Every winter brings about new adventure, and if you’re like us here at Filson, no weekend is ever boring. But, with each winter also comes cold (ok, sometimes REALLY cold weather). That’s why, regardless of how many days you are trying log hunting, ice fishing, skiing or anything else along those lines, sometimes you just have to take some time off from the grind of good old winter time.

In our opinion, there’s no better way to do so than to plan an exotic fishing trip with a few of your buddies. So, take a look at these destinations for a mid-winter fishing excursion.

Belize. Spin, fly, and troll fishing are offered year-round in Belize with an abundance of game to be caught including: grouper, bone fish, tarpon, marlin, sail fish, and many more. Belize is unique in that you can catch big game fish from both the shore and deep sea. For more information regarding travel to Belize visit www.travelbelize.org.

Bimini. Located in the Bahamas, Bimini is an island split into two (North and South) that has earned itself the name, “Game Fishing Capital of the World.” Just 50 miles south of Florida, you can find bonefish, permit, tarpon, and bluefish among others. For more information regarding travel to the Bahamas please visit www.bahamas.com.

Cabo San Lucas. If you are looking to break some records, Cabo is the place to be. This spot south of the border boasts some of the largest striped marlin, pacific blue marlin and yellowtail around. We suggest you look into booking a deep sea trip soon though as they tend to book up quickly. For travel information regarding Cabo San Lucas check out www.visitloscabos.travel.

Key West. Low and behold you don’t have to leave the country to access a premier exotic fishing hole. The southern most point of the United States is home to some trophy gage grouper, king mackerel and tarpon. In Key West, you can experience flats, deep sea or light tackle fishing, and never go wrong. For further information about travel to Key West go to www.fla-keys.com.

Regardless of where you decide to go for your winter fishing excursion, you’ll be making the right decision. Each of these destinations provide top notch fishing and will make memories to last a lifetime. Don’t forget to bring along these Filson fishing essentials: a Fishing Waist Pack to keep all your hooks and bait close to you, a Travel Long Sleeve Shirt and a Shelter Cloth Packer Hat to protect you against the elements, a leather and Steel flask to keep you going, and a Passage Rolling Carryon to hold all your travel gear.

If Gary is out in the river, which is often, he’s wearing his Filson Strap Vest.

I bought a Filson Strap Vest for flyfishing years ago. Over the years I’ve been given fly fishing vests and have bought ‘new’ and ‘improved’ fly fishing vests. I just keep going back to my Filson Strap Vest. In a world where ‘new and better’ becomes a monthly catchword, even in the world of fly fishing, I still keep returning to my old friend…my Filson Strap Vest. I also have two Filson Waist Pack’s. Waist and Lumber packs are becoming all the rage in fly fishing these days…but my Filsons will forever fill the bill. Once I have my Filson Tackle Pack, my fly fishing gear collection will be complete…forever! Thanks Filson for your awesome TIMELESS fly fishing products!

James Guthrie is no stranger to the bitter cold elements of the winter season, as he works in them each night as a carriage driver. So when we heard that Filson keeps him protected and at times sweating while on the job, we got that good old warm and fuzzy feeling.

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I’ve used modern insulators and wool. Yet I must say, when it comes down to it wool has kept me warmer per weight and bulk than any modern solution. So far I only have the Filson Merino Wool T-shirt and Western Vest, but those two things on their own have kept me warm at the coldest of temperatures. I purchased the t-shirt this past holiday season because I knew I’d be sitting on an open carriage 4 hours a night touring shoppers around a local mall. The key to this purchase was being able to layer a white shirt, bow tie, and suit jacket on top while remaining warm in sub freezing weather. Often times I find myself thankfully sweating, instead of shivering in front of my customers. My next purchase will be the Tin Cloth Coat; I’m just waiting to save up the money. Thanks for an amazing product that I can trust to keep me warm while moving or sitting stock still, Filson!

Judith O’Keefe has fished many places; saltwater, freshwater, rivers, streams, lakes, oceans, you name it, she’s done it. But for a longtime fisher(woman) like herself, a trip to the Bahamas for some bonefishing made her feel like a child on a grade-school field trip again.

When you imagine your first Bahamas bonefish trip you probably envision a well appointed lodge on Andros Island or perhaps Grand Bahama, with knowledgeable, patient guides, and schools of bonefish that provide just enough of a challenge. Not a chance.  It’s more like an hour boat ride and you’re dropped off on a remote cay with a Scott STS, 7-weight rod, a decent assortment of flies, a tent, and a cooler with ice, beer, and a little food. Hopefully, the ice and I would last eight days. Yep, that would be my introduction to the world of bonefishing, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

That was years ago, and I’ve been on many saltwater trips since then, fishing for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook, but they all pale in comparison to that first trip: A wilderness experience in the Bahamas.  Who’d a thought?  As far back as I can remember I’ve had a deep connection with the natural world. I grew up in Northern California and as a young girl I’d happily loose myself in the rolling hills that surrounded my home.  The terrain changed when I moved to the high desert of central Oregon in 1990, but the fascination with my surroundings continued. However, the wilderness east of Florida is something entirely different: the miles of juniper and sage are replaced by miles of saltwater flats, the lava rock by coral, the deer and mountain lions by eagle rays and sharks.

Seasoned flats fishermen know that to successfully hook and land a bonefish you must first see one.  If you don’t have a guide standing up on the poling platform of a flats boat, you’re at a disadvantage.  Eventually, one’s eyes become accustom to identifying those fish shapes; the way they move and feed. But a six-foot tall guide, standing on a platform five feet above the water will see much better than a wading angler . . . and I’m 5’2”.  Sure I wanted to catch fish, but I was exploring.  Instead of searching for bonefish in the distance, I’d frequently find myself distracted by the sea cucumber, beautiful conch shells, and brilliantly colored starfish at my feet.  More than once, my partner would sternly remind me, “This is NOT a field trip!”

Today, with a number of saltwater trips behind me, I think I’ve reached a fine balance.  The focus is clearly on landing some beautiful fish. The bonefish remains my favorite on the flats and if there are small to mid-size tarpon swimming in the channels, I’m right there. But my appreciation of all that the outer islands have to offer has only deepened: The incredible natural beauty, the friendly locals operating on “island time”, and their wonderful native dishes. I can spend time at a lodge or go on a “do-it-yourself” trip when the opportunity presents itself. I can travel anytime between November and May. I’ll stay a week, ten days, or longer. The details of how, when and where aren’t important.  What is important is taking a field trip to the Bahamas at least once a year . . . doctor’s orders.

Judith is hosting a trip on April 20-25, to Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas. This is a prime time bonefishing trip, to a top lodge, at an affordable price. This trip is geared towards, but not limited to, first timers or those that have had limited flats fishing experience.  For more information, contact Fish Head Expeditions at Jerry@fishheadexpeditions.com or 503-539-1451.

For many of us, the idea of traveling the world for a living sounds like somewhat of a dream job and for Cynthia Drescher our dream is her reality. But no matter where she is, a bustling city, exotic destination or historical hub, Cynthia knows there is one place that compares to no other and that is her family farm in Ohio.

Photo Credit: Cynthia Drescher

I counted. In 2011, I spent the equivalent of three solid months sleeping in hotel rooms around the world. Fortunately, I am able to choose them—most independent properties–and I am thankful every day for the freedom to travel. Still, once or twice a year there comes a time when I’m overwhelmed by a desire to head home. Real home.

I live in New York City. I’ve spent the last ten years trying to grow beyond my provincial roots. It’s only recently that I’ve come to terms with the fact that, no matter where I am or what I’m doing–buying street meat in Bangkok or strolling along a stream in Andorra–I’ll forever be the good Midwestern girl at heart. And I can admit that I love coming home to the family farm in Ohio, my personal magnetic north.

The farther and longer I roam, the greater the desire for a visit. What’s the draw? For one, the aesthetics. There’s a proper outhouse. And a well pump. And a rickety barn, its red paint long faded (except for a scant amount left under the more sheltered eaves). And an old house complete with wood-burning stove. In places its Norman Rockwell work, absent the ruddy-cheeked people. For another, the knowledge that I’m back in the one place with real roots.

Staying too long becomes a threat–a threat to my rolling stone ways. If only I could stand the nights, in their infinite darkness and silence. No, I’m too accustomed to the city now, office building lights shining into my bedroom and subways rumbling only several stories underground. It’s that dichotomy that really tickles, that keeps the farm still shrouded in mystery for me no matter how familiar.

Photo Credit: Cynthia Drescher

Photo Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee

Photo Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee

Photo Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee

The gentlemen of Bearings: A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men, live to give you the full rundown on all things when it comes to a proper man’s lifestyle. In the latest outing, “Filson in the City” , they examines the durability, versatility, and style of Filson in everyday city life.

When it comes to quality outdoor gear with a strong heritage and reputation for rugged durability, most outdoor enthusiasts will tell you that Filson is a proven leader. Serving hunters, fishermen, explorers and others since 1897, we recently put their gear to the test on a whitetail hunt. Yet, as men that love the outdoors, but live in the city, we wanted to see how their goods fair in the urban jungle.

Recognized for their classic design aesthetic as much as their time-tested toughness, the brand has over the years added more products to their line that are appropriate for city-wear. Filson shared with us their Briefcase Computer Bag, Leather Outfitter Wallet, 1” Leather Belt, Fairmount Wool Peacoat and Greenwood Wool Jacket which, we took to the streets to test the durability, function and the aesthetic suitability.

Read the full article here.

John Riutta, also known as the Well-read Naturalist, learned a thing or two as a child thanks to his father, and something that he’ll never forget is the importance of never compromising on the quality of anything that you hold close.

When I was a boy, my father only ever wore two types of shoes. One pair were the traditional stout, black, thick-soled work shoes common among the commercial fisherman who, like my dad, each spring and fall pursued the Chinook and Silver salmon migrating through the vast mouth of the lower Columbia River and each summer themselves migrated to Alaska’s Bristol Bay to do the same with the King and Red salmon there. The other pair, worn during the few hours each day when he was not either working or sleeping, were deep golden brown, deeply grained, hand-sewn wing-tipped double brogues; always meticulously polished by his own thickly-calloused hands.

For as long as I could remember, these were the only two types of shoes that he would own. They both suited him; both did exactly what he needed them to do and looked exactly like he wanted them to look. A child of the Great Depression, he not only knew how to care for everything he owned, he knew how to do so in a way that kept it looking like new until the day it was no longer functional – thus each pair of shoes, his work shoes and his brogues, lasted for years. Then one day he learned that the shoe company that for decades had made his favored brogues was planning to discontinue production of them. It seemed that styles were changing and such old-fashioned, well-made shoes as these classic double brogues were no longer popular and as a result were selling poorly.

Rather than simply accept that he would have to soon change something about his life that, for him, worked perfectly fine, he estimated how long each pair of these shoes lasted and how long he expected to live, then went out and bought as many pair as he calculated he would need for the rest of his life – plus one extra pair, just in case. For my father, when it came to the quality of his tools, his fishing gear, or anything that was part of his daily life – including the shoes on his feet – compromise was not an option when forethought and preparation could prevent its necessity.

I learned many important lessons about living and working from my dad, and among those I have found most valuable has been never to compromise on the quality of anything important to you; to always buy the best you can afford, maintain it well to help it last, and if it’s something you discover may not be able to be replaced in the future, secure a replacement for it today. Thus when I learned that the bag that I use to carry all the gear I need as a writer and naturalist both into the field as well as through airports and into conference rooms, the bag that has hung from my shoulder in the jungles of Panama, the museums of England, and the cathedral forests of my own native Oregon – Filson’s superbly designed Small Passage Dispatch Bag – was to be discontinued, I immediately recalled my dad’s decision to lay in a lifetime’s supply of his favorite brogues and took action accordingly.