TRR photo by Sandy Long Staghorn sumac is also known as “velvet sumac” due to the dense covering of hairs on its twigs and fruit.

Staghorn sumac

Standing sentinel along stretches of the Delaware River are the rust-red spears of staghorn sumac. A member of the cashew family, the bright flags that linger after summer foliage falls away begin to resemble something from a Dr. Seuss book as the seasons progress.

The “Peterson’s Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs” notes that American Indians used its berries in cough syrups, while berry tea was prepared for “female disorders” and lung ailments. Tea brewed from its leaves was used to treat sore throats and tonsillitis and to expel worms.

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Is the price right

I guess I am just getting old and cranky. This is the time of year when those who manufacture fly fishing equipment bombard us with news of their newest and vastly improved products. I can remember a time when $25 bought a top-of-the-line plastic-coated fly line. While leafing through the latest issues of fly-fishing magazines, I came across two product reviews that left me shaking my head. One fly line company touted its new “super flotation technology.” They claim that their new fly line has a “super buoyant under coating combined with a super smooth outer coating that will allow you to cast farther than ever before.”

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Teen takes large black bear

SHOHOLA, PA – Dan Hipsman, age 15, of Shohola, is pictured with the black bear he shot while hunting on November 28 in Shohola with the Shohola Rod and Gun Club. The bear dressed out at 466 pounds and had an estimated live weight of 550 pounds. The season for black bear ended on December 1. Only one bear per season is allowed per hunter.

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