washwildfowler Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 (edited) just sat here looking through some pics from the past season , and it got me thinking what the highlight of my season , it has to be 2 of them for me the 1st would be watching my young dog retrieve a cannada from the the other side of the haven tidal river which was down to my poor shooting , the second was meeting another fowler who i had been talking to on the phone for a few months and then he came down for a flight on the wash and we have now become very good friend ... so those were my highlights of my season do you have any a couple pics from the past season Edited March 15, 2012 by washwildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 (edited) Well every time I go out marsh I think its great but the highlight of this season for me was going out with "oxfordfowler" and "ayano2" and draining them of knowledge. They took me out onto shepps and showed me "Andersons" "Lawyers" "YBR" etc and where to get and be safe on a high tide. So thanks to them Next season I hope to get out with the OP and take him up on his offers I might even see him at the clay shoot if I knew when they were Edited March 16, 2012 by harrycatcat1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvbus Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 First Teal in the moonlight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 my two highlights of the past season were getting out with my friend and his big bores. the first time he was down he armed me with his double four (top pic) with which i had 5 greylags, had a great morning with him. he had his double 8 and got 4 geese. the next time he was down he gave me a shot of his purdey 10 bore, beautiful old gun. i had 2 greylags that morning. i always enjoy getting out with him and his stunning old guns. fingers crossed if we are both spared next season we can enjoy another morning under the geese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Got to say I also enjoy every day and it was even better being out with my young Lab, but the best day was the last flight of the season, early morning and watching hundreds of geese fly over head and on that particular marsh i could not shoot at them Then the evening flight was over on the welsh side of the channel and a half doz Honkers flew within feet of us but far to low to shoot but a wonderful site & hearing others call from the other side of the pond which attracted them to move was fantastic for me and my mate on his first outing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 One memorable highlight was shooting a Pinkie after calling it for what seemed ages on a thick foggy morning and the dog making the retrieve. BUT...'The' highlight was early season one evening flight. Three of us (Myself, new member Carl & Phil) went down to Shep Whites. There was a couple of sightseers cars in the car park, so Phil had to take a leak at the corner of Carls 4x4. Carl,got his short wellington's from the back of his truck and started to get his shoes etc off...He said to us 'I cant ******* believe it, its bone dry and somehow I have a ******* wet socks and wet feet... :lol: We could not stop laughing all the way to the first Horseshoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 My highlight of the season was hitting a fast teal as it disappeared over the hedge behind me, i knew it was hit but couldn't see it come down through the hedge. I had my young Lab with me for his first evening out on the splashes and when sent he flew through the hedge and hunted like a old hand in the dark, after a few seconds of scenting he picked up the scent and tracked the bird to about 25 yards away. Picked it well and returned it to hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 My one and only time on the marsh was my highlight of the season, ayano3 off here took me out to see a morning flight and i had a very enjoyable morning, it was good to learn about the marsh from someone who knows all about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Without doubt the outstanding highlight for me was my black lab Meg doing a brilliant retrieve for a friend. My mate had dropped a pink foot just behind him in a splash and though he looked for it at once he was unable to find it. An hour later I came over with Meg and told her to "get On " . She cast about for a few mins without picking up any scent , then I got her to range out further. About 100 yards out she picked up a scent and started to follow it. After about 10 mins the scent ran through a spot where a dozen brent had been feeding , taking off when I first put the dog out. Meg circled around the area , but the fresh brent scent was confusing her , or so I thought when I called her back. Ignoring me her head went down and she was after the pink again. She followed a trail through a large area of sueda bushes before swinging out onto the marsh again. By now she was over 400 yards off and still ignoring my whistles. She crossed two big creeks and kept going , now just a tiny dot on the skyline. She broke into a run and headed for the sands at least 800 yards off now. I half thought I saw something flap in front of her , but she was so far off I could not be sure. Then she stopped on the open sands for some time. Before trotting back towards us. It was still 5 mins before we were sure she had the goose in her mouth. 25 mins after starting her search she delivered a very lively pink foot into my hands. A brilliant retrieve. Over the years I have had some very good gun dogs , most have been a lot more obedient than Meg , but none when they know there is a bird to be picked have the tenacity and endurance to make such spectular retrieves. She would be a nightmare on a driven shoot , but for a fowlers dog she takes a lot of beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpk Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 First canada ever x 2 on consecutive nights on the last days of the season only to be beaten by chrispti's 5 on the last morning flight also a pintail landing on the dogs head pretty much won't ever forget that !!! Lots of good pics from this season roll on the next one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Receiving our syndicates one year licence from Natural England. They own the piece of marsh that we shoot and every year is a battle to get back on the it. Our days have been restricted, our area has been restricted, our numbers have been restricted, we are banned from the intertidal area, our communications are largely ignored and we go through this pantomime every year. We have been operating there for over 25 years - Long before NE purchased the marsh - Have a superb record of restraint, conservation, work parties, etc but still we have to fight a government quango and have no right of appeal unless we go to the highest levels of government - Which we can't afford. (Our syndicate is only six). This year our total bag was one teal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Receiving our syndicates one year licence from Natural England. They own the piece of marsh that we shoot and every year is a battle to get back on the it. Our days have been restricted, our area has been restricted, our numbers have been restricted, we are banned from the intertidal area, our communications are largely ignored and we go through this pantomime every year. We have been operating there for over 25 years - Long before NE purchased the marsh - Have a superb record of restraint, conservation, work parties, etc but still we have to fight a government quango and have no right of appeal unless we go to the highest levels of government - Which we can't afford. (Our syndicate is only six). This year our total bag was one teal! But dont give in Grandalf, is this part of the Broads ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) Grandalf , try pushing them for a longer lease. One club of which I am a member recently got NE to up the lease from yearly to a 3 year lease. NE is looking to save money and manpower with the present govenment cutbacks so your local team might go for it. Edited March 20, 2012 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatcatsplat Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) Without doubt the outstanding highlight for me was my black lab Meg doing a brilliant retrieve for a friend. My mate had dropped a pink foot just behind him in a splash and though he looked for it at once he was unable to find it. An hour later I came over with Meg and told her to "get On " . She cast about for a few mins without picking up any scent , then I got her to range out further. About 100 yards out she picked up a scent and started to follow it. After about 10 mins the scent ran through a spot where a dozen brent had been feeding , taking off when I first put the dog out. Meg circled around the area , but the fresh brent scent was confusing her , or so I thought when I called her back. Ignoring me her head went down and she was after the pink again. She followed a trail through a large area of sueda bushes before swinging out onto the marsh again. By now she was over 400 yards off and still ignoring my whistles. She crossed two big creeks and kept going , now just a tiny dot on the skyline. She broke into a run and headed for the sands at least 800 yards off now. I half thought I saw something flap in front of her , but she was so far off I could not be sure. Then she stopped on the open sands for some time. Before trotting back towards us. It was still 5 mins before we were sure she had the goose in her mouth. 25 mins after starting her search she delivered a very lively pink foot into my hands. A brilliant retrieve. Over the years I have had some very good gun dogs , most have been a lot more obedient than Meg , but none when they know there is a bird to be picked have the tenacity and endurance to make such spectular retrieves. She would be a nightmare on a driven shoot , but for a fowlers dog she takes a lot of beating. Nice!!! Think my highlight was initially a lowlight - One of our woods flooded completely so that you could only go round the margins and the gamebirds had all scarpered - Bad times. Second time we shot it, it was still flooded, but this time around 100 teal got up which was somewhat remarkable - Good times!! We shot it several more times during the season with a great deal of success and pleased to say that the woods have stayed flooded and we still have teal, mallard, coots and moorhen among others still plonking around. Looking to feed it this year and leave it as either last drive or evening flight - Fingers crossed. Edited March 20, 2012 by Fatcatsplat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 But dont give in Grandalf, is this part of the Broads ?? Grandalf , try pushing them for a longer lease. One club of which I am a member recently got NE to up the lease from yearly to a 3 year lease. NE is looking to save money and manpower with the present govenment cutbacks so your local team might go for it. The marsh is on the Blythe estuary - Southwold area. We will never give up! But it is very difficult dealing with NE. Emails are ignored - telephone calls are not returned (You only ever talk to answering machines). BASC is involved. We have tried for a longer licence every year but NE wont have it. (Some years it has not been granted at all). NE are the judge, jury and executioner. You never get a scientific reason why decisions are made except the usual 'disturbance' quote. If we appeal to higher officials in NE then we only come up against a barrage of 'my colleagues advise this that and the other'. Above that we have to go to the Minister of State. There is now no traditional (mud) wildfowling on the Blyth estuary at all. (It is where they were going to introduce the sea-eagle a couple of years ago). We had an unrestricted licence - then it became 40 days only (They wanted 20). We could shoot the intertidal area - Now we can't. (It's only 25 yards wide on average). We could have four people on the marsh - Now it is only three. We used to provide work parties - Now they don't want us. We can now only access the marsh on shoot days. Our one season licence expired on 31st Jan. I am still awaiting a reply to an email sent in Nov of last year and another, reminder, sent in Feb. I telephoned their office yesterday and got the usual answering machine message - I left a message on that and a mobile number - No response. This is normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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