Gift Ideas for the Hard-To-Shop-For Outdoor Sports Enthusiast
Gifts Under $25
Free secrets to cooking wild game
Ducks Unlimited and Lawry's are in the second year of a successful new partnership. DU is one the world's leading conservation organizations and Lawry's is the industry leader in spices, marinades and rubs. And since holidays are a special time to prepare wild game for family and friends, experienced cooks can turn to DU's line of marinades and spices to enhance the flavors of these holiday feasts. Choose from flavors like Lemon & Lime Pepper Rub and Seasoned Hickory Marinade plus other rubs and marinades designed to bring out the natural flavor of wild game and fish. All are great stocking stuffers and are now available at most supermarkets. DU is offering a free recipe booklet with wild game recipes from Scott Leysath, better known as the Sporting Chef, for duck, trout, elk, dove, pheasant and others. For a free copy, write to: DU Wild Game Recipes, P.O. Box 14390, Scottsdale, AZ 85267.
Smooth out your boating experience Yamalube is specially blended for use with Yamaha's two- or four-stroke outboards. These lubricants protect the engine's hard-working internal components and meet the marine industry's strictest standards of quality. Yamalube 2-M, for two-strokes, features corrosion inhibitors and additives that prevent ring sticking, varnish, and excessive wear. For four-strokes, Yamalube 4-M also protects during cold-start and extended operation under heavy loads. Ring Free removes carbon build-up, which can rob power and cause excessive wear if left untreated. Yamaha's pro anglers, on the road up to 200 days a year, swear by Ring Free for their tow vehicles as well as their outboards for improved engine performance and fuel economy. Available from Yamaha marine dealers. Call (800) 88-YAMAHA for location. Prices start at about $5 for quarts of 2-M and $4 for 4-M. A 12-oz. bottle of Ring Free costs about $9.95.
One-of-a-kind calendar Here's an unusual gift the boater in your life will need and appreciate this year. It's Bentboat.com's 2005 calendar featuring images of the damage sustained by numerous boats in 2004's hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Each month includes a large, four-color photograph highlighting the storm-damaged boats where they were anchored when the storms hit and features aerial photographs, as well. The calendar documents destruction in areas like Florida, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas and provides a fresh look on the uncontrollable force of nature that is our weather. Instead of images reflecting sadness and horror, Bentboat.com focuses on the wonder and amazement of how powerful Mother Nature can be. Each calendar costs $11.95, plus shipping and handling and is available at www.bentboat.com.
Gifts From $25 – $100
Fleece me, baby Santa wears a fleece suit. Taking a lesson from the North Pole pro, Wrangler Rugged Wear has added fleece to its famous jeans and created the warmest, softest, 100-percent cotton denim jeans ever for outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen. The Wrangler Rugged Wear Fleece Jean is the ideal his-or-her holiday gift. It combines Wrangler's durable denim outer shell with a warm, soft, pine-green fleece liner. Deep (very) front pockets, also fleece-lined, make great hand-warmers. Large leg openings fit over boots. The Fleece Jean is machine washable. The Wrangler Rugged Wear Fleece Jean has a suggested list price of $55. You can try it on at specialty outdoor retailers and you can find the nearest retailer on the official website, www.wrangler.com, or by calling (888) 784-8571.
Hands-free fishing at last! For the onshore bait fisherman, whether seasoned or beginner, the Restin' Ready fishing rod holder is the ultimate convenience. New this season, it is specifically engineered to work at any onshore location (lake or river bank, pier, dock or on ice) with all types of conventional rods and reels. It prevents equipment loss, holding your rod at a normal fishing angle, while permitting instantaneous and unfettered rod retrieval to set the hook and reel in your catch. Fishing with two or more lines in the water has never been so easy and secure. Compact, lightweight and made of stainless steel, it's guaranteed for a lifetime and makes the perfect gift for all the anglers on your list. Suggested retail is $59.95. To order, visit www.restin-ready.com.
Gifts Over $100
Change the way you see at night For the camper, hiker or marine navigator on your list, the new NightHawk™ night vision viewer from Bushnell® makes the perfect gift. The NightHawk viewer uses advanced digital technology to enhance the quality and performance of the viewer, as well as eliminating the image intensifiers and photocathode tubes used in older night vision products. The operator enjoys the convenience of a compact viewer, while getting crisp, high-resolution images. The NightHawk viewer fits comfortably in the hand and weighs only 12.4 ounces. It features a built-in rechargeable battery, AC/DC power port, carrying case, wrist strap, battery charger and video output cables. Suggested retail is $199.99. It's available at Bushnell dealers nationwide.
Something for reel anglers
For the hard-to-shop-for angler, pick up Team Daiwa's new baitcasting Fuego reel. Available for right- or left-handed anglers, the Fuego features an ultra-lightweight magnesium frame and sideplate for a more rigid reel housing. This translates into less wear on the gears and greater winding power. With the new Magforce-Z magnetic braking system that applies smooth braking only when needed to control backlash, the spool starts faster, climbs to a higher speed and keeps spinning longer for quicker retrievals. Easy adjustments dial in the proper anti-backlash control for individual skill levels or conditions. Suggested retail is $229.95. For Daiwa dealers, call (562) 802-9589.
The only appliance a sportsman will ever need
Most sportsmen would never put an appliance on their Christmas list, but the new GameSaver Turbo from FoodSaver® is the exception to the rule. Getting their fish or game ready for the freezer is now quicker and easier with the new FoodSaver GameSaver Turbo. With two vacuum pumps instead of one, the new top-of-the-line GameSaver Turbo is designed for speedier, heavy-duty use. With the additional vacuum pump and heavy duty Teflon-coated sealing strip, the GameSaver Turbo can seal up to 50 packages without overheating. Perfect for use at home or hunting camp, this makes vacuum packaging large game animals, such as deer, elk or moose, a quick and easy process. The FoodSaver® GameSaver Turbo is ready to use right out of the box. It comes with FoodSaver Bags (five gallon size and five quart size), two FoodSaver Rolls (11 in. x 10 ft. and 8 in. x 10 ft.), the Accessory Port hose, User Manual/Quick Start Guide and an instructional video. Suggested retail is $299. Visit www.foodsaver.com for your nearest dealer.
Music to find your soul and GPS to find your destination The new Lowrance iWay™ 500C is one of the best values in a color, turn-by-turn precision GPS navigation system and it even features a stereo MP3 player. Pick your destination and it displays the best route, while guiding you with voice and visual directions every turn of the way. And if you miss a turn, it automatically re-plots your route for you. The built-in 20GB hard drive features high-detail mapping with easy viewing on the 5" high-res color TFT touch-screen display. Also a stereo music system, there's 10GB of free space to load thousands of MP3 music files. The iWay 500C comes complete with a full complement of accessories for $999.00 suggested retail. For more: www.lowrance.com or (800) 324-1356.
Slow down...or speed up...this holiday season
Anglers who troll for fish or who backtroll to stay on top of any gamefish they might find need as much control over engine speed as they can get. Yamaha responds to this need by introducing the all-new Variable Trolling Speed System (VTS) available now on all 2005 four-stroke tiller-handle outboards from F50 through F90. VTS allows the angler to increase or reduce engine speed by 50 RPM by using the simple, tiller-mounted UP/DOWN switch. The following outboards, including high-thrust and Jetdrive models, feature VTS for added throttle control: F90 including the new 25-inch shaft F90, F90 Jetdrive, F75, F60, T60, F60 Jetdrive, F50 and T50. Suggested retail starts at $6,700 to $9,640 for the models listed. Visit www.yamaha-motor.com for your nearest dealer.
