The Stuff of Dreams

A November mixed day has it all, from testing conditions to sporting birds, good company and a peerless breakfast, says Simon Garnham

- Simon Garnham

What would be your dream sporting day? The highest driven birds? A red deer stalked across Highlands peaks? Salmon caught on a fly?

It’s the kind of question that can fuel many happy hours of debate over a good Scotch. I decided this winter to stop dreaming and start doing. This is the tale of my day.

Starting early in a pre-dawn gale, three friends and I met outside the village butcher’s. Charlie Hutley is a farmer, Michael Scarfe and John English are engineers. They are keen and accomplished Shots. The excitement was palpable, even though the hour was decidedly anti-social. Through the Essex lanes we drove to link up with friend and keeper Liam Fearis, who was to be our host for the day.

After a strong coffee and a catch-up in Liam’s comfortable shoot kitchen, he split us into pairs and we headed to the River Colne saltings.

Settled on the edge of Alresford creek in the shadow of All Saints Church, it wasn’t long before Charlie and I were in action. A pair of mallard flew strongly with the gale behind them and I dropped the second of the two in the pre-dawn half light. It crash-landed behind Charlie with a satisfying thump.

Now more birds were on the move. On the coast, Michael and John started the morning with five shots in rapid succession. Liam had explained that they were likely to be among the wigeon and teal, while Charlie and I stood a better chance of mallard and geese. A week of northerly air streams promised wild migrants as well as a healthy population of native wildfowl.