# 71 hewes



## victor78 (Dec 18, 2009)

pics


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

That is a nice boat. That would make me happy too, they would call me the happy lappy.


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

Gotta love the lapstrakes, nice ride.


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

It's really wild to see your ole boat with the designs of the day (1971) and then think about what is coming out of the factory now. I bet the quality doesn't hold a stick to when your boat came out of the factory!


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## franklin.howell (Aug 11, 2009)

I had a 1979 original lapstrake Hewes Kevlar Bonefisher and the weight issue aside, they where awesome hulls. Mine floated in about 12 to 13 inches of water with a Johnsen 140 hp. Can't help but wonder how that skiff would be today with modern production and lightweight materials.


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## victor78 (Dec 18, 2009)

Yeah, I think it would be a pretty sweet ride if it were made with light weight materials. This boat rides pretty darn good in a rough chop. And I love the teak spray rails, they help out a lot.


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

Nice.....put a smile on my face....


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

In the late seventies, I used to fish with a character that will remain nameless as I have lost all respect for him as a fisherman. He had one of the very earliest Bonefishers in an original flamingo pink color. It had the low front deck of the time. That hull was pretty heavy being the first generation Hewes and was not to easy to pole, even from the bow as we did. That skiff took us out on the ocean and half way to the Bahamas at times, and you felt confident when doing it. The one thing that should have been retained from the old design and available in todays Hewes is the small bow cap hatch. You can see it in the first photo of this post including the bow light and a bow line running from it. When open and laid flat it had the bow light mounted on the bottom of the hatch door. That was really convenient and a great idea. Beneath the door was the rope locker and it featured a tie off point for the anchor or docking line. FMH has asked the new Hewes builders to make it an option, but they say it would be to expensive for its usefulness. I don't agree and niether does FMH. I know that the hull in the lead off of this thread is one great and formidable skiff. They still will be plying the waters 40-50 years from now like a Challenger does.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

FMH's early Hewes. See next message also.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

I'm sure FMH will clarify the time frame


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

This one was previously owned by Al Pflueger Jr. Sorry my ugly face is in it, but it's the only photo I have of it.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

Here's a closer photo of the Hewe's bow light


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

> This one was previously owned by Al Pflueger Jr. Sorry my ugly face is in it, but it's the only photo I have of it.


I like the under platform horizontal rod holders! Got a set on my platform. I do get a lot of questions as to what and why I have them like that. When I explain they typically say "oh" when I tell them guides and the like have been doing it for a long time a quizzical look as many folks have not seen em like that. 

I knew I was right! 

Cheers


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

this is one of the many places my ignorance comes in...okay Jan, I bite...why horizontal rod holders under the platform? why not just put them under the gunnel?


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> this is one of the many places my ignorance comes in...okay Jan, I bite...why horizontal rod holders under the platform?  why not just put them under the gunnel?


they're there so the guy on the platform can reach down and fetch a rod quickly without being them being in the way when he is poling or as yet another obstacle sticking up above horizontal for the caster to contend with. Usually intended for salvaging a missed presentation by the guy on the bow and also for attempting a cast at those mysterious fish that show up out of nowhere to the side or behind the boat. Typically the rods in those holders would be transferred to the under gunwhale holders or cockpit when running from spot to spot though.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

> > this is one of the many places my ignorance comes in...okay Jan, I bite...why horizontal rod holders under the platform? why not just put them under the gunnel?
> 
> 
> they're there so the guy on the platform can reach down and fetch a rod quickly without being them being in the way when he is poling or as yet another obstacle sticking up above horizontal for the caster to contend with. Usually intended for salvaging a missed presentation by the guy on the bow and also for attempting a cast at those mysterious fish that show up out of nowhere to the side or behind the boat. Typically the rods in those holders would be transferred to the under gunwhale holders or cockpit when running from spot to spot though.


what he said! ;D


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

Okay...that makes sense...

one question though...if you were using fly rods that are 9' + long...wouldn't they be _really_ in the way? (Not arguing the point...just curious and trying to understand) I can see where spinning gear would be good.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> Okay...that makes sense...
> 
> one question though...if you were using fly rods that are 9' + long...wouldn't they be _really_ in the way? (Not arguing the point...just curious and trying to understand) I can see where spinning gear would be good.


fly rods extending 9' forward could be pushing it in smaller skiffs, however a bigger problem is getting a fly rod to stay in those holders for more than a 100th of second.  

Just funnin' with ya a little bit with that, but even supposing you had fly rod friendly holding device a 9' rod could be in the way of the guy on the bow, coupled by the fact that the fly rod requires that you strip enough line off the reel before you cast, so your window of opportunity to present a fly would most likely close by the time you were ready to cast. Then there's the infinite number of things to snag a fly around that area too, so you'd need some sort of line management thing up there with you. Now if you bolted one of those new Chittum platforms on top of the poling platform, well then, um...  ;D


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

Nicely done deerfly! (about the Chittum platform) ;D Could you imagine trying to get the pole around the stripping basket on that thing though! 

I was thinking the same thing...just wanted to make sure that I was thinking in the right direction.


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