Last month found me lost in a world of saltmarshes and flighting duck, and some wistful thinking about what the season ahead might bring. That is by no means uncommon during the long warm days of summer, and any wildfowler worthy of the name will pine for the cold winds and shorter days of winter.
Yet as I write this piece, there is more than a tinge of sadness within me as this particular feature was to have been about what would have been my recent May trip to Santa Fe, Argentina in pursuit of duck!
But coronavirus arrived and all such trips were summarily cancelled. At least we are healthy, and it is as well to remember that there are more important things to worry about than a holiday!
So time to draw a line under any disappointment and look forward to what will almost certainly be the fun and adventures which lie ahead. In particular, I am already studying tide tables and thinking through where I might be going and when.
At present, my thoughts are dwelling on 1 September, which happily falls in midweek this year. The reason I say ‘happily’ is because it gets us away from the weekend rush to the coast, and the jostling with others for the peace and tranquillity on which so much of sporting enjoyment depends.
It has been many years since I have spent The First on the shore, with inland trips governed by the strictly laid out dates of the small club syndicates to which I belong. Those opening days are invariably productive, and in terms of bag get me off to a good start to the season.
Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Sporting Shooter.
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Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Sporting Shooter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
RSPB gives mixed message on shooting
Having recently attended the RSPB’s virtual AGM, Conor O’Gorman discusses the outcome of the charity’s year-long review of game bird shooting
Causeway for concern
Alan Jarrett’s renewed interest in reading takes him down memory lane to an offshore island duck flight that very nearly ended in disaster
Through a purple patch
The Garrows Estate is taking a conservation-focused approach to restoring the wildlife populations and biodiversity on the Scottish heather moorland.
When the wheels fall off
Losing form on a day’s shooting can be infuriating, especially if you’ve been shooting like a god up to that point. Simon O’Leary looks at some common causes and how to remedy them
Beaches, books & bad behaviour!
The annual Kay family vacation to Northumberland offers a chance to give the cockers a blast on the beach – although they don’t always shower themselves in glory, as Ryan Kay recalls...
Using the Stop whistle
Now you’ve instilled the basics, it’s time to up the ante with some more tricky distance work. Howard Kirby explains how to take the core Stop whistle command to the next level
The humble teal
They may be tiny, but as far as Rupert Butler is concerned, the appeal of this little duck is huge. He recalls some of his most memorable nights in pursuit of these aerial acrobats
Fab all-rounder
Mike is impressed with the Fabarm Elos B2 Field Notte, which offers great value for money, is suited to fieldwork or clays and is future-proofed for use with steel in all choke constrictions
CALL OF THE WILD
Dom Holtam reconnects with one of the purest forms of shotgun shooting as he walks-up woodcock over pointing dogs in the Scottish Highlands
A yen for the Fens
Tony Jackson recounts a memorable duck flight over an area of Fenland in Norfolk with his friend and author, the late Alan Savory
