Jay of Red Clay Soul, appreciates good style, good food, good music, good places, and good people – with a Southern slant. He’s out in the field with one of his buddies learning the ways of the shotgun and scoping out a potential new purchase. For all you beginners, Jay has some great tips to keep you on track.

I’m in the market for a new shotgun, and have been for way too long.  One of my favorite pastimes is shooting, and I want a gun that meets my needs.  Now, I’m not a big hunter, but it is a large part of our culture here in the South.  I’m good with that, but even though I’ve lived below the line my entire life, I’ve never had the urge to be in a deer stand or duck blind.  Walking a field with dogs, though – I’m all in.  My problem is that I’m tired of borrowing my buddies’ guns.

There are two shotguns I’d like – a 12 gauge semi-automatic, and a 20 gauge over/under.  I’m going to start with a 12, and then get the 20 later on.  I wanted to shoot, so a couple buddies and I headed to a sporting clays club in North Georgia to hone our craft.  I hadn’t shot in nearly three years, but I’ve wanted to pull the trigger for quite some time.  I was really excited – and anxious – to shoot.

Photo Credit: Jay Sjoholm

After getting the supplies (shells, ear plugs, etc.), we prepped our gear and loaded up the cart.  The club has two 14-station courses, each with two clay throwers that simulate various bird flights.   We chose the South course and headed out.  We couldn’t have picked a better day – the weather was perfect, and there was low wind.

Photo credit: Jay Sjoholm

Most of the stations were 3- or 4-report pairs, but a few were ‘true pairs’ – which sends two clays at the same time; much more challenging – but also more fun.  We all took turns at each station – shooting, working the clays, and keeping score.

I became more comfortable with each gun as we got deeper into the course.  My two buddies are much more experienced than I am with a shotgun, which is fine, because I prefer going out with better shooters.  I learn a lot more from them than they learn from me.

Photo credit: Jay Sjoholm

5 Tips for Beginning Shooters:

1.       Focus on a 12 gauge.  A 12 gauge is like a car, and a 20 gauge is like a sunroof.  You need the car, not the sunroof.

2.       Remember that owning a shotgun is more than just the gun – you have to clean it, carry it, and store it.

3.       Keep both eyes open while shooting (even though most don’t do this…).

4.       Follow through with your swing – don’t jerk.

5.       Have a sense of authority when stepping up to the post.  It’s just you and gun – make sure the gun (and the clays) know that you mean business.

Peter Patenaude, a registered Maine Guide,  has been a Filson fan for the past six years. His blog Boot & Canoe, focuses on traditional skills and Maine’s outdoor heritage.  For those of you who have never learned the art of maple sugaring (us included)… Peter makes it looks easy with these five tips and tricks.

Introduction to Maple Sugaring

You do not need to invest a lot of money to make maple syrup. Tap spouts, pails, an old cooking pan and a fire pit are all you need to be on your way to running your own operation.

Photo Credit: Victoria Hatzelis

I only have 1 tree, is it worth tapping?

Absolutely- 1 tap can yield anywhere between 15 to 80 gallons of sap per season.

How will I know when to tap?

This is a great question that many seasoned sugarers struggle with from season to season. The best time to tap is when the days are warm but the nights are still dropping below freezing. It is during this period, between winter and spring, that pressure builds in the tree and causes the sap to run.

How do I tap the tree?

Using a 7/16 inch drill bit, bore 1 1/2 inches into the tree at an upward angle. If the tree you are tapping is 10-20 inches in diameter you should only drill 1 hole. If it is between 20 and 25 inches, you can drill 2 holes. After drilling, hang a pail under the spout. Be sure to have a cover over the pail to prevent rain water and debris from getting in.

How do I store the sap?

Sap is perishable so it must be stored in a cool place. I pack snow around buckets that I keep in a shaded area. This keeps the sap cool enough until I have time to boil it (about every weekend).

My buckets are full of sap, now what?

Once you have collected enough sap, it is time to boil. I use an old restaurant cooking pan that I set atop a fire grate. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, so keep this in mind before you start to boil. Fill the pan up about half way with sap. Let this boil down until there is enough room to pour in more fresh sap. Repeat until you are done. With around 1-2 inches of syrup in the bottom of your pan, it is time to bring it inside and finish off over the kitchen stove. This is a very easy way to control the temperature and make sure that you do not boil it down too much. Once completed, strain through a cheese cloth, taste and begin canning!

Photo credit: Victoria Hatzelis

Tips

1. If you are unsure of when to tap, contact a larger operation and ask them if they have started.

2. Make sure your pan is level so the sap boils down evenly and does not burn at one end.

3. Keep a close watch- it will feel like forever but once the sap starts to turn, it turns quick.

4. If you are nervous of a boil over, rub vegetable oil or butter around the edges of your pan.

5. Do not try to boil all of the syrup indoors on your stove as it produces a lot of steam.

Photo Credit: Mikael Kennedy

Filson Life guest blogger Mikael Kennedy packs up his compass and three Filson duffles for his next adventure. We love this photo from Mikael’s Tumblr.

Jeff Thrope of outdoor lifestyle blog, Cold Splinters, is always on the road looking for the next adventure and oftentimes the adventure finds him. His love and adoration for the great outdoors has made him the avid hiker and camper he is today. For those of you looking to load up the car and head out on a camping trip this summer, Jeff recaps his favorite camping spots in the nation. We’re putting the Everglades on our list! What about you?

As I’m sure most of you will agree, telling someone the whereabouts of your favorite campsite in the woods/desert/canyon etc. is like sharing a treasure map with a pirate. Sort of. You just don’t do it. It’s your spot. In any case, here are a few of my favorite places to camp that aren’t really that secretive. Anyone can find them, and because they’re so handsome, that makes me happy. Just make sure you don’t leave your trash there so the rest of us can have just as good of a time when we roll through.

Enjoy it out there.

Photo Credit: Jeff Thrope/Big Bend

SOUTHWEST THREE (BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS)

This is the campsite to get if you’re going to be doing any backpacking in Big Bend. It’s a pretty mellow hike up the Chisos Mountain Trail (Edward Abbey’s “emerald isle in a red sea”) to the edge of the South Rim, which has one of the best national park views I’ve ever seen. Southwest Three is a secluded campsite right near that grand ol’ view, so it’s easy access for sunrises and sunsets. And the campsite is also right on a cliff, so your second (!) balcony looks over the Rio Grande and Mexico. Not bad. Reserve it at the visitor center as soon as you arrive.

Photo Credit: Jeff Thrope/Everglades

MIDDLE CAPE (EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL)

Paddling around the Gulf of Mexico is one of life’s great – not to mention hot – pleasures. Mangroves and undeveloped beach for miles, fires in the sand when the sun sets, and sharks that swim right next to your canoe as you set sail from Flamingo, FL. Middle Cape is a hard and long paddle for your first day, but it’s worth it. And whatever you do, don’t forget your Crazy Creek.

Photo Credit: Jeff Thrope/Appalachian Trail

TEN MILE RIVER LEAN-TO (APPALACHIAN TRAIL, CT)

This one is a sentimental choice. Sure, it’s an amazing campsite. There’s a river, a big field, a lean-to so you don’t have to pack a tent. But it’s also two hours from the city and you can take the Metro North train to get there. I’ve spent many many nights at that lean-to, sometimes as a last minute decision on a Saturday morning to escape the concrete. No matter how much planning is involved, I always have a great night, feeling refreshed and ready to head home to Brooklyn. Argh.

Photo Credit: Jeff Thrope/Joshua Tree

49 PALMS OASIS TRAIL (JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, CA)

This is one of the best nights I’ve ever spent in a national park, hands down. The trail to 49 Palms is inundated with tourists during the day, which is fine, I suppose. It should be, right? It’s beautiful so lots of people want to see it. But very few of those people will have packs on their backs, so take yours with you and, when it feels right, veer of the trail at least 500 feet (park rules) and set up camp behind the rocks. Even a few feet from the trail, hidden behind giant boulders of red, is a different world. The trail starts emptying out as the sun is setting, so after your tent is up, get your ass down to see 49 Palms, then hurry home for dinner and whiskey.

Photo Credit: Jeff Thrope/Oregon Pipes

ALAMO CANYON CAMPGROUND (ORGAN PIPES NATIONAL MONUMENT, AZ)

Unfortunately, there’s no backcountry camping in Organ Pipes anymore. Too many dangers from the drug trafficking that runs rampant in the area. A ranger was shot a few years back, so there’s a reason for the strict rules. Either way, the primitive Alamo Canyon Campground isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s a little secluded from the big campers that can fill up the parking lots, and since it’s Organ Pipes and that means miles and miles and miles of desert, you still get the feeling of being in some backcountry. Because, as you’ll realize as soon as you get a few miles out of Phoenix, Organ Pipes is not Yellowstone. There’s nothing there. And THAT is why you go, of course. It doesn’t really matter where you sleep.

If there is anything you should know by now about Judith O’Keefe, it is that she is always up for a new experience, regardless of how foreign it may be to her. Now join her on the front lines of her visit to the Highland Hills Ranch in Condon, OR for a traditional driven shoot. What you have all been waiting for, Part Two!

There are many things about a well executed British Driven shoot that are impressive, the shooting skill required to participate in such an event, those magnificent shotguns, the well trained dogs, and those beautiful birds.  But there is one thing that shines above the rest and impresses me most, the bond between a human and dog.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend the day at Highland Hills Ranch, just outside of Condon, Oregon, on the dry side of the state.  In a recent blog post I wrote about that day and the various components that make up a driven shoot.  Today I want to tell you a little about Michael Coleman and his dog, Charlie.  Charlie is a wonderful, little English Cocker, who clearly lives for days like the one we all shared last January.  The evening before the shoot I was introduced to Charlie.  He was the only dog on the ranch belonging to one of the clients.  While the rest of the dogs were tucked away at the kennels, Charlie was resting comfortably on a cozy pad in a room just off the main entrance to the lodge.  Michael had just checked on Charlie and given him his evening treat.  One of the staff suggested, in a whispered tone, that Charlie might even join Michael up in his room after the rest of the group had retired.

The next morning, shortly after finishing a hearty breakfast, I began to gather my camera equipment. The hunters began to ready themselves for the morning, lacing up boots, buttoning up jackets, and pulling together all that was necessary for a successful shoot.  Charlie was right at Michael’s feet.  It was obvious this was not his first rodeo.  He was rested and ready for a day of retrieving.

Throughout the day, the little eight-year-old cocker performed magnificently.  The only pause in the action took place to remove the occasional dried weed from his fur.  Poised at Michael’s side, big brown eyes to the sky, he watched and waited.  Charlie continued to retrieve one bird after another, until they were piled around Michael’s feet like so many leaves fallen from a tree.

That afternoon, as the sun began to slide behind the hills and the temperatures dipped, both man and beast walked off with such an obvious air of satisfaction about them.   A day well spent, a job well done, and so much more gratifying when spent with a friend.

As we prepare for spring fly fishing season we turn to Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings for the expert tips on tying flies. We’re ready to get out on the river. Anybody else?

There is no substitute for standing in the middle of the creek, watching a bushy dry fly float through the current, but tying flies comes pretty close. The next best thing to actually getting to fish is spending time at the vice preparing and thinking about all those fish that are going to be fooled by a hand tied fly.

I bought my vice after about 6 months of fly fishing, and I tied some of the ugliest flies imaginable. My first wooly bugger had more in common with a hairball found under the couch then the fly pattern in the book. But perseverance paid off and after filling an old  butter container with mangled hooks, my flies started to look like actual bugs.

I still remember the first fish that I caught on one of my own hand tied hoppers, and the picture and the fly are framed over my desk to mark the occasion. From that day forward, any waking second to the world of feather, fur, foam, and thread and I practiced until I could not see straight.

Today as life becomes busier, trips to the streams and rivers are fewer and farther between and therefore my times at the vice give me my fly fishing fix and hold me over till the next time I can rig up my fly rod and tempt some trout.

Here are a few thoughts if you ever had in hankering to tie a few flies.

1. Buy the nicest vice you can afford. – As everything in life, you get what you pay for. There are quite a few affordable starter kits on the market, but often the vices that come with these kits can be pretty cheap and frustrating to learn to tie on. If you think or know that fly tying is something you could become obsessed with, buy a nice vice that will last a lifetime.
2. One fly at a time – An old timer gave me some sage advice when he told me to learn one pattern at a time. Start with the time-tested patterns and become proficient at the basic skills of fly tying.
3. Practice makes perfect – There is no substitute for tying dozens of the same pattern. Just like shooting baskets or going to the golf range, muscle memory is key.
4. Have fun – Tying flies is supposed to be enjoyable. Researching rivers and fly patterns for an upcoming fishing trip is exciting. There’s nothing more satisfying than filling a box full of flies and thinking about all the fish that your creations are going to catch.

Tyler Hughen, Co-director of the documentary Low & Clear,  shares with us a special moment as his dreams come to life on the big screen at True/False film festival. We fell in love with Low & Clear from the minute we set eyes on the trailer because it speaks a language that all fishermen know, understand and cherish. Next on the agenda, Low & Clear heads to SXSW this weekend to showcase their film. We wish the crew of Low & Clear the best of luck in Austin and hope their Filson gear is treating them well on the journey!

I’m sitting on a flight heading towards the True/False film festival. Not sure where this starts, or how it ends, but the trail leading me towards Missouri has been long, difficult, and fueled by the most inspiring project I’ve ever been involved with.

For me, it’s a time of reflection like I’ve never experienced.  About 20 years ago I walked into a fly shop in Southern Colorado and J.T. Van Zandt was behind the counter, a big goofy hat on, and hair halfway down his back.  “We gonna hang out this summer?”, he asked in his way that means he is not really asking, rather declaring that him and I would in fact be hanging out.  It was my first day as an employee at the shop and after work we cruised down Hwy 160 towards a little Bass pond with a couple tall boys that I was way too young to drink legally.  It was the first year I started guiding, and the same summer we met the living legend that is Xenie Hall.

Over the next four years the three of us fished and did little else.  I thought of them as my big brothers, we fished wherever we wanted to paying little attention to rules that might slow us down.  For me it was a period of unbridled freedom. I look back on those years with a warm glow.  J.T. and Xenie taught me how to live with little obligations, no compromise, and a wild eye.  Fishermen know that feeling—that internal satisfaction when you’re exactly at the right place at the right time.  That’s how I always felt fishing with J.T. and Xenie. I’ll never forget it.

A few years ago we started shooting Low & Clear, a documentary about two fisherman who try to re-unite on a Steelhead trip to British Columbia.  They struggle to deal with how much time has past and find that they may have gone too far in their own direction.

As I write this, J.T. Van Zandt and Xenie Hall are in the air, converging on Columbia Missouri to meet me at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, where the film that I co-directed about them is going to premiere.

I am very proud and more than a little nervous. But, I feel that wild eye coming back. I know when we meet up and the opening credit sequence rolls–I’ll be in the right place at the right time.

Low & Clear Trailer

As spring gets closer, we are all itching to get out to shoot a few rounds off and freshen up our hunting skills. While we know that winter doesn’t stop avid hunters like yourselves from getting in the field, there is nothing like the sunshine and longer days of spring to get the adrenaline going. With spring turkey season just around the corner we put together some Filson essentials to take on your next hunting trip. Load up the truck boys and let’s hit the road!

1. Yukon Shooting Clay Coat:  The newly updated fit and arm movement of this coat make the shooting motion come easy.

2. Mackinaw Cap: Every man needs a solid head topper – especially for those brisk mornings. Our Mackinaw Wool keeps your head dry and warm.

3. Sportsman Bag: Is the back seat of your truck all collector of many things including your hunting gear? Consolidate and capitalize on your time by organizing all your hunting supplies in this neat bag.

4. Reversible Dog coat: If your four legged companion is coming along make sure they are bundled up in blaze orange.

5. Lined Goatskin Gloves:  If you are headed out early and staying till sundown, pack along a solid pair of gloves to keep away the chill and breeze.

Photo Credit: Dennis Lynch

One form of “exotic “ wagering at the racetrack is the Trifecta. This is where you have to pic the top 3 finishers in a race in the order in which they cross the finish line.

I like the tri’s at the track but my favorite Trifecta is actually one I invented this winter and it takes place in the field.

Unless one is lucky enough to live in the Colorado Rockies or near the flooded timber of Arkansas, the winter time somewhat limits your hunting/fishing opportunities and cabin fever can strike at any time.

Most of the time when we think of a hunting trip it involves hours of phone calls planning areas to hunt or fish, sleep, eat, whether to fly or drive and more logistical planning than Patton’s 5^th army. Once the dates are set the packing and buying out of state licenses. But this winter, in the span of 36 hours I got 3 different opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, sporting dogs and comrades.

On Sunday morning, I found myself and one of my nephews Gannon in the reeds on the banks of a farm pond 4 miles from home. At about 8:15, a small flock of 8 Canadians came into our decoys. Bingo! 2 in the game bag.

At about noon while building a fire Woody called to tell me the boys in Woodford County say the doves are coming into one of their cut corn fields. By 12:30 we were loaded in the car and headed to Dry Ridge Road on a beautiful warm winter’s afternoon.

On our way back home, Woody said we should get the dogs some work on quail before going on our annual quail hunt in Western Kentucky in the spring. A quick call to our friend Dennis at Six Mile Creek Hunting Preserve and we had  20 quails arranged to be set out for us the following morning. I know released birds are not the same as a horse drawn quail shoot in south Georgia, but for a good stretch of the legs, dog work and strong fast flying birds you can’t beat it –especially not for $80!

The quail fried up nice over drinks that evening as Woody and I recounted the last 36 hours.

Lots of fun and good times. Not a minute planned and not a minute wasted.

Most of us are not able to do extended hunting trips more than once or twice a season, but what we can all do is take advantage of every opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors as often and in as many ways possible.

Now for my next project, there is a beautiful trout stream just south of Lexington,KY named Boone Creek.  It’s a members only club with big trout and some of the most picturesque scenery this side of Colorado.

My pal Mike Levy is a member in good standing and with an invite from him I could try the Kentucky Superfecta— waterfowl, dove shoot, upland birding and fly fishing for trout.

Mike , if your out there “You have my number.”