If you’re headed to the tropics for bonefish this winter or plan to try for salmon in Alaska next summer, you’re going to have to learn to cast into the wind. Here are a couple of helpful tips from a Cayman Islands fishing guide.
Striper Slaughter at Sea
This week, the Charlotte edition of Examiner.com published a hard-hitting story by Jeffrey Weeks on the slaughter of striped bass by commercial trawlers off the coast of North Carolina. The video above, posted on Sunday, purports to show the results of commercial fishermen culling. . .
Read MorePreventive Heartworm Measures Still a Necessity, Especially for Outdoor Dogs
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Douglas, Chatham |
We all want to make sure our dogs are as healthy as possible and do our best to prevent them from picking up ticks, fleas, and from getting heartworm.If you have a dog that spends a lot of time outdoors, its exposure to heartworm increases.
A recent study at California State University at Fresno, funded by Morris Animal Foundation, showed that heartworm prevention is still an important part of a well-rounded health plan for dogs in the Western states, especially if the dogs spend a lot of time outside.
Read MoreShooting Made Simple
Recently, I have heard a few shooters, on the front deck, chattering about different shootings styles and techniques. One conversation struck me as particularly odd. A gentleman mentioned to his friend that recently he had made a big break through with his shooting. His friend inquired as to what the epiphany might have been. The gentleman responded, “I am focusing on the target now when I shoot.” I found the comment puzzling. I have seen this man shoot before and he is a reasonably good shot. What has he been looking at for all these years? The gun.
Read MoreDream Ranch Lives Up to Its Name in Alabama
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We recently added a new endorsed hunting lodge in northeast Alabama called Dream Ranch. It’s located on a hill overlooking Lake Guntersville and that in itself is significant; I’ll tell you why in a minute. Dream Ranch is a family-owned operation and I called manager Austin Ainsworth to see what they have to offer. It was a bit more than I expected. While they offer great quail hunting, there are some unique opportunities there that make made it stand out for me.
Read MoreFly Fishing 101 at the Sacramento ISE Show this Weekend
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booth at the Denver ISE. |
Wow, the Denver International Sportsman’s Expo was spectacular. We had more than 165 people come to the Orvis booth and attend our 45-minute Orvis Fly Fishing 101 classes. Men, women and kids of all ages participated. Most already knew how to fish with spinning gear, but they wanted to learn how to use a different type of tool to extend their fishing time and enhance the experience. Everyone walked away with little bag of goodies, information on what and where. . .
Read MoreFly Tying with My Daughter
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[Editor’s note: Here’s an email we received from a reader named Jeff, who had listened to Tom Rosenbauer’s podcast on Fly Tying with Kids and put Tom’s advice to work.]
Hey Tom!
I decided to follow the advice you gave in the “Fly Tying With Kids”podcast and gave my six year old daughter Alex her first session at the vise this afternoon.
We have a fairly large kitchen table, which let me set up a tying space for each of us. Prior to “The Big Event,” I collected several baggies of materials just for her—some chenille, marabou, and peacock herl, among others. The largest hook I have is a size 8 streamer, which turned out to be. . .
Read MoreIn the Loop 01.17.11
Opening day of salmon season is a big deal in Helmsdale, Scotland, with a parade, dancing, and, of course, bagpipes. Oh, and there’s fishing, too. This video ends with a plea from Orri Vigfussen, chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, for the Scottish government to do. . .
Read MoreMurph: The Training Begins, Week 1
As I promised I’m going to keep a blog journal on Murph’s progress. Murph is the black Lab puppy I picked up at Wildrose Kennels over the holidays. That trip was chronicled in Picking up Murph Part 1 and Part 2.
I’m lucky enough to be able to bring Murph with me to work. It’s cold up here, but we get at least three good walks in a day (a good walk for an eight-week-old is about 100 yards). Since day one, his training is part of the walk. It doesn’t last long, nor does it need to, and mostly it is just reinforcing the things he does naturally.
Read MoreFriday Film Festival
Small stream fly fishing from rummutt on Vimeo.
Another snowy weekend here in the Great White North, so it’s time for another selection of great fly-fishing films. This week’s crop takes us from Romania to Northern California, and from Sweden to Mexico. So, while the water in your favorite creek continues to flow cold. . .
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