arizonaflyrod

Inside Fan-Tastic vent install complete

2011-05-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

I wired up the fan on the inside now. It is a nice fit and I ran power from the light. I had to drill out the rivits to get the light off. I used yellow wall anchors in the rivit holes to reinstall the lights. Then I used a nice cover for the wires. It works really well and is nice and quiet. It ended up taking a few hours to do the job. Trips to the store for little odds and ends added more time. There is a upgrade kit if we decide we want to have a reversible fan. Right now it blows out to take the hot air out and keep circulation going. Now with the solar panel out we should be able to run the fan on high and still be charging. We will find out in July when we go to the White Mountains.

Fixed the Shepards Pole for the Bunks!!!

2011-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I was able to find a nice quick and cheap fix for the pole to hold up the tent on the bunks. It is impossible to find the replacement endcaps so I made a replacement.

Fan-Tastic Vent installed

2011-05-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

The exterior work is done on the vent. It is mounted and caulked. We just have to run the power and put the inside cover on. You would be amazed at how much easier it is to raise the roof now. That AC unit must have been close to 100 lbs. Now just have to wait till tomorrow to finish the job and try it out.

BBQ Pork Ribs

2011-05-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Got some Pork Ribs in the smoker. Went with a sparerib this time. They are meatier than the Baby Back but we will see how they come out. I did a dry rub and am using a mix of Hickory and Apple Wood.

Fresh Bread Is So Fine

2011-05-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just baked some Italian bread and it smells so good. They should make a air freshener that smells like fresh baked bread. I would plug that in! Maybe I can just hang the loaf around the rearview mirror.

How do you like the new background?

2011-04-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

It is a picture of my St. Croix Imperial rod. It is a 2/3 weight 7' model. It is a 2 piece rod and a wonderful small stream implement. The only thing that would make it perfect is if it was a 3 piece. I have included the picture and another of a nice Apache Trout from the Black River in AZ.

Painted the Suburban!

2011-04-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Before, look at that hood and roof :(

Nice and nutty!

Now instead of faded green, and rust the suburban is almond. I took off the fender flares as they were so bad. I can get replacements if we decide to later. It is a really nice camping fishing and hunting vehicle now. I just need a new base for the drivers seat to replace the motor for reclining. We started by taping off the windows and trim. Then used Rustoleum rusted metal primer. It took one quart to prime. We used almost 2 quarts of Rustoleum almond color. I choose that incase I need touchups I can get a spray can and go right over it. I bought a sprayer at Harbor Freight and that was ant $14.99. Total was around $50 including the painters tape. It is not professional but looks much better in the driveway and will look nicer when we are camping.

What to cook next?

2011-02-02T13:26:00.001-08:00

I was thinking of chili lime chicken wings, nachos and chili for the super bowl. I will keep you up to date on what we eat.

Lees Ferry, AZ

2010-07-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Accelerator was on the floor and we still could not get to 60 mph. I thought that there was a problem with the 93 Subaru Impreza. The 1.8 liter engine was giving all it had. We had given up fishing as the wind was too strong to cast. Unless you wanted to catch your own ear or neck of course. We had decided to head up Page, Arizona to do some sightseeing and come back fishing in the evening. That is when it hit me! We were driving into a 60 MPH headwind. The car could not go any faster. When we changed direction on route 89 I could have put it in neutral and still gone 50.
That is one of the downsides to Lees Ferry, wind. We slept in the car since setting the tent up was out of the question. The tent in the site next to us blew up in a tangle of fiberglass and nylon. The cooler that was in the tent then blew open and rolled over. We went and picked up all the other campers things and used some rocks to keep them in place. It is nice time staying at the Lees Ferry Campground. The proximity to the colorado river is great. You have to be ready for cold winters and hot summers.

We did not fish upstream. It was too much money to rent a boat. We fished at the walk in area. Of the times I have been there I can say, one WOW! Two allright and one, go make a burger and read a book. You have to be ready for the rising waster as they release from the dam. I was out in the water and noticed that it was coming up. It was only a few inches from the top of my waders by the time i made it to the shallow water. This is a big river. There is a boulder field at the walk in area and that is where I found the best fishing. I caution you DO NOT go into the main channel. You may not stop moving until you get to Lake Mead.

Fishing was most productive with small size 18 brassies and my favorite scuds. I have heard all about this two fly system. I will not even fo into my disdain for that :). I prefer a single fly and maybe a indicator. I much rather enjoy fishing without the indicator but sometimes it is needed. Bring a net and don't loose it. Mine came off of its clip and floated away. I was distraught, now I knew how it felt to loose Wilson.
It is about 7 hours from Tucson so it is not a day trip. I would suggest looking into a guide at www.leesferry.com. If you have a vehicle that can tow a boat you can rent one for about $200 from them. The Impreza would not tow a boat of course.

All in all Lees Ferry is a great place to go. I am from Buffalo, NY and prefer small creeks. It was quite a time catching one fish after another as you watch rafts launch and float by down the Colorado River. I will defiantly go back but next time the Suburban goes and brings the boat.

Fin

2010-07-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

The ribs are all gone but the memories will last forever. What should we make next?

Ready to eat Pork back ribs

2010-07-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

They look tasty! I think that a little sauce and I will be napping soon. The ribs are so tender and moist with a nice bark on the outside. Look out Tony I am coming for you.

Smoking Pork Back Ribs

2010-07-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

We have a rack of pork ribs. The package says extra meaty, so that sounds good. I made a rub of brown sugar, salt, pepper, and a little chile powder and cayenne. I like the sweeter rub as it crusts up nice and tasty. I am going to smoke it with a mix of apple and hickory wood. Check back for updates.... We are about halfway done. Flipped the rack and it smells so good it is painful. Check the next post for the finished product WOW. http://arizonaflyrod.blogspot.com/2010/07/ready-to-eat-pork-back-ribs.html

Oak Creek, AZ Fly Fishing Girl

2010-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

We went up to Oak Creek a couple months ago and I got great picture of Madeline in her vest. I added a picture of a Brown trout while I was at it. The place was great, the camp host was not. He gave me more problems and did not clean the bathrooms! The trusty St. Croix Imperial performed admirably. I noticed a few little chips on its finish. I wonder it St. Croix can fix them? Hmmmmm..... Way to go Oma on catching the fish when the video was recording!

Where it is: Oak Creek is located by the village of well, Oak Creek. It is close to Sedona, AZ.

We stayed at the Cave Springs Campground. It is located on route 89A. The campground is located right on Oak Creek. You can reserve a spot on the creek but the other 70 or so spots are first come first serve.

It is best to stay away on friday and saturday nights. Head up on sunday and enjoy a relaxing time.

The best flies were Wooly Buggers. The problem was they were too big for the fish! We did well on size 16 and 18 hairs ear nymphs. I found tan was a good color as well as black. We caught some stocked rainbows as well as some wild brown trout.

Down side: Besides the militant camp host! The place costs $20 per night and if you want to take a shower they are $3 each.

I miss the old Orvis names

2010-07-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

What ever happened to the old names of the Orvis Superfine rods. Remembers Flea, Henery's Fork, One Ounce. What others do you remember? Bring back the names Orvis. I have contacted them but I think we need a larger campaign.
Email customerservice@Orvis.com

Where to go fly fishing next?

2010-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Search Amazon.com for Fly fishingWe have some time in September and need to figure out where to go. Should we do the San Juan in NM or go to Southern Colorado. I am more of a small stream fan but would like to fish the San Juan. My feeling is that you should do everything. I watched "The worlds fastest Indian" Burt worked on his bike for over 20 years before he fulfilled his dream to go to Bonniville. That is perseverance. We have a camper and a open road infront of us. What more do we need except a new place to discover. Go forth and explore!

Fully Charged

2010-07-13T09:21:00.001-07:00

It is now at 14 volts and the controller is saying it is at full charge and is maintaining it. It was at 12.5 volts when I hooked it up and fully charged by this morning. That is pretty good. We will see how it works in real camping circumstances.

Over 13.50 volts now

2010-07-12T15:27:00.001-07:00

The battery is filling up with the wonderful nectar of Apollo. I can't wait till next month for the field test.

Solar Power!

2010-07-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

The solar panel is all wired in and the new battery mount is on the trailer. I set up a plug for a quick disconnect so when we get to the campsite we can put the panel in the sun and then run the cord and plug into the controller. We are charging at 13.25 volts right now. 50 watts of extra solar power will give us 12-20 amp hours a day, I hope.

Here is what we did. We used a 10Amp MPPT controller and a 50 watt panel from serpentlion2008.

The shipping was very fast and it works great. I used 12 gauge low voltage wire for the camper. It is UV resistant so that is a bonus. I used 10 gauge wire to the panel but now that it is done I could have used 12 gauge everywhere. In order to make the wiring easier I tied into the camper where the battery used to connect. That runs to the controller for power. Then I ran another wire to the battery from the controller. They both run along the bottom of the frame together and are mounted there.
I mounted the controller inside our front storage bin so that we have easy access and it is protected from the weather. The last connection from the controller is to the panel. I wired a short section into the controller and mounted a male 2 prong plug from home depot. On the end of the wire coming from the panel I mounted a female 2 prong plug. It is counter intuitive when plugging in but the line coming from the solar panel is live and I did not want exposed hot blades.
I ordered a set of male and female connectors for the wire where it plugs into the solar panel from sunpowerlink. Make sure that you get ones that fit your panel. I am now enjoying the free power that the sun has to offer. It is charging much better than plugging into the house. That was a trickle charge, this is a real boost to the battery. I will keep you posted on the performance issues and wether we decide to mount it to the roof.

Getting close

2010-07-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Got the tounge primed and ready. Hooked up the controler and just need to install the solar panal and battery tray now.

Getting some work done

2010-07-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

I cut off the basket that the original owner had added. Now I am able to move the propane tanks back the the original position and free up room on the toung for the battery. Maybe I will set it up for 2 batterys. Then I am going to mount the solar system today.

Safford Arizona

2010-07-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

Coming back from the Black River through Safford. Could not resist a photo opp.

Double taper or weight forward?

2010-07-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

What are your feelings on the matter? I like double taper but use both.

How to increase hits to your blog

2010-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

If you want to drive traffic to your blog you have to write about things people like. No one want to read the drivel that I release but that does not have to stop you. You also have to build a cult following. Giving stuff away is great too.

Black River AZ

2010-07-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

It was a great time and perfect weather. Madeline did her first wading :). We got rain each day and caught some fish. who does not love camping and small stream fly fishing. St. Croix how I love you. A 3wt, 7 foot rod is perfect. maybe time for some new line. The Orvis Spring Creek double taper is getting on in age.

Garden!

2010-06-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

The plants are coming along, as are the ground squirrels! They are determined to get in. The pesky bunnies are also always looking for a break in our defenses.