by Phil Bourjaily

Mostly, I am of the school of thought that it’s best to make a turkey come look for you rather than put out a decoy that might make him hang up or even walk away. Nevertheless, I always have decoys in my gamebag just in case I am staking out an open field, especially late in the season when hens are not interested in going to toms. This year I used the new Primos P.H.D. (pocket hen decoy, about $55). It’s an inflatable hen with a non-shiny cloth photoprinted skin that shows iridescent feather detail. [ Read Full Post ]

by David Draper

Back in college, I spent one of my first federal student-aid checks on camping gear. I bet I could make a pretty convincing argument that spending the money on outdoor equipment was a better investment than paying my tuition. Or, at least, that’s how I rationalized it at the time. I will say, much of what I learned in college has been long forgotten, but I still use some of the gear today, including my trusty Coleman Dual Fuel 2-Burner Stove. [ Read Full Post ]

By Lance Schwartz

2012 Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4x4 EPS LE
MSRP: $15,199 –Sunrise Yellow/Aztec Red

Over the past several months, the 2012 Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4x4 EPS LE has served me well as a steadfast adventure rig.  Racking up about 300 miles on the odometer, I’ve used the Teryx4 to cart my kids and gear on several epic fishing adventures; I transported my parents and son on some outrageously technical trails that made my Mom swear at me; and I utilized the Teryx4 to handle various  yard chores with my M101 military trailer in tow. 

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by Mike Calabro

Sand-X claims that they have built The World's fastest and safest Tracked All Terrain Vehicle (T-ATV). But How safe can a vehicle that allegedly does  185 kilometers an hour (115 MPH) and accelerates to 100 km/h (62 MPH) in just 2.8 seconds actually be? The Sand-X T-ATV currently comes in two models; a militarized T-ATV1200 powered by a Rotax 4-stroke fuel-injecting 1,200cc engine and it’s slightly tamer  2-stroke 800cc engine. [ Read Full Post ]

by Kirk Deeter

Not all nymph (or wet-fly) fishing should be confined to rivers. Using subsurface patterns for trout on lakes can be deadly. Fourth-generation ghillie (guide) Neil O’Shea recently explained to me why the traditional “dibbling” technique works well in places like Lough Currane in County Kerry. “The peat-rich soil makes these lakes acidic and less hospitable for mayflies,” he said. “So the migratory trout and salmon are window-shopping more than they are keyed in on a specific food source, like an insect hatch. Showing the trout and salmon bright, attractor wet flies with a slow, methodical retrieve will elicit a reaction strike. This is a technique for hooking curious, rather than hungry or aggressive, fish.”
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by Kirk Deeter

Spanish nymphing blends characteristics of both the Czech and French styles. Like Czech nymphing, you’re using a heavy weighted fly on the point and leading the flies through a run with the rod tip pointed at the water. Like French nymphing, the leader in this technique is very long—15 feet or longer—and rather than feel, you are relying on a sighter that is relatively far from the end of the fly line to tell you when to set the hook.

Spanish flyfishermen created this nymphing technique to help them catch the notoriously elusive fario (brown trout) in Pyrenees mountain streams. They found that the extra-long leader is the key to avoid spooking the fish.

The Rig: The ideal rod for Spanish nymphing is a 10- to 12-foot 3-, 4-, or 5-weight. Use a weight-forward floating line and a 3X to 5X 9-foot tapered leader. Spanish anglers tie a two-tone sighter to the end of the leader. Make the sighter by splicing two 12-inch sections of Sunline Sig­lon F mono (fishusa.com) together with Uni knots or a Blood knot. Below the sighter, attach 4 feet of 5X... [ Read Full Post ]