Scott Linden of Wingshooting USA is a dear friend of Filson who has taught us many shooting tips and lessons in the field over the years. Scott helps us find more birds by scoping out their water sources in today’s lesson.

Bird hunting is tough. Tougher without a dog. If you’re between dogs – or for some unfathomable reason choose not to own one, you’ll find more birds by thinking like a fisherman and trolling for them.

Game birds would often rather sit tight than fly if they think you’ll pass by. Given the choices (run, fly, or freeze), holding still is a pretty good option. No avian predators, no teeth, fangs or claws can wreak their havoc when you’re hunkered under a buffalo berry bush.

So move slowly just like you’re in your boat, and stop every few yards. Birds may think you’ve found them and panic into flight. Trollers vary their speed with direction changes. Make your bird-hunting route a zigzag, too. If you’re stealthy, all the better. A bird that can’t quite figure out exactly where you are because you’re quiet is a bird ready to panic – into the air.

On the surface these unorthodox tactics may make more sense for fishermen, but you’ll get over it when you put more birds in the bag.

The Toughest Challenge of All…

Miners facing the extreme conditions of the Klondike Gold Rush, rugged loggers working in the always wet Pacific Northwest, and generations of hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen… all sing praises about the quality and durability of Filson products.

But, as a father, I pondered the real question: “How would Filson hold up against the toughest challenge of all… the raising of two tireless, rough and tumble sons?”

My four year old loves to be outside… running, jumping, tackling his Dad. He doesn’t care if the playground is wet. He’s all game. And my youngest, now tearing off in every direction, is exactly the same.

I love to play with them. My wife laughs and says “You’re like a big boy, crawling on the ground and rolling through the mud, just like them.” And, like a boy, my jeans were becoming covered with grass stains, and I was wearing through them at lightning speed. So she bought me a pair of Filson Oil Finish Double Tin Pants. “The toughest of the tough.” For the playground!

After a couple of months, I can say: “These pants are SERIOUSLY tough.” Double sewn. Riveted buttons. Oil finish fabric that sheds off water and all manner of playground mud. I added a pair of Filson suspenders, so they stay up nice and secure while I spin down slides or crawl through tunnels. No worries at all. These pants are like body armor.

Plus, they never need washing. I just brush off the dirt and hang them in the garage, ready to go for next time.

There’s no doubt… these pants are rugged. But my boys are, too, so we’ll see. It’s going to be a tough challenge, Filson… from roughhousing at the playground, to camping, to working outside together, to everything else raising sons brings. I’m 100% confident, though. I’m looking forward to them becoming part of a lifetime of amazing memories together.

So game on…

Photo Credit: Josh Lantz

Kristen Monroe learns the art of fly fishing with Josh Lantz and she just may be hooked.

Another magnificent door into the outdoors has opened.  I never thought it would happen.  It has always appeared so difficult; perhaps due to misunderstandings derived from movies I have seen.  But recently, I had the privilege of seeing a presentation at The Great Outdoors Expo in Woodstock, Illinois given by Lefty Kreh, which ignited my interest in fly fishing.   The sport no longer looked intimidating.  Instead, it became a fascinating challenge.

I am blessed to have many friends in the outdoors industry, so I started asking around for some guidance.   Josh Lantz, fellow outdoor communicator and professional guide, offered to teach me the sport.  He quickly put my misconceptions to bed by teaching the basics of a cast.  Before long I was fighting a smallmouth into the drift boat with a grin on my face.

We fished an eight-mile stretch on the Saint Joseph River starting in Mottville, Michigan and ending in Bristol, Indiana.   This river is well known for steelhead and salmon in its lower 63-miles during spring and fall, but we were well upstream of those waters.  We didn’t fish for trout; the species I usually associate with fly fishing.  Instead we went after smallmouth bass.  There were a ton of smallmouth in this river and they were extremely fun to catch.  The species is a great choice for any aspiring fly angler who lives in the Midwest.

Photo Credit: Kristen Monroe

Lantz has guided since 1999 and loves taking people fishing.  While casting towards the bank, I asked him about being a professional guide.   “Beginners are my favorite, because they truly want to learn and they don’t have any bad habits”, said Josh, who’s love for fishing began at age 3 when his grandmother taught him to fish with a cane pole.

The intriguing gap between cane pole and fly rod led to another conversation about gear, which also intimidated me in the beginning.  I now know that pre-matched fly fishing combo sets are available from many of today’s best manufacturers.  This is the way to go.  They are affordable and include rod, reel, fly line and leader – everything you need to get started.  Of course, there is a lot more to learn about gear, and there are endless options.  But when you start off, it is very important to start simply.   Lantz says two rods — a 5-weight and an 8-weight — would be ideal to cover most types of fish from panfish to salmon.

It doesn’t always have to be difficult learning and getting geared up for a new endeavor.  You just need a little motivation, and a good teacher.

I am always up for a new challenge and enjoy the gifts the outdoor.  If you are afraid of something, sometimes it is best to just dive in and learn all about it.  You might just come out with a new passion in life that you never knew existed.  If I can cast a fly rod, you can too.

Coming to Northern Indiana or Southwest Michigan?  Contact World Class Fly Fishing with Josh Lantz at (219) 728-8996 or www.gofishn.com/author/josh-lantz.

Tommy Ellis of Following Ghost reminds us of the the traditions and memories that are passed along with learning how to hunt and sticking with it.

For years kids tagged along with Dad or Grandpa to the squirrel woods to learn the art of hunting. This was how generations fell in love with the sport, a .22 rifle or .410 shotgun were the tools of the trade to get started when I was a kid. Now things have changed, turkey hunting became extremely popular and turkeys are now the game of choice to introduce many new hunters to the woods.

Another great thing is more women are getting into the sport and turkey hunts provide one of the best ways to be able to mentor these new hunters. Ground blinds are plentiful, comfortable and provide enough room for a new hunter to sit with an experienced hunter and learn. Our hunters can sit and talk quietly while waiting on the birds, talking about equipment and techniques.

The rise of archery in turkey hunting is another step forward in getting some new hunters involved. Some don’t like the heavy loads and recoil of shotguns but the idea of taking a bird with some type of archery tackle is very appealing. Backyard practice with family and friends helps to encourage and get them excited for the hunt plus it doesn’t require a trip to the gun range.

While spring season is over in places and winding down in others many states have fall seasons or include a bonus bird in the archery deer season. Here in Tennessee the fall limit is liberal to say the least with the bonus of being able to take either sex. Fall hunting might even be a better time to get someone started if you have either sex hunts since the pressure to only take a mature tom is off. To a new hunter a jake or hen means just as much, later they can think about that big ol’ tom that struts in the back field.

If you have someone that is interested in hunting this would be a wonderful way to get them involved. Give them a call or two so they can practice, take them out to scout fields and teach them what to look for. Take a camera along to video their trips and save those memories. Encourage them to practice and teach them all you can before going to the woods.

The folks we start today will be mentors in the future.

Brian McGeehan has been a fly fishing guide for 17 years in both Colorado and Montana and owns Montana Angler Fly Fishing in Bozeman, MT. A fisherman’s job is never done, when it comes to fly fishing there is always more to learn. Brian helps us improve our catch rates just in time for summer fishing season!

As a Montana fly fishing guide and outfitter I spend my days working hard to help visiting anglers have a great experience on the water. While there is a lot more to a great guided fishing trip is a lot more than just catching, putting a few trout in the net never hurts! One of the great aspects of the sport of fly fishing is the complexity that it requires. While anglers can catch fish on their first outing, there is no shortage of new things to learn even for seasoned veterans. When I am on a guide trip I like to help my guests improve some of the fundamentals of the sport including casting mechanics, reading water, and understanding the river ecosystem. Some of these skills take more than just a few hours to develop so I also focus on a few quick tips that easily increase the number of fish to the net by the end of our day. These five tips almost instantly increase your productivity as an angler without requiring an enormous leap in your skillset.
Make shorter casts
The vast majority of fly fishers that I guide make much longer casts than are necessary to catch trout. Many variables play into how spooky a trout will be. When a fish is in very shallow water with glassy currents they can be extremely skittish and a cast of 40 or more feet may be required. In rough pocket water you can often approach a trout from less than ten feet away without spooking it. As casting length increases several things begin to work against you. Getting the correct presentation and drift on a fly is much more difficult when flies are farther away. The amount of time your flies spend on the water also decreases with longer casts since your flies spend more time in the air and less on the water. Finally, hook sets take longer when fishing at greater distance and you are less likely to actually hook a trout that takes the fly. By coaching anglers to move into closer range of their target, we almost always see an improvement in catch rates.

Make fewer false casts
While the image of Brad Pitt making repeated casts from that rock in the Gallatin River may look good on film, excess false casts just reduce your effective fishing time. I often encounter anglers that make 10 or more false casts in between presentations. When the flies are in the air trout can’t get them. often a single false cast is all that is needed to put the flies back into the feeding lane. By reducing false casts you can often quickly double your catch rate because your flies are now on twice as much.

Use foam flies when fishing attractor dries
Foam floats! If you are fortunate enough to be on the water when trout are taking attractor patterns or even smaller terrestrials, try some foam dry flies. Foam flies are often very durable and more importantly they don’t need treated regularly with floatants and never become water logged. When fishing with traditional flies constructed of hair, feather and fur significant time is used to treat the flies or change out flies when one becomes too water logged. Some smaller traditional dry flies also get pulled under water when mending the line which requires a new cast. With foam patterns the fly will float back to the surface after an overly aggressive mend.

Lead your flies when nymph fishing
When fishing subsurface nymph patterns many anglers either do not detect the strike in time (or at all) or they are too late on the hook set. This is often caused when there is too much slack between the fly line and the flies. By placing the rod tip downstream of the flies and leading the flies down the river you reduce the amount of slack between the line and the flies. Less slack means a quicker detection of strikes and a reduced time required to set the hook.

Use less weight when fishing nymphs
Over 90% of a trout’s diet is taken subsurface so it should be no surprise that nymph fishing is by far the most productive technique for catching trout under most conditions. Many anglers mistakenly assume that when fishing nymphs that the flies need to be dredging the bottom. While putting the flies directly on the bottom of a run may be needed when trout are not active, it is not required when trout are on the feed. Adding lots of split shot onto your leader increases your rate of tangles and also causes a dead spot in the leader that delays the detection of strikes. By fishing less weight anglers often greatly increase their catch rates. Nymph fishing is most effective in shallow riffles where trout move into when they are heavily on the feed. Many anglers seek out the deepest water they can find when nymph fishing even though the shallow water might be much more productive.

For more fishing tips from our guest bloggers click here.

Scott Linden of Wingshooting USA is a dear friend of Filson who has taught us many shooting tips and lessons in the field over the years. Scott helps us find more birds by scoping out their water sources in today’s lesson.

Birds need water. Not much, and not necessarily from the “usual suspects,” but almost every day. Though they don’t usually cooperate as they did one day in chukar country, when an acquaintance filled his gas tank with fuel and my buddy and I with hope. He predicted birds on a certain creek at a certain time.

And, he was right. At least that hot day in a drought season where the only water was scarce and in predictable locations. For all I know, he’d been there the day before, but I’m still grateful.

Most times, it doesn’t happen that way. We wander a creek bed to draw, swale to spring, searching for elusive game birds who some pundit said needed the life-giving fluid. So why aren’t they here? If only it was that simple.

One way to find more birds is to find their water source, then put yourself between the birds and their water. But if it was easy, there’d be fewer birds in the field and more bragging hunters in the local tavern.

The fact of the matter is, birds don’t have watches. Weather, time of year, and for all I know, the alignment of the planets will affect a bird’s schedule and water needs. Early in the season, they are most likely to head for open water: creeks, streams or a pond. They will travel some distances to get it too. Biologists tell us up to a mile, maybe more in a crisis.

But all water spots aren’t marked on a map. Springs, seeps, roadside ditches, irrigation canals all proffer enough moisture to sustain life in a game bird. Watch for green spots in an arid landscape, ask locals, and get creative. I’ve found birds at cattle tanks and dripping windmill trough.

They’ll visit that water once, sometimes twice a day if it’s really hot or their diet is comprised of dry materials like grains. But when, oh when, is the eternal mystery?  Mid-morning and late afternoon are safe, but relative guesses.

If the wind is right or your route allows it, hunt toward or away from water and you might get lucky. Or plan a route that hits water sources several times during the day.

You can also simply trust it to pure dumb luck, like I do. Because even when sun bakes the hills and desiccates everything in sight, birds don’t necessarily need open water. Morning dew will suffice, or succulent forbs and grasses. So don’t put all your eggs in the hydration basket when you shuck those shells into your Mossberg.

All bets are off once fall rains arrive.

Precipitation resets the balance, putting moisture in places you might not think to look. Just today, after a hard rain our volcanic desert environment blossomed into a series of tiny oases. Every depression in the lava rock held a cup or two of water. That’s plenty for a covey that doesn’t have to tromp all the way down the hill to the rushing stream that meant life itself in August. Snow can do the same thing as it melts, or in a pinch, eaten. Insect-eaters get their share from their crunchy-on-the-outside but chewy-on-the-inside meals.

Lesson: once fall weather settles in, go farther from the usual water sources. You might get closer to the birds.

Now that you have the tips to finding the birds get suited up with the right gear.

Filson Life guest blogger Dennis Lynch, knows  good horses when he sees them. If you’re planning on throwing some cash down this Saturday on the Kentucky Derby or just want to be able to “talk shop” at a Derby Party, take some advice from Dennis. We’re going with, Bodemister! Let the races begin and best of luck.

International intrigue, rivalries, princesses and paupers all come together this Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky in hopes of grabbing the most sought after prize in thoroughbred racing… The Kentucky Derby.

They spring the latch at 6:24 pm and the hopes and dreams of hundreds will be sailing past the stands along with the horses. The winner gets $1,459,600 out of the total pot of $2,196,500 but that’s not the real prize everyone is after. “Just win, baby” is what it’s all about!

Following are snippets on the 20 horses scheduled to start this Saturday, hopefully enough to increase your appetite for the sport, intrigue and of course the chance at financial gain.

In post position order:

#1 Daddy Long Legs- Aidan O’Brien , Ireland’s leading trainer brings this guy across the Atlantic, only one race on dirt—busto- probably not

#2 Optimizer-  79 yr. old 4 time Derby winning trainer D.W. Lukas tries to become the oldest to ever train a Derby winner- I hope he tries next year at 80

#3 Take Charge Indy - Cajun jockey Calvin “ on the rail”, Borel guides this regally bred colt who is a live longshot- don’t overlook this one

#4 Union Rags- Mrs Phyliss Weyth a du Pont heiress and JFK intern, who sold this colt once for $145,000 only to find him and buy him back for $390,000 has a true love story going with this colt-Don’t miss this story and he’s going to run “Off the screen”

#5 Dullahan – Louisville homie, Dale Romans wants this race bad and he has the most “fun loving” group of owners in the field—this one is LIVE

#6 Bodemeister - This once removed name sake of skier Bode Miller, Trainer Bob Baffert named his son after Bode and the horse was named after his son—owned by Asia’s largest non-alcohol beer distributor- big chance here and probable favorite

#7 Rousing Sermon- California connections headed to Louisville will need a sermon Sunday morning to pick their heads up

#8 Creative Cause -Beat “Bode” last time –shows up every race- use him!

#9 Trinniberg- Father/son combo team up as trainer/owner respectively, named after their native land of Trinnidad-great story but this guy will be looking for a cab at the head of stretch

#10 Daddy Knows Best- Top trainer and jock, this is a real sneaky longshot –listen to your Daddy

#11 Alpha- Great trainer owner by one of the world’s richest men-money can’t buy everything-looks too skinny

#12 Prospective- Florida bred trainer brings this one in from the Sunshine State-possible

#13 Went the Day Well- Sounds like a British movie starring Anthony Hopkins- owned and trained by last year’s winning owner and trainer-lightning won’t strike twice

#14- Hansen-Last years champion, owner tried dying this white horses tail before last race-racing officials said no—they will feel blue after the race

#15 Gemologist-Top trainer Todd Pletcher brings this undefeated colt into Louisville – he ain’t done nothing wrong!

#16 El Padrino- Another Todd Pletcher trainee- going the wrong way

#17 Done Talking- Kinda Cinderella story but this guy is Done Talking and Done Running

#18 Sabercat-Top trainer in Steve Asmussen but looks overmatched here

#19 I’ll have Another- Outside post but his guy always shows up-might be bellying up to the bar saying “Ill have another “ after the race

#20 Liaison- Bob Baffert or not- stick a fork in him he’s done

Top pick- Union Rags

Best of rest- Take Charge Indy, Bodemeister, Creative Cause, Daddy Knows Best, Gemologist, I’ll have Another

*these picks are worth exactly what it cost to read them

Have fun, enjoy the spectacle and the beauty of these wonderful animals!

John Townes Van Zandt returns home to Texas after a successful film festival tour with the fishing documentary “Low and Clear” and picks up where he left off in building the pristine “Sea Dart” fishing boat.

What a wonderful and exciting experience it has been to take our movie “Low and Clear” to multiple film festivals over the last couple of months. So far the movie has shown at Camden Film Festival, True/ False, SXSW, Dallas International Film Festival and will continue to show in Toronto, Telluride and other prestigious festivals. It has been very rewarding for everyone involved with the project and a huge validation for the film makers themselves who saw the promise in the story of my friend Xenie Hall and I with the dramatic contrast in our personalities, our love for fishing and the need to be outdoors. I would very much enjoy to follow the film to other festivals, but for me, I must get back to my wife and baby in Austin as well as my passion for woodworking. I manage the cabinetry and millwork division for Escobedo Construction which is a general contracting company made unique by our self performance of all trades in the construction process. Our company utilizes modern machinery and software, employs highly skilled craftsmen and is capable of innovating and building anything made of stone, steel or wood. One example of our capabilities is the “Sea Dart” which is the wooden watercraft that I fish from in the Texas marsh shown in the movie. We are now in the process of building 4 of these boats for customers and having been distracted by the film tour, I need to get busy completing these boats for the June deadline.

Boat building is a meditative process that requires much care and discipline. It is an ancient craft that summons man’s greatest capabilities. I say craft rather than art because the term artist has become over used and self proclaimed by too many these days as a shortcut to becoming a true craftsman. It is the responsibility of society to determine what art is. Van Gogh considered himself a painter, not an artist. The discipline of learning a craft requires years of tedious repetition until the exercise is second nature and becomes woven into the fabric of an individual. This is true for a multitude of professions: woodworking, welding, sewing, painting, film making, cooking etc… My thought on the decline of modern society is that few are willing to dedicate to this level of discipline opting for the easier route and thus trades are lost and quality is forgotten.

Quality is a commitment, involves respect and is an obligation to the resources that comprise the creation of any man made object. To slight that which could have been of quality is to throw away something valuable and is a true sin against the natural world. To intentionally design something of lesser quality in order to increase profitability is a perversion, is non sustainable and is certainly wrong. Sustainability has become a huge topic lately as the world’s natural resources rapidly diminish but in the beginning when man naturally created things to last, sustainability was a given. True sustainability is a result of creating quality goods that last and do not need to be replaced. This is my goal as a student of the craft of woodworking, it is the commitment of Escobedo Construction and it is the reason that we love, use and respect Filson products.

If you are looking for more fishing stories check out some of our other guest blogs.

Filson Life guest blogger Dennis Lynch is one traveling man. He’s been on the road for the last 8 weeks scoping out the finest thoroughbreds for the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky horse sales this summer.  Ever wonder what a man like himself packs for these long hauls? A whole lot of Filson gear, Dennis takes us in his suitcase and on the road with him through this incredible journey.

1 wheeled carry-on

1 travel Kit

1 twill travel bag

1 20 pocket travel vest

4 lightweight chambray shirts

1 antique tin cloth blazer

2 heavy weight pique polo shirts

2 pair lightweight travel pants

1 Filson orange ball cap

2 pairs of Filson shorts

Armed with the above list of Filson products I have spent the last eight weeks on the

road. The main objective was trying to locate and identify promising Thoroughbred

yearlings and recruit them for sale at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky and Saratoga New

York sales in July and August, respectively.

The 25th of February found me boarding a flight to Detroit connecting through

Amsterdam and landing in Doha, Qatar. (A later blog will detail an interesting Filson

happening in the airport in Amsterdam.) The Qatar trip was to make contacts in the

rapidly expanding Thoroughbred business there. Thoroughbreds were the main

attraction, but camels, falcons, and Saluki hounds also played a role.

The first week of March we were inspecting horses in South Carolina and Georgia.

Some wonderful low-country fare was enjoyed there. The second week was a flight to

Oklahoma City with driving stops at ranches through Oklahoma, Louisiana, and ending

up outside of Houston, Texas. Wonderful Cajun cuisine was enjoyed outside of

Lafayette, Louisiana. Back to Lexington and Niece Shannon’s St. Patrick’s day

wedding. (No Filson gear was used, nor any damaged at this event.) Palm Beach

Florida followed up the wedding for the 2-year-old in training sale. Prominent use of

Filson shorts and polo shirts.  Lexington for a day and then a flight to Baltimore for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware,

and New Jersey inspections. Everywhere it is SPRINGTIME! We have been fortunate

to be following the bloom of the daffodils and forsythia, redbuds and dogwoods moving

North from Florida, Louisiana the Carolinas, Georgia, and Mid-Atlantic regions. Not

much floral display in Qatar.

Miles and miles of beautiful farmland being plowed earlier due to the early spring in

most parts of the country. April began in San Diego driving north with stops in

Temecula, Chino, Lake Piru, Santa Ynez, Colinga, Pleasanton, and all through the San

Joaquin Valley, certainly one of the most fertile growing regions in all the world. Groves

of pistachios, almonds, kiwis, oranges, avocados, fields of cotton and strawberries.

Flew out of San Francisco after a beautiful, delicious dinner on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Back to Kentucky and then to Ocala Florida one day later. 35 farms stops in 2 1/2 days.

Next week will include upstate New York and then home to start on the Kentucky

inspections. Through all this, plane flights, rental cars, hotel check ins and outs, miles

and miles of countryside, all make and manner or horses, dogs, cattle, chickens, row

crops and blooming flora my Filson gear was always rough and always ready. The one

day stops at home always included washing and drying the clothes, and then back in

the carry on.

It’s hectic, but I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world with the best job. I couldn’t ask

for better or more practical gear then Filson to keep me on track.

Judith O’Keefe is ready for summer! Because with summer comes her favorite fishing trip in Montana at Five Rivers lodge. After reading this, you just may be looking up flights and calling your fishing buddies, too.

July is a long way off, but I’m already dreaming about Montana . . . fishing in Montana that is.   As many of you know firsthand, the wild and scenic landscape, amazing wildlife, and friendly folks are just the beginning.  The fishing is almost always wonderful and at times . . . spectacular.

Home base is the beautiful Five Rivers Lodge.  The lodge is situated in the Beaverhead Valley, just outside of the town of Dillon.  This location provides easy access to the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, Madison and Jefferson rivers, not to mention some incredible private water.  Innkeepers, Jay Burgin and Mary Jacques, are the perfect hosts, serving up some of the best food and drink this side of the Mississippi.  Many of the Five Rivers guides are native Montanans who’ve grown up fishing these rivers.  They’re professionals and they know their stuff.

When I think about those yearly sojourns, my minds fills with memories of the floats and the fish and that pair of moose we came across while hiking into the Big Hole River last September.  But if I had to choose just one experience to relive, it would be floating the Beaverhead in late July.  For me, there is nothing better than casting a streamer pattern to the bank, knowing sooner than later, I’m going to entice a big brown trout to bite.

In my humble opinion, the Beaverhead is one of the premier brown trout rivers in the west. It produces more large trout than any other river in Montana. Beginning at Clark Canyon Dam, near Dillon, it flows for 80 miles to the confluence with the Jefferson River.  The upper stretch of river is known primarily for its nymph fishing. Some claim the bulk of large fish are caught on nymphs and streamers.

While streamer fishing is near the top of my list, I also love fishing big, dry flies.  Who doesn’t?  The Beaverhead River has solid hatches throughout the year, and is especially known for its caddis hatch.  Typically, early mornings and evenings are the best time to use dry flies. Bright, sunny weather may provide a little more of a challenge in mid-day, as the fish generally stay down deep and under cover.  When the fish are coming to the surface to feed, I like the popular staple, the Elk Hair Caddis, size 16 – 18.  The Sparkle Dun and the X-Caddis also work well.  Later in the summer the hopper fishing can be great and my fly box is filled with patterns like the Idylwilde Red Legged Hopper or Morrish’s Hopper, size 8 – 10.

Those long summer days are nearly perfect, filled with warm sunshine, clear, cold water and lots of fish.  Once the drift boat is secure on the trailer and the gear stowed, it’s then time to head down to the Metlen Hotel Bar for the official drink of summer, the Moscow Mule.  Hmmm, Montana.

Moscow Mule

2 oz. vodka

8 oz. Cock & Bull Ginger Beer

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Mix and serve in a true copper mug.