A small taste of things to come

A foreshore foray on 1 September may not be every fowler’s idea of time well spent, but early-season flights certainly whet the appetite for the months of sport ahead

- SIMON GARNHAM

I think I’ve heard more arguments against early-season wildfowling than ever this year. “Young mallard and geese on inconsistent flightlines, that’s not my idea of good sport,” opined a fowler of many years’ experience by text in reply to my query as to whether he was heading out. “Wait until the weather gets proper rough; then at least you know you’ve earned the bag,” said another as we chatted at dusk in late August.

“I can’t get out of bed early enough to make it down there at dawn in September,” explained a fellow Gun at the pre-season club meeting. “And there are too many people fishing or sailing in the evenings.”

“Yep. I’d rather be after pigeons or bass in September,” answered another clubmate when I asked him his thoughts. “And I’m off to the Oval — it’s cricket weather this week,” chipped in a third.

Even Avid Andy and son Arthur were joking when they told me they’d be camped out from the evening of the 31st. “Those days are gone, mate.”

So it was with the slightest of reservations that I checked my waders for mouse nests, washed the dust off duck calls and set my alarm for 4am. It did seem awfully early in the face of such pessimism.