I have joined members of the "dark side" and now own a big(ger) boat.

Last Friday my wife and I got an 18ft Lund with a 115 on it.

Only connection I have to the "Force" is the front deck can double as a casting platform for when I
get to go fly fishing.

It has downriggers on it too.

Not sure if those two recessed areas by the front seats are drink holders or for power bait.... guess
I'll have to find out.

signed,

wind in hair

ZL - It appears that we are too late to bring you back, you have truly crossed over to the dark side... Not sure that the front deck with give you much connection to the Force.

Perhaps you should check out the following for your next addition, could be better than the Power Bait...

www.subvoyager.com

I thought I sensed a disturbance in the Force over the weekend.

Sounds like a nice ride. Congrats!

Just think of all the fly fishing water you can cover now.

Next thing ya know everyone will want to go fishing with you.

Enjoy Bill!

I'm thinking of upgrading my canoe for a bigger boat also. With our 3rd kid on the way, I'm gonna need more room!!

Hi ZL,

Long time no talk to. Glad to hear you saw the dark! Please tell me the "Force" was not a Force outboard. Hopefully something with a bit more reputation behind it. If you want some pointers on how to use those downriggers, a bunch of us are headed up Sekiu this weekend. I can even show you how to rig a coho fly off of your downrigger so that your "fly only" friends will still hold out a bit of hope for you. I'll be there with my boat, same size, but a bit more power. Come on up if you have a chance.

Andy

P.S. try as I might, I still have not caught my namesake to give those recipes a try.

DF

Andy,

The motors are Yamaha 4 strokes.... nice and quiet. One's a 115 and the other is the little 8.

I saw where you'd be at Sekiu this weekend sponsoring a "Snoopy" fishing contest. Thought I'd try and find you up there to see if anyone got spooled. Your top prize of a used tackle box didn't entice me to buy a qualifying fishing outfit.

I'll be at Olson's. Where will you be? My boat is green and white, an 18 foot Fisherman.

Oh, I will have my flyrod along with some flies just in case we spot a school on the surface. Thought I'd tie up a candlefish pattern that I've used for 8 years now. Can't get a good read if they work good, but the person who gave me the pattern lost his first batch in a period of 4 hours first time he tried them. Kept getting broke off by strong fish from his float tube.

My Gawd, What's the world coming to. With the Zen turning into a
TROLLER, spewing gas fumes all over the water, pollution will increase
10 fold. We gotta keep that 18 footer offa those troutlakes Zen frequents.
Maybe I can get him over here and hooked on Lake Roosevelt Silvers and
Rufus Woods Triploids. That'll keep him offa my quality waters.

Fishnfella,

Rest assured that I still have my Spring Creek pram and know the difference of where to use each boat.

Also I still have my large quantity of fly rods and gear. I still plan to buy another fly reel so I can "two rod" up in BC.

Also, BC trips will be back on tap for next year.

This year sucked for fishing trips. Didn't make it up to BC once.

I see chronies on Peterhope next spring. Maybe Stump too.

May even have the time to camp at Pennask with you, if you ever go there. Figure you were camping there earlier this year... unless you were talking about a day trip.

Just teasing, I know once you get flys in your blood, you never go over to
the dark side completely. It's just a diversion, or a new challange, or maybe the
little woman don't like floattubes??

Now if'n one day you're bored and in need of a 25# trout challange maybe
you'll come over this way and kidnap me in that new boat and force me to fish Rufus Woods with ya for monster triploids. The guides say there are times these fish will take flys.

Yes, I camped near Pennask at that lake I told ya about earlier over the July 4th.
weekend last summer. It was great with many trout to #5. The skeeters nearly ate me
and I lost one day to marble sized hail and thunderstorms.....but that's Canada
for ya. Planning on going back next year and have a second lake targeted near
the other that also has quality regs. and biiiiig Rainbows.

Zen, congrats on the new boat, Remember to service it regularly. Fishingfella said something about you putting out gas fumes. was that you or the boat?

Gas???

uh.... just because my lunch was onion sandwiches and pepperoni doesn't mean it wasn't the boat's fault.

TM, does your dealership sell Yamahas?

Zen, we service and sell Yamaha's, Mercury, Mercruiser, Johnson,Evinrude,Omc ,Volvo, Nissan, Tohatsu,Farce outboards, We are here for all you boating needs.

Zen , give me a call @ work. 1-800423-1835
T.M.

T.M. - Mind if I call you when my boat needs servicing? I have a 17.5 ft Bayliner with a 135hp mercruiser.

Give us a call anytime. We advertise on the Wa.lakes King county page. check out our web site.

Zen, give me a call. I just spoke with the Yamaha service rep and he had some pointers for you about the proper break in of the 115 and your kicker.

I don't know if you can use the word SERVICE and YAMAHA in the same sentence. Just change the oil in them on a regular basis and you wont have any problems.

That break in period can be a real pain though. At least it was for my 15 HP. I had to motor around for 4 freakin hours!

Just a reminder for you other "dark sider's" out there. There will be a gathering known as Floatilla #6 at Sekiu this weekend. A number of us will be fishing out of the Coho Resort, but you can stay anywhere you want. Use VHF channel 68 or FRS channels 8 or 11. All are welcome!

Andy

Thanks for the invite.

Easy, read through your owners manual, you will find that there is alot more to servicing your 4 stroke. Oil and filter, valve adjustments, fuel filters , lower unit gear oil. etc.etc. I love customers who only change there oil.

I know about the other stuff. I do it all myself, except for valve adjustments.

I am lucky where I live. I have Auburn Sport & Marine (Yamaha dealer) near me so I can get parts from them and South Seattle Motor Sports, another Yamaha dealer.

You keep talking about the dark side as going out in a big boat and using gear other than what the good guys use. Well I've been thinking along those lines also. As my fly fishing lately sucks. At least when I used spinning gear I caught fish. I am getting tired of getting skunked every time I go out lately.

I think I'm getting beyond help.

TM, I gather from some of your other posts you work on boat motors for a living. If you don't mind me asking, where do you work? You can email me an answer if you would like.

TM works at Mercer Marine at the Bellevue location.

He also told me what those "recessed areas" next to the seats are for. Dummy that I am, I thought they were either for Power Bait or maybe, drink holders.

He told me they were for Pautzke's egg jars.

So, how the heck would a Trout Master know about salmon eggs???

The part about him being at Mercer Marine is true.

TroutMaster used to ( dont tell anyone ) fish with them little eggs all the time before he heard
his calling and went with the force. Now all he uses is the force that is with him. And yes I work
at Mercer marine here in Bellevue. I am semi retired ( or is it retarded) from actually working on the boats. I am in the office now.

Can it be true that the fabled Troutmaster once kept little red "BALLS OF FIRE"
in his fridge????? I'll only believe it when I hear it straight from him!

I will admit only to you that I did fish with the green labeled balls of fire at one time in my life.

How about Garden Hackle. Did you also use that.