Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2017 i Field & Stream

MY FAVORITE PLACE IN SUMMER is an unremarkable stretch of water. For a long weekend every June or July, my wife and I escape to the same rental house near Creek in upstate New York. In the mornings, I rise early and gear up outside. I don’t need much: a ragged pair of Chuck Taylors, my designated wading shoes; a flimsy 3-weight with a click-and-pawl reel; and a small fly box of Betts panfish poppers. I walk for maybe 10 minutes alongside a county road till I reach a bridge, then I scramble down a small hill to the creek bank. The stream is about 30 feet wide. There’s little current, but the water’s clear and clean. The constant bridge traffic above isn’t exactly tranquil. Like I said, there’s nothing…

LOW PROFILE “Highs and Lowcountry” (Apr. 2017) only further convinced me that there’s no better place than the Lowcountry of Carolina. Eileen Stewart, via fieldandstream.com TACKLE TAKEDOWN In “Break Out!” Joe Cermele recommends 25 lures for catching spring fish. But for bass, you need only two lures: a sapphire blue Baby Brush Hog and a black-and-blue wacky worm. That’s it. Mic drop. Kevin Thorpe, via Facebook LINE ART I appreciate artistry when I see it, and T. Edward Nickens’s “One Lasting Cast” (The Total Outdoorsman) deserves applause. The story captured the very essence of what it means to be a focused and determined fisherman. All too often anglers try to reduce the sport to a formula, but Nickens reminds us that, at its essence, flyfishing demands commitment and craft. Sebastian…

WEST The Dividing Line This Rocky Mountain road trip crisscrosses the Great Divide, highlighting the worldclass fishing that can be found on rivers flowing both east and west STRIKE GOLD Lace up your hikers and make the lungburning trek to one of the many alpine lakes in the Wind River Range that hold big golden trout. Hotspots are tightly held secrets among local anglers, but the Pine Creek Drainage is an excellent place to start your search for gold. HIGH STEAKS It may be cowboy kitsch, but don’t miss the traditional Western cookout at Pinedale’s Pitch- fork Fondue. Hosts Matt and Liz David skewer Wyoming sirloin steaks and dip them in a vat of boiling oil until fried to your liking. Tea and lemonade are also provided, but anything harder…

Jean-Paul Bourgeois is the executive chef at Blue Smoke, a dynamite barbecue restaurant just down the street from the F&S office. He’s also a lifelong hunter and a terrific wild-game cook—as evidenced by the recipes he wrote for our summer barbecue story, “Up in Smoke,” on p. 66. CK: What kind of hunting did you do growing up in Louisiana? JPB: Mostly duck hunting, but you could’ve easily found me and a couple buddies hunting doves or with our .22s shooting squirrels in the swamp. CK: What’s your favorite wild game to cook? JPB: Wood ducks—I love how these birds eat. And the meat is so versatile. It can be smoked, roasted, made into sausage, or dried into jerky. CK: Favorite kind of barbecue to eat? JPB: I love ribs.…

BUMMER SUMMER What’s the worst luck you’ve had on a summer fishing trip? I was kayak fishing when two swans jumped me. They tipped my kayak, and all my gear, plus my wallet and cellphone, sank straight to the bottom of the lake. I really, really hate swans. —CHUY GOMEZ I took a corner too fast in my truck and accidentally flung my rods out of my boat. But I didn’t notice until I got home. I had a good idea where it had all flown out, so I drove back to the spot, only to find that a mower had just come through and chopped up everything. —JARED GRANT I was driving to my favorite fishing spot, an hour and a half away, when I hit a duck flying…

Prepare your mouth for a whole lotta South: largemouth bass, country ham, and sweet corn encased in a sizzling golden crust and nestled into a cool bed of Tabasco-spiked cucumber remoulade. This is a great summertime meal, and because just about anything you might pull from a bass lake will work in this recipe, it’s also an excellent option when you find yourself with a mixed stringer. Make sure to use Japanese-style panko bread crumbs, available at most supermarkets—regular bread crumbs won’t get you the same light crispiness. INGREDIENTS 11⁄2 lb. skinless largemouth bass fillets (or any other white-fleshed fish) 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 large eggs, beaten 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise 11⁄2 cups panko bread crumbs, divided 2⁄3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (roughly one ear of corn)…

REEL FOOT LAKE The bluegill spawn goes on all summer long on Tennessee’s most famous lake, making it the premier hotspot for panfish nuts. Dabbing tiny jigs amid the cypress is a sure way to fill a cooler. go-to lure: Popeye Feather Jig LAKE OUACHITA Expect to catch a mix of bluegills and redears out of the deep, clear water in this scenic reservoir. Target island weedbeds, or ditch the summer crowds by slipping into one of the lake’s many quiet coves. go-to rig: Drop-shot with a live cricket CHICKAMAUGA LAKE Shellcrackers here are big and plentiful, thanks to an abundance of snails. Concentrate your efforts on weedbeds, stump-covered flats, and other structure in water 5 to 6 feet deep. go-to bait: Red wiggler on a No. 2…

CLASSIC SUMMER THINGS are heating up. The temptation to hide inside with the air conditioner blasting is real, but where’s the fun in that? Enjoying the outdoors right now, without suffering heatstroke, requires a strategy. Fish early when it’s cool outside—and when bass are most likely to crush a topwater. In the afternoon, take a dunk in the river, and while you’re at it, try your hand at noodling a big flathead. When evening comes, make sure the cooler is packed with cold drinks as you fire up the grill for a wild summer barbecue. After all of that, it’s fine to retreat inside where there’s AC. Then again, the weather cools off at dark, and those bass will be ready for round two.…

CLASSIC SUMMER IT’S scorching now. You may even be feeling a little lazy. But consider this: Hunting season is right around the corner. In a few weeks, a domino effect of openers begins—doves, archery bucks, teal, elk, resident honkers, and so on. And this year you’re going to be ready. Ten minutes each morning with your Lab now will go a long way during duck season. Some range time will help you hit those low, speeding crossers. And with the right research this month, plus some sweat equity, you could start the bow season hunting deer on a new property of your own. By then, you’ll have had one of your best summers ever—and you’ll be all lined up for a perfect fall.…

GEAR REVIEWS YOU CAN TRUST BENCHMADE CROOKED RIVER $230 • benchmade.com Nothing separates the true hunter or outdoorsman from the tenderfoot like a good pocketknife. With its ambidextrous and unfailing Axis locking system, ele gant handle (stabilized wood or eye- catching G10 scales), and reversible pocket clip, Benchmade’s Crooked River meets that description. Add in a 4-inch clip-point blade made of CPMS30V steel with a Rockwell hardness of 58–60, and this is a 51?2- ounce knife that would’ve made your Grandpa’s knees weak. —Richard Mann FEDERAL PREMIUM VITALSHOK TROPHY COPPER $30-$60, BOX OF 20federalpremium.com Modeled after the legendary Barnes X, Federal’s Trophy Copper is a monolithic, copper-alloy bullet. When it strikes a beast it expands, yet penetrates like gangbusters, even through heavy bone. Given its performance, this ammo is also…

FOOT-LONG ORANGE flames lick from the doors of the forge. “That’s called the dragon’s breath,” Scott McGhee says. “That tells me I’ve burned just about all the oxygen out of the forge, and that’s what I want. Oxygen will rust the steel faster than I can put it together. Let’s go.” I hoist a stack of 29 metal plates, each the width of a paint-stirring stick and half as long, welded to a 4-foot metal rod. Earlier, I’d arranged them to McGhee’s specifications: plates of 1095 high-carbon steel and 15n20 nickel steel stacked like a deck of cards in a carefully considered pattern. The stacked steel slides into the forge like a pizza into an oven. McGhee nods his assent. He is lean and tall, with a scruff of gray…

CLASSIC SUMMER FREEDOM. Is there a better word to capture the start of summer? Never mind that kids are the only ones with a three-month vacation. In June, it feels like we’re all on summer break. And in an effort to make the most of that newfound freedom, we escape. We cut out of work early on Fridays to sneak in a couple extra hours on the lake. We pack the truck with tackle and camping gear and hit the road. We travel to wild places for new adventures. The following stories are meant to inspire ideas for your next escape— whether it’s a return trip to familiar waters or an exotic trek for jungle bass. Just don’t wait too long to get going, because in summer, time flies.…

1. YAK ATTACK PANFISH PORTRAIT CAMERA MOUNT What good is catching that trophy if you can’t post it to social media? This movable mini camera mount lets you nail that hero shot, even while fishing solo. $55; yak attack.us 2. ENGEL 30QT ROD HOLDER COOLER/DRY BOX An upgrade from the standard milk crate, this model has four rod holders fitted to the sides and enough room within for several utility-size tackle boxes, lunch, and other necessities. $90; engelcoolers.com 3. TACKLEWEBS MESH STORAGE SLEEVE Gear organization is the kayak angler’s biggest challenge. These mesh pockets come in different sizes and secure easily via Velcro or a bungee-ball mounting system. $20; tacklewebs. 4. NRS YAK YAK BOAT CART This set of wheels makes moving a kayak easier, especially when the launch site…

If giant Amazon peacock bass are on your bucket list, or if you’ve ever wondered whether the experience is as sexy as the brochure suggests, here’s the straight dope on chasing your dreams at the equator Overhead, another 747 climbed out of Miami International with a brainrattling roar. Behind me, brakes squealed on the Dolphin Expressway as traffic chipped away at the morning rush hour. But I ignored it all as my Clouser Minnow wiggled past that rusty cart, poking through the surface of the canal. In a flash of fiery green, the fly vanished, and while the peacock bass that delivered the blow only weighed about 2 pounds, it nearly put me in my backing. I was so taken by the power of that little Florida implant that I…

In summer, some of the most fun you can have outside takes place ar ound the grill and smoker. F riends and family get together. A game plays on the r adio. The c ooler’s packed with drinks. Maybe some fireworks onc e it’s dark. And, of course, the food—delicious grub cooked with fire and smoke and smothered in sauce. While ther e’s nothing wrong with burgers and dogs, this summer y ou’re goi ng t o tak e y our barbecue to the next level with the wild game in your freezer. We’ve enlisted the help of a chef who’s not only a barbecue expert but a lifelong hunter. The menu he’s created will have everyone on the block beg ging to get int o your backyard. The Perfect…

1/ CHAIN SAW Maybe the most important tool you can own for managing habitat. Wear chaps and safety gear, and don’t cut your leg off. 2/ BACKPACK SPRAYER From putting out errant flames on a controlled burn to applying herbicide to food plots, a backpack sprayer is a must-have. 3/ UTV These have beds for hauling tools and dead deer. They are fourwheel- drive, and most have plenty of power for pulling small implements. 4/ PLANT ID GUIDE Dr. Craig Harper’s A Guide to Wildlife Food Plots and Early Successional Plants is an excellent resource when you’re deciding what to plant and whether to kill a weed or wait for a deer to eat it. 5/ TRACTOR AND IMPLEMENTS To do any serious food plotting, you simply must have a…

WHICH OF the following is something you will never hear a man say? (A) I have no sense of humor. (B) I’m actually a lousy driver. (C) I’m terrible at building fires. While all are unlikely, only (C) is a genetic impossibility, overriding the DNA inherited from countless generations of our fire-making male ancestors. In fact, should you ever hear a man say that he is anything less than the best fire builder he knows, examine him more closely. He is probably a woman. Man’s acquisition of fire—usually by theft, often from the gods—is a theme in mythologies worldwide. And not solely because one publisher puts out all those mythology books, although that’s part of it. No, the truth is that fire speaks deeply to men’s souls. It’s just that…