An old friend left me with a mountain of fly-tying equipment when he died. He had been badgering me to learn the art of tying flies for many years, and I think he hoped that his bequest would force me into it. He used to turn out all manner of strange and beautiful lures, and he had a small vice that he used to tie flies on the riverbank. It was something like a party trick, but it had its roots in a deep understanding of insect life and how it might be imitated.
In truth, he was so good at making flies and produced them so copiously that I never really had to learn how to do it. When I found that he had left me his fly-tying kit, I could easily imagine him saying: “Now you’ve got to do it yourself, you lazy bugger.”
I went over to his house and found the place in a state of upheaval — rooms piled to the rafters with antlers and back copies of Shooting Times. I don’t know how he had managed to build up such a vast collection of rural curios, but his widow was left sighing and tutting at the depth of it. I recognized a few of the roe heads lying in a cardboard box, and even spotted one that we had stalked together in Hampshire. Not wanting to seem like a scavenger, I carefully asked if I could take care of it.
Horns and bones
Antlers can be time-sensitive trophies, particularly when it comes to large racks of red deer and African game. The horns and bones quickly lose their meaning and significance to different generations unless the specifics are carefully recorded, and even then it can be hard for friends and family to appreciate them if they do not share an interest in field sports.
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 29, 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