The estuary of the river Nith is a dangerous place of shifting channels, quicksands, soft mud, rip tides and volatile weather. A neap tide rises 11ft and a spring one, which covers the surrounding marshes and travels faster than a galloping horse, as much as 23. This is an enchanting area of broad horizons and spectacular natural beauty filled with birdsong.
The vast expanse of mudflats and salt marshes are historic feeding grounds for waders and a winter haven for migratory ducks and geese, their movements controlled by the endless ebb and flow of the tides. Revered by wildfowlers, it is one of the three rivers in Scotland, the other two are the Annan and Urr, where the ancient art of haaf netting is still practised. For centuries, the families living beside the estuary have waded into the shallow waters of the Nith carrying the ‘haaf back’, as it is known, over their shoulder and faced the incoming flood or outgoing ebb tides.
Old Norse
Haaf netting is of Viking origin — haaf is old Norse for sea or channel — and is of such antiquity that it has been described as living archeology. A haaf net consists of a poke net mounted on a rectangular frame, 15ft long by 4ft high, made of a shaved cedar beam supported by three ash rungs, the central one extending above the top beam by about 18in. The frame is held upright by the central rung in one hand, while a few strings of the net, which billows round the netter like an enormous brassiere, are held loosely in the fingers of the other hand.
Denne historien er fra August 19, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra August 19, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside