Making Upgrades to the Raft

It would appear that my time on the water with my raft is over for the year so I have turned my attention towards making some upgrades to make the vessel more comfortable and efficient.  The first thing that I did was put some swivels on the front and back seats.  This was a really simple project and only required a few turns of a ratchet.  Now, anglers at the front and back of the raft will have a little more range of motion and will hopefully provide a more pleasant ride down a river.  

The second project that I took on was slightly more complicated.  I have noticed that most oars on rafts and drift boats have shafts that are wrapped in rope.  I found out that this reduces wear on the oars, reduces vibration (noise) between the oars and oarlocks, and helps keep the oars in a consistent location for the rower.  While I didn't make the wraps long enough and should have used black rope (I've never seen anyone wrap oars with white rope but that's all they had at Lowe's), I think my wraps are close and tight.  I had never attempted wrapping oars before and I'm pretty happy with how things turned out!

The oars that came with the raft will, eventually, become back-up oars.  I plan on upgrading to better oars soon but need to save some money for now.  By the way, if you have never looked up how expensive oars are for drift boats and rafts, be prepared for some sticker shock.  The ones that I want are about $300 each!  With that in mind, I'm going to take some liberties with my current oars.  I put a few sheet metal screws through the black plastic sleeve that slid around more than I preferred on the maiden voyage.  I also flipped the sleeve around because it was too thick to fit through the oarlocks and used the flare on the sleeve to act as a stopper.

The next upgrade that I might attempt would be improvements to the floor.  As it stands right now, the floor of the raft is self-bailing (it has holes in it) with an inflatable floor on top of that.  I either need to put yoga mat-type padding on the floor or engineer a drop/floating floor with marine grade plywood.  However, I need to spend more time at my fly tying desk and thus, create more stock in the online fly shop.  All these upgrades cost money and I need more of it to improve my raft.  And oh yeah, there is the matter of buying a trailer to haul the "stream machine" around.  I better start cranking out some flies and stop typing about the matter!

The Maiden Voyage of the Raft

I have not owned a lot of boats in my life.  I have owned a kayak, a two person bass baby, and a 16 foot jon boat.  Each of those purchases brought a great deal of excitement that was coupled with an equal amount of anxiety.  While I was excited for the unique opportunities that each one afforded me, I also felt a healthy amount of fear in each situation as well.  With each boat, I was scared that I was going to overlook something, have an operating error, or just simply sink the darn thing due to ignorance.  My outlook towards my raft is no different.

 

While this thing is going to help me get more folks on farm ponds that I love and explore Ozark streams, I am also intimidated by so many unfamiliar nuances.  My rowing skills are novice at best.  I’m a little uncertain how much I am supposed to inflate the raft.  I’m still working on either reinforcing the inflatable floor or replacing it with a wooden drop floor.  My chief concern though, is tearing the fabric of the raft, not being able to fix the problem, and sinking the vessel and thus, being stranded in the middle of nowhere.  However, I know that this is a learning curve and that experience is the best teacher.  So with a racing heart due to fear and excitement, I launched my raft on a lake a couple of weeks after purchasing the craft.

 

After airing up the raft and attaching the frame, Wendy and I took the raft to the bottom of a boat ramp at Watkins Mill State Park.  It was a little windy on that particular day but the temperature was nice.  I was excited to see how my raft handled in the wind and felt good about the fact that if I was going to sink my boat on it’s maiden voyage, at least I wouldn’t get hypothermia.  As I used an oar to push the raft away from land, adrenaline coursed through my veins.  It felt good and I’m glad I didn’t need to harness the power to paddle back to shore because of a problem.  I floated and awkwardly rowed with a smile on my face.

 

As the initial exhilaration wore off, I realized that I needed to start rowing with a little more purpose.  The wind hand blown me away from the boat ramp and I wanted to stay close to my point of origin just in case things went south.  As I pushed the oars forward, I felt them push back!  It quickly dawned on me that this raft was hard to row…on still water and into the wind at least.  It also eventually (and later than I would care to admit) dawned on me that I needed to turn the raft about face and pull the oars toward me rather than push them.  That helped a lot but I certainly wasn’t moving fast enough to pull a tuber or skier behind me.

 

After I became a little more comfortable (due to not sinking) I started to settle into my setup.  I was able to appreciate things like how close I was to the water and how I was situated in the middle of the boat which gave me a unique perspective.  I’m used to sitting at the back of a boat and running a motor or at the front of a boat running a trolling motor.  Being in the middle is something that I’m going to need to get used to.  I’m also used to being perched a little higher above the water level but that is inconsequential.  If I were to stand up from my seated rowing position or if a fellow angler were to stand up in the front or back of the raft, they have a good line of sight and have a good angle at which to cast. 

 

After about 30 minutes, I decided to head back to the ramp.  Wendy and Waylon were waiting for me to return.  And if I’m being honest, I didn’t want to test my luck any more than I already had.  Things had gone well and I wanted to call the maiden voyage a successful venture.  And if I’m being brutally honest, my arms were starting to get tired…really tired.  It took significantly less time to break down the raft and load it as opposed to unloading it and assembling it.  For now, the raft is packed away for the winter but it every time I go into the garage, I look at my raft and think about upcoming adventures that I want to have.  Carl Sagan once delivered the following thoughts and I couldn’t agree with him more.  He says it more eloquently than I can so I will let him conclude this post:

 

“For all its material advantages, the sedentary life has left us edgy, unfulfilled. Even after 400 generations in villages and cities, we haven’t forgotten. The open road still softly calls, like a nearly forgotten song of childhood. We invest far-off places with a certain romance. This appeal, I suspect, has been meticulously crafted by natural selection as an essential element in our survival.”  -Carl Sagan

"Herman Melville, in Moby Dick, spoke for wanderers in all epochs and meridians: 'I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas…'."  -Carl Sagan

Opening Weekend of Deer Firearms Season- Corey's Story

The opening day of firearms season in Missouri is special to me.  I have had the fortune of spending some special moments with some people that are very special to me on opening day.  I have also had some opening days that were full of wind, rain, and/or cold.  Some opening days have involved the harvesting of deer and some have involved not seeing a single whitetail deer.  Regardless, I try to always be in a field or in the timber with the hope that I will harvest a buck that will feed some folks and create a memory.

This last deer weekend, I got to spend some time with one of my best friends and my stepson on a piece of property that has been in my family for almost 100 years.  It is a special place to me that I love to share with people that are close to me.  We arrived at the property well before sunrise and parted ways with handshakes and wishes of good fortune.  If truth be told though, my stepson, Collin, and I were pulling for my buddy Corey.  Of course Collin wanted to take a buck and I wanted to shoot a trophy but we were especially hopeful for Corey.

Corey is a heck of a guy.  He's the kind of guy that will give you the shirt off his back and be there for your when you need him.  He never asks for anything in return and never complains about a single thing when things don't go his way.  He is an amazing father to his little girl, a hard worker, and a good partner to his fiancé.  Corey is also a passionate outdoorsman that loves waterfowl as much as deer and as much as fishing.  He loves his country and stands up for what he believes in.  He is an amazing friend as well.  While he is a heck of outdoorsman, he had yet to take his first whitetail buck.  It took me five years to take my first buck and Corey was headed along the same trajectory.  

As first light approached each of us settled into our respective spots.  We all chose to hunt on the ground with Collin and I in blinds and Corey on the ground near the edge of a field.  We each had encounters before daylight.  Sometimes with deer, others with coyotes, and all of us with owls.  The morning crept along with sounds of turkeys in the trees and squirrels rustling on the ground.  At about 8:30, text messages were exchanged that described a lack of deer movement.  We shared a collective hope that deer would move later than expected and that we needed to stick to our plan and hold tight.  That plan changed when the distinctive crack of a rifle report came from someone other than myself.

Collin messaged everyone to communicate it wasn't him.  We both waited in suspense for Corey to message us.  After what felt like hours (which was about a minute) Corey messaged the group to let us know that he had shot and that he felt like he had made a good shot on a buck.  We knew that we had to give the deer some time to expire but the anticipation was gnawing at us.  While Collin and I wanted to keep hunting, we also wanted to support our friend.  Collin and I decided to end our hunts early so we could help recover Corey's deer.  And honestly, I wanted to be present when Corey found his first buck.

We met up where Corey had taken his shot and followed a blood trail that lead to the edge of some timber.  Corey had already done some investigating which made our pursuit more efficient.  As we entered the timber there was a shared combination of excitement and hope.  I like to think that I am a cautious optimist which means that the idea that this deer might not be recovered was always in the back of my mind.  Thankfully, we spotted Corey's deer about 15 yards inside the timber.

It is easy to allow jealousy to creep in when one member of a group accomplishes something that you were unable to achieve.  I've been there and I think Collin had been there before too.  We all wanted success on that particular morning and only Corey had found the success that we had both hoped for.  However, I am proud to declare that Collin and I were overwhelmed with joy for Corey.  We were happy for what a good guy had accomplished and the moment that we got to share with him.  I knew how Corey felt and Collin knew how Corey felt.  We could relate to his smile and we could feel his joy.  

Pictures were taken and field dressing took place.  The deer was placed in Corey’s truck and delivered to a processor.  The skull and antlers went to a taxidermist.  Corey went home and Collin and I kept hunting.  This deer was the only deer that was killed on opening weekend.  While Collin and wanted the same satisfaction and adrenaline rush that Corey had experienced, we still enjoyed the sounds of the woods and the experiences that only come from being immersed in the outdoors.

Sometimes, nature gives gifts to those that it chooses.  I don't like the word "deserves" because I think you get what you earn and the word has an aire of entitlement.  If you log the hours in a deer stand or throw enough flies at a trout or call enough turkeys, you tend to earn the chance to put your hands on what you pursue.  On the other hand, sometimes it feels like nature selects a "deserving" person that it blesses with a bounty.  

In my opinion, Corey earned this deer and I can see why nature smiled on him.  He is a loyal employee where he works.  He sacrifices for his family and friends.  He gives to others with his skills and talents while asking for nothing in return.  He spends any extra time in the woods and on the water which I wish he had more of.  Did Corey earn this buck through time in the field?  You bet he did.  Did he "deserve" this buck?  Well, nature seemed to think so.  All I know is that I am happy for my friend and can't wait to share more time with him in the great outdoors!

 

Missouri Outdoor Magazine

Link: https://missourioutdoormagazine.blogspot.com

If you like to read about experiences in the outdoors from Missourians, or if you like to read about adventures from a blue collar guy, of if you like to read about both, have I got a treat for you.  My buddy Nate has a blog that you might dig.  Nate is an upbeat guy that loves that outdoors and loves to share his experiences with other like-minded folks.  He is genuine, honest, and heart-felt all the time.  If you want more outdoors-related content to educate and entertain you, please check out Nate's blog!

Link: https://missourioutdoormagazine.blogspot.com

I Bought a Raft! The Conclusion

I settled on this particular raft, which I found on Facebook Marketplace, because of the price, reviews, and customer service that I received from the gentleman that I purchased the raft from.  Let's take a step back though, and start at the beginning.  When my journey to buying a vessel that catered to fly fishing began, I was torn between a raft and a drift boat.  At first, I was of the opinion that I had to have a drift boat.  I looked at new and used boats online that were hundreds of miles away and usually out of my price range.  Then I called some fly shops in Branson and Arkansas to inquire about boats.  I even focused some efforts on Facebook and searched posts as well as Marketplace.  

Eventually, the thought of a raft being more advantageous than a drift boat started to creep in.  Ryan Walker of Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance is responsible for this because of the amazing experiences that I had in his River Rat Raft.  I also spent some time in Wyoming in a raft and had one of my best days on the water in a raft on the Shoshone River.  I landed almost 30 browns on a streamer that day out of a two-man raft and that stuck with me.  While I love the comfort of a drift boat and see it as an icon of fly fishing, I shifted gears.  I decided that I wanted a raft.

With my focus narrowed, I started looking at companies, dimensions, and setups.  I knew I wanted a 3-person raft so I could hit the water with a couple of friends.  There was a little sticker shock involved with companies like Flycraft and Stealthcraft and I came to realize that I wasn't going to be able to afford them AND the trailer that I was going to need to transport them.  From there, I started to scour Facebook Marketplace and the Moutain Buzz website.  I found some good deals that were used but far away.  I found some good deals that were local but too small.  Then I found Chris Ryan on Marketplace.

I'll be honest, I thought the product that he had listed was too good to be true. I also thought that if it was a scam, it was a lot of effort for a scam which scammers don't tend to subscribe to.  I started messaging Chris some questions and quickly found out that he not only knew fly fishing rafts inside and out, but was also a wealth of knowledge when it came to fly fishing.  After a conversation on the phone with him, I realized that he was a legit dude and as trustworthy as a stranger could seem.

During our phone conversation, I realized that Chris is a raft dealer.  Oddly enough, that made me feel somewhat better and elicited more trust in a possible transaction.  After we settled on some particulars and a price, we then then started to work out a date to meet as well as a location.  We settled on a Saturday morning in mid September in Paducah, Kentucky, which was a drive for both of us (he's based in Georgia) but a compromise nonetheless.  I told a few people close to me what I was up to and they were all excited for me to purchase something that meant a lot to me.  

As the date got closer, I got more excited but my mom and dad became more concerned about my transaction.  I too was a little skeptical about dealing with someone I had never met before but their concerns had a more sinister tone.  In other words, my mom was scared that Chris was going to meet up with me, kill me, and steal my money.  She requested to accompany me on my journey to Paducah and I obliged.  She met me at the school that I teach at on a Friday afternoon and by 3:45, we were eastbound and down.

The drive was thankfully uneventful and we arrived at an American Inn in Paducah around 11:00 pm.  The evening was also uneventful and in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was Saturday morning.  Chris did an amazing job staying in contact with me and giving me updates on his location as well as estimated time of arrival at the American Inn.  This only added to my confidence in him and put my mom's nerves at ease as well.  

At at about 10:00 am, central standard time, I watched my boat travel down a highway and turn into the American Inn parking lot.  I'm not going to lie, I got pretty excited for a few reasons.  I hadn't been scammed.  I was indeed going to purchase the object of my desire.  I could see doors open to new waterways as the raft got closer.  It is said that a journey of a million miles begins with one step.  What I saw was a REALLY big step towards some fun and exciting opportunities and not just a raft.

As Chris exited his vehicle, he couldn't have missed the smile that wouldn't leave my face.  We shook hands, he introduced his girlfriend, and I introduced my mom.  To the satisfaction and relief of everyone, nobody got scammed, or murdered, or robbed.  We just started talking like we weren't strangers and exchanged Midwest and Southern pleasantries.  We found a mutual respect and appreciation for our differences that still had roots in a similar passion...fly fishing.  

I was in a rush to get on the road and get home because my stepson, Collin, was riding a bull in a rodeo that night. It also just happened to be in the town that my wife (Wendy, his mom) and I grew up in which made it even more special.  Chris was respectful of my timetable but was also sure to give me all of the information that a raft-owning newbie required.  He gave me specs as well as suggestions and could not have been kinder or more gracious during our time together.  Even my mom took note of the kindness that Chris and his girlfriend showed us.  At one point, I thought my mom was going to invite Chris and his girlfriend back to Kansas City to spend Thanksgiving together!

Too quickly, we put the raft in my truck, I gave him his payment, and we parted ways.  If I'm being completely honest, I could have spent the rest of the day with Chris on the water and I have no doubt that we would have had a great time together.  Chris is the kind of guy that is easy to get a long with but has enough fly fishing expertise to make you feel like you're hanging out with a guy that knows his way around a fly rod.  So if you find yourself in need of a similar vessel, I think you can count on Chris. He treated me really well and I bet he takes good care of other folks too! 

 

I Bought a Raft! Part 1

I've been keeping this little nugget of information from most folks because I wanted to wait until the fishing got slower.  Before we get to the raft itself, let's take a step back first.  Recently, I posted about the conundrum that I had been in with regards to whether I should purchase a drift boat or raft to meet my future fly fishing endeavors.  Well, I obviously made a decision and pulled the trigger on what I hope is something that is going to give me access to some new water.  It might even provide something bigger for me, but that's a post for another time.  

It is my hope that this raft will help me navigate some Ozarks streams for smallmouth and trout as well as help me get on some hard-to-access farm ponds for largemouth bass.  I have a lot to learn about Ozark streams but I'm excited explore some new spots and catch some fish that don't live in the area I call home (Kansas City).  As far as the farm ponds go, I will now be able to put me and two others on the water instead of just me and a buddy in my smaller 2-man boat.  

I chose to go with a raft over a drift boat for a few reasons.  First and foremost, this thing is going to get in and out of skinny water.  A drift boat, in my opinion, might struggle with some of the shallow water spots that I am going to traverse.  Second, I started to get a handle on the maintenance of a drift boat bottom and I really didn't want anything to do with learning about fiberglass.  Third, I liked the idea of being able to store a raft in a small space during the winter and during times it isn't getting used.  Fourth, I see a lot more customizable options with a raft than a drift boat.  In other words, I can make it fit around me rather than me having to fit around a drift boat.  Finally, I like the durability of a raft.  Yes, I will wince a little when I bounce off a rock but bouncing off a boulder will be less concerning banging off a rock.  Air chambers are more forgiving than fiberglass...right?

In my next post, I'm going to get into the purchase of the raft itself.  This was an interesting process that I would do again in a heartbeat.  I'll give you the who, when, where, and why I settled on this boat from this particular buyer.  To give you just a little preview of future posts, it involved a 7 hour drive on which my mom accompanied me because she wanted to make sure the local news report didn't state, "He went to pick up a boat from a guy he met online and never came home."

Peowing's Provisions

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/peowingsprovisions

Last summer, when my family and I went on vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I ran into a really nice married couple while fly fishing from the beach.  They saw my fly rod and inquired about how the fishing was and where I was from.  To make a long story short, the wife informed me that she made landing nets.  

We have stayed in contact since we met at Gulf Shores and she is currently working on something for me.  I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I'm pretty darn excited to see the final product.  I will be posting about what I receive but until then, if you want to check out the Peowing's Provisions Facebook Page and see other items that are available, I'm sure a small business would greatly appreciate any support you can send their way!  

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/peowingsprovisions

Liberty Park Pond in Sedalia, Missouri is CLOSED!

Link to Liberty Park Pond Closing Press Release: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/sedalias-liberty-park-pond-closed-trout-fishing-winter

Link to Missouri Department of Conservation Winter Trout Stocking Areas: https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/where-fish/winter-trout-fishing-areas

I'm going to be honest, this was a heart breaker!  I have been fishing at Liberty Park Pond for stocked rainbow trout for almost a decade now.  It has been a winter tradition of mine that I have loved with all my heart.  While I'm sad to see that it will be closed for maintenance this winter, I'm sure it will be good in the long run.  I just wanted to make anyone that frequents this fishing spot aware of the situation.  I hope to see you there in 2026 because this spot is an absolute gem.  For now though, I'm going to have to pivot my winter fishing plans.  And if you think for a single second that anglers don't have a backup plan for a backup plan...well then you don't know the mentality of anglers!

Thanks to the efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and other local municipalities, there are plenty of other winter trout fishing opportunities for Missourians.  For me, I plan on visiting Everyday Pond at Missouri Western State University and Krug Park Lagoon in St. Joseph.  Those spots are catch and release only until Jan. 31.  In my opinion, the spots that are catch and release until February can produce some better cast to catch ratios than lakes that allow fish to be kept from the moment they get stocked.  

Since I am a catch and release guy 99% of the time, I would rather have more hookups and more releases since I'm not concerned with putting dinner on the table.  On the other hand, if you're wanting some table fare, you have more options that can be found by checking out the winter trout stocking areas that MDC is happy to help you locate by using the link below.  Regardless of your intent, I hope you are able to get on the water and catch a few stocked rainbow trout!  These fish are stocked for us to catch so why not go catch a few fish that don't normally spend time in northern Missouri!

Link to Liberty Park Pond Closing Press Release: https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/sedalias-liberty-park-pond-closed-trout-fishing-winter

Link to Missouri Department of Conservation Winter Trout Stocking Areas: https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/where-fish/winter-trout-fishing-areas