The Big Book of Fly Fishing Tips & Tricks

The trouble with reviewing books on outdoors-related topics in the spring is that we reviewers are actually outside participating in those topics covered by the books! However, I recently read THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS: 501 Strategies, Techniques and Sure-Fire Methods, and it’s content impressed me so much that I put my fishing rods away for a bit to write about it!

THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS: 501 Strategies, Techniques and Sure-Fire Methods (224 pages, MVP Books, $30.00 U.S.), by C. Boyd Pfeiffer, presents quick, useful, real-world tips “that lead to a simpler, better, faster, cheaper, more effective, more organized, or more efficient way” of performing tasks related to fly fishing and fly tying.

Logically organized in pithy, informative chapters and subjects, the book addresses some of the most common fly fishing-issues presented to fly fishermen, as well as some of the more obscure. Covering topics such as:

• tackle and rigging;
• fly fishing preparation;
• fly fishing strategies for freshwater and saltwater;
• casting; equipment care, storage, cleanup, and travel;
• and fly tying equipment, tools, methods, and techniques,

the book includes tips and tricks that are sure to appeal to fly fishermen of all experience and skills levels.

An example of a commonsense tip (that I somehow overlooked for years) provided by THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS teaches readers to loop their lines around a fence post or tree limb for one-person stretching, rather than relying on two people to stretch line. The book also offers a bunch of other sensible tips including tips about applying sun screen and insect repellant so fish don’t smell them, optimal hat brim colors, and ways to photograph fish.

THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS also provides useful information, tips, and tactics for fighting, controlling, landing, and releasing fish, and it provides tips for fly fishing from a boat or while wading.

Nearly half of the tips are devoted to fly tying, so novice, as well as expert fly tying practitioners will learn something new from the book.

Published in a large format with many full-color photos, THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS will provide any fly fisherman with useful advice and hours of enjoyment. Most of the tips are presented in a paragraph or two, so the book can be casually read from cover to cover, or it can be used as a reference to find information on specific fly fishing topics.

Author C. Boyd Pfeiffer did his homework when compiling the 501 tips presented in THE BIG BOOK OF FLY FISHING TIPS & TRICKS so his readers don’t have to.

For more information, click here.

From my column in The News Journal May 2, 2013.

While discussing Delaware wild turkey hunting on a sports talk show last week, I was asked if wild turkeys are hard to kill. I explained that turkeys – like many game animals – are absolutely difficult to hunt, but not necessarily hard to kill.

There’s no sense in sugarcoating the truth that the ultimate goal of hunting is to harvest the hunted animal. But ethical, practical hunters strive for efficient kills that produce as little suffering as possible for the animal. Hunters who respect the circle of life and who value the life-giving sustenance provided by game animals spend hours honing their crafts so the final second of a hunt – the shot – is the least difficult part.

Effective and efficient hunters study animal anatomy, practice shooting their guns and bows, and learn how different distances, ammunition and situations affect shots. They then use the data to help them make educated decisions before firing at an animal.

Although some game animals are similar in size and appearance, the internal anatomies and vital organ locations differ between species. For most birds (including wild turkeys), preferred shot placement is in the head and neck area. And for most mammals, preferred shot placement is in the area of the heart and lungs. However, due to anatomical differences, the heart and lungs may be higher, lower, more forward or more rearward in the chest cavities of different animals. Therefore, shot placement on a whitetail deer, for example, is somewhat different than on a black bear.

Proper, ethical and efficient shot placement for game animals is taught in books, on websites and in hunter safety classes around the world. Hunters also learn that shot placement on any animal can differ for reasons such as whether the shot is from a gun or bow, the direction in which the animal is facing or the elevation of the hunter relative to the animal.

In addition to proper shot placement, hunters must be familiar with all aspects of how their guns or bows shoot. Rifles and shotguns of different calibers, gauges and configurations have different effective ranges, produce varying degrees of power and may produce different shot groups or shot patterns, so hunters should practice with whatever gun they plan to use on a hunt. Likewise, the same rifle may shoot differently based upon the type or brand of ammunition used, so hunters may have to adjust their scopes or sights when changing ammo. Practicing at the shooting range is crucial for hunters, and they should be sure to read the ballistic information on the ammunition box to learn how bullets behave after the round is fired. A difference of inches in shot placement can be the difference between clean kill shots, clean misses and nonlethal shots.

After considering anatomy, ballistics and other physical factors that affect a shot, hunters must rely on common sense and hunting ethics before choosing to shoot at an animal. An animal may be within the effective range of a hunter’s gun, the hunter may know the perfect shot placement and he may know the supposed trajectory of the bullet. However, if light or weather conditions are not right, if brush or other objects could affect the shot, or if another animal could possibly be hit with the shot, then the hunter should exercise sound judgment and not shoot.

As with all hunting, knowledge is key. When hunters spend the time to learn about the game they are hunting and about the gun or bow they are using, chances of harvest success increase by making every shot count.

I was honored to be a guest on the CatchItLive show with Anthony Ray Joseph on April 23, 2013. Anthony and I discussed Delaware turkey hunting, Delaware crow hunting, and even zebra hunting!

Check out the video of the full CatchItLive segment below. Be sure to view both segments (pre- and post-commercials).

For Delaware outdoorsmen, the vibrant green of springtime brings closure to the dull gray months that follow the end of January’s deer and waterfowl seasons, and many are beginning to focus on three main warm weather activities: yard work, fishing, and turkey hunting.

Clear-thinking outdoorsmen quickly recognize that yard work and fishing opportunities will persist throughout the late spring and summer months, but the window of opportunity for hunting Delaware turkeys is short. Delaware’s 2013 spring wild turkey season runs for only four weeks from April 13 to May 11, so turkey hunters will have to postpone other outdoors activities until their gobblers are bagged.

With no time to waste, Delaware turkey hunters should begin scouting hunting locations immediately (if they haven’t done so already), and they should start organizing the calls they will take to the woods.

For success-oriented turkey hunters, pre-season turkey scouting is crucial, especially in the last two weeks leading up to the opening of the hunting season.

Pre-season scouting is as simple as driving by farm fields in or near hunting grounds to look for turkeys or walking through the woods and fields of hunting areas to look for turkeys and turkey signs, like tracks, feathers, droppings and scratch marks. Several morning and evening scouting trips can provide hunters with enough data to determine turkey feeding and roosting patterns, which can help them pinpoint optimal hunting locations.

In-season scouting is perhaps even more important than pre-season scouting. Male turkeys tend to move around their ranges in pursuit of females as the spring hunting season progresses, so hunters should continuously attempt to locate and track the mature toms.

In fact, scouting turkey hunting locations the night before a hunt can be extremely productive. Since turkeys roost in trees at night, a good tactic is to stealthily observe turkeys in the woods or fields at dusk the evening before a hunt. Once the sun sets, turkeys will move toward their evening roost locations. If hunters are lucky, they may see the turkeys fly to their roosts. If not, hunters can assume that the turkeys are roosting in the general vicinity in which they were last seen. Hunters should then set up near the roost location at least an hour before dawn the following morning with hopes to call in an early-morning gobbler after he flies down from his roost.

With only a little more than a week left to prepare for opening day of the turkey hunting season, turkey hunters should check to make sure their vests and packs are properly stocked with the turkey calls needed to maximize their chances of harvesting a mature tom.

Mature and immature male turkeys (toms and jakes, respectively) will respond to female turkey (hen) calls during the spring mating season, so it’s wise for hunters to bring several turkey calls along on their hunts.

Various types of turkey calls are available, each with different benefits and distinct sounds. Circular wooden or plastic pot calls with slate, glass, ceramic or metallic striking surfaces are great for creating various turkey sounds. However, it’s a good idea for hunters to pack several styles of pot calls with their gear since different surfaces, strikers, and bases produce different sounds that may sound like different turkeys. Since pot calls require two hands to operate, hands-free diaphragm calls should be in every turkey hunter’s pack, as well. Turkeys possess phenomenal vision, so hunters should not risk excess movement when calling as birds come into range.

Additional Information

• Delaware’s 2013 spring wild turkey hunting season will run from April 13, 2013 to May 11, 2013.
• Private land hunters may hunt all 25 days of the season.
• Public land permits can only be used on the property for which they are issued. Season segments for public land permits are:
  • April 13 – 19
  • April 20 – 26
  • April 27 – May 3
  • May 4 – May 11
  • Youth Day – April 6
• Hunting Hours – 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00 p.m.
• All turkeys must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day the bird is killed.

Don’t miss the Marblehead Flyfisher’s “Spring Fever” Open House from 10 AM to 5 PM on April 13, 2013 at:

5716 Kennett Pike Suite D & E
Centreville, DE 19807

Dick Kondak from G Loomis will be there with all of the great new Loomis rods and gear! Raffles, door prizes, fly tying, casting demos, will all be a part of this great event. Join the shop staff for good food, good friends, and great fun.

For more info, see http://www.amarbleheadflyfisher.com/

There’s nothing like experiencing hunts with your kids.

Feast or famine is a prevailing theme among hunters when they provide their annual post-deer season accounts to friends, family, and anyone else who will listen. The stories from proud hunters who happily supply their neighbors with venison steaks, summer sausage, and jerky are quickly countered by the perplexed glares of less-than-lucky hunters whose empty game freezers speak volumes.

Rational deer hunters realize deer hunting success is never guaranteed, and most hunters take the “better luck next year” approach when they don’t harvest a deer. What’s harder for hunters to accept, however, is how they can do their preseason homework, spend hours upon hours in the field, and not even see a deer — all season.

Many Delaware deer hunters can’t relate to the concept of seeing no deer all season, but trust me, more than one hunter told me the same deerless story.

Surprisingly, although some Delaware hunters reported that the 2012-2013 deer season was one of the worst in recent memory, actual harvest statistics tell a different story. Last month the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife released their harvest totals for the 2012-2013 deer season, and the numbers show the eighth highest Delaware deer harvest on record.

Hunters harvested 13,302 deer during the 2012-2013 season, slightly less than last year’s total (13,559), but near the last five year’s average of 13,551. Joe Rogerson, deer and furbearer biologist of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, attributes the slight drop in the deer harvest total to two factors: the Division’s ongoing deer management program and the occurrence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a viral infection that can be lethal to deer.

Rogerson expected the 2012-2013 harvest to be lower than previous years because of the Division’s efforts to reduce Delaware’s overall deer herd. “Delaware’s highest deer harvest occurred during the 2004-05 season, followed by a gradual but steady drop in numbers that mirrored the declining deer population. As a result we expected hunters to harvest fewer animals because they would be encountering fewer deer while afield,” Rogerson said in DNREC-issued press release.

Sussex County deer hunters provided me the reports in which they saw few or no deer, and the harvest statistics support their reports. Sussex County deer harvest totals for 2012-2013 were down 8.4 percent from last year (7,041 in 2011-2102 to 6,448 in 2012-2013), which may be attributed to concentrated outbreaks of EHD near Georgetown and Milton. Near these areas, deer harvest totals were down 22 percent and 26 percent, respectively, so it is likely that hunters in highly affected areas saw significantly fewer deer.

Although the harvest totals were affected by EHD, Division of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Species Program Manager Rob Hossler expects the deer population to rebound quickly. “The summer and fall of 2007 was another bad year for EHD in Delaware, and we saw similar declines in the deer harvest during the first hunting season following the outbreak,” Hossler said. “The deer population rebounded, and two years later the harvest returned to levels seen before the outbreak.”

The 2012-2013 deer harvested statistics also show 52 percent of the total deer harvested in Delaware were female, and 72 percent of the harvested total were classified as antlerless deer (does, button bucks, or bucks with antlers less than three inches long).

With only about a quarter of the deer harvested during the 2012-2013 season having antlers measuring more than three inches, some hunters are asking if the Division is considering implementing any additional antler size restrictions so more bucks can reach maturity or trophy size. According to Rogerson, the Division currently does not see a need to impose mandatory antler restrictions. “From biological data we collected several years ago, the percentage of antlered bucks harvested by Delaware hunters that are yearlings is around 50%, so approximately half of the bucks that hunters harvest are 2.5 or older,” Rogerson said. “We prefer to educate hunters about the benefits of not harvesting yearling bucks rather than regulate it.”

Fits Sock Co. Big Game sock

Not much can ruin a hunt faster than cold or sore feet. Whether sitting in an elevated deer stand, wading in a duck pond, or walking through corn stubble, every hunter knows how numb toes, socks that slide into your waders, or painful blisters can lead to hunting misery.

We try to combat cold and sore feet with expensive cold-weather boots, but oftentimes we neglect to apply proper consideration to the socks we wear with those boots. For years I wore the run-of-the-mill, military-surplus wool socks or some other bulky, itchy gray and red wool socks (and in many cases several pairs at a time), until I was introduced to some new socks on the market.

FITS Sock Co., a USA-based company producing socks in the oldest operating hosiery mill in the country, responded to the industry-wide epidemic of ill-fitting socks, by developing fine-fitting sock using materials, processes, and quality controls that meet the fit and performance demands of hunters. I tested three of their 30 styles of socks, and I was not disappointed.

In fact, I was impressed.

• On one of the coldest Delaware hunting days of the year, I wore my Big Game socks from FITS Sock Co. on an eight-hour deer hunt. Worn with tall insulated boots, the 74% wool, boot-length Big Game socks kept my feet warm and comfortable all day. I walked about three miles through woods, over falling trees, through a marsh, and across a creek. The cushioning, form-fitting socks didn’t rub or cause blisters, and most importantly, they didn’t slouch inside my boots! Yes, the socks stayed up around my calves the entire day! The full-contact cuff worked wonders!
• While hunting for shed whitetail antlers, I tested FIT Socks Tracker socks. The weather was in the mid-40s, so the 68% wool, over-the-calf socks suited my leather hiking boots perfectly. The socks provided warmth without bulk (which was great because I like my hiking boots to have a tighter fit), they never slipped down my calves, and they provided great toe and heal cushioning to prevent blisters.
• During a Delaware crow hunt, I wore a pair of the crew-length Upland Crew socks from FITS Sock Co. with an ankle-high pair of  rubber and leather hunting boots. The 70% wool Upland socks, although they didn’t come up as high on my legs as the Big Game socks or Tracker socks, were comfortable and warm. They, too, didn’t slouch inside my boots, but I found that my personal preferences is a taller sock when wearing hunting boots. I have moved these socks from my hunting closet to my casual drawer, and I opt to wear them with lower boots, like my casual hikers.

All of the socks from FIT Socks feature their “Full Contact Fit,” including:

• Dynamic Toe Cups that contour to the shape of your toes
• Heel Locks that provide super deep heel pocket with ample cross stretch lock the socks on your heels
• Full Contact Cuff  that stays in place due to a tighter ankle and looser calf

For more information, see www.fitssock.com.

Cabela’s announced in August their plans to open a 110,000-square-foot store near the Christiana Mall in Christiana, Delaware in 2014, but rumors that Cabela’s executives are reconsidering their plans have been swirling in recent weeks.

As many outdoors-related retailers, outfitters, and manufacturers have taken a stand against recently implemented and proposed gun regulations by boycotting events (like the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show) and refusing to sell goods and services to New York law enforcement agencies (since the state passed a broad assault-weapons ban last month), some Delawarean residents believe Cabela’s may halt their plans for the Delaware store because of new gun legislation in the state.

Cabela’s announced in January that it would not participate in February’s Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show because of the show organizer’s decision to ban the sale and display of modern sporting rifles (otherwise known as assault weapons). As a result, some Delawareans assumed Cabela’s executives were changing their stance on their planned Delaware store, since a bill banning modern sporting rifles may be introduced in Delaware.

With excitement, jobs, and tourism dollars tied to the opening of the Cabela’s Delaware store, it’s understandable that some Delaware residents are uneasy. However, after contacting Cabela’s today, I can provide some insight into the rumors regarding their reconsidering of their plans for the Delaware store.

Via email, Cabela’s Communications Specialist Wesley Remmer said there is “No truth to this rumor,” and he added, “We are moving forward with the project and remain poised for a successful opener in 2014.”

Many Delawareans are saving their pennies, stockpiling gift cards, and working overtime in anticipation of the Cabela’s Delaware store grand opening. At the same time, however, many are crossing their fingers and hoping that the guns they are saving for will still be legally available.

Delaware’s annual Snow Goose Conservation Order allows Delaware hunters to hunt snow geese every day except Sunday through April 13.

Originally implemented in 2009, the conservation order is part of an overall effort to reduce the population of greater snow geese in the Atlantic Flyway. Snow geese are causing extensive damage to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic and to the wetlands and agricultural areas where they overwinter, including marshes and fields in Delaware.

With high snow goose harvest totals as a goal, special regulations are in effect during the conservation order. Snow goose hunters legally can use unplugged shotguns (in contrast to regular waterfowl seasons when shotguns must be plugged to only hold three shells) and electronic callers, and legal shooting hours are extended to 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. There is no daily harvest limit or possession limit during the conservation order.

To hunt during the conservation order, hunters must obtain a free permit number by registering at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. Hunters also must have a valid Delaware hunting license or a Maryland resident hunting license, a 2012-13 Delaware waterfowl stamp and a Delaware Harvest Information Program number.

Wildlife areas in New Castle and Sussex counties will be open on a first-come, first-serve basis with no registration required, except at Assawoman Wildlife Area. In Kent County, individual sign-in will not be required at Blackiston, Milford Neck, or Norman G. Wilder wildlife areas. Sign-in will be required at Woodland Beach, Little Creek, and Ted Harvey wildlife areas. To avoid conflicts with Delaware’s spring wild turkey season, snow goose hunting will be prohibited on state wildlife areas after Friday, April 5. (The conservation order ends April 13.)

From my January 17, 2013 News Journal column.

Understandably, it has been difficult to watch a news program, visit a news Web site, or even eat a meal in a restaurant over the past month without encountering reports, opinions and suggestions about guns in America. Because many of us watched the horrific aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre unfold in real time, it is difficult to separate our emotions from reasonable thought.

Tears easily cloud our vision, but as an advanced, rational society we – gun supporters, gun opponents, and our elected officials – must not allow them to cloud our judgment. Rather than making hasty, irrational decisions, we owe it to our fellow citizens, our forefathers, and ourselves to use all available information when examining legal gun ownership and use.

One of the biggest issues that sometimes hampers rational discussion about gun ownership and gun use is the vast disparity in gun knowledge between many gun proponents and opponents. Let’s face it: few people possess gun expertise (or even casual gun familiarity) without having owned and shot guns. This unfamiliarity frequently leads non-gun owners and non-gun users to ask questions about the number of guns someone wants or needs, the number of shots a gun can or should be allowed to fire before reloading, the number of guns someone can or should be allowed to purchase in a specific timeframe, and why someone wants or needs to own a specific type of gun (including guns frequently referred to as ‘assault weapons’).

I understand why people who are unfamiliar with guns ask these questions, and I am delighted when the questions are asked by someone who is truly interested in the answers. However, I fear that some gun opponents and legislators aren’t as interested in the answers, and – what’s worse – many aren’t even asking the questions.

Before our elected officials bog themselves down with long-lasting discussions about legal gun ownership and gun use, I suspect a great number of United States citizens expect their elected officials to perform some research. Now is the time for our lawmakers to educate themselves about guns and to form their opinions and make their decisions based on facts and personal experience. I ask that they visit gun stores, visit shooting ranges, and observe hunts. I ask them to talk to gun collectors, recreational shooters, competitive shooters (from beginners to Olympians), and hunters. They should meet with security guards, bodyguards, police officers, and members of the armed forces. I want them to speak with dads, moms, and children who own and use guns for personal protection, sport, historical preservation, or investment.

I really want them to ask their questions about gun ownership and use. By asking their questions, many may be surprised to learn different types of guns and ammunition are needed for hunting different types of game, for shooting different distances, and for shooting in different conditions. They would learn that there is no way to predict how many rounds are needed for self-defense, and that, while hunting, it may take several shotgun shots to hit one flying target. Perhaps they would realize that it makes perfect sense to buy a handgun, a deer rifle, and a waterfowl shotgun during one trip to a gun store that is three hours away from one’s home.

Questioning is a great way to learn, but I suggest lawmakers unfamiliar with guns go one step further and actually handle and shoot guns. Actually shooting handguns and long guns of varying actions, sizes, and configurations is the only way to truly examine gun use and to experience why someone may want one type of gun over another. Direct observation and experience could help those unfamiliar with guns realize that skilled shooters – via loading of new magazines – can fire bullets on target in rapid succession regardless of how many rounds a magazine holds. Likewise, observation of and experience with shooting various types of guns can help those unfamiliar with guns understand that any gun in the hands of a criminal or deranged individual can be lethal.

Before lawmakers attempt to pass laws that penalize law-abiding gun owners for heinous acts committed by criminals, they should carefully consider if they are thinking rationally, rather than emotionally. They should also ask themselves if they’ve asked enough questions and performed enough hands-on research before adamantly endorsing their views and disregarding the views of responsible gun owners and users.

Along the same lines, gun owners and gun users should also carefully consider their responses to any proposed legislation regarding guns. Not all proposals are categorically bad, but I fear that emotion occasionally moves some gun owners and gun users to reflexively reject any new ideas.

Encouraging Americans from all walks of life and from all sides of the gun debate to engage in rational discussions about the issues for which guns unnecessarily take the blame is crucial. Without focusing on criminal prosecution, sentencing guidelines, mental health issues, and a drug culture where murder and bullet wounds are worn like badges of honor, we all are just shooting in the dark.