outdoors tagged posts

Jill Beauchesne Alban

It’s spring in Montana. Two weekends ago, I couldn’t get my car out of the driveway because of a blizzard that dumped close to two feet of snow in Missoula. Then, in a matter of days, warm temperatures melted most of the snow and bumped up local rivers to what the fishing guides call “chocolate milk.” Thankfully, the water started going down only a few days later, coinciding with a spate of days in the upper 50s.

When the weather gets a bit warm, the rivers around here start to beckon me, like they’re whispering my name. It hasn’t always been this way. When I first moved to Montana 10 years ago, I was mystified by the mania of fly-fishing and the way it drove my friends to wake up at 6 AM to hit a morning hatch...

The following is a repost by Bob St. Pierre from the Pheasant Blog.

“Hunters are increasingly motivated by meat,” that’s the headline of a report released on Wednesday byResponsive Management, an international survey research firm. According to their findings, the percentage of hunters identifying “for the meat” as the most important reason for hunting participation rose from 22 percent in 2006 up to 35 percent during this year’s study.

The report attributes the 13 percent climb to three factors; 1) the recession, 2) the locavore movement and 3) the increased participation of females in hunting...

How to catch and cope with, Shad Fever By: Zach Hartman, Owner and Upper Potomac River Guide of Capitol City Fishing

Zach Hartman

Whether you are an avid fisherman or someone looking to connect with the sport of fishing, the annual Potomac River shad run has something to offer you...

Survey results are in and AnglerSurvey.com has announced the top fishing equipment for 2013.

The overall top rod is Shakespeare (the company also got honors for top ice rod – Orvis and Redington tied for best fly rod).

The Shakespeare Ugly Stik was named the 2013 best rod brand by AnglerSurvey.com. The ladies edition is shown (of course).

What’s your favorite fishing gear? Leave us a comment to tell us!

See the full list of winners below:

• Top rod brand: Shakespeare (Ugly Stik, Sturdy Stik, etc.)
• Top reel brand: Shimano
• Top combo brand: Shakespeare
• Top fishing line brand:  PowerPro
• Top hard bait brand: Rapala
• Top soft bait brand: Berkley Gulp
• Top spinner bait brand: Strike King
• Top jig brand: Strike King
• Top sinker brand:  Eagle Claw
• Top swivel brand:  Eagle Claw
• Top rigs brand: Eagle Claw

Sally

As an only child of two very active and outdoorsy parents, I was probably a disappointment. Rather than kayaking the Finger Lakes with my mom, I wanted to go to the mall.  Instead of training for a bike race with my dad, I went to dance lessons.  Fishing, now that was the biggest long shot, except for the yearly family vacations on Lake Champlain.

Every year we got the same house; a family reunion outdoor utopia, between the Green and Adirondack Mountains on the island of North Hero, Vermont.  With limited cell service and no cable, the dock and rickety paddle-boat served as our family’s personal waterpark, and fishing poles and some bait were the ultimate ride...