Turkey Talk: Revised Times/Attendees

Quick update for those of you planning to attend our FREE Turkey calling and techniques seminar this Saturday - Tony Giorgi will be on hand starting at 10 am, and will be available through 1 pm.

Also, we've confirmed that representatives from the National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF) will be on hand with membership information. This is a great opportunity to support the organization which supports turkey habitat and access.

So - get up an hour earlier than we said - Turkey Seminar this Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm.

See you there!

Time to Talk Turkey!

Spring is working its way here, and for a rapidly increasing chunk of our customers, that means it's time to talk turkey!

First off - if you haven't done so, stop by Western Sport Shop for the last chance to get great deals on the camouflage clothing you'll need - all camo clothing is still (at least) 40% OFF!

Second - get your chores done today and mark your calendar! This coming Saturday, March 12, we will have turkey calling expert Tony Giorgi at our shop in San Rafael. He'll be on hand from 11 until 2 pm demonstrating calling, talking about strategies and techniques for hunting turkeys, and will be happy to answer your questions. Don't miss this informative (and FREE) event.

For those of you who have not met Tony, he runs Bass 'n Boars, a guide service located in Sonoma county. He's been successfully hunting the wiley gobblers longer than he cares to remember.
Your Upland Bird Stamp Money at work:
The California Department of Fish & Game has published this helpful guideline for turkey hunting. It was produced using funds generated through the sale of the California Up-
land Game Bird Stamp. The Upland Game Bird Stamp must be purchased by every adult
hunter who hunts wild turkey or any upland game bird in California. The funds generated
through the sale of the stamp are dedicated to improving the quality of hunting and to
preserving the heritage of hunting in California.

DFG Turkey Hunting Guide - click to download

Oh - last but not least - here are instructions on what to do if you take a banded turkey.

Tuna Time for Tankersly

We just love it when we hear stories from customers about great fishing trips!

But, we love it even more when good customers have their trips written up in the newspaper! After getting expertly outfitted by Western Sport Shop staff long-range specialist Richard Birnbaum, avid angler Robert Tankersley had one heck of a fishing trip!

Leaving through Fisherman's Landing in San Diego, Robert ended up with great fishing and landed a 178 pound tuna! Here's the full story (and the reel was taken care of under warranty - truly the first one of those we've seen fail!)

Battle with 178-pound tuna highlghts memorable trip to Clarion Island

For more information about long range trips and blue water fishing, please don't hesitate to drop by and speak with Richard or Ben in the tackle department.

Thoughts on Clothing Designs & Some Serious Bargains

There are a number of times over the years when I've looked down at what I'm wearing and realized how much nicer things are with well designed and produced clothing.

Earlier this year, when dropping and pulling crab pots on a glorious flat, calm Pacific Ocean, the spray and splash from the pots soaked most of the working area of the boat, and my Grundens bibs shook off the water like a seal. They are a simple piece of gear that do what they need too very well.

I've also ended up with a pretty good selection of Simms base layers, mid layers and outerwear over the years. One of the things that's always impressed me about them is that they combine good tech with design based on feedback from guides, dealers and anglers.

Just this week, our Simms rep passed through town with one of the product designers, who had been out a recent consumer show. We hadn't met before, but quickly got talking about what works and when the new spring stuff would be showing up. There's a lot to be excited about from them, as I was reminded this past week.

I've been fighting a sinus infection, and feeling kind of miserable. But, the dog still has to be walked, and when the rains started coming down a few 100 yards after the start, I threw the hood on my Simms jacket over my head, zipped up, and prepared to be reasonably uncomfortable for the next half hour. Turns out that I was needlessly pessimistic.

The newest jacket I have doesn't really look like rain gear in the strictest sense - it's a soft shell fabric that isn't bulky and moves easily with your body - stretching in the direction you need to move. As the rain intensified, all that happened is that the drops beaded up and fell off of the coating, while I felt warm and dry the whole time. The shape of the new hood was perfect - I didn't have to "turtle" my head out just to make sure no cars were coming at intersections. It just did it's job very well, without a lot of fanfare. And, it works out on the river, as well.

This Would Be Where the Bargains Begin
If you've been down to the shop this past week or so, you'll see we're still busily auditing and making sense of the extra stuff which came down from our Santa Rosa closing. (And you may have seen the 3 pallets and half dozen Browning Safes which showed up 3 weeks early - boy, when it rains it pours!) We've still got a bit of organization to go, but we've found some things which are hard to notice in the confusion, so I'm starting to list them here -

Simms Fleece Vests -
These are good mid layer insulating layers. I'd actually bought a bunch extra for the hunters as well, as these are a good, neutral brown color which won't spook game. Unfortunately, we didn't get them displayed in the hunting department, and no one seemed to notice them. They are a good quality, non-pilling fleece, but are not windproof (no fleece is unless you put a layer such as Gore Windstopper in it to do so). So, this is idea for calmer days, or for more warmth with a windshell or rain jacket. These were $49, but are now only $25.

Gamehide Sherpa Fleece Camo Vests -
These are ruggedly made, camouflage vests. They use a water repellent outer layer, have reinforcing on the shoulders and provide extra warmth with their buffed sherpa fleece insulation. Great for spring turkey season, where a little extra warmth is always appreciated. A couple of staff members feel they came in slightly undersized, so some hunters who are right on the edge of have ended up getting the next size up - trust what fits you, don't worry what the label says. These were $59, now only $30

Camouflage Waders -
It looks like there will be some minor changes to the boot styles of our neoprene and breathable camouflage waders for next fall - this means that everything we have left over needs to go away. Great waders, which work even if you don't need the camouflage. The breathable model has a waterproof front zipper which makes getting in and out super easy. Breathable $189, Neoprene $159 - both styles are now 40% OFF the original price.

Kent FASTEEL Steel Waterfowl Ammunition -
There's nothing wrong with this - I just need to reduce as much as possible before we store it for next season! Come down now for the best selection. Buy a case - take $20 OFF - you won't find a better price than this!

Flyfishing 101 Classes Scheduled

There is more to successful fly fishing than learning how to cast. This class covers the skills and techniques necessary to get you on the stream and catching fish! Ace teacher and experienced fly fisher Carlo Bongio - who also manages the fly department for us - gives this essential overview of fly fishing, including learning three types of casts, knot tying, presentation techniques, and understanding equipment, trout habitat and entymology (the study of insects -- the natural food of the trout).

During the session, students will have opportunities to both learn and practice techniques. Beginning with a description of the fly fishing equipment and how it is put together into a complete outfit, this class then focuses upon essential fishing knots, the different types of flies and when to use them. Once all students understand the “why” aspect of fishing, coursework moves to casting and controlling line for different conditions and presentations. By the end of the course, budding anglers are ready to concentrate on catching fish. We recommend these sessions rather than casting-only classes for novices.

This class is limited to 6 students and goes from 9 am to approximately 12:30 pm.
Reservations required - contact Carlo at 415-456-5454. (Note - classes generally fill early, so don't delay!) All gear provided. Cost: $95/student.

Saturday, March 5
Saturday, March 26
Saturday, April 2

Waterfowl Season-End Sale!

The last truckload of gear has finally been unloaded at the mothership in San Rafael*, and we're even through a goodly portion of the totes and boxes which came down. Things are still a bit crazy and disorganized, but we've wrangled stuff around enough to make some sense of things.

One thing we know for sure is that the general waterfowl season ended last weekend, and that means one thing - time for us to clear out the last of the waterfowl shells, gear and equipment. The Annual Waterfowl Season-End Sale starts NOW!

It also means that some of you who didn't have the opportunity to drive north to take advantage of our store closing sale in Santa Rosa have the chance to save big on waterfowl gear. Heck - even if you found a lot of great bargains up there, you are welcome to head on down to San Rafael and save big!



All Steel Shot Waterfowl loads - Buy a Case, take $20 off our already low prices! Save $2/box!
All Camouflage Clothing - 40% OFF! (And make sure to check out the SALE RACKS - save even more on one-of-a-kind and closeout items)
All Camouflage Waders - 40% OFF!
All Duck Calls - 30% OFF!
All Decoys - 20% OFF!
There's also a few SALE tables set up for even more serious savings, a few firearms which have lowered pricing, and new consignment guns in the rack.

*Just in case you missed the news, we closed our Santa Rosa store at the end of January. All credits, gift certificate records and firearms for pickup have been moved to our San Rafael store.

Carlo's Steelhead Wrap Up

Fly Department manager Carlo Bongio sent over just a few shots from this year's excellent steelhead season

"The first wild steelhead was caught and released from a local tidewater stream in sonoma county. The second photo taken in the boat is a Smith river hatchery Steelhead that was kept for the barbaque. The last photo with the flyrod is a Russian River hatchery Steelhead that was also kept. The point of this post is to make sure that all anglers understand that all wild steelhead in California must be released. You will notice tha large intact adipose fin of the wild steelhead compared to the clipped adipose fin of the hatchery fish. This winter's runs have been fair to good on most rivers on the coast. - Carlo"