![Tiggy Pettifer](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5179/466075/5ee352103e9d4/Tiggy-Pettifer.jpg)
THE sun is shining, the Usk valley is that vibrant lime green you only get in spring, bluebells and milkmaids surround the house, the orchard is in full blossom and the much-needed rain has finally come, so the smell is sensational. I was brought up on the Usk and am incredibly lucky to have had sporting parents. My first trout at four, perched on Mum’s knee in the middle of the river; my first day’s hunting at eight; first bunny at 12; first grouse at 14 – a Welsh one; first stag at 15; and my first salmon at 16 on the Spey. Mum and Dad encouraged us to have a go at everything.
I hunted with the Beaufort for 28 seasons but stopped when I had our boys and then my back was chopped open. Fishing was always there but now, in my fifth decade, it is the love of my life. I hope somewhere here you will find the inspiration to pick up a rod and find not only sanity, peacefulness and calm but also huge excitement. The Tug!
Bu hikaye The Field dergisinin July 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 The Field dergisinin July 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
![Helping hot dogs chill out](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/5irat8pXt1720173886466/HELPING-HOT-DOGS-CHILL-OUT.jpg)
Helping hot dogs chill out
From cool coats to clippers, there are a whole host of ways to keep your canine companion comfortable as the summer heat intensifies, says David Tomlinson
![Art in the field](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/2jA3Ejnz11720173711703/ART-IN-THE-FIELD.jpg)
Art in the field
Sculpting his wild subjects from life, Fred Gordon is breaking new ground in bronze, says Janet Menzies
![How to canapé](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/3uHQxYLWu1720173396081/HOW-TO-CANAP.jpg)
How to canapé
A summer celebration is nothing without these tiny works of art. Devised by the country's best canapé cooks, they are just the thing to make your party swing
![Ginger-beer childhoods](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/GBiR3_9Aa1720173019473/GINGERBEER-CHILDHOODS.jpg)
Ginger-beer childhoods
Summer holidays filled with outdoor adventures are the perfect way to foster a love of the countryside and a lifetime enthusiasm for the field
![Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/JPlhHRNHQ1720172553467/GLAMOUR-INTELLIGENCE-AND-DRIVE-AS-STANDARD.jpg)
Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard
Retrieving birds with pace, energy and undeniable elan, these sporting poodles are winning over even traditional gundog breed enthusiasts
![The cycle begins](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/zFa07PuJt1720172195147/THE-CYCLE-BEGINS.jpg)
The cycle begins
Though it may lie forgotten for much of the year, the kennel bicycle is indispensable in summer when hound exercise gets under way
![Turning the tide on the Tyne](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/ssaj004tV1720171829137/TURNING-THE-TIDE-ON-THE-TYNE.jpg)
Turning the tide on the Tyne
The industrial age brought prosperity to Newcastle but at great cost to the Tyne and its salmon. Today its waters are a haven for fish and anglers alike
![En garde: a guide to fencing](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/-ACb9XpaI1720171481095/EN-GARDE-A-GUIDE-TO-FENCING.jpg)
En garde: a guide to fencing
Not just a clash of swords and some fancy footwork, this ancient sport is an art form that demands agility, discipline and control
![Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/1OqPSNemM1720171376732/WHO-WAS-BARON-PIERRE-DE-COUBERTIN.jpg)
Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?
It was a diminutive, 19th-century French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (pictured, left), who came up with the idea of reviving the Olympic Games while studying in Paris. He was a sporting sort himself, and had also long despaired of what he perceived as French degeneracy; his country had been humiliated by the loss of the Franco-Prussian War and he attributed this to his countrymen's lack of moral fibre.
![A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/VOHyFpkMX1720170750608/A-GOLDMEDAL-GUIDE-TO-OLYMPIC-SHOOTING.jpg)
A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting
Everything you need to know, from history, disciplines, rules and regulations to the British sportsmen and women striving for glory