Field & Stream June/July 2018

DURING MY FIRST SUMMER AS a wannabe fly bum, a massive brood of cicadas hatched in Missouri, my home state. Where I lived, the bugs weren’t bad; none of those sidewalks cloaked with crunchy insects you sometimes hear about with these 17-year invasions—just a soothing whir at night while you’re kicking back on the porch. But where I fished, the bugs were everywhere. So were the rings of rising trout. And so were fly anglers with tight lines. I wasn’t one of those anglers, though. Like I said, I was green with a fly rod and still had a lot to learn, including how to match the hatch. I’d watch those successful flyfishermen with equal parts envy and curiosity, wondering what the hell they were doing that I…

Every gear list I make for every hunting or fishing trip I take includes a book. I know I won’t always have the time or opportunity to read once I arrive, but I still like to come prepared. And whenever possible, I like to pick a book that matches the adventure. Tenth Legion is an obvious choice for turkey trips, as is Hemingway for trout outings. For the bear hunt I took last summer (flip to p. 30 for the story), I brought William Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses, which includes “The Bear,” one of the best hunting tales ever written. The story is challenging, for sure, but that’s what makes it so rewarding. You could say the same thing of a good hunt.…

SHARP START I’m a little sad to see the number of issues of F&S reduced, but I must say that the Edge Issue (April-May 2018) is outstanding. You have set the bar very high. Paul Bowman, via email LEADING EDGE I thought your April-May edition was just great. I’m now 74 and was raised on Ted Trueblood and Jack O’Connor. My family didn’t have a lot of money, but we did have magazines and books, and I learned the joy of reading through them. Mike Smith, Grangeville, Id. SUPPORT GROUP I am writing to thank Bill Heavey for writing about his own experience with depression (“The Quicksand,” A Sportsman’s Life). My husband can cook a meal of freshly caught trout with icicles on his beard. He can shoot a…

• THE SEASON • SHOTGUNS • THE TOTAL OUTDOORSMAN • THE WILD CHEF • ASK PETZAL POTS OF GOLD When dolphin flood Northeast lobster pot fields, poppers fly and light-tackle reels scream DIRTY POT! THIS IS GONNA BE the one!” Capt. Eric Kerber shouted the predication over the humming outboards as he eased his Debra K II toward the lobster pot marker bobbing 100 feet off the bow. The red flag on its tall highflier was wind-tattered. The float at its base and its trailing orange poly ball were brown with algae growth. That meant it hadn’t been hauled in a while. It also meant that, unlike the 10 scum-free markers we’d already hit without a bite, there was a better chance we’d find what we were looking…

LAST SEPTEMBER, I had the pleasure of watching my friend Rachel, a local-food advocate and former vegan, fold the first dove she’d ever shot at. I was doing my part to bring a new hunter into the field, as we all should. License sales declined by 2 million from 2011 to 2016 as more baby boomers hung up their guns. We’ll dwindle away unless we recruit new participants. The good news is that wild meat is local, healthy, and a thing right now. Plenty of adults like Rachel will kill to try it. Find one, a friend or coworker, and help them become a hunter. Hunting lessons begin with shooting lessons, and a skeet field or sporting clays course makes a perfect classroom. The right portable trap can work…

Champion’s Wheelybird 2.0 ($529; championtarget.com) improves on an already excellent value in a portable trap. I’ve had an original Wheelybird for several years, and it’s been nothing but reliable and trouble-free. It holds 50 clays and can throw them 55 yards. It features adjustable throwing height, and it’s light and easy to transport. The new version has several upgrades, including bigger wheels, a rubberized handle, faster cycling time, and a sturdier target magazine. It now includes a wireless remote release as well, so you can practice all kinds of angles, even by yourself.…