Virginia Sportsman Fall 2021

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE IN HIGHLANDS, NC | FALL GEAR REVIEW | AMERICAN AQUARIUM’S LATEST ALBUM | THAI FRIED POMFRET

FALL 2021

THE PRESERVE AT DUNDEE Hunting Pheasant Near Richmond, Virginia

Ghost Trap Rodeo ANGLING FOR CHANGE

Virginia’s Scenic Farm Breweries Hank Shaw’s Latest Book: “Hook, Line, and Supper”

The Art of John Bukaty AMERICAN WOODCOCK: A VIRGINIA POINTING-DOG TRAINER’S BEST FRIEND

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

THE FALL 2021 ISSUE

FEATURES

34 THE PRESERVE AT DUNDEE

Located near Richmond, The Preserve at Dundee offers English-style pheasant hunts and more.

46 THE ART OF JOHN BUKATY

New Orleans-based live performance artist John Bukaty finds his flow state.

I N F E B R U A R Y, E D I T O R - AT - L A R G E E R I C K A L L E N J O I N E D 3 7 OT H E R S H O OT E R S AT T H E P R E S E R V E AT DUNDEE FOR A RING SHOOT WITH 500 PHEASANTS.

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DEPARTMENTS THE FALL 2021 ISSUE

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THE SOUND

FROM THE FIELD

Alt-country American Aquarium’s latest album, “Lamentations,” is one of the band’s best records to date.

Round out your bird dog training regimen with the abundant and wild American woodcock.

50 WELL READ Hank Shaw’s “Hook, Line, and Supper” is an indispensable resource with recipes, tips and techniques for home cooks and anglers of all abilities.

14 DECKED’S TRUCK DRAWER SYSTEM CAN BE CUSTOMIZED T O F I T N E A R LY A N Y T R U C K BED AND IS DURABLE, SECURE A N D W E AT H E R P R O O F. FA L L M A R K S T H E S TA R T O F WING SHOOTING, AND WE’VE PICKED TOP-NOTCH GEAR AND A P PA R E L F O R T H E S E A S O N .

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GREAT ESCAPE

OUTFITTED We’ve got you covered with these 10 essentials for Autumn.

24 RAISE A GLASS This fall, visit these scenic grain-to-glass farm breweries in Virginia.

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Highlands is a hidden gem of a getaway in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

WELL FED

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Hank Shaw, James-Beard Award-winning author and contributing editor shares his recipe for Thai fried pomfret.

Amateur anglers, volunteers and commercial fishermen remove ghost traps from Florida waters.

T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

OPEN SPACES

On the Cover It was almost quitting time when the grouse came to bag, and with dogs at heel we started the long walk down the mountain to home. Somewhere along the way, twilight shifted into darkness, and the headlamp came out. The canyon was dark, but in front of the house, a single welcoming light shone. In my head, another light went on. ...

John Stewart Wright lives with a small pack of bird dogs in Southwest Montana. A field trialer and hunter, he’s won seven national titles with his springers in the United States and Canada, and his dog Shaman was enshrined in the Field Trial Hall of Fame. His bird dog and gamebird photos regularly appear in numerous publications. Find him at theartofbirddogs.com or on Instagram at @theartofbirddogs.

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FALL 2021 | T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N

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The Fall 2021 Issue

EDITOR’S NOTE A

EDITOR IN CHIEF JOE SHIELDS VISITS WITH AMERICAN ARTIST J O H N B U K AT Y I N H I S N E W O R L E A N S STUDIO, WHERE HE IS WORKING ON H I S L AT E S T P R O J E C T, " C L I M B T O S A F E T Y." P H O T O B Y K . K . W AT E R S

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

utumn and its colder temperatures mark the beginning of wing shooting in Virginia, and our cover story on The Preserve at Dundee is fitting. As Editor-at-Large Eric Kallen discovered, the preserve offers a challenging pheasant ring shoot in a very elegant and historical setting with British traditions.

Located just a few miles north of Richmond, Dundee has a long and storied history. Originally built in 1810, the manor house was home to Confederate General Jeb Stuart’s cousins. The general and his wife lived in the house during the Civil War. In the 1990’s, Dundee underwent a threeyear transformation and was restored to its original splendor by the Barrett family. Today, the hunting property is also well-suited for weddings and other events.

Fall 2021 also has an article by Robb Moore on the American woodcock. Moore is an amateur bird dog trainer at Orapax Hunting Preserve in Goochland County who believes the American woodcock— a.k.a. the mud bat, bog sucker and timberdoodle—is a Virginia pointing-dog trainer’s best friend. Read the article to find out why.

Typically, we would pair bird hunting stories with a wild upland bird recipe by Hank Shaw, but the prolific author and contributing editor to this publication has a new book available wherever books are sold. “Hook, Line, and Supper” (H&H Books, May 2021) is perhaps the most comprehensive guide to preparing and cooking fish and seafood.

“Most people who know me know me as a wild-game chef, not a fish and seafood cook,” writes Shaw. “Truth is, long before I picked up a shotgun or a rifle—for twenty-five years at least—I was catching, cooking, and eating fish, both professionally and at home.”

Shaw runs the critically acclaimed website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and is a nationally known expert in wild foods ranging from wild edible plants and mushrooms to game, fish and seafood. The new book’s recipes, tips and techniques are an indispensable resource for home cooks and anglers of all abilities as they seek ways to prepare fish and seafood in new and consistently delicious ways.

Catching, cooking and eating fish is only as enjoyable and safe as the health of waters that serve as habitat. John Kelly, contributing editor, covers the efforts of conservationists—and their grant-earning concept known as “Ghost Trap Rodeo.” The event brought amateur anglers, volunteers and commercial fishermen together for a fishing tournament where the intended haul was not marine life, but ghost traps that plague Florida waters.

This issue also celebrates the art of John Bukaty. Based in New Orleans, the American artist is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of live painting. He defines the pursuit as a form of improvisational performance art in which an artist completes a visual art piece in a public performance, accompanied by a DJ or live music, and channels that music into art.

Bukaty has risen from the ashes of trauma, addiction, heartbreak and economic struggle. Now sober, the rock n’ roll painter has found his flow state. He continues to capture the improvisation of live music through chaotic composition and explosive color. His latest project, “Climb to Safety,” is a gift to the city of New Orleans, and he believes we are on the brink of a new renaissance because of technology.

Thank you for reading print. Enjoy fall.

PHOTO BY JOSHUA BLACK WIKINS

The Fall 2021 Issue | THE SOUND

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

THE LONG ROAD OF AMERICAN AQUARIUM North Carolina Singer-Songwriter B.J. Barham Leads the Hard-Touring Alt-Country Act STORY BY JEDD FERRIS

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he value of hard work is a recurring theme in the songs of B.J. Barham. The leader of long-running North Carolina alt-country act American Aquarium often sings about the payoffs of persistence—be it through celebrating the resilience of the small-town farmers in the raucous track “Tough Folks” or detailing his own journey as a constantly touring musician in the autobiographical “Losing Side of Twenty-Five.”

Barham certainly took no shortcuts establishing American Aquarium as one of the most consistent forces in the Americana music scene. He started the band while a student at North Carolina State University in 2005, naming it after a lyric in the Wilco song “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” The edgy twang-rock of Wilco’s formative years was certainly an early influence, along with the insurgent country sounds of the Bottle Rockets and Drive-By Truckers.

The band has since built a loyal following through incessant touring, and even when Barham isn’t backed by members of American Aquarium, he often tours solo. In 2017 he embarked on what he called “The Great 48 Tour,” playing 51 shows in 56 days, with at least one gig in all 48 states of the continental U.S. To date American Aquarium has, between its studio and live efforts, released a dozen albums and played the venerable stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Yet the journey to earning a stable audience has at times been bumpy.

BUT THROUGH Once a big drinker, Barham kicked TURBULENCE, HIS BLUECOLLAR STORYTELLER the bottle for good seven years ago, and SONGWRITING HASN’T personnel in America Aquarium hasn’t LOST ITS VIGOR. IN always been consistent. Leading up to FACT, IT’S ONLY GOTTEN BETTER. AMERICAN the release of the 2018 album “Things AQUARIUM’S LATEST SET Change,” every member of the band quit, OF STUDIO ORIGINALS, leaving Barham to recruit an entirely new “LAMENTATIONS,” IS EASILY ONE OF THE crew to play behind him.

BAND’S BEST RECORDS But through turbulence, his blue-collar TO DATE. storyteller songwriting hasn’t lost its vigor.

In fact, it’s only gotten better. American Aquarium’s latest set of studio originals, “Lamentations,” is easily one of the band’s best records to date.

FALL 2021 | T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N

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To make the record, Barham and the latest iteration of the group traveled to Los Angeles and worked with producer Shooter Jennings, who’s on a hot streak lately for his work on Grammy-winning efforts by Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker.

Jennings helped the band augment Barham’s sharp lyrics—both topical and personal—with added musical heft. The lead track, “Me and Mine (Lamentations),” is a plaintive ballad about feeling displaced that peaks with a dramatic instrumental coda, while “The Luckier You Get” is a roadhouse stomper with a sing-along chorus that once again extols the virtues of perseverance.

BARHAM (FAR RIGHT) FORMED AMERICAN AQUARIUM, NAMED A F T E R A W I L C O LY R I C , I N 2 0 0 5 .

In the album’s closer, “The Long Hall,” Barham offers a direct mission statement, declaring in an earnest drawl, “I’m here until the work’s done.”

American Aquarium is touring throughout the South in November and December, including stops in Richmond at the Broadberry on December 3 and the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount on December 10.

Five Essential Tracks “Tough Folks”

This standout from the 2018 album “Things Change” is an optimistic stomper written about the resilience of small-town farmers, inspired by many B.J. Barham knew growing up in North Carolina.

“Losing Side of Twenty-Five” Buoyed by a limber guitar hook, this track from the

album “Wolves” finds Barham looking inward and admitting it isn’t easy to maintain life on the road as a hard-touring musician, especially as the years catch up to him.

“Man I’m Supposed to Be” This atmospheric ballad, accented by emotive pedal steel, finds Barham channeling strong Bruce

Springsteen vibes as he ponders his place in the world and the importance of what really matters.

“Burn.Flicker.Die”

The title track to American Aquarium’s fifth album is a driving rock song about the perils of overindulging in a life of partying. Candid about his own struggles with

alcohol, Barham has now been sober for seven years.

“The Luckier You Get”

One of the catchiest songs in Barham’s extensive catalog, this track from his band’s latest album, “Lamentations,” celebrates the rewards of persistence, particularly in the rousing chorus, “The harder you work/ the luckier you get.” •

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The Fall 2021 Issue | OUTFITTED

10 AUTUMN ESSENTIALS

BY ERIC KALLEN

DECKED TRUCK DRAWER SYSTEM OFFERS CUSTOMIZABLE STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCK OWNERS WHO NEED A LITTLE M O R E S PA C E .

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

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PAPPY & COMPANY, PAPPY VAN WINKLE BOURBON BARREL-AGED MAPLE SYRUP [1] Add a new twist to your pancakes with Pappy Van Winkle’s pure organic maple syrup, aged in barrels that once held the some of the world’s best bourbon.

Pappy & Company was founded by three sisters (triplets) who are the great-granddaughters of the patriarch of the Vin Winkle family, Pappy. With an aroma of caramel and smooth bourbon undertones, the syrup is bound to enhance your favorite pancake or waffle experience. And while finding Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is a challenge, Pappy & Company offers a wide variety of gourmet products and high-end accessories, all available at the click of your mouse. $38.00; pappyco.com

STEELHEAD OUTDOORS, NOMAD 26 MODULAR GUN SAFE [2] If you decide to buy a gun, you also need to buy a gun safe. A gun safe is necessary to protect your firearms from theft and keep them away from people who don’t know how to handle them safely. Steelhead Outdoors now offers an alternative to bulky, heavy and hard-toinstall gun safes. The Nomad 26 has a modular design that is easy to move and assemble. The Nomad 26 is Steelhead’s answer for smaller gun collections and for gunowners who don’t have a lot of room for a safe. This gun safe has wide appeal and functionality. Its interior can store six to 15 long guns and has endlessly customizable options. Plus, the Nomad 26 is made in the USA with high levels of theft and fire protection that offer a fully dry insulation system that does not require a dehumidifier.

The safe also has panels filled with ceramic and fire insulation rated to 2,300 degrees. Shipped in modules, the safe can be easily moved and assembled with a hex wrench (provided) and a good helper. The Nomad comes in larger sizes (32) and (38) for those with more guns to keep safe. Starting at $2,495; steelheadoutdoors.com

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It’s finally time to get out and about and

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Go to the Races!

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ONX HUNT APP, ONX MAPS [3]

ULTRALIGHT VEST, FILSON [4]

If your next hunt takes you into unfamiliar territory, download the OnX Hunt app for your smartphone and get the info you need for a safe and successful hunt. OnX Hunt is designed specifically for hunters, and it provides them with detailed information, land boundaries, access opportunities, property ownership information and weather, as well as a host of tools for customization. If your trekking takes you off the grid, no worries. You can download maps for use in the field. OnX Hunt is a Swiss army knife of an app, full of functionality that’s constantly being refined and updated.

Give it a try before your next trip. $29.99 per year (for one state), or $99.99 per year (for all 50 states); onxmaps.com

For many, fall’s arrival means cooler temperatures and a need for outer layers. Filson’s Ultralight Vest is the perfect garment for those days when there’s a nip in the air. Lightweight and packable, this highly compressible vest is perfect for travel or hiking. Made with durable rip-stop nylon, the vest has a moleskin-lined collar and handwarmer pockets for comfort and warmth. Wear it as a single layer when it’s cool or a mid-layer when the temperature drops.

The Ultralight Vest is a great option for anyone looking to take advantage of the great outdoors in fall and winter. $145.00; filson.com

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

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DECKED, TRUCK DRAWER SYSTEM [5] Spending time in the outdoors requires stuff. Whether fishing, hunting, camping or building your lakeside getaway, trying to keep all the tools of the trade organized can be challenging—particularly if you drive a pickup truck. That’s where Decked’s truck drawer system comes in. Easy to install, Decked’s system can be customized to fit nearly any truck bed. Offering a 2,000-pound payload, the drawer system is durable, secure and weatherproof. The two full bedlength drawers can be configured into a variety of options and customized with a number of accessories for even more functionality. Decked’s truck draw system will keep your gear organized and protected. $1,349 for base system; decked.com

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SPORTDOG, UPLANDHUNTER 1875 TRAINING COLLAR [6] If you’re chasing pheasant in the wide-open expanses of the prairie or stalking through thick brambles looking for woodcock, the UplandHunter 1875 training collar is perfect for you—and your dog. Compact, waterproof and intuitive, the 1875 has all the functionality you need without being overwhelming to use. The unit’s one-mile range gives plenty of coverage, and the transmitter’s seven levels of stimulation offer hunters all the flexibility they need when handling their dogs. The collar also has a beeper that produces an audible sound with nine selectable tones that you can hear up to 500 yards away when you need to find your dog. $399.95; sportdog.com

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LAVLEY “I’D RATHER BE HUNTING” SOCKS [7] For the hunter who has a sense of humor, these crew-length socks are the perfect way to demonstrate how you like spending your time. The camouflagegreen socks are available in different patterns—deer, ducks, dogs, hunting knives and rifles. Put your feet up and show people you’d rather be hunting.

Made of 85% cotton, 10% spandex and 5% elastic, these socks are comfortable, durable and guaranteed to get a laugh. $10.95; lavley.com

FALL 2021 | T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

FABARM USA, AUTUMN SIDE-BY SIDE-SHOTGUN [8] The Italian gun manufacturer Fabarm

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has been making side-by side-shotguns since 1900. Manufactured in Italy, these guns were not available for import—until now. Produced specifically for American hunters, Fabarm’s Autumn side-by-side is the ideal gun for any upland hunter looking for an alternative to an overunder. Available in 20 gauge, with either 28- or 30-inch barrels, the Autumn comes with an English-style straight stock or a pistol-grip stock. The Autumn’s classic look is complemented by oil-finished Turkish walnut stock and ornate scroll work. Weighing in at just over six pounds, the Autumn is the perfect companion to carry on an upland hunt, and its balance and precision make it easy to swing through your shots. If you’re looking for the classic look and feel of a side-byside, the Autumn is a great choice for any upland hunter. $4,095; fabarmusa.com

ATLAS TRAP CO., AT-150 CLAY PIGEONTHROWER [9] For people who have spent time looking down the barrel of a shotgun, the adage “practice makes perfect” is sure to ring true. If you want to increase your chances of hitting a flushed pheasant or boosting your proficiency on the sporting-clays course, nothing beats time spent shooting clay targets. Atlas Trap Co.’s AT-150 is a commercial-grade clay-pigeon thrower that is suitable for individual shooters with a little room to shoot or for gun clubs that need a new thrower. Handmade in Benton, Kansas, the AT-150 is manufactured with heavyduty stainless steel and aircraft-grade aluminum. Robust, accurate and reliable, the AT-150 is powered by a 12-volt battery (there is also a 110-volt battery option), and the unit can be loaded with 150 clays at a time. The thrower can be adjusted to accommodate a wide range of throwing angles and offers a 110-yard throwing distance. If you’re looking for a little more of a challenge, Atlas also makes a Wobble Base for the AT-150 that oscillates side-to-side and wobbles up and down. This combination of difficulty will certainly surprise any shooter.

AT-150, $1,599. Wobble Base, $849; atlastraps.com

TOM BECKBE, STRAP VEST [10] For many, the arrival of fall means one thing: bird hunting. Tom Beckbe’s Strap Vest is essential gear for anyone heading into the field with a shotgun and a dog. Made from durable wax shelter cloth, the Strap Vest is available in two colors—classic blaze orange and a subtle rye brown. The vest’s fully lined front pockets include a snap to secure shells and other valuables, and its rear gamebag offers ample room for harvested birds. The gamebag also includes a center drain eyelet so you can easily wash out remnants from your hunt. Functional and stylish, the Strap Vest’s breathable openback design can be worn over a shirt during the warmer months, or adjusted to wear over a hunting jacket as temperatures drop.

With its classic look, durable construction and functionality, the Strap Vest is the perfect complement for any hunter this fall. $185.00. www.tombeckbe.com

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T H E TA S T I N G R O O M & TA P H O U S E AT M O U N T I DA R E S E R V E I S LO C AT E D J U S T SOUTH OF CHARLOTTESVILLE.

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T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N | FALL 2021

PHOTO BY JASON KEEFER PHOTOGRAPHY

The Fall 2021 Issue | RAISE A GLASS

grain to glass Scenic Virginia Farm Breweries to Visit This Fall STORY BY JEDD FERRIS

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D I R T FA R M B R E W I N G F E AT U R E S A N E X PA N S I V E PAT I O ( P I C T U R E D ABOVE) AND SWEEPING VIEWS O F T H E L O U D O N V A L L E Y.

E

Fine Creek Brewing Co. Powhatan

njoying craft beer isn’t just about what you’re drinking.

It’s also about where you’re drinking. A growing number of farm breweries, with taprooms set on scenic expanses of wide-open countryside, have been opening in Virginia in recent years, offering settings for beer enthusiasts that feel like a genuine escape. And many of these outfits grow their own hops and barley, among other ingredients, used to craft creative small-batch brews in a variety of styles that are perfect for drinking under autumn skies. Here are a handful of our favorites to visit this fall.

Mount Ida Reserve Tasting Room & Taphouse Charlottesville Mount Ida offers beer lovers a true grain-to-glass experience. Barley is grown onsite at the gorgeous 7,000-acre reserve, located just south of Charlottesville, and used to make the small-batch craft beers served at the Tasting Room & Taphouse. With expansive Blue Ridge views in the distance, you can taste a wide range of styles, from the Farm Use Helles, which features 100 percent estate-grown barley, to the high-gravity Beverly Harbor, a juicy double IPA that clocks in at 8% ABV. Wine enthusiasts will find plenty to sip on as well, as grapes from Mount Ida’s vineyard produce a range of styles, including the refreshing Bell Mount Rose and the deep, smokey High Ridge Cabernet. mountidareserve.com

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Fine Creek Brewing grows Cascade Hops on site that they harvest and pick every year for one batch of beer.

The menu consistently changes at Fine Creek, a small familyowned brewery, set on a rural property between Richmond and Charlottesville, that’s focused on keeping options fresh. Instead of leaning on flagships, the beer brewed on the modest three-barrel system changes regularly, rotating between hoppy IPAs, crisp lagers and fruited saisons. The same ethos applies to the food, as the menu is adjusted every weekend, and ingredients for cooking are often sourced from local farms and producers. You can also make a trip to Fine Creek an overnight, as the brewery’s nearby affiliate operation, the Mill at Fine Creek, offers 13 quaint cottages available to rent. finecreekbrewing.com

FROM CLOCKWISE: MOUNT IDA R E S E R V E ; C A S C A D E H O P S AT FINE CREEK; VIEWS OF THE LO U D O N VA L L E Y F R O M D I RT FA R M BREWING; AN OVERHEAD VIEW OF C AV E H I L L FA R M S . A L L P H OTO S COURTESY OF BREWERIES FALL 2021 | T H E V I R G I N I A S P O R T S M A N

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CHAMOMILE IS GROWN ON SITE AT F I N E C R E E K BREWING. GARDNERS HARVESTED AND DRIED THE PLANTS FOR MONTHS, AND THEN BREWERS BREW THE FLOWERS, L E AV E S A N D S TA L K S I N A N E A S Y- D R I N K I N G BUT COMPLEX BRETT SAISON. R I G H T: F I N E C R E E K B R E W E R Y TA S T I N G R O O M I N P O WATA N

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B Chord Brewing Round Hill As the name suggests, the folks running B Chord Brewing are big music fans, so concerts featuring bluegrass aces like Del McCoury and the Infamous Stringdusters are frequently held outdoors on the brewery’s bucolic property in the Blue Ridge foothills of western Loudoun County, about a half-hour east of Winchester. The farm brewery has a spacious tap room, but the real draw is the sprawling 66-acre, park-like outdoor space, which is perfect for enjoying live sounds and sipping tasty brews like the Altered Chord IPA or the Farley Bridge Scotch Ale. bchordbrewing.com

Dirt Farm Brewing Bluemont

Also located in Loudoun County, Dirt Farm Brewing is a relatively recent extension of the longstanding Great Country Farms, a family operation that grows a range of fresh fruits and vegetables. That agrarian experience was extended to brewing in 2012 with the opening of Dirt Farm, which sits on 100 acres and offers a range

of “plow-to-pint” beers served on an expansive outdoor patio with sweeping, panoramic views of the Loudon Valley. Ingredients in Dirt Farm beers come from the brewery’s own hop yard and barley fields and are used to craft mainstay favorites like the light Straw Golden Ale and the fruity Tart 31 Cherry Ale, which features heaps of fresh Montmorency cherries. dirtfarmbrewing.com

Cave Hill Farms Brewery McGaheysville

At Cave Hill Farms, get a look back in time while you enjoy a vast selection of fresh craft brews. Located near Massanutten Resort, just east of Harrisonburg, the brewery sits on sixth-generation family farmland deeded all the way back in 1759, and the farm’s long history of livestock and crop production is celebrated at the 10-barrel brewhouse via museum-like displays of old farm equipment and carriages. Plus the taproom is in a retrofitted cattle barn where you can comfortably sip beers like the Flagpole Porter and Slam Dinkles Bock Lager that are made with the farm’s own barley and hops and water from a generational family well. cavehillfarmsbrewery.com

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The Fall 2021 Issue | FROM THE FIELD

DOODLIN’ AROUND: ROBB MOORE AND H I S A M E R I C A N B R I T TA N Y, L I N C O L N , IN A VIRGINIA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA) ON THE OCCASION OF LINCOLN’S FIRST POINT OF AN AMERICAN WOODCOCK. PHOTO BY JUSTIN MADRON

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MUD BATS, BOG SUCKERS OR TIMBERDOODLES Whatever you want to call them, the American woodcock is a Virginia pointing-dog trainer’s best friend.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROBB MOORE

N

ew bird dog owners and trainers will likely hear the advice a thousand times if they hear it once: to steady a pointing dog, make sure you get it on lots of wild birds. Ruffed grouse hunters in the Northwoods casually say it takes about 300 exposures to make a good grouse dog. The problem for any Virginian trying to train their first bird dog is that you won’t get that many grouse exposures SO, WHAT’S A VIRGINIA during your dog’s lifetime if you BIRD DOG OWNER TO stick to the mountains of Virginia DO IF THEY’D LIKE TO SUPPLEMENT TYPICAL and surrounding states within an PEN-RAISED BIRD easy drive, such as West Virginia or TRAINING WITH WILD BIRDS? TO GIVE A DOG Pennsylvania.

THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE Bobwhite quail are no better IN VIRGINIA, THERE’S and arguably rarer in Virginia.

ONLY ONE CANDIDATE FOR A SEMI-RELIABLE Loss of habitat, global warming, WILD-BIRD TRAINING insect apocalypse, West Nile virus, PARTNER: THE AMERICAN parasitic disease and predators WOODCOCK, WHICH IS ALSO AFFECTIONATELY are possible reasons for their KNOWN AS THE MUD population decline, and all are BAT, BOG SUCKER AND likely lesser or greater factors in TIMBERDOODLE. a perfect storm of suck for our once abundant native upland birds. Bagging grouse or quail in Virginia isn’t quite like being the first explorer to bring in a Sasquatch, but it sure feels close to those lucky few hunters these days who pull it off.

So, what’s a Virginia bird dog owner to do if they’d like to supplement typical pen-raised bird training with wild birds? To give a dog that kind of exposure in Virginia, there’s only one candidate for a semi-reliable wild-bird training partner: the American woodcock, which is also affectionately known as the mud bat, bog sucker and timberdoodle. I offer the following T H R E E M U D B AT A M I G O S : J U S T I N M A D R O N , C H I P HIDINGER AND ROBB MOORE WITH HIDINGER’S FRENCH B R I T TA N Y S A N D M O O R E ’ S A M E R I C A N B R I T TA N Y, A F T E R A H U N T DAY I N W H I C H A L L T H R E E H U N T E R S H A R V E S T E D AMERICAN WOODCOCK IN VIRGINIA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS (WMAS).

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tips and information to anyone who’d like to employ these still relatively abundant wild birds to round out your bird-dog training regimen.

every WMA in Virginia where we hunted, and we averaged at least five or six flushes each day.

What You’re Looking For

Because woodcock are not closely related to true upland birds, they don’t smell the same to dogs. That’s why many bird dogs require a little bit of exposure and often work with experienced dogs before AT FIRST LINCOLN they understand it’s necessary to hunt BALKED AT RETRIEVING THEM, BUT WE GOT timberdoodles the same way they hunt PAST THIS CHALLENGE upland birds.

AFTER COMPLETING I found this to be true with Lincoln.

A TRAINED RETRIEVE REGIMEN WITH HIM. I Initially as a pup, he showed little—if HAVEN’T YET HEARD OF any—interest in mud bats on the ANYONE PUTTING THIS KIND OF PREPARATORY ground, even after he showed dramatic, WORK IN WITH THEIR noticeable interest in his first exposures DOG AND NOT BEING to quails, chukars and pigeons. But I ABLE TO ACHIEVE GETTING THEIR DOG TO worked with him. I tied woodcock wings HUNT WOODCOCK WITH to bumpers that a friend gave to me, THE SAME ENTHUSIASM and I took him hunting with other dogs THAT THEY HAVE FOR UPLAND BIRDS. that already had dialed in on woodcock a time or two. After these approaches, the light came on, and pretty soon I found him competing with the best of his buddies to slam on point for one bog sucker that was hunkered down on the forest floor. Once the light came on, it burned as bright as any for hunting upland birds. At first Lincoln balked at retrieving them, but we got past this challenge after completing a trained retrieve regimen with him. I haven’t yet heard of anyone putting this kind of preparatory work in with their dog and not being able to achieve getting their dog to hunt woodcock with the same enthusiasm that they have for upland birds.

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a strange and wonderful little bird. If you’re an East Coast beachgoer, think of a sandpiper.

Remove it from the beach and imagine it migrating each year from breeding grounds throughout the Northeast and upper Midwest to wintering grounds along the southeast coast of the United States.

Technically, timberdoodles are not upland birds, which are comprised by members of the order Galliformes. (These include a variety of chicken-like game birds such as pheasant, quail, grouse and more.)

Rather, they are migratory game birds. Their long, dark icepick-like bills are bizarrely distinctive. So are other aspects of their anatomy, from their upside-down brains to their ears, which are set in front of their wide set eyes.

When to Find Them

Woodcock are often abundant in Virginia from mid-autumn until spring. Their presence here shifts to an earlier start and later finish in states north of Virginia, and to a later start and earlier finish in states south of the Commonwealth. Cold weather in the North pushes them to the South, whereas milder winters in the North can dramatically cut their numbers in Virginia. Even though the overall season is regulated at the federal level, states can choose how they apportion their allotted days.

For years, Virginia has held two seasons for woodcock. You can find this information on the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) site at www.dwr.virginia.gov. Generally, Virginians are apportioned just a few weeks to hunt them starting in early November, and then again beginning at the end of December (often around Christmas week), through the first couple weeks of January.

Many of these dates overlap with deer seasons in Virginia; this is a common complaint among bird dog owners chasing mud bats.

For those unwilling to risk their bird dogs in crowded public lands during deer season, that means the last 10 days or so of the second season are often preferred for running bird dogs for woodcock after deer seasons.

Where to Find Them on Public Land

Lincoln, my American Brittany, and I have yet to find a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Virginia devoid of woodcock if they are appearing anywhere in the Commonwealth during their migration.

Generally, you’re going to find them in muddy creek bottoms under canopy and along forested slopes, resting and camouflaged on the forest floor. These birds hold relatively well for pointing dogs, especially if the bog suckers are tired from their overnight flights.

More and more frequently, however, some have adapted to hunting pressure and will run from points.

Snipe, close cousin of the American woodcock with a similar appearance, are larger and lighter in complexion. If you encounter a flighty, long-billed bird that looks like a big woodcock, most likely it’s a snipe, especially if the bird erupts from a soggy field instead of under forest canopy. This past year, woodcock were especially abundant in

How to Prep Your Dog

Woodcock as Table Fare

Woodcock don’t have the greatest reputation as a source of meat.

But you can acquire a taste for them. Cooked carefully and seared rare to just shy of medium-rare, they can be as tasty and gratifying as a high-quality beef filet cooked to the same degree. If you overcook these birds, they’ll taste like pungent liver or other organ meat. This is why woodcock have a reputation for not being tasty.

Counterintuitively, their breast meat is dark, and their leg meat is white; these characteristics befit the vascular infrastructure and incredible energy required of their breast and wing muscles to traverse thousands of migratory miles annually.

If you follow good cooking advice from woodcock connoisseurs, you will appreciate this prized gamebird as a gourmet treat, or as an appetizer to a larger upland bird meal, as much as you will value them as reliable training partners for your bird dog.

Robb Moore is a ninth-generation Virginian and a skippedgeneration bird hunter who lives in Richmond. He’s written online and print articles for Project Upland (projectupland.com) and its biannual sister publication, Hunting Dog Confidential (huntingdogconfidential.com). In addition to his day-job as a higher-education administrator at his alma mater, the University of Richmond, Moore also helps out as an amateur bird dog trainer at Orapax Hunting Preserve (orapax.com) and blogs about his and Lincoln’s journey at amanandhisbirddog.com/blog.

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hunting pheasant at The Preserve at Dundee An English-Style Hunt in the Heart of Virginia STORY BY ERIC KALLEN PHOTOS BY BEN WHITE

(RIGHT) A LABRADOR RETRIEVER P R O U D LY D I S P L A Y S S O M E O F T H E DAY S D O W N E D P H E A S A N T S AT T H E P R E S E R V E AT D U N D E E ’ S F I R S T D R I V E N - S T Y L E P H E A S A N T H U N T.

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( A B O V E ) . T H E B E A U T I F U L LY R E S T O R E D HISTORIC DUNDEE MANOR HOUSE. ( L E F T ) A S H O O T E R C A R E F U L LY L I N E S U P A N O V E R H E A D S H OT AT A N A P P R O A C H I N G P H E A S A N T.

W

hen you’re involved with a publication like this, you get to meet a lot of people who are passionate about the sporting life. One of those people is Kate Ahnstrom.

Ahnstrom is a professional shooting instructor who owns and operates Virginia Shooting Sports. I have known her for years, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching her interact with students on the shotgun range and in the field during one of her training hunts for new wing shooters. Ahnstrom is a member of gunmaker Syren’s pro staff, so she’s someone whose advice I do not question when it comes to anything involving a shotgun or upland hunting.

Early this year, Ahnstrom contacted me about a new hunting preserve in Hanover, Virginia, just an hour from my home in Charlottesville.

“The Preserve at Dundee offers a challenging, driven-style pheasant shoot in a very elegant and historical setting,” she said.

“You really need to join me for the shoot.”

Located just a few miles north of Richmond, The Preserve

at Dundee has a long and storied history. Originally built in 1810, the manor house was home to Confederate General Jeb Stuart’s cousins; Stuart and his wife lived in the house during the Civil War. “The grounds were used as a campground for both sides during the course of the civil war,” explained Ted Barrett, current owner of The Preserve at Dundee. “You can find bullet holes in numerous places around the house.”

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(ABOVE LEFT) PROFESSIONAL S H O OT I N G I N S T R U C TO R K AT E AHNSTROM GIVES SHOOTERS HER P R E - H U N T TA L K . ( A B O V E R I G H T ) DUNDEE OWNER TED BARRETT AND H I S F I A N C É G R AC E DAV I S P O S E FOR A QUICK PICTURE BEFORE THE P H E A S A N T H U N T. ( L E F T ) R I C H M O N D AT TO R N E Y DA N HOWELL IS DRESSED AND READY FOR H I S F I R S T P H E A S A N T H U N T.

The Barrett family’s ownership goes back to 1992, when Richard and Carolyn Barrett (Ted’s parents) purchased the property and fulfilled their dream of owning and renovating a grand Virginia estate.

After a three-year project, the Barrett’s transformed the house, grounds and gardens to their original splendor.

“Much of what you see at Dundee today is from the hard work of my parents,” Barrett added. “My mom in particular was devoted to restoring the estate’s grounds and gardens.”

“Much of what you see at Dundee today is from the hard work of my parents,” Barrett added. “My mom in particular was devoted to restoring the estate’s grounds and gardens.”

On February 27, the day of the hunt, I entered the grand foyer

of Dundee and was amazed by the attention to detail that Barrett’s mother put into interior design and decorating the home. It appeared to be a very well-orchestrated blend of old-world tradition and modern convenience. I met Ahnstrom in the drawing room, where she briefed me on the day’s events.

“Once you check in, feel free to grab a cup of coffee and something to eat, then we’ll head down to the field for the shoot,” she said.

Ahnstrom shared other details. I asked her for guidance on how best to set up for shots.

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( A B O V E L E F T ) T W O S H O OT E R S TA K E C A R E F U L A I M F R O M T H E I R P E G AT A N A P P R O A C H I N G P H E A S A N T. ( A B O V E RIGHT) DOWNED PHEASANTS ARE D R I V E N AWAY F R O M T H E F I E L D BY A M E T I C U L O U S LY R E S T O R E D L A N D ROVER. ( L E F T ) T E D B A R R E T T C A R E F U L LY R E M O V E S B I R D S F R O M T H E F I E L D AT DUNDEE.

“High, overhead shots aren’t difficult, they’re just different,” she explained. “A stable and narrow stance is paramount, and it allows a shooter to safely bag these quick, high-flying birds. Remember to keep your head down on the stock of your gun and allow the barrel to move ahead of the bird, blocking it out and adding the necessary lead.”

I’ve had the opportunity to shoot pheasants during driven

hunts in England and ring shoots in Virginia, so I was familiar with how the hunt would proceed. A ring shoot is arranged around a center point from which pheasants are released. There are stations, or British-style “pegs” spread like the numerals on a clock face, and two shooters at each peg work together to dispatch any pheasant that flies in their direction.

A ring shoot is arranged around a center point from which pheasants are released. There are stations, or British-style “pegs” spread like the numerals on a clock face, and two shooters at each peg work together to dispatch any pheasant that flies in their direction.

There were 19 pegs at Dundee, spread 60 yards apart. This accommodated 38 shooters and 500 pheasants were released. A horn blast signaled shooters to unload guns and rotate to the next peg. By the day’s end, each shooter had the chance to shoot from each peg.

“Each peg offers a different look and feel for the shooter,” Barrett

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(LEFT) A PHEASANT ROAMS THE FIELD AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM THE T O W E R . ( R I G H T ) A W E L L-T R A I N E D R E T R I E V E R P A T I E N T LY W A I T S F O R A SIGNAL TO RETRIEVE THE NEXT DOWNED P H E A S A N T.

said. “The cover and terrain are different at all of them, and the birds are likely to fly differently depending on where you’re shooting.”

Dan Howell, a Richmond attorney, received the hunt as a birthday present from his wife.

“I grew up in Chicago, so I’m a fairly new hunter,” he said. “I’ve participated in a few guided upland hunts, and I really wanted to try a ring shoot. The guided hunts are great and watching pointing dogs work is an amazing experience. But the ring shoots are very different.

There’s more action, and spending time with other hunters makes it feel more social.”

Howell paid tribute to the European roots of pheasant hunting and dressed in traditional continental shooting attire—Wellingtons, necktie, Barbour jacket and tweed.

“I wanted this to be a traditional experience” Howell added, after being named “best dressed” at the hunt. “When I do something, I’m all in.”

We assembled at our first pegs. We arranged our gear, loaded

our guns and waited for the first bird release. Mercifully, the harddriving morning rain gave way to overcast skies with only a minor threat of more precipitation. The cooler temperatures and saturated grounds offered a truly authentic continental shooting experience; I was grateful for my waterproof boots and insulated jacket.

I readied my gun and waited with great anticipation for the first pheasant to be released from the tower and take flight. I didn’t have to wait long for the first birds to fly that morning. Drawn by lots, my peg was back against the woods that border Dundee and proved to be

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an attractive destination for prey. As I raised my gun to my shoulder, with my heart pounding in my chest, the advice that Ahnstrom gave me less than an hour ago had long cleared my memory. My first shots were well behind the fast-flying birds, but to my relief shooters on a neighboring peg made the shots that brought down the first pheasant.

With the smell of gunpowder in the air and the sound of

distant shots in my ears as released birds flew to pegs around the field, I settled down and focused my shooting on the lead and speed of pheasant. Well-trained dogs stationed by each peg retrieved downed birds. It always amazes me how dogs can remain focused despite all the distractions of a shoot. Their composure is truly a testament to their training and breeding. I for one enjoy watching hunting dogs work nearly as much as I enjoy the hunts themselves.

Hunters fired their last shots of the day, and we worked our way back to the manor house to toast a prosperous hunt and give tribute to the pheasants, which were on display. The bright plumage of the roosters and the more subtle coloring of the hens reminded me of what a majestic bird the pheasant is, and a worthy opponent to anyone carrying a shotgun.

As our host Ted Barrett raised his glass, we all joined in a cheer to celebrate a successful hunt and give thanks to the man who has brought a great European tradition back to Virginia on the grounds of an historic estate. Barrett drained his glass. Assuming an air of solemnity, he reminded us that this first ring shoot at Dundee fulfilled a dream that his parents set in motion nearly 30 years ago when they acquired the property.

Cheers to this first hunt and many more to follow. Learn more at thepreserveatdundee.com.

Eric Kallen is the editor-at-large of The Virginia Sportsman.

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Art

the

of John Bukaty

THE PIONEERING LIVE PERFORMANCE ARTIST FINDS HIS FLOW STATE STORY BY JOE SHIELDS

T

he lyrics of Bob Marley and the Wailers resonate with American artist John Bukaty. One from the song “Trenchtown Rock” stands out: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

Art helps us relate to one another, and no experience is more universal than pain. Bukaty knows pain. He has risen from the ashes of trauma, addiction, heartbreak and economic struggle.

The son of an NFL football player, Bukaty was a high school and college standout himself. Plagued with permanent injuries from his college years playing for the Kansas Jayhawks, Bukaty quit football and the university. He chose a life in business, just as his father had done after his NFL career was over. Then music changed everything.

“In 1999, I traveled to Colorado to see a Widespread Panic concert with some friends, and the experience was pure ecstasy,” Bukaty said. “My first love has always been art, and in that moment, inspired by music and the collective experience we shared as an audience, I realized I had to be an artist. I was making good money at the time in Chicago, but it’s not what I wanted to do with my life. So, I left the corporate world and moved back to my hometown of Kansas City to pursue my dream.”

Bukaty grew up drawing—first in mud—then on paper with pencil. Self-taught, he worked diligently on his art in grade school.

His mother supported his passion and regularly took him to local art museums so he could study works up close.

After he returned to Missouri, Bukaty began painting again and started a weekly live painting show at a local brewpub. The Thursday night event grew, and it eventually led to other live painting commissions.

J O H N B U K AT Y H A S PA I N T E D P O R T R A I T S O F M A N Y M U S I C I A N S AT L I V E C O N C E R T S A N D E V E N T S , I N C LU D I N G WA R R E N H AY N E S .

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Encouraged by friends and fans—and looking for a bigger stage—Bukaty moved to Colorado and became a rock n’ roll painter.

Denver’s location and fanatical music fans have made it a favorite destination among touring musicians of all genres, and Bukaty quickly became a popular fixture at local concerts.

Today, Bukaty is sober, lives in New Orleans and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of live painting. He defines the pursuit as a form of improvisational performance art in which an artist completes a visual art piece in a public performance, accompanied by a DJ or live music, and channels that music into art.

“I am a live painter. I’ve been painting live for 20 years. I’ve painted all around the world—at music festivals, sporting events and fundraisers. My intention is to create the spirit of inspiration and improvisation and capture the soul of events around me. Sometimes I’ll start a painting and alter it on-the-fly to reflect the lighting, music and the crowd. Live painting is improvisation at its finest, and you don’t always know what the finished product will look like until the music stops.”

At events, Bukaty creates BUKATY HAS PAINTED a unique vibe through chaotic PORTRAITS OF BRUCE composition and explosive SPRINGSTEEN, G. LOVE, color. He believes a live WARREN HAYNES, painting can create a lasting WIDESPREAD PANIC, impression on guests for years WILLIE NELSON AND to come, especially if they BLUES TRAVELER, become involved in the whole TO NAME A FEW. HE experience.

RECEIVED NATIONAL “Private parties and events RECOGNITION FOR are special,” said Bukaty.

HIS PROJECT ON NEW “Sometimes people add a ORLEANS POTHOLES brushstroke of their own to the AND WAS ASKED TO work. Collaborating with others CREATE AN ALBUM is spiritual. Event hosts keep the COVER FOR STEVE original, and guests often get a WINDWOOD’S RECORD numbered print of the original— OF GREATEST HITS. and other gifts. A live painting can live in their minds forever— and participants get their very own copy they can cherish.”

Socially conscious and visually stimulating, Bukaty’s work has been featured in numerous solo shows. Having owned and operated three fine art galleries himself, he has been featured in shows at the Denver Art Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the NelsonAtkins Art Museum in Kansas City.

Bukaty has painted portraits of Bruce Springsteen, G. Love, Warren Haynes, Widespread Panic, Willie Nelson and Blues Traveler, to name a few. He received national recognition for his project on New Orleans potholes and was asked to create an album cover for Steve Windwood’s record of greatest hits. His work is collected by prominent actors, musicians and athletes, including Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, J.J. Cale, John Popper, Billy Butler ( O P P O S I T E ) L I V E PA I N T I N G I S I N S P I R AT I O N AT I T S F I N E S T. B U K AT Y C R E AT E S A U N I Q U E V I B E T H R O U G H C H AOT I C C O M P O S I T I O N A N D E X P LO S I V E C O LO R . O F T E N H E W I L L S TA R T A P A I N T I N G A N D A LT E R I T O N - T H E - F LY T O R E F L E C T T H E LIGHTING, MUSIC AND THE CROWD.

and Kansas Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self. Additionally, he has created important commissions for corporate clients such as BMW, Budweiser, Chipotle, Jameson, Sprint and Toyota.

Not all of Bukaty’s work centers on live painting. In 2009, he traveled to India and created 100 paintings in 100 days in his “100 Paintings Ago” collection. Six years later, he went to Ireland and captured the Irish landscape and culture in his collection “Ireland’s 33.” In both journeys, his travels and works were recorded in short film documentaries.

“I am a vessel,” he said. “I try to meditate, write poetry, sleep, eat healthy and cope with old traumas. Growth is painful, and letting go of old things helps work part of the pain away. So does creation. I probably have more than 2,000 pieces of art to my name—including works by BlüJack, my true-to-myself alter ego I brought to life in 2005. The intent behind BlüJack was to help bring peace, love and service to the world. My journey is on a timeline. I start and stop, mix up visual styles and am always on the lookout for what’s next. But I love the chaos of people and live music. My brush hardly leaves the canvas in those settings. I enjoy opening myself up to the universe and finding that flow state.”

“Climb to Safety,” Bukaty’s latest project named after the song written by Jerry Joseph and Glenn Esparza and recorded by Widespread Panic on the album “’Til the Medicine Takes,” is an ambitious undertaking that came to him in a dream. The artist’s plan is to paint 120 ladders and install them throughout New Orleans, including along Bayou St. John, a quiet neighborhood close to the Fairgrounds that is the site of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

“I want people to use me as a conduit, and I view art as a way to connect us all. Sometimes it’s the only way I can explain ideas. ‘Climb to Safety’ is already underway and I welcome departures like this.”

Bukaty has collaborated with more than 20 artists, including New Orleans musician and hometown hero Anders Osborne. A number of his collaborators are musicians, and Bukaty says musicians are always interested in creating anything. Especially Osborne, who Bukaty used to represent in his gallery.

“We are in a renaissance,” Bukaty said. “It’s already happening with art and creativity. Young kids are creating and editing works and videos on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. A lot of people criticize technology, but I believe it has led to a renaissance and the beginning of something special. I see a future in which people lead with their hearts. This separates us from the bots. We all have to serve someone, and we might as well serve art. Inspiration is invisible, and artists make the invisible visible. That’s why imagination is so powerful. I think young people are finding that flow state, and the future looks bright.”

Learn more and book a live painting event with Bukaty at www. johnbukaty.com.

Joe Shields is the editor in chief of The Virginia Sportsman. He is a writer and marketing executive based in Charlottesville, Virginia. His writing and photography have appeared in The Virginia Sportsman and other publications. He is also an award-winning, gallery-represented artist whose work is found in private collections and galleries.

Whether fly fishing or surfing, drawing or painting, he celebrates sporting life and culture in his narratives and art.

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The Fall 2021 Issue | WELL READ

“HOOK, LINE, AND SUPPER” Hank Shaw’s Fifth Cookbook Is an Indispensable Resource for Home Cooks and Anglers REVIEW BY JOE SHIELDS

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ank Shaw is a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. He is also a contributing editor at The Virginia Sportsman. His recipes and writing reflect his energies, which are focused on wild foods and Shaw’s passions: foraging, fishing and hunting.

“Most people who know me know me as a wild-game chef, not a fish and seafood cook,” Shaw writes in the forward of his fifth cookbook, “Hook, Line, and Supper” (H&H Books, May 2021). “Truth is, long before I picked up a shotgun or a rifle—for twenty-five years at least—I was catching, cooking, and eating fish, both professionally and at home. I love hunting, and I spend much of my time doing it. But if I had to choose between fishing and hunting, fishing—and gathering seafoods—would win hands down. Digging clams and catching flounder are some of my earliest memories, and they remain some of the best from my childhood. Fish and seafood are just part of my DNA.” “Hook, Line, and Supper” is perhaps the most comprehensive guide to preparing and cooking fish and seafood. Shaw runs the critically acclaimed website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and is a nationally known expert in wild foods ranging from wild edible plants and mushrooms to game, fish and seafood. The new book’s recipes, tips and techniques are an indispensable resource for home cooks and anglers of all abilities as they seek ways to prepare fish and seafood in new and consistently delicious ways.

“I believe no other fish and seafood cookbook deals with fish and seafood in such a wide-ranging, ‘galactic’ sense,” Shaw said.

“By breaking down the essence of fish and seafood cookery, ‘Hook, Line, and Supper’ helps home cooks bring out the best in whatever they bring home from the market or the water. The book covers both freshwater and saltwater fish and seafood, from all over North America.

It is meant as an overall guide, a masterclass for fish that will help make you a skilled cook no matter what skill level you’re at right now.”

In the new guide, Shaw zeroes in on broad categories of fresh and saltwater fish, detailing how they can substitute for each other.

He hammers home the idea of interchangeability and provides clear techniques and carefully developed master recipes to help home cooks improve their skills with fish and seafood. Shaw also explores the wide world of flavor combinations and pairings that work with an array of fish and seafood to encourage cooks to successfully freestyle in the kitchen.

“Hook, Line, and Supper” is a compendium for buying, cleaning and cooking fish and seafood from all over North America that even novice cooks will find useful. Shaw explains how best to treat various species from the moment they emerge from the water, how to select them in the market and how to prep, cut and store them at home.

Shaw’s new work contains more than 120 global, yet approachable

recipes including tried-and-true standards like fish and chips and smoked salmon, plus international classics like Chinese steamed fish with chiles, English fish pie, Mexican grilled clams and Indian crab curry. The cookbook also features deeply personal dishes, like a Maine-style clam chowder that has been in Shaw’s family for more than a century, as well as a selection of fish and seafood charcuterie, from fresh sausages and crispy fish-skin chips to terrines and even homemade fish sauce.

“I’ve seen, and eaten, so many different kinds of fish and seafood in so many places over so many years,” Shaw said. “That experience has given me the ability to give to you the ‘deep knowledge’ about fish and seafood as a whole.”

“Hook, Line, and Supper” features photography by both Shaw and Holly A. Heyser, shot all over North America, from Alaska to Florida, Manitoba and the Canadian Rockies to the Texas and Louisiana coast, to lakes and rivers in the Heartland, San Francisco Bay, the Jersey shore and the rocky coastlines of New England.

The 336-page, hardcover cookbook retails for $32.95 USD and is available wherever books are sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Shaw’s book tour will crisscross the United States visiting Alabama, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Alaska and multiple stops in between. Buy direct, check the event schedule for frequent updates and enjoy Shaw’s writing and recipes at honest-food.net.

Joe Shields is the editor in chief of The Virginia Sportsman. He is a writer and marketing executive based in Charlottesville, Virginia. His writing and photography have appeared in The Virginia Sportsman and other publications. He is also an award-winning, gallery-represented artist whose work is found in private collections and galleries.

Whether fly fishing or surfing, drawing or painting, he celebrates sporting life and culture in his narratives and art.

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The Fall 2021 Issue | WELL FED

THAI FRIED POMFRET RECIPE BY HANK SHAW If you don't have pomfret, use any flattened fish, like crappies, bluegills, porgies, butterfish, etc. This recipe would also work with small flounder.

Prep Time | 15 mins Cook Time | 15 mins CHILE SAUCE Juice of a lime 3 tablespoons sambal oelek, or other chile sauce 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic FISH 1 or 2 whole pomfret, or enough crappies or bluegills to feed four people Salt 1/2 cup rice flour 1/2 cup corn starch or potato starch Oil for frying Make the chile sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Set aside at room temperature. This sauce can be made up to a few days ahead of time.

Slice the fish in a cross-hatch pattern to expose the meat. Salt the fish well inside and out. Mix the starch and rice flour together then dust the fish with it, inside and out. Get about 1/2 inch of canola or vegetable oil hot in a very large pan.

When the oil is hot, shake off any excess flour and fry the pomfret for about 5 minutes per side.

One tip: If the tail overhangs the frying pan, break it off and fry it separately, then "reattach" it on the platter, covering the break point with sauce. No one will notice.

Place the fish on a platter and drizzle with the sauce. Fresh cilantro is a nice garnish, as is mint.

NOTE: You can use the oil a few times by straining it after it cools, then putting the oil in a glass jar and setting that in the fridge. Only use it for fish, though.

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P H O T O B Y H O L LY A . H E Y S E R

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The Fall 2021 Issue | GREAT ESCAPE

FALL BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN HIGHLANDS, N.C. PHOTO BY GREG NEWINGTON

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LIVING THE HIGH LIFE Immerse Yourself in Highlands, N.C. STORY BY ELLEN KANZINGER

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M

att Canter started fishing the waters of western North Carolina in college, working his way up from guide to partner and general manager of Brookings Anglers.

Over the last 17 years, he has been drawn to the area for the ease of access to public lands. Surrounded by Nantahala National Forest, Highlands sits on one of the tallest plateaus east of the Mississippi with views and rivers stretching out before your eyes.

“That’s the reason why people come here,” Canter said. “They’re coming to an area that has enough to be comfortable but not so much that you feel like you haven’t escaped.”

Highlands is a hidden gem that’s only a two-hour drive north of Atlanta with an elevation of 4,118 feet. You can take in all four seasons here, and explore scenic drives and hiking trails.

Look no further than this Blue Ridge mountain town for a peaceful getaway with your family or on your own.

L E F T: WA L K T H E T R A I L B E N E AT H T H E TUMBLING DRY FALLS. PHOTO BY GREG NEWINGTON ABOVE: ENJOY THE SECLUSION OF SECRET FALLS. PHOTO BY GREG NEWINGTON

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Sera Petras Photography

D OW N L OA D T H E A P P

LEXINGTON | ROCKBRIDGE | BUENA VISTA

Get your guide to the best of our great outdoors and start mapping your road trip today.

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Where to Wander For the casual angler, Canter recommends the Tuckasegee, a user-friendly river the state stocks with trout. The wild and scenic Chattooga River provides more advanced anglers the opportunity to test their skills for some wild brown trout in a beautiful setting.

Then there are the smaller blue-line streams and headwaters, like Panthertown Valley, that offer harder to reach spots surrounded by views.

“We’ve got around 30 streams within a 30-minute drive that we can choose to go to,” Canter said.

Brookings Anglers offers a variety of float and wade trips in the area (depending on the season), while carrying all the goods and brands you’ll need for a day on the water.

If you want to see wildlife on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, designated an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for the more than 160 species that rely on the area for breeding and migration, Sunset Rock Trail and Whiteside Mountain Trail offer panoramic views, nesting spots and nature’s sounds while you stretch your legs. A number of roadside waterfalls, like Cullasaja Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, provide a stunning backdrop to a scenic drive through the area. Stop by one of Highland Hiker’s four stores in the area for advice on the best places to hit the trails, plus any gear, shoes and apparel you might need while in town.

TO P : D I N I N G AT W O L F G A N G ' S R E S TAU R A N T A N D W I N E B I S T R O PHOTO COURTESY OF HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ABOVE: THE HIGHLAND HIKER HAS ALL OF YOUR GEAR NEEDS COVERED. PHOTO COURTESY OF HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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BENEFITING:

Where to Eat If you didn’t get enough water, Lakeside Restaurant’s seafoodfocused menu will satisfy your appetite as you take in views of Harris Lake. Wolfgang’s Restaurant and Wine Bistro is another great dining option that features an extensive array of choices, from a Bavarian sampler and roasted lamb to Cajun barbecue shrimp and sweet desserts.

Check out other options along Main Street for early morning pickme-ups, filling meals and decadent desserts and drinks.

Where to Sleep Offering rooms and cabins, Half-Mile Farm has lodging styles to satisfy every traveler. Enjoy a cup of coffee and farm-fresh food to start your day. You can also relax on the expansive porch or by the private lake, and cozy up next to the fire at this mountain retreat.

For those traveling with pets, The Park on Main is the place to stay in the Appalachians. Here you’ll have easy access to nearby shops and eateries, plus a garden terrace perfect for relaxing at the end of a long day. Pets can stay at no additional cost with a dog bed in each room and two dog parks are within walking distance.

T O P : C O Z Y U P F O R A N I G H T AT T H E PA R K O N M A I N . P H O T O B Y GREG NEWINGTON A B O V E : TA K E I N T H E FA L L F O L I AG E O N A N O F F - R OA D EXCURSION. PHOTO BY GREG NEWINGTON

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The Fall 2021 Issue | OPEN SPACES

GHOST TRAP RODEO Fishing Tournament with a “Catch” Helps Clear Florida Waters of Dangerous Ghost Traps S T O R Y B Y J O H N K E L LY PHOTOS BY ALEX FENLON PA R T I C I PA N T S C O M PA R E NOTES WHILE MAKING D R O P - O F F S AT T H E K E Y WEST GHOST TRAP RODEO.

I

t all started, as so many good things do, with a day at the beach.

Neill (“Captain Neill”) Holland and his partner Danielle Dawley had recently relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, from New York to be near the ocean environment they both loved. One day they headed to the waterfront, and Danielle began gathering trash in a grocery store bag, filling it quickly with plastics and wrappers and anything else she could find. She had a lifelong passion for nature born and cultivated by a childhood and young adulthood spent around the globe as the daughter of an SAS flight attendant.

“It just started a conversation about whether it might be possible to gather more volunteers and get more hands-on with this work she was so passionate about, and that I became so passionate about through her,” said Captain Neill, who was in the process of renewing his charter captain’s license, and would later start a commercial charter operation out of Tampa Bay. Their shoreline explorations expanded to the water, where they would go boating around the Tampa Bay watershed and began to notice “ghost gear,” or lost and abandoned crab traps.

“We thought it was really just a debris issue,” he said, “something that was degrading in the environment and could cause problems down the road.” What they didn’t know then was the very real threat these traps caused to marine life, and, by extension, to the economic wellbeing of the region. “Oftentimes you see these from the boat, and you see these traps sitting in three feet of water,” Captain Neill explained, “and you don’t understand that it probably has all kinds of marine life stuck inside of it that cannot escape.”

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Further complicating matters is the fact that the lobster traps are made of wood and concrete, biodegradable materials. They might continue to trap crab, lobster, fin fish and other species for three-tofive years. The stone crab traps, however, are made of a reinforced plastic similar to, but stronger than, a milk crate, and last much longer in the water.

The road from idea to reality took a couple of years, helped greatly

by Captain Neill’s years of experience managing millions of dollars in grant money allocations to major nonprofit organizations. By 2017, Ocean Aid 360 made its debut as a 501c3 nonprofit—an all-hands-ondeck grassroots organization that brings recreational anglers/divers, sportfishing captains and commercial fishermen together for the common good of protecting coastal waters The first thing Captain Neill and Dawley did was to visit Grants.gov, the federal grants registry website, where they learned that they were hardly alone in their concerns. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had a grant solicitation specifically aimed at marine debris removal with a high priority on derelict fishing gear. The couple secured the grant, and by mid 2018 they were off to the races.

Or, better yet, to the rodeo.

Their initial grant-earning concept was a “Ghost Trap Rodeo,” an event that would bring amateur anglers, volunteers and commercial fishermen together for a fishing tournament where the intended haul was not marine life, but ghost traps.

The pair began their efforts in the Tampa Bay watershed, where

they quickly gained the attention of some of the state’s most influential environmental organizations and leaders. The concept, Dawley said, was simple. “The idea was to do a tournament-style event that fishermen, people in the water and anglers are used to, and then offering prizes as incentives to volunteer their time and their vessels.” They launched the event in 2018, and held one every six weeks or so, before NOAA and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) suggested they might think about expanding the effort outside of the Tampa-St. Pete region.

In late 2020, another landmark moment came when Captain Neill and Dawley received a call from the Grassy Creek Foundation (GCF). GCF is a private family foundation founded by Chad and Blake Pike. Chad Pike is also the founder of Eleven Experience, which strives to set a new ( L E F T ) O V E R F L O W I N G PA R K I N G L O T S A N D T R U C K S C A L L E D F O R U N P L A N N E D D U M P R U N S A S T H E A N G L E R S ’ H AU L S S H AT T E R E D E X P E C TAT I O N S . ( T O P R I G H T ) A PA D D L E B O A R D E R D O E S H I S PA R T AT T H E G H O S T T R A P R O D E O . ( B O T T O M R I G H T ) M E E T “ T R A P P E R .”

T H I S S E A T U R T L E WA S F O U N D TA N G L E D I N R O P E S AT TAC H E D TO THE GHOST TRAPS, RESCUED AND SENT TO A NEARBY TURTLE H O S P I T A L . W I T H R E C O V E R Y N O W N E A R LY C O M P L E T E , T R A P P E R I S H E A D I N G B AC K TO O P E N WAT E R S S O O N .

standard in experiential travel by providing clients with unprecedented adventures and authentic connections, combining its global array of premier, off-the-grid properties with a collection of world-class guides.

Both organizations share a deep commitment to environmental conservation and responsible stewardship of natural resources. GCF focuses on causes that allow it to work with partners on projects that, in the words of Pike, “can really move the needle.” Past partners have included the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, among others. “We look for projects where GCF’s support will have the largest impact,” Pike recently told thewadinglist.com. “The goal is to foster a multiplier effect with respect to impact so that we are not just fixing one mile at a time.”

One day while fishing with a trusted guide, Todd ‘Otis’ Burbridge, Pike noted the prevalence of marine debris in the waters around them.

He and Burbridge also discussed Covid 19’s impact on tourism, leading to an idea that could help both the environment and the economic fortunes of a population hard-hit by the pandemic. “We had been hearing so much about the devastating effect the pandemic was having on the angling community, and particularly on guides,” Pike said. “You’ve got

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out-of-work anglers with boats and a lot of marine debris. What if we give guides a day’s wage to spend time on water removing that debris?”

Ocean Aid 360 jumped at the chance to test out this new twist to their model. The first GCF funded event was held in Key West on February 22-24, and it featured prizes donated by Eleven Experience as well as by CCA Florida Boaters Republic, Engle Cooler and Power Pole.

The partnership was a winner from the start for both sides, bringing ashore nearly 12,000 pounds of debris and employing the skills (and boats) of six captains. The event was slightly complicated by the fact that it was held during the trap fishing season, meaning that Ocean Aid 360 staff had to carefully train each participant to discern between active and abandoned traps. They set their sights on a second, larger summer event, in the off-season for trap fishing in the area. At that point, all observed traps in these fisheries are recognized as discarded, making them all fair game for the participants.

Last Memorial Day, 14 captains gathered for a three-day Ghost Trap rodeo in Key West, loading their shallow-draft commercial boats with gear and eager volunteers, including Brian O’Keefe, angling product manager for Eleven Experience. O’Keefe quickly noted the spirit of camaraderie. “There was a lot of good natured ribbing between captains as we were loading up and it was very clear that everyone was excited about the opportunity to be out on the water having fun and making a real difference.”

It wasn’t long before the hard work began, and O’Keefe was right in the middle of it all, making fast friends with his fellow partners in grime, including local captain Jeremy Loercher, and OA360 core staffer

Adam Welch. “It was good physical fun,” he said, “and a great bonding experience because you meet total strangers at the dock, and by the time you get back to the dock, you have these new buddies. One of the great things was that there was absolutely no hierarchy out there.

Everyone was working for the same thing.”

While Captain Neill oversaw things from the water, Dawley served as land captain, making sure her team, including OA360’s Amy Losoya, Lauren Campbell and representatives from the Key West nonprofit organization Reef Relief, was ready when the haul began coming in. It didn’t take long for her to realize that they were in trouble. The best kind of trouble. “When they started bringing traps in,” Dawley said, “we were fish out of water there for a minute. We absolutely could not believe how much they were bringing in. We filled an entire parking lot with the heavy lobster traps that are between 75 and 100 pounds each, and stone crab traps, which weighed up to 45 pounds and have concrete bases. It was pretty clear there was going to be some serious heavy lifting going on.”

The “trouble” never stopped. Soon the parking lot was full of traps, and executive decisions were made to make a preliminary run to dispose of them before more came in. And boy did they come in. By the end of the day, the haul had removed 10 tons of debris, nearly exceeding the three-day goal for the event. Two days later, the effort had brought in 822 traps and an astonishing 40,000 pounds of debris in all. The impressive numbers don’t stop there. Captain Neill reports that each trap averaged three animals, with more than 1,000 in all live-released over the three days.

These numbers included one very special find. “We got a call from

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one of our staffers that one boat had found a turtle that had become ensnared in ropes that were connected to a trap,” Dawley said. “We called FWC and they asked us to bring it ashore. They washed up with a turtle ambulance that transported it to a turtle hospital in Marathon.” The team named their new friend “Trapper,” and Dawley was happy to report that Trapper is very much on the mend and will soon be released back into open waters.

Of course, the results of an event like this go beyond numbers. One of the participating captains, Mimi Stafford, came back on one of the days exclaiming, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen these waters so clean!”

Stafford’s words take on more meaning when you consider she has been fishing the area commercially since the 1970’s.

“We have many grantees with very ambitious missions and objectives that can take years to realize,” said GCF Executive Director Kateryna Rakowsky, who spent a decade as a lawyer before taking her talents to the nonprofit world and focusing on conservation. “By contrast, the impact of this three-day event was immediately visible and far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Ocean Aid 360 pulled together a phenomenal clean up and we were thrilled with the outcome.”

O’Keefe agreed that seeing the tangible results of his and his new friends’ efforts was incredibly rewarding. “It is so different from writing a check or signing a petition. There is nothing like that human element of working together to do this muddy, gritty job and then seeing the results of our efforts right in front of us—dumpsters and dumpsters and trailers and trailers loaded to the brim with literally tons of stuff.”

Not all of this “stuff” was beyond repair. Approximately 20% of

the traps brought in during the event were in good working condition, O’Keefe said, meaning they could have been trapping and killing marine life for years to come. Ocean Aid 360 is currently talking to the FWC about instituting a buy-back program for working traps, according to Dawley, allowing them to be re-purposed while at the same time providing an incentive for the captains to collect them.

“I think people feel activated,” Captain Neill said. “They are clearly delighted that they have been impactful in such a positive way for our watershed.” These include some participants who are trepidatious at first, he said. “I love the fact that some people, commercial or not, might show up to one of our events thinking, ‘Are these people going to be some kind of eco warriors?’ The truth is, we are eco warriors, but we are also anglers. I have a commercial charter company out of Tampa Bay, and we have a lot of relationships with commercial operators, so this is something that takes a balanced and inclusive approach and doesn’t demonize anybody. We just want to help in any way we can to make a positive impact.”

For more information on Ghost Trap Rodeos and Ocean Aid 360, visit www.oceanaid360.org. Learn more about Eleven Experience at www.elevenexperience.com.

John Kelly is a contributing editor of The Virginia Sportsman. He is a writer and public-relations professional based in Charlottesville, Virginia, whose work has appeared in the UVA Arts Magazine, Albemarle Magazine and USA Today, among other publications. Kelly also works regularly throughout Central Virginia as a singer-songwriter and recently released an album of original songs titled "In Between."

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BTT is a membership-based organization that works to conserve and restore bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and habitats through research, stewardship, education and advocacy. We are scientists, anglers, guides, manufacturers, lodge and shop owners, and outfitters who are taking action today to conserve and restore our flats fisheries for tomorrow.

Please help us in our mission by joining at: www.btt.org

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