Sportsman's News July 2014 Digital Edition by Sportsman's News

SportsmansNews.com

July 2014

Volume 10 Issue 7

Grey Reef Anglers & Wingshooting By Collin Dalley

hen it comes to trout fishing in Wyoming, the Gray Reef and Miracle Mile should be on your radar. These tailwater fisheries of the North Platte River are located outside the Casper, Wyoming area and are known for producing lots of fish with the possibility of reaching the 10lb + mark. Like most things in life, knowledge is power. The more you know about a fishery, the more fish you will catch. If you want to maximize your fishing experience, it’s a good idea to know what hatches are going on, current water levels and what other anglers have been using. Finding this info will be easier if you live nearby, but most of us don’t have that luxury and usually end up searching the web for various fishing reports in hopes of finding the most accurate one and usually end up asking the locals for advice upon arrival. This can be a long and difficult search; therefore, using a guide is the only way to go in my opinion. With affordable daily rates, plus the option of lodging and meals being available, it’s a no brainer to go with an experienced guide. continued on page 6

Ryan Stefek of Grey Reef Anglers shows off a healthy rainbow landed on the Miracle Mile. This stretch of water is some of the most productive and beautiful that Wyoming has to offer.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Bushnell Outdoor Products

ushnell Outdoor Products, an industry-leader in high performance sports optics for more than 65 years, has been producing Bushnell® Elite ® riflescopes for decades. Elite riflescopes have earned a well-deserved reputation as the brightest, clearest, most durable line of riflescopes available in the world at any price. Elite Riflescopes are precision instruments constructed of the finest materials and assembled by highly skilled craftsmen for a lifetime of trouble-free use under the most demanding conditions. The high-quality optics and long-lasting performance consumers have come to expect from the Elite series of products is now available in an Elite Limited Edition 3-9x 40mm riflescope and there are many key features that make the Elite Limited Edition special. Let’s first start with the optics. Thanks to fully multi-coated optics (denoting that all air-to-glass surfaces inside and out are coated with multiple layers of micro-thin, anti-reflective, permanently

bonded magnesium fluoride), the Elite Limited Edition riflescope delivers nearly 90 percent light transmission for a clear, crisp sight picture, which means you will gather more light and be able to clearly see your intended target when it matters most. The more technically minded hunting/ shooting enthusiast might be thinking at this point, “but aren’t nearly all high end optics fully multi-coated”? True enough, but Bushnell goes a step further with their exclusive Ultra Wide Band coating process. The UWB process means that the multiple layers of lens coatings are applied in a way that is custom optimized for every lens element in the optical path based on its shape and position, in order to allow the maximum possible amount of light entering the objective (front) lens to reach the eyepiece, without being reflected or absorbed along the way. The result? Optimum brightness and enhanced color accuracy across the entire spectrum, without any significant peaks or dips in the visible wavelengths (colors) of light,

One of the unique features of the Elite Limited Edition scope is its side focus adjustment knob. Traditionally scopes in this power range are provided with a fixed focus at a range selected by the manufacturer—typically 100 yards for 3-9x 40mm scopes. Side parallax adjustment allows the user to obtain a crystal clear, parallax free target image at ranges as close as 10 yards all the way out to infinity. Additionally the side parallax adjustment allows for a much shorter and lighter weight scope. See for yourself. Get yours today. ©2014 B.O.P.

causing some colors to appear stronger or weaker than others. The image seen through an Elite scope with the Ultra Wide Band coating process is not “warm” or “cool”, but simply neutral, so the target you are viewing looks just like it does in real life, with magnification. The colors are not “reinterpreted” as they might be through lesser optics. Now let’s get onto the external and

internal construction. Each riflescope is precisely machined from a high strength, one-piece aircraft-grade anodized aluminum alloy tube, featuring low profile turrets with fingertip adjustable (no screwdriver or coin required) ¼ audibleclick resettable windage and elevation control dials. The Elite Limited Edition

continued on page 36

$139.97

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

WHAT'S INSIDE

2 Bushnell Outdoor Products 3 Words From The Publisher Contest: Leaf River 5 Writer's Redemption 10 Platinum Approved Outfitters 14 Shane Adair: The Right Rifle 16 Archery Product Roundup 22 Chillin' Brew Cold Panels 24 Video Product Reviews 26 Pro's Tip: Cancellation Specials 28 PacWest Outdoors: To Catch a Shark 30 Fishful Thinker: What Hatch 34 Pro's Pick: Vortex Kaibab Binos 38 Beretta BU9 Nano 40 Business Directory 42 Tennessee Hill Country Fishing 45 Kenetrek Bridger Ridge Hikers 48 Wild Game Recipe: Grilled Trout Corner: Dan 50 Outfitter's Ponciano Sturgeon Fishing 51 Wheels Afield: Toyota RAV4 52 Semper Fi Shooting Match

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Peter E. Popieniuck Shane Adair Shane Chuning Gary Lewis Chad LaChance Rick Rosenberg Steve Mayer Andy Lightbody Rick Davis

Words From The Publisher The attack from this organization was extremely insensitive to this young girl and her family and very offensive to the majority of outdoorsmen and women who know that this sow black bear was just defending her cubs. She By Michael Deming didn’t have it coming and didn’t deserve this attack just because she n December of 2013, a young was hunting. The offensiveness of lady by the name of Camille this attack made it to the center Bomboy was attacked by a fe- stage of several national news ormale black bear with cubs while ganizations which is how we heard she was hunting with her family in about it. Gretchen Carlson on Fox Pennsylvania. This was a routine News was more than a little annoyed hunt on her family’s land which with the P.E.T.A outreach on this she had participated in for years. A young girl. (interviews can be seen portion of her group on YouTube). was doing a drive It offended one of while she was on our endorsed outfitpoint as a shooter. ters even more. Itcha She looked up to Mountain Outfitters see several small out of British Coblack bear cubs run lumbia make their by her looking to living from hunting get away from the and black bears is drivers. When Caone of the primary mille looked back animals they purup to where the sue. Sabrina Frazer cubs had come from, (co-owner of Itcha there was one angry Mountain Outfitters) momma bear headed Camille Bomboy was outraged and her direction. Before informed me that she she had time to react, the bear was would do whatever it takes to make on her and sinking her teeth into sure this young lady had the tools her flesh. The ordeal only lasted to fight back against this senseless a short period of time, but was a attack on her and her right to hunt. life changing experience. She was I spent the next two weeks reaching rushed to the hospital with numer- out to industry professionals trying ous puncture wounds and an ear to get Camille or one of her family that was nearly severed. Although members on the phone. Recovering scared, she survived the incident. from a bear attack and then a verbal This entire incident is extremely attack had her laying low and being unfortunate, but all too possible very cautious. We finally connected for those of us that head into bear and I was able to hear her side of country to enjoy our heritage each the story. This precious young lady and every year. What happened is a true animal lover who had dedinext is the most unfortunate part of cated her life to farming, ranching, the entire incident. While recover- 4-H, and the betterment of animals. ing, she was attacked once again. She has done more for the animals This time from the anti-hunting in her short life than any P.E.T.A organization P.E.T.A. (People for member will ever do. She assured the Ethical Treatment of Animals). me that hunting was a part of her

life and she would continue it for the rest of her life. The attack from P.E.T.A. made her want to speak out and show what she is made of. In May of 2014, Stewart and Sabrina Frazer hosted Camille Bomboy and her father Casey for a black bear hunt in British Columbia. We at Sportsman’s News took care of getting her there and great supporters like Prois Hunt Gear for Women and Vortex Optics made sure she had the tools of the trade to get the job done. During a week-long hunt with Camille and her father, we learned a lot about this young lady. She is very caring, soft spoken, and someone who truly didn’t deserve to be attacked by the pinheads at P.E.T.A. Getting between a sow and her cubs is something that could truly happen to any one of us who spend time in the woods. It is time that all of us hunters stand up to these organizations and show them who the true conservationists are. Our hunting and fishing license fees alone will contribute more to the animals in one year than this organization will in a century. I know we won’t ever change the extremist’s minds and I’m not concerned about doing this. The 85 percent of the people who don’t hunt and don’t have an opinion are the ones that need to know the true facts about what we and hunting do to benefit wildlife. Yes, Camille harvested a great black bear during her hunt with Itcha Mountain Outfitters and that will be an upcoming story in Sportsman’s News Magazine, so please make sure to subscribe to a free copy of our digital edition online at www.sportsmansnews. com . I took my 11 year old daughter Taylor on this hunt as well, and she was equally successful. These two young ladies had a great time and helped manage the black bear population to insure that it thrives for generations to come.

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

SPORTSMAN'S NEWS 2322 W. Industry Way Cedar City, UT 84721

ADVERTISING Mike Deming National Advertising Manager 435-669-4624 mdeming@sportsmansnews.com

SENIOR EDITOR Kent Danjanovich 801-231-9838 kdanjanovich@sportsmansnews.com SALES ASSOCIATE Collin Dalley 435-862-7441 cdalley@sportsmansnews.com MANAGING EDITOR Dan Kidder 435-865-1680 dkidder@sportsmansnews.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Deming info@sportsmansnews.com

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Leaf River Redemption By Peter E. Popieniuck

ith one final surge of power, the eight-pound, footballshaped landlocked salmon shot two feet out of the water and hung suspended in the air for a moment with the sun glistening from its silvery scales. Then, with a twist of its head, it snapped the line connecting it to my Gray Ghost streamer and plunged back into the depths of Lower Richardson Lake in Maine—taking with it my chance for a fish of a lifetime. A haunting memory That was about ten years ago and the memory still haunts me. For more than 35 years I’ve been trolling the waters of Lower Richardson every spring in hope of netting a salmon big enough to brag about. For me, there’s no finer

fighting—or tasting—fresh water game fish than Maine’s landlocked salmon. I’ve caught my share of smaller salmon, even a couple in the three-pound range, but nothing of “wall-hanger” caliber. And now, after a 20-minute fight filled with aerial acrobatics, my son, Matthew, and I had just witnessed what I fully expected was my one shot at personal fishing glory, disappear in a watery splash. The fact that it happened within net’s reach of the boat only added to my disappointment and misery. I should have been using new line. Or a different rod with less wear on the guides. Or played the fish even more patiently. No matter. Second guessing myself wouldn’t put the salmon in the net. We just put away the rods and headed back to the camp for the rest of the day. Lunch was pretty quiet. I consoled myself—not quite successfully—that at

least I’d had the opportunity to match my skills against such a fish and almost came out the winner. Every year since then, Matthew and I talk about “the fish” on our annual fishing trips to Lower Richardson. We tease one another about how big that salmon must be by now. A chance at redemption Another of my passions, in addition to landlocked salmon fishing, is caribou hunting in Canada. I booked a hunt to Leaf River Lodge in northern Quebec in 2006. Along with fall caribou hunting, Leaf River offers the secondary sports of ptarmigan hunting and fishing for brook trout, lake trout, and Atlantic salmon. I wanted to be prepared for as much hunting and fishing as could be packed into the week-long trip so it was a bit of a challenge to get my rifle, shot-

Sportsman’s News Outdoor Writing Contest Winner See pg. 4 for entry details.

gun, and fishing tackle—to say nothing of warm clothing for late September’s unpredictable weather—all packed and under the 70-pound baggage weight limit. During the first four days of the trip, my hunting partners, Carroll and Mark, and I had tagged out on our caribou with two nice bulls apiece. Carroll and I had also seen some fast and challenging shooting action with the ptarmigan. Several of the cackling and acrobatic arctic birds, halfway into their whitephase plumage, fell to our shotguns. Day five, our last full day in camp, was reserved for fishing.

continued on page 46

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

GREY REEF

continued from cover When we are looking to spend our hard earned dollars, it’s important to have a good guide who fishes the waters daily and knows what it takes to catch fish. That’s why Grey Reef Anglers & Wingshooting is our newest Platinum Approved Outfitter. For starters, check out their website photos and see for yourself the caliber of fish they catch on a regular basis. When it comes to knowledge, Jason Ostrander, the owner, is one of the best guides for fisheries in the west, especially around the Casper, Wyoming area. The entire crew from Grey Reef Anglers & Wingshooting is extremely knowledgeable about their waters and take time to keep clients updated with accurate fishing reports along with weather conditions. The Sportsman’s News Team planned a trip for April 28th for 3-days of fishing. As our trip approached, Jason informed us that the weather was absolutely perfect,

with temperatures in the 70’s and they were catching more fish than ever, but a cold front was moving in around the time we were scheduled to arrive. As chance would have it, the day before we arrived, the cold front moved in bringing overcast skies with rain/snow showers. But lucky for us, the bad weather didn’t stick around too long and made for an unforgettable fishing trip! They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words and our first day was filled with more fish than a picture could ever describe. We started the day off by meeting Jason and two of his guides early in the morning at the boat ramp for the Gray Reef tailwater. We would be fishing out of drift boats most of the day, using nymphing rigs and throwing some larger streamer flies to target bigger fish. This area of the North Platte River is known for great fishing and supports 42 miles of guide worthy water that attracts fly fishing enthusiast from all over the world. It’s easy to see what all the hype is about when you have 7,500 trout per mile with an average fish size of over

Collin Dalley with a 24.5” Rainbow provided a strong fight. The Rainbow trout is the predominant fish in the majority of the river, but huge browns are often turned up for those willing to throw huge flies.

Wes Atkinson (Sportsman’s News ProStaffer) was able to induce this 23” hungry brown out of the deeps to chase a minnow pattern. The Grey is home to much larger browns than this. 19 inches and the potential to catch a really big fish. Jason told us the largest fish landed was a 23-pound brown trout. With facts like that, I felt my odds were pretty good for catching a big fish. As we boarded the drift boats one of the guides, Ryan, got to work setting up my St. Croix fly rod with two small nymphs and a strike indicator. Apparently that was just what the fish wanted. On the first cast I got a hard hit that took my strike indicator deep under the water. Of course, the excitement got the best of me and I set the hook as if I had 20-pound leader and snapped the line. After laughing at myself, we quickly tied on some new flies and I was soon back to fishing. The very next cast I hooked into what felt like a good fish as it displayed some true power striping line off the reel, making that unforgettable buzzing sound through the drag system. After getting a good look at the size of this fish, we decided to get out of the boat and continue the battle from shore. As the fish violently shook its head in an attempt to throw the hook, I soon found myself gain-

ing line and just when I thought the fight was over, the fish took off with a burst of speed like a slingshot. After a few more runs, the fish began to let up just enough to bring it in. Netting the fish revealed the true beauty; it was a healthy 24-inch rainbow trout. “Wow” I told myself, my first fish on the Gray Reef. Now that’s the way to start a trip! The hours were filled with catching 16-24 inch fish throughout the day. Even with a little rain and snow the fishing never slowed down, proving that fishing the Gray Reef is good no matter the weather. As we arrived at our take-out point at the end of the day and unloaded our gear from the boats, we couldn’t help bragging to each other about our catches, which must have been 35-45 fish each. We all knew one thing - we had experienced a remarkable river and we couldn’t wait to do it all over again the next day. On our second day we launched the boats on a private access, Grey Reef An-

continued on page 8

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

GREY REEF

continued from page 6 glers has two launch points on private property that put anglers ahead of the competition and keeps clients away from the main boat traffic. With good weather and no shortage of fish caught the day before, Jason picked a stretch of river that

was known for big trout. Our main goal was to catch some big browns. Brown trout are not as common to catch and are considerably outnumbered by rainbow trout on the Gray Reef, which makes catching them that much more rewarding. The usual philosophy for catching big fish is using big flies and with a little luck, we hoped that was exactly what would

Grey Reef Anglers owner Jason Ostrander displays another aggressive brown. Targeting these big fish is more than just a business for Jason, it’s his life.

happen. You won’t typically catch as many fish using larger flies as you might when using smaller ones, but if you catch something on a big fly it usually has a big mouth and is measured in pounds, not ounces! Right off the bat our boat started catching fish. I hooked into one rainbow after another, ranging from 16-22 inches. Then all of a sudden, I could tell that I had hooked into something big. The water erupted like Old Faithful and revealed a giant rainbow shaking its head violently back and forth. Unfortunately, it accomplished what it set out to do: it spit my hook! I was in disbelief at the sheer size of this fish, but lucky for me I had a witness to keep it from becoming just another fish story. I looked at my guide, Ryan, in disbelief and asked how big he thought it was. “Over 30 inches” he said, with excitement in his voice! As we continued fishing, the bite never slowed as the catch of the day went to Wes Atkinson, for a big brown that left us all amazed and a little jealous too! The next day we decided to fish the Miracle Mile for a few hours before heading back home, The Miracle Mile got its name because it would be a miracle to fish here and not catch a fish. As funny as

that sounds, it is the truth. Anyone that knows this area will tell you that this is “THE” place to catch big wild trout. With picturesque scenery and rich aquatic food, this clear water fishery provides the perfect habitat for growing big, healthy fish. Upon our arrival along the Miracle Mile, Jason launched the boat in a place that would maximize our success by giving us more water to fish from the boat than the average person would access. It’s the little things like this that really set a guide apart and make Grey Reef Anglers & Wingshooting stand out from the competition. As time passed and with every fish caught, our trip on the Miracle Mile was quickly coming to an end and the old adage proved true: “It would be a miracle to NOT catch a fish”. If you’re looking for an experienced guide on your next fishing, wingshooting or waterfowl trip, give Grey Reef Anglers & Wingshooting a call 307-267-2559 or visit them online at www.greyreefanglers. com. Again, we are proud to introduce them as one of our prestigious Platinum Approved Outfitters and highly recommend that you give them a call to book your trip of a lifetime.

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

The Sportsman's News Platinum Approved Outfitter is an outfitter that has excelled in every aspect of their business. They put people and customers before profit. They do what it takes to make sure that they will be in business for the long haul and ensure that they have repeat customers. They practice good game management, which will ensure a top quality trip with them every time you

book. These are outfitters you would be proud to refer to a friend. We know this because we are proud to endorse each one of these outfitters based upon our staff members personally visiting each one of these operations. These outfitters have proven to us that they have what it takes to be "Sportsman's News Platinum Approved."

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Choosing The Right Rifle

By Shane Adair

hoosing the right rifle has never been easier. When it comes to factory production rifles, there is really not a bad choice out there. You can walk into any Sportsman’s Warehouse and go to the gun counter and know that all of them are going to shoot well with the right ammo. With all of the rifles we have tested, and it has been almost all of them, the results have been impressive. Some great accuracy has been achieved by all of them. When I mention accuracy a mean better than a 1-inch group at 100yards. I’m a big advocate of the real test for shooting and zeroing being done at 200 yards and a must for long range shooting. But when gun testing and certain optics testes, 100 yards is great for quick testing on a rifle. What really needs to come into consideration is your application, long term goal, caliber, budget, and most important is how the rifle fits you. Luckily there has never been a better time out there for all consumers to be able to have great shooting success within all budgets. I’m going to mention some manufactures of rifles that you can buy over the counter that have all shot great. With that in mind the ability to upgrade, customize, and evolve with the rifle may be what you really consider. I will forget some but I hope this will help in your decision making. Savage rifles- great prices, tons of calibers and styles one to fit everyone and have some high end large calibers. Not very many custom options. Ruger rifles- steady, strong, reliable, good pricing, tons of calibers. One of the top selling rifle manufacturers in the nation. One to fit for everyone. Not a ton of aftermarket options.

Winchester rifles- Mid range pricing, hard to beat, strong, simple, tons of sizes and calibers, and quite a few custom options. These rifles can evolve as time goes on with these available options. Weatherby rifles- limited by some calibers, hard to customize, and better suited for a little larger framed shooters. These rifles require very little customizing because they are very well made with great components. Weatherby Vangaurd rifles- good caliber options, more size options, and priced lower than the high end Weatherby’s. It is hard to find upgraded options for this gun. Remington rifles- have a mid-range pricing, a caliber for everything, a size to fit anyone, and more upgrade options on the market than any other manufacturer. A gun that can evolve into anything out there. Browning rifles-high to mid-range pricing, tons of sizes, lots of calibers very well made. Harder to work on and upgrade. Tika rifles-mid to low range pricing, lightweight, compact rifle that fits most people very well , great molded composite stocks, but very limited in upgrade options. Kimber rifles- Lightweight and great for packing, upper pricing, very precisely made, great components very nice rifle, barrel contours are a little thin and can heat up. You just need to take a little more time on the bench for cool down.

A better hunting rifle than bench gun. Great mountain packing rifle. Upgrades not needed. Sako Finnlight rifles- upper level pricing, light, well balanced, good medium caliber selection, very precise molded composite stocks, great components, no upgrades needed. Fits most people well. Christensen Arms rifles- upper level pricing, light, carbon fiber wrapped barrels, and steel barrels, great components, all calibers, good hunting and bench gun. No upgrades needed. Fits people well. Nosler rifles- upper level pricing, limited calibers, great components, made great, no upgrades needed very good rifle. The latter 4 rifles mentioned all fall into the precision made semi custom rifles. Put a great optic on them and watch out, they are the real deal, but are not made to fit everyone. however, they will fit most. I know I sound like a broken record on these guns. They all shoot great with a very good ammo. They won’t all shoot well with all ammo, so spend a little on the best you can afford. I shoot DoubleTap Ammo for almost everything. Its high velocity, quality bullets, handcrafted, and hand loaded ammo that works awesome. All my testing is done with it. You just need to get into a store and put your hands on all of them. See how they feel; are they too long, too heavy, too short, wood or composite? They all shoot well, but how well you will be able

to shoot them will be the real key. If they fit you well, you will shoot way better. I recommend owning two rifles that feel and function almost the same. I shoot small calibers all year long and often. My .223’s and .22-250s are the same lengths as my .300 Remington ultra mags. Same trigger pull weight, same stock, length of pull, same safety positions, same magazine function etc. That way, no matter what critters I’m chasing or targets I’m punching, I am in full practice mode all year long. Don’t shoot a gun on the bench all year long that beats you, it will cause you problems when it really matters. Don’t put your kids on the bench with a rifle that kicks them, ever. It will ruin them. All my kids shoot .17HMRs all year long, bolt actions, good triggers, very accurate, same style safeties, not too loud, and decent priced ammo. It makes them much better shooters. When big game season comes around, I do all of the bench sight in on the larger rifles. When they pull up on an animal, it’s all routine for them and they do very well. They aren’t afraid of a large bang and most important the recoil. The same lessons apply with us. We need to know how our big weapons perform then put them away until you need them. Shoot the heck out of the smaller calibers. Shoot often and get informed and be confident that today’s factory production weapons are some of the best that we have ever seen.

Sako 85 Finnlight

We Take The Gun You Already Have, Customize It And Extend Your Range

Shane Adair (435)559-7764 LongRangeShane@gmail.com

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Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Archery Product Round Up By Shane Chuning Archery Editor

e at Sportsman’s News get to try out quite a few products throughout the year. Not to mention all the tuning I do on bows for customers on a daily basis through my tuning services. This advantage gives us an edge and overall view of different product that comes out every year. Here are a few items that would be worth looking at when in the market for new gear. The Quest Drive by G5 Outdoors I had the privilege of setting one of these up recently for this review

and was very pleased at its performance. This particular one was set at 70 pounds 28” draw with a 400 grain arrow shooting 291 fps. This put IBO speeds right at their rating of 330 fps. For this particular set up I used a Whisker Biscuit for a rest which is generally a 2 fps decrease in speeds, but either way it is right at or slightly above its rating. Nice to see speed ratings that are honest and you are starting to see a trend with other manufactures in this area. The fit and finish are right up there with the tops in the industry; in fact it just might be the best in my honest opinion. It holds up extremely well, very durable with crisp and clean camo patterns throughout. They call it a Durafuse Finish, which is their patented process that maintains these qualities. This one was done in the Custom GFade™ in Optifade Digital Open Country, one of my favorite patterns on the market and goes great with the Sitka line of hunting clothing. This pattern will be offered this year exclusively for Sportsman’s Warehouse. When it comes down to the performance of the Drive, it is fueled by their Flux Cam, which is a twin-track style cam system that focuses on smoothness and speed. I will say they did achieve both of their claims. The draw is very smooth throughout the draw cycle with very little felt transitions throughout. It’s a very smooth consistent pull through the whole draw cycle. This makes it very comfortable to draw and one you can draw over and over again without the fatigue you might get with harsh transitions throughout the draw cycle. The Flux Cams do offer 1” of draw length adjustment with every module so you can tailor it to your desired let-off. The only down fall to this is when you need to achieve the shorter end of a certain draw length your let-off will be more like 70% and not 80%. For instance on the 3A module to achieve a true 28” draw, your draw stop would be in the number 1 position to get you spot on at the 28”. This is fine but your holding weight at 70 pounds would be 21 pounds with really no felt valley in the draw cycle. Just to give you an example, this same 3A module when the draw stop is in the number 2 position will draw a true 28 3/8”- 28

½” and have a holding weight of 15 pounds with a much better valley. This is just one thing to ask about when getting fitted for the right draw length, it can make for a huge difference in the draw cycle feeling comfortable or not. The riser is a forged CNC machined 6061 aluminum that is a very stable platform that has been a very tried and true material over the years. The CNC machining is top notch as usual with great looking cut outs that have a nice clean look to them. Combine this with a very stable tried and true pivoting limb pocket that is CNC machined and you have a very stable and consistent platform that will perform well. They also use one of the best string material on the market today, 452X. This material has zero stretch or creep creating a very stable bow string material. It is definitely my preferred choice of the string materials out on the market. The 452X material does exceptionally well at holding a tune and is the single biggest reason I prefer it over other options. The 452X with a low wax, which they use, also produces speeds that are right there with some of the other faster materials on the market. For this reason, I feel this is one of the best materials you can use; you get the speed and the stability shot after shot. It is really tough to beat and it is nice to see them using it. The last few years they have stayed with the I-Glide Flex cable system. They claim this flex system reduces cam lean by 25% by reducing the side load from the cables. With this particular bow I set up, I did notice some top cam lean that is generally very normal in a 2-Track Cam System. This is one area in the 2-Track System that I think can be improved on. It would be nice to see them with more flex to eliminate even more of the cam lean at full draw. The biggest advantage to this would be the improvement of lateral nock travel. This makes tuning much easier and friendlier when you are trying to achieve fieldpoint and fixed blade broadhead accuracy. In the future, I feel these changes would enhance an already great product. To sum this up, the Quest Drive was a very solid shooter with a great platform for anyone looking for a new bow purchase. A couple of features

that stood out the most to me were the camo definition, overall feel in the hand, repeatable grip, smooth draw cycle, solid backwall and the overall quality that comes with G5 Outdoors.

Diamond Carbon Cure R.A.K Bow Package This year Diamond came out with a lightweight budget friendly carbon bow and I must say they delivered. It will send arrows down range at a gripping 325 fps with the Diamond Archery Carbon Cure R.A.K. Bow

continued on page 18

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

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continued from page 16 Package. Constructed using Knight Riser™ technology – a perfectly measured carbon compound – designed to be tough as nails yet ultra light. This is the lightest single-cam bow ever produced by Diamond Archery at 3.3 lbs. It features an ultra smooth draw; a forgiving 7” brace height and a 32” axle-to-axle length. Draw length can be adjusted from 27” to 30.5” on the userfriendly rotating module system. The Carbon Cure has durable pre-stretched Octane™ factory strings. Effective 80% let-off, this bow is ready for the woods. The RAK Package includes a TRUGLO four-pin Apex sight, Octane Deadlock Lite Quiver, Hostage XL arrow rest, comfort wrist sling, Octane 7” stabilizer, Diamond alloy peep, Diamond Dura-FLX string and the Diamond BCY nock loop. First thing I noticed on the carbon riser was the camo finish. It appears Diamond did a great job at getting a very nice finish on the carbon riser. There are different grades of carbon and it seems that on some of the carbon from other manufactures it has been tough to get a good finish on their risers. This does not seem to be the case with the Carbon Cure. They did an excellent job to insure the camo dipping process stays as consistent as it does on the aluminum risers. Overall fit and finish was very good considering this was their first year producing a carbon bow. Testing this bow out was a pleasant surprise with a smooth draw pretty much throughout. It was nice to not have a hard drop off on the back end of the draw cycle. With the 80% let-off you will not have that feeling of the bow wanting to go on you at full draw, it locks in rather nicely. The backwall has a very firm and solid feel to it, accompany that with a generous letoff makes for a very shooter friendly platform. The grip is a little bulky for my liking but I easily got accustom to it without much effort. Overall balance of the bow was nice and coming in at 3.3 lbs felt nice in the hand. On the shot the Carbon Cure just sat there on the shot with little to no vibe. With the R.A.K Package included with this bow it was well balanced as well and did not move much at all after the shot. The Octane Strings aren’t bad; they will more than likely get some stretch especially with a single cam bow with the long string

length. You might encounter some peep rotation from initial set up but not to worry, you will just have to readjust and you should be good from there on out. This ready to shoot package was not bad at all for a starter bow and would definitely foot the bill for anybody wanting to get into archery this season. It will also make for a very light weight compact hunting bow to take into the woods.

Bear Archery Apprentice 3 Bear ’s Apprentice 3 Compound Bow Package is Bear’s newest entry into the youth archery market, and it blows the competition away. With a top speed of 265 fps, it’s as fast as some adult bows, yet it starts at 15 lbs of draw weight (going up to 60), so that young hunters can start at a beginner’s pace. A new string suppression system plus a smooth two-cam system makes it the best way to enjoy every shot, season after season. This is perfect for any boy or girl looking to get into the

sport. Their package includes Trophy Ridge sight, Whisker Biscuit arrow rest, quiver, peep sight, nock loop, G3 Cam with sealed bearings, and Contra Band strings. The Apprentice 3 produces IBO Speeds up to 265 fps with an overall weight of 2.9 lbs. Brace Height runs 6” with and Axle-to-Axle length of 271/2”. The draw length has a wide range of adjustability, with a range of 15 - 27” in 1” increments. The 70% let-off makes for a comfortable aiming platform for these lower poundage youth bows. This is the 3rd generation Apprentice which has already been a proven performer. Bear Archery continues to improve on this great platform for our youth. I have had two daughters shoot the previous versions of the Apprentice and they were always great performers. My middle daughter even took a Silver medal at the Utah Summer games shooting the Apprentice. They tune up very well and can send arrows down range as true as bows that cost much more. I would highly recommend this bow if you have any youth interested in the sport.

from 40 – 92 pounds. For me personally I do a lot of bareshaft tuning and this very much depends on the bows cam design and how well the nock travel is engineered into a particular bow. I would still choose your spine accordingly and to be honest I would be hesitant to shoot a Maxima Red 350 at a .342 spine out of an 80 # bow that IBO’s at 330 and greater depending on draw length. The red portion of the shaft is the part that manages the dynamic spine. The static spine is the .342 rating that you get with a 350 Maxima Red arrow. The dynamic spine is the spine calculated for a certain bows performance. Not all bows create the same force on the arrow so realistically dynamic spine is most important when selecting your arrows. I tested the Maxima Red’s earlier this year with a Bowtech Insanity. My customer shipped me the bow for tuning along with the Maxima Red 350’s. The specs on this bow were a 29” draw at 72# of draw weight. I will be honest I thought for sure the Maxima Reds would be to weak for this setup and

Carbon Express Maxima Red Arrows Carbon Express has been known over the years for building some very good tolerance arrows. Arrows are rated by straightness but more importantly is spine consistency. This will give you the overall consistency down range within that dozen of arrows you might have purchased. Most manufactures don’t even report their spine tolerance on the arrows, where carbon express doesn’t have a problem for good reason. They generally give you what they are rated for, you get what you get, you might say. The Maxima Red arrows are no different with those same tight tolerances. Straightness is coming in well within the +/- .001 rating and spine selection sorted tolerances at +/- .0025, which are right on par from the arrows I was testing. Now the Maxima Red arrows are only offered in two different spines and claiming they will tolerate bows

to my surprised that bow tuned up perfect with bareshafts and fletched flying together at 20 yards. Normally, I would have had some issues getting the bareshafts and fletched to come together with a bow that IBO’s at 355 fps and those specs. If memory serves me right I believe that the speeds were coming in at 337 fps with that bow and the Maxima Red 350’s. In all fairness I have not had the opportunity to test them with an 80# bow, but will shortly on an Obsession Phoenix at a 28.5” draw. I will keep you posted on the results to see how the Red Zone portion of that shaft holds up to bareshaft tuning. Overall I would give a thumbs up for the Maxima Red’s for their consistency in straightness as well as spine consistency, not to mention holding up very well with perfect results in the test with the Bowtech Insanity and the .342 spined 350 arrows.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Easton Carbon Injexion Arrows These for me personally have been the best most consistent all carbon arrow I have used to date. Over the last 2 years I have been shooting these arrows with excellent results. The first time using them did not go as well as planned in part by some field tips that had a machining flaw to them. At the base of the shank where it meets the tip, the part that seats to your raw shaft, there was a raised ring that would not let the field tip seat completely tight up against the shaft. This slight raised area would require the need for you to stone too much of the shaft and make for a weak shaft at the point it contacted the fieldpoint. Every time I hit something firm at all I would get some splintering at the end of the raw shaft. The slight

gap left from fieldpoint to raw shaft was enough to create a weak spot and put all impact pressure directly on the insert; not to mention the extra stoning required weakened the shaft end. This was more or less when they first came out and even with this slight problem at the time they flew exceptionally well down range which drove me to seek out the issue I was having. Since that first dozen I have not encountered that issue again, but it’s something to look for when building your arrows. Now let’s get into more of the WOW part of these arrows. I test my arrows on the RAM spine tester for tolerances, straightness and spine consistency. Over the past couple years I have probably tested around 10 dozen random shafts checking for these things. They

are rated in at .002 for straightness but honestly come in for the most part at .001 or tighter. A good portion of the shafts I have tested, the needle does not even move for straightness. More important than straightness is spine consistency, this generally will go hand and hand. The straighter the arrow the better spine consistency will be as well. Spine is measured when you suspend a shaft at 28”, then take a 1.94# weight and hang it in the middle of the shaft. The measured deflection you get from horizontal is your measured static spine in thousandth. The Carbon Injexions are exceptional IMO when it comes to that. I would say on average from the arrows I have tested they are well within .002-.003 tolerance in spine deflection around the circumference of the shaft when you suspend the 1.94# weight on them. Some of the shafts you will find the needle never even moves when testing for spine. Another thing to point out is the consistency range when you hang the 1.94# weight from shaft to shaft. Your reading in thousandth will be extremely close from shaft to shaft.

One thing to point out is that they are a Deep Six shaft so they will not take standard sized broadheads and you will need to get Deep Six broadheads and fieldpoints. There are a number of your main broadhead companies making your favorite broadheads in the Deep Six design so it will not be an issue having a good selection to choose from. If you are in the market for a new arrow I would highly recommend trying the Easton Injexion arrows out, you will be glad you did.

AXT Titanium Recon Rest This rest caught my attention with the lightweight strength of carbon and titanium. It is always nice to shed some weight and pack it into a platform that has the AAE DOA trigger technology. This is exactly what AXT did in this great rest. The first thing you will notice is how light it is but still leaving you that top notch quality feel. Instead of having a set position they offer multiple settings for longer contact time and arcontinued on page 20

Better blood trails, quicker kills. Get the world’s deadliest, most advanced hunting arrows at Sportsman’s Warehouse today.

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continued from page 19

row support; or the ability to fall immediately on the shot, accepting speeds up to 380 fps. This rest will not have an issue regardless how fast your bow is shooting with reaction times like that. I do like the forward position as well on the launcher when in the upright position. This gives that little extra give as the arrow is released on the shot verses a straight up vertical design when you desire the longer contact time with the launcher arm. With the popularity of limbdriven rest and the extra support they give to the arrow, this rest offers the same thing without all the extra cord attached to your bow. Personally for hunting I still prefer a cable driven rest due to the smaller amount of rest cord that is required for set up. The AXT Titanium Recon really offers you the best of both worlds in adjustability for arrow support while keeping the rest cord short and out of the way for those spot and stalk hunts. This rest was a breeze to set up and did not take long at all to tune up to perfection with zero clearance issue for fletching contact. I would also note the rest seems to be quieter than other competitors with similar designs on the market. Another feature that I like in a rest is the ability for the launcher arm to stay up when letting down on the bow, this rest gives you just that. This is a very nice feature

when drawing on an animal to have the least amount of movement in your rest as possible if you have to let down while at full draw on an animal. The ability for the launcher arm to stay up is so nice, not to be overlooked when selecting a rest in the future and the AXT Titanium Recon has just that. AX Driver 4 Pin Sight This is a multi pin slider sight that caught my eye due to the lightweight but yet rugged design. For me personally I like a lighter sight for hunting due to the better overall balance feel you get once quiver and everything is mounted for the hunting season. This sight comes in at under 8 ounces, which puts it lighter than any other slider sight on the market. Some of the features I took note of right away were the positive stops for a vertical slider. Meaning, when you go to operate the slider it will have a stop at the top and bottom so the sight won’t fall straight out of the mounting bar if you were to go too far on the dial, like similar sights on the market. I do like this feature; there would be nothing worse than having your sight head fall off the sight bar when making adjustments on a hunt under those pressure situations. It also has a very easy 2nd and 3rd axis adjustment to insure you are maintaining the accuracy you need down range. Most sights have Allen bolts that will get

rust after one season and if you’re anything like me, I can’t stand to see the rust on my equipment. The AX sights have noncorrosive Allen bolts, meaning no rust at the end of the season. However, they are a little softer so I do not recommend over tightening them. You do not need to torque them down; just snug them up and you will be just fine. You will also have micro vertical and horizontal gang adjustment making sighting in very easy. Where the scope housing mounts to the sight bar, you will have adjustability to move the scope housing up and down, giving you the maximum potential of the 1 ¼” travel for long range shooting. The three different hole position mounting system will also aid in getting you the most amount of vertical travel for those 100+ yard practice sessions. Another thing to note that you might not see first off is the adjustability horizontally. Some folks will have issues with getting enough left to right adjustment out of sights on the market. AXT took note and gave you 3 different holes to mount your slider bar to. Between this and the already ample horizontal gang adjustment you should have no issues getting the adjustment you need with any bow on the market. The pin brightness is sufficient and when those low light situations arise they do come standard with a sight light. Overall a very well built sight that would be a great option to look at when in the market for a new sight. One of the things I would like to see in the future as an option, would be a little more vertical travel to stretch the long range practice sessions out a little farther, other than that, a very good choice when in the market for a new rest.

The G5 Havoc Broadhead G5 is known for their quality machining in all the products they produce. The G5 Havoc is the newest addition to their broadhead selection. This mechanical two blade broadhead was designed to create a 2+ inch wound channel, giving you big blood trails for faster recovery. G5’s two blade Havoc is their first mechanical broadhead to use Swiss Steel LUTZ blades. The LUTZ blades are known for superior sharpness. The blades

on the Havoc lock in using the new Posi-Lock blade retention system, which eliminates the need for o-rings and rubber bands, creating a no-hassle system for hunters. Featuring G5s new balanced blade deployment system, the blades on the Havoc always deploy simultaneously, ensuring bigger and more consistent entrance holes. Blades are quickly and easily replaced with the new blade cartridge system. G5 has always been known for their nice chisel tips up front and the Havoc is no different. This insures deep penetration with bone crushing capability when those shots might be less than perfect. Over the years I have used the Montec’s, Striker’s and T3’s and they have always performed with precision accuracy leaving great wound channels. For a mechanical broadhead the two blade is my preferred choice and look forward to using the G5 Havoc’s in the very near future.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Chillin Brew Cold Panels

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

he guys at Arctic ice, who brought you the amazing Arctic Ice Alaskan and Tundra series cold panels, have really hit a home run with the introduction of their new Chiilin’ Brew panels. Designed specifically to keep beer at the coldest possible temperature without freezing it, these reusable panels will quickly bring your suds to the perfect drinking temperature and keep them there for extended periods of time. We placed four Chiilin’ Brew panels in a Grizzly 45 Qt. cooler in the 80 degree direct sun. In the cooler we placed a six-pack of bottled beer and a 12 pack of soda. The beer was already cold, but the soda was at room temperature. Within an hour, the soda was cold enough to drink and within two hours both the beer and soda were the same temperature, 31 degrees. Since water freezes at 32 degrees, we expected the cans to freeze up, but the Chiilin’ Brew holds the perfect temperature to account for the dif-

ference in the freezing temperature of water and that of beer and soda. We left the cooler in the direct sun for 36 hours and opened it hourly to simulate the average person or family opening and closing the cooler to get beverages. The Chillin’ Brew managed to hold the drinks at this perfect temperature the entire time. The secret to Chillin Brew’s effectiveness is sealed plastic containers filled with a natural substance made of agricultural feedstocks. We believe it is really some kind of magical unicorn blood, but the guys at Arctic Ice aren’t revealing their secret potion. The key thing to keep in mind is that because the substance is natural, it is safe should one of the armor plated bulletproof containers ever manage to leak into your cooler. Here is how the guys at Arctic Ice explain the process, “Take off your beer goggles for a minute and put on your laboratory goggles as we break down our renewable technology and take you through Arctic Ice 101. This stuff isn’t rocket science, but it’s close. Arctic Ice phase change material

(PCM), which is derived from agricultural feedstocks, is a break-through thermal energy storage (TES) material that takes advantage of available ambient energy. Arctic Ice absorbs large amounts of energy from the sun, car engines, night time air, and nearly any other source of uncaptured energy, and then releases that thermal energy later when it is required. It has over 200 different transition temperature options with a temperature range of -40 °F to 300 °F, which is applicable to nearly any industry in the world. Pretty cool (or hot), right? In Chillin’ Brew panels, the PCM’s change phases at the temperature right before your beer would freeze, which is our little secret. Therefore, they change phases just a tenth of a degree before that in order to maintain the coldest temperature possible. Our Arctic Ice material manipulates the temperature of your beer to constantly remain even colder than ice. In fact, our wicked smart engineering team has specifically designed Chillin’ Brew panels to produce the coldest beer in the entire world! Whew, you passedArctic Ice 101. You deserve a beer for sitting through that!”

What I really appreciated was the ability to keep everything ice-cold without any of the sogginess of ice. Because the frozen liquid is contained inside a plastic case, it never melts all over my sandwiches and doesn’t make a soggy mess out of my cardboard six-pack carrier. The best part is that these panels can be refrozen in a few hours, depending upon which of the four sizes you get, and be used forever. No more buying ice, no more warm beer or soda, and no more soggy food and drink packaging. Now that is some witchcraft I can get behind.

“All our game goes in a Grizzly Cooler, nothing keeps our meat colder and trophies looking great!”

Fred Eichler Fred is the host of Easton Bowhunting TV and Predator Nation and the owner of Fulldraw Outfitters and is the first person to take all 29 North American Big Game species with a recurve bow to complete the Super Slam.

Grizzly Coolers are the perfect solution for serious hunters like Fred that need to be able to securely preserve freshness of the game until it reaches its final destination. With the ability to retain ice for 19 days, hunters don’t feel limited on where their hunt will take them. Currently offered in four sizes, the Grizzly 16, Grizzly 60, Grizzly 150 and Grizzly 400 are offered in a vast variety of colors and come with a lifetime warranty. The Grizzly 400, 150, 60 & 16 are certified bear resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. The favorite color of the Eichler’s is Sandstone and Tan.

For a Lifetime.

www.grizzlycoolers.com

July 2014 | SPORTSMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

2014 New Video Product Reviews

Carl Zeiss Victory HT 10x54

op of the line German binoculars are much lighter than previous 8 or 10x56 from manufacturers like Carl Zeiss, models and also provide greater optical Swarovski, and Leica are as good performance. as you get, but they tote a hefty price The big difference with this new line tag. If you decide to spend the money of optics starts with the new Schott HT on any of these items, you won’t ever be (High-Transmission) glass, exclusive to disappointed when you’re in the field. ZEISS, which helps provide over 95% Determining which product to buy at this total light transmission making it 5% level of quality is usually splitting hairs brighter than any other binocular on the and comes down to personal preferences market. The glass is the key difference because the comparisons are and the Schott AG Company so similar. The launch of the is a German manufacturer of Carl Zeiss Victory HT Line the highest-quality optical of Binoculars changed that and industrial glass used in thought process in 2013 with everything from sports optics the 8 and 10 by 42 models. to aircraft lighting systems. New for 2014 is the 54mm The company has been makobjective size which provides ing glass for 125+ years and the performance of a 56mm Scan this QR Code with is owned by the Carl Zeiss your smart phone to view objective with a smaller frame t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s Foundation in Germany. Beand considerable weight ad- YouTube Channel. Video cause of this relationship, Carl Available after July 5th. vantage. These new HT 54’s Zeiss is able to receive priority

INOVA STS Headlamp By Collin Dalley

your desired light you can swipe it again within one second in the same he INOVA STS Headlamp by direction to adjust to a medium dim NITE IZE will give light in or swipe again to activate the strobe any situation. This innova- setting that is ideal for emergency tive headlamp is designed to give use. At anytime during the adjustyou the ultimate in comfort and ment period, you can press and adjustability. The INOVA STS has hold in between the red and white a sleek, comfortable design that is arrows to activate the variable dim fully adjustable with multi-mode setting, allowing you to pick the l i g h t i n g o p t i o n s a n d d u a l L E D perfect brightness for your needs. color lamps consisting of white and To avoid having the light turn on red lights. NITE IZE is paving the while transporting, you can activate path with this creative design. The the “Lockout Mode”. Place one finslogan for the headlamp is “Swipe- ger on the white arrow and another To-Shine” which equates to being finger on the red arrow; hold simulable to access your different light- taneously for two seconds, causing ing modes with a simple the light to blink. Immediswipe of your finger. By ately after the light blinks, just simply swiping your simply swipe your finger finger across the top you across the arrows to fully can turn the headlamp activate the lockout mode. on and off. Depending When you’re ready to use on the direction, swiping the headlamp again, simtowards the white arrow ply repeat the same prowill activate the white Scan this QR Code with cess and the white light lights, while swiping to- your smart phone to view w i l l b l i n k o n c e ; s w i p e the Sportsman's News wards the red arrow will YouTube Channel. Video across the top as you did activate the red lights. Available after July 17th. to lock it and you’re ready Once you have turned on for use.

access to special types of glass before other companies have access to it. The new HT (High-Transmission) glass from Schott is an example of this. Carl Zeiss has exclusive access to the HT glass and is using it in the Victory HT binoculars. In addition to the HT glass, the Abbe-Konig prism system combined with the new enhanced T* lens coatings and FL (fluoride) glass further enhances brightness and color fidelity. The new comfort-grip system allows user to easily grip around both optical tubes without having the limitation of a hinge in the front of the binocular. The double-link bridge allows for superior ruggedness over split-hinge binoculars. The focus system with 20% larger focus wheel allows for comfortable hand positioning and easy, precise focusing due to the low drive ratio within the focus assembly. The chassis is built from light weight magnesium and tips

T h e I N O VA S T S i s e x t re m e l y bright with good battery life that produces up to 142 lumens on the white light setting with a 4-hour 40-min run time and 8 lumens on the red light setting with a 36-hour run time. The medium setting produces 40 lumens on the white light setting, with 26-hours 40-min run time and 2 lumens on the red light setting with 317-hour run time. The strobe setting produces 3 lumens on the white light setting with a run time of 255-hours and 0.2 lumens on the red light with a run time of 602-hours. The housing compartment is made of a durable impact re s i s t a n t p o l y carbonate that is waterproof up to 1-meter. Lifting the tab on top of the light makes it quick and simple to change the 3-alkaline AAA batteries. The

the scale at 37 ounces. Overall size of the Victory HT’s 10X54 are 7.6” high by 5.6” wide. The Carl Zeiss Victory HT 10X54 binocular is clearer and brighter than any binocular we have ever tested. The true quality of these binos comes out in the early mornings and late evening when game is most active and light is limited or nonexistent. Combine this quality with their 5 year no fault warranty and you have a pair of binoculars that is the last set you will ever need to purchase.

high quality woven elastic strap provides unmatched quality and helps maintain a secure fit while in motion. The INOVA STS Headlamp is fully adjustable up to 50 degrees of angle to focus light in any desired direction. If you’re looking for a durable headlamp for your next trip in the outdoors or just like to be prepared for emergencies, then make sure y o u c h e c k o u t T h e I N O VA S T S Headlamp from NITE IZE or stop by your local Sportsman’s Warehouse to see this one of a kind headlamp for yourself.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

2014 New Video Product Reviews

inReach Explorer

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

barometric altimeter and accelerometer sensors ensure accuracy and provide heading and bearing information, accurate he convenience and peace of mind elevation readings, speed and other useful of the DeLorme inReach satellite trip statistics. When paired with a mobile communicator just got even better device, inReach owners also get exclusive, with the addition of built-in navigation unlimited access to DeLorme’s topographic functionality, including a digital compass, maps and U.S. NOAA charts. route planning, waypoints and high-detail In an emergency, the Iridium-powered trip logging. inReach Explorer is the first satellite communicator will notify GEOS, personal satellite communicaa 24/7 monitoring service to tor to bring together the power send search and rescue to your of navigation with truly global exact location, anywhere on the SOS alerting, GPS tracking and planet. Because the Iridium nettwo-way text messaging in one work works anywhere, without rugged, waterproof device. blackout areas or fringe areas, The easy-to-use unit offers a you can be assured of a rescue basic map view, which displays no matter how remote. routes, waypoints, tracks and Scan this QR Code with The inReach Explorer also alyour smart phone to view messages geo-located onscreen t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s lows you to send text messages for backtracking or self-rescue. YouTube Channel. Video over the satellite network to The built-in digital compass, Available after July 19th friends and family, letting them

know if you are delayed or need supplies. You can also send prewritten text messages with ease. Friends and family can see your posts and track your progress on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, complete with your GPS coordinates. Because it syncs with your phone’s contacts via Bluetooth, you can easily send messages to anyone in your address book. The companion Explore web portal allows you to set up your tracking preferences, social media accounts, preset messages, review previous trips, and plan new ones. The inReach is rugged, shockproof, and waterproof for up to 30 minutes up to 1 meter, so you can take it into the wettest locations and not worry about it failing you when you need it. The rechargeable lithium polymer battery will last for about 100 hours of continuous operation, and can be recharged with

a portable power cell, a solar panel, or any USB charging device. DeLorme offers both contract-free monthly and annual subscription plans, which means you can select the level of service you need for the time period you need it. It is also easy to adjust your plan should your needs change. For ultimate peace of mind, be sure to take an inReach Explorer — the world’s only satellite communicator with built-in navigation — with you when you get off the beaten path.

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Capitalizing on Cancellation Trip Specials By Michael Deming

y this time of year, all of the tag results for all the states have been posted and everyone’s fall plans have now been set in motion. However, some lucky folks success at drawing a tag can provide many others with a cancellation opportunity worth its’ weight in gold. Once you have drawn that tag a of lifetime, you might be forced to put off that Alaska moose hunt or float fishing trip that you’ve been paying on for the past few years. Outfitters run into this problem each and every year and it is something they have all learned to deal with. It isn’t something that they enjoy, but it is a fact of life. The outfitter ’s dilemma in this scenario is, “how do we fill the slot in such a short period of time”? The majority of people have to plan these types of trips pretty far in advance for numerous reasons. Financially, some of these trips are very expensive and the second most common issue is getting the required vacation time to do a major trip of this caliber. Unless your boss is a very understanding person or a hunter themselves, it isn’t usually possible to plan this type of thing with ninety days or less. For those of you that have the means and the ability to be able to make a decision about these last minute trips, you can truly save nearly half the price of these trips on many occasions. We have been in this industry for nearly a dozen years and every year, we see amazing deals come across our desks each and every summer.

How do you put yourself in a position to capitalize on these great deals? First of all, have yourself a hunting/ fishing nest egg. Hide it in the gun safe, under the seat of your truck or anywhere your significant other won’t find it or know about it. If not, that’s a good way to end up with a new set of living room furniture while your trophy of a lifetime goes to someone else. If these trips are something you really want to do, you’re going to have to pay for them in the future. So, it is much better to capitalize on these at a discounted price. The second issue is dealing with time off of work and from your family and responsibilities. I’m not going to give advice on this one because I don’t want anyone’s divorce or termination blamed on us here at Sportsman’s News. Being upfront and honest is always my philosophy and although it provides some initial grief, it is always better than the truth coming out later and it definitely will once you post those trophy ram photos on Facebook. How do you get notified of these deals and figure out who is the best outfitter to work with? Some outfitters are horrible and use this tactic of promoting cancellation specials as a way of filling their slots. You should start doing your research right now for the best outfitters to fulfill your desired hunting and fishing needs. This should be something more than just a few phone calls to some old clients they have provided references of. Those clients have already been vetted and know they are on a reference list. See if you can get an entire list of

clients from the most current year and whether they were successful or unsuccessful. You should also check with the Division of Wildlife, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Board of Outfitters for that state to see about complaints. Once you have narrowed down a good outfitter that you are comfortable with, you should let them know you would like to be on their cancellation trip list. Let them know the amount of time you need in advance to be able to make a decision. Once you have this figured out between your outfitters, you will at least be on his call list if he is organized. This isn’t the case with the majority of outfitter’s. Your info will get put on a yellow post-it note and it will likely have the lifespan of the sticking ability. You can keep calling them on a regular basis at this time of year, but they probably won’t give you the best deal possible until they have exhausted other efforts since they know you’re interested. You need to be on the list of numerous vetted outfitters to make sure you finally get that trip of a lifetime. This can turn into a full time job, but the savings is usually worth it in the end. We have put together a list of vetted outfitters over the past ten years and have a great working relationship with all of them. These are truly the best of the best in the industry and they range from whitetail guys in Texas to trophy brown bear outfitters

Pro’s Tips

in NW Alaska. When these guys get a cancellation, we are one of their very first calls because they know we have access to some hard core outdoorsmen and women to tap into. Many times we will have these openings filled in a matter of hours with a very fortunate person who had the means and the time to pull the trigger quickly. If you truly want to capitalize on some of these last minute cancellation opportunities, you should let us know your interests and your level of commitment. You can send your contact information to me personally and I’ll be happy to have a conversation with you about your desires of the next few years and will make sure you are one of the very first one’s notified of these opportunities. This is a service free to our readers of Sportsman’s News and a major service to our Platinum Approved Outfitters. I can be reached at mdeming@sportsmansnews.com or by calling our office at 435-865-1680. We also put these cancellation specials on our weekly E-Blast if they don’t get filled right away. If you would like to be on this list, please register for the Sportsman’s News website at www.sportsmansnews.com and you will receive our weekly E-Blast with these specials as well as other product reviews and great deals available at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

To Catch a Shark

With fur and feathers and chum on a savage sea. By Gary Lewis

ou’ve heard of Shark Week on Discovery Channel. This is not that. We booked two days on the F/V Miss Raven, a 43-foot fishing vessel out of Newport. Our mission was to find blue sharks in the deep blue, chum them to the surface and stick them with feathers. We called it Shark Weekend. On board were my daughter Tiffany and her husband, Sterling West, Paul Galvin, Sam Pyke, Will Saunders and Mathew McFarland and his boys, Chisel and Finney.

Photo by Gary Lewis Raw material for fish and chips.

To catch sharks on the fly, Matthew McFarland prepared three rods, long sticks built to throw 10- to 14-weight lines, with steel leaders and bright feathered creations. Now all we needed were fins in the water. We stepped aboard the Miss Raven and met skipper Mike Sorensen and his 27-year-old son, Sean, Minutes after the safety meeting was over, the 300-horse John Deere diesel fired and we motored out of the harbor beneath the arch of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. When we crossed the bar, waves swallowed the lights of Newport. As dawn broke through the gray clouds, Sean threw the crab pots over and Mike marked them on the GPS. Then someone spotted harbor porpoises off the bow. For a few precious minutes, the mereswine ran ahead of the boat, their bodies briefly above the gray water then beneath, twisting, spinning. And then as quick as they had appeared they peeled away. Twenty-three miles out, Mike cut the engine. The Miss Raven bobbed in the deep swells that rolled through us. One moment we towered on a wave, the next we were in the trough. Here, the ocean floor humped toward the surface, here baitfish congregate as well as the sharp-toothed predators that feed on them. Sean punched holes in a big kitchen wastebasket then filled it with tuna heads and carcasses. Roped to the side of the boat, the basket milked tuna gore and soon we had birds above us - seagulls and albatross. Matthew and Paul rigged fly rods with steel leaders and big streamers. We watched the surface of the water for black fins. That was when we saw the sunfish. Ocean sunfish are a seldom seen species that make their living on jellyfish. They are as tall as they are long and can weigh up to 3,500 pounds. This one sunbathed at the surface and we were able to get a good look. In some languages they are referred to as moon fish, because of their shape. The Polish name means ‘head alone’ because it doesn’t have a true tail. Risso’s dolphins found us, a school of 40 or so that ran through our greasy tuna chum line. They circled and came through again

and again, breaking through the swells and flashing away below the boat. An albatross paddled nearby and took the fly in its beak. Then he dropped it. That was when I knew; we would not catch a shark. The sharks had taken the weekPhoto by Gary Lewis end off. Out on the horizon, I saw a Running out of the bar at Yaquina Bay. spout and then another. A great barnacled beast breached, its great, halt and reel in. We’d caught our limit. gray body lifted above the surface; Multiple times we caught two rockfish foamy spray crashed out of the in one cast. Once, we brought three fish swell. aboard in one cast. In the afternoon, back in sight It turns out that in a swirling school of the bridge at Newport, Tiffany of Sebastes, it is relatively easy to dipped the hook and pulled in the catch these saltwater relatives of our first buoy. Sean put the rope on the freshwater bass and perch on a fly. The pulley and we held our breath as the trick is in getting the big streamers to pot came into view, brimming with the bottom. The fish’s gluttony does Dungeness. Minutes later, we took the rest. We sought them out on the our stations, sorting males from fe- rubber grubs that the charter captain males, throwing back the little ones. had pre-rigged for us. We decided the sharks had taken As soon as we found the fish, we the weekend off. After a quick dis- wasted no time in putting the fly rods cussion, we decided to invest the to work. We rigged the streamers in second day’s efforts on a big rockpile tandem rigs with a lead weight tied south of Newport. in drop-shot style. The presentation? In the dark of the morning, we mo- Drop the weight to the bottom, lift tored south along the coast. Off Cape away then drop back down. It takes a Perpetua, Mike Sorensen pointed strong rod with a good backbone and out a watch station that was manned at least 20-pound tippet. Sometimes during World War II. the rig comes up with two five-pound In range of the ghost coastal can- fish on it and leader-shyness is not a non emplacement, Sorenson cut the concern at 150 feet. motor and I let the crew in on my We came away with a rich haul secret weapon. Sometimes when of crab and rockfish, but that sort of the fish won’t bite, it helps to pull memory is quickly gone in melted butout and pass around a box full of ter and tartar sauce. We set out into the chocolate doughnuts. Pacific in the dark of the night, watched Fortified by fried dough, theobroma the sun light up the West Coast; we cacao and glazed sugar we dropped looked for one thing and found much our jigs and flies into the aquamarine. more. Sharks; who needs ‘em? We drifted on a large underwater hilltop. Our baits bounced through a ### biomass of rockfish and in moments, we had our first raw material for fish Gary’s latest book, A Bear Hunter’s and chips. In the first pass we filled Guide to the Universe, is available as an two-thirds of our limits. e-book on Kindle and Nook or in print at On the second drift, we had to call a www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

What Hatch?

Chad LaChance

his might make a bunch of folks laugh at my angling prowess, but I’m going to say it anyway. I don’t “match the hatch”, fly fishing or otherwise. I can’t tell you the difference between trico and BWO (well, I can, but I had to Google it), I don’t

know what exact color the crayfish in my home lake are, and I have no knowledge of the life cycle of fathead minnow. In truth, I barely care at all what the fish I’m trying to catch are eating. Furthermore, the only reason I have even an inkling of concern for what they might be eating is to help me locate where the dining is taking place. From there I can work on duping them. I realize this sounds blasphemous to many died-in-the-wool fly types, and probably a bunch of other anglers, too. I mean, really, how could I not care exactly what they’re eating giving that my goal is to get them to bite?! My answer for this has been developed over the last six years; specifically once we started traveling a bunch to foreign waters to film FTTV. Please allow me to back up a step, and apologize too. This column is not a knock on matching the hatch. After all, there’s a whole lot of fish that wish the con-

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cept had never been conjured, and a slew of anglers that are very good at finding just the right fly or lure. What I mean to point to out is that there are other and often simpler ways to elicit a strike and keep your tackle to reasonable levels in so doing. The beauty of fishing is that there are no wrong answers. Find what makes you happy and run with it. Now, Fishful Thinker TV is filmed on public water. We don’t “pre-fish” and we film each show in somewhere between two and six hours of fishing time. What we catch is what you see, and we try hard to communicate how we’re figuring it out while we’re figuring it out. In rare cases (as in four or five out of the 130+ episodes we’ve aired), we’ll produce a technique or fish specific show utilizing clips from various days on the water, but that is way outside our normal gig. We produce 26 episodes per year so that’s a lot of bodies of water to visit. In only a handful of cases have we used local guides; when we do it’s typically because we need their boat (My Ranger is not set-up to troll, I don’t own a drift boat, etc). And for the record, we never discreetly fish multiple days to create one show full of fish porn. Sooo, why does this matter to my match the hatch topic, you are rightfully thinking? Because, in short, I catch more fish now, by far, than I did before I started traveling this much. And before the travel, I obsessed over matching the hatch. Now, with this

many destinations, types of waters, and species of fish, combined with my guiding schedule, writing, postproduction, etc., I don’t have time for researching much of anything beyond basic conditions, and I certainly can’t learn the nuances of baitfish colors or hatch times. I usually find time to dig up water levels and temps and maybe even scrounge up a map here and there, but that’s about it. Figuring out what trout in some obscure river in Wyoming will be eating a month from now ain’t in my strategy. Instead, I’ve learned to fish with a more open mind and more to the conditions we find when we arrive. In many cases, we don’t even have a species pegged; we may show up at a lake known for bass and fish walleyes instead simply because we spotted a bunch of them on the Lowrance. In all cases, I’ve determined that fish are very opportunistic feeders. I’ve had large fish tanks my whole life. Put a crappie in one and then add two dozen goldfish. Do you think they’ve ever seen a goldfish in the wild? Not likely. Does it slow them from eating those goldfish in a matter of minutes? Nope. Same thing with any other species I’ve ever had in captivity, fresh or salt water. So what if the crayfish smallmouth bass eat are greenish brown? Drop a dark chocolate colored one with big blue claws in front of him and he’ll eat it.

continued on page 32

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

FISHFUL THINKER continued from page 30

It’s all about the opportunity. In our angling, we’ve found that being in the right depth range based on season, water temp, and light conditions is critical. We’ve found that being around the right type of cover and structure, preferably together, is also very important. And we’ve found that even oddball flies and lures will get bit if presented right. If you’re talking pelagic species like striped bass, knowing where they are eating is critical, but necessarily not what they’re eating; pelagics usually feed in schools so anglers can use their own competitiveness against them. It’s nearly impossible to match the hatch for kokanee salmon (which eat miniscule stuff) but we catch lots of them in fall using giant lures to provoke strikes out of territorialness. Divers don’t wear shiny stuff because barracudas normally eat Rolex’s? I think not; t’s just flashy and peaks their predator nature. Fat, lazy largemouths are commonly duped by

interrupting their sunny day snooze with a heavy jig bombing in and surprising them. Fly guys have drifted a gillion flies over feeding trout only to be refused repeatedly. They keep switching flies hoping to find just the right size, profile, and hue which will net them the coveted rise. That is a classic match the hatch deal. Yet, that same trout is catchable on fly tackle by using something other than a perfect dead drift to provoke the take. I’ve salvaged many days of not having just the right fly and compensating by adding motion to my less than ideal fly. It’s funny how many sniffs turn into committed takes if you strip the fly away from them just before they refuse you. Trout are suckers for speed and big bites, even in the presence of lots of tiny dead bugs. I’ll end by saying I carry far less tackle or flies now than I ever did, yet I fish a much wider range of waters, conditions, and species. I carry a few basic colors and lure/fly genres. I focus very heavily on depth range, casting accuracy, and line control in

all cases. I fish windy areas, edges, transitions, and basically focus on the fundamentals of angling. I avoid tricks, dock talk, and especially negative reports from others because, on any given day, some dude on a lake is whackin’ ‘em while some other dude is struggling, and their respective reports on the fishing will differ. Some

guy has changed flies 100 times and still no bites while a some kid with 10 flies total is swinging a Micky Finn through clouds of bugs and catching ‘em good. The only thing we can truly count on is that they have tiny little brains and great big mouths; keep an open mind and you’ll find ways to put a hook in it!

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Vortex Kaibab HD 20X56 Binocular

By Michael Deming

rophy hunting requires a lot of patience, dedication, and most importantly, top quality optics. Being dedicated and committed to sitting behind a set of optics for hours on end looking at every nook and cranny on a mountain several miles, is going to require great optics. If you are ill equipped for this type of glassing session, your eyes will soon begin to hurt and you will more than likely move on. Ten power binos just aren’t enough to really glass well at these longer distances and a spotting scope becomes very fatiguing on your one eye over time. All of these downfalls equate to failure in a glassing session unless you get lucky. There are a few manufactures who have put out some 15 power binoculars which definitely improve your odds and Vortex is one of those companies. The Kaibab HD 15X56 binos have been out for several years now and have helped many trophy hunters turn up that trophy of a lifetime. New for 2014 is the Kaibab 20X56 binocular and that additional 5X power makes a huge difference when you are looking at really long distances, which is very common for sheep and coues deer hunters. These binoculars have been built on the same frame as the 15X binos which have already proven themselves time and time again. We got our first look

at a prototype while hunting Aoudad when not wearing in West Texas in 2013 where they were eyeglasses. This being field tested. The difference be- provides you the tween the 15’s and the 20’s during our greatest field of morning glassing sessions was the view and although difference of determining if the sheep it might take some were rams or ewes even without the getting used to iniuse of a spotting scope. We were glass- tially, you will become a better glasser ing at over two miles away and it was because of it. obvious that these high powered optics Because the binoculars are such high would be a much needed asset in my power, it is highly recommended that glassing arsenal. they be used with a tripod. Vortex Some additional tweaks were re- includes the tripod adapter with each quired for the finished binocular which binocular, so this isn’t an additional rolled out at the Shooting Hunting charge. The quick release setup on Outdoor Trade (S.H.O.T) show in 2014. this tripod adapter is probably one of The Sportsman’s News team has had a the most convenient I’ve ever worked pair in hand since January and have with. You can mount the base plate used it heavily through all for your tripod onto your the winter range scouting, quick release and attach shed hunting season, and the mounting bracket onto early 2014 hunts and have the binos. This allows you proven to be one of the most to leave the quick release valuable pieces of glass in attached to your tripod and our arsenal. your glasses around your This roof prism binocuneck or in you pack. Set up lar is relatively compact Scan this QR Code with your tripod and just place your smart phone to view considering that they are t h e S p o r t s m a n ' s N e w s the binos onto the tripod such high power. They are YouTube Channel. Video because of the design of the Available after July 26th. equipped with premium quick release. For those of HD (High Density) extrayou guide types that like to low dispersion glass which provides attach the binos to the tripod and just extremely good resolution and color carry them over your shoulder, you fidelity even in low light. The Dielectric can screw the tripod adapter direct Prism Coatings is a multi-layer prism to the mounting bracket which gives coating which makes for bright, clear, you an extremely rigid mount capable and color-accurate images. The XR- of just about anything. These binocuPlus multi-coating provide a high lars on a tripod open up a whole new level of light transmission. The world of glassing without breaking the ArmorTek coatings on the exte- bank. During all of our testing, these rior lenses make for an ultra-hard, scratch-resistant coating which protects extremely well against scratches. They come with a center focus adjustment knob which is very large and very easy to adjust even with gloves on. The locking dopter is on the right barrel of the binoculars and once adjusted locks into place to assure a quality focus each and every time. The roll up eye-cups have several set stops, making it very simple to get both eyes set with the appropriate eye relief even with little or no light to work with. Eye glass wearers will usually get the best eye relief in the totally down position. I personally recommend using them in the completely down position even

binoculars have performed extremely well. When comparing them to your ten power binoculars in low light, they obviously suffer a bit just because of the double power. However, we found that the majority of times when we were sitting down for a multi-hour glassing session, it was when the sun had been up for a while and the animals are settled in for the day in the shade. The comfort provided by using both eyes instead of one for a spotting scope gave us the ability to spend many hours in each area turning up trophies. The added comfort and time spent equates to one thing; success. Not everyone is a big game trophy hunter like we are and many folks just like to observe the animals and birds in their natural habitat. The birding community will savor the edge to edge clarity and color fidelity these high powered bino’s provide. Manufacture suggested retail price on these are $1,699, but are much less at Sportsman’s Warehouse. The Vortex Kaibab 20X56mm binoculars are the Pro’s Picks for this month and a purchase you will be very happy you have made. As with all Vortex Optics, they are covered by their VIP unconditional lifetime warranty which we feel is the best in the business.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

BUSHNELL

continued from page 2 easily withstands the recoil impact generated by firing one thousand rounds of .375 H&H ammo and returns to zero with reliable consistency even after that kind of punishment. The Elite Limited Edition riflescope also features a slim line power-change ring for quick and easy magnification adjustments as well as a Fast Focus Eyepiece, which was designed to provide precise and convenient fast focus, without the need to stop and unlock a focus ring first- just grab it and turn. To get the most out of your fast focus eyepiece, simply look at a distant object for several seconds without using your scope. Then shift your vision quickly looking though the scope at a plain background. Turn the fast-focus eyepiece clockwise or counter clockwise until the reticle pattern is sharp and clear. One of the most unique features of the Elite Limited Edition scopes is its side focus adjustment knob. Traditionally, scopes in this power range are provided with a “fixed focus” at a range selected by the manufacturer, typically 100 yards

for a 3-9X 40 scopes. Side parallax adjustment allows the user to obtain a crystal clear, parallax free target image at ranges as close as 10 yards all the way out to infinity. An additional advantage of a side parallax adjustment is that it allows our engineers to design a much shorter and lighter weight scope. Also, because of its location within easy reach of the shooter’s left hand, the side parallax adjustment knob is much easier to see and maneuver in comparison to scopes with a parallax adjustment ring located out near the objective lens. Having a side focus knob on the 3-9x 40 Elite Limited Edition is unique and allows a great deal of flexibility as it could be used on rifles ranging from .22 Rimfire up to the largest magnum calibers, ensuring a sharp, parallax free image regardless of the distance from the target. Another interesting detail worth mentioning about the Limited Edition Elite riflescope is that the scale (index marks) on the elevation and windage adjustment dials appear on the sides of the adjustment turrets, rather than their typical location on the top surface of the turret. This makes them conveniently easy to see and read for reference when dialing

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in your holdover amount or returning to a click setting that you originally had your scope set to when it was first zeroed in at the range. Protective screw-on caps are naturally included to cover the adjustment dials, keeping out dirt and other contaminants as well as preventing any accidental change in your settings after you’ve spent time and bullets sighting in your Elite scope. In addition to providing optical excellence in a compact design, the Elite Limited Edition riflescope is engineered to withstand the rigors of shooting sports and whatever Mother Nature throws its way. Every Bushnell Elite riflescope is 100 percent waterproof, fog proof and shockproof. The O-ring seals and tight construction tolerances ensure that these scopes will withstand not just “a little rain”, but complete submersion in a body of water while retaining complete integrity with no entry of moisture or dust into the interior of the scope. And the optics are protected against internal fogging by nitrogen purging. Elite riflescopes go through a manufacturing process in which the internal air is purged (forced out through a valve) and replaced by nitrogen gas, to help any potential build up of moisture. The inert (neutral) nitrogen makes the interior of the scope resistant to rapid, extreme changes in temperature and moisture retention, thereby providing anti-fogging properties. But what about the external lens surfaces, you may ask? All of the Elite optics are protected with Bushnell’s exclusive, patented RainGuard® HD coating. Has your scope ever fogged on a cold day because you accidently breathed on your eyepiece? Have you ever hunted on a cold, wet day and found it almost impossible to keep the outside of your scope from fogging? RainGuard® HD will help prevent these problems. This technology gives you a significant improvement in brightness and light transmission and provides unequaled clarity in the worst conditions. RainGuard® HD is the first coating to protect your riflescope against external fogging. You have no doubt experienced the water droplets that can form when a scope’s lens (or any untreated glass surface) is exposed to rain, sleet, fog, snow-or even just your own breath on a cold day if you get close enough to the eyepiece. RainGuard® HD is an extremely effective special water repellant or “hydrophobic” coating on which condensation forms in

much smaller droplets than on standard coatings- any water on its surface beads up “high and tight” rather than forming wide, flat “puddles” as it would without RainGuard® HD. These smaller droplets scatter much less light than the larger droplets on other coatings. This results in a much clearer and more useable sight picture. Additionally, water sheets off RainGuard® HD much more readily than a standard coating, since it creates a totally smooth, unbroken surface at a microscopic level of detail. For the first time, the hunter will not miss the shotof-a-lifetime because excess moisture was fogging up the glass on the outside of his scope, blocking the view at a critical moment. A significant distinction to note about the RainGuard® HD coating is that it does not have to be re-applied, as aftermarket “lens treatment” brush-on chemicals do. It is an extremely durable, scratch-resistant, permanent coating that will give you a lifetime of service. It is simple to care for. To maintain the original performance, just keep the lenses clean by first blowing away any dirt and dust. Fingerprints and lubricants can be wiped off with lens tissue or a soft, clean cotton cloth moistened with lens cleaning fluid. The Elite Limited Edition 3-9x 40 riflescope covers the most popular magnification range for deer and other general hunting applications (from 3x to 9x power) and the 40mm objective diameter gives this scope an ideal balance of mounting height, weight and brightness. This scope features Bushnell’s Multi-X® reticle, a traditional single-plex aiming design. The rustproof, virtually scratchproof matte black finish will beautifully compliment even the most expensive firearm. As with all Elite optics, any owner of the Limited Edition 3-9x 40 riflescope is covered by Bushnell’s Lifetime Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for the life of the product, ensuring the fast repair or replacement of his Elite scope- no receipt or warranty card is required. Lastly, Bushnell believes that you, the consumer, should make the final call on product performance. That’s why we offer our exclusive Bulletproof 100% Money Back Guarantee (the best in the business) on selected Bushnell products, including this Elite riflescope. If, for any reason, you’re not completely satisfied with this scope, return it to Bushnell— no questions asked- for a full refund of the purchase price. Try one yourself today with absolutely no risk.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Beretta Nano BU9

By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

n the world of full caliber mini guns, the Nano, as its name implies, is one of the smallest and lightest out there. Weighing in at just 18 ounces, and only 5 inches long and less than an inch wide, this little stinger from Beretta, is easy to conceal. As we all know, weight compensates for recoil, and in our testing, the pistol had no problem with stiffer +P defensive loads, but stuttered a bit on lighter target loads. Keeping that in mind, the minuscule grip of the Nano left two fingers of my beefy mitts hanging in the air with the 6-round magazine. Using the additionally supplied extended magazine rectified this. And while we are discussing that extra magazine, the extended magazine will hold eight rounds and provides additional surface area for those dangling fingers. Because the Nano BU9 is slick-sided,

there is very little to snag, and a slim profile to make it easy to conceal in even lightweight summer garb. The rounded profiles prevent the gun from digging painfully into exposed skin where you may want to slide it into a waistband holster, such as the Remora. The Nano comes equipped with a two stage safety trigger that requires a hefty 9 pounds of pull, and combined with the tiny grip, makes it a challenge to hold sight picture for the time it takes to finish your trigger press. This is the trend for self-defense guns, so that you have to really mean to pull the trigger in order to make it go bang. By using the extended magazine and really focusing on my trigger press, I was able to achieve some good groups. With some more practice, I believe I could master the trigger, but alas, the gun has already been given away to one of our Digital Edition subscribers. The standard three-dot sights are prominent enough to be useful, but demure enough to avoid being obtrusive. They are what you would expect from a

gun of this diminutive size, but will help you get the job done for minute of bad guy shooting at about 25 feet. The striker fired Beretta Nano BU9 is a great choice for those with smaller hands who want to adopt a higher caliber round than the ineffective .380, but who aren’t willing to sacrifice real estate on their body for a larger duty-style pistol. The polymer frame and advanced metal coatings make maintenance easy, even on hot humid days when you and your gun may be coated with a patina of perspiration. Take down is easy, and does not require pulling the trigger, thanks to the striker deactivator, which in my book is a major plus in the safety category. The ability to

adjust or replace the sights with just a 1.3 mm Allen wrench is a real plus, as it negates the need for a gunsmith or a sight adjustment tool. All in all, the BU9 Nano is a quality firearm for those looking to maximize quality and minimize weight and size. And the quality of the gun is incomparable, as you would expect from Beretta, the oldest existing firearms manufacturer in the world.

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Tennessee Hill Country Fishing

By Rick Rosenberg Associate Field Editor

Knoxville is located on the Tennessee River at the confluence of the Clinch, Holston and French Broad Rivers. With arly spring typically finds me chas- that many rivers, you know the fishing ing largemouth and striped bass is going to be great. in the large, slick rock canyons of I was joined by Jimmy Jacobs, an Lake Powell or Lake Mead, enjoying the outdoor writer from Atlanta, George charms of the southwest desert. When and Brad Uhl, publishers of BASSIN’ & my editor asked if I was available for trip CRAPPIE Magazine from Bixby, Oklato the lakes and highlands of Middle East homa, for four days of guided fishing on Tennessee, I was a little surprised and the area’s highland rivers and renowned somewhat intrigued to be invited to fish Norris Lake. The next day we met up some of the quality waters in that area with Allen Gillespie and Jon Ody of 3 of the country. I’d spent some time as Rivers Angler, a full service fly shop a teenager fishing for largemouth bass and guide service located in Knoxville. in the James River system in eastern We loaded out gear and traveled to a Virginia and read of some of the qual- launch on the Holston River, below ity trout fisheries of the Blue Ridge and Cherokee Lake, with drift boats in tow. Smoky Mountains, but I’d never travel- This reach of the Holston is a beautiful ing to Tennessee, yet alone to fish. river winding its way through subdiviThe folks I’d known from Tennessee sions, farms and woodlands of Jefferson from my days traveling with the Army and Knox Counties. The river can be were “woods smart” and “fish crazy”. fished by drift boat or wading, though They hunted turkeys making sounds it is recommended to secure permission imitating a corn cob and always caught from property owners to access its banks. bigger fish with baits they called “choco- After rigging a five weight fly rod with a late covered raisins” and such. They floating line and 9-foot leader, we were were regular “critters”, real friendly on our way fishing dry flies with a small and fun to be with. I told my editor, caddis emerger dropper along the riffles “Of course I’ll go. When do I leave?” and runs on the river. Several weeks later I stepped off a jet at It didn’t take long for Jimmy to hook Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport, fully and land several rainbow trout still withexpecting to be picked up by Uncle Jed in sight of the launch ramp. I was feeling himself. Wow, was I surprised when the a little left out when my dry disappeared driver delivered me to the Crowne Plaza and a fat rainbow tested my knots beKnoxville downtown. I can honestly say fore succumbing to Jon’s net. My first I’ve never had such accommodations eastern river rainbow- I was hooked. A on a fishing trip before. Knoxville is a veteran of the large western rivers like beautiful, modern city with a vibrant the South Fork of the Snake, the Henry’s downtown filled with art, history, music, Fork, Green and Colorado Rivers, I entertainment and family fun. Home to had discounted their eastern cousins, the University of Tennessee Volunteers, but not anymore. These Tennessee fish were strong and rewarded my efforts often that morning. Trout are plentiful in the cooler water during the winter and spring and then they go deep and give way to smallmouth bass and stripers during the warmer periods of the summer and fall. I thought, large BASSIN’ Magazine Publisher, Brad Uhl is all smiles trout in the winter holding a large Norris Lake striped bass. and smallmouth

during the summer, both without leaving my back yard- I could really come to like this place. We enjoyed our day floating the river through the rolling hills and woodlands, catching and releasing fish and enjoying the guide’s stories of past encounters, a cold drink and the warm spring Guide Jon Ody of 3 Rivers Angler holds a fat Holston sunshine. River rainbow trout caught by the author. We returned to the fly shop all smiles and excited about ready to go at the Sugar Hollow Mathe success we’d enjoyed. The 3 Rivers rina in LaFollette before daylight. Rod Angler has everything you’ll need for a loaded the boat, picked up some live great day on the water including termi- shad minnows and soon we headed for nal tackle and flies. They provide rental Davis Creek just as it was light enough to rods and waders as well as a large selec- navigate the lake. He pulled into a cove tion of rods, reels, lines and fly fishing and began rigging planer boards and equipment for sale. The friendly guides down riggers with the live shad swimare helpful for the novice and the expert ming free in a 270 degree spread around angler and can provide a quality experi- the boat and we started trolling slowly ence regardless of your skill level. Spin with the bow mounted trolling motor. Fish were rolling in the cove and workfishermen are welcome and enjoy similar success on the water using smaller spin- ing over a bait ball Rod had noticed on the graph coming in and it didn’t take ners and lures. We left Knoxville and travelled next long for Brad to hook a nice striper. The to Norris Lake in Campbell County and fish bent the heavy trolling rod and put settled into a comfortable family cabin a big smile on the face of the man from in Norris Dam State Park. Norris Lake Oklahoma. Rod boated the fish, a very is administered by the Tennessee Valley healthy striper in the 10-12 pound class. Authority (TVA) and is located just 20 My rod bent and I set the hook on what miles north of Knoxville. It is known appeared to be another striper, but to for its deep, clear waters and is home our surprise a very well fed smallmouth to 56 varieties of fish including striper, bass favored me with a great fight and smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and an even better photo moment. Brad crappie. It covers over 34,000 acres and estimated the fish between five and extends 56 miles up the Powell River six pounds. My trip was complete at arm and 73 miles in the Clinch River arm that point, but only a few minutes later covering portions of five counties. Nu- my rod took off again. This time a fat merous marinas offer full boat services largemouth bass, similar in size to the including boat rentals, houseboats, boat smallmouth, busted the surface in true storage, launch ramps, bait and tackle, green fish fashion. Now I was really as well as some pretty good food and excited. Having fished numerous club summer entertainment at the various tournaments in my native Utah, the posmarina restaurants and pubs. Norris sibility of having 12 pounds on two fish Lake is a favorite vacation retreat and in the boat was a dream and it was still has numerous lake front homes and early in the day! Not to be outdone, Jimmy put the condominiums which look out over the picturesque setting in the foothills of the whipping on the big fish of the trip, a striper nearly 40 inches long and over Cumberland Mountains. The next morning came early. Our 25 pounds. Norris Lake was rapidly guide for the day, Rod McCarty, of continued on page 44 Fishin’ Rod Striper Charters wanted us

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

TENNESSEE

vate cabin at the Twin Cove Resort and Marina on Norris Lake, we joined our continued from page 42 hosts with the Tennessee Department of moving up my favorites list and I was Tourism for a unforgettable evening at already trying to figure out a way to get the McCloud Mountain Restaurant and back here. The fishing slowed when Lodge, set high atop the Cumberland the sunlight hit the water and we really Mountains. The next morning found us traversappreciated Rod’s insistence at getting us out of bed early. The ride back to the ing the narrow winding roads that cirmarina offered me the opportunity to cumvent the ridges and valleys around email pictures of the fish to my editor and Norris Lake on our way to the Hickory fishing buddies back home, something Star Marina to meet up with Mel Cooke my brother is still upset about. That eve- of Mel’s Striper Guide Service. Mel’s ning we gathered at Rickard Ridge BBQ easy going demeanor and customized in Caryville and swapped fishing stories bay boat gave me the feeling this would while enjoying more fantastic BBQ and be an enjoyable day, regardless of the bluegrass entertainment in a spectacular fishing. We motored across the glassy setting, overlooking Cove Lake and the waters to the Clinch River arm, past 51 Pound Point and into Lost Creek. Mel set Cumberland Mountains. The next morning found us hooking out a 270 degree pattern of un-weighted up with Allen from 3 Rivers Angler live shad on medium heavy trolling rods and Rocky Cox, a guide with Rocky and planer boards, trolled slowly behind Top Anglers for a day-long float down the bow mounted trolling motor. Soon the Clinch River from Peach Orchard the shad were running across the surface below Norris Lake Dam, downstream in vain and shortly thereafter I landed a to Clinton. The Clinch is one of the best very plump 12 pound striper. Each of us known tailwater rivers in Tennessee and took turns fighting stripers in the 10 to 12 currently holds the state record for brown pound range. Brad hooked and landed a trout at 28 pounds 12 ounces. We drifted beautiful smallmouth bass and you could dry dropper combinations again and hear the squeal all the way to Knoxville. The best time to catch stripers on Northrew large streamers, being rewarded occasionally by healthy rainbows and ris Lake is from late April though early browns. We fished submerged ledges June when the fish migrate up the Clinch and deep cuts using flies very typical to River Arm to spawn. As the water warms other tailwater streams; copper johns, in July and August, the fish migrate back San Juan worms, scuds, wooly buggers to the cooler water depths near Norris and leach patterns. The guides were ex- Dam until October, when the lake turns cellent, offering casting advice when you over and disperses the fish throughout needed it and antidotes about previous the lake. Special seasonal regulations successes and failures which kept you and size limits apply to help manage the laughing and engaged throughout the fish size and populations. Annual fishing day. I would highly recommend them if licenses run February to February and you want to experience a truly enjoyable non-residents have the choice of a 3-day, 10-day or annual license. Anglers under day on the river. After checking into a beautiful pri- 13-years of age are not required to have a license. After a great day on the water, we travelled to Bubba Brew’s at the Beach Island Marina for a sunset cruise, another fantastic meal and an evening of entertainment including a live southern rock band, complete with dance floor and full bar at the Associate Field Editor, Rick Rosenberg holds a healthy floating grill and largemouth bass caught on Norris Lake. pub. It’s adver-

The author proudly holds a typical Norris Lake Striped Bass caught on a live shad in the Lost Creek area. tised as offering “unsurpassed hospitality” and I couldn’t agree more. We retold stories of our fishing adventures over the last few days, even starting a few fledgling legends in the process. We returned to our luxurious cabin and said our goodbyes as each of us were to depart in different directions at different times very early in the morning. Knoxville and Middle East Tennessee was everything I expected it to be; high quality guides with well-maintained boats and equipment, fantastic food and lodging, well managed fisheries offering ample angling opportunities, combined in a beautiful setting, nestled in the rolling hills of the Cumberland Mountains. The people were friendly everywhere we went and surely made us feel welcomed. As I walked down the concourse at the

airport, you could almost hear “y-all come back now”. I’m pretty sure I will. For more fishing and guide information: 3 Rivers Angler, Allen Gillespie, Knoxville TN, www.3riversangler.com, (877) 563-6424 Fishin’Rod Striper Charters, Rod McCarty, LaFollete TN, fishingrod02@aol. com, (423) 566-1328 Rocky Top Anglers, Michael “Rocky” Cox, email tnrockyracoon@yahoo.com, (865) 388-9802 Mel’s Striper Guide Service, Melvin Cooke, Maynardville TN, www.melsstriperguideservice.com, (865) 661-7806 Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council, Molly Gilbert, Knoxville TN, vacationeasttennessee@yahoo.com, www. easttnvacations.com, (865)209-1820

Associate Field Editor Rick Rosenberg displays a colorful Clinch River rainbow caught with a caddis emerger fly.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Kenetrek Bridger Ridge Hikers By Dan Kidder Managing Editor

hether trekking through the high Rockies in search of bighorn sheep or strolling along a gentle trail in Zion National Park, the Bridger Ridge hiking boots from Kenetrek will protect your feet and provide years worth of comfort. These boots are my daily footwear. I wear them for kicking around the office, conducting search and rescue mountaineering operations, and for every kind of hike you can imagine. They are as equally comfortable and supportive on flat pavement as they are on hardscrabble slides. For those of you familiar only with Kenetrek Mountain Boots, the Bridger Ridge line is a much lighter weight, only 2.6 pounds per pair, and more breathable set of boots. They are designed for warm weather excursions, where additional insulation isn’t needed. The Bridger Ridge boots allow for excellent

breathability and an extremely comfortable footbed. Added support, provided by the “K” ankle straps, give the boots added structure without added bulk. This keeps the foot firmly planted to avoid hot spots and blisters. It has also saved me from rolling an ankle a time or two. The hybrid leather and manmade upper is coffee or gray colored with orange accents, giving the boot a modern appeal. The tough rubber toe guard is also sprayed for texture, providing more durability and better traction when climbing. The collar of the boot that surrounds your ankle is padded all around with extra padding in the places where it will make the most contact with your skin. This makes the boot extremely comfortable to wear for long periods and also increases the support without cutting off circulation. The Bridger Ridge Hikers come in three configurations; low, mid, and high, so depending upon your prefer-

ence and activities, you can get a pair that will fit the bill. The most important factor for me in selecting these boots is break-in period. I hate breaking in new boots, and with the Bridger Ridge, I didn’t have to. They came out of the box ready to hit the trail. And as with all Kenetrek boots, I know they will last me for thousands of miles of wear. Their rugged construction and dependability mean that just around the time I would be replacing a lesser pair of boots, my Kenetreks will be just getting worn in to the point where they will be even more comfortable, as if that were even possible. You will pay a bit more for a pair of

Kenetreks, but in the long run, you will save several times over by not replacing your boots as frequently. And did I mention they are really comfortable? Well, you get the idea.

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

LEAF RIVER

continued from page 5 After loading ourselves and our gear aboard our boat, our guide, Jacques, quickly had us headed a few miles upriver to try our luck for some brook trout. We were told to expect mostly brook trout up to three pounds and maybe even an occasional five pounder. I was taking my first cast into the current within minutes of the boat landing and anticipating that tell-tale tug on the line. On only the fifth or sixth cast my line pulled tight and I hollered, “Fish on!” But the line didn’t move and the bend in the rod remained constant. I was starting to feel a bit embarrassed by my premature exuberance since I now figured I was securely hooked onto the riverbed. Then, ever so slightly, I noticed the rod tip take a couple slow dips downward and I felt the tension on it increase. I thought maybe I was snagged on the end of a sunken log that was bobbing in the current. When the “log” moved sideways and then a bit upstream I knew I was hooked

to neither the bottom nor a log. It had to be a fish, but what brook trout could be so large as to resist almost any attempt to budge it? Carroll said he suspected I had hooked onto a large lake trout and commented that it just hadn’t realized yet that it was hooked. With only 12-pound test line on my reel I knew I couldn’t put too much pressure on the still-unseen fish or else the line would snap. (Unpleasant memories from Lower Richardson Lake were starting to resurface.) The slow-motion duel with my mystery fish went on for another several minutes. Then things changed dramatically. “Jesus Christ!” Fifty feet from shore a huge Atlantic salmon rose from the depths and its body arched above the water’s surface. It looked like one of those video clips of a nuclear submarine lunging into the air from the sea and then crashing down again with a huge splash. All I could muster was a, “Jesus Christ!” bellowed about half a dozen times and which is probably still echoing across the tundra. This exclamation was all the more

amazing since I’m not a very religious person. Maybe I should start believing in miracles. Wasn’t the apostle Peter a fisherman? For the next eternity, or more accurately, maybe 30 minutes, it was a contest to see who would come out ahead. The river’s current was swift and every attempt to bring the salmon closer to shore only seemed to make it drive farther out into the river. Would my second chance at a fish of a lifetime redeem my previous close-but-no-cigar experience, or would fate again frustrate me and intervene on the fish’s behalf? Eventually, and with considerable encouragement and advice from Carroll and Jacques, I was able to turn the salmon into some calmer water and slowly bring him close to shore. Only when Jacques slipped the net under his head—not all of his length would fit in the net—did I dare breathe a sigh of relief and fully realize what had just happened. I’d landed a monster hook-jawed, male Atlantic salmon. He measured 46-inches long and weighed 30 pounds (estimated by the taxidermist based on

the photographs and measurements we took). And best of all, after the high fives, the measurements, and photographic proof, we revived the salmon from his ordeal and released him back into the river. With a powerful thrust of his tail, he was free again to swim wherever he chose. I believe every fisherman dreams of one day catching that one huge, trophyclass fish that serves as the highlight of his life’s fishing experience. I’ve been lucky enough (so far) to have had two such experiences. The first ended in a crushing disappointment. However, my Leaf River redemption has lessened the pain considerably and taught me an unforgettable lesson in fishing appreciation. My second experience ended in pure exhilaration. Next spring, like every spring, I’ll once again be trolling on Lower Richardson Lake and looking for that same trophy landlocked salmon. And I’m also going back to the shores of the Leaf River. I know where a couple of large salmon are cruising beneath the surface of both those bodies of water—and they’re growing even bigger.

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

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SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Presents Wild Game Recipes of Steve Mayer "The Wine Guy"

Grilled Trout

ummer is here and that means getting out with the family and doing some fishing in local lakes and streams. One of the fish that is accessible in almost everyone’s backyard is trout. There are many different types, but they all share one thing in common, they taste great. They are also really good for you, high in healthfull omega-fatty acids, low in fat and high in protein. This grilled trout recipe is really unique in that it is not only stuffed with rice, it is wrapped in bacon. Go out and catch a few nice fresh ones and try this baby out!

Ingredients • • •

One 6.4 ounce box wild rice (Rice a Roni Type) Butter (about one stick) 4 whole trout, cleaned

• • • •

Kosher or sea salt Black pepper 8 strips regular “classic cut” bacon Canola or vegetable oil to season your grill

Preparation

Pick out one of the packaged box rice products from your grocery store. I like the wild rice and herb blend for this recipe or try your own favorite. Prepare the rice as per the instructions on the box. This could be made ahead of time and brought along on your fishing trip for on-the-spot outdoor cooking. Prepare the trout. This recipe works the best with average size fish of 10-12” weighing about ½ pound. With larger trout you may need more bacon and longer cooking time. The fish should be gutted and left whole with the skin on. Wash them well with cold water

and pat dry. With a sharp knife, make a shallow slice down the backbone to the tail as if you were fileting the fish (Insert the knife until you feel the ribcage and follow the back bone as you slice). This will create a channel about halfway through the fish. You do not need to flip the fish over and do the other side. This is merely an avenue to add butter to baste the fish as it cooks. Starting to sound good, isn’t it? Salt and pepper the inside of the fish and inside the slice you made in the back. Take some butter and fill the slice in the back with a nice layer of it. The, stuff the inside of the fish with your rice mix and season the outside with salt and pepper. Now for the fun part. Starting from the head of the fish, wrap a piece of bacon clockwise around the fish, spiral-

ing toward the tail. Take another piece of bacon and repeat this process going counterclockwise. This will create a kind of bacon weave that will hold in the rice stuffing. Room temperature bacon is best and it helps to stretch it a bit before wrapping. You are now ready to grill this work of art up into a fabulous taste treat. Prepare your coals or fire up your gas grill to high heat. Clean your grate and lightly oil it just prior to cooking. To oil it, fold up a paper towel four times into a small square and grab it with your BBQ tongs. Dip it in oil and rub over the hot grate. Be careful not to let it catch fire! If you are using gas, reduce heat to medium. You are looking for a 350 degree cooking temperature. If you are on an open fire, adjust your height accordingly. Place the trout on the grill. Cover if possible and monitor closely. This cooks quickly and only needs to be flipped once. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side depending on the size of the trout and how well you like them done. Do not let the bacon catch on fire, you do not want to emolliate your fish! You will know when the fish is done when the meat firms up and flakes with a fork. Test a thick part if you are unsure. Be careful when flipping them. I use a large spatula to flip and take them off the grill and try not to rip the skin. They make an incredible presentation on the plate and the crispy bacon and skin is oh, so tasty. Dish your masterpiece up with a fresh green salad or Cole-slaw and serve with a light Pinot Noir, Grenache or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The best California wines that pair perfectly with all types of fish and game meats can be found on my website at www.wildgamewine. We ship to most states and you will be amazed at what the right wine will add to your dining experience. Cheers!

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Digital Edition Only Special Content

Year-Round Columbia River Fishing

By Dan Ponciano

y name is Dan Ponciano and I am the owner of Dan Ponciano Guide Service. I have been fishing sturgeon on the Columbia River for 30 years and guiding professionally for 21 years. The sturgeon fishery on the Columbia River is the finest on the planet. The fish are excellent sport: strong fighters and a great match to medium and heavy weight tackle. In general, these fish move about the Columbia as food sources become available. I move with the fish, beginning the year in the Columbia River Gorge and operating between there and Astoria (the mouth of the Columbia) as the bite dictates. The prehistoric sturgeon can live to be over a hundred years old. Mature adults typically take 20 to 30 years to reach maturity. Their appearance has remained virtually unchanged in the species 200 million year existence. Unlike other fish, sturgeon do not have scales. Instead, their bodies are covered by five rows of scutes that serve as a form of body armor. Their internal bone structure is similar to a shark’s, having more cartilage than actual bone. Sturgeon will move with tides as they search for food. When the tide is out we search for deeper water. When

the tide is in we target small beds of 4 to 6 feet of water. The sturgeon’s bite will vary depending on the water temperature. A slow and repetitive bite will occur in colder weather. However, in warmer weather the bite is more aggressive and will be more active with warmer temperatures. We catch sturgeon of all sizes from 12 inches to 12 feet. Average days include 20 plus fish while good days include upwards of 40 fish. Trophy sturgeon are those that have become mature adults of breeding size. These are huge fish, five to twelve feet in length with seven to ten footers being common, making them the largest fresh water game fish in North America. With carefully balanced equipment, I can offer a true big game experience (without the ocean swell) in which you will go headto-head with monster fish - and win. I am passionate about sturgeon because they are the fish I cut my teeth on when I began fishing the Columbia. This is the first season that sturgeon has gone to a completely catch and release fishery below Bonneville Dam. I enjoy eating sturgeon as much as anyone, but in the interest of conservation and the future of sturgeon, I believe catch and release is the only way to ensure this fishery will continue to thrive for generations to come. Catch

and release sturgeon fishing offers fast action for everyone from first timers to experienced anglers. In addition to sturgeon, I offer trips for salmon, steelhead, and walleye. We get three runs of salmon each year. Prime spring salmon is March through May, summer salmon is the month of June and peak dates for the fall are August through October 15th. The peak times to target steelhead are November through January for the winter run and June through August for the summer run. Walleye can be targeted year round, with spring and fall being the most productive. The 2014 fall salmon run is expected to be better than 2013, which was the best I have experienced in my 30 years on the Columbia. We are forecasted to have approximately 3-million salmon coming up the Columbia, with around 2-million Chinook and 11million Coho (AKA silvers). This season should be one for the books! I run a custom 24ft North River Scout. Loaded with equipment, electronics, and tackle, the boat still looks empty, as everything has its place and is always in order. Fishing equipment includes quality G Loomis rods outfitted with Shimano reels, Tuf Line Spectra, P-Line Monofilament and Yakima Bait Lures. My schedule is developed

to make the most of every day on the water, placing you in the middle of peak opportunities. In all instances, your safety and comfort are my first order of business. I am based out of Vancouver, WA and focus primarily from Bonneville Dam to the mouth of the Columbia. The Columbia River offers one of the most scenic backdrops and ease of access with nearby Portland International Airport and Interstate 5. Accommodations can be made anywhere we are fishing from various hotels up and down the Columbia, the Skamania Lodge, as well as a variety of camp sites. I am able to obtain preferred rates at a variety of locations. Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding fishing and accommodations. We are proud to be part of the prestigious Platinum Approved Outfitters with Sportsman’s News and look forward to seeing you on the water! Tight Lines! Dan Ponciano Guide Service 3614 NW 129th Circle Vancouver, WA 98685 dan@columbiariverfishing.com columbiariverfishing.com (360) 573-7211 –Office (360) 607-8511 –Cell

July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

Digital Edition Only Special Content

W Toyota RAV4 A heels

field

AWD Recreational Vehicle from Toyota By Andy Lightbody

t first glance, you just want to say, “It’s kind of cute, what’s it going to be when it grows up?” With a wheelbase chassis of just over 104-inches and an overall length of around 180 inches, the Toyota RAV4 series is one of the smallest 4x4 crossover SUVs on the market today. It is also the bestselling vehicle in this class. In spite of these relatively compact dimensions, the RAV4s or Recreational Active Vehicle is a great choice for solo sportsmen or with a buddy for just about all outdoor adventures. Believe it or not, the RAV4s really make maximum utilization of “space available,” and they are equally at home on the backcountry trails as they are on the road! Redesigned for 2013, there’s not a lot that’s new for 2014. That however is not a bad thing, and with the RAV4 Limited and the XLE that we tested, Toyota added some key features that carryover and are good choices for the outdoors person. Because dimensions are compressed, the RAV4 has a width of 72.6 inches, the front and rear track (tire-to-tire) is a relatively skinny 61.8 inches. This makes maneuvering both on and off the road

quick, easy and snappy. While some of the larger SUVs feel like you are trying to travel trails and drive a USN aircraft carrier, the ill’ RAV4 with its AWD (4x4), handles more like a jet-ski! Instead of having to drive down in the ruts on the back trails, the narrow track allows the driver to easily “high side” the ruts and off-road without all the bumps, thumps and bottoming out. With a modest 6.3 inches of ground clearance, being able to avoid the deep trail ruts and riding on the high sides is recommended. In the performance department, the RAV4 comes only with one engine and transmission offering—a 2.5 liter four cylinder that is mated to a six-speed automatic gear box. Gone with the redesign of last year is the optional V6 that made the small SUV much more of a rocket sled. Rated at 176 horsepower and 172 pd/ft of torque, the AW models are rated to deliver 22 mpg city/29mpg highway. No real complaints with either the engine or tranny when we were trail blazing, but out on the highway, and driving aggressively, the transmission is smooth but feels slow in downshifting for those passing situations and when climbing mountain roads/ highways. Not feeling “top-heavy,” the RAV4 is well mannered on the blacktop and at cruising speeds. Steering is tight, and comfortable, without a feeling of sloppy body roll when turning at higher speeds. Because of the angle/slope of the front hood, driver view of the road/trail ahead is excellent. Even at 65-80 mph high speeds, the entire cabin/passenger area is surprisingly quiet and road noise is minimal.

With the redesign, the RAV4 is about 2-inches shorter in overall length, but the interior volume is actually slightly greater. Seating for the driver and front seat passenger is very good and the dashboard controls are easy to view and use. Driver/ passenger with the RAV4 Limited have dual climate control, 8-way power adjustable driver seat with a 4-way adjust for the passenger. Opt for the RAV4 XLE or Limited version and there is a backup camera, GPS navigation system and a decent sized touch screen display. In the back 60/40 split bench seat, we found the comfort is hampered by being low mounted and angled. However, they do recline quite a bit and it’s acceptable for short hops and kids. But as we said, the RAV4 shines for the outdoor fun, and is ideally designed for a driver and

passenger. With the seats in the upright position, you’ve got 38.4 cubic feet of cargo room. Fold that seat down flat, and you’ve got a more cavernous 73.4 cubic feet of gun toting, camping crud and fishing fun gear capacity! With the top-end Limited model, there is a power lift gate that is even heightadjustable. The mid-level LXE and Limited come standard with chromed, roof-mounted roof rails, so increasing our “top side” gear carrying capacity is easy with the addition of an after-market roof rack. While some may feel that when it comes to AWD crossover SUVs that bigger is better and size matters, take a drive in a RAV4 and for future outdoor adventures, the little vehicle is anything but a toy. It’s a Toyota Recreational Active Vehicle!

SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July 2014

Semper Fi Shooting Match

By Rick Davis

keep doing your best and remain faithful regardless of your circumstances. And he dawn broke with a cool breeze that was the heartbeat of the Last Chance coming off the Boulder River leav- Handgunners as the “Semper Fi Fund” ing a chill in the air as the gates Steel Challenge benefit Match came to be. opened for the First Annual Steel Chal“Many have been faithful to serve and lenge Semper Fi Fund Benefit Match at the to sacrifice” said Davis, “and we wanted High Ore Sportsman’s Range just south of to be faithful to remember and contribute Boulder, Montana. to the support for the veterans and their It didn’t take long for things to warm families.” As people who love to shoot, up as 70 plus competitors gathered to we thought what a better way to give show their support for the Semper Fi Fund back then through something you enjoy that has in the last 10 years served 11,500 doing, with people you enjoy being with service members and their families, given and have the same mind set as you. out 71,500 grants totaling more than 91 The format was the standard Steel million dollars. Challenge setup with Accelerator, Five Staying close to their military theme to Go, Smoke and Hope, Round About and heritage, the official start was at 0800 and Show Down with two additional as a United States Marine Corps color side matches, Four on the Floor and an detail opened the ceremony followed by in house creation called “El Presidente a shooters briefing at 0810 and the “first Metallica on Steriods.” The El Presidente round down range” at 0830. “The Marines consisted of nineteen targets, 6 Pepper being here to open the ceremony was the poppers, 6 U S Poppers, 6 Round Knock‘icing on the cake’ after months of plan- over targets and finally a 6” stop plate ning for this event and it took everyone and proved to be the biggest challenge of by surprise,” said retired Marine and Vice- the day as a mandatory magazine change President of the High Ore Sportsman’s was included to even out the playing field, Range, Rick Davis. “It was a great start, you open shooters know who! The side to a great day.” matches cost $5.00 each to enter with the “Everything went off like clockwork winner splitting the pot 50/50 with the and it was just what we were after,” said Semper Fi Fund. Match Director Rick Schelske, “This is As the sun rose over the mountain top our first match of this size and we were and the temperature begin to rise near a a little nervous about registration and perfect 70 degrees so did the competition squadding, but PractiScore really made it as 77 competitors put their best shots on simple to run the match.” target. Of interest was the makeup of the So what is behind the term “Semper Fi?” competitors, 45% were veterans consistWell it’s a shortened version of the United ing of 11 Air Force, 10 Army, 7 Marines, States marine Corps motto - Semper Fi- 6 Navy and 1 Coast Guard. Along with delis” meaning always faithful. It’s often 13 seniors, 11 Super seniors, 7 Females spoken to each other as encouragement to (43% Veteran) 3 juniors and one pre-teen rounded out the field. Firearm prizes and plagues were awarded to the top shooter of each branch of service represented. We did have to move our one Coast Guard shooter in with the Navy for award purposes. The jokes about “boats and ships” abounded! Air Force veteran Paul Gauthier (if you look closely With the amount you can see the brass in the air just above the second of prizes contribtarget). uted, not a single

Sportsman’s News Outdoor Writing Contest Winner See pg. 4 for entry details. shooter went home empty handed. Springfield, Beretta and Smith and Wesson contributed the firearms while the Last Chance Handgunners and IWS Firearms Training donated the Glock. Scot Rindal, (Air Force) won the Smith & Wesson M&P 15, Mark Scherting (Army) choose the Glock 19, Austin Hecket (Navy) grabbed the Beretta 92FS and Shawn Mayo (Marines) opted for the Springfield XD. The top Civilian Shooter of the day went to Rick Schelske of Helena, MT. The breakdown of the winners ar in the table to the right. Keeping with the Semper Fi theme, the Marine Corps League, Donald J. Ruhl Detachment of Helena, Montana provided cold drinks and lunch for the competitors. At the end of the “chow time” another surprise was given to VP Davis as the Detachment donated their profits from the day to the Semper Fi Fund and that just made it a win win for everyone one involved in what will become the go to match of the year for Montana. Of course we cannot forget our contributors who made the prize table feel like Christmas:

U.S. Marine Corps Color guard performing opening ceremonies.

• Sportsman’s Warehouse - Helena, Mt • Capital Sports - Helena, Mt • Montana Outdoor Sports - Helena, MT • Glock • Springfield • Smith & Wesson • Beretta • Extreme Beam • IWS Firearms Training • Crimson Trace • Elite Iron - Potomac, Montana • Pelican

Division

Competitor

Score

Production

Mark Scherting

86.99

Open

Limited

Single Stack Ladies

Rimfire

Revolver Youth LEO

Senior

Super Senior

Side Match winners: El Presidente

Four on the Floor

Scot Rindal

Owen Koeppen Rick Schelske

Shanna Coffman Dan Brimhall Brian Green

Braden Scherting Austin Hecker Tony Rebo

Michael Shapiro Scot Rindal

Rick Schelske

62.65 84.83 62.65

157.55 97.74

130.64 97.17 90.23

105.83 76.68

- 16.36 - 1.97

Vortex Viper HS.9.75x10.5

10/16/13

10:26 AM

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July 2014 | SPORTSMAN’S NEWS DIGITAL EDITION

NEWS DIGITAL EDITION| July AM 2014 Page 54 SW MapSPORTSMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Ad_2014 Feb:Layout 1 2/13/14 9:39

ALSO SHOP

ONLINE www. SportsmansWarehouse .com 51

47 53 50 49 52 34 36 37 33 48

Stores in Red Open in 2014

21 40 43 1 45 41 42

11 9 30 28 12 10

55 15 16 14

23 46

31 7

6 8

40. Logan, Utah 91 East 1400 North 41. Midvale, Utah (801) 567-1000

42. Provo, Utah (801) 818-2000

5 2 4

1. Corporate Office Midvale, Utah (801) 566-6681 2. Anchorage, Alaska (907) 644-1400 3. Fairbanks, Alaska (907) 374-8800 4. Soldotna, Alaska (907) 420-3000 5. Wasilla, Alaska (907) 864-8000 6. Mesa, Arizona (480) 558-1111 7. Phoenix, Arizona (623) 516-1400 8. Tucson, Arizona (520) 877-4500 9. Chico, California (530) 897-0500 10. Rancho Cordova, California Opening in 2014

43. Riverdale, Utah (801) 334-4000 44. St. George, Utah (435) 634-7300 11. Redding, California (530) 222-5500

21. Twin Falls, Idaho (208) 737-9900

12. Rocklin, California (916) 782-9900

22. Ankeny, Iowa (515) 963-3500

13. Colorado Springs, Colorado (719) 597-9200

23. Lexington, Kentucky (859) 263-7000

14. Grand Junction, Colorado (970) 243-8100 15. Loveland, Colorado (970) 461-5000 16. Thornton, Colorado (303) 428-6500 17. Idaho Falls, Idaho (208) 542-1900 18. Lewiston, Idaho (208) 743-2000 19. Meridian, Idaho (208) 884-3000 20. Nampa, Idaho (208) 468-7600

24. Southaven, Mississippi (662) 349-5500 25. Bozeman, Montana (406) 586-0100 26. Helena, Montana (406) 457-7200 27. Missoula, Montana (406) 523-9000 28. Carson City, Nevada (775) 884-2100 29. Las Vegas, Nevada (702) 474-1100 30. Reno, Nevada (775) 828-1500

31. Albuquerque, New Mexico (505) 761-9900 32. Farmington, New Mexico (505) 326-2100 33. Bend, Oregon (541) 693-5000 34. Hillsboro, Oregon (503) 844-9100 35. Medford, Oregon (541) 732-3700 36. Portland, Oregon (503) 777-8700 37. Salem, Oregon (503) 589-0800 38. Columbia, South Carolina (803) 731-3000 39. Chattanooga, Tennessee (423) 892-6300

45. Vernal, Utah Opening in 2014 46. Roanoke, Virginia (540) 366-9700 47. Federal Way, Washington (253) 835-4100 48. Kelso, Washington Opening in 2014 49. Kennewick, Washington (509) 736-2200 50. Puyallup, Washington (253) 864-0800 51. Silverdale, Washington (360) 307-6900 52. Vancouver, Washington (360) 604-8000 53. East Wenatchee, Washington (509) 886-7200 54. Casper, Wyoming (307) 233-3700 55. Cheyenne, Wyoming (307) 635-4500