What a way to start the week!!

Normally starting the work week is sluggish and mundane, nothing really changed that one until I checked out the OBN on my lunch break. Monday is normally the day they do the featured bloggers of the week and announce the winners of the product reviews from the week previous. This past weeks was from Montana Fly Company (MFC), now fly fishing and fly tying is still something I am a novice at and actually made a goal this year to improve these skills, so I thought I had a slim chance to review one of the three package, but if I did it would only aid me in my learning. So come to my surprise I actually won, that's right I get to review some of the great products from MFC. As ecstatic as I was that I got chosen, I had to call and tell Jay about this, because he has been messing around with fly fishing longer than I have and was actually one of the reasons I got involved in it in the past year or so. It looks like now we're going to have what we refer to as a fly tying party. Really it's just us sitting around having a few ice cold refreshments and tying flies on a random night, talking about what and when we're going to go fishing next. Now you're going to get two people to review this, we're still not sure what we're going to be tying up yet, guess that also  get determined on what kind of thread we're sent. I know the basics and Jay knows a few more advanced ones than I do, so who knows where we'll end up, but I do know Rebecca over at OBN has put in an order, so I'll be sure to get on that one first. Anyone else need anything? Haha. I would like to say thanks again to the Outdoor Blogger Network and Montana Fly Company for this opportunity, and keep your eyes peeled for my review here in the near future!!

Right there I am under Package two.

A Closer look at the Final Harvest Totals for the 2010 Deer Season

W.Va.’s other deer seasons suffered, too

January 15, 2011 by John McCoy

West Virginia wildlife officials announced the final harvest totals for all the state’s 2010 deer seasons, and I examine those numbers in this week’s column:

Well, at least the results were consistent. When West Virginia wildlife officials announced the 2010 all-seasons deer harvest in a Friday release, the bottom line almost perfectly matched the buck-season bottom line: A 32 percent decline.

The buck kill, announced last month, declined 31 percent. This latest announcement hits antlerless-deer hunters, bowhunters and muzzleloader hunters with similar force. The antlerless kill dropped 37 percent. The bow kill dropped 26 percent. The muzzleloader kill dropped 35 percent. To continue this story, click here... 

I was reading through this article and thought that it was a great article to share with anyone who is from West Virginia or hunts in or around West Virginia. This would also help to explain the dismal hunting season many of us had around here. Hopefully, this just allows for the bucks to grow larger.

The weekend that wasn't..

..anything but relaxing, well for the most part that's true. After a week away from my house due to snow and deciding to stay the week with my girlfriend, it was time to head back there and relax. So that's exactly what I did; I'm kind of ashamed to admit I didn't even make it into the woods or river this weekend, but with the amount of snow and the warmth of my house, I didn't think it was the best idea to brave it. Haha. Even without having any great outdoors news for you there are still a few updates, well if you want to call them that.

This weekend did allow me to get started on the project of reclaiming my house from the last  few months (Deer Season) of dirty clothes and dust, well I should rephrase this, it allowed Cassie to start on this and me to help her. But I guess if she going to start moving her stuff in soon it means I need to start getting rid of the 329084352394 t-shirts I have along with those pants that I haven't fit into since high school. Either way this was a good project for this weekend, for one I got a start on another part of my 2011 Goals List, and two it really just needed it. Of course we are no where near the end of this, but the hardest part is always just starting. Plus, I am finding hunting and fishing stuff that I had forgot I bought or couldn't remember where I put it strategically placed to find at a later date, so it was like Christmas morning all over again. On a  serious side, tomorrow after work I will have three to four bags of t-shirts and clothes to drop-off at Goodwill. This is at least a good start for now.

Another great thing about a lazy weekend is getting to lay around and watch football and basketball, WVU played a great game and beat a #8 ranked Purdue team today, but really that wasn't were I was going with this. It was suppose to talk about how I spent half my weekend trying to find all my fly tying stuff after entering the newest Gear Review Opportunity at OBN, if you haven't checked that place out you should. After scouring my newly cleaned house I realized I knew where the equipment was (still on my desk), it was the materials I was lacking, so this means a trip to Cabelas here in the new future. Really, this just gives me more time to review some new flies I'd like to try and make on Troutrageous! and OMG It's Fly Tying!, just to mention a few.

The weekend wouldn't have been complete without some of the amazing brownies Cassie made (Thanks!!) or the Deer Jerky I made, yes that's right folks, I can cook (when I really, really need to that is). But you guessed it, I'll be posting the recipe and the step my step process of how I make my Sweet'n'Spicy Deer Jerky, so there's one post to look forward to this week. And with Jay making a quick trip back home from work in FL, I'm hoping we're going to be able to start hitting up the streams soon as well. But here's to everyone having a great week ahead!!

Are 4 Places to Many to Call My Favorite? - Photo Prompt

For the first writing/photo prompt and even some of the ones before I joined the OBN, I instantaneously had an idea and have the blog wrote before I take my first breath. With this one, it has actually took me a while to think this one through, or if I was even going to try this one. Not to mention the fact that, at my house there is close or over two feet of snow, so therefore I am staying at my girlfriend apartment in Morgantown, WV where I work, so that has taken a slight toll on my blogging, not her fault, just my excuse to be lazy. But the best way I could think to do is do favorite spot for certain seasons, you will have to bare with me because I don't have my picture archives with me.

Gandy Creek, Randolph County, WV

In the late winter and early spring they stock trout in West Virginia,  so therefore this means lot of adventures, but one of my favorite places to go is a grouping of streams: Gandy, Laurel Fork, and Glady Fork in Randolph County, WV. Normally, these are all day trips which always makes for great stories and memories, so I'm not sure if it's the place or the experience, but it is also a beautiful place.

Cheat River along Rt. 72

As the spring start getting warmer and the trees start to bloom, the waters we fish start to expand. There is a private organization that stocks Cheat River along Rt. 72 between Rowlesburg and Kingwood. I might love it for the fact I grew up fishing this stretch or that fact that it is less than a five minute drive from my front door.

Just a normal day at the Beach

Of course summer is a time to relax and I'm kind of torn on this one, because we have a small three acre parcel of river front campground that I spent many of my childhood summers explore and learning about the great outdoor there, but who doesn't love a good beach trip. With my parents recently purchasing a new beach house at Ormond Beach, FL, this only make this a much cheaper and easier escape. Because there will be many, many post involving "The Meadow" (our river front property) this spring and summer, I'm going to post a picture of the beach for this one.

My view of a sunset in the middle of Bow Season

Of course the fall should be a no-brainer here, it's of course my tree stand, and Bell Hill, the 93 acre hunting grounds that my grandfather has owned for years. There's a thousand and one reasons I could post why I love this place, but this picture I'm sure can explain a few of them.

Of all my favorite places though, most of them tend to revolve around one place, my town. There is normally a family hike once every fall to the top of Cannon Hill to see the town and foliage at its best, but it's also just a great excuse to just to spend sometime with my family. It may be funny or a little to predictable, but there is to much to love about the place I grew up and now live to not have it be one, if not, my only favorite place.

2011 WV Hunting, Fishing, & Outdoor Sports Show

Image Credit: WVFHOSS

It's always around this time of year you start to hear about the outdoor shows and at least I start planning on which ones I'm able to attend. Granted I never get to attend every one I want to or even then, all the ones I had planned to. But the West Virginia Fishing, Hunting, & Outdoor Sports Show is one I have been attending for quite a few years now. Maybe it's easier to attend because it's only a short drive from my house or maybe it's because most of the vendors are local and I tend to favor the local guy over the box store, well at least in most cases. This event has grown over the years now, I've been there when maybe 40-50 vendors would show up, to  last year there were over a 100. If you're in the area that weekend and you love the outdoors they have seminars, kid areas, and just everything outdoors, it may not be the best or biggest one you've been to, but it will sure be worth your $6. Even if you're not in this area, start keeping your eyes peeled for your local or state hunting and fishing expos, they're gonna be here before you know it.

Note: I have no affiliation with the West Virginia Fishing, Hunting, & Outdoor Sports Show, I am just giving my two cents worth on it, and love to see stuff like this promoted and succeed.