Question:

I got the Champion today and had a tournament tonight, so my first ride was blasting out of the gates as my number was called.  Not a pretty sight.  I punch it and the jumped on plane then cavitated and sunk a$s end into the water. Never had a boat with a hydrofoil on it before, is this common? Ok, I eased it onto plane trimmed up the motor boat and away we go.  Get to the spot I want to start at, ok, how do I get the troll motor in the water (Its an Autopilot with cordless foot pedal and I never had one of these either).  So I start pushing buttons but nothing is happening.  So I kick the motor and it pops into the water.  Ok, now how do I steer this thing! Ok, the pedal doesn’t rock forward or backwards but it does rock side to side and the motor turns.  Has a rocker switch for continuous and another rocker switch for intermittent.  Ok, by this time I am ready to drift right into someone’s dock.  This non-cable troll motor is actually easier to use once you get use to it (but it took me about 2 hours to get fully adjusted to using it).  But in the mean time, I look at all the electronics.  I have a Lowrance X5 on the console, a Lowrance 2260 Flasher on the bow and a 400TX Hummingbird LCD.  Of course I never had any of these units either so I’m trying to learn them on the fly as I’m fishing in a tournament. I have made enough noise in this area that I decide to move to my next area. Ok, how do I get the troll motor up?  Grab the head and pull it and it turns and stores itself away.  Trim the motor down, Punch it, the boat pops out of the water instantly – cavitates and sinks as$ end into water (is this caused by that hydro foil?).  Ease it up onto plane and away I go, trim up the motor and I’m flying.  The steering is a little stiffer than I’m use to and I have to fight it to make a left.  Turns right on a dime.  Handles rough water very nice. — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

Craig, Take that stupid hydrofoil p.o.s. off that boat, it doesn’t need it.  Please email me with specifics on Model, motor, HP, prop etc.  We’ll get that rig lined out right for you.  Every Champion made should have a 3 second hole shot without some barnyard hardware hanging off of it. Pat

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got the Champion today and had a tournament tonight, so my first ride was blasting out of the gates as my number was called.  Not a pretty sight.  I punch it and the jumped on plane then cavitated and sunk a$s end into the water. Never had a boat with a hydrofoil on it before, is this common? Ok, I eased it onto plane trimmed up the motor boat and away we go.  Get to the spot I want to start at, ok, how do I get the troll motor in the water (Its an Autopilot with cordless foot pedal and I never had one of these either).  So I start pushing buttons but nothing is happening.  So I kick the motor and it pops into the water.  Ok, now how do I steer this thing! Ok, the pedal doesn’t rock forward or backwards but it does rock side to side and the motor turns.  Has a rocker switch for continuous and another rocker switch for intermittent.  Ok, by this time I am ready to drift right into someone’s dock.  This non-cable troll motor is actually easier to use once you get use to it (but it took me about 2 hours to get fully adjusted to using it).  But in the mean time, I look at all the electronics.  I have a Lowrance X5 on the console, a Lowrance 2260 Flasher on the bow and a 400TX Hummingbird LCD.  Of course I never had any of these units either so I’m trying to learn them on the fly as I’m fishing in a tournament. I have made enough noise in this area that I decide to move to my next area. Ok, how do I get the troll motor up?  Grab the head and pull it and it turns and stores itself away.  Trim the motor down, Punch it, the boat pops out of the water instantly – cavitates and sinks as$ end into water (is this caused by that hydro foil?).  Ease it up onto plane and away I go, trim up the motor and I’m flying.  The steering is a little stiffer than I’m use to and I have to fight it to make a left.  Turns right on a dime.  Handles rough water very nice. — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

First off.. WOW!! NICE RIG!! I am *very* envious of you .  From what I know, and it ain’t alot mind you, that sinking problem doesn’t sound right. I would recommend taking that Hydrofoil off, as I don’t know the specifics of your boat, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t need it.  I’ve seen a Champion with a 150 Johnson do a holeshot in the time it took me to go to full throttle!  Maybe try playing with your trim on your holeshot some, when the ass end starts heading into the water, start trimming your motor in, that may help.   Just out of curiosity, what model/HP is it? Good luck, and good fishin’!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got the Champion today and had a tournament tonight, so my first ride was blasting out of the gates as my number was called.  Not a pretty sight.  I punch it and the jumped on plane then cavitated and sunk a$s end into the water. Never had a boat with a hydrofoil on it before, is this common? Ok, I eased it onto plane trimmed up the motor boat and away we go.  Get to the spot I want to start at, ok, how do I get the troll motor in the water (Its an Autopilot with cordless foot pedal and I never had one of these either).  So I start pushing buttons but nothing is happening.  So I kick the motor and it pops into the water.  Ok, now how do I steer this thing! Ok, the pedal doesn’t rock forward or backwards but it does rock side to side and the motor turns.  Has a rocker switch for continuous and another rocker switch for intermittent.  Ok, by this time I am ready to drift right into someone’s dock.  This non-cable troll motor is actually easier to use once you get use to it (but it took me about 2 hours to get fully adjusted to using it).  But in the mean time, I look at all the electronics.  I have a Lowrance X5 on the console, a Lowrance 2260 Flasher on the bow and a 400TX Hummingbird LCD.  Of course I never had any of these units either so I’m trying to learn them on the fly as I’m fishing in a tournament. I have made enough noise in this area that I decide to move to my next area. Ok, how do I get the troll motor up?  Grab the head and pull it and it turns and stores itself away.  Trim the motor down, Punch it, the boat pops out of the water instantly – cavitates and sinks as$ end into water (is this caused by that hydro foil?).  Ease it up onto plane and away I go, trim up the motor and I’m flying.  The steering is a little stiffer than I’m use to and I have to fight it to make a left.  Turns right on a dime.  Handles rough water very nice. — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

ROFL! Wish all of my competition was so prepared! We’ve all been there. Want to get the new toys goin ASAP. You didn’t mention if you also got plauged with the new boat jinx? Any fish? Dan

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got the Champion today and had a tournament tonight, so my first ride was blasting out of the gates as my number was called.  Not a pretty sight.  I punch it and the jumped on plane then cavitated and sunk a$s end into the water. Never had a boat with a hydrofoil on it before, is this common? Ok, I eased it onto plane trimmed up the motor boat and away we go.  Get to the spot I want to start at, ok, how do I get the troll motor in the water (Its an Autopilot with cordless foot pedal and I never had one of these either).  So I start pushing buttons but nothing is happening.  So I kick the motor and it pops into the water.  Ok, now how do I steer this thing! Ok, the pedal doesn’t rock forward or backwards but it does rock side to side and the motor turns.  Has a rocker switch for continuous and another rocker switch for intermittent.  Ok, by this time I am ready to drift right into someone’s dock.  This non-cable troll motor is actually easier to use once you get use to it (but it took me about 2 hours to get fully adjusted to using it).  But in the mean time, I look at all the electronics.  I have a Lowrance X5 on the console, a Lowrance 2260 Flasher on the bow and a 400TX Hummingbird LCD.  Of course I never had any of these units either so I’m trying to learn them on the fly as I’m fishing in a tournament. I have made enough noise in this area that I decide to move to my next area. Ok, how do I get the troll motor up?  Grab the head and pull it and it turns and stores itself away.  Trim the motor down, Punch it, the boat pops out of the water instantly – cavitates and sinks as$ end into water (is this caused by that hydro foil?).  Ease it up onto plane and away I go, trim up the motor and I’m flying.  The steering is a little stiffer than I’m use to and I have to fight it to make a left.  Turns right on a dime.  Handles rough water very nice. — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

Kill the hydrofoil Craig, it’s keeping you down.  You’ll see the difference instantly.  Why would anyone put that stupid thing on the Champion? Warren2

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got the Champion today and had a tournament tonight, so my first ride was blasting out of the gates as my number was called.  Not a pretty sight.  I punch it and the jumped on plane then cavitated and sunk a$s end into the water. Never had a boat with a hydrofoil on it before, is this common? Ok, I eased it onto plane trimmed up the motor boat and away we go.  Get to the spot I want to start at, ok, how do I get the troll motor in the water (Its an Autopilot with cordless foot pedal and I never had one of these either).  So I start pushing buttons but nothing is happening.  So I kick the motor and it pops into the water.  Ok, now how do I steer this thing! Ok, the pedal doesn’t rock forward or backwards but it does rock side to side and the motor turns.  Has a rocker switch for continuous and another rocker switch for intermittent.  Ok, by this time I am ready to drift right into someone’s dock.  This non-cable troll motor is actually easier to use once you get use to it (but it took me about 2 hours to get fully adjusted to using it).  But in the mean time, I look at all the electronics.  I have a Lowrance X5 on the console, a Lowrance 2260 Flasher on the bow and a 400TX Hummingbird LCD.  Of course I never had any of these units either so I’m trying to learn them on the fly as I’m fishing in a tournament. I have made enough noise in this area that I decide to move to my next area. Ok, how do I get the troll motor up?  Grab the head and pull it and it turns and stores itself away.  Trim the motor down, Punch it, the boat pops out of the water instantly – cavitates and sinks as$ end into water (is this caused by that hydro foil?).  Ease it up onto plane and away I go, trim up the motor and I’m flying.  The steering is a little stiffer than I’m use to and I have to fight it to make a left.  Turns right on a dime.  Handles rough water very nice. — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

Did you catch any fish? Lakeland Florida

Response:

If I was fishing a Musky tournament I would have won.  But not one bass, not even a dink! — Craig Baugher Belleville, Michigan Website: http://gl3loomis.home.att.net/

Response:

Question:

If GOD had an airplane, it would be a C180 or C185

Response:

Any C-180 or Maule owners out there? I’d like to buy a taildragger to put on floats during the summer for hunting/fishing/camping, and fly to more sedate destinations in the winter, such as Baja California.  I’d like to carry another passenger, camping gear, plenty of fuel, and some big game such as a caribou. Tentatively, I suspect the C-180 is the way to go, but I could go with a newer Maule by sacrificing a little performance. Any thoughts?

I’d go for the Maule every time.  It’s a solid aircraft that will go a long way towards real STOL than any Cessna.  You’d be amazed what you can do with them.  Cessna was never designed as a bush plane. —                            Nunavut, Canada

Response:

Cessna was never designed as a bush plane. —                            Nunavut, Canada

So, what do you think fellow NG’rs? Too much time in the Bush for Mr.(?) Durey, or not enough? Jack —         :    :<home.earthlink.net/~baron58:                             :

Response:

This is an old argument and should bring out the ‘bush rats’! Just compare the sqft of the wings, that has the biggest effect on load and stall speed.  Here the Cessna wins, hands down.  The Cessna will lift more weight off in a shorter distance. Known ‘bugs’ in the Cessna:     loss of roll control in X wind with full flaps     lack of dampening in spring steel gear     weak gear boxes on really ruff strips     expensive     hard to find a really clean one, lots of really used ones out there The Maule’s STOL reputation is based on performance at less than gross weights and lots of power.  Remember it started out as an adaptation of a short wing Piper.  You can fly anything with lots of power but if at gross weight plane C flys at 45 mph and plane M flys at 50 which plane need more water/dirt?  Power just gets you to the end of the water/dirt quicker! Ross – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any C-180 or Maule owners out there? I’d like to buy a taildragger to put on floats during the summer for hunting/fishing/camping, and fly to more sedate destinations in the winter, such as Baja California.  I’d like to carry another passenger, camping gear, plenty of fuel, and some big game such as a caribou. Tentatively, I suspect the C-180 is the way to go, but I could go with a newer Maule by sacrificing a little performance. Any thoughts?

Response:

What’s a NGer?  New Guy?  That’s what we used to call a "Nugga" or "Nug" for short, back in the bad ol’ days. I think you’re forgetting airfoil.  The short fat Maule wing will fly at an alarming angle of attack.  It’s a great STOL machine, if you know how to push the envelope.  Cessna’s are too fragile to accept much pushing–I’ve seen too many wrinkled empennages and cracked fin brackets.  You drag the Maule in with power, flare with power, and stomp on the binders.  400 feet is typical for me with no wind. There’s also lots of Maules out there that have never been beat to death commercially.  There’s lots with a thousand hours or less on them total time.  They’re also half the price of a Cessna 180. Sure, it’s got a big engine, but ya gotta give Maule credit. They’ve also developed the only readily-available off-the-floor factory single-engine turbine certified for the GA market.  My 0-540 has lots of jam, but the Allison 250 C20B is twice the horsepower with half the weight.  It’s a stunning ride. What’s the power-to-weight ratio for the 180? We looked at the Helio and Wilga for here, but opted for the Maule as a simple platform, easy to work on, and easy to find and buy. Never considered the Cessna. —                            Nunavut, Canada

Response:

…400 feet is typical for me with no wind. Sure, it’s got a big engine, but ya gotta give Maule credit. They’ve also developed the only readily-available off-the-floor factory single-engine turbine certified for the GA market.  My 0-540 has lots of jam, but the Allison 250 C20B is twice the horsepower with half the weight.  It’s a stunning ride.

Here’s a question that hasn’t been introduced to this discussion yet.  What kind of insurance do you carry on your Maule, and what’s the cost.  I’ve heard that Maule insurance is quite expensive, but I have no hard data to support this claim.  I’d like to hear the story from Maule owners. I have a 1955 Cessna 180 which I have insured for $60,000 hull and a million smooth liability, and it costs me about $1400 a year.  How does that compare with a Maule? What’s the power-to-weight ratio for the 180?

Mine is 11.33 pounds per horsepower at legal gross.  However, this figure will vary a little depending on year of manufacture, as all 180s after ‘55 had 230 HP instead of 225 like mine, and the gross weight went up a couple of times as the years went on.  The last ones had a P/W ratio of 12.17 lb/hp. Joe Norris

Response:

I’d like to hear the story from Maule owners. I have a 1955 Cessna 180 which I have insured for $60,000 hull and a million smooth liability, and it costs me about $1400 a year.  How does that compare with a Maule?

On my 1991 Maule M-6 I have $90,000 hull and $1M/$100k liability and this year’s bill was about $1600.  Surprisingly, the rate got much better this year after AOPA Insurance and Aon merged.  I was with Aon before.                                                                 Dave

Response:

If wing area is the reason (as stated in prior post) the Maule is inferior to the Cessna pls note that Maule has used at least three different size wings. The old Maule M-5 did have a smallish wing area (160ish sq ft.) and the plane did depend on the engine for much of its STOL performance.  There are however, two other wings offered on the M-6 and M-7 airplanes that had more wing area. The latest version of Maule has an intermediate size wing with nearly 170sq ft. In any event, it you don’t think the Maule has a large enough wing try one of their other models.

Response:

Before you buy a C-180, or a Maule, look closely at the Helio Super Courier.  It has several features that, I think, makes it a better bush plane.  The main gear is set farther forward making it almost impossible to nose over on landing.  It has a very strong steel tube cage for the cabin which helps to protect the pilot and passengers in a crash.  Some have four tanks carring 120 gallons of gas.  I think all Helios left the factory with float fittings installed.  Most importantly, the Helio was designed from the start to go very slow under full control.  Did you know that the Helio will not stall?  In my opinion, if you can afford to own and fly one, you will have the best horizontally opposed piston engined bush plane ever produced.  There is also a turbine powered version.               Larry

Response:

We looked at a Helio H250 after a search of several months.  All of them had 7,000 to 8,000 hours on them and had seen commercial service (read: beat to death).  An H295 that Bathurst Arctic operated out of Yellowknife on floats turned out to be a real dog. The geared engine is only good for 1200 TBO.  There’s also a lot of maintenance involved in the stabilator.  Otherwise, they’re great. I’ve seen them in the fly-by at Oshkosh literally "walking" down the runway, unbelievably slow.  Up here, with the sand and wind, we couldn’t see the leading-edge slats and Fowler flaps holding up. We regularly get 50-knot winds across the parking ramp. My insurance on the Maule is CAN$1900 hull and liability for a ‘78 M-5 worth about CAN$70,000.  With today’s drop in the Canadian dollar, that’s about US$1197.  ’Course, we don’t litigate up here at the drop of a hat for a hangnail, either, which keeps the liability costs down. —                            Nunavut, Canada

Response:

Any C-180 or Maule owners out there? I’d like to buy a taildragger to put on floats during the summer for hunting/fishing/camping, and fly to more sedate destinations in the winter, such as Baja California.  I’d like to carry another passenger, camping gear, plenty of fuel, and some big game such as a caribou. Tentatively, I suspect the C-180 is the way to go, but I could go with a newer Maule by sacrificing a little performance. Any thoughts?

Response:

Question:

Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ok, this is really *our* impression of Cancun.  I am not trying to provoke any major responses to this, as it is just an opinion from our recent trip there. First of all I did actually like the beaches on/near the Omni Cancun hotel. The beaches were very nice, sand very white and soft and not hot. The water is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors of light-dark blue. Beautiful! If you are a serious beach bum you will love this aspect of Cancun.  I hear that you really need to check out the property you are interested in because some of the beaches have been washed out from past storms and the brochures do not mention that tiny fact.  Most are ok though. The second nice thing is that the bus system is GREAT.  Only 3 pesos (about 20 cents).  The buses run 24 hours a day and every 4-5 minutes.  Easy to use, and much cheaper than cabs which run a minimum of 30 pesos (3$). Now the things I didn’t like: The shop keepers at the various flea markets have very very few bargain items.  Most of the items we were interested in were expensive and the shop keepers really really tried to make you feel bad for being a "wealthy" American who "gets vacations". All in all I can get REAL bargains in Nuevo Larado (Texas/Mexico border city).  If you have LOTS of money and don’t mind turning loose of it then you might feel differently than I/we did. In general the city and resort area had a bad "smell" most places we went. There was an occasional stench that smelled like sewar water or something to that effect. This was noticed most everywhere and we weren’t really sure where it was coming from.  On those lines, when you’re traveling down a street, if you look closely you’ll notice off to the side of the roads there appears to be garbage, rubbish and various other "trash" items that are usually behind shrubs, etc… It’s as if they decided to build a road and "scraped" all the surrounding rubbish off to the side of the road and tried to hide it with shrubs. Expensive, expensive, expensive.  There are no places you can go to have fun or eat or drink without paying a premium price.  And if your hotel or club offers "happy hours" it is for them not for you.  Happy hours at our hotel and some bars are no value.  Our drinks had very little liquor in them and the prices were still high even for watered down drinks.  The only exception is beer, they haven’t found a way to water that down (I think). We also paid $10. (USD) to get into a popular disco/dance club called Christine’s.  It was nice but the drinks were expensive and small and the bar was nice but not as nice as many of our US bars.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend it for the cover alone. Last but not least is all the begging that goes on there.  The vendors are so aggressive that you can’t do or go anywhere without feeling like you’re being accosted.  Small children are just as bad as the grown up folks except a lot (not all) of the vendors will try to intimidate you into buying and if you offer them a price they act insulted and when you leave their shop they start insulting you (Coral Negro flea market). This goes on pretty much everywhere and after the first day it’s all one can do just to go somewhere without being accosted over and over. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

I got the same impression last time we were there in ‘92.  The only thing I would have to add was the time share terrorists.  We would be walking along enjoying the warm breeze when out of nowhere some guy would come flying out of a moving vehicle and they wouldn’t leave you alone.  Finally we said we were leaving that afternoon and they would give up.  We were there in 1983 and loved it, so we were extremely disappointed when we went back and that will be our last trip to Cancun.  We ventured a little further south to Playa del Carmen and loved it there.  My fear now to go back is that the same thing is happening there as happened in Cancun. Just my 2 cents. Diane

Response:

– thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

Response:

Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  The food we ate down in Cancun were typically recommended highly by the various hotels and some guidebooks but they always turned out to be bad Mexican food without any particular nuance of the region they were supposed to represent (Yucatan).  My comments about spicy wasn’t meaning HOT, I just meant that I preferred my food with some form of taste to it.  The food from Cancun (for the mostpart) was tasteless and appeared to be a poor copy of Tex-Mex (or that’s the way it looked to us). PS: I’ve already received several direct emails agreeing with me so I know that I’m not crazy M. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — thanks to spam bots, my address is despammed, if you are a real person, you should be able to figure it out. This part of the post I can’t let go.  I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.  You can not compare mexican food to what you are used to. Mexican food is not spicy. Mexican food rarely contains beef, the land doesn’t support beef well. Chicken, fish, and goats are the mainstay and it varys by the region.  By the way, I like both Tex-mex and mexican food.  I can’t say anything about the food in cancun as I have not been there, but don’t base your comparisons to your local cuisine, its comparing apples and oranges. PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich). If anyone wants further info please feel free to email me directly at:

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sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

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I’ve been to Cancun twice. I enjoyed both of my visits. I stayed at the Blue Bay Club and Marina, which is an all-inclusive hotel. Personally, I prefer all-inclusive hotels because you don’t have to carry cash when you’re at the hotel and you can eat and drink as much as you want without worrying about the bill! Also, the food at the hotel was great. They had Mexican options at every meal! The different salsas were fabulous! The hotel staff was friendly and always entertaining. The hotel also had a bus that would take us into town at night to the discos. The discos were pricey but not over the top. I agree that the flea markets were outrageous! I couldn’t take more that 5 minutes they were so rude! I don’t mind bargaining but when they start yelling at you or chasing you, that’s when I draw the line. Luckily, the hotel had theme night and one of which was Mexican. Kiosks were set up and local wares were sold in the main lobby at very reasonable prices. I really had a great time in Cancun and would probably go back. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sorry you feel that way. i’m heading back for my 8th trip end of Jan. i go mostly for the first part of your trip. and because i Love the hotel i stay at (Fiesta American Coral Beach) since it is a mega resort you have to do some searching to find good value. and yes there are some Yucatan restaurants, but mostly it is tex-mex. tim

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Don, Being a native Texan I also know the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food.  I never meant to imply they were one in the same HOWEVER there is a difference in what I expected.  I expected Mexican food (I was in Mexico) with a Yucatan flair… things wrapped/cooked in banana leaves, pescado (fish) dishes, etc…  <snip I am also from Texas originally and what you are used to is NOT mexican food.  It is Tex-Mex.   PS: We are from Texas (good mexican food) and in our opinion we did not like any of the "mexican" food there.  We ate at Senor Frogs as well and the meal was just "so-so".  All of the restaurants did not have spicy mexican food and it was pretty much bland.  I cannot recommend any place except Pat O’ Brians (Great nachos and bbq sandwich).

I think you’re both missing an important point: Cancun may be in Mexico, but there is no Mexico in Cancun.  It is a Disneyfied version of what the Mexican tourist board thinks tourists want; obviously, they thought correctly.  If Cancun is the only place you’ve ever visited, you have not seen Mexico.  I’ve had to fly to/from there to get to other destinations, and had never had the "opportunity" to spend the night until this past summer (because of an early a.m. flight); I was with a teenaged cousin who had been a good sport about eating real Mexican–after years of Taco Bell–at our other destinations, so let him choose where he wanted to eat dinner in Cancun.  Yeesh, Planet Hollywood…I was truly appalled, during the cab ride, at how built up the island was. Another post-er mentioned nearby Playa del Carmen as a less-touristy destination, but unfortunately, it’s not the sleepy fishing village it was on my first visit, not so long ago.  Still, better than Cancun

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Question:

We are taking a four-day trip to Citico Creek in East Tennessee next week. We would appreciate any suggestions that would help us catch a few trout while we are there. We are beginners in almost every way; we have gear but maybe not the right flies for this time of year and that location. Thanks in advance! Jim and Linnea

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We are taking a four-day trip to Citico Creek in East Tennessee next week. We would appreciate any suggestions that would help us catch a few trout while we are there. We are beginners in almost every way; we have gear but maybe not the right flies for this time of year and that location. Thanks in advance! Jim and Linnea

Dear Jim and Linnea! I live in Knoxville Tennessee and fish mostly in the smokies and sometimes in the national forest where you are going. I haven’t fished Citico creek but I fished North fork Citico and the south fork last year. It’s a little hot this time of the year so early morning or late evening is your options. I use mainly an attractor dry fly like parachute adams or a thunderhead which is a local dry pattern. My sizes would be a 12 or 14. Instead of going to Citico where you have to have a special permit to catch the stockers, I would go to wild streams like The North River or North and South fork of Citico. Bald River has plenty or Rainbows also. Expect the fish to be small though unless you fish in the Tellico River for stockers. I sometimes use a nymph or a terrestrial and my choices then would be a hopper or an ant pattern. For the nymphs a pheasant tail or Gold Ribbed Hare’s ear  will work as well as the Tellico nymph. E-mail me if you all have any other questions. I’m not an expert but I love mountain fishing. Sincerely Hans

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I would start with a 14 Elk Hair Caddis or an Adams. Light Cahills also do quite well. Also, with a little drive you could fish Little North River (a tributary of Telleco). I have always caught fish there. Good Luck Greg – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We are taking a four-day trip to Citico Creek in East Tennessee next week. We would appreciate any suggestions that would help us catch a few trout while we are there. We are beginners in almost every way; we have gear but maybe not the right flies for this time of year and that location. Thanks in advance! Jim and Linnea

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Question:

I am curious if Boeing Jets like those of 747s can do a landing or take-off using auto-pilot? How about military jets?  Are they able to do auto landing and take-offs? Thank you.

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    I am curious if Boeing Jets like those of 747s can do a landing or     take-off using auto-pilot? Landings, yes.  The aircraft and pilots have to be specially certified, though. The takeoff may be a capability of the aircraft, but I don’t know if it is commonly used.     How about military jets?  Are they able to do auto landing and     take-offs? Landings, yes.  I know of no automatic takeoff capability. — John Weiss Seattle, WA

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    I am curious if Boeing Jets like those of 747s can do a landing or     take-off using auto-pilot? Landings, yes.  The aircraft and pilots have to be specially certified,

though. I’ve been (as a passenger) on a couple of auto landings in 757s. Fog was so thick I only saw the runway inches from touchdown. Pilots are required to do a number of those every so often (don’t remember how many in how many months). If you don’t see a youth in the right front seat and the aircraft goes bumpy on approach (power, then brakes, then more power…) odds are they are doing a practice auto landing. Pilot has to take the plane between the two outer side beacons and more or less on the center beacon at something like 7 miles, and then engage the contraption. The takeoff may be a capability of the aircraft, but I don’t know if it is commonly used.     How about military jets?  Are they able to do auto landing and     take-offs? Landings, yes.  I know of no automatic takeoff capability.

Auto take-offs make no sense… you are on the runway. You see it’s lights at least up to VR speed, after that normal instruments flight. What’s the point? IIRC, first USN bird capable of auto traps was the F-4G back in ‘Nam time. Auto throttles came before. — Jos

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Question:

Hello all:       I have been fly-fishing only a little while, and discovered the joy of small-mouth fishing the James River in Virginia.  Since its summer and the trout are sullen, it has been a great place to keep practicing my casting.  I have already gleaned a lot of information about using crayfish and dace style patterns, wooly buggers, etc., and I have been fishing the seams, bank overhangs, riffles, and the like.  Generally though, I have approached small-mouthing like trout.  Does anyone have suggestions specific to small-mouth bass that differ or are unique to this species, that improve your luck.  Also, any idiosyncracies of the James River? Best spots, places to avoid like the plague, etc.  I would appreciate any and all information, posted or e-mailed.   Dan Johnson

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      I have been fly-fishing only a little while, and discovered the joy of small-mouth fishing the James River in Virginia.   Dan Johnson

Dan, I enjoyed fishing near Pony Pastures in Richmond.  It does seem to get crowded at times, but not with ffishers.  There’s a good Orvis dealer in Richmond that has a lot of smallmouth knowledge.  Also check with Harry Murray of Murray’s Fly Shop.  He’s a smallmouth guru.  Let me know how you do…                                           Randy

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Dan, We’ve been fishing the Wingina to Scottsville stretch for about 20 years now.  There’s some beautiful water along the way and only two areas that can be a little hairy in the boats.  It’s best as a three day float.   Just don’t go weekends because of all of the tubers on the river. Doug

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Question:

You should try and find someone that sell ST. Croix rods There well made and not that expencive. I’ve had a sage and orvis rods and personally think    the ST. Croix to be just as good, also less money. and they have a good  gaurentee on there rods.

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I’m in the market for a new fly rod. I’m an experienced (3-years) fly fisherman fishing mainly on small to medium rivers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana for ‘bows, cutts and browns, and on lakes though I don’t have a float tube yet, just a canoe. I hear good things about Sage and Loomis. Any feedback or suggestions. I’m trying to stay below $250

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Question:

Could some one please explain to me the details of rigging for saltwater fly fishing? I have only ever fly fished for Fresh water trout. I’d like to know what a shock tippet is in particular, and where in the rig to put it. Is there any need for a wire leader? A general discription from hook to fly line would be most appreciated (length of leader, tapers, etc.). Many thanks to all of you who responded to my post asking for information about fly fishing for weakies. I’m going to try tying up some of these flies you all recommended. Callum

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Shock tippet is a section of heavy mono next to the fly to prevent cutoffs. Wire only necessary wth toothy fish(Bluefish, etc) No need for fancy leaders. What I do is nail knot a 24" butt section to the line and then loop the rest of the leader to this. It’s easy and works fine.

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I concur with previous post.  I just start with a bass-sized tapered butt (in fact, I save worked-over bass leaders for this purpose) and go straight to a 12 lb flourocarbon tippet.  When throwing shooting heads and Teenys, elegant turnover is not my main goal. As to hook sizes, etc., I tend to larger hooks and flies; most of my clousers are tied on a 1/0.  Specs sometimes want a smaller one.   Rig up a stripping basket.  It is essential in surf or other wading situations; you will be trying for long casts.  I use an 18"x12"x6" tupperware storage box with 1/4" holes drilled in the bottom and 2" lengths of 200# mono (or any other stiff wire or line) sticking up through the bottom, secured by epoxy or some other bulky glue.  Mine is held on by a bungee cord hooked through holed drilled in the handle spaces.  Total cost is about $10; you can buy the same thing at Orvis for about 50$. Good luck with those weakies. D

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First of all, for weakfish you needn’t concern yourself with a shock tippet.  Even though they have a few teeth, they have soft mouths and are not going to be cutting your tippet.   Shock tippets are required only for larger fish with hard mouths or toothsome crittters like bluefish who will bite a light tippet in two.   For that reason a shock tippet should more accurately be called a "bite tippet."   It goes at the very end of the leader, between the class tippet and the fly, and should be no longer than 8-to-10 inches or so.   The idea is simple:  to give toothy fish a heavy section of mono to chew on so they don’t break you off.  For blues you might want a 25-30 pound bite tippet.  For large tarpon you might go as heavy as 80-100 pound test.   Connecting a heavy bite tippet to a light class tippet requires a sophisticated system of knots.  You tie a bimini twist in each end of the class tippet then connect the bite tippet with a huffnagle, or an albright knot.  There’s no way to describe these knots in words.   Find yourself a good illustrated guide like Lefty Kreh’s book on Practical Fishing Knots. Wire leaders are strictly for fish with razor sharp teeth, like barracuda.  Better to buy these ready-tied than to try to make them yourself.  Climax makes saltwater leaders with wire melded to the class tippet in a seamless connection.  As for tying tapered leaders, I use Mason hard-type leader material for the salt.  Because of its stiffness it turns over well in a breeze and isn’t as susceptible to "wind" knots.   A formula for a basic 10 foot saltwater leader might go like this. Connect a leader butt to the fly line with a loop-to-loop connection. (I.e. whip-finish a loop in the end of the fly line, tie a surgeon’s loop or perfection loop in the leader butt, then loop the two together.) Although it sounds complicated, this makes changing leaders a snap.  And don’t worry, the knots will pass through the guides with no problem.   So, anyway, you start with a leader butt of 30-pound test, about five feet long.   Then, using a blood knot, add a twenty-pound section of about 2 1/2 feet.  Then a fifteen-pound section of about  1 1/4 feet.  Finish with a section of class tippet of, say, eight-pound test, about 15-18 inches long.   Such a leader should be more than adequate for weakfish.   All this said, there is a much simpler solution;   Start with a leader butt then add a straight section of 8-pound mono as long as you want.   Tie on fly.  Go fishing. A straight leader might not turn off as deftly as a tapered leader, but unless you’re making precise casts to bonefish or tailing redfish, a straight leader works just fine.   Good fishing

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I use Mason hard-type leader material for the salt.  Because of its stiffness it turns over well in a breeze and isn’t as susceptible to "wind" knots.  

Great info,  but what is Mason hard-type leader material?   Thanks for the tips. rmm

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Question:

The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen are often found on the Monterey Bay in CA. Most of them do quite well , usually  much  better than the bait fishermen. We enjoy many species of rockfish  as well as shark on a fly, also stripped bass.

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The Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen are often found on the Monterey Bay in CA. Most of them do quite well , usually  much  better than the bait fishermen. We enjoy many species of rockfish  as well as shark on a fly, also stripped bass.

I have fished the Santa Cruz marine area for many years using fly. I find that the rockcod fishing is very productive at this time of year. I use a 7-8 wt. rod with 18 feet of lead core. I use 15 lb. leader with a two fly setup. For shark (mostly Blue shark) I use a cheap 10-11 wt. rod with a very good reel and lots of backing. I use a floating line with 20 lb. tipit with a foot long piece of single strand wire (58 lb. strength) as a shock leader. Also, for both rockcod and shark I make sure that the barb is flattened on my flies. This is for everyone’s good (including the fish). Last year was a very successful year for rockcod and shark. This year, it has been only fair, but some outstanding fish days did occur. John

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