Good Morning and a HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all our Member Friends, Students, Clients, Readers and even you Fly Spies, as the late great, Butch Colvin referred to you.  It has been a pretty busy week here for me in S.W. Florida. The Gheenoe demo boat sold to a new customer Jon, that I suspect will also become a student and hopefully a long time client of A.F.F.S.  Jon is an Operations Mgr. at the big regional Wal-Mart distribution center in Punta Gorda. Jon is an avid flats fisherman that has already ordered a brand new Custom Gheenoe Lo-Tide 17' from the factory in Titusville. He just does not want to wait for the 5 to 6 months, until his new skiff is completed to go fishing, so he came and bought my demo boat to get him out on the water until his Lo-Tide 25 is ready to go. I have always been a bit perplexed by the size of my 15' Gheenoe NMZ, but it was titled that way by the factory and though I came up with a stem to stern tape measurement of 13'6" I figured Pughar was simply selling them as a 15' model for some reason? When Jon showed up to look at it for the first time, he noticed that shorter length right off and asked me if I had a tape measure to check it out length and beam plus the lower leg engine height with my 15 H.P. on the fixed factory jack plate.  As he was going to use a similar older Merc tiller engine he already owns. Low and behold, it confirmed both our suspicions that the skiff is a 13' NMZ not a 15' NMZ no matter what the paperwork says. The serial hull #  matches the documents but to get it registered as a 13' NMZ would require the manufacturer to do that paperwork correction for the DMV to be able to register it as a 13', not a 15' model. As it turns out this 13' NMZ will be a lot rarer than a 15' model and since the factory is now concentrating on their Lo-Tide 10 and 25 models. I'm sure the molds are at the factory for a 13 NMZ and one could be built on special order but what the lead time on that would be, I don't know? With the regular custom production boats currently at 6 months lead time. Anyway, Jon is very happy with his purchase and deal price and happily towed it home where he thinks he will now be a 2 model Custom Gheenoe boat owner.
I have a serious possible buyer for my Merc outboard from Florida that has been working in Alabama and is coming home this Tuesday and wants the motor, but who knows what will happen with that deal. There are other guys also interested as well, One just text me to say he will be here later today to look it over, so first here with the cash will take it home.
I have decided to keep the trailer and the kayak / SUP rack for my new little BATTLEWAGON skiff.
With the motor sales cash, I will hook up my empty trailer and head north to S.C. before the end of this month. I will drop off the trailer at Guide Steve English's storage yard. Pick up my 18' Pro Skiff flats boat on its trailer and bring it back here to Florida to rig it up and sell it here. I will then fly up to N.J. one way and pick up my motorhome, hook up the big A.F.F.S. Show Trailer and either take it to the BATTLEWAGON factory yard to complete its cabinet work and run some casting/fishing classes there for awhile (I hope that part of the plan works out with Christian) or I will bring it back to Florida to finish its remodel work down here. Then it is only a matter of retrieving the boat trailer from S.C. up to Jersey to load the Battlewagon skiff on it. Of course there are biz stops planned on the first road trip up and back detouring a little bit to see some potential suppliers, sponsors and of course to do some fly fishing and filming.

In related NEWS..  A.F.F.S. other founding member, Bill Haldaman is en route driving from his former ranch in Montana to his new home here in Cape Coral. I just called him on the phone and he and wife Barbara who is driving her vehicle behind their 5th wheel camper are currently in Tennessee almost down to Nashville.  They have already traveled about 2,000 miles with under another 1,000 more to go. If we can get Bill unloaded down here in a day or so, then Bill plans on taking the road trip up and back to S.C. with me to catch some big bream on the fly with me at Black's Camp on Lake Moultrie. Local Guide on Moultrie Steve English reports this week that the Bluegills are on their beds in the shallows breeding and are aggressive on small poppers. Don't worry parent fish, we will put you all back in the water after a photo or two.

In other NEWS this week I located a couple of "project" boats in the area that need various stages of completion to finish them and hopefully make some money from selling them. They range from a classic 1977 17' HEWES flats boat "basket case", A 17' MITCHELL Skiff that looks good but will need a new all glass no wood transom "transplant" and an older  27' Custom center console that just needs some TLC. All 3 boats have trailers under them in various states of repair that are included with them, which makes it a little easier on redoing them and selling them.

Do you have some fly fish reports to pass on in the NEWS ?.. Guide Paul Healy checked in by phone yesterday but the reception was not good while I was driving so here is Paul's last post from Pine Creek in PA. that he text me on Saturday. "Last few days have been better fishing. The mornings from 9 - 11:30 are good with many trout rising to my March Browns and Sulphurs. Nights it's action after 8 pm using the same flies. Last night I caught 7 fish, this morning it was 6 fish.  Way too hot at midday to fish or catch anything. Too hot for a good nap between fishing shifts, so its off to the local pub and some air conditioning for a couple of hours.". If you want to go up to the Mountains and get in on some good early or late day dry fly fishing? With a nice camper and great food included to spend the night in or you can stay at the local motel if you prefer that. Then give us a call here at the office @ 732-267-0058 and we will set it up for you right away.

If you have a report to contribute to pass on some info to your fellow fly fishers or are a Guide or Lodge and want to help boost your operation, please send it over today, so that we can also include it with any pics or video that you want to add to it.