Dispatches

I've Always Wanted To Try: Fly Fishing

New hobbies can be intimidating, especially those like fly fishing, which have been made, in our humble opinion, to seem more complicated than it is in practice. And, like most things in life, the...

A Pilgrimage of Sporting Perfection

Every President’s Day weekend since the inaugural event in 1983, a congregation of the sporting faithful have amassed in Charleston for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. They flood this histori...

One Quail of a Day: A Guide

There’s only two things (ok, maybe three) that can get you in deep when it comes to bird hunting - the land, the guns, (and dogs).  But for those who would prefer to stay married or don’t own a mon...

Chaps vs. Britches: What's Better?

We’re here to start-slash-settle the debate and-slash-or help you determine what’s best for you in the field this season. We’ll start with the highlights and upsides to each and, hopefully, you can...

From the Field: Buttermilk Quail With Mushroom Risotto

This is an easy and tasty recipe for the spoils of a great day in the pines. Like all cooking, the magic is the technique in the kitchen and enjoyment at the table. Find a great bottle of Pin...

A Father's Tale

My grandfather was a WWII hero that had a bag full of jokes, a handsome smile, and a reputation for making friends with farmers. He was known to knock on little farm house doors and with a polite c...

The Bird Man Prophecies | 50 Words or Less | Vol. 1

  The Dog snores from under the desk, part of which is covered by the vice and the detritus of it’s accomplices. Sunscreen has reclaimed its spot in the center console and the rod tube lolls back ...

The Longtail: Getting your sh*t together in 2023.

Let’s shift focus for a moment to fall 2023 and steer you along the path toward your best season yet. Here are three core areas to help get your sh*t together for next season. 

A Bootlegged History of Appalachia

The hills of southern Appalachia are (were) home to some of the finest spirits ever made.

Bamboo: A TSG Guide to "Why?"

Suddenly there is bamboo everywhere! Bamboo coffee filters, toilet paper, tissues, bedding, my backyard, and towels are now commonplace in households looking to support a renewable lifestyle while ...

Angle[rs] of Attack: Bow & Arrow Cast

Amongst the rhododendrons in Appalachia, casting lanes can be hard to locate and are often not where the cover-comfortable fish hang out. Roll casts can help in some situations but you’ve gotten yo...

Dove Szn: Essentials To Make Your Next Dove Hunt a Blast

Whether it's your first dove hunt or your fiftieth there are some essential field items for a great hunt. The following is our checklist for a successful day of shooting birds.     

Angle[rs] of Attack: Farm Ponds

Attacking a pond is like a therapy session. Once the truck is in park and your poles are in hand all the problems of the world drown underneath the orchestra of frogs. The familiar smell of sulfur ...

Brown Water Ramble: Free Bird Coffee Co.

"Even with language barriers, if you share a drink with a man, it’s a sign of mutual respect that every tradition and ritual can get behind! For many, whiskey and coffee are a universal language." ...

FPM: A Dove Letter to Opening Day

It's been a mighty hot wait for your date to appear on my calendar but it's almost here. I have cleaned my bucket of mulch and fish scales in preparation for ice and feathers. The rotating seat now...

Front Porch Musings: One Quail of a Day

A life in the Carolina piedmont can lend to  an unconscious sense of the borderline, abruptly pronouncing itself in the asphalt of  backroads, the trees, the terroir: a different Southern accent. ...

Goin' Out West: Our Complete Checklist

Summer time in the American Rockies is a true right-of-passage for any angler, especially for those of you who choose to make it your first foray into the world of fly angling.  Welcome to the Moun...

Angle[rs] of Attack: Creeks

Attacking small water is closer to hunting than it is fishing. Skittish creek trout must be stalked rather than waded up on. Due to the limited space, your sounds and movements as you approach can ...

Viva La Revolution!

It is not just the start of another awesome weekend in the Carolinas, but also the 247th anniversary of liberty! Maybe you thought that was best celebrated on July 4, but more than a year ahead of ...

The Women of TSG

Often clichéd, but nonetheless true, we love to joke with our female guests that our nickname is “it’s my husband/brother/son’s birthday.”

A Beginner's Guide to Fishing along the Blue Ridge

Barring one more cold snap, we’ve made it. Spring is here and the fish activity along the Blue Ridge Mountains is on! To make the best of your time on the water, we here at The Sporting Gent bring ...

Fish the Blue Ridge Mountains: Prep and Ready for Spring Fishing 2022

Despite one (hopefully last) blast of winter weather in the High Country last weekend, signs of spring are all but here. Warmer temperatures mean that birds, bugs, bears and fly anglers alike will ...

Brown Water Ramble: Jeff Parrott of Blade and Bow

Just in case you found yourself participating in Dry January and/or February, we held off on the Brown Water content, but with March in full swing and warmer weather on its way, we bring you anothe...

Cupid Quick Shots

The chubby cherub of love is not the only one knocking arrows this February, aim for our quick shot picks below for the best variety of items to gift your Valentine this year: TSG Performance Covey...

Happy Valentine's to Me (and She)

In the dead of winter, the grind of the work week can make everything feel like a blur, and that’s how you might find yourself with a Super Bowl Sunday hangover utterly unprepared for Valentine’s D...

Front Porch Musings: David Coggins, The Optimist

Michael Perry | Assistant Shopkeeper, Fly & Field Ice and snow in the Carolinas has many of us wishing for the budding Spring, which if you were unaware is the gem of the fly fishing season thr...

Snow-mageddon 2022

The frenzied murmur of the frozen white stuff has descended upon us here in the area and whether you are a distraught southerner in search of bread and milk or an annoyed/amused northerner, there’s...

The No-Brainer Guide to Field Day Apparel

This is what we work for--day-in, and day-out. The field day. Memories are made out there and the gear we use to help us be successful in the field means something as well. Quality hunting, shooti...

Get to Know Oxbow

If you know TSG, then you better know Oxbow. A modern take on your grandpappy’s favorite duck hunter camo, with the added advantage of modern fabrics. It may be old-school meets new-school, but the...

TSG Apparel Co. Gift Guide

With just two weeks to go till the big day, we here at The Sporting Gent put together a list of our favorite TSG Apparel Co. products of the season. There’s still time, but St. Nick will be here be...

Fall Fishing

Fall fly fishing for much of North America means slow subsurface swings and constant hookups with fallen foliage, but for us here near the Southern Appalachians it is some of the best fishing of th...

Landing the best gifts for Fly Anglers

Fly anglers are a breed all to their own, that can often get a bad reputation for being particular and superstitious, but we here at The Sporting Gent put together some great products that are sure...

Golden Gifts for trading up at your next White Elephant Party

So you are attending or hosting a "White Elephant" party this holiday season and need to find a gift in the $50 range? Sounds like you need to take a lap at The Sporting Gent. Whether your family a...

Brown Water Ramble: First Pour

Just behind the solid wood counter at The Sporting Gent one might assume that each purchase of a pair of twill-field pocket pants includes one free swig of our growing display of spirits, but truly...

Top 3 Recipes for Dove Season

One of the most frequently asked questions we get around dove season is how we like to prepare and cook our haul after the hunt. Here are our top three recipes for dove season: Spicy Rum Dove Prep ...

Eye Candy: Troutfecta Trip to Pisgah

What a wild weekend...Temps are picking up and the lower waters are becoming less fishable. It’s time to gain some altitude, and we did just that over the weekend on our trip to Pisgah. This is how...

Go-To Summer Cocktail

Ranch Water The house cocktail of a hot, balmy summer is Ranch Water. For those who've never heard of the fizzy spritz, prepare to be overwhelmed by the simple perfection. The story goes that the d...

Picking the Right Combo

When the topic of fly fishing comes up with our customers and visitors here at the shop, we usually begin by asking: “How often do you fish?” “What weight rod do you have?” And since 70% of the ...

Eye Candy: The Last Hunt

Reposted from Red Clay Soul This was one of those days. Some hunting buddies, who also happen to be dear friends, closed out the quail season at an undisclosed location in upstate South Carolina la...

Vendor Spotlight: Allegiance Flag Supply

The Proof Is In The Process When our parents and grandparents made something, they made it here in America and they built it to last! So before we look...

In Hand: The TSG Covey ReelDown Vest

Product Review from Red Clay Soul I’m a big fan of ‘two for one’ deals. It creates a huge value proposition. The new Covey ReelDown Vest from The Sporting Gent is just that. I like TSG’s approach t...

Fishing the Ridge - Top Destinations for Tight Lines (On One Tank)

By far, without a doubt, I’d bet the farm, a solid gold guarantee the number one question we receive when it comes to fishing is: “What are some good places to fish within a couple hours of Charlot...

MeatEater: Butter-Basted Venison Steaks

From MeatEater by Danielle Prewitt Our Thanksgiving tables might look a little different this year, but if ever there was a time to break traditions, 2020 is it. Whether your gathering is small or ...

Field to Table: Single Pot Gumbo

From Will Kelly of Big Haint Blue Through these short days of a new year, we come in from the field. Our chapped hands wrap around whisky on the cold, darkest days of the year. The warmth of our he...

Calling Mr. Bobwhite

The Fall and Hopeful Rise of the Bobwhite Quail During my years as the proprietor of The Sporting Gent, I’ve heard countless stories of customer’s kin, reaching back generations, hunting for...

Danner Jag Boot Review

Let’s settle this upfront: wet socks are the worst thing on the planet with the tortuous exception of a Chick-Fil-A craving on a Sunday.  So boots aren’t just boots. You can spend a bunch of hard-e...

A Lament for the Dove Shoot

By Will Kelly For those of us with children, the last days of summer are marked with spirited anxiousness. Anticipation of school juxtaposes to the lingering dog days of August heat.  We are haunt...

Off-Season Gun Care by Red Clay Soul

And here we are…all that’s left is turkey season. After that, there are no traditional hunting seasons until Labor Day, when we’ll all be anxiously firing at the fast flying dove. Before you put y...

Front Porch Musings: Take Your Boy Hunting

"TAKE YOUR BOY HUNTIN’, OR FOREVER BE HUNTING YOUR BOY.” That is how a bumpersticker read that I saw on the tailgate of someone’s rusty pickup in the high school parking lot. It resonated to me at...