David Archer
New member
I want to thank all of you scullers for replying. Honestly, I am thrilled to have contact with other scullers. I have had no contact with another sculler for almost thirty years until two years ago I ran up and talked to an old sculler taking out on Agency Lake (Oregon). He inspired me. Since I plan on moving back to my home in Montana, I posted an entry on a Montana duck hunting forum and mentioned my intent to take up sculling again. I got a number of requests for information, so much so that I wrote an article on my fishing blog, www.fishingtips101.com. However, having posed as an knowledgeable sculler in my article, I have since been realizing that my knowledge is so limited to just my experience, all of which was in total isolation for so many years. Yes, perhaps you may think that I have committed the unpardonable sin of sharing the secrets of a closed fraternity, but I am a retired high school English teacher, and I love to share and write. I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me on my article. Any advice would be worked into the article as a quote with attrition. My son said he would help me make a video. Here are some questions that I for scullers.
1. I never used grass or camo on my scullboats. Everyone that I met in California just used dull, battleship gray. Aside from small rivers, what advice to you have for open water sculling and the use of camo?
2. I had four scull boats in my life. The best one, which was heavy and tracked like a dream, had a fairly high wood combing. In the front of the cockpit was a u-shaped slot to look through. I had great success in that one-man boat, but when I went to two-man boats they had very small (2-inch) combing. Low profile! Keep low! was the mantra, and I bought into it. However, for the next fifteen years I flaired more birds, even though I blackened my face and wore a camo hat. So, here I am building my new scull boat with a 13" rise from the bottom to the top of the combing in the front of the cockpit. In the old one-man boat, I just kept track of my target bird(s) through the slot. I never flaired birds when my hand accidently came up a bit too high. I don't like my head so visible, especially since I wear glasses. Anyone have a position?
3. Speaking of glasses, does anyone have a solution. I will go to a single lens, but should I try photo-gray? I am too old to try contacts, but maybe I will have to try them ($$). Glass glare is bad!
4. Rafts of Ducks: I was never really successful sculling on large rafts of birds. Widgen used to drive me crazy in Montana. Once they started the "roll" it would go on and on. I know one technique is to parallel a raft, slowly inching closer and closer. Suddenly, you make a hard ninety degree turn and sprint. The birds in front would just keep going. The birds in back would stall. Some would jump, and i would close the distance and pick off the isolated birds. In my later years I had difficulty with this and my success rate really dropped, which frustrated me greatly. For the most part, I would just let them jump, and then I would slowly look around and find birds that just ignored the big jump and stayed put. Any thoughts?
5. I used to set out two small sets of decoys. Then I would anchor 100 yards away so that the decoys lined up in a straight line. If the birds landed in the set closest to me, I would start my scull. They would usually start swimming to the second set, and I would try and ambush them between the sets. If they landed in the farthest set, I would use the first set as cover. I really can't remember how far apart I would put the sets so next fall I will have to experiment. My anchor would be tied to a single decoy to mark my spot. It always amazed me how often I would return and see a single or a pair next to this lone decoy. Any thoughts?
6. In had good luck on frozen lakes in Wyoming. I would pick a bay that had ice formations sticking out in the bay. The biggest problem was retrieving birds on the ice with a fishing pole and a trebble plug. I never really used a white camo sheet, but I should have for better results. Any thoughts? (For safety purposes at my age I will be reluctant to take chance on launching across thin ice by myself.
Well, I have to set out the garbage. I hope someone shares.
Dave Archer
1. I never used grass or camo on my scullboats. Everyone that I met in California just used dull, battleship gray. Aside from small rivers, what advice to you have for open water sculling and the use of camo?
2. I had four scull boats in my life. The best one, which was heavy and tracked like a dream, had a fairly high wood combing. In the front of the cockpit was a u-shaped slot to look through. I had great success in that one-man boat, but when I went to two-man boats they had very small (2-inch) combing. Low profile! Keep low! was the mantra, and I bought into it. However, for the next fifteen years I flaired more birds, even though I blackened my face and wore a camo hat. So, here I am building my new scull boat with a 13" rise from the bottom to the top of the combing in the front of the cockpit. In the old one-man boat, I just kept track of my target bird(s) through the slot. I never flaired birds when my hand accidently came up a bit too high. I don't like my head so visible, especially since I wear glasses. Anyone have a position?
3. Speaking of glasses, does anyone have a solution. I will go to a single lens, but should I try photo-gray? I am too old to try contacts, but maybe I will have to try them ($$). Glass glare is bad!
4. Rafts of Ducks: I was never really successful sculling on large rafts of birds. Widgen used to drive me crazy in Montana. Once they started the "roll" it would go on and on. I know one technique is to parallel a raft, slowly inching closer and closer. Suddenly, you make a hard ninety degree turn and sprint. The birds in front would just keep going. The birds in back would stall. Some would jump, and i would close the distance and pick off the isolated birds. In my later years I had difficulty with this and my success rate really dropped, which frustrated me greatly. For the most part, I would just let them jump, and then I would slowly look around and find birds that just ignored the big jump and stayed put. Any thoughts?
5. I used to set out two small sets of decoys. Then I would anchor 100 yards away so that the decoys lined up in a straight line. If the birds landed in the set closest to me, I would start my scull. They would usually start swimming to the second set, and I would try and ambush them between the sets. If they landed in the farthest set, I would use the first set as cover. I really can't remember how far apart I would put the sets so next fall I will have to experiment. My anchor would be tied to a single decoy to mark my spot. It always amazed me how often I would return and see a single or a pair next to this lone decoy. Any thoughts?
6. In had good luck on frozen lakes in Wyoming. I would pick a bay that had ice formations sticking out in the bay. The biggest problem was retrieving birds on the ice with a fishing pole and a trebble plug. I never really used a white camo sheet, but I should have for better results. Any thoughts? (For safety purposes at my age I will be reluctant to take chance on launching across thin ice by myself.
Well, I have to set out the garbage. I hope someone shares.
Dave Archer
Sculling and the Brant II scull boat are the reasons I bought the Company. 