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I am not a fan of rafia for all the reasons previously mentioned, but I am intrigued by Blind Grass although it appears somewhat rigid in the pictures I have seen. I need to be able to roll up the blind on my Bankes for transport, would the Blind Grass allow for that.

Great photos, Brad. Curious as to the purpose of the clamps along the crossbar of your blind?

I have had more luck with Shoe Goo than AquaSeal. It's tough stuff, and I have repairs that are several years old and still holding strong

Update: Great news! It looks like Ron has found a buyer and these boats will now be built in Nova Scotia (https://bankesboats.com/) by Rock Solid Fabricators (https://rocksolidfab.ca/about/)

While cruising the 'net last night, I noticed that Ron Bankes has decided to retire and has shut down Bankes Boats. It does appear that he would like to sell the business. Hopefully someone takes over that can reproduce the quality work and service that Ron & Mike were known for.

I know old Evinrude's are not too hard to find, but this one looks awesome for being ~40 years old. The ad says it has only been run 4 or 5 times. https://vermont.craigslist.org/boa/d/milton-99-evinrude-short-shaft/7594292464.html

Good Morning Vince & Steve - I wish I could say that Model 12 belonged to me, but that was just an image I snagged from my Google search. I have been on the lookout for one in 20 gauge for many years, but the stars haven't aligned.

I saw a picture not that long ago of a couple guys botty booting, and they were using a long stake silhouette goose decoy that they stood behind. One side of the silhouette had a small box that was approximately the width of the body attached that held ammo, calls, etc. The box also had notches...

Historically, our season in Vermont was not set until mid August, but the last few years the dates and limits were set in June.

Bankes has been churning out boats through the pandemic. When the border was closed, U.S. customers needed to go through Freeway Sports in Fenton, Michigan, as they were getting regular deliveries from Bankes. I ordered my Freedom in May 2020, and received it in September 2020

Not sure what the eastern wild mallard is, as I learned back in my Wetlands Ecology and Ornithology classes that mallards are not native to the east coast. Although they may have shown up during migration periods, mallards did not breed in the east. It was thought that a combination of the...

Thank you Dave. I had been considering filling with spray foam, but I like your idea of creating the cavity afterwards then filling with epoxy. I think I will tackle that project this winter. Cheers!

If you don't mind me asking, what is your repair process for Herters heads with broken stems? Thanks!

Rogers has the same shells in BB, 2, 3, and 6 right now for $159/case

As a former Estuary owner, I am curious about the differences between the Estuary and Estuary 2 that influenced your decision to make the switch?

I have always liked Restle Decoys; I used to own 5 dozen of them until someone decided they liked them more than me and swiped them from my truck while I was having breakfast after a morning hunt. Restle Decoys were eventually purchased by Herters, and so any bodies with the Beaver Dam, Wisc...

I bought them off Craigslist about 10 years ago along with some Hartman elders, and Herters 72s. I would definitely buy more if the opportunity presented itself

Here you go, Steve. Super Duck Bluebills

I am pretty sure that is one of Leo Labonte's early decoys. He doesn't use that keel any longer though.