'Twas a Chrome Christmas

          We got up to Glen Arbor in Northern Michigan (just north of Traverse City) for the holidays with my family. There are many small creeks and tribs off of Lake Michigan in this area, and you know what that means in late December.... STEEL! I've been fishing this area ever since I can remember and even started fly fishing on one of these streams. I've heard all of the rumors and even seen some pictures of steelhead coming into these off-the-grid creeks, but have never been there this time of year. So we chased some steel amongst the vacation activities.

D&H Holiday Hours 2015

Thursday 24^th           10-4           

Friday 25^th               Closed

Saturday 26^th           Closed

Sunday 27^th            11-5

Monday 28^th          10-8

Tuesday 29^th          10-8

Wednesday 30^th      10-8

Thursday 31^st         10-4

Friday 1^st            Closed

new D&H t-shirt design

This is the first new t-shirt design we have introduced in many years. 

Delamere & Hopkins
Hyde Park Square
2708 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH  45208
513-871-FISH
Mon-Thurs  10-8
Fri-Sat  10-6
Sun  11-5

Join us in Belize!

How would you like to experience world-class saltwater fly fishing, amazing accommodations on the ocean, breathtaking turquoise water, incredible guides and some of the friendliest people you would ever hope to meet?  Well...if it sounds like your kind of trip, then join my wife and I as we go back to Belize this coming September, 2016!

I have been fortunate to travel to many exotic locations to chase awesome fish and this trip was by far the finest saltwater adventure I have ever taken, and it was one of the cheapest! The US Dollar is a tremendous value in Central America so it was just the best of all worlds. I will post several blogs about the adventure and some photos. Please give us a call for details on this trip. From beginner angler to expert fly caster, it is a perfect location to relax, unwind, and fish! And by the way, its less than three hours from Atlanta, Georgia. Easy to get to, affordable, and as picturesque as we have ever seen.  See you in Belize!
Brian & Julie Barnard

Shags Run Hunting Pics

     I headed down to Shags today for my day off to hunt alone with Rye. We did pretty well. We killed  about 8 birds and missed a few more. My shooting was less than impressive today. Once the birds hit the wind on the ridges, the birds got moving fast. The Tennnessee Reds are always fast anyways.

    Billy has me hunting in style these days. he picked this toy up a few months ago. It has made a huge difference in transporting dogs and hunters around the farm.

It's Musky Time...

          Nick and I got out yesterday to chase some musky around. With the rain this area has had in the last little bit, the streams were off color and murky. We still went and had a blast.

gear review: woodcock hunting

After four decades of hunting, you know when the gear you are wearing works and when it doesn't.  This past Friday while I was woodcock hunting in the woods of Ohio, I really felt that everything I was using was spot on.  The morning temperature was 29 degrees and gradually climbed to about the low 40s.  The land we were hunting had been clear cut about 7 years ago and the saplings were very thick.  A large part of the sapling stand had some amount of standing water.  The briars were thick in some areas and the brush was everywhere.  There was a time when I even saw the English Setter having a hard time getting herself untangled from some of the undergrowth.

The first item we will look at are my boots.

   I have been hunting in Danner Grouse boots for ages.  I start the bird season on September 1 with a week or two in Kentucky dove shooting and I have these boots on every day.  I then use them all season for upland hunting.  I bought them with enough room to put in a Danner insole insert and still have room for a good pair of socks.  The boots are made in Portland.  The Gore-Tex has never let me down and as long as the streams I wade are not deeper than the boot is high, I am in good shape.  The stitch-down sole construction adds durability for kicking logs, rocks and whatever comes your way.  Because they are constructed using the stitch-down method versus a glued sole, I can have my favorite boots re-soled when the time is needed.

The next item to talk about are socks.

These Fox River Trailhead socks are some of my favorite.  The Merino wool is a soft, non-itch wool that keeps my feet warm and provide a lot of cushion.  I made sure when selecting my boot size that I could fit in a thicker sock.  If I could not fit a pair of the Trailhead socks, I would probably go for the Trailmaster sock.  When I am dove shooting in the hot September weather, I wear the Euro sock which is a CoolMax sock.

Here comes the body armor.

This is my pair of Filson Double Hunting Brush Pants.  I have been wearing these for ages; probably about eighteen years.  The suspenders have never been taken off and the only thing I do to care for them is....nothing.  I can plow through the worst briar patches without looking where I am going.  The bottoms are getting frayed and I have been thinking about running some leather around the hem.  I think this coming summer I will apply some Filson Oil Finish Wax.  I say that, but who knows if I will get around to it?  (I did just reproof my Filson Waterfowl Coat: after 13 years I felt like it deserved it.)
Back to the pants; buy them big and hang them with suspenders.  Under my brush pants, I wear an old pair of super comfortable Mountain Khakis Teton pants that have a rip in them.  I also have worn Patagonia Capilene Lightweight pants or ThermalWeight, depending on the activity level.

I know you are not suppose to wear suspenders and a belt, but I need something to hang a multi-tool from.  This Filson belt is probably twenty years old and I wear it almost every day.  I do apply some Filson Boot Oil to this belt every once in awhile.

This is my Swiss Army SwissTool that I take on all of my hunting trips and other travels.  It is very sturdy and constructed of stainless steel.  With 27 tools, I know I will be ready for whatever happens.
I did not take a photo of my Petzl headlamp, but that is another item I do not travel without.  I can't  tell you how many times I use this item each week.

This Patagonia Capilene Lightweight top is probably one of the most important parts of my hunting outfit.  This garment performs just great.  It is comfortable against the skin, breathes very well and wicks moisture away from the skin.  I can't say enough about this as a baselayer.

This is a Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-neck top.  I like this over the Capilene Lightweight layer to provide a little warmth on a cool morning.  The zip-neck can be pulled up for warmth or down to let body heat escape if needed.  I found that over the last three weeks, I would shed this layer about late morning.

I wear my hunting shirt over the two layers of Capilene.  This shirt is constructed of a heavy twill to brush through the brush and of course some bright blaze orange.

This is an old Filson hunting vest that was handed down to me.  It has front and rear game pockets.  There are pockets for shells and all the other gadgets that come in handy in the field.  The one downside of this hand-me-down is that is does not have blaze orange on it.  My cap and shirt probably do the trick, but I would like even more orange.  When you are in the really thick woodcock/grouse woods, tons of orange is the order of the day.  We work so hard for just a flush and I do not want to have to hesitate on a shot because I can't see my hunting partner.
This vest does have a secured inside pocket for my vehicle keys.  I would not own a hunting garment without a specific place for keys.  It is not good enough to have your keys in a pocket with other items.  If you are rooting through your pockets and the keys accidentally fall out onto the forest floor, have fun trying to find them four hours later.
This model of vest is no longer made, but Filson does make an Upland Hunt Vest with great blaze orange sections, double front pockets like my vest and the super important interior zipped security pocket. 

Shooting glasses are a must in the woodcock and grouse woods.  This past trip I had a thorn branch smack my glasses and I thought without these glasses my eyeball would have been scratched for sure.

These shooting gloves have seen a lot of action.  They do not provide any warmth, but provide great grip and help when going through the heavy brush.

Hey, look what I found in the pockets of that hunting vest!  Everyone needs a little bit of energy to keep you plowing through the briars.

 Your blaze orange hat is very important.  Look at the saplings in the background and you can see how thick it gets.

- Mark
Delamere & Hopkins
Hyde Park Square
2708 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH  45208
513-871-FISH
Mon-Thurs  10-8
Fri-Sat  10-6
Sun  11-5

Pheasant Hunting in South Dakota

        A few weeks back my dad came up with a plan to take a long weekend trip to South Dakota to pheasant hunt.  Ever since my dad did a few of these trips when I was in grade school, I have always wanted to experience South Dakota pheasant.  We had a great trip.  We had a great group of guys that made hunting safe and enjoyable and were lots of fun once the hunting was done for the day.  Check below to see the rest of trip.

Two new Sperry models at D&H

We just received a shipment of Sperry shoes and there are two new models we are excited to add to our range.  The first is a remake of a model we have carried in the past.  The Authentic Original Winter was a huge hit with our customers and myself.

Barbour Danby Sweater

 

The Danby is a waterproof sweater that is built to handle the rigors of being in the field, but also would look good in town.  The 100% lambswool knit has a olive tweed look.  The front chest zipped pocket is perfect for a money clip, the winning ticket at the track or a cell phone.  This is one good looking cardigan sweater that won't make you look like your ready to go out-to-pasture. 

Opening Day at Shags

   A few friends and I headed down to Shags Run for our first hunt of the year on November 1st. The farm has excellent cover this year. There is still quite a bit of green but the dogs did well enough for early season. I ran Rye with Tana, a springer, for the first hour or more and then switched to one of Billy's dogs for the remainder of the day.
Here pics from yesterday. Enjoy!

 Billy is looking forward to another great season and can be reached at 513-200-1846. If you have any questions give me a call at the shop or call Billy directly.

D&H review of men's vests for Autumn/Winter

The weather in Cincinnati has been up and down over the last few weeks.  We have not hit parka weather yet, but we definitely have had plenty of temperatures to warrant a vest.  We thought we would take a look at the selection of vests we have in the shop; some new styles and some old favorites.  If you have any questions, stop in the shop, try some on and feel free to ask questions.

Mon-Thur 10-8     Fri-Sat 10-6     Sun 11-5     513-871-FISH

Barbour Colwarmth

This is a new style from the Barbour Field Collection for the 2015 cold weather season.  We took to this vest because it is not too puffy and bulky and will look as good in the field as it will going into town to get supplies.  The vest is filled with a Fibre Down that keeps you warm even it gets wet and dries quickly.  Microfiber suede is used on the inner collar and on the quilted patches.  There is an inner zipped security pocket.  The color of the vest is a little bit more olive than the photo shows (if you click here and go to our web site, the image on our site shows the true color).

New Wolverine Women's Shannon Boot

Michigan Trout Fishing

          Last weekend my dad and I got up to do some trout fishing in Northern Michigan. We fished the Pere Marquette for two days and the Au Sable for two days. This time of year the east side and west side offer very different experiences; streamers vs. eggs. It was awesome....

Fall dress

Start your Season Right! A few Great Upland Products

  I've been lucky enough to get out a few days already this year, birds aren't quite here but it is a great time to be outside. I think I've got a pretty good system worked out for myself but we get lots of questions this time of year about gear. Here are a few new ones and few I couldn't do without.

Filson Mesh Game Vest
  Anybody who has read my blogs or hunted with me won't be surprised by this one. I got one of these when they first came out and have not been disappointed. It is lightweight, breathes well, and holds most of what I need for each outing.

We also have plenty of options for those who prefer full vest, jackets, and tin cloth strap vests.

Opening day of Woodcock Season

   Today was the first true day of bird season around here. It is a bit early, but Rye and I headed out anyway and had a great time exploring Indian Creek Wildlife Area.  Indian Creek is really a great resource for all of us Cincinnati sportsmen and women.  You will find a map here:Indian Creek Wildlife Area

good morning of fishin'

Delamere & Hopkins
Hyde Park Square
2708 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH  45208
(513) 871-FISH
shop@bestgear.com
Mon-Thurs 10-8
Fri-Sat  10-6
Sun 11-5

early morning fishing on Thursday

New Tying Bench

      The other guys and I noticed that Ted was tying his flies on what amounted to a stool for a six year old. After I tied a fly or two at his place, I knew he needed a better option.  He couldn't find anything that quite caught his eye, so I decided to build him a new desk.  First time I'd built anything like this.  Didn't turn out half bad.

The old and the new.

\

Early Season Dog Training

     While Dove hunting on a state wildlife area a few weeks ago, Louis and I stumbled upon a small covey of Bobwhite quail.  Quail used to be one of the staple wildlife species around here, but due to depredation, farming practices and habitat changes, the covey's are few and far between these days.  I don't intend to hunt this covey, but immediately was excited about the possibility of letting my dog work these birds.
     I had Saturday off with no commitments and the weather was a bit overcast.  It was a perfect day to take Rye out to the fields.  I invited my friend Josh and his Springer Spaniel "Tana" to join us since we often hunt together.

Rye didn't stop all morning. Part of the reason this is the only picture she made it into.

Brookville Fishing Report

      Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of fishing with Dale Fallat at Brookville. Dale was a bit new to the sport, but seemed to really enjoy the process and experience.  Fishing was a bit tough, but Dale was a trooper.  Water was very low; maybe 2 feet.  Some of the places I know usually hold fish were almost out of water.  After some trial and error, we found a spot where many trout were stacked up and looked like they were feeding on midges. (There were several 18+ fish sitting in this spot).
        I switched the rig to a dry-dropper rig with a very light, red chironomid and within a few casts we were into a nice Brown trout.  I did not realize it at the time, but not only was it Dale's first trout on the fly, it was his first fish on the fly!

Let's see what is new on the shop floor

new D&H saltwater fish key fobs

great looking leather key fob with a 12 gauge shot shell

lanyard for nippers made from recycled fly lines

picture frame

three new fly fishing DVDs

Swiss Army knife with a specialized cheese blade: It works really well with soft cheeses

new hats from Hatch fly reels

new hunt horn and fox belts

clear leather dressing for Wolverine 1000 Mile boots;  I have been using this on my dress penny loafers and my Filson belt and luggage pieces

Patagonia "Bear Heaven" hat

this product is awesome: great for your bird dog on a trip or maybe even a picnic blanket