CATEGORIES

What Makes The Best All-Rounder?

There is no one breed ideally suited to all shooting disciplines, so it is crucial to concentrate on temperament and ability, says Ellena Swift

WEATHER PROOFING THE FLINTLOCK

ONE of the biggest drawbacks of using a flintlock gun on the sporting field was weather proofing.

What lies ahead for our beloved salmon?

What is it about Salmo salar that gets under our skin? And what does the future look like for the king of fish? In the first of a two-part series, avid fishers offer their opinions

SPORTING WAGERS - The Guineas

THE 2000 Guineas is the first of five Classics in the flat-racing season. It was first run on 18 April 1809, although it is usually run in May alongside the second Classic, the 1000 Guineas, which was founded five years later. While the former is reserved for colts, the latter is exclusively for fillies.

Rizzini Grand Regal 28-bore

Mike Yardley is impressed by this pretty gun from the Italian maker, which is particularly well engraved and balanced. Missing little, he declares it one of the best 28-bores he has tested

BRITISH SPORTING ART TRUST

John Ferneley Senior in his Studio at Elgin Lodge, Melton Mowbray by Claude Lorraine Ferneley (1822-1892)

Have big teams had their day?

The pandemic may well have a lasting effect on our sport, says David Tomlinson, with a return to smaller days and rough shooting – and, perhaps, the omnipresence of the springer spaniel

Black magic for May

For Neil Cross, mid May is the time to engage with the branchers at a Suffolk rookery, while Serena Cross is busting clays on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers

Art in the field

Layers of glaze and colour bring Chris Sharp’s salmon to life – and an understanding of their environment, as he explains to Janet Menzies

An alliance to save salmon

What must be done to halt the alarming decline in our wild salmon? Five leading conservation bodies are pooling their knowledge to find the answers, as Mark Bilsby explains

Alexandra Henton

For a country girl, what better job than PA at The Field? Well, Editor, of course, to champion rural causes and keep 168 years of heritage relevant

Stalking course

Richard Faulks joins a couple of voucher experience days as a dummy run for the real thing

How to smash it

David Turner catches up with clay shooting hotshot Dave Ferriman

Out of season

Jon Snowdon reflects on how the pandemic has affected what he and his deer group have done over the past year

The problem: Epilepsy

“My springer spaniel had a couple of fits a while ago and now needs twice daily treatment. Do you think that I will ever be able to work him again? I have read little or nothing about this condition.” ARTHUR ASHMORE, DERBYSHIRE

Stay your fire

Geoff Garrod on how to approach some of the difficult decisions posed by the lockdown

Fair play, little fella

Ed Cook talks about his deep admiration for what he says is the most underestimated animal on the planet

Fausti Magnificent

The editor tests an overand-under 12-bore from Fausti, but does the gun live up to its name?

Under pressure

Robert Morgan explains how a valve was the last piece in the jigsaw that created the sophisticated, and expensive, pneumatic airgun

Adventures of Nick & Ted

What to do with a dog like Percy? Nick Ridley muses on the problem before putting us in the picture

Pick Of The Crop

Tom Sykes explains the tactics and methods he uses to shoot around farm buildings

All the gear, no idea

A trip to catch zander, the cod of the canal, for a fish supper quickly proves that fancy kit is no guarantee of success

Reviving an old ritual

A traditional final pheasant day is the perfect chance to take stock after a strange season of aborted days as well as memorable ones

Kennel Diary

As snow brings an end to the current season, a game of musical chairs begins, says Harry Beeby

Royal lines of duty

The Queen’s passion for pets is well documented, but she has also played a part in breeding the Sandringham gundogs, as Martin Deeley finds out

It's no doddle up the creek

Adam Hart plans a last outing of the season to provide food for friends, but it’s hard won

A sporting life in Africa

A buffalo stalk in Tanzania almost ends in disaster but it makes for a fine tale over a beer

A fish for all seasons

Freddie Braithwaite-Exley’s February fish proves elusive but frostbite seems certain

A bit of positive spin

A trio of gundog breeds from Italy have found a place in the hearts of UK owners. David Tomlinson assesses their strengths in the field

Gentlemen Of The Marsh

Graham Downing examines how wildfowling was elevated from a pot-filling pursuit to one of the grandest of sports