Capt Bob LeMay

A bit over $700 in parts.. and a day’s hard labor… back up and running again. ”Aren’t boats fun”. As my Dad would say, “Kid, I know more about this (or that) than I ever wanted to know… “

Since I'm a high mileage user (15 to 20,000 miles a year towing from one ramp or other) I'm aware that axles wear out... This one was around two years old when it failed. My best guess is that a combination of metal fatigue and some severe impacts did me in. About five or six weeks ago I allowed my onboard navigator to show me a shortcut while towing and it was onto a very bad road with severe potholes (and I hit my share...). That short trip actually damaged one of my roller arms which we replaced - but I never guessed how much damage it did to the spindle on one side of the axle... To make a long story shorter, yesterday I was able to pick up all the parts needed for the repair - and today I should be back up and running... Here's a pic or two of the damage as it exists now... things to do while waiting for the flatbed wrecker... a pic or two for the insurance claim the good side... My commercial charter insurance actually covers both towing on the water or on the road... As others have noted I got very lucky this time and if you're going to be towing a boat lots and lots you'll eventually have your share of troubles. Hope my next "incident" is a down the road aways... Today we're not only replacing that axle, all of the related parts including a new fender are ready to install...

Towed my skiff to the folks that service my motors, all went well (20hour service on my new Yamaha motor) then picked it up in the afternoon for the forty mile run back home... Only went about a quarter mile when the trailer axle snapped... fortunately in heavy crawling traffic at less than five or ten miles an hour so no disaster - but had to drag the trailer off of the road into a nearby parking lot to wait for a flat bed wrecker... Not my first mishap, do a lot of towing and you'll end up in trouble sooner rather than later... Some hours later finally made it home with my trailer deposited in front of my garage and the first order of business now will be getting the parts to get back up and running. With a three day charter coming up this weekend the second call I made after calling a wrecker service... was to my charter booking out in Utah to let him know that he might not be coming my way (and I'll follow up today once I know whether the parts needed will be available today...). A few thoughts... If anyone tells you they intend to take up guiding - just laugh, it would be appropriate... and yesterday's troubles could have been a lot worse. Down here in south Florida most of us are hauling our skiffs up and down highways day in and day out. I've been forced to learn more about boat trailers and boats in general over the last 28 years - than I ever wanted to know... This same event at highway speeds might have had a very different outcome... Lucky me.

Like Sage and others it grew up in Washington state -all those years ago back when fiberglass was the only material around unless you could afford split bamboo… They also started making graphite blanks in the later seventies (like every other outfit- some more successful than others)

He'd have appreciated the humor (to put it mildly he was a wild man in his younger years...). They moved up to Alaska all those years ago and I believe it was the making of him. No war stories here - but he was shot and left for dead back in 1971 down near El Paso and most of our family had resigned themselves to his being a short life. He thrived up in Alaska and really made a great life for himself and his family in my opinion... He was the hunter - I was always the angler - and so it goes. Yes, I'll miss him (and I'm the last of our generation) - but there are grandkids...

Mother nature has a habit of changing things in small waters - sometimes an improvement - other times things go the other way - whether it's a lovely freshwater stream or some backcountry brackish coastal area (where everything is actually temporary - until the next storm moves stuff around...). I've been known to try to stuff a seven foot wide skiff up a six foot wide creek so we have our share of mis-adventures as well as successes. A willingness to explore and push the envelope whether its trout waters or a salt creek can be very rewarding at times... Great report by the way - even though I'll likely never leave my jungle fishing...

Very nice... years and years ago (before "graphite" came along) I built a number of rods using Lamiglass blanks (only one of them a fly rod though..). They were first rate blanks every time - whether I was building up a surf rod or a light spinning rod for bonefish...

That first photo really struck a chord... My only brother lived in the MatSu area for more than forty years -- and every year, about this time... would be in the field looking for a moose... He's been gone now for over a year. They never bought meat at the store in all of those years - it was caribou, moose, a small black bear - and an occasional sheep for their table... The one time I visited them -moose was the best eating... Great photo and hope that bull comes along. I won't mention the hours of work required - after the kill...

Where I guide there are both 'gators and crocs - but our crocs stay in salt or brackish areas (like the boat ramp down at Flamingo where I'll be tomorrow morning with clients..). The 'gator can be in both fresh and brackish areas, at times even in pure salt water areas (in summer when it rains every day... ). Of the two -the 'gator is the dangerous one in my area... The American saltwater crocodile is a fish eater - mostly.. The 'gator will eat anything and when they get big anything includes people... Here's a pic of one of the crocs that hang around the ramps I use when I'm down at Flamingo... The crocs I see most days will come after any fish you hook - but they''re not interested in you... at all...... Everywhere else in the world you find them -they' re maneaters... Along the coast of the 'glades they've got so much fish that they are never a problem for people..

Cool…

Thanks for the info.... Like many who spend their lives outdoors I have skin cancer (the mildest form - basal cell carcinoma), not life threatening - but still something to deal with... I get to see my skin doctor every three months... I'd say that skin cancer is an occupational hazard for any fishing guide... so you pay attention to any info that comes your way...

They had to kill it to take it.... Yes, that's a big one (and the longer they live - the bigger they get...). From what I've learned, a big bull 'gator will attack a small craft -but mostly this is a mating season deal... The big bulls will set up in small lagoons or potholes and vigorously defend them while drawing females for mating. Any possible rival will be attacked on sight in those conditions... Nice to know he's not trying to eat you while destroying your skiff.... Stay away from big 'gators (bigger than 8 feet) - they're just plain dangerous animals... They can outrun you on the ground, and can actually propel themselves six feet and higher from the water... I once witnessed a ten footer take a great blue heron that was standing on top of a seawall - four feet off the water. The 'gator was less than twenty feet from me at the time - and I never knew it was there until I heard that heron squawk - then saw the 'gator slide back into the water - with bird sticking out both sides of his jaws...

Some news accounts have mentioned that it was skin cancer that took him down... something exotic though that I've never heard of.. If anyone knows more please post it up... Skin cancer is certainly a hazard if you spend your days on the water... I get to see my dermatologist every three months as it is...

Falling rocks aren't exactly a problem in my area.... Hate to be towing my skiff an hour or two before dawn and find that in my path... And yes, I'd be looking for that coyote as well....

Passed away at age 76... say it ain't so. This hits a bit close to home - for those not aware he was a dedicated saltwater fly angler when he wasn't entertaining, with tarpon at the top of the list... I never met him, or had the pleasure of fishing with him but we're close enough in age for me to remember his very first album we he was working in the Keys - all those years ago.... The title was right on the money... "A white sport coat - and a pink crustacean" Guess radio stations will be playing lots of his songs now - for a while. Hope they play the early songs...