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Getting ready


roostshooter1
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Its that time of year now to get all the gear ready

Had all my duck decoys out today and gave them some tlc

Checked my goose decoys and goose flag are up for the season

All calls on there lanyards and abit of practicd blowing them :)

I have the 10 bore arriving next week and the bismuth carts next weekend so things are nearly there

Not long now guys happy fowling

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I tend to do most of my planning and preparation in the week before the season starts , not that I usually have a lot to do. The main thing is to get the decoys out , check the attachment lines that they are still strong and not going to snap under pressure , clean them up and repaint if needed. As so check the mother lines are ok. I am finding good strong line for mother lines are getting difficult to find these days. I like heavy grade braded terylene , the type of stuff kids use on crab lines. Its very strong and does not offer much water resistance , important in strong tides otherwise the flowing water is going to drag your leads so you can reduce the weight you need to lug out onto the marsh ( important as you get a bit older). The para cord lines are good , but need 3\4 a pound of lead on a line of 8 decoys to hold the bottom on my tidal creeks. As I use two lines the weights of the leads are important. I can get away with a quarter of a pound leads on each line with the terylene lines. Line colour seems unimportant even in clear water and I have never seen the duck shy away from the orange stuff I get. The biggest problem with it is at best I can only get 3 seasons use from it before it loses its strength.

 

 

 

A quick visual check the chest waders look ok , but its often not until the first time I wear them in water that I find the leaks. Provided I hang them up off season I get several seasons out of my cheap DIWA ones. The semi auto will have gone for a check up at the gunsmiths months ago so that’s sorted, though I am a bit late with my new Franchi this season. Its in the gunsmiths at the moment to have the cast of the stock altered to fit me and should be ready next week. Two more jobs will be to stock up on non toxic shells early on as I find my local shops stock up in August\ September and when they sell out that's it for the season. There are normally some sort non toxic available , but often not the brand or shot size I want after mid season. My other ritual at the start of the season is to spend the day at a country show ( Sandringham or Fenland ) and get any odds and ends I think I will need for the season ( but usually do not )!

 

 

 

The final job on the eve of the season is to pack my bag with decoys, shells and hide for the next morning and load into the car along with boots and coat. So all I have to worry about is loading the gun and dog and I am off.

 

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My ritual for pre season was more for reconnaissance than checking my gear as I had very little gear to check , the decoys didn't come out till much later in the season and my gun was and still is used all the year round .

 

Two to three weeks before the 1st I would check out the dyke conditions , any water laying about on the marsh and if we had any barley or wheat still standing I would then be out last thing at night to see what amount of duck were going in and out on any laid bits .

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Going back to wader shooting days , the tide times would be checked and when was the first full moon to determine the height of the tide , we then checked the punt was water tight , spare rollocks , oars and sometimes a new lick of undercoat paint ( so it didn't shine ) and all the bits and pieces in the boat shed , looking back I got as much enjoyment looking around to see where I could shoot a duck or two as when the day came when it was legal to put your reconnaissance and skill to the test .

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went a got a few more steel cartridges today i picked up some NSI steel 38g 3.5mm size 2 at £3 for 10 not to costly had a quick walk with them this afternoon got 2 rabbits about 35 yards and a pigeon about 40 yards out so will give them a try out on duck and inland geese

You would struggle to load them for that money, a good way of saving unavailable A steel powder for ten bores if you have no allternatives to use.

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