by Bob Marshall

Readers of this blog are familiar with my claim that there's no inconsistency with being pro-gun, pro-life, pro-freedom and pro environment--and, in fact, most sportsmen are conservative and pro-environment. Now there's proof...

A poll released Monday by the Colorado College found "western voters across the political spectrum--from Tea Party supporters to those who identify with the Occupy Wall Street movement and voters in between--view parks and public lands as essential to their state’s economy, and support upholding and strengthening protections for clean air, clean water, natural areas and wildlife."

The 2012 Conservation in the West Poll, part of the college's State of the Rockies Project, questioned voters of all political spectrums in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. It found "two-thirds of Western voters say America’s energy policy should prioritize expanding use of clean renewable energy and reducing our need for more coal, oil and gas. Even in states like Wyoming and Montana, which are more often associated with fossil fuels, voters view renewable energy as a local job creator."
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by Joe Cermele

The lure below was entered into our ongoing vintage tackle contest by Bob Brown, who tells me he found it in his grandfather's tackle box. Not only is this one cool looking spoon, but I had to pick it because it shares a last name with our very own Dr. Todd Larson of the The Whitefish Press and "Fishing For History" blog. Was the Larson Fishtrap produced by the Doc's great grandad perhaps? Let's find out.

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by Kirk Deeter

John Merwin's blog post the other day referenced a book by Pat Dorsey (Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies). So I thought I'd follow up with an "On The Spot" interview I did with Pat at the recent International Sportsmen's Expo in Denver.

Pat and I are old friends. In fact, back when we were in our early thirties, I was co-authoring a book on fishing guides, and Pat was one of our first "volunteer" subjects. He showed me Cheesman Canyon, the Williams Fork, and Dream Stream section of the South Platte in South Park. And he did it for gas money, despite the fact that we didn't have a publisher committed or anything (it was an excuse to go fishing). The book turned out to be Castwork, which boosted my outdoor writing career. It's out of print now, but you can read excepts at MidCurrent.
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by Joe Cermele

While cruising the aisles at the Somerset Fly Fishing Show in New Jersey this past weekend, I stumbled upon the booth of artist Jeff Currier. Jeff's awesome work has appeared on many a Simms T-shirt, but he also sells custom-painted fly boxes and coffee mugs featuring his many fish designs on his website. What caught my eye on his table, however, was this pair of canvas slip-ons all markered up with a nice hook-jaw brown trout. I will admit that in my younger days, I rocked a pair of Vans checkered slip-ons now and again. While I like them, I don't think I have it in me to wear slip-ons anymore, but how about you? Can you see a couple brown trout on your feet, or is this just too hipster for your taste?

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by John Merwin

I’m looking for some opinions on this question: Do sportsmen buy and read ebooks? That is, titles dealing with hunting, fishing, or firearms that you would download and read electronically on your iPad, desktop computer, or even a smartphone.

The photo shows a fly-fishing ebook that I bought, downloaded, and read over the weekend on my iPad. Pat Dorsey, the author, is a well-known guide in Colorado. I wanted to see what his best fly patterns were and how to tie them. The tying-sequence photos in this book are large, bright, and easy to follow. I’d have no trouble setting up my iPad next to my tying vise and following the directions.

The only thing getting in the way here is tradition. Being an old guy, I rather revere regular books. I have hundreds of them, including many, many fishing titles. The whole ebook concept and its amazingly rapid growth is turning the book-publishing industry upside down. And as the author or editor of numerous traditional books, I find this very disconcerting.
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by Joe Cermele

Here's the deal. You are on a gorgeous trout stream with 7 extremely beautiful women that happen to be competing for your undivided attention. However, you have to teach them to fly fish. None of the them know how to fly fish or really care to learn. Oh, and these gals all hate each other, too. Now that you have the facts, do you see the situation in the clip below as a dream come true or a nightmare?

Note: I could have given you the whole 14-minute segment of this video from the "The Bachelor," but this edited version is far more enjoyable. Have a great weekend.

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