Make a Memory

I have been called the luckiest kid in the world more than once. Growing up in the "Merry Mac" clan in Greensboro, NC I had more than ample opportunities to explore the outdoors world. These adventures I took part in were varied in their locations and activities I participated in. First of all I consider visiting every county in North and South Carolina are real treat. Many times we do not take advantage of the local venues we have available right at our own back doors.  Much of this travel was with my dad while he chased the many outdoors news articles he provided to the readers of his column with the Greensboro Daily News and Record.

During those early days in Greensboro I had the pleasure of seeing the golden sunrise come up over the Atlantic Coast. I was also able to watch it fall down as a firery blaze into a black Pacific during a trip to Southwestern Mexico. Other  memorable sights were the lights of Denver as seen from a mountain top in the Rockies or some of the wonderful rivers sightings we made over the  years. I've seen the Snake, the Colorado, the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Madison, Penobscot and the St. Lawrence. These are but a few and there will be others to come as time goes by. Some of the prettiest I've seen are here in the Carolinas.  Down east  the Chowan and the Waccamaw both come to mind in North Carolina and the Catawba, the Congaree and the Savanna in South Carolina. In the west the Broad, Tuckasegee, Natahala and the New Rivers have all left a long time impression on me. These rivers are loaded with fish just waiting for you to cast your line. Each of these bodies of water have something to offer today's traveler.

Sometimes these wonderful places are just in passing and some are not.  No matter the case each is wonderful to see.  Everyone needs to make  an effort to see the highlights of America. There are plenty of them to visit.  Yellowstone Park  and the surrounding area is a marvel in itself. The Grand Canyon and the dessert southwest is another. For the first time visitor it is unreal just how far you can see.  Having spent most of my life in the Carolinas this is the biggest thing I notice when I get out west. If you are looking for something closer to home, the NC Outer Banks are nice in the fall when the fish are biting and we have the Smokies to the west. Both are close by and either will take your breath away with it's beauty and the abundance of history, wildlife, fish and plant life too.

So what are you waiting for.  Grab a camera and hit the road to a place you have not yet seen. You may get lucky, find yourself lost and end up in some place like Calico Rock, Arkansas or Durkey, Oregon. You never know. Be safe.

Handloads at their best!

A friend recently asked me to load some ammunition  for his upcoming review of Ruger's new Scout Rifle. This is a handy  bolt action with a 10 shot magazine. I agreed to make the ammo and I got started as soon as I could fit it into my schedule. This rifle is chambered for one of my all time favorites .308 Winchester. I never got my hands on the rifle during the loading process so I had to rely on older data I had used on my .308 Ruger 77R. My goal was to create at least one round that would be suitable for this new rifle in a hunting situation.

I made 3 boxes of ammo in three different configurations and shipped the ammo to Colorado for the test.  Andy reported that the first two worked about as well as the factory ammo but box #3 was the ticket.  The 150 gn. Nosler Ballistic Tips were the best of the group. It is not uncommon to see a light weight rifle have a preference for one load or another. This load produced dime size groups at 100 yards and he was now comfortable taking the rifle afield to test on live game.

I am happy to report that Andy  took a Pronghorn Antelope out west.  It was a one shot deal as I hope all shots on game are.  The Nosler entered from the chest and passed all the way to the rear quarter and came to rest next to the hide. The bullet was fully mushroomed and  remained intact with much of it's original weight. This is the kind of performance I like to hear about. Did I fail to mention the animal was 500 yards away when the shot rang out. This is the longest shot I know of with one of my precision handloads.

Chris Short of Lancaster, SC reported to me this week that he took a nice whitetail doe with one of my recent handloads we developed for his bolt action Savage rifle chambered in .270 Winchester. He made his shot at 475 yards.  While taking a firearms and shooting class at Clemson University Short reported that his rifle was making 3 to 4 inch groups at 400 yards and he was ready to try a long  range shot. All worked well and the shot was on the money. I told Chris let me know if you ever plan on selling that rig.  It sounds like it shoots very good for a sporter weight hunting rifle.

Last but not least is my first born's Election Day buck shot last November.  Logan's cartridge of choice  was the almighty .300 Weatherby Magnum. Logan took his buck at about 50 yards as it  was running through chasing a doe. That 180 gn. Nosler Ballistic Tip hit he buck like a ton of bricks. That Nosler was moving somewhere around the speed of light and the deer never knew what hit him. Logan's rig has him set up for just about anything he may ever hunt unless he heads to Alaska for a grizzly. In that case an upgrade may be in order. 

I'm proud to say that in the last 30 years I have only shot handloads that I have made in all of my center-fire rifles except one. The AR-15 in .223 Remington shoots it up faster than I can reload it in most cases.  Be safe my friends.

"The Legend Returns" Fliptail Worms and Lizards

For all my Bass Fishing friends who are old enough to remember the beginning days of B.A.S.S. I am certain you will remember the Fliptail Worm. A blue Fliptail was cast by none other than Bill Dance of Memphis, TN. in Ray Scott's very first tournament which was held on Beaver Lake in June 1967.  While others raced away from the blast off point Dance ran just across from the landing and cast to an old roadbed in plain view of Scott and others.  The blue Fliptail  hit the bottom and a keeper bass inhaled the worm.  Dance set the hook and the rest is history. This was the very first bass caught in a B.A.S.S. Tournament.

All of this replayed in my mind as I was told this story first hand by my lifetime friend Ray Scott while attending the 2011 Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Conference in Branson, MO. a week ago. Over the years I have attended many of the SEOPA Conferences but this was my first as an official fees paying member and not strictly as a volunteer. I had cornered Ray to discuss old times and such when I laid it in his lap that Fliptail was up and running again and I was here in Branson to spread the word.  His first words were "Oh My God" and then it was non stop this and that and about how Fliptail's original owner Bill Stembridge was his first advertiser in BASSMASTER Magazine. Of an interesting note the day I rolled out the display of new Fliptail samples to the outdoors media in Branson it was also the eve of Bill Dance's birthday.  I hope Bill recieved his birthday gift of Fliptails by now and it opened fond memories of days gone by.

Well I'm happy to report that the worms and lizards we all came to love back in the day are back thanks to Orby Partee and family of Clinton, AR.  Partee purchased the molds and full copyrights to the company some years back looking forward to the day he could invest full time into a lure company of his own.  Well that time is here and the worms and lizards are back in production. At this time 9" worms and 6" lizards are being poured with the 7 1/4" worms to follow soon.  There are new colors available that we did not have back in the 60's and 70's. Junebug and Watermelon Seed are two new colors and I have had very good success with both.  My experience on the Yadkin River Chain in North Carolina shows that the Watermelon Seed will be a huge success. I have also enjoyed fishing the lizards in areas where there is a lot of grasses. I fish the lizard without a weight or with a very small 1/16 oz. or so weight. Because you stand to hook a large fish with this setup I throw it on a heavy 7 foot spinning rod and 14-17 pound test line. I recommend a 5/0 wide bend hook. The Fliptails are a little more bulky than most worms and the large hook helps with the hook set. The Bleeding Red hooks by Daiichi work well.

The worms and lizards will be made in several sizes and colors and they are available online at sales@fliptail-lures.com .  For those of you who remember the Fliptails welcome back. For those of you who are new to Fliptails you are in for a treat! Good luck and good fishing my friends.  Be safe.

First day in the Deerstand this year.

October 18, 2011 and I am sitting in a ladder deerstand in Stanly County, NC.  The weather is overcast this afternoon with a slight  breeze  from the southwest. I can taste the rain coming in the wind. It hit a high of around 80 degrees today so I am lighting my Thermacell as I get settled in for the rest of the afternoon.

I have my bow ready to go so to pass the time as I sit and watch the clearcut to my right. I use my rangefinder to mark different points in my view and their ranges. I use these markers to use match the pins I have my bow sight set for. In this case today I have a pair of circles etched in my mind at 10 and 20 yards all around me.  An old stump here a mushroom or whatever else may mark the forrest floor. If a deer aproaches my circle I will have a spot to gauge it by without having to look through the rangefinder again.

As it played out today just like others in the past the deer stayed outside my magic ring. Two does and a buck crossed the clearcut behind me and to the right. I watched as they moved into the light breeze at a distance of 93 yards.  They made it out about 100 yards and just melted into the underbrush just as quickly as they showed themselves 60 seconds before. You know they have a way of doing that like ghost in the night, you blink and they are gone.

Just as my fellow friends from the deep woods disapeared I felt the pit-pat of a few drops of rain. Light was failing me fast and I had a promise of a chicken diner waiting for me.  I called it quits for today and thanked God for just making me able to spend this time outdoors today. Others will follow for sure.