Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –      I’m loking to purchase a new or used outboard but need opinions on them. My cheap ass partner does not want to spring for the new 4 stroke models so were considering the alternatives. I understand that we should probably stay away from carbureators (Johnson) and that honda/merc/yamaha and others are all decent.       I need to know about repair histories, and general levels of satisfaction from boaters and not dealers and sellers that might be biased. I’m in NYC and plan to use my 17 foot for inside fishing and waterskiing so I’m looking for a 90 hp or larger (i guess). Any useful feedback? –Eugene

Response:

     I’m loking to purchase a new or used outboard but need opinions on them. My cheap ass partner does not want to spring for the new 4 stroke models so were considering the alternatives. I understand that we should probably stay away from carbureators (Johnson) and that honda/merc/yamaha and others are all decent.       I need to know about repair histories, and general levels of satisfaction from boaters and not dealers and sellers that might be biased. I’m in NYC and plan to use my 17 foot for inside fishing and waterskiing so I’m looking for a 90 hp or larger (i guess). Any useful feedback? –Eugene

Before you discount "carburated" engines, I have 2 old Johnsons and 3 old Evinrudes that run like Rolex watches.  The new engines have their strong points, but I’ll take my old geezers.  I’ve never had to paddle home. noah

Response:

     I’m loking to purchase a new or used outboard but need opinions on them. My cheap ass partner does not want to spring for the new 4 stroke models so were considering the alternatives. I understand that we should probably stay away from carbureators (Johnson) and that honda/merc/yamaha and others are all decent.

Unless you’re an outboard mechanic trying to make a living, what’s so bad about carbs?  A little less fuel and power efficient, a LOT more reliable. Dan — Mustangs don’t count as sports cars. They’re pacifiers for NASCAR driver wannabes who couldn’t afford anything reasonable.                 — Ryan Micallef

Response:

Yamaha 115hp FI  4 stroke. — Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento, CA, USA www.kiene.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –      I’m loking to purchase a new or used outboard but need opinions on them. My cheap ass partner does not want to spring for the new 4 stroke models so were considering the alternatives. I understand that we should probably stay away from carbureators (Johnson) and that honda/merc/yamaha and others are all decent.       I need to know about repair histories, and general levels of satisfaction from boaters and not dealers and sellers that might be biased. I’m in NYC and plan to use my 17 foot for inside fishing and waterskiing so I’m looking for a 90 hp or larger (i guess). Any useful feedback? –Eugene

Response:

Question:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?

Numbers are only necessary for bragging.

Of course, they are! For winter camping only, I like to carry one of those minimum registering thermometers that you lay down horizontally beside your sleeping bag. Makes for great stories when you get home! There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker.

I cycle-comute year round.  When I come in on the bicycle and its -40, I don’t have to tell them anything for them to think I’m off my rocker. On teh home front, since I go solo most of the time, I don’t want them to think I am out in too extreme conditions, so I figgure its better if I don’t know.  "Real cold!" is good enough. — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

Response:

A note regarding those of us who have Garmin GPS’. Some models are able to display temperature inside the case. This was intended specifically for internal calibration functions, but I’ve found it very accurate. It means letting the unit sit awhile in the environment you wish to measure. It can be accessed by specific combined key-presses. For more info, the following address should be enlightening. http://www.celia.mehaffey.com/dale/secret.htm jr

Response:

Actually we are using this for a couple of reasons. — 1. Fun toy 2. Gathering data for the conditions during igloo building with our Icebox product. We do not feel giving inaccurate info to possible customers is right. It is a very nice unit but overkill for most unless you like gadgets.

I love gadgets. How big is this one, and how much does it cost? Adam Marx "Why must I fail at all my attempts at masonry?"

Response:

The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili).

way kewl. how low does the thermometer read? how much do they cost and where can they be had? Cheaper than dirt sells a little coleman zipperpull, thermometer, compass, windchill chart for $2.97, but from the picture it appears it only goes down to about 0F. http://www.campmor.com campmor seems to have the best selection including digital (reads down to -58F), pen shaped (-50F) and keychain/compass(-30F).

Response:

There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker.

Paul,    Mmmmmm! Don’t the respect feel good? "You gotta be nuts".    Ed Huesers    http://www.grandshelters.com

Response:

I have owned several, and while they may be pretty accurate, they will NOT give you an accurate indication of surrounding temperature until some time (manufacturer’s recommendations vary, but they seem to require at least 20 min.) after they are removed from your body (wrist)

I don’t usually take much note of the temp, but a couple of weeks ago I had my Avocet lying on the ground as I set up camp and cooked dinner. As I was starting to clean up I noticed that the Avocet read 39 F while my water bottle had frozen nearly half way from the bottom (I always prop the bottle upside down). I’d guess that for ice to form in your bottle just about fast enough to see it, it must be near 20. Guess it’s time for servicing, unless they are this innacurate by default. — Spammers NOTE: Your email to me is prohibited except for submissions for my proofreading services, for which my fee is $500 per email.

Response:

What kind of experience do you folks have with digital thermometers? I would think they don’t work very well in cold (like 0 degrees fahrenheit) considering reduced battery output and lcd displays are probably very sensitive to cold temperatures.

Well, it does take a while for the display to display what it is displaying at 0F.  Also, the chronometer loses a bit of time at those temperatures.  After a week at shirt-sleeve temperatures, it’s less than a half-second off.  After three nights at 0F, it’s a second or two off. So, is it better to stick with old reliable liquid thermometers?

Better?  Different.  More reliable?  They are easier to break. — Jim Fuller

Response:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?

I used to use a little thermometer, but it was in-accurate. I then realized that I didn’t need that kind of accuracy anyway.  Numbers are only necessary for bragging. I have a few indicators.  Water…  If its liquid it’s above freezing, solid below.    If the trees are cracking from the cold it’s even colder.  Inhale through the nose.  If the nose-hairs freeze together, its quite cold.  The volume of the sound when walking on snow gives an indication as well. All these give me enough of an indication of the temperature for practical purposes. -Pete — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

Response:

    What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer?     I used to use a little thermometer, but it was in-accurate.   I then realized that I didn’t need that kind of accuracy   anyway.  Numbers are only necessary for bragging.   Of course, they are! For winter camping only, I like to carry one of those minimum registering thermometers that you lay down horizontally beside your sleeping bag. Makes for great stories when you get home! There are so few of us that enjoy winter camping and most of the people in the office really believe that anyone who sleeps outside in the winter is right off their rocker. — Cheers, Paul Weiss Personal Home Page: http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~cpweiss/ Quote: "To you, it’s a six-pack … to me, it’s a support group!"            "Don’t take life too seriously … nobody gets out alive!"                                                        

Response:

  We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point,   humidity, heat stress index.   This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to   10 seconds.   — Oooohhh … now doesn’t that sound like one sexy toy!! — Cheers, Paul Weiss Personal Home Page: http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~cpweiss/ Quote: "To you, it’s a six-pack … to me, it’s a support group!"            "Don’t take life too seriously … nobody gets out alive!"                                                        

Response:

Actually we are using this for a couple of reasons. — 1. Fun toy 2. Gathering data for the conditions during igloo building with our Icebox product. We do not feel giving inaccurate info to possible customers is right. It is a very nice unit but overkill for most unless you like gadgets. — Guy (Gadget Boy) Menge http://www.grandshelters.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds. Wow!  What are you doing?  Hiking or waxing for an olympic XC ski event? — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

Response:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

Response:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

Temperature, for me, has been more of a curiosity than something I need to know.  On a cold winter morning, I like to say, "Golleee, it’s down to 10 degrees out here." I have had two nice liquid-filled thermometers that came in a plastic case. I broke both of them.  Dropped one, and one broke in the pack.  Right now I have a little liquid filled one about an inch long that is sort of a zipper pull, and I put it on one of my pack zippers.  No problem yet. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Visit  http://members.aol.com/MarvWelte/index.html for backpacking info.

Response:

What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili). You can get a reasonably good metal-cased conventional "stream" thermometer at almost any fly-fishing outfitter for less cost. — Jim Fuller

Response:

The Suunto Vector has a thermoeter that seems to be pretty accurate. Along with the thermoeter, you get an altimeter, a compass, and a timepiece with stopwatch and 3 alarms (for cooking chili).

Just one thing about those "wristwatch thermometers."  I have owned several, and while they may be pretty accurate, they will NOT give you an accurate indication of surrounding temperature until some time (manufacturer’s recommendations vary, but they seem to require at least 20 min.) after they are removed from your body (wrist).                   The pen is mighter than the devil’s playground              

Response:

We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds. — Guy Menge http://www.grandshelters.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What does everyone use, if at all, for a thermometer? I am interested in getting one, a digital readout would be nice……any suggestions?

Response:

We use a kestrel 3000, Wind speed,temp,wind chill,barameter,dew point, humidity, heat stress index. This is a very nice unit and very light. I can get temp readings in 5 to 10 seconds.

Wow!  What are you doing?  Hiking or waxing for an olympic XC ski event? — Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)                  at http://www.cauce.org/  It is there as an experiment to see if email spammers scan content — Pete Hickey               |                         |       VEIWIT University of Ottawa      |                         |      mirrors for Ottawa,Ont. Canada K1N 6N5|  (613) 562-5800×1008    |       dyslexics.

Response:

Question:

At $6000 for a pair, you are paying a lot up front, I think. I think I am going to self insure them. — Ron White Check out HAMMER the 30′ sportfisherman I am building http://www.concentric.net/~knotreel/

Response:

Bare in mind, "Extended Warranties" are the biggest scam going.  That’s just not my opinion, ask anyone who sell’s cars. It seems you always hear about the (1) guy who was really glad he bought the "Extended Warranty", what you don’t hear is the (100) others who paid a lot of money for nothing. Extended Warranties are like any other insurance and the odds are always greatly in favor of the insurer …not the insured.  Think about it ….if Extended Warranty programs weren’t such a juicy pie, why do you find everyone and their grandmother trying to sell them. Your best warranty is to know what the hell your buying in the first place and don’t buy junk! Dennis, WI

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – At $6000 for a pair, you are paying a lot up front, I think. I think I am going to self insure them. — Ron White Check out HAMMER the 30′ sportfisherman I am building http://www.concentric.net/~knotreel/

Response:

Ron, IMHO, buy the best and most comprehensive plan you can.  These motors today are very unreliable and you will be in the shop for repairs worth thousands of dollars every year. I was at my mechanics the other day.  A tourney fisherman was going to miss out on a tournament because parts for his 2000 225 Optimax wouldn’t be available until sometime in October.  Seems the demand for parts is outstripping supply. Just my observations.

Response:

I had decided to for go the Mercury extended warranty due to a $6000 cost to cover both of my 2000 225HP Optimaxs. My dealer offers an alternate plan thru Pinnacle for about half that of Mercury’s. Does anybody have any experience with Pinnacle extended warranty plans for big outboards? — Ron White Check out HAMMER the 30′ sportfisherman I am building http://www.concentric.net/~knotreel/

Response:

Ron, I don’t have knowlege about the coverage PINNACLE offers, but the extended warranty I got from Mercury covers ALL internally lubricated parts, both engine and outdrive (O.K. I have the 4.3L I/O, different coverage for the outboards I guess).  Seemed a good deal to me for the money..about $800 for 2 more years. Mike

Response:

  Ron, you might want to check with your dealer about that extended warranty.  When we bought our boat this past spring the dealer told us about a program(?) that Mercury was/is running.  It may have something to do with the volume of business our dealer does with Merc.  The dealer was given about $9k of Mercury’s money that he could use anyway he wanted.  Now, we bought the boat in Canada (we live in the U.S.), so it may not apply in your situation.  Anyway, our dealer offered to extend the warranty to five years for both motors and outdrives (hell, anything on the boat from Mercury) for $500 U.S.  Needless to say we wrote the check on the spot!  Normally I have no use for extended warranties, but this was too good a deal to pass up. Never hurts to inquire. Good luck. Keith McGregor 2000 Doral 300SE – Sweet E

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had decided to for go the Mercury extended warranty due to a $6000 cost to cover both of my 2000 225HP Optimaxs. My dealer offers an alternate plan thru Pinnacle for about half that of Mercury’s. Does anybody have any experience with Pinnacle extended warranty plans for big outboards? — Ron White Check out HAMMER the 30′ sportfisherman I am building http://www.concentric.net/~knotreel/

Response:

=it is, that issue is not your concern.  Your concern is simply to ask what =will the outlay of $787.50 do for you.  It matters not to you that ten =different boaters will tell you they’ve never had a breakdown.  What matters =is the consequences to you if you do.  I’ve heard the argument that the And this is key.  For instance, on my first boat, corrosion damage wasn’t covered.  So, when the starter rusted from the inside out, I had to pay for it.  Now, I bought from a decent dealer, so they didn’t charge labor, and I paid for a new starter.  Good deal, considering how hard it was to remove.  It was difficult because the bolts holding the starter on rusted and broke.  I think they had to do lots of drilling (4.3L OMC Cobra). So, if 2.5 years from now, the riser rusts through and fills the engine with water and destroys it, do you have coverage?  I’m not saying you don’t, but that you should check.  Corrosion damage on a boat engine means much more than some rust on the outside of the engine.  What happens if you wrap a fishing line around the prop shaft, cut the outdrive seals, get water in the drive and damage the gears?  This is the kind of stuff that damages equipment.  And, of course, what if you hit something.  But, damage to your boat caused by hitting something is often covered under your insurance. Also, make sure you know who is providing the coverage.  Is it a fly by night company?  Or Merc itself?  Or a quality dealer? How new is the design of the equipment?  5.0L motors and Alpha I drives have been around a long time.  Ficht (sp?) and Optimax are much newer and probably have design flaws. Mike

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Ron, here’s some food for thought about your warranty decision.  First, lets discuss the reasons you’ve heard why you shouldn’t buy it:  The most common reason is that the product is too profitable for the company who offers the warranty and/or the dealer who sells it to you.  Of course it is a profitable product.  Would you expect them to offer anything less?  Your boat was a profitable product when it was sold to you as well.  Maybe it is even an outrageously profitable product.  No matter how obscenely profitable it is, that issue is not your concern.  Your concern is simply to ask what will the outlay of $787.50 do for you.  It matters not to you that ten different boaters will tell you they’ve never had a breakdown.  What matters is the consequences to you if you do.  I’ve heard the argument that the warranty will limit its payout to the cost of replacing the engine/outdrive. I don’t really know the exact cost, I but feel very certain that the cost of replacing your drivetrain would be well in excess of $10,000.  If that’s the best the product did, with a base cost of $787.50, I’d say you should do so well with your other investments.  A major engine or drive failure can easily run $5-6k.  It takes almost nothing to go wrong that wouldn’t cost you more than $787.50.  We are talking boat repair prices here. My recommendation is to focus on your feelings on this one.  Ignore what the $787.50 does for Mercury’s bottom line.  Be concerned with your bottom line. What you are buying with the warranty is called a stop-loss.  Simply put, it means that for the next four years, it can’t get any worse than $787.50.  It really is just that simple.  It is the only issue you need to focus on.  Do you like having that net underneath you?  Or do you enjoy the thrill of life without one?  How well do you sleep?  Base your decision with that in mind. There is no way to quantify the chances of you recouping your cost back. Two other thoughts to consider:  If you buy the warranty, and you should decide to sell the boat during the warranty period, you have also bought a stop loss for the potential buyer of your boat.  If you’ve never bought or sold in the used market, you have no idea how powerful an asset that warranty can be as a sales incentive.  There is no reason to think that the remaining term on the warranty wouldn’t be worth the full $787.50 to a buyer who doesn’t know you from Adam and doesn’t know the history of the boat.  It puts you a leg up on the competition.  Even if you like living without a net, your buyer might not, especially with a used boat.  Also, consider that you are buying your coverage directly from Mercury, not an after market company.  That means that any Mercury authorized warranty facility will honor that warranty without hesitation.  For $787.50, I think its a steal. Russ Of course, all this assumes the company, whatever company (insurance or manufacturer), doesn’t fight actually HONORING this extended warranty.  We can always refuse to fix it and call it "water ingestion" or some other hole in the contract big enough to drive a Feadship through…… If you’re going to buy a contract, take the contract HOME and READ IT CAREFULLY.  Mark out all the huge holes with a magic marker, you know, where it says they don’t HAVE to fix it if they don’t want to.  Take the modified contract back to the dealer and get him, as representative of the company, to initial all the contractual changes. If he says he can’t, mail the contract back to the company and ask THEM to initial the contractual changes.  This way, you’ll at least get a contract that will actually force them to fix the boat, without you having to kiss their corporate asses and be a buddy-buddy with the dealer. READ THE CONTRACT, very carefully.  Look at all the "outs" their lawyers have written into it.  It can happen to you…it has me. Larry….Yamaha Y.E.S. contract.  Not worth the paper it’s printed on in ‘97.  They had no intention of ever honoring it.

You should follow your own advice, Larry. Next time you buy a home computer, read the specs. That way, you won’t have to moan about how you were–once again–screwed. — Harry Krause – - – - – - – - – - – - Hey!  You can’t commit suicide with Ex-Lax!

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Ron, here’s some food for thought about your warranty decision.  First, lets discuss the reasons you’ve heard why you shouldn’t buy it:  The most common reason is that the product is too profitable for the company who offers the warranty and/or the dealer who sells it to you.  Of course it is a profitable product.  Would you expect them to offer anything less?  Your boat was a profitable product when it was sold to you as well.  Maybe it is even an outrageously profitable product.  No matter how obscenely profitable it is, that issue is not your concern.  Your concern is simply to ask what will the outlay of $787.50 do for you.  It matters not to you that ten different boaters will tell you they’ve never had a breakdown.  What matters is the consequences to you if you do.  I’ve heard the argument that the warranty will limit its payout to the cost of replacing the engine/outdrive. I don’t really know the exact cost, I but feel very certain that the cost of replacing your drivetrain would be well in excess of $10,000.  If that’s the best the product did, with a base cost of $787.50, I’d say you should do so well with your other investments.  A major engine or drive failure can easily run $5-6k.  It takes almost nothing to go wrong that wouldn’t cost you more than $787.50.  We are talking boat repair prices here. My recommendation is to focus on your feelings on this one.  Ignore what the $787.50 does for Mercury’s bottom line.  Be concerned with your bottom line. What you are buying with the warranty is called a stop-loss.  Simply put, it means that for the next four years, it can’t get any worse than $787.50.  It really is just that simple.  It is the only issue you need to focus on.  Do you like having that net underneath you?  Or do you enjoy the thrill of life without one?  How well do you sleep?  Base your decision with that in mind. There is no way to quantify the chances of you recouping your cost back. Two other thoughts to consider:  If you buy the warranty, and you should decide to sell the boat during the warranty period, you have also bought a stop loss for the potential buyer of your boat.  If you’ve never bought or sold in the used market, you have no idea how powerful an asset that warranty can be as a sales incentive.  There is no reason to think that the remaining term on the warranty wouldn’t be worth the full $787.50 to a buyer who doesn’t know you from Adam and doesn’t know the history of the boat.  It puts you a leg up on the competition.  Even if you like living without a net, your buyer might not, especially with a used boat.  Also, consider that you are buying your coverage directly from Mercury, not an after market company.  That means that any Mercury authorized warranty facility will honor that warranty without hesitation.  For $787.50, I think its a steal. Russ

Of course, all this assumes the company, whatever company (insurance or manufacturer), doesn’t fight actually HONORING this extended warranty.  We can always refuse to fix it and call it "water ingestion" or some other hole in the contract big enough to drive a Feadship through…… If you’re going to buy a contract, take the contract HOME and READ IT CAREFULLY.  Mark out all the huge holes with a magic marker, you know, where it says they don’t HAVE to fix it if they don’t want to.  Take the modified contract back to the dealer and get him, as representative of the company, to initial all the contractual changes. If he says he can’t, mail the contract back to the company and ask THEM to initial the contractual changes.  This way, you’ll at least get a contract that will actually force them to fix the boat, without you having to kiss their corporate asses and be a buddy-buddy with the dealer. READ THE CONTRACT, very carefully.  Look at all the "outs" their lawyers have written into it.  It can happen to you…it has me. Larry….Yamaha Y.E.S. contract.  Not worth the paper it’s printed on in ‘97.  They had no intention of ever honoring it.

Response:

It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

My two cents worth. I believe it is worth it. I am getting it for my Merc 250hp outboard. $1900 for 3 years. Cheap when you think of shop hour charges and parts. Ask your dealer about his past worst case of how many hours to fix a nasty problem. Good Luck

Response:

I have been boating for 13 years and I am on my 3rd vessel and all of them have had Mercruiser engines and outdrives and I have never ever had a problem that needed repairs either under warranty or outside of the warranty period. I have twin Mercs now on my new Maxum and declined the extended warranty…it is a revenue grabber..but I have peace of mind knowing my vessel has Mercs…I’ll not use anything else. Nshore – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

I have a 1994 5.7 EFI by Volvo.  The extended warranty was approx. $1,500, $750 of that being a sales commission to the dealer.  I did not buy the warranty and have never had any warranty or non warranty work done on the engine.  All I did was scheduled maintenance which is not covered. Most of the "insurance" policies limited the total coverage or payout during the policy period to the total replacement cost of the engine, so if you have a real lemon of an engine, they will only repair it till your total claims reach the replacement costs of the engine.  It is a very very profitable insurance policy for the dealer and warranty company. — Jim 1994 Regal 256 for sale – see ad at http://www.classifieds2000.com/cgi-cls/ad.exe?P61+C189+A0+R1127049+Q2… 4 To see pictures of the boat’s layout visit: http://www.regalboats.com/htm/boats_commodore_258.shtml

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been boating for 13 years and I am on my 3rd vessel and all of them have had Mercruiser engines and outdrives and I have never ever had a problem that needed repairs either under warranty or outside of the warranty period. I have twin Mercs now on my new Maxum and declined the extended warranty…it is a revenue grabber..but I have peace of mind knowing my vessel has Mercs…I’ll not use anything else. Nshore It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Ron: My "new" boat is in its second season, and I just signed up for a 5 year comprehensive coverage, including the 5.7 L Mer-Cruiser and all components on the boat (Sea Ray). This is far from cheap, representing about 2% of the entire cost of the new boat, but for peace of mind, and a comfortable feeling about Sea Ray response to date, I decided to go for it. My decision is also partly based on my lack of strong mechanical skills. Marty in NJ

Response:

Ron: My "new" boat is in its second season, and I just signed up for a 5 year comprehensive coverage, including the 5.7 L Mer-Cruiser and all components on the boat (Sea Ray). This is far from cheap, representing about 2% of the entire cost of the new boat, but for peace of mind, and a comfortable feeling about Sea Ray response to date, I decided to go for it. My decision is also partly based on my lack of strong mechanical skills. Marty in NJ

It’s all a gamble, of course, but, if *one* serious thing goes wrong with your engine when the standard warranty expires, your extended warranty will pay for itself. It’s also a good thing to have at trade or selling time. In NE Florida, it is damned hard to sell a rig if the engine doesn’t have at least a year or two left on extended warranty. — Harry Krause – - – - – - – - – - – - Democracy can withstand anything but democrats.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron

Ron, here’s some food for thought about your warranty decision.  First, lets discuss the reasons you’ve heard why you shouldn’t buy it:  The most common reason is that the product is too profitable for the company who offers the warranty and/or the dealer who sells it to you.  Of course it is a profitable product.  Would you expect them to offer anything less?  Your boat was a profitable product when it was sold to you as well.  Maybe it is even an outrageously profitable product.  No matter how obscenely profitable it is, that issue is not your concern.  Your concern is simply to ask what will the outlay of $787.50 do for you.  It matters not to you that ten different boaters will tell you they’ve never had a breakdown.  What matters is the consequences to you if you do.  I’ve heard the argument that the warranty will limit its payout to the cost of replacing the engine/outdrive. I don’t really know the exact cost, I but feel very certain that the cost of replacing your drivetrain would be well in excess of $10,000.  If that’s the best the product did, with a base cost of $787.50, I’d say you should do so well with your other investments.  A major engine or drive failure can easily run $5-6k.  It takes almost nothing to go wrong that wouldn’t cost you more than $787.50.  We are talking boat repair prices here. My recommendation is to focus on your feelings on this one.  Ignore what the $787.50 does for Mercury’s bottom line.  Be concerned with your bottom line. What you are buying with the warranty is called a stop-loss.  Simply put, it means that for the next four years, it can’t get any worse than $787.50.  It really is just that simple.  It is the only issue you need to focus on.  Do you like having that net underneath you?  Or do you enjoy the thrill of life without one?  How well do you sleep?  Base your decision with that in mind. There is no way to quantify the chances of you recouping your cost back. Two other thoughts to consider:  If you buy the warranty, and you should decide to sell the boat during the warranty period, you have also bought a stop loss for the potential buyer of your boat.  If you’ve never bought or sold in the used market, you have no idea how powerful an asset that warranty can be as a sales incentive.  There is no reason to think that the remaining term on the warranty wouldn’t be worth the full $787.50 to a buyer who doesn’t know you from Adam and doesn’t know the history of the boat.  It puts you a leg up on the competition.  Even if you like living without a net, your buyer might not, especially with a used boat.  Also, consider that you are buying your coverage directly from Mercury, not an after market company.  That means that any Mercury authorized warranty facility will honor that warranty without hesitation.  For $787.50, I think its a steal. Russ

Response:

Simple question, Ron…… Can you afford to fix it if it breaks? If Yes, to hell with warranties.  If they thought it was going to break expensively, they sure as hell wouldn’t let you off the hook for a few hundred bucks, would they.  Take you chances. If No, you’re strapped for cash and couldn’t afford a $2000 repair bill if it lunches….Insurance isn’t so bad, even IF they are making a killing selling it, which they ARE! You decide….. I buy very little insurance unless I think there is a disaster in the making….like house insurance, boat insurance, etc….that would wipe me out.  Breaking a V-8 and paying off the Mastercard I used to pay for it is MUCH cheaper than paying thousands for bogus insurance you’re going to have to fight with insurance bureaucrats to get them to pay.  NOONE ever refuses my MasterCard!! Larry….I’l fix it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -It is hard to believe but my first year of boating is almost over. Wow that was fast. Mercury says I bought the boat on Oct. 28 and they are offering an extended warranty. The details are: 2 Year    $472.50 3 Year    $640.50 4 year    $787.50 I have a 5.0 Mercruiser. My question is, should I even consider this? It seems that extended warranties are just an incredible revenue generator for the companies but with being new to this maybe this is warranted. I use the boat maybe two or three times a week at most. I think I have put about 35-40 hours on the boat this summer. Thanks in advance for any advise you have. Ron Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Question:

I can relate to both sides of this arguement for many reasons. As a long time worm fisherman I used to keep all the trout that got hooked so badly they would die anyway. I never considered the fact that using bait caused many more fish to be gut hooked because I was not a passive fisherman. Constant vigilence and setting the hook instantly on any change of line drift or tension resulted in 99% of my fish being hooked in the mouth and easily released. If I brought home 3 fish a week it was lucky and my family loved fresh trout grilled over an open fire.     Then I discovered flyfishing. I started fishing dry flies and watched the number of trout I caught rise at an incredible rate. catching 3 or 4 fish a day was not uncommon. (love those adirondack small streams) and I didnt seem to hurt any more than I did when fishing terratus(from the scientific term for earthworm). this time frame also includes the time when the state made a flyfish only, no kill section of the west branch of the Ausable river in northern ny.     More time has passed and now I can drop a size 20 dry on a7x tippet without a splash and the catch count can get over 30 fish a day, still very low on the casualty rate. Life and reality deal me some shitty blows, unemployment, single parenting, all combine to make fishing a necessity. (hope you never have to explain to your kids why there are no "snacks"  in the house) and yet I find myself unable to change my ways and still only keep the gut hooked fish. Maybe i’m a little slower on the trigger on purpose but rules you make for yourself are harder to break. So we are eating trout 3 days a week (and lots of macaroni and cheese) My eight year old son takes up fly fishing and endorses catch and release whole heartedly, lets every fish go back. But still prefers the ones dad catches over Mrs. Pauls. the center brook is an easy walk from home and loaded with little rainbows from a local dec hatchery so you dont even have to feel guilty if you keep a couple. But the big native brown trout are always set free. The catch and release section of the Ausable gives us tons of pleasure. it’s turning out some very large fish and the state decides to help by stepping up the stocking program.     Time goes on. My son now a gangly ten year old with legs like a three weight rod has become a better fly fisherman than I ever dreamed of being. compared to his presentation, I seem to beat the water to a froth. Times are a little better the wolves are no longer knocking on the door. We’ve graduated to bamboo and don’t get to fish as often as we like but still we’re eating fis two or three times a week. fishing the trophy section of the ausable a couple times a month but the trophy trout are gone. the no kill has become a no skill area loaded with stocked trout who haven’t been in the water long enought to get wet.     so whats the bottom line (#3 weight forward sinking haha). Im not exactly sure. the fly fishing only area managed the way all the books say is right has gone to hell. the other sections of the Ausable where things were left alone and people can remove some of the dumber fish still produces large fish. The flume pool just below the catch and release produces a few 6 pounders every year. The little brook near home still produces large browns. I released a for pounder in july from a pool not over eight feet wide and 18 inches deep. There are enough little stockers to keep the kids happy without being overdone. The fish seem healthy and plentiful. So the best policy seems to be let nature take it’s course. maybe a little nudge to help repair damage we did in the past, but don’t try to force anything on anyone. Only make small changes and if it doesn’t work change it back. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.     As far as animal rights, I  feel that has to be made on a personal basis. if you don’t want to eat animals than don’t,  but I don’t eat vegetables. So, since I would rather not starve I guess I will keep the grill for now, not worry about the carrots and onoins being so alive that they would grow if put back in their natural environment. Since the hook probably hurts the fish less than the hole I allowed some teen aged nitwit at the mall to put in my sons ear, (let’s not go there please) I won’t loose any sleep over the trauma I put them thru

Response:

 Life and reality deal me some shitty blows, unemployment, single parenting, all combine to make fishing a necessity. (hope you never have to explain to your kids why there are no "snacks"  in the house)

I don’t know if you live on the banks of the Ausable or some other attractive water – but in a similar situation I could never justify fishing even if I brought a fish or two home – the cost of gas for the car alone would buy more food for the table then I could ever catch and kill. Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Life and reality deal me some shitty blows, unemployment, single parenting, all combine to make fishing a necessity. (hope you never have to explain to your kids why there are no "snacks"  in the house) I don’t know if you live on the banks of the Ausable or some other attractive water – but in a similar situation I could never justify fishing even if I brought a fish or two home – the cost of gas for the car alone would buy more food for the table then I could ever catch and kill. Ralph H remove "(take_this_out)" for email reply.

        good grief, ralph:  the guy clearly states that he lives "within walking distance of the central brook", where he keeps the fish his family needed to survive.  then he continues an innocently profound post that goes right to the heart of your obsession, and you choose to jump in his shit about anal retentive economics, the basis of which is hopelessly flawed, factually and conceptually.         you are sometimes a real handfull, ralph.           a. wayne harrison – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

Thanks for pointing that out to me Wayne. Where would I be without you? Ralph H – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –         good grief, ralph:  the guy clearly states that he lives "within walking distance of the central brook", where he keeps the fish his family needed to survive.  then he continues an innocently profound post that goes right to the heart of your obsession, and you choose to jump in his shit about anal retentive economics, the basis of which is hopelessly flawed, factually and conceptually.         you are sometimes a real handfull, ralph.         a. wayne harrison

Response:

Thanks for pointing that out to me Wayne. Where would I be without you?         well, ralph, that is a truly profound question, one that i doubt i can honestly answer.

or answer honestly for that matter! Ralph H – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –         good grief, ralph:  the guy clearly states that he lives "within walking distance of the central brook", where he keeps the fish his family needed to survive.  then he continues an innocently profound post that goes right to the heart of your obsession, and you choose to jump in his shit about anal retentive economics, the basis of which is hopelessly flawed, factually and conceptually.         you are sometimes a real handfull, ralph.         a. wayne harrison

Response:

Thanks for pointing that out to me Wayne. Where would I be without you?

        well, ralph, that is a truly profound question, one that i doubt i can honestly answer.  given your relentless propensity for egocentric analysis, my best bet would be that you would be utterly the same without me as you are with me, and the rest of humanity, for that matter.         a. wayne harrison – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Ralph H         good grief, ralph:  the guy clearly states that he lives "within walking distance of the central brook", where he keeps the fish his family needed to survive.  then he continues an innocently profound post that goes right to the heart of your obsession, and you choose to jump in his shit about anal retentive economics, the basis of which is hopelessly flawed, factually and conceptually.         you are sometimes a real handfull, ralph.         a. wayne harrison

Response:

Question:

I was Fishing in a gale today and put a cut in my sinking line with the hook. Has anyone had any success in repairing damaged lines? I have seen a product called Fly Fishing Glue on sale from Sportfish, has anyone ever used this with any success? or do I have to cough up for a new Line and learn to cast in a gale. Mick Hendry (Sheffield)

Response:

   Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly    I was Fishing in a gale today and put a cut in my sinking line with    the hook.    Has anyone had any success in repairing damaged lines?    I have seen a product called Fly Fishing Glue on sale from Sportfish,    has anyone ever used this with any success?    or do I have to cough up for a new Line and learn to cast in a gale.    Mick Hendry (Sheffield) I’ve done this by covering the problem with a piece of braided mono (like they use for those commercial loops) and then coating that with some aquaseal thinned with cotol.  This works well as long as the integrity of the core (the line’s actual strength) is not compromised. If you thin the aquaseal, you get a nice low-profile patch that doesn’t bother when casting – you could probably get by even skipping the braided mono "graft" and just use some thinned aquaseal. I make a lot of loops for sink tips etc. so I have spools of this braided stuff in 30 and 50#.  If you need, I could send you some pieces.  Otherwise, you ought to be able to find some at your local shop.  The stuff I have is made by cortland. cheers,         -tgades — Tony Gades. Seattle, WA.  USA http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades http://weber.u.washington.edu/~tgades/Fishing/fish_page.html email: replace the "this_address_is_wrong" with "tgades"

Response:

As long as the hole isn’t too large, just put a drop of Zap-A-Gap in it and you won’t even know it was there and should still be much stronger that any tippet you will be using.  I do this all the time when I splice my new tapered leaders to my fly lines. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was Fishing in a gale today and put a cut in my sinking line with the hook. Has anyone had any success in repairing damaged lines? I have seen a product called Fly Fishing Glue on sale from Sportfish, has anyone ever used this with any success? or do I have to cough up for a new Line and learn to cast in a gale. Mick Hendry (Sheffield)

Response:

I was Fishing in a gale today and put a cut in my sinking line with the hook. Has anyone had any success in repairing damaged lines? I have seen a product called Fly Fishing Glue on sale from Sportfish, has anyone ever used this with any success? or do I have to cough up for a new Line and learn to cast in a gale. Mick Hendry (Sheffield)

Hi Mike, If the cut is not too big, a little bit of Dave’s Flexament will do the trick.  After trying the flexament fix, roll a loop across the juncture to make sure it doesn’t hinge. A few years back I cut a new line in half when it was washed under the rocks at my feet  while striper fishing from a rocky shore in San Francisco Bay. Didn’t realize there were barnacles on the underside of the rock until it had cut my line in half.  Flexament won’t fix that, but a splice might.                                 Good Luck,                                       Dan Dan Gracia Orvis West Coast Fly Fishing Schools

Response:

I’ve had temporary success with dabbing a bit of glue in the cut –  I am now trying aquaseal – previously simple vinyl repair cement offered a fix for a few months. You can also splice together sections if the core is broken or damaged by a number of techniques – the favourite of many being to draw the core of one end into the centre of the other – you’s need to insert a needle up the core of one section ( about one inch) strip and thin the core of the other about (6 inches stripped, fry and trim the centre of 2 inches of the end). Use the needle to draw a loop of mono into the core of the unstripped end and use the loop to draw the stripped core into the core of the other end. Apply a little glue to the exposed core before drawing it tight and let it set up. It’s hard as hell to do but it works. There are other splices such as the sewn splice and the crotch splice but these leave a discontinuity in the line many do not like. I was Fishing in a gale today and put a cut in my sinking line with the hook. Has anyone had any success in repairing damaged lines? I have seen a product called Fly Fishing Glue on sale from Sportfish, has anyone ever used this with any success? or do I have to cough up for a new Line and learn to cast in a gale. Mick Hendry (Sheffield)

Ralph H "…      the sabbath rang slowly      in the pebbles of the holy streams!" Dylan Thomas, "Fern Hill"

Response:

other about (6 inches stripped, fry

                                 ^^^       should say fray ^and trim the centre of 2 inches of the end). Use the needle to draw a loop of mono into the core of the unstripped end and use the loop to draw the stripped core into the core of the other end. Apply a little glue to the exposed core before drawing it tight and let it set up. It’s hard as hell to do but it works. Ralph H "…      the sabbath rang slowly     in the pebbles of the holy streams!" Dylan Thomas, "Fern Hill"

Ralph H "…      the sabbath rang slowly      in the pebbles of the holy streams!" Dylan Thomas, "Fern Hill"

Response:

Question:

hi fly fish mates, I am looking for someone living near an orvis shop. in the future i need to order my regular stuff, like leaders, fly’s etc. So if you wanna help me, with first : sending the latest orvis brochure and when i like to order some help, please E mail me !

Steer your favorite web browser to this URL: <http://www.alloutdoors.com/orvis/Catalog/Catalog.html I believe they even have the ability to order via the web with secured transactions. Good luck, Joe Webb Atlanta Mac User Group (AMUG)

Response:

: hi fly fish mates, : I am looking for someone living near an orvis shop. : in the future i need to order my regular stuff, like leaders, fly’s etc. : So if you wanna help me, with first : sending the latest orvis brochure and : when i like to order some help, please E mail me ! Orvis *HAS* mail order!  I don’t understand why you need someone to order for you? Jon Porter

Response:

hi fly fish mates, I am looking for someone living near an orvis shop. in the future i need to order my regular stuff, like leaders, fly’s etc. So if you wanna help me, with first : sending the latest orvis brochure and when i like to order some help, please E mail me !

Response:

Question:

I’m Fly-Fishing the Alphabet, and have come up short on rivers beginning with O (probably a temporary oversight), Q, R, and Z. This is admittedly a daffy undertaking, but it’s better than the aimless wanderings of Fly Fishing America.   I  find that I’ve already fished most of the alphabet (Arkansas, Bighorn, Colorado, Dolores, Encampment, Fryingpan, Grande Ronde, Henry’s Fork, you get the picture). An "i" river was a problem, until I remembered the tiny Illinois River in northern Colorado. Any ideas for Q, X and Z? The Quinalt and Quillaute would do. Nice Sea run cutts in there right now.  Steelhead later.

Question!  Is it your goal to fish a stream for each letter of the alphabet or to catch fish from a stream for each letter of the alphabet? I once knew a fisherman who set out to fish every stream and lake in Montana.  Dont’t know if he made it or not but it would be fun trying. So much water, so little time. Jim

Response:

: I once knew a fisherman who set out to fish every stream and lake : in Montana.  Dont’t know if he made it or not but it would be fun : trying. This little suggestion made my heart go floppa-floppa.  Not Montana, but this would be a *great* way to justify the hard trips to the interior of Idaho.   Wow.  Greeeeat suggestion! I have fished many of the "great" rivers of the west.  I don’t think I would miss much at all if I narrowed my focus to the rivers and streams of Idaho.   It would also make me feel better when I’m standing in a stream in the middle of a pasture with my line in the water and a speeding pickup goes cruising by at high speed with five guys screaming out the window and bed "You fool…there’s no fish left in there…"  I’ll have an excuse when they see me in the local tavern later that night. Perfect, a fishing version of Sissy Hankshaw.  I can see it now, casting a puddle because it is a body of water and it is there.  Perhaps my thumb will sprout a flyrod. Cool. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

Response:

the Quinipoxet river flows into the Wachusetts resevoir about 40 miles west of Boston.  it contains stocked brown and some native brook trout. Gerry

Response:

the Quinipoxet river flows into the Wachusetts resevoir about 40 miles west of Boston.  it contains stocked brown and some native brook trout. Gerry

X & Z may require you to travel abroad. Not so bad an idea. George Gehrke/Mr. Gink

Response:

: X & Z may require you to travel abroad. Not so bad an idea. Send me the money from one out of every 100 little bottles you sell and I’ll travel!<g  (That’s all I ask, one out overy hundred.) — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

Response:

Quinn River, Nevada.      There are good browns in most of the river, and the fishing is improving. The Quinn River Allotment Management Plan is up for consideration until October 23, copies of which can be had from the Humboldt National Forest, 2035 Last Chance Rd., Elko, NV 89801. Alternative 4 will provide the best future fishing and is the preferred alternative. The river runs along the NV-OR border north of Winnemucca. Jim, Nevada Jim’s Outdoor Sports, Elko, NV Jim, Nevada Jim’s Outdoor Sports, Elko, NV

Response:

I’m Fly-Fishing the Alphabet, and have come up short on rivers beginning with O (probably a temporary oversight), Q, R, and Z.

Try the Quitapahilla outside of Lancaster, PA.  This is still on my "to fish" list so I don’t know how well it fishes.  Directions are available in Dwight Landis’ Trout Streams of PA or Charlie Meck’s Pa Trout Streams and Their Hatches

Response:

: I’m Fly-Fishing the Alphabet, and have come up short on rivers beginning : with O (probably a temporary oversight), Q, R, and Z. : This is admittedly a daffy undertaking, but it’s better than the aimless : wanderings of Fly Fishing America.   I  find that I’ve already fished most : of the alphabet (Arkansas, Bighorn, Colorado, Dolores, Encampment, : Fryingpan, Grande Ronde, Henry’s Fork, you get the picture). : An "i" river was a problem, until I remembered the tiny Illinois River in : northern Colorado. : Any ideas for Q, X and Z? These can all be handled in the PNW, but I’m not telling where.  You will enjoy searching the map, or just use the web and do a search with one of the map services or the Geological Survey. — Rick T. Rick Fletcher   –   http://www.chem.uidaho.edu/~fletcher/ Associate professor of chemistry  |  That’s Idaho, not Iowa.    | ad hominem University of Idaho               |  Upper Left Hand Corner.    | ad hominem Moscow, ID 83844-2343             |  No, I don’t grow potatoes. | ad hominem

Response:

I’m Fly-Fishing the Alphabet, and have come up short on rivers beginning with O (probably a temporary oversight), Q, R, and Z. This is admittedly a daffy undertaking, but it’s better than the aimless wanderings of Fly Fishing America.   I  find that I’ve already fished most of the alphabet (Arkansas, Bighorn, Colorado, Dolores, Encampment, Fryingpan, Grande Ronde, Henry’s Fork, you get the picture). An "i" river was a problem, until I remembered the tiny Illinois River in northern Colorado. Any ideas for Q, X and Z?

The Quinalt and Quillaute would do. Nice Sea run cutts in there right now.  Steelhead later.

Response:

I’m Fly-Fishing the Alphabet, and have come up short on rivers beginning with O (probably a temporary oversight), Q, R, and Z. This is admittedly a daffy undertaking, but it’s better than the aimless wanderings of Fly Fishing America.   I  find that I’ve already fished most of the alphabet (Arkansas, Bighorn, Colorado, Dolores, Encampment, Fryingpan, Grande Ronde, Henry’s Fork, you get the picture). An "i" river was a problem, until I remembered the tiny Illinois River in northern Colorado. Any ideas for Q, X and Z?

Response:

Question:

I am going to be in the Santa Fe, Las Vegas areas for a few days in July and would like to spend a day on a trout stream while I’m there. I would appreciate very much any recommendations anyone would be willing to share regarding places as well as fly patterns. Thanks.

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I am going to be in the Santa Fe, Las Vegas areas for a few days in July and would like to spend a day on a trout stream while I’m there. I would appreciate very much any recommendations anyone would be willing to share regarding places as well as fly patterns. Thanks.

Jerry, the pecos river is pretty good in july esp if you don’t mind hiking into the pecos wilderness 4-5 miles(beattys cabin area). It is also decent fishing just outside of the wildeness. Terrestrials, elk hair caddis, royal wulffs + zug bugs, prince nymphs have worked well for me. we had a poor snow pack this year, so water levels will be lower than normal. good fishing zane rakes

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You should really do your homework befor going to the devils river. Legally, your cannot step on the streambed due to mexican land grants. You might wan’t to check out the water temperatures as well. Jeff goodwin **  Ashley Laurent,Inc. **  Software Development  **     Consulting          ** *                                   *                                         * * 10,000 Research Blvd, Suite 128   *     voice: 512-478-0776                 * * Austin, Texas 78759               *     fax  : 512-478-0803                 * *                                   *                                         * * Microsoft Solution Provider       *     Complete Systems Design/Development * * OS/2 Premier Developer            *     Workflow and Workgroup Solutions    * * Novell Professional Developer     *     Industrial Appl./Device Drivers     * – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m heading to Texas in late March to flyfish for smallmouth on Devil’s River.  I’ve never been there before, nor have I done much fly-fishing for smallmouth.  Can anyone recommend flies or provide any other useful advice?  I was thinking of just tying some muddlers and wooly buggers, and maybe some ghosts.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Ashley: I live in south-central Texas and have fished the Devil’s on several occasions. Right now the river is going to be low because of the drought along the border. Generally speaking the best source of information is probably from Jim Kuper at The Tacklebox Outfitters in San Antonio, Tx. Jim is knowledgeable about floating the Devil’s from Baker’s Crossing to Lake Amistad. Contact Jim at (210) 821-5806. As I said, I’ve fished the Devil’s several times over the last 3 years. Because of the draught each year seems to get worse. Last summer I decided not to go back until the draught broke… I’m still waiting. DNW

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Every time I drive from TN to NC, I look down at the Piegon River near the border by the Waterville exit.  I remember hearing that most the fish left the river due to the discharges of the Canton paper mill in Canton, NC.  Now that the mill has cleaned up it’s discharge, does anyone know if the river supports any fish? If so, do you know what patters work in this area? Thanks in advance. Steve

The Pigeon River is still on Tennessee’s (ever-growing) list of places you shouldn’t eat fish from.  I’m not sure if fishing is allowed, or if you have to catch and release, or if it’s one of Tennessee’s areas that you’d just be better off not eating fish from (kind of like the Clinch River from Oak Ridge down to five miles below where it enters the Tennessee…)   The problem is that the dioxin discharged from Canton accumulated in the sediments that the insects live in and eat.  So the trout there very efficiently concentrate this dioxin by eating lots of insects. I understand Tennessee is trying to get the river dredged out and cleaned up, but naturally the North Carolina government doesn’t care to hurt its people’s jobs for a fishing stream 45 miles away.  Looks like another drawn-out Superfund kind of battle, with not much chance of a clean-up in sight. I think I remember the warning/prohibition lasts all the way downstream to Douglas Lake. Hope this helps.         Pat

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Every time I drive from TN to NC, I look down at the Piegon River near the border by the Waterville exit.  I remember hearing that most the fish left the river due to the discharges of the Canton paper mill in Canton, NC.  Now that the mill has cleaned up it’s discharge, does anyone know if the river supports any fish? If so, do you know what patters work in this area? Thanks in advance. Steve

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The Dioxin Dry fly pattern works best.  It’s a three headed fly best fished with care  not to touch the fly, line, rod or water.  I agree the river is beautiful, but 30-40 years of uncontrolled pollution does not clean up in one year. The only people Champion Paper company is fooling are fools who are suckered into their commercials on TV.  If your truly interested in fishing the area for trout write me at:  Phil –    

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The Dioxin Dry fly pattern works best.  It’s a three headed fly best fished with care  not to touch the fly, line, rod or water.  I agree the river is beautiful, but 30-40 years of uncontrolled pollution does not clean up in one year. The only people Champion Paper company is fooling are fools who are suckered into their commercials on TV.  If your truly interested in fishing the area for trout write me at:  Phil –    

 I thought it was more than 30-40…didn’t they open the mill in 1908?   Just curious. *                                                                       * *                                                                       * *  ENTOMOLOGIST          ANTIQUE TACKLE COLLECTOR        ALL-AROUND NUT * *                  _____/  O                                           * *                                  |                    |               * *                                  |                    |               * *                                  |                 _/ _/            * *                               _/ _/                                 *

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