kevin February 3rd, 2012
A beginner’s fly tying kit is of one the first tools you’ll need to go from fly fisher to fly tier. The White River Fly Shop Trout Tying Kit offers everything you’ll need to get started.
Five years ago, when I first began fly fishing, many wise men of the water forewarned that picking up a fly rod was only 
the first step of the life-long addiction I was undertaking. The evolution of a fly fisherman to a fly tier, they said, is an inevitable aspect of the sport.
They were right. Today, I find fly tying as rewarding and exciting as a tight line with a hungry brown on the other end. But whether you’re a trout bum like me, or brand new to fly fishing all-together, fly tying is a natural progression that almost every fly fishermen arrives at before it’s all said and done.
At first, the thought of actually tying my own flies seemed unrealistic and daunting. So many bugs to identify, hook sizes, colors and patterns to match, tools and vises and thread and beads, etc. And then there’s the technique of actually tying. I didn’t have the luxury of one-on-one lessons or tips and trainings from pros.
Come inside for the full trout tying kit review.
kevin December 22nd, 2011
There have been a lot of technological advances in wading boot construction in the past few years. If you have not purchased a new pair in several years, you are in 
for some significant surprises. Now that we are starting to get some more wadable water this is a subject that we need to consider.
The big change is that felt soles are slowly disappearing from the shops. The agent for this change has been didymo, the invasive alga that has infected the White and Norfork over the past few years. Once introduced to a stream, there is no known way to eradicate it. Only one cell of didymo is required to start a colony and felt soles are considered to be the most likely culprit in the spread of the alga. Felt is porous and difficult to clean. Because of this several states have outlawed felt soles. As of March 31, 2012, it will be illegal to wear felt soles in Missouri. Will Arkansas be next?
The most common replacement is Vibram, a tough, well wearing rubber sole that has been used on hiking boots for decades. It is much easier to clean and doesn’t absorb water like the old felt soles. The felts were popular with waders because it gripped rocks well and provided sure footing in streams. The vibram soles do not grip the bottom as well as the felts did and are a bit more difficult to wade in, particularly on bed rock.
Come inside the Arkansas Hunting and Fishing forum for the full article from Arkansas fishing guide John Berry
ducktape November 17th, 2011
![User BODCAW JACK image of arkansas flooded timber duck hunting](http://www.arkansasoutdoorsonline.com/hunting-forum/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=484;preview")
New user in our Arkansas Duck Hunting Forum, BEVOHD, isn’t an Arkansas native. But his first time duck hunting in Arkansas is a perfect example of a standard hunt in some of the state’s famous green timber. He shares his personal experience of his first time duck hunting the Natural State:
We finally came to a clearing in the middle of most definitely nowhere! I remember thinking we better kill some ducks after all that (meaning almost getting killed on the boat ride) while we were throwing out decoys and setting everything up. When we were done we got all of our breakfast gear out and started to make some food and I was ready for that, I felt like I could eat a cow after all that I had been through that morning … The action was fast and furious and we limited on the woody’s in about 10 minutes or so. But the real prize was waiting for the mallards to fly. When they started flying, it was like nothing I had ever seen before.
With Arkansas 2011-2012 duck season starting up in 2 days, take a few minutes to read the full story; it’s worth it.
Remember if you need Arkansas WMA Maps, Arkansas NWR maps, or want to see the Arkansas Duck Migration Map, bookmark Arkansas Outdoors Online. The Arkansas Duck Migration map is now integrated with the Delta Waterfowl Migration Map. Users can submit reports from our website or the iPhone app.
kevin November 7th, 2011
A piping hot crock pot of your favorite chili is as much of a requirement on opening weekend of Arkansas rifle season 
as an orange vest. Put simply, nothing goes better with deer season.
In preparation for opening morning on Nov. 12, I scoured the internet this weekend for chili recipes and decided to test out a few small batches of some recipes that sounded appetizing. While I definitely have a couple of trusty recipes in my aresenal, I always love finding new recipes I’ve never tried before, then catering them with my own dash of this and that to make them my own.
However, with this chili recipe, it came out pretty much perfect. And yes, I considered leaving out the oddly included cup of coffee. But don’t do it; it adds a perfect smokey flavor!
I will say, if you like a lot of heat and spice (I do!), then make sure to toss in some of your favorite peppers, add a tad more red pepper, or go heavy on the chili powder (I use Chipotle Chili Powder), because this recipe, while delicious, isn’t on the fire hot side like a lot of people like it.
Come inside to see the full chili recipe.
kevin October 18th, 2011
How do you determine a white-tailed deer’s age? It’s a question you hear a lot from beginning and life-long hunters alike. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a wide-range of answers, many of which are as smoky as a deer camp campfire.
It’s a common misconception among hunters that a white-tailed deer’s antler size will tell you all you need to know about his age. However, that’s simply not true. Rack size is more about food and nutrition, genes, and overall health than anything else.
A 2.5 year old buck could indeed have wider and/or taller antlers than a buck twice his age if all of the 
aforementioned factors play a big enough part. The same goes for a deer’s body size/weight, hoof size, gray on the face, or any other misconstrued theory you’ll often hear from even the most seasoned hunters. These factors simply shouldn’t be used to indicate relative age.
In reality, the most accurate method of aging is via tooth analysis. Over time, deer will lose certain “baby” teeth, and they’ll put a lot of wear and tear on their remaining pearly whites. By examining and studying this wear and decay, hunters have a fairly precise method to all this aging madness. But don’t think you have to be a wildlife biologist or even an experienced hunter to age your buck; there’s a very handy tool available to make things much easier.
Read more about the Deer Aging Tool in the Arkansas Hunting Forum.
kevin September 14th, 2011
The last thing you want to do is take a young buck who has yet to reach his potential out of the gene pool. It’s 
important that you let these bucks walk until their around 4.5 to 5.5 years old so that they can “spread the love” to the does in your area during the rut each year. This will, of course, produce more and more better bucks in your hunting area.
Here are a few quick tips for judging the age of a deer by sight.
1.5 Year Old Bucks: It’s relatively easy to determine a yearling buck from a more mature buck. Yearling bucks have basically a doe body with antlers. A thin “figure,” skinny neck and long thin legs is a dead giveaway. Plus, most all yearling bucks have racks that stay within the spread of the ears. Resist the temptation of taking any buck in this age range. If you do, you’re committing gene pool suicide. If you don’t let your home range bucks reach their potential, they’ll never breed does, and those does will never have the chance to produce your future wall hanger.
Come inside for more tips on Field Aging a Buck
kevin September 14th, 2011
It’s less than two weeks before opening day. You’ve put in the time shooting your bow, geared up with the 
latest bells and whistles from your local outfitter, and you’ve probably even been to the woods a handful of times. But have you put in the kind of scouting that will make this October your best start to bow season ever?
Let’s look at a few ways you can make these next two weeks of September the most productive days you’ve ever spent in the woods.
Travel Routes: If you’ve hunted the same area for a while, you’ve probably learned that deer often use the same travel routes year after year. Just like humans, whitetails travel the path of least resistance to/from bedding and feeding areas. Except during the rut, their travel patterns can be very predictable. Find a hot path, and you’ve just drasitically increased your chances of taking a big buck. A little known fact is that mature does and bucks will use a parallel route to the hot route. This secondary route can be within eyesight, or it can be 150 or so yards away. Keep that in mind when you are entering and exiting your stand. If you don’t, you could ruin your chances at a good buck by either spooking a deer on this alternative route, or spreading your scent along it.
Another aspect of deer movement is the creation of funnels. Of course, there are natural funnels of topography and vegetation that force deer to move through a certain area. But you can dictate that movement yourself. Carve a path of least resistance by clearing brush, widening a path, creating a fence opening, etc., and you can bet the bucks on your property will take advantage. Think of it as rolling out the red carpet for ol’ Mossy Horns.
Come inside to read more pre-season deer hunting scouting tactics.
the first step of the life-long addiction I was undertaking. The evolution of a fly fisherman to a fly tier, they said, is an inevitable aspect of the sport.
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