
##2000273 // The NFL kicks off a new season on August 31 , and football fans have a lot of questions : Will the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl again ? Are the New England Patriots still the top team in the AFC , or are the Denver Broncos better ? Can the Dallas Cowboys rebound from a disappointing 1996 season ? We do n't have all the answers . But S.I . FOR KIDS scouts have been busy gathering everything you need to know about the NFL . Turn the page for our predictions , our choices for top players , and other fun football facts . Hike ! EAST 1 . New England Patriots 1996 RECORD:11-5 The defending AFC champs want to prove they are the real deal . Quarterback Drew Bledsoe leads a supercharged offense . The Pats scored 418 points last season , second-best in the NFL . But the pass defense is like Swiss cheese - it 's full of holes . 2 . Miami Dolphins 1996 RECORD : 8-8 Quarterback Dan Marino wants to win the Super Bowl . Sorry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many rookies and young players to make it to the big bowl . 3 . Indianapolis Colts 1996 RECORD : 9-7 The Colts have a huge problem : the offensive line . Quarterback Jim Harbaugh was sacked 36 times last season . To make sure Jim does n't get crunched again , the Colts used their top two draft picks to get linemen Tarik Glenn and Adam Meadows . 4 . Buffalo Bills 1996 RECORD : 10-6 Quarterback Jim Kelly has shuffled off to retirement . Jim will be missed . But the Bills still have a stingy defense , led by defensive end Bruce Smith . Bruce had 13.5 sacks last season . 5 . New York Jets 1996 RECORD : 1-15 The Jets will be better this season - they ca n't get much worse . New coach Bill Parcells brings a fresh attitude . Quarterback Neil O'Donnell and running back Adrian Murrell power the offense . CENTRAL 1 . Jacksonville Jaguars 1996 RECORD : 9-7 The Jags grew up and became big , bad cats last season . They reached the AFC Championship Game before losing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frisky offense . The top defensive player is linebacker Kevin Hardy . Kevin had 5.5 sacks last season . 2 . Pittsburgh Steelers 1996 RECORD : 10-6 The Steelers had one of the NFI:s weakest passing attacks last season . Kordell Stewart will try to solve the problem when he switches to quarterback fulltime . The Steelers ' strength is on defense . Linebackers Greg Lloyd and Levon Kirkland are nasty . The Steelers forced 40 turnovers last season , second-most in the league . 3 . Tennessee Oilers 1996 RECORD : 8-8 The Oilers have moved from Houston , Texas , to Nashville , Tennessee . Quarterback Steve McNair leads an exciting offense that includes running back Eddie George . The defense is shaky . 4 . Cincinnati Bengals l996 RECORD : 8-8 Quarterback Jeff Blake can score through the air . But the running attack is weak . No Bengal runner has gained 100 yards in a game since 1992 ! 5 . Baltimore Ravens 1996 RECORD : 4-12 Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw 33 touchdown passes last season . But the Ravens had the NFL 's worst defense . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some relief . WEST 1 . Denver Broncos 1996 RECORD : 13-3 The Broncos had the best record in the AFC last season . But they were upset in the playoffs by Jacksonville , 30-27 . Led by quarterback John Elway , the Broncos will be bucking for the Super Bowl this season . 2 . Seattle Seahawks 1996 RECORD : 7-9 q The Seahawks have talented young stars in wide receiver Joey Galloway , running back Chris Warren , and rookie defensive back Shawn Springs . The question mark is quarterback John Friesz. 3 . Kansas City Chiefs l996 RECORD : 9-7 Elvis Grbac ger-BACK is the Chiefs ' new starting quarterback . He will try to shake up an offense that scored only 19 points per game last season . On defense , the Chiefs have a strong secondary , but the line is getting old . 4 . Oakland Raiders 1996 RECORD : 7-9 The past two Super Bowl MVPs now play for the Raiders - wide receiver Desmond Howard ( Green Bay ) and cornerback Larry Brown ( Dallas ) . Too bad Oakland ca n't win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . 5 . San Diego Chargers 1996 RECORD : 8-8 The Chargers are unplugged and running out of energy . Quarterback Stan Humphries and linebacker Junior Seau are solid , but the rest of the team needs a talent overhaul . EAST 1 . Philadelphia Eagles 1996 RECORD : 10-6 Ricky Watters is one of the NFL:s best running backs . He ran for 1,411 yards and scored 13 touchdowns last season . Cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent have turned the defense into a " No Passing " zone . But the Eagles must choose a starting quarterback before they can fly . 2 . Washington Redskins 1996 RECORD : 9-7 The Redskins have a high-scoring offense led by running back Terry Allen . Terry scored 21 touchdowns last season . The Skins strengthened the defense by adding five new starters , including Pro Bowl cornerback Cris Dishman . The new guys should help boost the Skins into the playoffs. 3 . Dallas Cowboys 1996 RECORD : 10-6 The Cowboys lost more games last season ( six ) than they had in any season since 1990 . Quarterback Troy Aikman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are super . But they ca n't carry the team by themselves . 4 . Arizona Cardinals l996 RECORD : 7-9 The Cardinals have two great defensive linemen : Eric Swann and Simeon Rice . But the Arizona offense ca n't run or pass . 5 . New York Giants 1996 RECORD : 6-10 The Giants were ranked last in total offense last season . Quarterback Dave Brown needs to improve . CENTRAL 1 . Green Bay Packers 1996 RECORD : 13-3 Keeping the Pack out of the Super Bowl will be next to impossible . Quarterback Brett Favre and defensive end Reggie White lead a team that has few weaknesses . 2 . Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1996 RECORD : 6-10 The Bucs have a tough defense , led by middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson . Rookie running back Warrick Dunn and rookie wide receiver Reidel Anthony add speed to the offense. 3 . Minnesota Vikings 1996 RECORD : 9-7 Quarterback Brad Johnson threw 17 touchdowns in only eight starts last season . The Vikings also have two outstanding receivers : Cris Carter and Jake Reed . But the defense has trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 5-11 Running back Barry Sanders roars , but the rest of the Lions are as weak as field mice . New coach Bobby Ross will try to turn around a team that lost nine of its final 10 games last season . 5 . Chicago Bears 996 RECORD : 7-9 The Bears will struggle on offense . Rick Mirer becomes the team 's fifth starting quarterback in the past five seasons . Good luck , Rick . WEST 1 . Carolina Panthers 1996 RECORD : 12-4 The Panther defense racked up a leaguehigh 60 sacks last season , including 14.5 by linebacker Kevin Greene . On offense , quarterback Kerry Collins threw 14 touchdown passes . Running back Anthony Johnson rushed for 1,120 yards . Grrr ! 2 . San Francisco 49ers 1996 RECORD : 12-4 The 49ers are always a threat to score with quarterback Steve Young and wide receiver Jerry Rice . New cornerback Rod Woodson should improve the defense . Rod played in seven Pro Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 3 . St. Louis Rams 1996 RECORD : 6-10 The Rams allowed a league-high 57 sacks last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He allowed no sacks in his last two college seasons . 4 . Atlanta Falcons 1996 RECORD : 3-13 The Falcons ' top offensive player is running back Jamal Anderson . Jamal gained 1,055 yards last season . But the passing game is weak . These birds ca n't get off the ground ! 5 . New Orleans Saints 1996 RECORD : 3-13 The Saints have a new coach , Mike Ditka , and a new quarterback , Heath Shuler . But the Saints still have problems playing defense . BEST YOUNG STAR EDDIE GEORGE , RUNNING BACK , TENNESSEE OILERS Eddie won the 1995 Heisman Trophy as the nation 's best college player . He kept on truckin ' as a rookie with the Oilers last season . Eddie ran for 1,368 yards . He rushed for 100 yards or more in four games . He also scored eight touchdowns . Eddie was named the NFL:s 1996 Offensive Rookie of the Year . BEST PLAYER YOU 'VE NEVER HEARD OF TONY BOSELLI , OFFENSIVE TACKLE , JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Tony is like a 6 ' 7 " , 323-pound guard dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed just one sack last season . He was named to his first Pro Bowl . Some NFL coaches say Tony is one of the best offensive linemen ever . BEST PASSING COMBO STEVE YOUNG TO JERRY RICE , SAN FRANCISCO 49ERs Steve and Jerry are the most dangerous twosome in the NFL . Together , they have scored 74 touchdowns , six shy of the NFL record . Just call Steve and Jerry " Instant Offense ! " TOP SACKMASTER BRUCE SMITH , DEFENSIVE END , BUFFALO BILLS Bruce 's job is to flip and flatten quarterbacks . He does his job very well . Bruce tied for the lead in the AFC with 13.5 sacks in 1996 . He holds the Buffalo Bills ' alltime record for most sacks ( 140 ) . Bruce was named the NFI:s 1996 Defensive Player of the Year . BEST RUNNING BACK BARRY SANDERS , DETROIT LIONS At 5 ' 9 " tall , Barry is one of the shortest players in the NFL . He weighs 203 pounds , at least 40 pounds less than most defenders . But do n't feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ran for 1,553 yards ans scored 11 touchdowns last seasons . He led the NFL in rushing for the third time in his career . BEST NICKNAME ORLANDO " THE PANCAKE MAN " PACE , OFFENSIVE TACKLE , ST . LOUIS RAMS Orlando is only a rookie , but he already has an All-Pro nickname : The Pancake Man . He is called that because he uses his 6 ' 7 , 334-pound body to flatten defensive players into flapjacks . Splat ! ROOKIE TO WATCH PETER BOULWARE , DEFENSIVE END , BALTIMORE RAVENS NFL quarterbacks will soon learn to beware of Boulware . Peter is fast . ( He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds . ) He is strong . ( He can bench-press 415 pounds . ) He is also a sack machine . Peter led the nation with 19 sacks as a senior at Florida State University last season . HARDEST HITTER STEVE ATWATER , SAFETY , DENVER BRONCOS Steve is known by NFL receivers as the league 's most punishing hit man . He delivered 90 body-aching solo tackles last season and was selected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " I love to hear the crowd roar when I stick a big hit , " says Steve . " The cheers make me want to do it all over again . " <p> 
##2000278 Rams quarterback Tbr &y; Banks was victimized by cornerback Tyronne Drakeford and the 49ers ' zone blitz last September . // WITH THE SECONDARY BOLSTERING THE PASS RUSH AND LINEMEN DROPPING INTO COVERAGE , THE ZONE BLITZ HAS BECOME THE NFL 'S HOT DEFENSE Viewed on the monitor in the Baltimore Ravens ' videotape room , Carolina Panthers linebacker Lamar Lathon looks as if he is out for a brisk Sunday walk . As Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde barks signals , Lathon shifts from the right side of the defense to the left , settling next to outside linebacker Kevin Greene and behind end Shawn King . Testaverde turns to lone back Bam Morris and , motioning his head toward Lathon , yells , " He 's yours ! " The ball is snapped , and Testaverde drops to pass . King is blocked by the right tackle . Because the calculating Lathon does not immediately rush the passer , Morris locks onto Greene . But as soon as Testaverde sets up , Lathon bursts through a gap , and Morris can only flail at him . Testaverde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position before the jarring hit is delivered . It would n't have mattered had Testaverde been able to look downfield , anyway . The six Panthers in pass coverage-including right defensive end Gerald Williams , who dropped into a short coverage zone-had the Ravens receivers blanketed . The play , which resulted in a six-yard loss , unfolded last December in the second quarter of a 27-16 Panthers win over the Ravens in Charlotte , but similar scenes were played out in stadiums around the league . The zone blitz is the rage in the NFL these days . Carolina and the Pittsburgh Steelers are winning with it-not only were they in the top five in scoring defense in ' 96 , but they also finished one-two in sacks-and more teams are following suit . The scheme 's designer , 59-year-old Dick LeBeau , has rejoined the Cincinnati Bengals for his second tour as defensive coordinator , and the zone blitz will be the Bengals ' primary defense in ' 97 . The Ravens , Denver Broncos , St. Louis Rams , San Francisco 49ers , Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans . Photograph Chaos // On the play against the Panthers , Testaverde was foiled by a classic zone blitz : four rushers ( the fourth being strong safety Brett Maxie , trailing the play ) streaming over left end , with six players covering zones stretching 20 yards downfield . Sometimes at least one of the players dropping into coverage is a defensive lineman-Carolina nosetackle Greg Kragen even covered Jerry Rice on two plays last year-while a linebacker or a defensive back shoots through the same gap as one or two of his teammates . It is summertime in Baltimore now , and Testaverde , who has been reviewing the play time and again to determine how this could have happened after exhaustive preparation in practice , puts down the remote . He shrugs . His expression is a resigned one . " When you face the zone blitz-against a team that plays it wellsometimes it looks like nobody 's open and everybody 's rushing , " he says . " You 'd think with everybody on defense moving around so much it would n't be sound , but on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see . " Just as the West Coast offense energized pro football in the ' 80s , so has the zone blitz given defense a catch-up tool in the ' 90s . Here is how it was born . The Chicago Bears ' 46 defense , which was at the heart of their 1985 Super Bowl season , was based on six to eight players ' rushing the quarterback , who theoretically would be buried before he had time to find a receiver . But cat-quick and powerful players like Bears defensive end Richard Dent and linebackers Wilber Marshall and Otis Wilson did n't grow on trees . So 46 copycats struggled to execute the scheme effectively , exposing smallish cornerbacks to the ravages of pinpoint passers and tall receivers who took advantage of single coverage . Chicago was still a year away from its impressive Super Bowl run when , in 1984 , LeBeau got his first coordinator 's job , under Bengals coach Sam Wyche . While putting together his playbook , LeBeau analyzed why many blitzes were no longer effective . Quarterbacks , he concluded , were becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ball before the rush got to them . LeBeau wondered how he could counter . He found the answer after a visit with LSU coach Bill Arnsparger in the spring of ' 84 . LeBeau complimented Arnsparger on the overachieving units he built during his days as the Miami Dolphins ' defensive mastermind from 1970 to ' 74 and 1976 to ' 84 . " I was just trying to create pressure without exposing the secondary , " Arnsparger recalls telling LeBeau . Among the schemes used by Arnsparger in 1980 was one in which Dolphins end Kim Bokamper dropped into coverage while two linebackers stormed the backfield . It was unusual , but it had been done before : The Philadelphia Eagles occasionally covered running backs with linemen during the ' 60s , and UCLA coach Dick Vermeil dropped a nosetackle into short cover zones in the ' 76 Rose Bowl . Those are just two examples . Doodling on a legal pad as he flew back to Cincinnati , LeBeau got a crazy idea . He drew schemes in which ends and nosetackles dropped into zones while linebackers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairly radical , 280- and 300-pound defensive linemen getting into pass coverage , " LeBeau says now . " But the problem with most blitzes was they left receivers in man coverage . If we could play a zone behind the blitz , it could create confusion for the quarterback , and maybe he 'd get hit by the time he saw what we were doing . Luckily , when I went to Sam , he was an innovative guy . " Says Wyche , " When I looked at it from an offensive standpoint , I saw there were problems that I did n't know how to solve . That 's when I knew it would be tough for offenses . " Photograph In ' 96 the Steelers were one of the most proficient zone-blitz teams , as Jason Gildon demonstrated for the Chargers Sean Salisbury . // In LeBeau 's eight seasons as defensive coordinator with Cincinnati , the Bengals on average finished 17th in the league in sacks and 20th in points allowed , and the man with the radical scheme was run out of town in ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was unshaken . " They did n't invent the airplane without a few of them not flying , " LeBeau says . Hired by the Steelers to coach defensive backs under new coach Bill Cowher in ' 92 , LeBeau shared an apartment his first three months in Pittsburgh with new defensive coordinator Dom Capers . For most of the first two years the Steelers played it straight , blitzing linebackers and defensive backs but leaving the defensive linemen to occupy the quarterback 's bodyguards up front . The strategy worked . Pittsburgh allowed an average of 16 points a game over the ' 92 and ' 93 seasons . " But Bill was never opposed to doing things that could make us better , " says Capers , now Carolina 's coach . " So we invested a lot of time in the zone blitz between our second and third years . We started practice every day with a 20-play walk-through to get our guys used to it , and after a few weeks we really started to play it well . I remember we beat Miami in Pittsburgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carnell Lake blitzing and pressuring Dan Marino into an interception by inside linebacker Levon Kirkland , who was playing a short coverage zone . " There were skeptics . When Jimmy Johnson saw it , he said the Steelers would n't go far with the scheme , because it was n't sound . Well , the Steelers led the league in sacks in ' 94 and finished second in points allowed . In eight of their 16 regular-season games , they held their opponent to 10 points or less , and only a misfiring offense kept them from the Super Bowl . Capers took the scheme to the Panthers when he became their first coach in ' 95 . Carolina advanced to the NFC Championship Game last season , thanks largely to the play of its defense , which led the NFL in sacks and third-down efficiency and was second in points allowed . Now LeBeau hopes for the same kind of results in Cincinnati . " What I like about it is that the defense dictates to the offense , " says Bengals end Dan Wilkinson , who was moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do what we do . Let them react to us . " Wilkinson , the first pick in the ' 94 draft , hopes the zone blitz can reenergize his game the way it did Kragen 's . An expansion-draft afterthought two years ago , he was called one of Carolina 's MVPs last season by general manager Bill Polian . In the zone blitz the nosetackle often fires forward , forcing the center to engage him in a block , before backpedaling into one of the short passcoverage zones . " The center is left blocking no one , and Greg 's back covering somebody , " says Capers , who estimates the Panthers used the zone blitz 45% of the time last year . " That 's a great advantage for us . " Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy likes to use the defense as an element of surprise against a predictable offense . " It 's safer than the 46 , even though it 's like any gimmick defense , " he says . " The more experienced a quarterback is , the less troubling it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 46 , a mistake will cost you 10 yards instead of 90 . " Miami offensive coordinator Gary Stevens is n't intimidated by the zone blitz , but he admits , " I 'd rather see the 46 . Then you face man coverage , and you can hit the home run . With the zone blitz , there 's somebody in most zones to make plays . " Forget the technical talk and strategy for a second , and remember one thing : Because today 's pass rushers are so athletic , the offensive linemen must react more quickly and make more decisions on who to block . " It 's a circus out there , " Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli says . " You 've got safeties rushing where defensive ends would be , defensive ends dropping into coverage . I do n't know who I 'm going to block on any pass play . You get 100 different looks against the zone blitz . That 's what it seems like , anyway . Usually I might block two guys , maybe three in a game . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henry , Bill Johnson , Levon Kirkland , Carnell Lake-and I 'm probably missing somebody . The whole game 's a mental exercise . " It is mid-July at the Bengals ' training camp in Georgetown , Ky . The temperature is hovering around 90 , and the team is in the heat of an 11-on-il scrimmage . LeBeau signals a blitz call : Dime Sam Fire Zone . The blitz is designed to attack the offense 's strong ( or tight end ) side , with strong safety Tremain Mack , left outside linebacker Canute Curtis and left end John Copeland firing over the opposition 's right tackle and tight end . Newly signed rookie outside linebacker Reinard Wilson looks lost . " You 're back , " someone tells Wilson , indicating that he should drop into a short coverage zone . Quarterback Jeff Blake steps under center , yells a quick " Hut ! " and takes the snap . The chaos begins . Mack comes like a bullet train . So do Curtis and Copeland . Curtis and Mack break through and surround Blake , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The whistle blows . Offensive coaches yell at their guys for letting the defense " sack " Blake , who , frustrated , throws the ball at the ground in anger . LeBeau allows himself a slight smile . Cincinnati will be the best test tube yet for the zone blitz . Pittsburgh and Carolina had high-priced , proven stars when they made the change . Over the past decade the Bengals have selected seven defensive players in the first round of the draft , but the stench from their 1996 defense is still wafting over Cincinnati : 21st in sacks , 23rd in points allowed , 25th in total defense , 29th against the pass . " When coach LeBeau was hired , " linebacker James Francis says , " I jumped for joy . Now we were going to play a defense we 'd love . " The four primary pass rushersoutside linebackers Francis and Wilson , defensive ends Copeland and Wilkinsonall were picked in the top half of the first round of the last eight drafts . Wilkinson has had a so-so 46-game NFL career , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' 96 until he hit the wall at the midpoint . Constant double-teaming was largely to blame for a slump over the last eight games , during which he had only 17 tackles and onehalf sack . When LeBeau watched Wilkinson on film , he saw a 31-pound horse being corralled . So LeBeau moved him outside . " Now , " he told Wilkinson in the spring , " if they want to block you with two , we 'll bring four on the other side , every play . After a while , they wo n't be double-teaming you . " That , of course , delights Wilkinson . " Finally it 'll be a fair fight , " he says . " I 'll be able to be aggressive . I 'll be able to charge upfield and make plays . The offensive line 's not going to know who 's coming or when we 're coming . This defense is going to help me show the kind of player I am . When I hang up my hat at the end of my career , you 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " If he can give this Bengals defense some teeth , LeBeau might be as valuable as a first-round pick himself . Football is a funny business . The man run out of Riverfront Stadium six years ago could become a genius at newly named Cinergy Field . From afar , the man who inspired the zone blitz is respectful . Says Arnsparger , " Dick has given the edge in pro football back to the defense . " Photograph Even 5 ' 8 " cornerback Tyrone Poole played big for a havoc-producing Carolina defense , which last season led the NFL in sacks and was second in points allowed . // <p> 
##2001372 A little knowledge goes a long way . Here are six tips designed to make you a more efficient fisherman . // BAG YOUR MUDDLERS THE MUDDLER Minnow in its various incarnations is among the world 's most popular fly patterns for trout and other species , but it has one major drawback . It floats too well . You could fish this fly with its deerhair head for a half hour or more before it soaks up enough water to sink readily . That means your twitching retrieve will keep the fly at the surface instead of working it deeper . To solve this problem , put some Muddlers in a small , sealable plastic bag with a little water before you go fishing . Roll up the bag to push out the air , then seal it . Stick it in a vest pocket , and when you 're ready to fish , your Muddlers will be presoaked and ready to sink . Just remember to remove the flies from the bag to let them air-dry when you get home . Otherwise all you 'll end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ESSENTIAL COSMETICS THE MOST successful casting or trolling lures for any fish are often those that have had color added . And the easiest way to add any color is with nail polish , which you 'll find in myriad shades at drugstores . Lake trout and landlocked salmon , for example , often respond aggressively to a bright red spot added to a brass or copper spoon , especially in early spring and late tall . Each bottle of polish comes with its own applicator brush , making the job easy . You 'll also find thinners , clear finishes , and polish removers on the same shelf , and usually for much less than you 'd spend for an equivalent collection of paint from the hardware store . But do n't stop there . Nail polish has dozens of uses : fly-tying head cement , coating frayed rod-guide windings , temporarily patching pinhole leaks in air mattresses or outboard-motor gas lines , brightening the front bead on a rifle sight , and locking screw threads that otherwise refuse to stay tightened , to name just a few . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HOOK SHARPENING is an essential chore , but it 's one nobody likes because it takes so much time , especially when you 're dealing with a tackle box full of treble hooks . You can make your own sharpener with a pair of chainsaw files , which will make the job go much faster , give good results with hooks down to about No. 6 , and cost less than $5 . Photograph // Chainsaw files are fine , round files typically close to 1/8 inch in diameter , 7 to 8 inches long , and widely available at most hardware stores . You 'll need two of the same diameter taped tightly together at both ends with vinyl tape . Make sure both filing surfaces are lined up in the same direction . The groove where the two files meet is your sharpening area , and two or three quick forward swipes along the point of a big bass-style worm hook or saltwater streamer fly , for example , should do the job . If you want to get fancy , cut the 7-inch files in half-I used a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hardwood block handle with quick-setting epoxy . Remember that the file sections must be bound tightly together at the ends to keep the sharpening area from separating when in use . You 'll get better results by carefully triangulating a hook point with a diamond hone , but that 's a timeconsuming process . Instead , your chainsaw file will make hooks acceptably sharp in seconds , and for most people that 's a giant step forward . FLY SPLAT MOST FLY fishermen work hard at delicate presentations , trying to land a fly on the water like thistledown . But there are times when just the opposite works best , times when landing a large fly with a good , hard splat gets the fish 's attention and can provoke an immediate strike . The popular early-summer hatch of giant stoneflies on western trout rivers is one time this approach works , since the big , clambering bugs fall noisily to the water from streamside willows . Grasshoppers often hit trout water in a similar fashion , and the hard plop of a bass bug hitting a lilypad pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The technique is simple . As your forward cast is unrolling in the air toward its target , pull back on the rod tip sharply . A quick pullback of 6 to 12 inches as the cast unrolls forces the line , leader , and fly to turn over with more than normal force , putting the fly on the water hard . I often try this when fishing big streamers in toward the bank on large trout rivers , and couple it with a high-speed retrieve . The hard splat and quickly darting fly can provoke savage strikes from large brown trout , so the technique also calls for leader tippets of 10-pound-test or greater . Sometimes trout will only answer to the softest touch . But at other times a hard-hitting fly may be your only hope . The secret is to experiment on the water , while adding fly splat to your own arsenal of tricks . HANDY MEASUREMENTS EVERY OUTDOORSPERSON needs a quick measuring device from time to time to check the length of a fish before release , measure line for a new leader , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . But most of the time you either forgot to pack a measuring tape or-more often in my case-you forgot where you put it . Also , a measuring tape can be too slow and awkward when you 're trying to measure and release a fish . Photograph // The best measuring device is one that 's always with you : your own hand . Measure the widest span obtained by spreading your fingers and burn that figure into your brain . My own hand spans 8 1/2 inches from pinkie tip to thumb tip with fingers widespread , for example . Even in total darkness , I can walk my spread hand down the flanks of a big striper or largemouth for a close estimate of length before I release the fish . My index finger , meanwhile is 3 inches long , and the first joint on that finger is 1 inch , all measurements that have been useful at one time or another . Make sure to measure your own hand , as dimensions vary widely among individuals . The late jazz pianist Hubie Blake , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part for his complex keyboard rhythms and , not too incidentally , gave him a terrific ruler . THE SPORTSMAN 'S SHMOO IT WAS a good idea then , and it still is . Back in 1849 when Walter Hunt of New York City invented the safety pin , it was such a hot item that he reportedly conceived the idea , made a patent model , and sold the design for $300 all within 3 hours . And even though disposable diapers have made safety pins scarce in most households these days , a safety pin still ranks right up there with duct tape and matches as essential outdoor gear . From fixing the broken suspenders on your waders or hunting pants to untangling backlashed reels and stubborn knots to clearing paint-covered eyes on crappie jigs , a safety pin is an all-purpose tool . Sterilize the point with a match , and then remove a splinter from your hand . A little bending and cutting with pliers gives you a replacement rod guide using the pin 's wire eye . Safety pins are like a modern Shmoo for sportsmen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creature that supplied anything from pork chops to suspender buttons on a whim . The only key is having a safety pin when you need one , and that means having lots of them . There 's at least one in each of my tackle boxes , for example , and two pinned inside my fly-fishing vest . There are a few more in my truck 's glove compartment , and still more in my camping kit bag . The moral here is do n't be stingy ; safety pins are cheap insurance . Photograph // <p> 
##2001374 When mud vs , got a hold on your 4x4 , an electric winch can get you and your truck back on firm ground . // WHILE STEELHEADING ON Michigan 's Pere Marquette River last spring , I crossed paths with Dan Suman , a bowhunter out of Mears , Michigan . When we took a break for coffee , the talk fell naturally to another of Dan 's abiding passionsdeer hunting . A few minutes later , Dan said , " Look , I 've got a nice piece of woods ; why do n't you hunt it with me this fall ? " I accepted enthusiastically . " Well , as long as you 're here , stop by tomorrow , " he continued . " My sons have just finished building some new stands . You can look the spot over . " One thing . I 've bushwhacked a 4x4 trail on reasonably solid ground , but the rest of the place is a total bog . You need to be real careful driving in . " " No problem , " I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-wheeling . It 's even got locking differentials see Vehicles department , April 1997 . No way it can get stuck . " The next day Dan and I drove the narrow trail as far as possible . There was a small clearing off to the right , which looked like an ideal spot to park the truck . But , mindful of Dan 's warning about boggy ground , I climbed out of the cab and surveyed the area on foot . The leaf-covered ground supported my weight easily . " This will do just fine , " I said , and backed the truck in . It promptly sank to the frame in thick , dark ooze that looked like used engine oil . " What 's this ? " I said as I climbed down . Dan looked on with a bemused grin . He knew I was in deep trouble ; the top of each tire was barely visible . I climbed back behind the wheel . I had pulled the truck out of some of Missouri 's worst mud , so I was n't overly concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might , the mud would n't yield its prize . Even in low-range 4WD , the truck was stuck fast-like Brer Rabbit to the tar baby . Photograph These days , heavy-duty electric winches such as the Ramsey ProPlus 9000 ( inset ) come in compact versions . For maximum versatility , mate the winch to a special mount that slides into a Class 3 receiver , which can be fitted front and rear . When not needed , the winch slides out for storage at home . // " What are you going to do now ? " Dan asked . WHEN TROUBLE FINDS YOU Hunters and fishermen who routinely venture into rough country should never assume the vehicle-no matter how well equipped-wo n't get stuck . At some point , trouble will find even the most careful drivers . A wise approach for the intrepid outdoorsman is to plan for trouble by installing an electric winch . Reduced to essentials , an electric winch is a motorized drum that unspools and respools a length of heavy-duty wire rope . Once the rope has been attached properly to a secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep mud or off a steep talus slope . A generation ago these were bulky accessories that were mounted permanently in massive replacement bumpers . Nowadays , you can opt for a detachable quick-mount platform that slides a compact winch into a receiver ( front or rear ) . When the winch is n't needed , the mount and winch slide out easily and quickly for storage in garage or tool shed . PICKING THE WINCH At first glance , choosing a winch may seem confusing . But it 's really fairly simple . Electric winches are classified by duty ratings , which are based on line pull , gearing system , and motor . To get started , you need two pieces of information-Gross Vehicle Weight ( GVW ) and line pull . To calculate the GVW , start with the 4x4 's curb weight , then add the supplies and equipment ( including a full load of fuel ) you 'll be carrying . The easiest way to do this is to load up and drive over to a certified scale at a truck stop . The rated line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle 's GVW while overcoming the very considerable resistance of mud or a steep slope . The general recommendation is to select a winch with a rated line pull at least 12 percent greater than the GVW . For example , if the truck has a 5,000pound GVW , you 'll need a minimum line pull of 5,600 pounds . To ensure the winch has enough gumption , round up to a higher rating . Photograph Leather-faced gloves protect hands from burrs in wire rope ; nylon tree protector keeps tree from being gouged by wire rope . Keep strap low to the ground . // According to Joe Bridgeman , marketing product specialist with Ramsey Winch , " Actual line rating will vary depending on how many layers are wound on the drum of the winch . You can expect a 10-percent drop in rating for each layer of wire rope that remains on the drum . " In other words , a 9,000-pound winch reaches full rating with one layer of line on the drum , but drops to 5,400 pounds with four layers on the drum . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet of cable , and that the " average amount of line pulled out is 40 to 50 feet . " That means that the real line rating is closer to 6,200 to 7,300 pounds , which can still handle the hypothetical example above . ( Do n't work yourself into a lather about this . The catalog explains line rating in an easy-to-fathom chart . ) Winch motors are either series wound or permanent magnet . Series-wound motors are more suited to longer duration use ; permanent-magnet motors require a lower amperage draw . For high-traction applications with full-size trucks , I 'm partial to series-wound motors . The multiple gears found in a planetary-gear winch mean greater pulling speed ; the cylindrical worm and round gear of a worm-gear winch offer significantly greater gear reduction . In this case , you get brute strength , but oh-so-slow operation . In general , outdoorsmen will find the faster-working planetary gears best for their needs . SOLID ANCHORS The key to safe winch operation is selecting a stout anchor point . Choose wisely . Winching can generate extreme mechanical forces ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vernacular-all hell will break loose . Trees , large boulders , and other vehicles make good anchors . If you choose a tree , make sure that it 's alive ( dead trees topple easily ) and that the roots are deep ( under towing stress , shallow roots may be pulled out of the ground ) . Trust me here ; I learned both the hard way . DOWN TO BUSINESS The reason I had been so confident about not getting stuck was that I had taken one big precaution . I had added a Ramsey ProPlus 9000 winch to the F250 . With a rated line pull of 9,000 pounds , I figured it could handle anything Dan 's woods could throw at it . And because I installed the winch on a Ramsey Quick-Mount platform , the unit slipped into the front receiver nearly as easily as if I were sliding in a Class 3 drawbar . This black mud was evil-looking stuff . But I had eyeballed the area and knew I could hook up to some nearby trees for an easy single-line pull , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Once the winch was properly rigged , I handed the remote control to Dan and hopped into the cab . The instant I felt the front tires lurch forward , I applied some throttle and the truck popped free . Then I walked back to the gaping hole behind the truck . I could see Dan shaking his head ; the imprint of the F250 's leaf springs were clearly visible in the mud . So was something else-a large , sunken tree trunk . No wonder the truck had been unable to free itself ; the mudclogged rear tires could n't climb over the slippery trunk . Even if the front tires had been able to gain purchase , the tree trunk effectively blocked any forward motion . Take that as positive proof that the unexpected can sink you when you drive offroad . But if you prepare for trouble by bringing along a healthy dose of common sense and the proper equipment , you 'll make the going a lot smoother . Sidebar RIGGING A WINCH Sidebar The tWO most common setups are the single-line pull and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove the nylon tree strap protector from the winch accessory package . Position it flat and low against the anchor . Next , run the clevis through both loops of the protector and secure with the pin . Put the clutch in freespool , then pull out the wire rope from the drum . Insert the hook at the end of the wire rope into the clevis . ( Never wrap the rope around an anchor and then hook it back onto itself . Doing so creates kinks that can cause the rope to break under load . Wrapping the wire rope around a tree also damages the tree . ) Lay a blanket or tarp over the wire rope about halfway between the winch and the anchor . This helps direct the rope to the ground if it breaks under load . Sidebar Slowly take up the slack , then conduct a final inspection of the rigging before powering up to full load . Have your partner climb into the truck so he can steer the vehicle and apply throttle when needed . With a long remote cord , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary . The double-line pull uses a snatch block to run the wire rope out to an anchor and then double it back to the vehicle , where the hook is attached to the frame-not the bumper , winch , or any part of the suspension . This rig gives you a two-to-one mechanical advantage over single-line pulling and is useful when the vehicle is really mired . Keep in mind that the anchor will bear the brunt of this double load , so pick a stout one . Also , doubling the power cuts the winch speed in half. -S.L.W . Sidebar FYI Sidebar The suggested list price for the Ramsey ProPlus 9000 winch is $1,024 . The accessory kit , which includes gloves , clevis , nylon tree protector , and snatch block , is $140 . The Quick Mount platform is also $140 . Ramsey makes a wide variety of electric winches as well as mounting kits and bumpers . For more information , contact Ramsey Winch , Dept . FS , 1600 North Garnett Rd. , Tulsa , OK 74116 , telephone ( 918 ) 438-2760. -S.L.W. @ @ 
##2001375 Genealogy is n't the only factor that determines a pup 's potential . One trainer offers tips on how to raise them right , and more . // AS YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW , NEXT-DOOR NEIGHbor , or some guy at work told you it 's impossible to foot-hunt bird dogs out of field trial breeding ? Well , that may be , and it may not . Let 's see . I 'm with Jack Robinson of Dayton , Tennessee , a member of the National Bird Dog Championship board of directors that heads up the National running at the Ames plantation each February in Grand Junction , Tennessee . Jack is a clothing manufacturer , bird dog expert , integral member of his community , and a mighty bright guy . We 're in Jack 's company office ; it 's festooned with Field Trial Hall of Fame certificates for his immortal bird dogs , fine outdoor art , and a Remington sculpture . He says in his deep , resonant voice , " If you talk to serious bird hunters-the old-timers as well as the hunters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 'll find some field trial dog stock . In some cases , within three generations . " Mv theory is-in order to be a competitive field trial dog , the dog must have a burning desire to find game . That carries through to hunting dogs , too . The dog that wants to find more birds will generally do just that . And that bird-finding dog will generally be the smartest of the bunch . Because he 's thinking about birds , he 's working at it , and so he finds them . I encourage bird hunters to breed to major circuit field trial stock , if they can get it . " START SMART ONES YOUNG Jack Robinson is a big man with a military aura . He leans toward me in his office chair , a mass of muscle ridging under his shirt sleeves and on up around his shoulders , and says , " You get a small puppy and you start him afoot , and you do n't ever teach him to run 3 miles at a cast . You teach him to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 minutes . If you have a smart puppy , he 'll learn that-as long as you start him early enough . But remember , if you do n't have a smart puppy , you 're not going to have a very good bird dog , anyway . " So , I 'm convinced the all-age breeding is of benefit to the average bird hunter . Consider , the last two years we bred Evolution after we retired him this was one of his pointers elected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame in 1987 , some 62 percent of the females sent in here were from shooting dog people . " Photograph // Let me explain . The term " shooting dog people " refers to handlers competing in the National Bird Hunters or Shoot-To-Retrieve field trials . These bird dog stakes more closely approximate a foot-hunter 's day afield . For you see , the classic field trial circuit does not require a fetch for placement , nor are any birds shot . Anyway , Jack goes on , " And these people who bred to Evolution or any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great success because they started the pups early . " I told those who got pups from me , If you can start them as early as seven weeks , and you 've got a place where you can walk them and fool with them and get them to come back to you , then that 's the way to do it . " Do n't let that puppy lay in a kennel until he 's six months old before you turn him loose . If you do , his natural breeding and instinct is going to produce a dog that runs long through the country looking for birds . Therefore , the primary thing you must teach is for the pup to come back to you . " ' BIRD HUNTER 'S DREAM IT 'S LATER WHEN JACK MENTIONS THE FIRST TRIAL HE ever attended was the National running . " I was a sophomore at Vanderbilt , " he said , " and a friend of my dad 's got me a letter of introduction to Jimmy Bryan , who was assistant manager of the plantation at that time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car and gave Jimmy my note and he rounded me up a rental horse and I rode in the mud and the rain . Did n't see a thing . You know , I was just a kid and I hung back , ' cause I did n't want to get in anyone 's way . " But that note also got me invited to the big house and I walked into the gun room of Mr. Ames the former resident and benefactor who left this house and land in perpetuity to the National running and sitting there was Nash Buckingham . " At the mention of Nash , I 'm leaning forward . Jack tells me , " It started raining even harder and Mr. Buckingham asked if I was going to ride that afternoon and I told him I was planning on it , but did n't have a rain suit . We both looked out the window " Then he said , Why do n't you just sit in here in the den with me . You can be my bartender and we 'll just chat . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many bird hunters would die for . Jack says , " I listened to that man for more than 3 hours . " " Well , what did he talk about ? " I demanded . " Oh , I asked him about the old Beaver Dam duck club and about his bird hunting in the hills of north Mississippi . " " How old was he ? " " About eighty , I guess . " My mind wanders off . Nash wrote a story for FIELD &; STREAM called " Pipeline Pottiges . " He was in the company of a young landowner named John Bailey . Years later I 'd make the same hunt with Bailey and now both these legends , John and Nash , are gone . Jack Robinson is saying to me , " I think Quail Unlimited has been the greatest asset for the bird hunter that this country has ever seen . They 've helped the average hunter learn that birds do n't just happen . If you want to have quail , you 've got to work to help them . You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed and protect them from predators . " I do n't know how many hunters who have bred their females to my dogs over the years that have later come to me and said , Two years ago I killed 321 quail , but have n't popped a cap this year . ' " And I ask why , and they tell me , Why , I 've been going to field trials . ' " So it works both ways . You can get a good bird hunting dog out of a national champ , but you can also get hooked on the field trial game . " Jack smiles . PEN PROBLEMS Then Jack says , " We got lots of quail here . " I butt in , noting , " Well , you 're sure different than anyplace else in the South . " " Why 's that ? " he asks . " Because the report is there are no birds in the South , " I tell him . Jack says , " I have a theory about that . Maybe I 'm wrong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road several years ago by releasing penraised quail . " I do n't believe released quail and native , wild quail cooperate together . I think that when you release a pair of quail , if you provide the proper habitat ( and that includes cover , feed , and protection in the right geographical area ) , then the good Lord will provide as many quail per acre as He deems fit : " But if you start tinkering with it , and start with half a quail per acre and you want 1 1/2 quail per acre so you 're going to release your own , then you 're messing with nature and something is going to happen . " You can take an area that 's barren of wild quail and you can successfully stock pen-raised quail . You can hold them there if you do it properly and you will get a little reproduction . But if you keep adding more quail you start to foul up the balance. , " First of all , the word spreads through the wildlife community that there 's easy . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birds . You start to attract predators and you get disease problems , for when you raise liberated quail you medicate them from day one . That medication prevents diseases from decimating your quail crop . But what you have n't done is immunize them against those diseases . " You have n't destroyed the carrying capacity of those diseases , for all you 've done is fight the disease with an antibiotic . You put them in the wild and take them off the antibiotic and two bad things can happen . " First off a disease breaks out , and then the released quail take it to the wild quail . Now you got a mess . " JACK IS STILL TALKING AS I look about his office at the Hall of Fame certificates , the Purina award . The man 's done well . But more important to us he 's contributed . For that 's the purpose of field trials , you know ? To improve the breed . Many good hunting dogs trace their lineage to Jack 's kennels . And , folks , that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tips // <p> 
##2001376 OR A LOT OF FOLKS THE WORD INFLATABLE " BRINGS to mind kiddy pool toys , or tractor-tire inner tubes , or ( at worst ) a Speedo-clad fat guy slowly sinking on a rubber raft . Yet well-designed inflatable boats have been proving themselves seaworthy for decades . Jacques Cousteau started buzzing around in a Zodiac inflatable almost forty years ago . And with today 's advanced designs and new materials , such as Decitex polyester and Nytryl/Nylon , inflatables , like their rigidhulled cousins , are dependable , functional , and can last up to twenty years or more . If you need more references , consider this : the United States Armed Forces used Zodiac inflatables in Vietnam , Grenada , Panama , and the Persian Gulf . In 1994 a sailor named Bryan Peterson completed a circumnavigation of the globe in a Zodiac Hurricane . Serious inflatable kayaks and canoes are all the rage with whitewater paddlers who push their craft to the limit . And the Canadian Army Rangers use Innova inflatable kayaks for search and rescue missions . The beauty of inflatables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go where other boats can't-like in your closet or behind your sofa . They 'll go in the trunk of your car or the bed of your pickup . And once you 've got them there , they 'll go wherever you take them . I TOOK THE FOUR INFLATABLE BOATS I HAD TO THE ADIRONDACKS , TO A bass and pike lake I used to waste a lot of time on when I was a kid . Back in the woods a few miles from the lake , there are a bunch of small ponds that hold native brook trout . A rustic lean-to overlooks one of the lake 's points . A perfect spot , I figured , for my friend Paulie , my brother P.H. , and me to spend a week banging around in some blow-up boats . THE BOATS INFLATABLES COME IN JUST ABOUT EVERY SHAPE AND SIZE , FROM ONEman dinghies to bona fide fishing boats , " go fast " models , and solid-hulled offshore rigs . It 's an oversimplification to put them all into two categories , but we 'll do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I are interested in , the categories work well . So think of inflatables as either solid-floored ( solid like a piece of plywood ) motor-driven boats , or soft-floored ( soft like a beach ball ) paddleboats . Solid-floored inflatables ( read bass boats ) are meant to be used on fairly accessible waters ; they 're highly portable in that you can put them in the trunk of your car or the bed of your pickup and go where you could n't go with a rigid-hulled boat and a trailer , but you are not going to tie one of them to your backpack frame . Soft-floored paddleboats ( canoes , kayaks , and rowing craft ) are designed to be extremely portable ; they are very easy to assemble and you can put one of these things on your back . In the solid-floored motor-driven category I had a 12 1/2-foot Zodiac Fish N ' Hunt-a serious bass boat with a padded bench seat in the stern , swivel seat in the bow , trolling-motor mount , livewell , cooler , rod holders . . . the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aluminum motor mount and self bailer to which I mounted a Mercury 9.9-hp short-shaft outboard . ( It also has an optional pull-up camouflage blind in case you want to take it duck hunting . ) The Fish N ' Hunt weighs about 110 pounds , but packs easily ( minus the seats ) into its own carrying bag . This was the Mother Ship . In the soft-floored paddleboat category I had a 12 1/2foot Innova Helios 380 Backpackable Kayak which weighs about 28 pounds and comes in its own backpack . I also had two boats made by Sevylor : an 8-foot Fish Hunter HF250 rowing craft that weighs about 17 pounds , and a 10-foot 7-inch Tahiti Classic K79 canoe , about 25 pounds . These were the bushwhackers . For two days before the trip , I kept all four boats stored in the closet of my studio apartment . ( You should know that my studio apartment is smaller than most people 's closets , and the closet in my studio apartment is smaller than most people 's refrigerators . ) When the time came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my apartment building with boats and gear , packed everything in the bed of my small pickup , and headed north . For inflation and deflation , each boat comes with a foot pump . This thing works like a bellows-you put it on the ground and squash down with your foot . Electric pumps are available , but for most boats the foot pump does the job quickly and easily . If you 're looking at a boat you have to inflate with your mouth , you 're in a toy store . When it comes to assembling an inflatable , keep this in mind : everything is easier the second time around . This is n't so important for soft-floored bushwhackers because they 're designed to require next to no assembly . The Innova kayak makes a nice example : it comes in a backpack small enough to fit under an airplane seat , and the boat is all one piece . You just take it out of the pack , roll it out on the ground so it looks like a big cigar-shaped blob of rubber , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then assemble a couple of collapsible paddles , and you 're off The whole process takes about 5 minutes . But when it comes to solid-floored boats that have a lot of accessories , you need to take some time to assemble the boat whenever you want to put it on the water . Once we had the procedure down , it took us between 15 and 20 minutes to set up the Fish N ' Hunt ( not much longer than it takes to launch a boat from a trailer ) . But first-time assembly is a bear ( see First Time ? sidebar ) , so do n't take one of these things out of the box at the launch and expect to be fishing in a half hour . THE TRIP ON OUR FIRST MORNING WE PUT THE BUSHWHACKERS ON OUR BACKS , grabbed the paddles , the pumps , and our rods , and set out from the lean-to for the trout ponds . After an hour 's hike , the three of us stood on the bank of the first pond , experiencing the strange feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pond and the mountains and thought , That was a nice jaunt. . . what agreat spot this is. . . uh , what did we come here for ? When you hike way the hell back through thick woods over uneven ground to a pond to go fishing , you 're supposed to be half dead from hauling the canoe(s) . This was more like going for short hike with a backpack , so we were a little confused . But in a matter of minutes we had the three boats on the water and were casting Muddler Minnows and catching brookies . We spent the rest of that day hopping from pond to pond with the bushwhackers , and we found them very well suited for it . But we also found that a bushwhacker is a give-and-take proposition . The soft floor allows you to stuff the boat in a backpack and take it almost anywhere with ease , but because of that soft floor , the boats are a bit like beanbags-hard to get in and out of , and only comfortable for so long . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boats maneuvered well for us on the ponds and they were relatively easy to fish from . We may have been influenced by the number of fish we caught , or the beauty of the place , or the fact that we did n't see another fisherman all day , but we came away thinking pretty highly of the bushwackers . The trick is to know what you 're going to use the boat for before you buy it , and to know its limitations . If you want to fish all day on the same large pond or lake , think solid floors . But if you want to go pond-hopping back in the bush , or jump from one part of a river to another with ease , take a close look at softfloored inflatable paddleboats . The next morning P.H. could n't get his mind off the trout , so he took the Innova kayak back to the ponds , and Paulie and I took the Fish N ' Hunt out for some bass fishing . This was no give-and-take proposition : the Mother Ship was all give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot out of the hole easily , was plenty fast , and maneuvered beautifully . Most impressive was its stability . This sort of solid-floored boat sits very flat on the water ; yet even at moderate speeds we were able to turn on a dime . While we were fishing , we could stand and walk around on the solid deck , and when landing fish , we could lean right over the side of the boat without it tipping in the least . And the Mother Ship was stealthy . The boat is made of a very quiet material , it sits low in the water , and it sports an olive-drab color , so Paulie and I were able to spend much of the day sneaking into the lake 's shallow coves , catching bass from the flooded woodwork . We also trolled for and caught pike over a long lattice of submerged logs . The boat offered plenty of room for casting and playing fish , and extras such as the swivel seat , livewell , cooler , and rod holders made the Fish N ' Hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to know the boat 's limitations . Because the Fish N ' Hunt is light with a flat bottom and modest inflatable keel , it 's not a boat for big water , where wind and waves can present problems . But it 's ideal for smaller protected waters , including most lakes and ponds , and many rivers . In the end , Paulie and I agreed : even if we had space to keep a rigid-hulled bass boat , we 'd think very seriously about buying an inflatable such as this instead . We spent the next few days switching back and forth from trout fishing to bass fishing , alternating the bushwhackers and the Mother Ship . On the last night , the three of us sat in front of the fire at the lean-to , eating trout and chatting about the fish we 'd caught and the time we 'd spent and how nice it 'd been . It occurred to me that I 'd have to go back to the office in the morning , but I pushed that thought away . Instead , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place . Then I realized that I would n't be here in the first place if it were n't for four blow-up boats that fit in my closet . <p> 
##2001377 Mexico 's San Femando Valley is marked by vast stretches of rolling brush and lush grainfields . This rich and raw land offers the adventurous shotgunner a dream double on quail and ducks . // A WARM WIND BLOWS FROM MEXICO AND IT IS SPICED WITH OUTDOOR ADVENTURE . The wind comes from the raw land , the vast and virtually untouched expanses that stand in bold contrast to the strip centers and subdivisions that increasingly squeeze the open spaces north of the border . Generations of hunters and fishermen have traveled to Mexico , lured by the beckon of fresh horizons . Times and attitudes change , but one constant remains : Mexico has bounty that many stateside sportsmen can not comprehend . The rich habitat and limited pressure combine for a fiesta with rod and gun . The Land of Montezuma has a mood . You can taste the air as surely as you can taste the fresh pico de gallo , and even though the game might remain essentially the same the experience is different . The colors are somehow more vibrant , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Laguna Madre is a reminder that , for once , you are on the edge of a real expedition . The nearest ATM or espresso bar is way back that-a-way . Many regions of Mexico offer a variety of excellent outdoor experiences , and one of the best for hunting is one of the closest to the United States . The San Fernando Valley in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas is located just below the Texas border . Hundreds of miles of rolling brush country are interspersed by rich grainfields , and this primo upland bird habitat spills into the shallow marshes and bay flats of the upper Lagunaa major wintering area for waterfowl funneling down the Central and Mississippi flyways . The hub is the town of San Fernando , an unlikely settlement of dusty buildings , colorful cantinas , and noisy Pemex truckstops on Highway 101 approximately 80 miles from Rio Grande crossings at Brownsville/Matamoros and McAllen/Reynosa . Several hunting operations are based in or near San Fernando and offer seasonal wingshooting packages for whitewing and mourning doves , bobwhite quail , ducks , geese , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border crossings and gun permits , which expedites the transits and keeps red tape to a minimum . Combination trips allow the option of juggling two or more legal species and playing weather patterns and bird movements to best advantage . During a trip last December to Operacion las Palomas ( now Las Palomas de Loma Colorada , owned by Don Turner and Phillip Veale ) , we concentrated on quail and ducks , a combination popular with many shotgunners looking to play it fast and loose . A small and fiery pepper called the chilipiqxine grows along the fencerows and brush lines of the San Fernando Valley , and these same fields offer some of the most challenging hunting for wild bobwhite quail in North America . This must be more than coincidence . The bobwhites thriving amid the horizons of brush and grain are , indeed , wild . And so is the shooting . When a covey pops like a string of peppers from under a quivering point , the action is may caliente-plenty hot for most gringos . The brush-country quail demand quick stepping and aggressive shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , forcing hunters to ram ahead and force the issue . You can not always stand on ceremony when gunning for a fifteen-bird daily limit . Other bevies erupt in staggered rises from unlikely hides and at inopportune times . It 's amazing how the huddled quail spook when you are impaled in a pear patch or tangled up with an irritable diamondback ( either way , do n't forget snake boots or leggings ) . But it 's not all brush-busting . Often , a wad flushes from open grass , a fanning spray above a locked dog that would make Nash Buckingham proud ; indeed , many grizzled bird hunters are surprised at the amount of open fields that await quality dog work . Photograph The valley 's freshwater ponds are rough-cut gems scattered amid mesquite and prickly pear Entering a blind you may think it improbable wag terrain-and then the sky fills with ducks . // The San Fernando quail may at times cooperate with a predictable , classic rise , but the dapper little birds must feel those peppers . They begin dipping and twisting and curving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grass . Gusting wind whipping across the open country from the nearby Gulf of Mexico usually kicks in as a supercharger. . . and they 're gone . They can fly long fetches while blending against seemingly nothing . Even when a bevy is bounced from a feeding field , the birds may skim just above the grass , drab-on-drab , to minimize their skylighted images . Egos and averages inflated by pen-raised quail can lie dazed and bleeding in the thornbrush as yet another covey squirts through the brush like an explosion of bats and rats . The best tactic is usually to focus on one bird and drop it fast before the peppers kick in . The brush country masters are the silver-haired gunslingers in ratty Stetsons who , in the finest tradition of the Old West , have perfected the quick draw . Watch the cool hand as he steps into a rise and hesitates a scant second to place his feet and select a bird and lean into a proper gun mount . Then a quick bang and a puff of feathers amid the frilly mesquite at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and triples on covey rises . They do occur with some regularity among practiced hunters amid the panic of a big rise , but most are collected on staggered flushes or back-to-back singles . Many are bagged back at camp on back-toback margaritas . In the real brush , at the end of a full day , if you can average one quail from each major rise , you are playing above the norm . The shooting percentages are sometimes sobering , but the opportunities are usually plentiful . Abundance of game is a strong suit of San Fernando . The past two years of drought across the Southwest saw a downturn even in Mexico , but the region remains healthy by most standards . A typical day last season might face twelve to eighteen wild coveys-a good return when measured against five or ten on many of the top ranches in the States . A wet year , a banner year , might double or even triple that number . Phenomenal fifty-covey days are a fact when conditions cooperate . The top outfitters lease many thousands of acres to insure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no single area gets hit too hard . The rich quail potential extends with the grain farming in all directions from San Fernando , but 30 or 40 miles to the east the upland habitat gives way to a desolate network of coastal wetlands that offers amazing duck hunting . Turner and Veale maintain a small satellite camp , Los Patos , on the Laguna Madre near the fishing village of Carbonera . This facility provides a salty ambiance and puts miles of potential within a short run either by vehicles across private ranch roads , or panga skiffs across the shallow Laguna . The choices include marshes , bay flats , and freshwater ponds . The latter are rough-cut gems scattered amid the improbable waterfowling terrain of mesquite and prickly pear ; driving in , perhaps clad in shirt-sleeves , you think maybe it 's a joke , a setup hunt for Senor Snipe , until a thousand ducks fan from a dawning sliver . By land or by sea , most blinds are within 30 to 45 minutes from the outcamp , a significant timesaver against fretting over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitted blacktops from the main lodge just outside San Fernando . The primary ducks are redheads , pintails , widgeons , and teal . The redheads are the strong suit ; migratory waterfowl biologists with Ducks Unlimited/Mexico estimate that more than 3 million of the divers winter each year on the upper Laguna Madre . Most of the birds migrate down the Central flyway , and the fact that the overall flyway duck numbers during 1996 were claimed to be the best in twenty years only improves an already astounding potential . Photograph The bobwhites thriving amid the horizons of brush and grain are . indeed , wild . And so is the shooting . When a covey pops like a string of peppers , the action is muy caliente. // Some controversy does exist concerning duck hunting in Mexico . The liberal limit of fifteen per day , any species , either sex , is at odds with conservation efforts in the United States ; however , several factors deserve consideration . First , the overall gunning pressure in northeastern Mexico is light . Second , many of the wintering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the hunting seasons in the United States . Many are already in place in Mexico by early November . It could be argued that they represent a separate resource . Most important , the limit is an individual issue . The shooter using restraint can take drakes only , and concentrate on mixing the bag rather than taxing a single species . As far as that goes , no one is required to kill fifteen ducks a day . Shoot what your conscience dictates . But this is not about killing ducks ; this is about experiencing ducks . A remarkable fact is that a hunter " set up " on a good hole might see more ducks in a single morning than during an entire season back home . Huge rafts on the horizon fragment as wave after wave crosses the open water and bunch after bunch sails into the decoys . The typical combination of high , circling puddle ducks and low , strafing divers can provide valuable experience in identifying ducks and judging ranges and picking shots . Colorfil walk-ons such as coyotes and feral hogs keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits " are frequent , but it is the watching , not the shooting , that is the secret thrill of duck hunting south of the border . Seemingly prehistoric numbers of birds can fill the sky , and the dawning parades are time travel to a golden era that most waterfowlers will never know . The quail and duck hunting of San Fernando often complement each other , a fine mix of upland and wetland shooting with extraordinary potential during any given weekend between November and January . It is hard to fire blanks ; indeed , the most difficult part of a session can be deciding which option to forfeit . Hunting at San Fernando is like whacking a pinatahit it right and treats and surprises spray in all directions . This double-barreled fiesta is all the more remarkable because it is not half a world away . Sidebar FYI Sidebar For additional information on Las Palomas de Loma Colorada , call Tommy Morrison at Sporting International at ( 800 ) 231-6352 ; or Murray Stacy at Lone Wolf Marketing at ( 281 ) 370-5542. -JO. // <p> 
##2001378 In February 1953 , FIELD &; STREAM published the first installment of what is arguably the most popular column in its history , The Old Man and the Boy . Robert Chester Ruark , a hugely successful newspaper columnist and novelist , created the series out of his childhood experiences in coastal North Carolina during the 1920s . The Old Man was a combination of Ruark 's two grandfathers ; the Boy was himself . Ruark 's columns ran every month until 1961 . They were immediately reprinted in book form , and have never been out of print since then . This column ran in March 1953 ; it is about gun safety , taught in no uncertain terms . // HIS AI N'T A VERY EXPENSIVE GUN , " THE OLD Man said . " It 's not a hand-made gun , and it has n't got any fancy engraving on it . But it 'll shoot where you hold her , and if you hold her true she 'll kill what you 're aiming at . Some day when you go to work and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy yourself a set of matched doubles , or you can get a special job built in this country with a lot of gold bird dogs on it . But for you to learn with , this is all the gun you need right now . " It was maybe the most beautiful gun a boy ever had , especially if he was only eight years old at the time and the Old Man had decided he could be trusted with a dangerous firearm . A little 20-gauge , it was only a $20 gun , but $20 was a lot of money in those days and you could buy an awful lot with it . The Old Man stuffed his pipe and stuck it under his mustache , and sort of cocked his big stick-out ears at me , like a setter dog looking at a rabbit he ai n't supposed to recognize socially . " In a minute , " he said , " I aim to whistle . up the dogs and let you use this thing the best way you can . But before we go out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : You have got my reputation in your hands right now . Your mother thinks I 'm a damned old idiot to give a shirt-tail boy a gun that is just about as tall as the boy is . I told her I 'd be personally responsible for you and the gun and the way you use it . I told her that any time the boy is ready is learn about guns is the time he 's ready , no matter how young he is , and you ca n't start too young to learn how to be careful . What you got in your hands is a dangerous weapon . It can kill you , or kill me , or kill a dog . You always got to remember that when the gun is loaded it makes a potential killer out of the man that 's handling it . Do n't you ever forget it . " I said I would n't forget it . HE OLD MAN PUT ON HIS HAT and whistled for Frank and Sandy . We walked out back of the house where the tame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the sun warm and the breeze not too stiff , and still some gold and red left in the leaves . We came to a fence , a low barbed-wire fence , and I climbed it , holding the gun up high with one hand and gripping the fencepost with the other . I was halfway over when the barbed wire sort of caught in the crotch of my . pants and the Old Man hollered . " Whoa ! " the Old Man said . " Now ai n't you a silly sight , stuck on a bobwire fence with a gun waving around in the breeze and one foot in the air and the other foot on a piece of limber wire ? " " I guess I am at that , " I said . " I 'm going to get pretty naggy at you for a while , " the Old Man said . " When you do it wrong , I 'm going to tell you . I know you have n't loaded the gun yet , and that no matter what happens nobody is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fence with a gun in your hand . But if you make a habit out of it , some day you 'll climb one with the loads in the gun and your foot 'll slip and the trigger 'll catch in the bobwire and the gun 'll go off and shoot you or me or somebody else , and then it 'll be too late to be sorry . " There 's a lot of fences around woods and fields , " he said . " You 'll be crossing fences for the rest of your life . You might as well start now to do it right . When you climb a fence , you open the action and unload the gun . Then you walk ten foot away from where you intend to cross the fence and you lay it on the ground with the muzzle sticking in the opposite direction from where you 're going to cross . After you 've crossed the fence you go back and pick up the gun and reload it and make sure the safety 's on . You make a habit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look once in a while and see if it 's on . " We walked on a spell until we hit the corner of the cornfield . Sandy , the lemon and white setter , was sailing around with his nose in the air , taking the outside edge , and Frank , who was pretty old and slow , was making some serious game with his nose on the ground . In a minute Sandy got a message and went off at a dead gallop . He pulled up in full stride and froze by a clump of gallberry bushes . Frank picked up a little speed on the trail and headed up to Sandy . He raised his head once and saw Sandy on the point and stood him stiff and pretty . Maybe you 've seen prettier pictures . I have n't . " Can I really shoot it now ? " I said . " Load her up , " the Old Man said . " Then walk in , and when the birds get up pick out one and shoot him . " I loaded and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catch . It made a little click that you could hardly hear . But the Old Man heard it . " Whoa , " he said . " Give me the gun . " I was mystified and my feelings were hurt because it was my gun . The Old Man had given it to me , and now he was taking it away from me . He switched his pipe to the outboard corner of his mustache and walked in behind the dogs . He was n't looking at the ground where the birds were . He was looking straight ahead of him , with the gun held across his body at a 45-degree angle . The birds got up and the Old Man jumped the gun up . As it came up his thumb flicked the safety off and the gun came smooth up under his chin and he seemed to fire the second it got there . About 25 yards out a bird dropped in a shower of feathers . " Fetch , " the Old Man said , unloading the other shell . " Why 'd you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . I was mad as a wet hen . " Dammit , it 's my gun . It ai n't your gun . ... " " I 'll tell you why I took the gun away from you . You 'll never forget it , will you ? " " You bet I wo n't forget it , " I said , still mad and about to cry . " I told you I was going to nag you some if only to satisfy your mother . This is part of the course . You 'll never walk into a covey of birds or anything else any more without remembering the day I took your new gun away from you . " " I do n't even know why you took it , " I said . " What 'd I do wrong then ? " " Safety catch , " he said . " No reason in the world for a man to go blundering around with the catch off his gun . You do n't know the birds are going to get up where the dog says they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog breaks point and you stumble along behind him and fall in a hole or trip over a rock and the gun goes off . " " You 've got to take it off sometime if you 're planning to shoot something , " I said . " Habit is a wonderful thing , " the Old Man said . " It 's just as easy to form good ones as it is to make bad ones . Once they 're made , they stick . There 's no earthly use of slip- ping the safety off a gun until you 're figuring to shoot it . There 's plenty of time to slip it off while she 's coming up to your shoulder after the birds are up . Shooting a shotgun is all reflexes , anyhow . " The way you shoot it is simply this : You carry her across your body , pointing away from the man you 're shooting with . You look straight ahead . When the birds get up , you look at a bird . Then your reflexes work . The gun comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up your thumb slips the safety and your finger goes on the trigger and the gun just goes off and the bird drops . It is every bit as simple as that if you start at it right . Try it a few times and snap her dry at a pine cone or something . " I threw the gun up and snapped . The gun went off with a horrid roar and scared me so bad I dropped it on the ground . " Uh huh , " the Old Man said sarcastically . " I thought you might have enough savvy to check the breech and see if she was loaded before you dry-fired her . If you had , you 'd have seen that I slipped that shell back when you were n't looking . You mighta shot me or one of the dogs , just taking things for granted . " HAT ENDED THE FIRST LESson . I 'm a lot older now , of course , but I never forgot the Old Man taking the gun away and then palming that shell and slipping it back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words in the world would n't have equaled the object lesson he taught me just by those two or three things . And then he said another thing as we went back to the house : " The older you get , the carefuller you 'll be . When you 're as old as I am , you 'll be so scared of firearms that every young man you know will call you a damned old maid . But damned old maids do n't shoot the heads off their friends in duck blinds or fire blind into a bush where a deer walked in and then go pick up their best buddy with a hole in his chest . .. " Maybe you think the Old Man was cranky , because I did then , but I do n't any more . I 've seen just about everything happen with a gun . One fellow I know used to stand like Dan'l Boone with his hands crossed on the muzzle of his shotgun , and one day something mysterious happened and the gun went off and now he has n't got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him . I 've seen drunks messing around with " unloaded " guns and the guns go off in the house , sobering everybody up . I saw a man shoot his foot nearly off with a rifle he thought he 'd ejected all the cartridges out of . I saw another man on a deer hunt fire into a bush and make a widow out of his best friend 's wife . The Old Man nagged at me and hacked at me for about three years . One time I forgot and climbed a fence with a loaded gun and he took a stick to me . " You ai n't too big to be beat , " he said , " if you ai n't adult enough to remember what I told you about guns and fences . This 'll hurt your . feelings , if it do n't hurt your hide . " When I was eleven , the Old Man stole my little 20-gauge away from me . He grinned sort of evilly . and announced that he was an Indian giver in the best and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the Old Man was a curious cuss and a kind of a devious mover . I went back to my bedroom later , and on the bed was a 16-gauge double with my name on it . There were engravings of quail and dogs in silver on the sides and my name on the silver buttplate . The Old Man was taking a drink for his nervous stomach when I busted into the room with the new gun clutched in my hands . He grinned over the glass . " That there 's your graduation present , " he said . " It 's been three years since we started this business , and you ai n't shot me or the dogs . I figure it 's safe to turn you loose now . But I 'll take that one away from you if you get too big for your britches and start waving it around careless . " . . I 've seen a lot of silly damned fools misusing guns and scaring the daylights out of careful people . But they never had the Old Man for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people . Yr . Obt . Svt . Bob Ruark // <p> 