Scull, or too some sneak boating

[duckies]

New to the site! But, before I post I'd like to say Merry Xmas too all.
Learning about the site from a close friend He asked me to look at the site and if I could possibly answer a question or two pertaining to Scull boating, as I have been doing this lost art for over 50 yrs.
Some History'
Started my sculling in Humboldt Bay California at the age of 14 and was ever so fortunate to learn from the very best, two Men whom were market hunters of those very early yrs. One teaching too shoot as the other giving all the pointers and skills to learn to scull the right way.
With those early boats changing to a more lower profile when the market days became non existent and limits were put harshly on all waterfowl. I heard the long stories of the huge numbers of ducks killed for market daily.
I read something here on the forum about color and what and how to use the different colors of the sculls used today.
I did not read a thing about everything else that goes along with the sculling in order to kill a nice limit of mallard or sprig on pretty much a daily outing. All I heard was if the color is wrong you were basically not going to kill much.
Most of us know that the back drop where ever we hunt has a lot to do with sight of. But I think we also forget the sun and where it is as we start our scull or the wind, the chop on the water and even in many situation swell for other boating in open bays lakes, reservoirs etc. Believe me there is much, more to sculling then just the color. Don't get me wrong color has its part But there are those days when a pure white boat can kill a limit and then there are those days when what are we going to do we didn't change the color to meet the day or bay we are hunting.. One of my closest friends whom is no loner with us today used deck and porch grey on his boat as long as I knew him and he was one of two of the best sculler I knew. MR George Dean and MR William(Bill) Nellist. These boys not only could scull but MAN could they shoot which is only one more part of being good at sculling. I'm not going to rattle on more about all the great yrs I have seen come and go but if I can help a sculler master his sculling kills I would be more than happy to do so.. Thanks Guys Great hunting in 13 and merry xmas to all

[DeadEye_Dan]

Welcome!

[Redbeard]

Welcome duckies. You still around Humboldt these days? I'm down in Fortuna and have been sculling off and on for about the last 4 years. Would love to pick an old timer's brain

[RonE]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you can straighten Red out some.

[NuffDaddy]

Welcome!!!!

[3legged_lab]

Welcome duckies! Got any old waterfowling pics?

[Redbeard]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you can straighten Red out some.

The good Lord knows I do

[duckies]

Welcome duckies. You still around Humboldt these days? I'm down in Fortuna and have been sculling off and on for about the last 4 years. Would love to pick an old timer's brain

hi there red beard
if I can be of any help with anything just ask away.. I live now in Oregon, been here for 37 yrs and I retired from the sheet metal trade.
most of the county you live in was my play ground back in the day.. Lolita around cocck robin island, Ferndale the eel wow old memories... Used to come back for yrs to Hunt Brant my favorite of all the fowl, not only to hunt but also to eat a great bird.. I still see them set coming into the deeks.. wow some great times.. Back then we could hunt till Feb 18th.. Hunted with the deeks But Wednesday, Sat, Sun I was in the scull boat chasing Brant. This site has already brought back some great memories.
Once I learned this area there was no reason to go back as we have 10 times the ducks here then I ever saw in Humboldt bay or North Bay. The birds head to you guys but stay here so late that the season is over before you get a chance at them.. The one thing we see here is the big northern red legs (Mallard) and we get a lot of them.. Right now the bays here are full. These bird will stay and use the bays until we get a lot of water then the fields become loaded.. I get some great hunting with very low pressure and no scull boats. I'd love to help with your sculling if I can. I have 2 of the original Nellist boats, probably 2 of the 5 I know about and 3 of them I believe are no longer? Great boats. I still have 2 of Gordon MacIntosh oars that I had made from the Original that Gordon and I set up and got free oars till he passed. That Man could build an oar. They were all weighted too as light as you wanted till the heavy stiff oar.. I always had the lightest/flimsiest blade he made so that in shallow water I could turn it upside down and scull the bay when most were stuck, plus they were so nice to scull with. Lots of tricks to this art and be leave me it is an art... well red let me know if I can help Mike

[duckies]

Welcome duckies. You still around Humboldt these days? I'm down in Fortuna and have been sculling off and on for about the last 4 years. Would love to pick an old timer's brain

Redbeard wrote:Welcome duckies. You still around Humboldt these days? I'm down in Fortuna and have been sculling off and on for about the last 4 years. Would love to pick an old timer's brain

hi there red beard
if I can be of any help with anything just ask away.. I live now in Oregon, been here for 37 yrs and I retired from the sheet metal trade.
most of the county you live in was my play ground back in the day.. Lolita around cocck robin island, Ferndale the eel wow old memories... Used to come back for yrs to Hunt Brant my favorite of all the fowl, not only to hunt but also to eat a great bird.. I still see them set coming into the deeks.. wow some great times.. Back then we could hunt till Feb 18th.. Hunted with the deeks But Wednesday, Sat, Sun I was in the scull boat chasing Brant. This site has already brought back some great memories.
Once I learned this area there was no reason to go back as we have 10 times the ducks here then I ever saw in Humboldt bay or North Bay. The birds head to you guys but stay here so late that the season is over before you get a chance at them.. The one thing we see here is the big northern red legs (Mallard) and we get a lot of them.. Right now the bays here are full. These bird will stay and use the bays until we get a lot of water then the fields become loaded.. I get some great hunting with very low pressure and no scull boats. I'd love to help with your sculling if I can. I have 2 of the original Nellist boats, probably 2 of the 5 I know about and 3 of them I believe are no longer? Great boats. I still have 2 of Gordon MacIntosh oars that I had made from the Original that Gordon and I set up and got free oars till he passed. That Man could build an oar. They were all weighted too as light as you wanted till the heavy stiff oar.. I always had the lightest/flimsiest blade he made so that in shallow water I could turn it upside down and scull the bay when most were stuck, plus they were so nice to scull with. Lots of tricks to this art and be leave me it is an art... well red let me know if I can help Mike

[duckies]

Welcome duckies! Got any old waterfowling pics?

Hey 3 legged
How are you doing?

Lots of old pics, some that might put me away for a while, if ya know what I mean.. I'm too old to figure all these computers out.. Lucky I got as far as I did with some help of the grand daughter.. where abouts are ya from?

[3legged_lab]

Welcome duckies! Got any old waterfowling pics?

Hey 3 legged
How are you doing?

Lots of old pics, some that might put me away for a while, if ya know what I mean.. I'm too old to figure all these computers out.. Lucky I got as far as I did with some help of the grand daughter.. where abouts are ya from?

Doing good, season has been a little slow this year around the south border of Oregon. I'm in k falls.

[Redbeard]

Welcome duckies. You still around Humboldt these days? I'm down in Fortuna and have been sculling off and on for about the last 4 years. Would love to pick an old timer's brain

hi there red beard
if I can be of any help with anything just ask away.. I live now in Oregon, been here for 37 yrs and I retired from the sheet metal trade.
most of the county you live in was my play ground back in the day.. Lolita around cocck robin island, Ferndale the eel wow old memories... Used to come back for yrs to Hunt Brant my favorite of all the fowl, not only to hunt but also to eat a great bird.. I still see them set coming into the deeks.. wow some great times.. Back then we could hunt till Feb 18th.. Hunted with the deeks But Wednesday, Sat, Sun I was in the scull boat chasing Brant. This site has already brought back some great memories.
Once I learned this area there was no reason to go back as we have 10 times the ducks here then I ever saw in Humboldt bay or North Bay. The birds head to you guys but stay here so late that the season is over before you get a chance at them.. The one thing we see here is the big northern red legs (Mallard) and we get a lot of them.. Right now the bays here are full. These bird will stay and use the bays until we get a lot of water then the fields become loaded.. I get some great hunting with very low pressure and no scull boats. I'd love to help with your sculling if I can. I have 2 of the original Nellist boats, probably 2 of the 5 I know about and 3 of them I believe are no longer? Great boats. I still have 2 of Gordon MacIntosh oars that I had made from the Original that Gordon and I set up and got free oars till he passed. That Man could build an oar. They were all weighted too as light as you wanted till the heavy stiff oar.. I always had the lightest/flimsiest blade he made so that in shallow water I could turn it upside down and scull the bay when most were stuck, plus they were so nice to scull with. Lots of tricks to this art and be leave me it is an art... well red let me know if I can help Mike

that's funny mike. I just started sculling the eel for the first time this year. Don't think I've ever had so much fun sculling

[professor scull]

i have been sculling the humboldt bay area for 50 years-my boat is an original george dean single-i believe it is the only wood boat left in use -george built it in either 1914 or 1918- he sold it to bill kennedy in 1932- kennedy gifted it to me in 1972-bill nellist was a friend and just prior to his death he gifted me his original nellist double scull boat which i still have-bill told me his boat was a fiberglass copy of wes dean's double that wes designed and had heini domeyer build about that time period-about 1960 frank and bill nellist made 7 improved copies of bills boat by reducing the drop at the transom, which made them faster with 2 people. more copies were made by frank and various other persons notably burdick and delatschmidt-some retained the original hull bend-bills is one inch lower at the stern and transom than in the middle-of the original 7 i know that bill roberts, ed nellist and hank moore and of course frank nellist were beneficiaries and a man named thompson-hank moores is alive and well and lloyd dyer just purchased franks whiuch i saw a few days ago-it has a narrow cockpit design compared to the others but the hull is the same-this boat has been markedly improved by stan brandenburg who aquired one of the original 7 decades ago-he extended the rear one foot following existing lines so that no part of the stern is in the water-the boat is faster and never porpoises in a following wind- i believe duckies must be mike edwards and i know him from fly fishing with bill-my name is steve rosenberg and we carry the karma of our mentors in our boats-they are always with us on our hunts

[AKPirate]

i have been sculling the humboldt bay area for 50 years-my boat is an original george dean single-i believe it is the only wood boat left in use -george built it in either 1914 or 1918- he sold it to bill kennedy in 1932- kennedy gifted it to me in 1972-bill nellist was a friend and just prior to his death he gifted me his original nellist double scull boat which i still have-bill told me his boat was a fiberglass copy of wes dean's double that wes designed and had heini domeyer build about that time period-about 1960 frank and bill nellist made 7 improved copies of bills boat by reducing the drop at the transom, which made them faster with 2 people. more copies were made by frank and various other persons notably burdick and delatschmidt-some retained the original hull bend-bills is one inch lower at the stern and transom than in the middle-of the original 7 i know that bill roberts, ed nellist and hank moore and of course frank nellist were beneficiaries and a man named thompson-hank moores is alive and well and lloyd dyer just purchased franks whiuch i saw a few days ago-it has a narrow cockpit design compared to the others but the hull is the same-this boat has been markedly improved by stan brandenburg who aquired one of the original 7 decades ago-he extended the rear one foot following existing lines so that no part of the stern is in the water-the boat is faster and never porpoises in a following wind- i believe duckies must be mike edwards and i know him from fly fishing with bill-my name is steve rosenberg and we carry the karma of our mentors in our boats-they are always with us on our hunts

Someday when Red pulls up his sculling boat next to yours, you should say, "Have any gray poupon?"

[Redbeard]

i have been sculling the humboldt bay area for 50 years-my boat is an original george dean single-i believe it is the only wood boat left in use -george built it in either 1914 or 1918- he sold it to bill kennedy in 1932- kennedy gifted it to me in 1972-bill nellist was a friend and just prior to his death he gifted me his original nellist double scull boat which i still have-bill told me his boat was a fiberglass copy of wes dean's double that wes designed and had heini domeyer build about that time period-about 1960 frank and bill nellist made 7 improved copies of bills boat by reducing the drop at the transom, which made them faster with 2 people. more copies were made by frank and various other persons notably burdick and delatschmidt-some retained the original hull bend-bills is one inch lower at the stern and transom than in the middle-of the original 7 i know that bill roberts, ed nellist and hank moore and of course frank nellist were beneficiaries and a man named thompson-hank moores is alive and well and lloyd dyer just purchased franks whiuch i saw a few days ago-it has a narrow cockpit design compared to the others but the hull is the same-this boat has been markedly improved by stan brandenburg who aquired one of the original 7 decades ago-he extended the rear one foot following existing lines so that no part of the stern is in the water-the boat is faster and never porpoises in a following wind- i believe duckies must be mike edwards and i know him from fly fishing with bill-my name is steve rosenberg and we carry the karma of our mentors in our boats-they are always with us on our hunts

Someday when Red pulls up his sculling boat next to yours, you should say, "Have any gray poupon?"

Ha!

[Redbeard]

i have been sculling the humboldt bay area for 50 years-my boat is an original george dean single-i believe it is the only wood boat left in use -george built it in either 1914 or 1918- he sold it to bill kennedy in 1932- kennedy gifted it to me in 1972-bill nellist was a friend and just prior to his death he gifted me his original nellist double scull boat which i still have-bill told me his boat was a fiberglass copy of wes dean's double that wes designed and had heini domeyer build about that time period-about 1960 frank and bill nellist made 7 improved copies of bills boat by reducing the drop at the transom, which made them faster with 2 people. more copies were made by frank and various other persons notably burdick and delatschmidt-some retained the original hull bend-bills is one inch lower at the stern and transom than in the middle-of the original 7 i know that bill roberts, ed nellist and hank moore and of course frank nellist were beneficiaries and a man named thompson-hank moores is alive and well and lloyd dyer just purchased franks whiuch i saw a few days ago-it has a narrow cockpit design compared to the others but the hull is the same-this boat has been markedly improved by stan brandenburg who aquired one of the original 7 decades ago-he extended the rear one foot following existing lines so that no part of the stern is in the water-the boat is faster and never porpoises in a following wind- i believe duckies must be mike edwards and i know him from fly fishing with bill-my name is steve rosenberg and we carry the karma of our mentors in our boats-they are always with us on our hunts

hey there prof. I've heard your name. I'm a good friend of George Palmer

[professor scull]

hi redbeard- i havent met you yet-but im in the phonebook- colorwise-gray is the best- i also put a little eelgrass on the deck-it can help- and when you approach on black light days-come out of the black into the light- use the sun tide and background and breeze if you can-dont scull in the trough- it rocks the boat too much- and stay away from the middle of big flocks-work off the edges-get your head propped up so you just peer over the cowling-dont move anything but your eyes-keep the high side(left) to the birds-try to have no birds on the low side-those side birds will ruin your scull-if there are side birds-scull with your left hand so you wont be sculling over your shoulder-for the final sprint-if they are hep-use both and go like hell-get up before they do-even if its long range-if they get up first, you use loose 10 yards just like that-and as you know, long range is what you get sculling the good birds most of the time-if the birds are spooky-dont get up-i have seen sprig and cans and even widgeon jump at 400 yards due to one little movement-be persistent-there is usually a period of time everyday when they settle down-and sleep-thats the scullers moment-for divers-go with the wind if there is any-then they have to fly right at you for 30 yards or so-take em as they turn-this is for brant too-bill nellist taught me that-it kills em better too-under the wing is vulnerable-bill nellist taught me that-he made everything look simple-hope these tips are helpful-prof scull

[Redbeard]

hi redbeard- i havent met you yet-but im in the phonebook- colorwise-gray is the best- i also put a little eelgrass on the deck-it can help- and when you approach on black light days-come out of the black into the light- use the sun tide and background and breeze if you can-dont scull in the trough- it rocks the boat too much- and stay away from the middle of big flocks-work off the edges-get your head propped up so you just peer over the cowling-dont move anything but your eyes-keep the high side(left) to the birds-try to have no birds on the low side-those side birds will ruin your scull-if there are side birds-scull with your left hand so you wont be sculling over your shoulder-for the final sprint-if they are hep-use both and go like hell-get up before they do-even if its long range-if they get up first, you use loose 10 yards just like that-and as you know, long range is what you get sculling the good birds most of the time-if the birds are spooky-dont get up-i have seen sprig and cans and even widgeon jump at 400 yards due to one little movement-be persistent-there is usually a period of time everyday when they settle down-and sleep-thats the scullers moment-for divers-go with the wind if there is any-then they have to fly right at you for 30 yards or so-take em as they turn-this is for brant too-bill nellist taught me that-it kills em better too-under the wing is vulnerable-bill nellist taught me that-he made everything look simple-hope these tips are helpful-prof scull

a lot of good info here. Most of which I employ already. But I'm curious about what you mean about black light days? This I've never heard of

[professor scull]

somedays especially hi overcast days when its calm there will be patches of black instead of gray light on the water-if you scull into the light patch from the black patch the ducks cant see you very well-you can see this before sunrise too-the east is black (pacific coast)-the west is grey-also near bluffs or trees-that side is black-sculling out from them its light

[Redbeard]

somedays especially hi overcast days when its calm there will be patches of black instead of gray light on the water-if you scull into the light patch from the black patch the ducks cant see you very well-you can see this before sunrise too-the east is black (pacific coast)-the west is grey-also near bluffs or trees-that side is black-sculling out from them its light

ok prof I've seen this and use the dark water from the mountains, bluffs, trees to start my approach any chance I get

[duckies]

Hi There Steve
yes I'm Mike
Steve it is always so nice to hear those names of all the ol scullers we all learned so much from.
Its nice to drop in now an then to see if there is any post from the scull boat issue. So many would love to learn more about sculling but once they get started it seems to not go far.
Loyd is a good friend of mine as we all grew up together back in the day. Loyd hunts with me in Colorado as does my brother in law Dennis Bucko, and Russ Wahland, We have all hunted together for well over 50+ yrs.
Loyds boat is like the (2) I have and yes they are one of a kind.. I acquired my first one back in the early 60's then in the 70's had a chance to purchase my second which was Hanks and scooped it up.
What you were saying in your post about the transom on those boats is so true, when they were modified the bottom of that hull at the transom did not have the lift that these ol boats have. There for that transom is much lower If you look at all these modified Nellist sitting vertically, about the last 2 feet of that boat starts its drop making that hull drag. Sy Wrigley made a mold off his boat back in the early to middle 60's saying it was a Nellist hull>>NOT and that was the beginning of everyone wanting to build a mold. Then Ralf Noii built a boat mold Wood, Formica, Glass thena boats for Dick Biagi with wider deck and much wider wings. They made a single and a double then no more.. Bill and Dick put there heads together and the plan was started. Dick and Bill were very close. There is so much to those ol boats and there is nothing like them and will never come together as the same boats. I heard Jim Ryan was going to get Bill Roberts boat but no one seems to know I used to visit Roberts every time I came to Eureka.
I was chatting with Loyd this morning and explaining exactly what you were saying about the background and how to use it. When bill used to come up here to Oregon he used to say the back drop here was the best he had ever seen. I have to laugh thinking when Bill would come up and striper fish. He said Mike You need to find out everything you can about Fly fishing for those Striper. Back then Bick Biagi and I were trolling at night for them, but Bill wanted no part of that he wanted to fly fish them. So here we go, for 2 weeks I followed a Guide around watching every move he made with the tides right at day light using live bait along the shore line. So I call Bill up and explained what was going on, So he ties up a few streamers like a Herring pattern and comes up.
I'll never forget that day as he's out there throwing that streamer into the grass on the shore then retrieving it nice and slow and just that fast a huge swirl and fish ON. That Damn Striper pulled us down the Umpqua River, Back up, and finally pulled out as Bill Turned with that growly voice of his and a big smile and said Mike that was one Hell of a fish. We calmly slid back up there and I'll be dammed if he didn't land one about 20-22 lbs I don't think Bill ever forgot that day. That Man was one of a kind and yes when I'm on the water or in the Hills Bill is thought of a lot.
The one thing I miss there in Eureka is the Brant hunting We have a few that stop in here but Late nothing early when they give us a season. I have tried everything to get the ODFW to be a little more liberal on dates but where its federally looked at it will never happen even though we have good number now compared to yrs back according to the ODFW and there count numbers.. What they are saying is the Birds are not leaving WA and going south as the number indicate literally thousands of bird are staging there till late then heading north for the breeding grounds for the spring.
well steve nice to hear from you Good Hunting /fishing next season Mike
.