For the rest of the weekend Jord, Sarah, Gunner , and I  fished a couple waters on our hit list and I bumbed around other rear by streams and lakes catching a fish or two.  It was nice to get out for more than just a day.

Over the past winter through spring and now into early summer, I have battled an addiction. That addiction was that I was spending countless hours working on and making changes to my motor boat and drift boat. (Known as my twin kids) I am a very hands on/active person so, hanging out in the garage doing little projects on my kids is something that is just as fun as actually using them.  But trust me, I will get them out now that they are starting to be where I want them. So here are a few of the improvements(I hope) I have made to the kids over the past few months.

Corna-(Drift Boat)

1. Raptor Lined the Inside Hull: The reason I decided to raptor line the inside of my boat was simple. I was sick of redoing it yearly, so I decided to choose something that was durable and can be easley cleaned by spraying it out. Plus it is waterproof and will help prolong the life of the boat.  To give it some more character(Like it needed it, with the lime green paint) I added black liner to the top sides and faded it into the white. Making it look tougher or something???

Before

After

2. Repainted the trailer: Having a nice boat, but a rusty trailer is not acceptable in my eyes. So I sanded it down, primed then spayed the whole thing with Rustolem Brand Truck Bed Liner Spray. Found it at Auto Zone for $8 buck a can. It seems to work a lot better then your typical spray paints. I have driven it to the Green a few times and it has held up great.

3. Repainted and varnished: Having a wood drift boat can be a lot of work if you make it. I decided to invest in nicer paint and varnish in hopes that it will last me longer than the cheaper stuff I have been using. It looks great and has been worth the extra cash so far.

Motor Boat

The motor boat has been a huge undertaking. I basically remodel the whole inside as well as added lots of cool little extras to make being out on the lake more enjoyable. 

1. Inside Seating/Upholstery: Out with the old and in with the new roomy wrap around seating.

Before

After

Added Bow Middle Cushion

Wrap Around Seating & Subs

Adjustable Swivel Captions Chair

2. Sound System: Whats better than chillin on a boat with your friends listing to good music? NOTHING. With this in mind I added a few more speakers(4) as well as a couple subs and tweets. 

3. Tower Lights and Speakers

4. Battery Switch: It allows me to change from battery 1, 2, both or off. This is great to charge both batteries at the same time as well as turning it off in-case you leave something on like the radio. Full batteries is the key.

5. Extended Swim Deck-Plywood coated in Raptor Truck Bed Liner

6. Repainted trailer: Same undertaking as the drift boat.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/greenriver 

When:    April 27 &28 at 6:00pm-until dark:30
Where:  Meet at the Trestle Bridge Parking Lot (Second parking area on the right after the tunnel, email tgillespie8@hotmail.com if you need better directions) to get river section to clean and garbage sac.
Who:      All Utah Anglers and Sportsman
Why:      Its a freakin mess!!!

Travis Gillespie-UFFC Founder

How the new stream access law will affect anglers
Questions and answers

* What is the new law?
* What does the law prohibit?
* What is trespass?
* What does the law allow?
* What if I encounter an obstacle while floating?
* Where can I access the water if I want to float and fish?
* Where can I fish without obtaining permission?

What is the new law?
This year, the Utah Legislature passed H.B. 141: Recreational Use of Public Water on Private Property. Governor Herbert signed the bill into law, and it will take effect on May 11, 2010. The new law changes the recreational easement recognized in Conatser v. Johnson. This was the Utah Supreme Court decision in 2008 that allowed the public to walk on the private bed of a public waterbody.

What does the law prohibit?
The new law does not allow recreational water users (including anglers, kayakers, tubers, hunters and others) to walk on the private bed of a public waterbody. This means that if you are fishing or recreating in public water that flows over private property closed to trespass, you may not walk on the land beneath the water without obtaining landowner permission.

What is trespass?
To trespass is to enter someone’s property unlawfully. Landowners close their property to trespass by posting a notice or otherwise communicating that access is prohibited. Irrigated pastures, cultivated lands and certain fenced areas are presumed closed to trespass. To review Utah’s trespass laws, see Utah Code Sections 23-20-14, 76-6-206 and 76-6-206.3.

What does the law allow?
The new law allows you to float on the surface of the water, even if you’re floating over private property that is closed to trespass. It also allows you to fish while floating. Your right to float only applies under the following conditions:

* Water volume. The water must have sufficient width, depth and flow to float your vessel.
* Stopping prohibited. You and your vessel must move with the current and not anchor or stop.
* Public water. The water must flow in a natural channel, or it must collect in a natural lake, pond or reservoir on a natural channel.
* Excluded water. The public easement to float does not apply to any of the following waters on private property:
o A jurisdictional wetland (as defined in 33 C.F.R. 328.3)
o An impounded wetland, which means a shallow body of water formed or controlled by a dike, berm or headgate
o A migratory bird production area (as defined in Utah Code Section 23-28-102)

What if I encounter an obstacle while floating?
Your right to float includes the following:

* Incidental touching. You may incidentally touch private property as required for safe passage and continued movement of you and your vessel.
* Portage. You may portage around a dangerous obstruction in the water, as long as you use the most direct route that follows closest to the water.

Where can I access the water to float and fish?
If you want to fish while floating, you must access the water at a lawful access point. This could include a highway right-of-way, public property or private property with written landowner permission.

Where can I fish without obtaining permission?
There are still thousands of places you can fish without obtaining landowner permission.
You do not need permission to:

* Fish while floating over private property.
* Fish on public property where the activity is authorized by the managing agency. This applies to fishing on property owned by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the DWR and other public agencies.
* Fish on private property that is not closed to trespass.

If possible, try to communicate with landowners before you float over property closed to trespass. It is courteous and always appreciated.
The DWR has also worked with other agencies and private landowners to obtain public access to stretches of the following rivers and streams: Duchesne River, Little Bear River, Ogden River, Provo River (middle section), Salt Creek, Sanpitch River, Spanish Fork River, Strawberry River, Thistle Creek, Weber River and many others. To find a waterbody where you do not need permission to walk the bed, contact the DWR office in the region where you want to fish.
You can also visit the DWR’s Fishing Hotspots, Community Fisheries, Blue Ribbon Fisheries and Walk-in-Access sites to learn about more great places to fish.

*The above information reflects the opinions and interpretations of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources on H.B. 141. The opinions and interpretations presented are not binding on courts, prosecuting attorneys or other law-enforcement agencies. They are provided solely for general information and do not represent legal advice or counsel.

Stuck in Atlanta for the week listening to lame presentations for work, got me thinking about the kind of presentation I wish I was watching.

Blue Wing Olive Mayflies