For some, the end of the game shooting season can induce a bout of melancholy so complete that only the poet WH Auden could be more wretched. I am of a more positive persuasion. Therefore, rather than displaying my angst by stopping clocks or cutting off the telephone, I simply went to my shed.
Among the array of hazel rods, mole traps and camouflage nets hangs my fishing tackle. My salve to allay any end-of-season blues was to try my hand at pike fishing. I undertook a stocktake of my current kit. This revealed I own three fly, two saltwater rusty ringed spinning, and one float rod.
To take on toothy aquatic leviathans, I believed I would require some meatier equipment than I currently possess. I planned to fish with the sort of vintage tackle that is found festering away in the sheds of many Shooting Times readers. To achieve this, I placed a pitiful request for help on social media. This resulted in the generous loan of a 10ft Hardy’s fibralite spinning rod and KP Morritt Intrepid reel — both circa 1972 — by Calum McRoberts, the head gillie from the Meikleour fishery on the Tay. Another kind soul, Peter Lowth from Somerset, posted me a bundle of vintage pike plugs. I added to these some eBay purchases — decrepit lures and cork floats — and I was ready.
The best pike fishing is to be had in late winter and there are fewer places more wintry, gnarly or pike-y than the Fens in February. By a bit of luck, my gunstock guru pal, Adam Bragg, is an arch pike fisherman and owns a boat that he moors at the Twentypence marina near Wilburton. Adam readily agreed for me to tag along with him.
River cruiser
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin March 11, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin March 11, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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