The Consummate Outdoorsman, Gary Lewis, Shares His Insights

Passing By? Give the Frogwater a Try

June 11th, 2013
Fishing Frogwater

It was a rare opportunity. My brother-in-law had permission to fish on the property as long as he was wiring the new house there. And, because most of the fishable water on that particular river is bounded by private water, I jumped at the chance to go along. It was an overcast summer morning, with […]

Standoff at Willow Creek Lake

June 3rd, 2013
Best Places to Fish

It was easy to see what they were fishing with. They were fishing with Dachshunds. And the wee canines weren’t happy to see us. They barked their displeasure. Down at the end of the gravel road, a lean, fifty-ish fellow sat with rod in hand, watching a red and white bobber. I guessed he might […]

On the Fly: A Fish Called Dinner

May 22nd, 2013
Bass Fishing

It was the biggest crappie I had ever seen, a silvery, black-spotted slab my cousin Brad pulled out of a freeway lake near Kalama, Washington. That was almost 30 years ago. I still haven’t laid eyes on a better one. Brad caught that timber crappie the way a lot of people do, on a crawler […]

A Tale of Two Bullets

May 2nd, 2013
Muzzleloaders and Poaching

“What kind of bullet are you shooting out of your muzzleloader?” That was Tim McLagan, my taxidermist, on the other end of the line. I had dropped my buck off at his shop earlier in the day. And now he was asking about a bullet he’d found beneath the hide. A bullet I hadn’t put […]

Saltwater Yakutat

March 25th, 2013
Fishing in Alaska

Before Stalin joined forces with the United States in World War II, the Russians had an understanding with Hitler and the Rising Sun. It didn’t take defense planners long to look at a map and see how vulnerable was this land, Alaska, that once belonged to the Russian Bear.

Raising Money for Mule Deer in the West

March 13th, 2013
Conservation Expo Raises Money for Mule Deer

“Two-hundred-ninety-five-thousand dollars!” That shout came from the middle of the packed ballroom. In the back, guys stood flat-footed, cell phones at their ears, their off-site bidders outmatched before the bidding even started. John Bair, the auctioneer, reeled from the shock. “I have two-ninety-five,” he said.

What’s Hot from SHOT Show 2013

February 21st, 2013
Observations from 2013 Shot Show

Play word association with Las Vegas and you see electric lights and neon and hear the bells on the slot machines and the tinkle of coins. But there is another side to the World’s Most Exciting City. Outside of town, we gathered on the windswept Boulder City gun range at the SHOT Show’s Media Day […]

Hunting for Antler Sheds Provides Clues to Trophy Deer and Elk

January 26th, 2013
Clues for Finding Trophy Deer and Elk

After a climb represented by a change of four contour lines on our topo map we leveled out on top. The afternoon was slipping into evening as we tried to get our bearings. Jon had spent hours going over the maps to find this magic place. A spot where small meadows, tall timber and snow […]

Mr. Nosler on Long Guns and Long Shots

October 25th, 2012
Long Distance Hunting with John Nosler

By John Nosler, as told to Gary Lewis Early in the morning we skirted the edge of a grain field and waited for the fog to lift. With my field glasses, I spotted a deer on the far side, a blacktail prospecting for uncut shoots and fallen seed heads. While we watched, the buck moved […]

NAMHA Files Complaint Against ODFW’s Muzzleloading Rules

August 25th, 2012
Muzzleloader Regulations Debated

I built my first muzzleloader in 1989. With that Kentucky rifle, I learned to measure powder, start the round ball with a patch and smell the sulfur bloom of blackpowder smoke. Since that time, I’ve owned and shot several Kentucky and Hawken rifles similar to those carried by the mountain men and pioneers. For me, […]

Win a Limited Edition Hunting Knife
Announcing the Award Winning Fishing Central Oregon