AT News: Hard EV Lessons, Conservation Giving, Thomas McGuane in The Atlantic

The plug-in hybrid is the way to go, but you want to look for something that gets more than 20 miles range from a battery.

Hard Lessons About EVs and Hybrids

A few years ago, as my wife and I emerged from our Covid cave, we were bit by the travel bug and decided we needed a new car to replace my 12-year-old Toyota SUV. As it turned out, the local Jeep dealer had a new Rubicon “4xe” plug-in hybrid. I was immediately smitten, because I, like Jeeps, was born in Toledo, Ohio, and I learned to drive in an old Jeep Wrangler. There’s power in sentimental attraction. Better yet, this model offered a Band-Aid for my eco-conscience. Heck, I thought, 99 percent of the time this thing is a glorified golf cart, making ZERO emissions, but with the flip of a switch (literally) it can transform into the beastly 4x4 I’d known and loved for ages. Sold!

Concurrently, my wife had put her name on the list to acquire a Tesla Model Y “Long Range” vehicle. Little did we know at the time that we would be amongst the last American families to actually join a waitlist or pay full premium price for a Tesla, but that was before Elon Musk DOGEd the government and people starting sticking “I bought this before I knew he was an a--hole” magnets on their Teslas.

The net-net was that we went all in on the environmentally correct movement. We put a charging station in our garage and planned to keep gas stations in our rear-view mirrors, forever.

Until now. Having driven both for a few years, I’m re-evaluating, and this is what I think.

The Tesla is a funky vehicle. It’s very peppy, going 0-60 in a few seconds. It’s fun to drive. It isn’t the smoothest ride, and getting used to controls that amount to an iPad, steering wheel, two toggle levers and a couple buttons takes some time. The rear window is tiny, and the clear roof makes the car hot in the summer. But I rate the overall driving experience an 8 on a 1-10 scale.

By far, the best feature is “Dog Mode” which keeps the interior temperature consistently where you set it. For example, you can leave Fido in the car on an 85-degree day while you head into the grocery store, and not only does Fido bask in 68-degree comfort, your dashboard displays a message that says, “It’s 68 degrees in here, and my driver will be back in a bit” (or something like that), which keeps the local chapter president of the SPCA from smashing your windows for a canine rescue.

The stereo system is stellar, but my second favorite feature is the ability to have the car make fart noises every time I hit the turn signal. Actually, there are tons of really interesting, though totally frivolous, features that can keep any technophile preoccupied for a cross-continent drive.

But that leads me to the biggest gripe I have…

Even though we bought the “Long Range” version that supposedly has a range of more than 300 miles, having driven the Tesla from Colorado to Michigan and back, and also Colorado to Charleston, South Carolina, and back (twice), I’m here to say the actual highway range is nowhere near 300 miles. Not even close.

First off, Tesla recommends you keep the battery charged at 80 percent capacity or less. So you lose 20 percent of range right off the top. Second, while there is a very accurate, reliable network of charging stations and your car will navigate you from one to the next, you want to have a reserve of 10% or more juice to ensure you get to a Supercharger. (Plugging a Tesla into a wall outlet can take a day or so to reach 80 percent, while a Supercharger might take a half hour or so.) Third, driving 80 m.p.h. on highways with the radio and A/C on zaps the battery faster.

The bottom line is, on those cross-country trips, I can only get between 120-150 miles, max, on a charge. The most I can drive is about two hours before having to make a stop and wait while the car charges for a half hour. Thus, the ground that used to take 10 hours to cover in my gas-powered Toyota that got about 24 miles per gallon on highways takes the Tesla 12 hours. Over the course of three days driving from Colorado to Carolina, that made the drive absolutely miserable and tedious. I’m never going to do it again.

We’ve decided that the Tesla is a fun grocery getter for bombing around town, but it’s never going to leave Colorado again. It’s awesome at short range, and completely useless at long range. My advice: don’t buy the “range hype” you hear about any EV.

The Jeep 4xE also fails the long-range test, although you can switch to full gas engine mode and range out to about 300 miles. That said, the gas engine is a fairly meek 4-cylinder, and you only get about 15 miles per gallon when you drive on highways for a full day or two (which defeats the purpose of owning a hybrid and thus, the failing long-range grade). And, well, it’s a Jeep, meaning it’s noisy and bouncy. For what it’s worth, both times I drove the Jeep across the country to Michigan, the Jeep ended up in the shop upon my return, once for a fuel system issue, and once for a sensor on the rear axle. Coincidence? I also have received a handful of recall notices in the three years I’ve owned the vehicle.

Having said all that, when it’s in “hybrid” mode, the Jeep 4xe is awesome. In full electric mode, you’re supposed to get about 23 miles of range. In my experience, that’s been more like 19 miles, but I live in the mountains and going up inclines taxes the battery more. What’s really nice is that the battery actually charges with a regenerative braking function. My battery charges 20 percent by going down Rabbit Ears pass.

I might go three months without visiting a gas station when most of my driving is confined to my immediate vicinity. When I haul my boat around and range out farther, however, my miles per gallon dip. I’d say my three-year average is about 25 m.p.g., which is still better than your average Jeep, but not exactly good enough to consider yourself an eco-warrior.

Again, my wish list is topped with a desire for more true battery range. If I could get 40 miles on a battery charge, that would be great. More than that would be nirvana.

Bottom line is, because we want to make regular drives to the family cabin in Michigan, we’re thinking seriously about dumping one of the vehicles, and both have less than 30,000 miles on them–and I’ve never felt a desire to get out from under a car with only 30,000 miles before.

My advice to those who wonder:

The plug-in hybrid is the way to go, but you want to look for something that gets more than 20 miles range from a battery. Ninety percent of your driving will be battery powered as you buzz around town. That said, it’s good to have the option of starting a gas engine when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, and for outdoorsy folks, that makes the hybrid the smarter choice.

A purebred EV is a nice thought and might be perfectly suitable for people who want to drive it within a range of about 150 miles. But for long, cross-country trips, it’s a total nightmare. Yes, all this is improving and ranges are getting longer. I wouldn’t consider anything with less than 500 miles advertised range if I were planning regular long-haul trips. Look at an EV like you’re buying a really fancy, souped-up golf cart. That’s what our Tesla feels like.

A super fuel-efficient gas-powered car might still be the way to have the lightest carbon footprint, especially if you limit driving, share rides, etc. Or, if you’re hell-bent on driving a truck that gets 12 m.p.g., knock yourself out–I’m not here to judge.

I’m here to say that there are some viable, more eco-friendly vehicles for outdoors-minded people who do things like fish, hunt, pull boats, etc. It just takes a lot of research and scrutiny of “long range” claims, as well as an honest assessment of your own driving patterns to land on the best one.

I wish I had done more homework before jumping into the EV/hybrid land with both feet, because I don’t think I got the results I was hoping for. – Kirk Deeter

Recent News

• Time to act on the new proposal from the EPA and Army Corps that would change the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS), and significantly impact the small streams, ephemeral waterways and wetlands that provide the lifeblood for healthy fisheries. Hunters also stand to lose a lot–from BHA: “For hunters, wetlands, prairie potholes, and ephemeral streams provide essential habitat for waterfowl and other game species. These areas offer breeding grounds, feeding areas, and migratory stopovers for ducks, geese, and other birds that hunters pursue. Reducing protections for these waters threatens the habitats that sustain healthy populations and reliable hunting opportunities.” The public comment period is open now through January 5, 2026. Take action and sign the BHA petition today.

• With sadness–Montana legend, Bozeman local and fishing guide Rusty Vorous passed away last week. He was one of a kind. Read his profile from Castwork: “Pressing downstream, Rusty scans a series of wide, shallow runs with Quint-like conviction. Soon, his eyes are diverted and locked on an iron irrigation pipe, sucking gallons of river, then shooting the water over fields that will become a housing development and planned golf course. He does not try to hide his disgust. We ask what the new golf course will be called. ‘Another travesty,’ he grumbles…”

• Science on the Fly short film about gathering climate data and inspiring conservation action. “Fly fisherman Dominic Lentini knows Maine’s Saco River intimately–a passion born from a lifelong love for clean water and wild fish. Since 2021, Dominic has channeled that devotion into action as a dedicated Science on the Fly volunteer, collecting vital monthly water quality samples. ‘Sampling gives me a way to give back to the river that has given me so much,’ Dominic says in the film.”

• Cold weather travel ideas from Monte Burke: Three Fly-Fishing Trips To Add To Your Holiday Wishlist. “It is nearly impossible for me to stop fly fishing altogether during the northern hemisphere’s cold months. So, I always try to do at least one trip in a southern spot. It’s amazing how much just having that trip–the anticipation and then the afterglow–helps me get through the winter. Perhaps you are like me? If so, I have three suggestions for fly-fishing trips this winter.”

• From Joe Cermele: A Winter Fishing Destination List: “If you think the only place worth going is out on the ice, you couldn’t be more wrong. Winter fishing can be kind of slow in many parts of the country, but certainly not everywhere. Compiled here is a list of the 15 best winter fishing destinations–and yes, some of them are frozen lakes. But others will take you to places where shorts are still in season and the water is warmer than the air. Whether you want to test your chill tolerance or escape the freeze, whether you want to kick back and wait for a bite or work lures and flies all day, there’s a spot here for every type of angler.”

• According to TD Bank’s 2025 Merry Money Survey: Gen Z Tops the List of Savviest Spenders this Holiday Season. “Among Gen Z adults, 77 percent plan to set a holiday budget this year, and half (51 percent) plan to do so with AI, highlighting the generation’s inclination to adopt new strategies to stay within a budget as seasonal spending ramps up.” Food for thought as fly-centric brands evolve their media strategies: younger consumers are purchasing on their phones and also pretty damn smart.

• Outdoor Industry Trends: Circana’s Matt Tucker shares the latest shifts in consumer behavior impacting the outdoor industry, from e-commerce growth to top-performing brands. “As of October 2025, 38% of consumers reported in a survey conducted by Circana that they planned to cut back on spending because of tariffs and their implications. The majority said they would cut back on restaurant visits, clothing, footwear and accessories, travel and hotels as well as entertainment. Twenty-three percent said they would cut back on gym memberships and 16% cited exercise and sports equipment as an area they would cut back on. The other shift is at the channel level, Tucker said, with more consumers shifting toward e-commerce and the club channels, such as Costco, and consumers pulling back from specialty and mass retail.”

• Black Friday’s sales numbers and specialty retailer insights from the AFFTA newsletter: “Price sensitivity remains high, but enthusiasm for online purchasing is even higher, reinforcing what many AFFTA members are already seeing: when customers want something, they’re increasingly starting, and often finishing, their shopping online. The industry’s opportunity is clear. Independent fly shops with functional e-commerce, streamlined fulfillment, and compelling digital storytelling are well-positioned to capture holiday dollars. Brands with strong DTC strategies or hybrid retail partnerships also stand to benefit.”

• Our Black Friday poll results–for the respondents: 67% are tired of the annual email marketing armageddon, 25% value targeted savings, 8% shop at specialty retailers to help them out. Next year, we can try to evaluate these responses across age demographics.

Conservation Organizations You Should Support

It’s the time of year to follow your angling conscience...

This is when the nonprofits are all looking for your year-end donations. I’m sure you’ve seen the texts and emails, social media blurbs and even stuff in your mailbox. But is it worth it, and if so, which ones to choose?

There are more good causes than I can count, and I think it’s important to find those that you feel a personal connection with. If you are a veteran, or someone in your family is on active duty, or you just feel compelled to honor those who serve, Project Healing Waters is worthy in all regards. If you’re recovering from illness, or know someone who is, or you or loved ones are facing a health challenge, you might consider a group like Casting for Recovery, which provides healing retreats for women dealing with breast cancer. If you’re into mentoring youth and making a difference for young people, you might help The Mayfly Project and/or Cast Hope.

And then there are the conservation groups that make fishing possible in the first place. Nobody catches fish if these organizations didn’t do what they do.

The fly fishing world revolves on an axis of trout. More than 75% of fly fishing is focused on trout. And for 65 years, nobody has done more to keep rivers and streams healthy and support habitat for naturally reproducing trout (and salmon) than Trout Unlimited. The organization now plows nearly $100 million a year into science, projects and campaigns that make rivers better. So whether you donate to your local chapter to support the home river, or the national organization to bring about big cold water conservation wins, you’ll know you’re keeping the heart of the fly-fishing world beating.

The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust basically does the same thing for saltwater fly fishing. What sets this organization apart is its leading science. We’ve learned more in a generation about bonefish, permit, tarpon and how to help them thrive in recent years than we’ve ever known–and that’s mostly due to the diligent work of BTT.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is all about advocacy, and most of that is focused on maintaining Americans’ access to public lands. Whenever there’s a fight over your right to fish on a stretch of public water, or hunt on public lands, BHA is usually the first to take up the cause. If equitable land access is your deal, this is your group.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is also an important one that most anglers are just learning about. Those marine sanctuaries don’t mean “no fishing.” In fact, if you’re fishing in places like the Florida Keys, or certain parts of the Great Lakes, you’re in them.

That’s just my list. There are many more worthy groups. Please just find one and make whatever difference you can afford, and the fishing/karma gods will smile on you in the year ahead. – Kirk Deeter

More great groups to consider: Captains for Clean Water, the Henry’s Fork Foundation, American Saltwater Guides Association and Science on the Fly.

Enter the Soul Fly Lodge Giveaway to win a five-day, four-night stay in the Bahamas. Total value: $18,501 in lodging and gear.

Fly-fishing Media

• Patagonia has rolled out a fairly in-your-face marketing campaign recently, reminding everyone about the dangers of ignoring climate change and science: “The science is clear: Earth needs our help. So it’s on us to call out reckless climate-change denial and create some propaganda for our home planet…” Hard to replicate the 2011 “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, but at least the brand is still taking cuts at the plate: Don’t Buy This Jacket, Black Friday and the New York Times.

• Wes Siler grades out 60 Minutes’ recent Public Lands Episode under the (newly installed) leadership of Barry Weiss: editorially, some good, some bad, and also a fair amount of explicit bait-and-switch from Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, which was hard to consume. “Until the acquisition of CBS and the installation of Weiss, 60 Minutes stood as a bastion of impartial, long-form, investigative journalism being done at the highest possible level. This segment had the opportunity to break through Republican disinformation, ask tough questions, and highlight both who was responsible for the sell-off attempt, and the ways in which public lands are still experiencing unprecedented harm, even if the American public still owns them. Expressly because the public owns them, this was an important opportunity to get to the truth. But the show instead pitched softballs, and played into a very transparent attempt at spreading disinformation.”

• Tyler Austin Harper profiles iconic writer Thomas McGuane in The Atlantic: Thomas McGuane Is the Last of His Kind. “But as I drove by a celebrity-owned ranch, I was reminded that the war is coming for this place too, and is already being waged by profiteers, hobbyists, and speculators–‘house flippers, ranch flippers, and river flippers,’ as McGuane puts it in a story in A Wooded Shore. And when that war has reached a more advanced stage, when the wild is variously paved with hot asphalt or turned into Disneylands for the gawking rich, when few native trout are left in the freestone pools and the men who would throw dry flies at them are scarce, McGuane’s writing, if nothing else, will be left to remind us of what we’ve lost…”

• Good bookmarks. Kyle Frost over at Here & There has built Indie Outdoors, a directory of outdoor media sites worth your time, and also some other cool digital tools. On Indie Outdoors: “It’s all magazines, newsletters, blogs, and podcasts right now. It’s not comprehensive, just built off of various lists I’ve assembled over the years. Hopefully it helps people find voices and topics that actually interest them rather than PR-sicle content from the big conglomerates.”

• HOOKED: A short film from The Flyfish Journal about Jeff Forsee, a fly-fishing guide from Ohio now in New Zealand with his family. “An official selection of the 2025 Australia/New Zealand Fly Fishing Film Tour, the film explores the story of obsession and balance, set against the blue ribbon trout fisheries of New Zealand’s South Island where Forsee has made a life for himself…”

Gear Buzz

• We review a bunch of gear in our recent Gear Roll-up: the Skwala Sol Tactical Hoody ($129), Rocky Talkie Mountain 2-watt Radio ($110) and a bunch of apparel from 3BIRD. “3BIRD is an upstart outdoor clothing brand from Wilson, WY with an ethos and sustainability model akin to Patagonia and Stio (also from Jackson Hole): stylish, functional outdoor wear that is supposed to make us care about how our clothing is sourced.”

• End of the year gear gift list from Deeter over at TU: The Skwala Sol Tropic Hoody ($99). “While the pangas we were fishing out of did not have ‘T-tops’ because we were fly fishing, pulling the hood up was a close second to being able to tuck under a roof. This shirt does exactly what it’s supposed to do–protect you from the sun. Maintaining an UPF rating of 40+, it’s 40% lighter than most synthetic sun shirts. That means it feels cooler and wicks moisture better.”

• From The Mission: Gear Gifting Guide 2025. “Over the past year, our inner circle of contributors have got to grips with a ton of great fly fishing-related gear, clothing, tackle, gadgets and goodies. For this guide, we asked them to name two of those things. Firstly, an item that they have actually used, believe in and would recommend to anyone else, and secondly, an item that they don’t yet possess, but that’s caught their eye…”

• From Field Mag: Garmin inReach Mini 3 Plus Introduces Voice, Photo & Text Messages. “Unplugging is one of the major benefits we enjoy while spending time in the backcountry. But even when the goal is disconnecting, having the ability to check in with loved ones and reach help in the case of an emergency is crucial. Garmin’s line of inReach devices offer this comfort and have been a must-carry for both thru-hikers and weekenders alike.”

• Also from Field Mag and guide Joe Jackson: The 7 Best Backpack Coolers for Camping, Day Hikes & Beach Days. “I really sucked the marrow out of this summer and these coolers came along for the party. To identify the best backpack cooler, I took each product on different rafting day trips on the Rogue River and on at least one overnight rafting trip on the Klamath River. These coolers camped with me and my family for 12 nights spread out between the far northern California coast, rivers in California and Oregon, and in the Redwoods. They roasted in the sun on beaches in California and Oregon and got hiked down dozens of trails to magical lunch spots.”

• GearJunkie reviews the SITKA MicroDown Hooded Jacket ($300 $225): Lightweight, but Durable. “Generally, the more lightweight something is, the less durable it tends to be. With the SITKA MicroDown, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The outside of this jacket feels much more stout than other puffy jackets I’ve tested. The 27D ripstop fabric seems to offer a great blend between durability and being lightweight. Of course, I wouldn’t go brush busting with this, or any puffy for that matter, but I also wouldn’t be worried about ripping the MicroDown.”

• Also from GearJunkie, the Abel x onWater Custom Reel review: “The Blue Line Project is a collaboration between Abel Reels and the onWater app. It blends a premium level of craftsmanship from Abel reels with digital innovation and conservation through onWater. Anglers have the opportunity to customize Abel’s limited-edition Blue Line TR reel with a laser-engraved map of their favorite river–built directly through the onWater app–turning the reel into a personal keepsake. Equally as important, the Blue Line initiative encourages exploration of lesser-known ‘blue line’ waters, helping to relieve pressure on popular fisheries.” But it doesn’t come cheaply–the reel clocks in at $600.

• 12 Days of Skwala Deals is back. “We’ll announce deals on specific Skwala gear starting November 21st. Each Skwala Day will feature a different product or collection of products at 15% off standard price. Skwala will also donate 5% of the retail price from the entire sale to Trout Unlimited and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.”

• It’s that time of year when every fly-fishing brand is putting gear on sale: Madison River Fishing Company is running an awesome Fly Line Sale, Fly Sale (by the dozen) and Fly Rod Sale (some cool Winstons). Epic Fly Rods has some great Fly Rod & Reel Combos with awesome savings–we’ve been testing their new Ti Carbon Fiber Fly Rod on Low Country redfish (the 790Ti 7wt Fly Rod & Backcountry Reel Combo), and the saltwater rod is very impressive. First take from Deeter: “An honest, responsive action that lends itself to both distance and accuracy. Ranks right up with the best of the best in the 40-60-foot range.”

• We also love the new Scott GT Series fly rods: Find a new Scott GT at the Madison River Fishing Company.

Boats

Small Craft Sales is THE go-to marketplace for buying and selling small boats and other specialty watercraft. Looking to buy or sell a small boat? Check out the brand-new used boat marketplace: modern, searchable, community-driven platform built for anglers, paddlers, rowers, tinkerers, outboard junkies and anyone dreaming of their next waterborne adventure.

Best Fishing options this week:

• Outcast Pack 1400 and Sport Trail 10’ Trailer

• 2025 Boulder Boat Works Low Side Dory

• 2025 Boulder Boat Works River Skiff Hybrid

• 2025 Outcast Pac 13 demo

• 2024 Adirondack Guide Boat Vermont Fishing Dory

• 2023 RO Tailwater skiff

From SCS: Looking for a river permit next season? Mark these key dates before they sneak up on you. “If you’re new to the Western river scene–or if this is finally the year you stop hitching rides on your buddies’ permitted trips (no judgment)–it’s time to start getting those permit dates on your calendar. Out West, some of the best stretches of river require an official permit if you want to float them during peak season. Think Yampa, Green, Salmon, Snake, Colorado, Smith… you get the idea. The good stuff fills up fast, and the rules can change depending on the river and the agency running the show.”

Raft Repairs: Zach Sack, owner and head glue sniffer of Denver’s Inflatable Technologies, is interviewed. “The complexity and amount of time required to be positive that a repair won’t fail on the river. Many people can ‘slap a patch on,’ hoping that it holds. When brought to Inflatable Technologies, the repair is completed, adhesive cured and the inflatable is 24-hour tested post repair…”

From Fish Camp: Justin Waayenberg from adiposeboatworks shares some info on the benefits of Shoal Cut Blades for drift boats and float fishing, particularly in narrow rivers and shallow water: watch more.

Music

It’s approaching the Christmas holiday season, which means you definitely should be listening to Isaac Brock (“I have no idea why I do anything”) and Modest Mouse. Queue up Good News For People Who Love Bad News: 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition to see what great music in 2004 looked like: The World At Large, Ocean Breaths Salty, One Chance. What Pitchfork said about the now iconic album in 2004: “In the wake of all this uncertainty, it comes as no small relief that Good News for People Who Love Bad News is just the kind of Modest Mouse record we’ve come to expect from the band. As suggested by the familiar starburst pattern on the CD, now stained a pharmaceutical pink, Good News is less a product of the ambitious experimentation of The Moon & Antarctica than it is the young, violent Modest Mouse on anti-depressants.”

Modest Mouse’s gear collection and a look at the Ice Cream Party Studios.

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