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Alafia River State Park Report, more

January 8, 2021 by · 2 Comments

Alafia River State Park Report, more

Thank you for reading this Alafia River State Park Report. Did a couple other things, too.

Upcoming Event– Lake Monroe Cleanup, Jan. 23 

Click the link now to reserve your space!

Sunday– tried my luck shad fishing in the St. Johns, launching at CS Lee and fishing around the Econ River mouth. Cast for three hours, only met this guy again-

Monday– Drove to Stuart to fish with Rick DePaiva in the Indian River Lagoon. Hadn’t seen him since last year! We fished for pompano, and it was s-l-o-w. That having been said, I got two pompano on a pompano jig. Also got a bluefish, a redfish, several crevalle jacks, a ladyfish, and a tiny mutton snapper. We worked it hard all day.

Tuesday Sue and I packed for a little camping trip.

Wednesday through Friday we were at Alafia River State Park in Lithia (Hillsborough County) on a fact-finding mission. I’d never been there nor heard much about it. And really, we went there because I couldn’t get a site at Hillsborough River.

The park sits on an old phosphate mining site. There are phosphate pits full of water there, as well as the Alafia River. The river is small and shallow, but looks like it should hold some bass and bream. We checked it out from a bridge at the park’s south entrance. The only fish we saw, and were hordes of them, were Plecostamus. If I had brought a paddle vessel, I would have explored it. But, didn’t bring a boat.

We walked one of the equestrian trails.

The park’s main claim to fame are the mountain biking trails. They are supposed to be the finest in the southeast. I didn’t bring a bike either, and doubt if I’m healthy enough to ride any more, but the bike trail system is extensive, well-managed, and well-maintained. There’s a pro shop there (closed during our visit), a bike washing station, air pumps, and map boards. Trails are marked by skill level, from the turtle track for beginners to two or three double-diamond expert trails.

The pond I cast into. The banks were high and nearly vertical in most places.

The Turtle Track is a multi-use trail (the bike trails are dedicated- hikers not allowed). Susan and I walked it, and I carried a spin rod. The ponds we came to, with one exception, had such thick duckweed my shad just sat on top of it. Couldn’t get my lure wet for the duckweed! The no-duckweed pond got a few casts with no response, but access was difficult due to the terrain.

Susan on the hiking trail.

There are hiking trails that also use the old phosphate mining area, with abrupt elevation changes sufficient to get one’s heart pumping fast. We started on one and made it up one hill before turning around. The hiking trails map is hopelessly inadequate, unfortunately.

At the park’s north entrance is a phosphate pit you can drag a small boat into. Again, didn’t bring a boat. But it looks delicious…

Phosphate pit at north end of park, courtesy Google Maps.

The campsite was a state park campsite- electric and water hookup, nice clean bathhouse within easy walking distance. Most people there are in RVs so tenters or van life folks pretty much have the bathhouse to themselves.

I went out at night to make photos, and zombies came after me!

So, the park caters to bicycles, has equestrian, hiking, and fishing available, and is nicely maintained. I’d go back, but I’d bring a kayak with me.

Thank you for reading this Alafia River State Park Report blog!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or walk on a trail!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Everglades National Park Report and Photo Essay

December 4, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Everglades National Park Report and Photo Essay

Thank you for reading this Everglades National Park report and photo essay. I’m afraid it may be rather lengthy.

To paraphrase Lynyrd Skynyrd- They call me Mr. Cold Front…

Drove down to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City on Saturday to pick up our backcountry permit. Met my associate in mild insanity, Mike Conneen, Sunday morning. He was accompanied by River the Wonder Service Dog. I had hoped to launch the boats by 7 AM so as to catch the last of the outgoing tide to Jewell Key. HA! We paddled against the current the entire way. It was still a lovely paddle with great weather.

Mike and River, on the way to Jewell Key.

After unloading our vessels and setting up our new temporary home, we went on a fishing expedition. The Gulf side of Jewell Key boasts an extensive live worm rock reef. While I enjoy sight-fishing over the reef, when we got there the tide was too high for this. Blind-casting with a plastic shad netted me several trout and ladyfish and a redfish. Mike prefers a Vudu Shrimp, the new weedless version. He got what I got and a few snook too.

Trout…

 

…and redfish made up my catch.

Late in the afternoon, on the falling tide, I switched to the fly rod. Using a plain chartreuse and white Clouser minnow I got more trout and ladyfish and a snook too, giving me what turned out to be my only slam of the trip. It was beautiful out there. I fished until after sunset.

Got one on!

 

And then it was released.

Monday morning it was blowing like snot, coming off the Gulf. We fished on the inside, the lee side, of several islands, with a few small fish to show for it. Mike wanted to range further. I thought it was a bad idea with a front on the way. We worked our way back to camp.

Here comes the front.

 

Here we are waiting for it.

 

Got some nap time in.

 

My tent kept the water outside, where it belongs.

Good thing, too. The front blew in with hard wind and heavy rain. It continued to rain on and off into the evening. We spent a lot of time in our tents.

Surprisingly, Tuesday morning was not that cold, although it blew like snot. I left Mike and River in camp and went walking the now uncovered reef, intending to cast from the edge.

The uncovered by low tide worm rock reef.

There were a lot of raccoons working that reef.

Silly raccoon, thought it was hiding.

One would expect that when a human being approached a raccoon on a wide open area, the raccoon would flee for the woods. Certainly, many of them did exactly this. But several just kept doing what they were doing. When I got close, they would attempt to “hide” in the rocks. It was hilarious. Watching where I was walking, I nearly stepped on one. Had I been carrying a decent camera, some fine raccoon photos might have been had. As it is I used the point and shoot to get a few snapshotty pics.

The rising of the Beaver Moon.

That evening the Beaver Moon rose. We got to watch an awesome sunset, then an awesome moonrise, within an hour of each other. Jewell Key allows one to do both, which is very accommodating on its part.

Sunrise from Jewell Key. Thank you, God, for another glorious day!

Wednesday morning was cold. The wind still blew, too. Mike and River spent the entire day in camp. I spent the entire day walking the reef. Fishing was hard- remember the cold front? I did kill two trout that we fried up for dinner. They were SO delicious!

Mike and River spent the day in camp.

More sunset watching and moonrise watching happened. Some stargazing got thrown into the mix, too.

The sun has set on another day.

For me, fishing is the prime reason for making a trip like this. But enjoying the sunrise, watching the birds, the dolphins, the raccoons, stargazing, all of that stuff is at least as important as fishing. I enjoy moving my boat by my own power. I just love the elemental nature of moving and camping out in remote areas!

Watching the birds, a wonderful way to spend some time.

We decided that, rather than getting up before sunrise on Friday and fighting the outgoing tide to get back to Everglades City, we would leave at the bottom of the tide on Thursday and fish the incoming all the way back. It was a good strategy for the well-rested Mike, who got a nice red and a nice snook, too!

Mike and River collaborated to get this snook.

After loading up we had dinner at the restaurant-that-used-to-be-the-Oar-House. Then we hit the road. I pulled into my driveway at 9 PM. My messy car and gear are sitting out there right now, waiting for the clean-up.

All things considered, it was a pretty spectacular trip.

Thank you for reading this Everglades National Park report and photo essay blog!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! or paddle!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Fishing Stories, Paddle Fishing Florida, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orlando Wetlands Park

November 13, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Orlando Wetlands Park- a photo essay

Thank you for reading this Orlando Wetlands Park blog and Photo Essay. Due to Eta no fishing happened by me this week. But I did take a four mile stroll through the wetlands park.

At Orlando Wetlands Park you’ll find a wetland that was built by workers using bulldozers, trucks, and other heavy equipment. It was built to clean water coming from the sewage treatment plant in east Orlando. The water runs through the marsh, the vegetation absorbs the nutrients. Lots of birds, fish, reptiles, and invertebrates love it. The St. Johns River gets unpolluted water, which Lord knows, it needs.

An anhinga dries its wings.

Through the marsh run berms that you can walk or ride bikes on. They wander for several miles. You can take the wife and kids on a walk or a bike ride and have a picnic under one of the strategically placed pavilions, and see some wildlife. Or, capture some images if that’s more to your liking.

There’s a modern restroom and water fountains near the park entrance. Speaking of entrances, you can enter for no charge. What a deal!

Caveats- no pets allowed. There’s no shade. This is not something you want to do on an afternoon in August. But I’m posting this in November, so several months of great walking weather are upon us!

Provided they’re willing to walk, this is a great place to bring those visitors from “up north” when they want to see some alligators. On warm, sunny winter days the gators sometimes come right up onto the berm to sun themselves.

Find the park at 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709. The official website URL? https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Directory/Wetlands-Park

 

Thank you for reading this Orlando Wetlands Park blog!

 

 

Bird’s eye view of a black vulture.

Life is great and I love life!

 

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go for a walk! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: central florida destinations, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , ,

St. George Sound Fishing Report

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

St. George Sound Fishing Report and photo essay

Thank you for reading this St. George Sound fishing report. The post is long, with lots of photos. Save it for when you’re at work!

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In a shameless promotion, I’m respectfully requesting all readers to consider following spottedtailflyfish on instagram. I could use the help, thanks!

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The St George trip, which commenced early Sunday morning, was unusual for a number of reasons-

-not a raccoon did I see or receive a visit from, in four nights of primitive camping;

-from the time I got to St. George Island on Sunday until Thursday morning, the sky was completely cloudless;

-I slept in the tent without the fly on for four nights in a row without so much as a drop of dew. Seeing the night sky in bug- and water-free comfort was GLORIOUS.

toyota van

I’m thinking of naming the van “Boogaloo”. Here she is, ready to roll.

Drove through a cold front to get there, “there” being St. George Island State Park, (which everyone should visit- just sayin’.). Nothing like a strong cold front to enhance the skunk effect. Even so, after loading the kayak I paddled to an oyster bar, anxious to fly fish. Five minutes of casting produced a slot redfish on a Clouser minnow. BAM! Good way to start!

Home, sweet home.

Paddled to the primitive campground and started setting up. The wind carried a distinct odor of rotting shrimp, not something one cares to smell for an extended time. Searching for the source, I found a dead, decaying, maggot-encrusted and totally loathsome and gross dead shark washed up on the shoreline. Wanting no part of it, I returned to camp.

The odor was nauseating.

Shark corpse, exposed by a very low tide.

I found a stick, went back to the shark corpse, and used the stick to roll it into the water. I continued working it away from shore, poking a hole in its hide while doing so. Some gas bubbled out. The shark sank to the bottom. I tossed the stick as far as I could. Mission accomplished.

I saw two satellites from inside my tent before falling asleep.

A view from the tent. The bright “star” above and to the right of the moon is Mars.

The wind howled all night.

The morning was chilly. The water had been blown away from the shore, a mud flat extending out 100 yards or so. My friend the shark sat there. The sound looked like a washing machine.

St. George Sound looked like a washing machine.

No boating this day!

Some photos from a mostly no fishing day- berries…

 

…a monarch butterfly missing at least one leg…

I walked all around the area, even taking a spin rod (apologies to fly purists) and casting along the lee side of the island (as much lee as there was). Was surprised when I got a bite, a small flounder that kept the skunk at bay, the only fish of the cold, windy day.

…a fiddler crab (lots of these)…

 

…and a creepy old guy sitting on a bench.

I saw two satellites from inside my tent before falling asleep.

The morning saw a diminished (but still 10-15 mph) wind and a brisk 48 degrees. Felt warmer than the previous day. After breakfast I headed to Goose Island for some fly fishing. My earlier trips here had been quite successful.

How do you spell success? P-i-n-f-i-s-h

I worked it hard. My first four fish were, three pinfish and one sea robin. Finally, I got a slot trout, and shortly after another, larger one, maybe 20 inches, the best trout I would get. Searched hard for redfish, running over three and not getting a shot all day. Saw more kayakers than reds, not a good thing.

The ultimate high- sea robin on fly.

 

Best fish of the day, on a tan Clouser minnow.

 

Awesome eagle nest on Goose Island.

 

fly casting

Casting in front of camp.

I saw two satellites from inside my tent before falling asleep.

In the morning I decided to see new places. I had never gone east down the shoreline. Goose Island was pretty much a bust the previous day. Yeah, I know a front just went through, but still. Seeing new things is good, right?

I paddled three or four miles into a 10-15 mph wind to get to a small point. No, I did not do it in one hop. Yes, it was very hard work.

This spot (like Goose Island) looked awesome.

I grabbed the spin rod and waded to the edge of the flat. The first cast produced a trout. They came steadily, hovering near the bottom of the slot, with more below 15 inches than above.

While playing one, a big red, 15 or 20 pounds, came out of the green water and followed it right up to me. Yikes!

Sixty seconds later an even bigger red came cruising by, quite nonchalant. I dropped the rubber shad in front of him and BAM! Hooked up! And then a five- or six-foot long blacktip came out of the green water and started following that fish around. YIKES!

I was in water up to my derriere. I made for shallower stuff immediately.

Battling the beast. The shark has mercifully left the scene.

It’s hard taking a selfie while holding a fish. And it’s really hard taking a selfie while holding a fish that’s hard to hold with two hands, never mind just one. I got a photo, but it’s not very good, and certainly does not show the fish to its best effect. That fish was 25 or 30 pounds, a magnificent specimen. Why did I park the boat so far from where I was fishing??

Ecstatic with the fish, not so much with the picture.

After lunch I headed back to the spot with the fly rod. No more giants showed themselves. Two 14-inch trout on a Clouser minnow was it. Got back in the kayak and started floating back towards camp, tossing the shad into potholes in the grass.

One trout after another. Stupid easy fishing. No good ones, though.

Went near shore to see if any reds were there. Started running them over immediately. The sun was in my face and even though the water was clear and shallow and the bottom white sand, I couldn’t see them. Finally parked the boat and went wading.

Battling a lesser beast.

Spotted a fish, made the cast. The fish heard the fly hit the water and went to investigate. I love that response!!! Twitched the fly once- BAM! Since the boat was nearby and the good camera was available, I was able to get a decent photo of this one.

Love to sight fish for redfish!

 

The release.

 

The only way I can afford waterfront property.

I saw nine satellites from inside my tent this evening. Made me feel even more smug.

Packed up the next morning and paddled back to the car. Considered leaving the camp gear and fishing around Goose Island before leaving, but the wind was still 15 and it was only 60 degrees. Packed it in and made the long drive back to Chuluota.

It was a most excellent trip.

Thank you for reading this St. George Sound fishing report! Don’t forget to follow me on instagram!

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , ,

Sienna Mini-Camper Van- The First Trip

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Sienna Mini-Camper Van- The First Trip

camper enjoying campfire
At our Davidson River campground site.

 

This blog post is about the Sienna mini-camper van- the first trip! It was to North Carolina and it was delightful!

The Plan

Our plan had several threads-

-stay off the interstate as much as possible
-visit Susan’s sister in Athens, Georgia
-visit Jim and Kathy Tedesco in western North Carolina
-hook up with John Gilbert
-go hiking
-go fishing
-and perhaps most importantly, test the livability of the mini-camper and make notes on necessary tweaks.

As a result of all of this, the post may be long for some readers. My apologies.

Plan Into Action

On a Friday morning we were loaded up and were off. Our goal that evening was Suwannee River State Park. We took SR 46 to US 441 to US 90. The construction on 46 made driving that portion unpleasant.

US 441 was a succession of ugly strip malls until we were past Ocala. After that it was lovely. We stopped at a pull-off at Paynes Prairie State Park. A boardwalk went out onto the lake there. Under the boardwalk was a large alligator. There were three guys there. One was leaning over the rail, arm extended, phone in hand, taking pictures of the alligator. I said to him, “Don’t drop your phone.” He said, “If I drop it, he can have it!”

pier, Paynes Prarie State Park
The pier at Paynes Prarie

 

alligator
Waiting for a telephone.

 

Lake City is not a place you’d want to visit.

 

 

Suwannee River State Park was pleasant. I’d had an idea of fishing there but the water was too high. We went for a short walk, with beautiful views of the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochie rivers. We hadn’t budgeted much time there, not enough to see the place.

 

 

confluence of WIthlacoochie and Suwannee Rivers
At the confluence…

 

Susan, SRSP

Sleepy Time

Soon enough it was time to test the camper. I’d slept in it once but Susan had not. She suffers from claustrophobia. Would we have to turn around and go home?

We had too much stuff in the Sienna mini-camper van. The cooler took lots of our floor room, and her portapottie took the rest. I had hung a cargo net for our bulky clothes items. We laid down on the bed with our heads to the back of the van and she said, “I can’t do this.” “Do a spin!” I said. “Put your head at the other end.”

It worked. That’s how we sleep in the van now, with our heads forward.

The mattress that we bought on Amazon was awesome. We were very comfortable, even though the cargo net was in our faces.

On to Georgia

Due to the distance to Athens, we spent three hours on I-75 before hitting more back roads through some lovely Georgia countryside. The cotton was ripe in the fields. There were big bales of it, round, like hay bales. We didn’t stop, though- we had an agenda.

It was great seeing Kathleen, it had been a long time since I had. Visiting is weird in pandemic time. We sat outside, with masks on. No hugs, no kisses. Hopefully no COVID either. Two of Kathy’s children and some of her grandchildren were visiting too. The kids made happy noises until after dark, while we told stories, shared old memories, and laughed.

Davidson River

Susan and I slept in the van, and left for North Carolina the next morning. All beautiful back roads, with 15 MPH speed limits where the switchbacks were. Setting up camp once at Davidson River campground was a breeze- just prep the kitchen!

If I could have dialed up whatever weather I wanted for this trip, I could not have done as good a job as what we actually got. Cool, crisp nights, warm, cloudless, sunny days, just spectacular.

The next morning Jim Tedesco showed up with flies and fly rods, and waders for Susan. We all went fishing in the Davidson. Fishing wasn’t epic but we got a couple of trout and had a lot of fun. They day passed quickly, too much so.

on the Davidson

 

tiny rainbow trout
My soft hackle trout

 

Jim was there again the next morning. We went to Pink Beds hiking trail and took a five mile walk through autumn woods.

At the trailhead, Pink Beds

 

map of the trail, at the trailhead

 

Jim and Susan pose along the trail.

 

The autumn colors were beautiful.

 

This was a snack stop.

 

Another spot along the trail.

 

After lunch we went hiking up a tributary of the Davidson, wearing waders, carrying fly rods. We found some trout up there and on a dry fly I caught one of the smallest ones I ever have, little larger than a salmon smolt.

fly fishermen
Jim and Susan work a pool.

 

waterfall
This fall drops into the pool shown above.

 

Susan works a different pool.

 

Wednesday Jim and Kathy came to pick up Susan, and John Gilbert came to pick up me. Sue was going sightseeing, I was going fishing. Gilbert and I fished all morning, returning to the campsite for lunch. There was a magical moment there when a gust of breeze knocked a lot of leaves off the trees. We watched, spellbound, as the leaves drifted down like giant, colorful snowflakes falling from a cerulean sky.

fly fisherman
John Gilbert works a pool on the Davidson.

 

We fished all afternoon, too. Neither of us touched a fish all day. At least one of us didn’t care.

Back Roads Take Longer

Thursday saw Susan and I packing our van and rolling out. We intended to stay at Crooked River State Park in Georgia that night, again travelling by back roads.

These roads were really slow, at first because they were steep and curvy, and then because there were lots of small towns. At lunchtime we were a quarter of the distance we had to go. We had lunch at a local eatery in Clinton, South Carolina. Then we hit the interstate. As it was we pulled into our campsite at sunset, after a very long day in the van.

Heading Home

In the morning we pulled out, looking forward to sleeping in our bed at home that evening. We again took back roads, thus avoiding I-95 through Jacksonville.

For lunch we stopped at a fantastic little eatery in Palatka, Caribbean 450. I wish it was closer to home!

Things We Learned

A few of the things we learned on this trip-

-we need to learn how to better budget our time on the back roads. I think 200 or 250 miles is the most you can comfortably expect to drive in one day. If you want to stop and visit at interesting places, and we do, then it will be less.

-our cooler, an absolutely awesome Orion 65, kept our food cold with only two gallons of ice for the entire trip. Sadly, it’s just too big for the van. I think we need a small refrigerator.

–the cabinets were a must-have. They came in so handy!

-the cargo net needs to be moved further aft, if I can manufacture attachment points back there.

-most importantly, camping in the minivan is entirely viable. We had room for our clothes, cameras, fishing gear, books, computers, food and kitchen gear, books- everything we need to make an extended trip. And it’s comfortable!

We’re already planning another trip!

Special thanks go out to Jim and Kathy Tedesco and to John Gilbert for helping to make our trip so memorable!

A few facts from the trip-

Distance travelled- 1,427 miles

Average fuel economy for the Sienna- 22.9 miles per gallon

Expenditure for fuel- $125.27

Thanks for reading about our Sienna mini-camper van- the first trip!

 

No affiliate links are included in this blog. If/when we start adding them, we will add a disclaimer. All links are for the reader’s benefit.

Filed Under: Photo Essays, Sienna Van conversion, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sienna Van Conversion- Cabinets

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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Sienna Van Conversion- Cabinets

This Sienna van conversion- cabinets post is about making and installing cabinets in our Sienna van!

Once again I used Bruce Parks’s design. And again, Bruce Parks’s work is far superior to mine!

This is a beautiful piece of work by Bruce Parks.

The four cabinet legs were first measured, cut, sanded, and screwed to the bed frame.

Making Templates

Once again I used corrugated cardboard to make templates. There were four of them for one cabinet. There are no flat surfaces where the cabinet was going, so the bottom, each side, and partition all needed templates cut. It was a slow process. Cut, check fit. Cut some more, check fit. For four pieces. Took an entire afternoon.

The diligent reader may recall in my last post I wrote, “although starting with the cardboard was an excellent idea, the cardboard cutout only approximates reality.” That was certainly true here!

Once satisfied the templates were close, I traced the outline on a piece of 1″ pine board. Next a jig saw was used to cut out the piece I wanted from the rest of the board. Then there was sanding. Then we tried the fit.

Trying the Fit (and my patience)

None of the pieces fit the first time. More cutting, more sanding, another fit. Repeat as needed. There’s a good argument that, even now when the “finished product” is in the van, they don’t fit.

My version of Bruce’s cabinet.

A trip to Home Depot happened, where, sadly, I had to purchase three eight foot 1″x2″ to make the frames for the cabinet fronts, and supports for the partition. It was the first wood I had to buy for the entire project! I also needed 1 1/4″ screws to hold everything together.

Once I had everything I needed assembly started. I attached the two sides and the partition to the bottom, then mitred the corners for the frame for the front. Once that was all done I measured the “windows” to get the sizes of the front panels, which I cut out of polycarbonate. A hole was cut in each polycarbonate panel- got to get your hand in and out of the cabinet!

I tried putting the cabinet on its legs. Didn’t fit. More cutting and sanding. More fitting. More cutting and sanding. Etc. Finally got it on there and used five screws to hold it down. Put the front panels on. Voila! Must say, not bad!

It took an entire day. The second one went faster- the templates were already cut, and all the problem-solving had been done. That one only took a half day. I cannot say it fits any better, however.

Looking in from the back hatch.

They look good (if not completely professional). They are secure. They don’t have huge capacity but they turn wasted space into storage space. If I were to do it over again I absolutely would.

The happy builder, resting in the van, glad the first phase is done!

There are odds and ends to finish and a trip to take before the electrical phase starts. We’re not done with the build just yet!

Thanks for reading about our Sienna van conversion- cabinets!

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Sienna Van Conversion- Installing the Bed

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

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Sienna Van Conversion- Installing the Bed

In our last installment about the Sienna van conversion I discussed how the rear seat well of the Sienna needed to be framed before I could install the bed. Once that was done, and I had the slide-out drawer finished, it was time to install said bed.

Tools Used

Before we get there, though, I’d like to thank my tools. Simple though they may be, they have done me right. I’ve used (and will continue to use) two power hand saws, a basic Skilsaw and a Black and Decker jigsaw. I also used a small hand saw for a few jobs. I used a Black and Decker cordless electric drill quite a lot. Also used on every piece of lumber was a small DeWalt electric sander armed with 60 grit sandpaper. Rounding out the kit- a tape measure, a speed square, two C-clamps, a level, and various pencils and markers. I don’t have any kind of shop, so all work was done on an ancient folding table.

My tools and workspace are basic.

Lumber Used

For those readers who hate throwing stuff away, here’s my take. You can keep useless stuff around forever. It gets in the way, collects dust and spiders, and is a pain in the neck. If you don’t use something for a year or two, it’s time to donate or sell it to someone who will use it.

Having said that, all the lumber I have used in this project so far is stuff I had hanging around the property, in some cases for decades. I live in a building, and lumber is building material! Makes sense! My out-of-pocket expenses so far have been limited to fasteners, the mattress, the window rain guards (which I need to install), and the potty.

Bed Installation

Back to the van. After removing the middle seats and clearing out assorted debris, I backed the van up to the garage. I got Susan and Cheryl to help me. We lifted the bed out of the garage and inserted it into the back of the van. Voila! An almost perfect fit!

campervan bed
The bed is in the van, and the kitchen box is pulled out.

Both ends of the bed fold up by way of hinges, allowing you to get at whatever may be lurking below. A Sienna has less space than say, an Airstream, so maximizing storage space is important.

folding van bed
Susan shows the front of the bed folding up. The rear does the same to allow access to the well. The seat trolleys gotta go, though!

We bought a full-sized tri-fold mattress from Amazon, but we won’t install that until just before our upcoming North Carolina trip.

In the meantime, I still have window screens and cabinets to build and install. Time to get back to work!

Thanks for reading about our Sienna van conversion- installing the bed!

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The Sienna Van Conversion Begins

November 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

The Sienna Van Conversion Begins

First off, this is my first blog about a Sienna van conversion, converting a soccer mom van into a killer mini-camper, and maybe becoming a vagabond too. Thanks for reading it!

During my adolescence, a question that often came up in our stoned/drunk conversations was, “What would you do if you knew you only had a year to live?” In May 2019 (age 66) I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable and always terminal affliction. I guess my answer to the above question is to get a van and become a vagabond.

The Sienna Purchase

Susan and I had been talking about getting a Sienna and converting it into a camper since we had to cancel our trip to Spain because of the pandemic. We’re going to go cross country, visit Maxx and Cat. We talked about our budget, how many miles a used van had to have to be acceptable for our planned use, etc. Talk, talk, talk. Elephant talk.

In September of 2020 I brought my RAV4 in for service. While at the dealer, I thought I’d see what they had for Siennas. They had a 2014 LE, with 67,000 miles, $14,999. The high end of our talkie budget, but the mileage was perfect. When the service coordinator told me the RAV needed $1800 worth of work, and the salesman offered me $3000 in trade, I drove the Sienna home, as surprised as anyone with the speed at which I’d made the decision.

2014 toyota sienna
The new chariot, in beautiful blue.

First Priorities

My first priority for our new camper was to get rid of the back seats. I drove to the landfill after removing them. One hundred twenty pounds of useless weight, transferred from my vehicle to the cosmos. I would have thrown the middle seats away too, but Susan said no. Where we’re going to store them is a problem. Anyway, the back of the van now had a big well into which the seats had folded when not in use.

Next, we needed a bed. I looked at several Sienna van builds on YouTube. The bed I ended up building was this one- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BlvZu7ZnWJszXVXKyM7uZX7eMM5FdzZ5/view – skipping the ratcheting part. For the frame I used all repurposed wood, stuff I had hanging around. Doing it over (and I may), I would use 2x3s instead of 2x4s to save weight. Didn’t have many 2x3s in stock, though.

For the sleeping platform I used polycarbonate panels, leftovers from the hurricane window protection project we’d done earlier this year. Seemed like a good way to repurpose the leftover material, and a good way to save some weight.

First Mistake

After the bed was “finished”, I tried putting it into the van. Since there was nothing supporting it in the well, the bed fell right into the hole. Crap! What seems obvious in retrospect had barely entered my consciousness before this little debacle. The well needed to be framed in order to support the back end of the bed. After sleeping on the problem I came up with a plan, and spent a morning framing the well.

The hole has been framed, and is ready to support the bed.

Next, I had to level the bed. The floor of the van slopes down from back to front. All the leg lengths on the bed frame needed to change to compensate. Directions on how to do this are found in this video-

That task is now finished. What remains? Take the remaining middle seats out, put the bed in, test it for fit and fitness. I’ll photograph the finished project in all its glory, and include it in the next blog.

Again, thanks for reading.

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North Atlantic and North Carolina Fishing Report

October 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

North Atlantic and North Carolina Fishing Report

Thank you for reading my north Atlantic and North Carolina fishing report. Nothing terribly exciting contained within, unfortunately.

North Atlantic Report

Tuesday 10/13 I took the Mitzi out of the Port, hoping to find some mullet along the beach. Although they were not there, plenty of other boats were. We ran north along the beach as far as the tip of the cape, the north wind discouraging me from exploring any farther. Didn’t see many mullet. Got a jack and a ladyfish blind-casting a jig. Was surprised there were no bluefish, but there you go. On my way back, I observed almost all the boats that had been there earlier were gone.

Wednesday I brought the Mitzi to Jam-Up in Sanford to get the gel coat nicks fixed.

North Carolina Report

Friday Susan and I got in the van and rolled, eventually arriving Sunday at the Davidson River campground in North Carolina, on a first test of the mini-camper. (Read about that at https://johnkumiski.com/sienna-mini-camper-van-the-first-trip/) We stopped at Davidson River Outfitters, where they sold me a couple of the “hot fly,” a #16 soft hackle pheasant tail.

My best fish of the trip.

Monday morning Jim Tedesco showed up to take us fishing. He graciously gave Susan fly casting and fishing lessons while cutting me loose. I got a single trout on the soft hackle, a seven inch rainbow. I changed the fly, opting for a streamer, on which I got nothing. In the process I dropped and lost the soft hackle.

Jim and Susan work a pool.

We stopped for lunch and compared notes. Jim had gotten a 12 inch rainbow on a dry fly.

In the afternoon I tried the other soft hackle I had. It got hung on a root. The 6X tippet parted. Love that stuff. Got one bump on a bead head nymph. Tried various other things, none of which worked. My friends missed a couple bites.

Don’t move the rocks.

Tuesday afternoon we hiked up a tributary of the Davidson. We came to a pool full of diminutive trout. I caught one about the size of a mud minnow on a dry fly. At another pool further up I had six or eight rises and pooched all of them. Then it was time to go.

Susan works a pool.

Wednesday morning John Gilbert came, and he and I went fishing the Davidson again. I know I suck at trout fishing, so to save time I’ll just say we were both skunked.

John Gilbert, on the Davidson River

I talked with another fisherman named Scott at one of the pools we fished (you will see lots of other fly fishers on the Davidson), where there were a couple fish rising occasionally. Scott said you couldn’t get one on anything larger than a #26 midge. I can hardly get the #16s tied on. I have no interest in 26s.

The Davidson is a lovely stream, but it is very heavily fished. The fish have highly developed hook avoidance behavior. I don’t wish to fish it again. Ever.

More locally, the Mosquito Lagoon gauge is still reading 2.0, and the Econ gauge is at 6.5. In my opinion, both are still too high to fish effectively.

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

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Last Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

March 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Last Road Trip Report and Photo Essay

All things come to an end.

Thank you for reading my last road trip report. Still no fishing, so I hope it’s worth your time!

I just finished a wonderful little book, The Angler’s Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations. I wrote a review you can read here… 

My intent is to include a quote from this book in every fishing report, assuming I can remember to do that. I need to keep my copy on my desk.

Road Trip-

Maxx and I and the pets had spent two nights in Porterville so we could hike among the sequoias. That accomplished, it was time to head to our actual destination, which was Oakland.

We drove north on CA 99 through the central valley of California, where a lot of our food is grown. We drove through Selma, the Raisin Capital of the World. We drove through miles and miles of flowering trees. I did not know what they were but think there were pistachios and almonds, and maybe cherries? It seems too far south for cherries though. We passed big lots full of Holstein dairy cows that were covered in mud and manure, yuk.

We passed  through windmill farms. I’d like to get a few of those seeds!

We at last got to Maxx’s new apartment, on a mountainside in the Montclair section of Oakland. It’s strange, they build houses on 70 degree slopes, it’s living on the side of a cliff.

Crossing the Bay Bridge.

 

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Why isn’t it golden??

After visiting Oakland I can see why the city told the Raiders to build their own stadium. Homeless camps everywhere, a lot of people living in tents on the roadside. It’s heartbreaking. I hope the city uses some of the money they’re not spending on a stadium to help those folks. It will be a huge job.

 

There were all kinds of flowers along the trail. I am not familiar with this one.

 

California poppy.

 

Calla lily, a beautiful bloom.

 

Apple? Cherry? Something in the rose family I think.

 

Wood sorrel grows all across the continent.

Brian Jaye took Maxx, Catalina and I on a walk through the Muir Woods, a grove of redwoods that didn’t get logged to oblivion. It was on a Sunday. The place is very popular, with lots of languages in use there. Redwoods are not as big as the sequoias, but are still very impressive. It was a lovely day.

Do you have chipmunkiosis?

 

Catalina, Maxx, and Brian in Muir Woods.

 

Clowning around in a redwood tree.

 

The happy couple, Maxx and Catalina.

Wednesday morning I got on an Air Alaska jet, a non-stop from San Francisco to Orlando. I had a great time travelling across the country with my son, but there’s no place like home, as Dorothy said.

And that’s my last road trip report and photo essay for this trip. Thanks for reading it!

I intend to fish this coming week!

“If you don’t go fishing because you thought it might rain you will never go fishing. This applies to more than fishing.” -Gary Sow

Life is great and I love my work!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.

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