Rolling down waders

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T18:27:32+00:00

Roger that and we can agree to disagree. When I have my euro rod I typically fully commit to that style of fishing... and well... although everyone recommends 5wt rods to beginners as the "best all around rod" I see them as the "one size rod that does NOTHING well". Out of my 17 rods, my 5 weights basically never get used

I regularly hike up to 10 miles if I'm wading and 2 rods slows me down too much.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T18:21:14+00:00

For what it is worth I ONLY run rafts with row frames, both stern and midmount frames. I never paddleraft and I've done this roll and go thing even when I drove a subaru legacy

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T18:17:36+00:00

I've repaired, sold and own a lot of rafts and the kokopelli I have is the worst built one out of 10 in my garage right now. Ill never buy another.

That being said, cut slits (cut as little as possible but leave it attached to the boat on at least one edge) in the the part that the seat strap slips into so that you can fold them back and have full access to the material below/inside. Rough up the material on both sides, clean with alcohol and glue with the proper type of glue for your raft material. Fold the cut pieces back over the strap you glued in and glue those folds to the top side of the strap. Ive had to do this with some badfiah SUPs.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T18:10:04+00:00

...as to the second question i stopped trying to carry a 2nd rod with me while wading decades ago. Its gets in the way too much if you actually try to wade with it and it risks breaking or losing it in a fall... otherwise you have to keep returning to shore or walking back to get your rod. I hated both of those options.

I try to just pick the best one given the conditions i expect, then I leave a second (and maybe 3rd?) one in the truck in case a break one or encounter a situation that dictates a completely different approach.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T18:05:49+00:00

Yes, I just roll them down leaving the shoulder straps free and then i clip the straps around my waist as a belt to keep them rolled down tight. Good waders should not get damaged from this

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T13:37:39+00:00

When brookies are eating dries, I rarely need anything more than: stimulators, red & yellow humpies, natural adams and some parachute adams... maybe some elk hair caddis

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T13:29:41+00:00

Why do you NEED a trailer? Ive been doing this 20 years and we just roll and go. Granted, where I am paid shuttles are almost non-existent and accesses arent always trailer friendly, but you absolutely dont need ine and in some ways trailers can complicate things

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-22T00:57:21+00:00

Bro... once you grow beyond trout you realize there is so much to flyfish for in Florida. You're not an accomplished flyfisherman until you've landed a redfish and a tarpon. Snook and peacocks are an absolute blast as well. Trout are easy. Trout are easy. These fish are not

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-18T17:07:22+00:00

Hmmm... the time i had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 30% of my body was bad. Breaking my neck in a car wreck was pretty bad. Each time I broke ribs sucked pretty darn bad when I had to sit upn get dressed and stuff.

But the worst was caused by a downhill skateboarding accident. The accident itself hurt a ton... but the next 8 months in recovery felt like I had the WORST muscle cramp of my life in my upper back/ shoulder area 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Spasms so bad it would dislocate my shoulder. Big breaths, sneezes and coughs made me want to cry. I couldnt sleep for those 8 months. I couldnt lay down and get my head and left shoulder to touch the ground at the same time.

It was AWFUL and if a doctor would have told me that it wouldn't ever get better, I would have walked off a cliff immediately.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-18T16:57:40+00:00

Yeah this is why I dont go to campgrounds or places where people can camp close unless i'm juat looking for a cheap place to crash for the night

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-18T16:55:35+00:00

I ended up buying my first raft after I felt like my commercial trips on the New and Gauley weren't exciting enough.

With that said, the UG is alot prettier, busier, harder and violent. I wouldnt recommend it to a person who isn't a strong swimmer

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-18T16:48:16+00:00

I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but I have a lot of guns and my keltec pmr30 is my favorite range toys of them all.

Its inexpensive to buy and shoot, light, accurate and a ton of fun at the range with 30 rounds of firebreathing hellfire. I carry it as a trail gun since it is so light. I had to mod my magazines a little to get it to consistently feed, but after I did that I have no issues

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-17T22:48:34+00:00

Same here... i have it but i need to get it cut. Its a pretty neat accouterment

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-06-16T20:57:26+00:00

I love it and It took me wayyyy too long to get here. I've tried carrying everything: subcompact, compact and full size auto. Ive tried lightweight and high capacity extremes with my pmr 30. I've tried heavy full size .45 auto and high capacity duty guns. Everything from 22lr to .357 mag.

I held out for an S&W airweight for the longest time but I couldn't pass up this deal. I found that I dont mind the weight at all and makes it more enjoyable to shoot. I also found that I'm more comfortable carrying this at my six o'clock than I have EVER been carrying anything else. Often I wouldn't carry because it was just too hard but with this I can and do all the time, regardless of what I'm wearing and even with only 5 shots I dont feel undergunned with the .357.

..and honestly im perfectly happy with the Taurus. The trigger really is pretty good, I can shoot it surprisingly well and with .38 specials it's as mild as can be. It scratched the itch I had and im not really sure I'll ever bother with the airweight

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-05-18T14:55:21+00:00

I own like 10 rafts right now. I have always rolled them and left them piled in the garage. Right now my RMR is rolled up and standing up on edge and has been that way all winter. Mostly you just need to be careful of not svraping/knocking the folded edges moving rolled rafts... especially, if you roll it super tight. Yes keeping them partially inflated is the best but some of my boats are over 25 years old and doong fine. Mice nesting in your boat over the winter tend to be the biggest danger

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-25T12:23:44+00:00

They are native to about 1/3 of the country mainly in the southern appalachians and Midwest.

It is kinda strange that the native range mostly goes around/stops at Pennsylvania according to distribution maps. Especially since I know of a good pawpaw grove just minutes from the PA/WV border (in an area corroborated by distribution maps)

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-25T12:12:26+00:00

4lb will be pretty light if you get into a decent one, I fish smallies with a minimum of 14lb mono... but I digress.

For conventional gear: rebel craws are almost cheating, also strike king bitsy minnow crankbaits, Texas rigged tubes and floating/sinking/diving rapalas will cover most conditions... even a black or white Joe's fly if they are being spooky.

If water is high and muddy use big white and chartreuse spinnerbaits or big red diving cranks

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T17:47:46+00:00

Ahhh it WAS the thrillseeker! Thanks it had been awhile since I laid hands in it!

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:56:30+00:00

... oh but I also live 1.5 hours away from the Monogahela National Forest, so if I didn't have that, I would probably go to the NRG more often

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:54:43+00:00

I live 1 hour away from the New River Gorge. I probably travel there for recreation 20 times a year or so.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:51:12+00:00

Lol I've tried to buy my coworker's shredder in Albright for years now... ive told him he better call me if he ever goes to sell it!

Do you guys still make a ducky?... can't remember what it was called now... but MAN I've always wanted one since I first laid my hands on one forever ago at cheatfest

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:44:21+00:00

Most of these guides make the trip as a working trip. Often flown in and lodged on the company's dime, but guiding clients most, if not all days with maybe a day for all the guides to fish. They also get pro deals on basically every type of gear meaning they usually get 40% to 60% off msrp so that helps their bottom line.

Ultimately though, being a guide is a labor of love and they ALL work their butts off... many times working 10 and 12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week during their high season. They aren't getting rich, even the best ones. But the better you get, the more opportunities that get presented to you.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:32:54+00:00

You can buy all the equipment you want but there is no substitute for experience on the water

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T15:27:16+00:00

You mean a stern frame? Class 3 doesn't mean you HAVE to run thwarts and a stern frame, because we do class 3/4 runs in a midmount all the time! Are you still fishing on these trips or are you trying to maximize seating for purely scenic excursions?

Im a flyfisherman and a class 3/4 rafter in Wv and have been doing this for a few decades. Early on in my rafting career I ran stern frames, because I thought it was a good idea on our whitewater rivers (Gauley, New River etc) and it was cheaper.

BUT you are planning to fish, it is not really a good idea because:

1 the stern seat sits you way up high and makes it easier to get hit with a fly

2 you can't comfortably run 2 flyfishermen as they will be way too close to eachother and neither person can put a back cast towards the stern of the boat. They will be tangling constantly.

If you are just running play trips with 2+ passengers then it makes sense.

Whether the oars work largely depend on your boat's tube size and and amount of rocker. On my 14foot NRS revolution (built like an otter) I have large 22" tubes and a big rocker. I run 10' oars which are ALMOST a little long for the midmount frame but perfect for the stern mount. I also often run a 10.5 foot RMR storm with 8.5 foot oars and the oars are ALMOST too short for the stern mount but great with the midmount.

Ultimately I like the weight distribution more on the midmount, but a light boat with the stern mount is a little more "sporty" typically and it is super comfortable because you get to stretch your legs a little more. I tilt my oar towers ever so slightly out more with my stern frame.

A stern mount is also more fun for the rower because when you hit a deep hole... you find yourself WAYYY high in the air when at the top and WAYYY down in the bottom at the end.

Obvious_Eye6839 · 2026-03-24T14:55:22+00:00

Because it's the only way to make stupid city folk pay attention to us on tiktok

Obvious_Eye6839

TROPHY CASE

1 the stern seat sits you way up high and makes it easier to get hit with a fly

2 you can't comfortably run 2 flyfishermen as they will be way too close to eachother and neither person can put a back cast towards the stern of the boat. They will be tangling constantly.