Articles

Deer Christine

A tale of wild harvest gone wrong
Photo: Adrian Scottow

In all my bowhunting years, I’d never killed a Halloween deer before. But at 7:57 a.m. on October 31 a mature whitetail doe lay expired at the end of a short blood trail in the Ozark Mountains of Newton County. This is the same Newton County that’s nested the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) outbreak in Arkansas.

Skunk week

Humility is the best teacher
Photo: Chad Shmukler

Unfortunately, humility doesn't come in small doses. You can't take a prescribed amount, or get "just enough" of it.

It comes, instead, in waves. It washes over you, permeates you. It seeks out your weaknesses and puts them on display for the world to see. It giggles and sniggers. It points and whispers.

By definition, it humbles.

Trump's record on the environment and public lands is worse than you think

Tracking Trump’s attacks on clean water, clean air, healthy habitats, wildlife and public lands
Photo: CCO

Donald Trump has been widely labeled the most anti-environment president in U.S. history, repeatedly portayed as the most dedicated enemy of clean air, clean water, wildlife and public lands this country has ever seated in the Oval Office.

Review: Orvis Recon fly rod

Is Orvis's redesigned Recon the mid-range marvel its predecessor was?
The 2020 Orvis Recon (photo: Spencer Durrant)

For numerous reasons—some good and some bad—the fly fishing industry isn’t content to stand pat with what works. Rod builders churn out new sticks every year, and most rod models don’t hang around particularly long, though a few rods have bucked that trend over the years. Redington’s Classic Trout comes to mind. So does the Orvis Recon.

An ode to the Adams, the perfect dry fly

Did you know that the Adams should probably be called the 'Halladay'?
Has any dry fly pattern caught more trout than the Adams? (photo: Earl Harper)

It's nothing much to look at. Gray. Drab. A little fuzzy.

Anybody can tie it, which means it turns up in various stages of gray, and in various stages of quality. There's solace for even the ham-handed tier, however. Even in its finest condition, the Adams is a bit underwhelming.

But not to trout. To trout, it's a magical meal that doesn't match exactly anything on the water, but it sure appears to be close enough to a lot of food sources that it gets plenty of looks. It's a classic attractor. A fly for all seasons.

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