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Mad Marsh Moments


6.5x55SE
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Reading Big Matt reluctants to go fowling in the rain I thought I'd share a flight I had as late teen early 20 year old. Anser2 should know this spot.All looked good for a Pink as I sat next to a large creek called " Hoppy's " when in the dark for reasons only known to themselves in 2 large bunches the Pinks jumped and landed in front of me Now I was stuffed being the wrong side of the creek and know time to walk off the Marsh down the seawall and try to get the right side. Well my Goose obsession kicked in. I took my barrel off m gun wrapped the barrel and stock in items of clothing and stuffed my rucksack. Yep a January morning and I was Starkers not a pretty sight I'm sure. With a hammer type throw I managed to get my gear across the large fully flooded creek. There was no turning back now with a run and jump I landed in the creek up to my waist but seemed to be in and out. Performing a drunken Irish Jig I quickly got dressed assembled my and was off to my new spot where my efforts was rewarded with 7 Pinks. Arriving back at the car park a local fowler asked how the hell did you get where you did are you Mosses smiling no just obsessed with Geese Last season some 35-38years later I found myself in a similar situation but thankfully I knew although the creek was large and flooded it had a good shelf and I was wearing chest waders but again I broke my gun down wrapped my coat around it stuffed my rucksack threw it across the creek same procedure as last time only I was fully clothed and did not get wet again my efforts was rewarded with 5 Pinks. Some body I had got to know on this Marsh witnessed my actions and in the car park said I was Truely Man NO Mate just Obsessed with them Geese and in spite of the many I've shot when I lose that feeling will be the day I hang up my Guns for good. Guess where I'll be come Rain or Shine !!!!!

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You are mad Boyd.

 

If i know there are birds about i'll quite happily go out in the rain, but after a day at work and knowing there was nowt on the bit of marsh i'd be going to the night before i could not be bothered!

 

Oh and when it rains i can't see a damn thing thing through my glasses so the ducks and geese are even safer than usual :lol:

Edited by Big Mat
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I've been called worse Matt oh the write up was not a personal Dig. You and Roberts comments brought back some of the stupid things I've done all in the name of Wildfowling also have you not heard it said " heavy rain is equal to a 10 mph wind " !!!!! Mind you at least you stay dry well if its not raining to. Hope to hear/read your bagged that elusive Pink very soon

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Oh and when it rains i can't see a damn thing thing through my glasses so the ducks and geese are even safer than usual :lol:

Would a shooting cap with a deep peak keep the rain off by our glasses. I find the caps with the longer brim and the curve to the peak keep the rain off mine. You can even get them in camo. :)

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I've been called worse Matt oh the write up was not a personal Dig. You and Roberts comments brought back some of the stupid things I've done all in the name of Wildfowling also have you not heard it said " heavy rain is equal to a 10 mph wind " !!!!! Mind you at least you stay dry well if its not raining to. Hope to hear/read your bagged that elusive Pink very soon

 

I tell you what Boyd, i'd have been glad of the rain this morning! Got to find the pinks first before i can shoot one :lol:

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Was in union jack matt so declined his wonderful offer. Not out this morning but may take a look somewhere later. May shoot the tide and leave as have the Norwich trip tonight.

 

I had crossed the border this morning. Probably won't be about on holbeach untill my week off in november.

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In those days like Boyed I was mad keen at shooting pinks , but never went as far as stripping off to cross a flooded creek. The worst wetting I had was when I took a beginner flighting curlew near the Black houseboat by ***** Barn. They had just dug the borrow pits ( a long wide deep creek where they dug the mud to build the seawall). There was a crossing point every 7-800 yards and on the seaward side of the creek they had pulled up a small wall to protect the naked mud seawall from wave action. I told Mark not to cross a small side creek before I left him. The curlew came well and we got several. I judged the moment was right to fall back to a crossing before the huge spring tide and signalled mark to hurry up and come with me. After I packed the curlew I looked back and he was still there. I ran over to him only to find he had crossed the side creek which by now was flooded. I said he was going to have to swim it as the tide would be too big to stand out. In the end he got across , but we had a 800 yard run to the crossing point. Before we were half way there the sea started to pour over the top of the small wall in a massive waterfall crashing down 10 feet into the burrow dyke. We made the crossing point in the end , just but at one point I looked back at Mark and all I could see was a arm holding his gun above the water.

 

The moral of this story is if you are told to stay at a certain point on the marsh do not move and cross creeks, it may be the last time you do it.

 

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A chap who I used to do a lot of fowling with in the 60s and 70s was Kenzies double and just as hard as the top man himself , well we were during the morning flight just near Duffels Rond on Breydon Water and in the 60s we had a lot more Whitefronts round our way than we did Pinks and to get either was like winning the lottery , on this morning the only dog we had with us was his young lab who at the time was only learning the ropes , we had got a pair of duck each and to us then it was a good mornings result then as we were walking to each other a small skein of Whitefronts swung round the marsh and passed my mate at the limit of being in range . I saw him take two shots and one of them started planeing out towards the main channel at a slight angle it must have went a good 200yds before it hit the water and after a few minutes flapping about it was dead , there wasn't any point sending the dog as you could only just see it, so I said do you want me to whip back to Yarmouth and get the punt out and he turned round and said no that's all right it will take to long and as the water is only 4ft deep I will go and get myself and with that he striped of to his shorts and went after it with the dog swimming beside him all the way out to where it laid and when it got to it he held it up like a trophy which at the time it was. Time he got back he was freezing but the reward was well worth getting cold for. I think " answer2 " will know who I am talking about and the sad ending to this story is he died last week aged 76 .......R I P ..A P ...The likes will never be seen again.

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