The Woody II

Hand made in Grayling, Michigan by Steve Schultes and engineered by Bob Smock of "The Old AuSable Boat Company", Woody II was built in the winter of 2001. It was developed using Black Walnut and Mahogany wood. The boat was the second purchased by Sprouting Pines Guide Service, however, it was given the same name as the first (Woody), after the founder of the lodge, Woody Smith. The classic riverboat or longboat is a unique watercraft traditionally used to carry trout fishermen on guided floats on the "Holy Water." And while many of the older, original riverboats are still in use, Smock and his Old AuSable Boat Company are bent on seeing that this classic float boat will be around as long as the original ones were - adding another century and more of service to anglers on the Au Sable and nearby Manistee Rivers. "This design was developed by the early lumber companies in the 1870's to traverse inland streams," Smock said. Smock's current riverboat design is pretty much the same as guide boats designed 100 years ago. The riverboats of the 1870's were developed as a flat-bottomed watercraft ideally suited to allow the lumbermen to move tools and supplies along the rivers between lumber camps. Then, in the 1880s when fishermen began to come to the Au Sable to fish for grayling and later for the newly introduced trout, Grayling guide Rube Babbitt and his family modified the design to accommodate anglers by adding a live box and seats for one or more anglers. For today's angler, a riverboat offers a way of covering more fishable water in a day than a fisherman could wade in a week. They can also let your leader and fly float ahead as you move with the current in a perfect drift that seldom spooks a trout. Riverboats average 23.8 feet to 24 feet. The Old AuSable Boat Company built the traditional boat with the raised bow and stern, but also make one with a square stern for mounting a small motor. "Taken from the Traverse City Record Eagle - Written by Don Ingle.

Special options

Woody II was given a built in cooler to keep the beer cold. This option as well as rod holders and elevated seats make the fishing experience more relaxing and pleasurable. There has only been one occurance of a "Man Overboard" during its two years on the river. The staff at Sprouting Pines Lodge was relinquished of all responsiblilty for that occurance.