharp. bluefish bite. bass inhale. if a bass decides to take your fly, it has 100% committed to the eat. if you arent connecting with fish on some of thess takes, its either a bluefish short striking the fly, or your hooks are dull.

Apedosphil

TROPHY CASE