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A Ponder on Trees- Essay/Photo Essay

March 19, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Cypress tree, Hillsborough River State Park.

A Ponder on Trees

I’ve been doing a ponder on trees. Do trees understand their own mortality? Trees don’t have a brain, a mind. Trees are not sentient. Right? What does science say?

Dwarf cypress forest, Tate’s Hell State Forest

Science doesn’t know everything. It’s particularly weak in areas of spirituality. Where do you keep your spirit? Can science tell you? Does your pet dog have a spirit? Does a gorilla? A whale? We can’t speak to any of these familiar creatures, so much like us in so many ways, much less to something as fundamentally different to us as a tree.

Pine tree, St. George Island State Park

Trees have hundreds of years to ponder the universe. How aware are they of their surroundings? Plants in general, and trees in particular, respond to stimuli. They take their time to do so. Trees have lots of time to respond. The oldest known living thing is a tree, a bristlecone pine, which has over 5,000 years under its belt. This much time allows for a great deal of philosophizing. This much time allows for a great deal of communication with other organisms, if they can understand the “tree talk.”

Temperate rain forest, Wood-Tikchik State Park, Alaska

Working with nothing more than gut instinct, I find it hard to believe that a responsive organism that has 5000 years with which to work can’t communicate with other responsive organisms in its immediate vicinity.

Live oak tree, Bronson State Forest

– Pause for research…

There you go. According to the work of Suzanne Simard, trees interact with each other by means of soil fungi. You can read more about this here- https://e360.yale.edu/features/exploring_how_and_why_trees_talk_to_each_other

 

Cypress trees, Lake Mills Park

Trees recognize and nurture their offspring and pass their accumulated wisdom to their own children. I knew it. It never made sense to me that a creature as magnificent as a large, old tree couldn’t communicate with its neighbors. The mycelium of soil fungi act as both a circulatory system for moving carbon products between trees and as a giant neural net that underlies the entire forest. For all we know this net, along with the trees that are part of it, is able to intelligently process information in ways we haven’t even begun to imagine.

Buttress roots on a cypress tree, Hillsborough River State Park

– Pause for research…

According to the work of Jagadish Chandra Bose, plant tissues respond to both external and internal stimuli exactly like animal tissues do. Flexibility of plant tissue is somewhat inhibited by cell walls. Plant tissues do not include muscle. Why would they? So on a macro level a branch can’t pull away from a flame like your hand could. But the tissues within that branch respond to the flame, to the threat of the flame, exactly like your tissues would.

Cabbage palms, Orlando Wetlands Park

– Another pause for research. The last, I’m wrapping this up.

I looked online for scientific evidence that humans have a soul. While there is some, the prevailing scientific view is that humans are basically bags of biochemical responses fueled by the reaction of various “fuel” molecules such as carbohydrates with oxygen within the cells. When these reactions no longer can occur within us we are said to be dead. As I said at the beginning of this piece, science is pretty weak when it comes to spirituality.

Gingko tree, Toccoa, Georgia

Like us, trees have biochemical reactions. Like us, they have birth and death. Like us, they can communicate with each other and respond to their environment. Like us, they recognize their mortality. Sometimes when I hug a tree, I feel something. I don’t know if it’s generated by the tree or by me but it’s a thrill either way. I think trees are sentient in ways that most of us can never understand, and as far as their having a soul, I’m more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I love the trees.

John Kumiski
admitted tree hugger

Red mangroves, Indian River Lagoon

 

Cabbage Palms, Jensen Beach

 

Mixed hardwoods, Appalachian Trail, North Carolina

 

Red Maple, Chassahowitzka River

 

Cypress tree, Lake Mills Park

 

Cypress roots, Peace River

 

Fir trees, Tongass National Forest, Alaska

 

Pine Tree, Lake Mills Park

 

Oak tree, Toccoa, Georgia

 

Live oak trees, Canaveral National Seashore

Filed Under: opinion, Photo Essays, Uncategorized · Tagged: , , , ,

Hi-Tec Socks Review

June 28, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

Hi-Tec Socks Review

It’s not often I review an item like socks. Hi-Tec socks deserve a review, however. They are awesome, cushy, warm, comfortable, everything a pair of socks should be.

In addition, all Hi-Tec footwear is backed by a 1 Year Warranty and a 60-Day Comfort Guarantee.

My tests of these socks happened on a trip to Tennessee. I wore the Cushion Boot socks inside my waders while fishing, and the Performance Hiking socks while hiking. In both cases the comfort was extraordinary. The Cushion Boot socks kept my feet warm all morning, even while wading in a cold, tailwater river.

Hi-Tec socks are made of a premium merino wool/acrylic blend, designed specifically for outdoor endeavors. They feature a reinforced heel and tow, superior cushioning ability, arch compression for support, and are breathable. When you put them on your feet feel great all day.

Hi-Tec socks come in five different styles, so you can find the socks that best suit your needs.

It’s hard to enjoy your day when your feet are cold, or blistered, or hot and sweaty, and not happy. Probably the best thing that you can say about a pair of socks is, “I didn’t think about my feet all day,” no matter what you are doing. When I took my socks off after being active in them all day, my feet were still very happy. What more can you ask of a pair of socks?

Hi-Tec socks are the best socks I’ve ever worn. They have my highest recommendation.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved

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Innova Swing EX Inflatable Kayak Review

December 7, 2016 by · 2 Comments

Innova Swing EX Inflatable Kayak Review

Innova Swing EX review

The Innova Swing EX

This is an Innova Swing EX Inflatable Kayak Review.

Let me preface the following remarks by saying that because I am a fisherman who lives in Florida, my preference is for a sit-on-top kayak. The Swing EX is a sit-inside.

It’s the most comfortable sit-inside I’ve tried. But we get ahead of ourselves.

Innova kayaks are built in the Czech Republic. My guess is that the assembly instructions are translated from Czech into English. The instructions weren’t clear to me, and I had to go to YouTube and find a video in order to get the boat assembled the first time. Once you understand how it goes together, though, assembling this boat is quite simple.

Innova Swing EX review

The air valve is clever. When the red button is up, air stays in. When it’s down, air comes out.

One caveat- inflating the boat. The kayak has three valves that allow you to fill the three chambers with air. The valves have a red dot in their center, which can lock them closed or open. If the valve is locked open, when you remove the fitting from the air pump all the air you just pumped into the chamber comes rushing right back out. This is disconcerting if you don’t understand how the valve functions.

Of course at first I didn’t. I had to play around with that first valve. You simply push down on the red dot to set it to the other mode, as it were. Then when you remove the air pump fitting, the air stays in the chamber.
When you want to deflate the chamber, you just press the red button. Once you’ve figured it out, you have to admire the clever design.

Clever design features were not limited to the valves, though.

Innova Swing EX review

The inflatable seat- quite nice.

The seat is inflatable (you use for lungs for this), quite comfortable, and quite adjustable, with three straps holding it in the desired position. The footrest likewise is inflatable, with a single strap holding it in the desired position. It’s easy enough to adjust that I easily adjusted it to my liking during my water tests of the boat.

Innova Swing EX review

The inflatable foot rest and forward cargo space.Please ignore the white guy legs.

Bungees and cargo nets across the decks fore and aft allow you to store small items securely, with immediate access.

Innova Swing EX review

Cargo nets fore and aft for small items.

For larger items, you’ll find ample cargo space in front of the footrest and behind the seat. Access these spaces through two zippers that run parallel to the long axis of the boat, one fore, one aft. My tests were without significant cargo.

Innova Swing EX review

Bungees and zippers fore and aft for larger items.

I found the boat to be well designed and well made. There was nothing cheap or chintzy about it.

The Swing’s initial water test was on a small local lake. Winds were light, quite a lovely day, actually.

A removable fin keel kept the vessel tracking remarkably straight. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the Swing was to paddle, and how well it tracked. Paddling the Swing EX was a little more clumsy than paddling my Prowler. Because in the Swing you sit in a hole on the top of the boat, you need to keep your arms up higher than when paddling the SOT. In my opinion, this was a little more clumsy.

The second test was on the Econlockhatchee, a small river near my home. I brought a fishing rod. Any boat I own has to have fishability.

For the same reason as in paddling, fishing from the Swing was clumsy. I kept hitting the edge of the cockpit with the line, or the reel, and had to hold my arms up higher than I am accustomed to. That having been said, I did catch two bass in two hours, and missed another strike. So you can fish from the boat. Be careful with sharp objects, though. It is an inflatable, after all.

Innova Swing EX review

I caught this bass from the Swing EX.

While the Prowler is better for fishing, and I’m unlikely to get rid of it, the Swing has some advantages over it. For one thing, although they are the same length when the Swing is inflated, it weighs about half of the Prowler’s 55 pounds. For another thing, with the Swing you don’t need roof racks or a trailer. It comes in a backpack. You can assemble it in minutes when you get to the water. When you’re done you can fold it up and put it back in the pack, or let just enough air out to shove it in the trunk or in the back of the van.

Innova Swing EX review

You can also just tie the boat to the roof of your vehicle- no rack needed.

For folks with storage space issues, the Swing makes way more sense. It fits in a backpack. A hard kayak’s length doesn’t change. The Swing is way more “storable”.

All-in-all I think the Innova Swing EX Inflatable Kayak is a neat little boat. While it doesn’t fit my particular needs very well, I can see where it would fit the needs of any paddlers who require a boat they can store and transport easily. At $1000 it’s certainly affordable. You could do much, much worse.

And that is my Innova Swing EX Inflatable Kayak Review!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, opinion, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

October 5, 2016 by · Leave a Comment
orlando fishing report

The fly in question? A black redfish worm.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality

Mosquito Lagoon was long justly famous for its clear water and abundant fish- redfish, seatrout, black drum, and several other species. Anglers used a variety of techniques to catch these fish, but for kayaking fly fishers the main draw was the ability to sight fish the critters, even while sitting in a kayak.

The landscape began to change in 2011.

During the summer of 2011 an algae bloom appeared. It quickly spread. Soon the water in the lagoon became a sickening brown color. If you put your hand in the water, it disappeared. Unless a fish stuck a body part out of the water, you had no idea it was there.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

You can see the shallow water is not crystal clear. Again, the fly is black.

Winter came, and the bloom cleared.

It came back during the summer of 2012, and cleared again when winter came.

It came back during the summer of 2013, and cleared again when winter came.

It came back during the summer of 2014. Winter came. The water did not clear. It has been disgustingly dirty ever since. Friends of mine have said, “I can’t wait for the water to clear.” Well, yeah, but I think they’re being optimistic. None of the conditions that led to these blooms has been changed (and it’s a complex set of circumstances), so why should the water clear?

Perhaps I’m being pessimistic, but I think brown, dirty water is the new norm here. Adapt or get skunked.

The dirty water has had a cascade effect. Light cannot penetrate the water, so a lot of the seagrass has died. Seagrasses fed the entire ecosystem, so my fear is that the productivity of the system, its ability to produce finfish, has been seriously compromised. There ain’t as many fish, because there ain’t as much fish food.

If you kayak fish with a fly rod, there are fewer fish to find, and it’s gotten much harder to find them. What to do? What to do???

You could, of course, take your game elsewhere. Undoubtedly some fishermen have. Those of us who live here are loathe to take such a drastic step. No, we adapt. This piece examines how to do so.

In a nutshell, what the entrepid paddling hackle heaver needs to do is concentrate his (or her) effort at shallow spots that have lots of light-colored bottom. If you can wade there that’s a huge plus. Places that fit this description include Tiger Shoal, Georges Bar, and many of the spoil islands. There are many other places, and some time spent studying Google Maps will pay dividends when you’re out paddling.

If the water is low (0.5′ or less on this gauge http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02248380) that’s a really huge plus. The deeper the water is, the tougher seeing the fish will be. The converse is true, too. Low water is one of your biggest allies.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

What you look for has not changed.

What you’re looking for hasn’t changed. Tails, wakes, busts, laid-up or finning fish, concentrations of birds or bait, all can lead to a pay-off. My preference is to find an area that has fish, then abandon ship and do my hunting on foot. Your conversion rate will be higher by doing this.

If there’s any silver lining to the dirty water situation, it’s that the fish can’t see you either. On a recent trip I got three reds. My longest cast was about 20 feet.

For reds and drum you still want flies that sink. My favorite color is basic black. It seems to be visible in the murk.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

Black flies work well…

Your casts will have to be more aggressive. Any fly not in the immediate vicinity of the fish’s head will just not be seen, much less taken. Don’t be afraid to lay it on them!

Seatrout, frequently tough to sight fish even when the water was clean, seem much less abundant now. I have yet to figure them out. When that happens I will write another article.

While this piece is about the Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River and Banana River Lagoons have the same problems. Indeed, the problems may be worse in those lagoons. Last winter the Banana River Lagoon had an enormous fish kill between SR 528 and the Pineda Causeway.

In the Mosquito Lagoon that hasn’t happened, and in the Mosquito Lagoon there are at least some seagrass beds that remain. All that having been said, there are still fish in both those lagoons, and they can certainly be caught on fly tackle. Again, look for shallow areas with light colored bottoms so you have a chance to see any fish that may be present.

Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon redfish

…but other colors will work too.

So while we can hope that the good old days of plentiful fish and clean water aren’t gone, hoping does not put fish on the end of the line. Get paddling, look for fish in those shallow spots, and some good things will happen. That’s Kayak Fly Fishing Mosquito Lagoon Redfish- A New Reality.

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2016. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Stories, Fishing Tips, Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report, opinion · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

What a Fish Knows- A Review

September 29, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

What a Fish Knows- A Review

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What a Fish Knows- The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins, by Jonathan Balcombe. 288 pages, hard cover, Scientific American, 2016, $27.00

Once upon a time a friend gave me a book titled Be Here Now (by Baba Ram Dass). That book touched in me places I didn’t realize existed, but it did not change my behavior. Until one day, months later, I was cooking a leg of lamb, and while checking to see if it was done something happened in my head-CLICK! That piece of meat went from being my dinner to a disgusting dead thing, just like that. I stopped eating all meat and very nearly stopped fishing. Talk about a delayed reaction!

I just finished reading What a Fish Knows, an excellent, well-documented work of popular science. Mr. Balcombe presents some good, documented arguments that fish are intelligent, aware creatures with a lot more going on intellectually than we as humans have ever given them credit for, for example-

-documented cases of tool use by several species;

-complex social structures, particular on coral reefs;

-familial ties. Many species of fish care for their young for an extended period, and some mate for life;

-intelligence. Some fish species can solve problems faster than chimpanzees;

-cooperative hunting strategies, between members of the same species and between members of different species.

I could list more, but you get the idea. Fish deserve a lot more respect from us than they get. Evolution has had 150 million years to work with fish. A few good adaptations must have occurred in all that time. It’s only been working with us for six million.

I often feel sorry for the fish I catch as I watch them struggle at the end of my line. I often apologize to them, and thank them, whether I drop them into a cooler or release them. This book will only make me empathize with them even more strongly.

Only time will tell if What a Fish Knows will change my behavior. It’s certainly given me a greater appreciation for fish of all kinds, and lots of food for thought. Those are two reasons why anyone with any interest in fish at all should read this book. It earns my highest recommendation.

John Kumiski

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Litterology Review

February 20, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

litterologyLitterology Review

This is a Litterology Review- a review of the new book Litterology.

It’s sad that the planet needs a book by the name of Litterology- Understanding Littering and the Secrets to Clean Public Places (Karen Spehr and Rob Curnow, paperback, 150 pages, Environment Books 2015, $25.00). Anyone who looks around anywhere where people go will see we do, though. There is trash disposed of improperly everywhere.

Why do some people always litter? Why do some people never litter? Why do most people litter in some situations, but not in others? And most importantly, how do we change people’s behavior so that they litter less, or not at all, or even go around picking up other people’s litter?

Spehr and Curnow are environmental psychologists who have spent a good portion of their professional lives researching the answers to these questions. Littering is actually quite a complex behavior. Some of the factors that must be considered when trying to find out why people litter or why they don’t include the location where the littering or not littering is occurring, the type of object or objects being disposed of, whether bins are present or not, where the bins (if present) are placed, how well-maintained the bins are, whether or not other people are littering, and whether the disposer thinks they are being watched or not.

In general, clean places tend to stay clean and littered places tend to stay littered. Large public gatherings tend to bring out the worst in disposal behavior among everyone who attends. Figuring out why clean places stay clean is an important consideration when trying to change the behavior of people who are littering in a trashy area. Changing the behavior of large numbers of human beings is a tough thing to do.

If you consider yourself to be a responsible individual, particularly one who manages any kind of public space, this book should rocket to the top of your must-read list. You will get insights into this dark side of human behavior and how to change it you would never get any other way. It’s a tremendous tool for those charged with managing litter, one that has been sorely needed. Litterology has my highest recommendation.

-John Kumiski

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Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida

October 19, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida

Here in central Florida we find many species of fish- redfish, snook, seatrout, tarpon, snapper, moonfish, jacks, it’s a long list. Since you’re traveling, you don’t have room to bring a ton of tackle. I hope the list below reflects an exercise in minimalism for Florida saltwater flies.

The fish you’ll be encountering eat three things for the most part- smaller fish, shrimp, and crabs. The flies carried should reflect this. Additionally, some attractor-style flies like spoonflies and poppers should be carried, too.

Try to fit all the terminal tackle into a single Simms Dry Creek Waist Pack . In the pocket of the pack put the following items:

– a couple of finger guards

– a Dr. Slick hook file

– a stick of sunscreen for the lips.

Inside the pack put the following:

-fluorocarbon leader wheels in 12, 15, 20, and 30 pound test

– a package of Knot 2 Kinky leader wire . You never know when this might be needed

– a dehooker

– a Gerber Multitool  or equivalent

– a small bag with a half dozen small white shrimp flies for nighttime dock fishing. If you get a chance you will be ready.

– a one quart ziplock back containing a couple dozen synthetic minnow fly patterns, similar to Puglisi style flies, in sizes from #4 to #2/0, many with weedguards, some tied as bendbacks.

An example of a minnow fly. Lefty’s Deceiver will work, too.

 

A flock of faux fishies.

– a small Plano box jammed with flies, including-

*3 Dupre spoonflies

Jim Dupre's Spoonfly.

* a half dozen Merkin-style (or other) crabs, size #4, with weedguards

A gaggle of Merkins.

*several Clouser Minnows in various colors and sizes (#4-1), with weedguards

Clouser minnows of many color combos work well.

*several black bunny leeches, #2, with weedguards

The bunny leech or bunny booger, a deadly fly.

* several Borski-style Sliders, size #4 and 2, in various colors and weights, with weedguards;

My version of a slider.

* a few Trout Bites or other style bendback, size #4 and 2

The Trout Bite on top, and a synthetic minnow below.

* a few Rattle Rousers, size #4, great for dirty water

Rattle Rousers, weighted and not.

* a selection of poppers and gurglers. Baby tarpon love small gurglers!

My version of Gartside's Gurgler.

If you have space, a few fry minnow patterns will be great for freshwater fishing and baby tarpon.

A craft fur fry minnow.

With this kit, you could fish saltwater anywhere north of Key Largo and would be prepared for most of what you would encounter.

So we have discussed Florida Saltwater Flies- Packing for a Trip to Florida. In your Florida fishing fantasy, what different stuff would you bring?

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Tips, Flies and Fly Tying, opinion · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Orion Cooler Review

April 30, 2015 by · 2 Comments

Orion Cooler Review

orion cooler review

The Orion 45 Cooler has been in use in Spotted Tail for about three weeks now, long enough for me to state categorically that it’s the finest cooler I’ve ever seen. I can write a knowledgeable Orion Cooler review! There is also a Yeti cooler on Spotted Tail, so it’s easy to make comparisons. And I have used Coleman and Igloo coolers for decades. Their quality is such that they are completely out of this discussion.

Orion Coolers come in four sizes. The Orion 45 is versatile, well suited to everything from day trips to week-long outings. Whether by canoe, truck, motor boat or RV, the 45 is sized for high portability, while still having the ability to carry common items like two litre bottles or a case of cans.  It makes a great standing platform for casting!

Orion coolers have a number of features and innovations unique to the rugged cooler market. There are a lot of premium coolers.  They all look alike. Orion doesn’t. Orion introduced multi-color, camo plastic blends to the cooler market, making every single Orion cooler unique.

Each cooler has YakAttack gear tracks on each side for easy customization via RAM accessory integration, a key innovation that allows you to add holders for fishing rods, phones, cups, fish finders, GPS and more.

orion cooler review

Corner tie-down and side gear track.

To help hold the cooler in place are six tie-down points (four of which are bottle openers), giving multiple ways to secure your cooler. Holding all your cold items secure are low-profile, camming latches that are hinged for ease of use and snag-free when loading or using the cooler as a fly fishing casting platform. Orion Coolers are all lockable via padlocks on the corners, both to secure the cooler, and to seal it shut, and are bear proof following IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee) certification criteria.

orion cooler review

The camming latch is recessed while closed…

 

orion cooler review

…and here it is, open.

On the top of the cooler is a standing pad for traction, seated comfort and a look distinctly Orion. The strong and comfortable rope carry handles give long-lasting comfort and sure grip in tough conditions.

orion cooler review

The standing pad is an integral part of the Orion Cooler.

 

orion cooler review

Carry grips are strong yet comfortable.

Every Orion cooler is made in the USA with a rugged, roto-molded polyethylene shell built to give you years of service. Underneath that rugged exterior shell, Orion Coolers have at least two inches of insulation to keep what’s cold, cold. My two quart freeze bottle stays frozen for at least three days.

orion cooler review

That lonely freeze bottle will stay frozen at least three days.

Inside the cooler you will find a solid thermoformed plastic tray, not the standard wire mesh trays you will find elsewhere.  It allows for drainage, but won’t let your smaller items fall through.

Lighting your way is a removable, Princeton-Tec AMP1 light, helping you see in the cooler at night or diminished light conditions. Use it in the cooler, or remove it for use around your camp at night.

This cooler is built like a bomb shelter. You will never wear it out.

Cooler story- last week I had two fishermen in my boat, which was part of a corporate three-boat charter. One of my fishermen was texting with his iPhone. He put the phone down on top of the Yeti, which is secured on the front deck of my boat. At that instant a fish hit. The boat rocked, and the phone slid off the Yeti into the water.

If the Orion had been mounted up there the phone would not have moved. The Orion has a tough, closed-cell foam standing pad on top.

Orion Coolers have a website, of course. I suggest you visit. Its URL is http://www.orioncoolers.com.

Orion Coolers have my highest recommendation. And that is my Orion Cooler review.

John Kumiski

www.spottedtail.com

http://www.spottedtail.com/blog

www.johnkumiski.com

www.rentafishingbuddy.com

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2015. All rights are reserved.

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Sevylor Quikpak K1 Review

March 12, 2015 by · 3 Comments

Sevylor Quikpak K1 Review

Sevylor Kwik Pak K-1 review

The Sevylor Quikpak K-1, ready for launch.

So this fairly inaccessible pond used to have a boat on it. When I visited the pond a few weeks ago, the boat was gone. GONE! How could I fish there now? The bottom is soft, the pond full of big alligators. That’s not a good wading combination.

Some research on-line led me to the Sevylor Quikpak K1 One Person Inflatable Kayak. I contacted (three times) the media representative at Coleman (Coleman owns Sevylor) to inquire about obtaining said vessel. They never responded to me.

Since the boat with shipping was less than $120, I just bought it. But I am wondering what customer service will be like, should I need it.

The boat arrived in a large carton. In the carton was the boat, a hand pump and hose, a paddle (which I just threw away), and the pack to carry the boat in. And of course there were instructions.

I took the boat into my yard and blew it up. The literature says this will take five minutes. It’s more like ten, not a deal-breaker if you’re the type who would carry the thing for a mile or two to get it to a body of water. Pumping up the boat is only a small amount of work, but enough that my aging butt had to take a break in the middle of it.

The valves and the hose nozzles are not brilliantly engineered. By being a little fussy one person can still get all five chambers filled up with air in minutes. The hose appears to be the weakest link in the system- guaranteed to be the first item to break.

The pump also sucks all the air out of the boat when you’re finished using it. That’s a good thing- that way it fits back into the pack.

This morning I gave the boat the on-the-water test. I carried it a mile and a half to the pond, filled it up with air, put it in the water, and climbed on.

By the way, since I have other kayaks I also had a decent paddle already. I did not need or want the chintzy one that came with the boat.

The K1 paddles kind of like a doughnut, or a big inner tube, might. Every paddle stroke turns the bow of the boat the other way. There is a lot of effort wasted going laterally.

I kept telling myself if not for this boat I would not be there at all. I don’t suppose one can expect a finely designed and built boat for $120.

In its defense, the boat stayed filled with air. The material from which it’s made appears sturdy enough to last for multiple trips. The quality of the (Chinese) construction appears to be more than adequate.

I found myself wishing I had an anchor. I believe an eight ounce lead pyramid on a thin nylon line would be adequate. As it was I parked it on top of weedbeds and fly fished from that stationary position.

Sevylor Quikpak K1 Review

This was the best fish of the morning’s feasibility study. This boat will help me find a bigger fish!

I caught five bass from the boat this morning, and made it back to the put-in without incident. It passed the water test! With some maneuvering I was even able to pee from it. I think my limit for sitting in the thing will be four hours or so.

I’ve always regarded kayak fishing as an exercise in minimalism, but this boat takes it to the extreme. Outside of my pockets (in which was a small fly box, a leader wheel, and a multi-tool) I had a paddle, a one-liter water bottle, a banana for both good luck and a delicious snack, and a five-weight fly outfit.

The boat lets me access a place I would not otherwise be able to fish. I will adjust to its idiosyncrasies and continue using it as time and weather permits.

The Sevylor Quikpak K1 One Person Inflatable Kayak- it’s not the perfect boat, but it does allow one to fish otherwise inaccessible water.

 

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

 

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2015. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, opinion, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , , ,

Energy Bits for You

December 19, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

Energy Bits for You

energy bits

Recently a product sample arrived in my mailbox. The product, called Energy Bits, consists of a “serving” of 30 dark green tablets that look like something your doctor might prescribe. The tablets are composed entirely of organically grown non-GMO Spirulina algae – a super food endorsed by the United Nations and NASA as the most nutritionally dense food in the world.

The Energy Bits are not what I would call delicious. However, literature included with the product recommends not chewing them, just washing them down with water. Curiosity made me chew them! They turned my mouth pretty green.

During my recent trip to the Everglades I “ate” 30 Energy Bits (the manufacturer’s recommended serving size) as a breakfast one morning, just washing them down with water. They were not as satisfying as a breakfast at IHOP. However, I did not get hungry until close to lunchtime, and this was with paddling all morning. I would do it again!

Spirulina was a food source for the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans until the 16th century. Dried Spirulina contains about 60% protein, more than twice as much as a piece of beef. Nowadays Spirulina is used by many athletes as a nutritional supplement. It is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids, superior to typical plant protein such as that from legumes. Spirulina is the most concentrated antioxidant food source known.

Energy Bits, 100 percent Spirulina, are fast, easy, and reasonably priced. They are really good for you. Learn more , or purchase some, at their website here…

Will they help you catch more fish? Not today. However, if you live longer as a result of using Energy Bits, then you’ll get to go fishing more. If you fish more you should catch more fish. So eating Energy Bits will help you catch more fish, too!

Life is great and I love my work!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: Fishing Product News and Reviews, opinion · Tagged: , ,
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