Water, water everywhere!
So let’s all jump in the drink with some springtime gear.
Springtime is here, which means the creeks are rising, the fish are biting, and ol’ Tom Turkey is getting ready to gobble. And after a hectic holiday season, a couple of weeks spent getting back into a workaday groove after another flip of the calendar, and what is beginning to look like the traditional late-winter ice storm, it’s a pretty safe bet that the average Arkansas Wild reader is good and ready to get out and about. So to help you quit climbing the walls and start climbing the mountains — and clambering up trails, canoeing down creeks, and cavorting in the great out-of-doors generally — we’re here with the springtime edition of our Arkansas Wild Gear Guide.
Old model, old school. If you prefer a little seasoning on your canoes and want to do your shopping very local, head to your favorite floating spot and talk to a local livery. Most outfits that rent out canoe trips — Turner Bend on the Mulberry, Moore Outdoors on the Piney, the concessionaires up and down the Buffalo National River — sell off some of their fleet every year to make room for new boats. Some of them have seen some things, to be sure, but if you know what you’re looking for and what you’re looking at — and can do a little horse-trading — you might just come up with the deal of a lifetime (or at least several floating seasons).
Tackle your tackle. Fishing starts out pretty simply — pole, line, hook, worm — but by the time an angler graduates from that first Snoopy pole to even the most basic big-kid rig, tackle starts to pile up pretty fast. Keep it all sorted — and mobile — with the Bass Pro Shops Advanced Angler Pro Backpack Tackle System. It sits just fine in the bottom of a boat, but the Angler Pro really shines when it’s time to leave the boat behind and head up the creek afoot. Find the Advanced Angler Pro (and plenty of stuff to fill it) at Bass Pro Shops in Little Rock.
New model, old school. If you think kayaks are too skinny and pedal rigs are a little too contraption-y, consider picking up a new Buffalo canoe. Ubiquitous on the state’s waterways since its introduction, the Buffalo is named after the Buffalo National River and is produced near its namesake by Buffalo Canoe Manufacturing in Jasper. The versatile Buffalo is suitable for virtually any waterway in the state, but is perhaps most beloved by canoe campers as a steady, roomy, and nimble craft ready to paddle for a day or a week at a time. You can find a new Buffalo canoe at Arts Marine in North Little Rock, Ranalli Farms & Equipment in Springdale, and at buffalocanoemanufacturing.com.
Sip, don’t slip. Keep your iced tea — or whatever happens to float your boat while floating in a boat — both iced and contained with the TwistLock Beverage Locking System. The mother of all cupholders, the TwistLock can be mounted to just about any flat surface that would otherwise be a prime suspect in tragic beverage loss, including RVs, tractors, motorboats, tree stands, and even aircraft. The TwistLock Beverage Locking System comes with a two-year warranty, mounting kit, and insulated tumbler. You can find yours at Bass Pro Shops.
Go pedaling and/or paddling. Combining several perennial outdoors-activity all-stars — kayaking, fishing, and bicycling — the Native Propel 10 is a fishing kayak that runs on pedal power, keeping your hands free for doing what you’re out there to do: go after fish. It’s compact enough to fit on just about any rooftop rack and comes with a motor mount and an electronics plate for future upgrades. The real draw, though, is the pedal system, which allows for hands-free propulsion and steering while you cast away. There’s a Propel 10 — along with plenty of other kayaks — at Ozark Outdoor Supply in Little Rock.
It’s a lock. If this issue’s cover story has you hankering to channel your inner Davey Crockett, it might be time to invest in a flintlock hunting rifle and light out for the Territory. Do a little research first — the rifle featured in the story is a Southern Mountain rifle, but flintlocks come in a wide variety of styles and calibers — then don your coonskin hat and hunt a mile in your a frontiersman’s moccasins. You can get your smoke-pole of choice custom-made right here in Arkansas: The Muzzleloader Shop (with locations in North Little Rock and Berryville, and online at muzzleloadershop.com) and Caywood Gunmakers (located in Berryville, and online at caywoodguns.com) both offer numerous calibers and styles of pre- and custom-built flintlocks.
All images courtesy of vendors
