Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68594
only all of Europe and Great Britain know that. The 3-inch, 20-gauge shell is only really functional for those who like recoil. And since you asked, I don't know why they make a 1-ounce load for the 28-gauge either. The best all-around freshwater rod is an 8-footer for a 7-weight line. No saltwater fly rod should be less than nine feet for a nine line; if you only had one rod, a 10-weight would be even better. These are the "12-gauges" of fly fishing; they will get the job done under almost any condition. The best all-purpose dry fly is the Adams. The best all-purpose streamer is the Grey Ghost and the best wet fly is the Hare's Ear. Hill has spoken! The best all-around North American rifle caliber is the .270. I will admit to owning some others, but except for a few really heavy calibers, I don't know why – maybe because I wanted them. The best shot is the one you make after your buddy has missed it twice. The best deer is your first one. The next best is the first one you helped someone else get. I hope you haven't forgotten how much fun it is to fish with live bait. It gives you a very special feeling about the world "down there," and it has a nice slow, reflective pace to it – primitive and strong and honest. Pound for pound, saltwater fish fight harder than freshwater fish. No, I can't prove it and I don't know why; I just know it's true. The perfect two-barrel choke borings for virtually all bird hunting are light improved-cylinder and tight-modified. Trust me! Not bad for a duck gun either in these days of steel shot. For a single-barrel gun: improved cylinder. The excessive noise from short-barreled shotguns and rifles outweighs any imagined or hoped-for theoretical advantage if you expect to shoot more than one shot – or even ten. Short barrels are a delusion based on a number of false premises. If you don't believe me, ask someone who uses them, but you'll have to shout. In closing, I urge you not to take anybody's word for anything, including mine, unless you want to, except for what I said about the Labrador. I believe the Lord made the earth round so retrievers wouldn't fall off the edge. Just my opinion, of course. Note: "In My Opinion" is one of many entertaining essays in Gene Hill's Passing a Good Time, published by Countrysport Press in 1996. WWW.HOLLANDANDHOLLAND.COM S P OR TI N G CL ASSICS 115