Outdoors: Plenty of gift ideas for Dad

PHOTOGRAPHER: EmilyRose

In 11 days, we dads are going to be “hoping” that our family does not forget it is Father’s Day. As usual, there are plenty of outdoor toys that we absolutely “need.” Here are a few of those I would like. If you like any of these, too, circle it in red and tape it on the refrigerator.

It is fishing season, and here is something that the whole family can benefit from — the Bass Pro Shop propane aluminum fish fryer. This

18-inch tripod cooker stands on a wide stable base with three additional stabilizer feet. The heavy duty

10.5-quart aluminum fry pot measures 12 inches across, has dual side handles and comes with a lightweight strainer basket with rubber-coated handles. In addition, there is a clip in the rear base to allow you to drain the food you fry/boil. The cast iron burner puts out 58,000 BTUs and comes with a CSA-approved regulator, hose and deep fry thermometer. It’s on sale now for $39.97 at basspro.com.

Isn’t it time to upgrade Dad’s old tackle box? Check out the Bass Pro Shop XPS Stalker front-loader bag tackle system. It is made of heavy-duty 600-denier, water resistant polyester, and holds four 370 utility boxes (sold separately) in the main compartments and two 360s in the side pockets. The Stalker has a drop-down front, padded top compartment for bulk storage and built-in storage for tools, sunscreen, scent, etc. This is definitely the leader in tackle management. Buy it now for $79.99, and save $20. And for a real surprise, use that $20 for a 360 tackle storage box with 104 Stik-O-Worms for $18.99. Fished wacky style, they will catch anything.

When the family — or just Dad — is out on the water or just hosting a backyard barbeque, tailgate party, etc. a cooler is a very important, and the Yeti Tundra Series will do its job. The Tundra line offers 11 sizes beginning with the 35 quart on up to the 420 quarts. These coolers are built with the same roto-molded polyethylene material as whitewater kayaks, and can take the punishment of the outdoors. They come with built-in tie down slots that let you ratchet it down or if you like, you can sit/stand on it when casting. And should you be out camping in the Adirondacks or Catskill Mountains, don’t worry about the bears — the Tundra is made of grizzly-proof construction. Check out the full line of Yeti coolers at www.yeti.com.

Capturing the hunting, fishing and all the outdoors activities is something all outdoors people do. Capturing the excitement of fighting that trophy fish or taking that big buck or turkey is very difficult when you are alone. But Hunter Specialties has solved that problem with their new i-KamXtreme Video Eyewear — just click the on button and wherever you are looking, you are also videoing. The i-Kam has an advanced mobile video recorder built into lightweight polarized impact resistant glasses.

It is a digital video camera with built-in memory for up to two hours of recording, and will accept up to a 32 GB Micro SD card. It includes an integral microphone, can be hooked up directly to a PC with the supplied USB cable for viewing or when using the Micro SD card, and comes with a built-in rechargeable battery. When dad hooks up with that big bass this summer, or takes down that 10-pointer of a lifetime, he will be able to film all the excitement with the i-KamXtreme Video glasses.

One Father’s Day gift that I am sure he will enjoy getting on “his day” is a guided fishing trip. Most of the guide’s fees are based on the number of anglers and, usually they offer one fee for the first two people. So there is a good chance that dad would invite you to join him.

Usually, you can find a guide by going to Google and looking for the county which contains the lake/river/creek you plan on fishing, or you can contact local bait and tackle shops. They usually know who the guides are and how to contact them. Here are a few of those that are local. For lake trout, www.captjj.com, www.newyorkfishing.com or www.upstatecharters.com; and for bass, www.alineinthewater.com and [email protected] and Anglers Edge Trophy Bass Guide Service at 813-5052.