Hammond Outdoor Sports Show featured a variety of storylines

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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:51AM

Dave Gearman lucked into drawing one of the rare elk permits in Kentucky in 2009. Then the Highland man went one better on Oct. 19, 2009, shooting the largest elk — a 7x6 measured at 325 inches — bagged with a muzzleloader in Kentucky.

The notes from the 28th Hammond Outdoor Sports Show the last weekend in January were far-flung.

When Gearman took the head to be mounted by Peter Lenzo at Scale-n-Down Taxidermy in Hammond, the head was so big — think Don King’s hair — Lenzo had to work on it in his garage. Then Gearman had trouble fitting it in his house.

For a hunter, that’s a good problem.

What stopped me at Lenzo’s booth was his mount of a fox leaping at a pheasant. What snapped it off was the “No Trespassing sign.’’ Lenzo’s wife said that was the hard part, finding the right kind of sign. She found it at an antique store in Michigan.

The most practical item for shore fishermen was the Folding Fish’N Crate — a wheeled plastic, folding crate for fishermen to lug stuff around in — made by Hammond Park District’s own Jim Sajdyk. At the show, it was $16 basic, $28 with rod holders added.

Glen Gajewski at the Mik-Lurch Fishing Tackle Outlet booths said one of the best sellers were Lew’s reels, which come with their own story.

The late Lew Childre, son of a Grand Ole Opry star, was an innovator. Decades back, Lew’s rods were aspired-to items for fishermen. His reels brought in breakthrough technology, such as the disengaging levelwind.

Childre died in a plane crash July 26, 1977. In recent years, the brand is under ownership of Do Outdoors Inc., and family friend Lynn Reeves, who is trying to bring the brand back to its premier place.

After his seminar, Mike Norris mentioned one of the little things he learned as he grew older and smarter was to carry a plastic whistle on a lanyard, wrapped around his wrist. That way if he is tossed overboard while fishing, he at least has a way to signal for help.

The most interesting tackle item Norris found was the Larry Dahlberg Clackin’ Crayfish. He bought the last pair at The Angler’s Outlet booth.

Hunter’s Ed: Lake County Parks hunter’s education safety course will be held at Cedar Creek Family Golf Center on March 16 and 17. Pre-registration is required, and these classes fill quickly. Register at (219) 947-PARK.

Fishing notes: Learn about fishing Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore from 1-2 p.m. Saturday at the visitor center. Call (219) 395-1882 or go to nps.gov/indu. ... The northerly blow forecast through Saturday will likely put on hold the early fishing for brown trout and coho on southern Lake Michigan. Reports of early coho had been coming from Michigan City, the Ditch, Gary Light and outside East Chicago Marina. ... With harbor water temperatures about 37 degrees, whitefish have started a return to shoreline. ... Pockets of safe ice may build in spots by this weekend. But I doubt it for the area’s top ice-fishing destination at Willow Slough. As Thursday morning, it was wide open, making ice fishing there this weekend unlikely.

Show notes: The Tinley Park (Ill.) Fishing and Outdoor Show (tinleyparkfishingshow.com) is this weekend at Tinley Park High School in Chicago’s south suburbs. ... Indiana’s big 10-day show — the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show (indianapolisboatsportandtravelshow.com) at Indiana State Fairgrounds — begins next Friday, as does the accompanying three-day Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl Expo.

ne, spotted around Goose Lake Pond Fish and Wildlife Area near Linton, has draw birders from many states to Greene County. How an Asian crane came to southern Indiana is uncertain.