grenville

At this time of year, we often get a healthy debate about whether one should or should not shoot pigeons at this time of year. My personal preference is to desist whilst in the spring, and I usually stop after I have seen the first Swallow etc of the year. It was the 24th of March when I was fishing on the Tweed that I first saw one of our migratory friends (In that case a Sand Martin - I think) last year. It being 23rd today I haven't yet seen the first of this year yet. So it seems they haven't got here to Northumberland yet. What about the rest of the country? Grenville

I saw some Sand Martins when I fished the Tweed at Carham on 24th March, which we (the Ghillie and I) both agreed was very early.

Have any members had first-hand experience of smoking food, who could perhaps give me and us all some tips or even a beginner's guide on cold or hot-smoking food, especially (but not exclusively) pigeon meat? I have just looked on the internet for a kit but would prefer to do it on my own. The more information the better please. I'm sure I can speak for others on this site when I say that it would be very interesting to know how it can be done at home. I fancy that super-thin cut cold-smoked pigeon breast would be delicious, and would make a fine present for people too. Many thanks in advance Grenville

Any one of the following, either alone or (much better) in combination, are well known useful ways to make a pigeon come within range after half an hour or more of absolutely no action: light a cigarette, pour a cup of tea, open your box of sandwiches, tidy your hide, make a phone call, have a snooze, tend to your decoys, pull your old chap out for a pee, walk around - whatever - just make sure that it is absolutely certain that you can't possibly mount your gun. Then they will come at that moment. But in my experience by far the best way by far is to decide (genuinely - you have really to believe it yourself - no cheating) that you've had enough and put your gun away. The best time to see pigeons is just when you have put your gun away and have collected all your kit.

BB A tip, which I hope you find helpful, that I think I learned from John Battley's excellent book "the Pigeon Shooter" : When more than one pigeon comes along, and if they look as though they are going to "commit" to your decoy pattern, allow at least the first pigeon to land if you can. This is not so easy as it sounds, because if you are anything like me the sheer will power required not to shoot at a pigeon which looks in easy range is indescribable, and there will be quite alot of time up to that point when your quarry will provide you with tempting looking shots. Whatever, try to use your first barrell on one of the ones just behind the first pigeon which is still in the air and just about to land - if you get him, the other ones that are still in the air will fly off at great speed at the sound of your shot, so making for a pretty difficult shot for your second barrell, but the first one which you allowed to land, and which now has to launch itself into the air before it can get away, should make an easier shot for your second. Good luck! Grenville

To catch mature freshwater eels, get a sack - hessian preferably. Put some rocks, some straw and some animal remains (e.g. road kill, guts etc) into it; tie up the top, make a number of slits with a knife in the body of the sack, submerge it in a river and secure it so that it doesn't get washed away and leave it for a day or so. The slack water rather than fast water tends to be more effective. The eels swim in through the holes to eat the animal remains; When you hoy it out of the water they aren't quick enough to escape. The best time to catch eels is in the autumn, when they migrate. They are ******* to kill - cut their heads off to be sure they are actually dead - but they will still writhe around for hours afterwards. Some people say that if you bash them very hard on the tail with a rock you can stop this - something to do with a nerve cluster being situated there - but as far as I can tell this makes not a jot of difference. Don't handle them if you have a recent cut or graze on your hands as their slime and blood getting in such wounds can get very nasty. Hot-smoked eels are delicious, as they are just simply fried in a pan. Steer clear of eating the skin - apparently some people can react pretty badly to it (a bit like some people with nuts). If you catch a lot go for the small ones as they are more tender - the big ones can be as tough as old boots. I found this site a while ago when I was thinking about getting a proper eel trap but I never actually got round to either buying one or even seeing one used. http://www.tramail.com/indexgb.html With crayfish, make sure its the American ones and not the indigenous British ones you catch. The American ones were reared for eating but some escaped and they have thrived in the wild in the UK. They have become a real pest and (morally speaking - but you'd better check what the legal situation is before you actually do anything) should be destroyed on sight because they are puting the native ones under severe threat (a bit like the tree rat versus squirrell nutkin situation). I would imagine that the native ones are protected though I admit I know nothing about what is legal and what is not legal in this area so I repeat you had better check. Crayfish are delicious cooked and then eaten chilled - with mayonnaise. Good luck! Grenville

On the matter of people with different licences sharing the same cabinet, I believe I heard once that some police forces allow this to happen so long as the rifles have their bolts removed (and locked away in a place where the "sharer" does not have access to them). Does anyone know if this is actually true?