A Novice's Foretaste Of The Foreshore

Richard Negus finds out how easy it is for a novice to join a fowling club and wonders why some of them struggle to retain new members

- R. Negus

September brings an important ritual. Apprehensive children throughout the country are ceremonially dressed in strangely coloured, oversized new clothes. They are posed by their front door for a photograph; images are posted on to Facebook and off they go to their first day at school.

Despite my 40 years’ seniority to these nervous young tykes, this month I too will be returning to education. I shall be garbed in a brand-new outfit of many colours and my satchel will be tightly clutched, though the contents will be duck decoys and Magnum 3 cartridges rather than Pokemon cards and a Minions pencil case. My education will be muddier and my teachers will be earthier and I truly doubt my wife will take any snaps of me as I sneak out the front door at 4.30am to begin wildfowling school.

My path to education came about thanks to the BASC permit scheme, which provides a “suck it and see” opportunity for novices to try their hand at fowling. Luckily for me my local club, the Great Yarmouth Wildfowling & Conservation Association (GYWCA), is a keen participant of the scheme.

A phone call asking if I could have a go on the marsh led to my 4am wake up and a glorious morning on the East Anglian fowling Mecca that is Breydon Water under the knowledgeable eye of long-standing club committee member Terry.