Lough Neagh duck shooting- the season begins

[Big Al]

I'm back in the hide - Ted is with me of course but this clip includes Bear's first flight.

 

[marsh man]

32 minutes ago, Big Al said:

I'm back in the hide - Ted is with me of course but this clip includes Bear's first flight.

 

It's good to have you back as well Big Al , a cracking start for your season and some excellent retrieves ,  THANKS for sharing and I hope you and your dogs are keeping well 

[islandgun]

Good to see you back in action.  A question, are these ducks coming in to feed on your freshwater lough in the evening,  seeing it,  your hide appears to be on a shallow, ish piece of water with rock, so was wondering what the draw was ! 

[Big Al]

21 minutes ago, islandgun said:

Good to see you back in action.  A question, are these ducks coming in to feed on your freshwater lough in the evening,  seeing it,  your hide appears to be on a shallow, ish piece of water with rock, so was wondering what the draw was ! 

The ducks live on the Lough and the surrounding wetlands. It is huge - they breed, roost and feed on it. At this stage of the season these are the homegrown ducks.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Neagh

The Lough is best known for its diving ducks, but you're right that we get more dabblers on this shore as it's pretty shallow. Other places I shoot yield mainly divers

I shoot mainly in the morning when birds are roosting, but it will shoot well in the evening as this place is undisturbed and has natural foods (plants). The divers like the choronimds of the Lough Neagh fly. The fly itself is interesting as it has no mouth parts, and so despite being immensely numerous,  you're fine as long as you keep hour mouth shut. 

Lough Neagh has it's own species of landlocked seatrout- the dolloghan and landlocked herring called the pollan. It's a pretty special place. 

[Big Al]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

It's good to have you back as well Big Al , a cracking start for your season and some excellent retrieves ,  THANKS for sharing and I hope you and your dogs are keeping well 

Thanks Marsh man.  The dogs are knackered,  as am I. September fowling makes for a bloody long day!

[islandgun]

35 minutes ago, Big Al said:

The ducks live on the Lough and the surrounding wetlands. It is huge - they breed, roost and feed on it. At this stage of the season these are the homegrown ducks.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Neagh

The Lough is best known for its diving ducks, but you're right that we get more dabblers on this shore as it's pretty shallow. Other places I shoot yield mainly divers

I shoot mainly in the morning when birds are roosting, but it will shoot well in the evening as this place is undisturbed and has natural foods (plants). The divers like the choronimds of the Lough Neagh fly. The fly itself is interesting as it has no mouth parts, and so despite being immensely numerous,  you're fine as long as you keep hour mouth shut. 

Lough Neagh has it's own species of landlocked seatrout- the dolloghan and landlocked herring called the pollan. It's a pretty special place. 

Its a huge lump of water alright, bigger than my Isle of Harris. can imagine it as well as being a fantastic safe roosting water but also having miles of shallow margins with the numerous mouthless fly pupae feeding many ducks, your a lucky man to have access  

[Big Al]

9 hours ago, islandgun said:

Its a huge lump of water alright, bigger than my Isle of Harris. can imagine it as well as being a fantastic safe roosting water but also having miles of shallow margins with the numerous mouthless fly pupae feeding many ducks, your a lucky man to have access  

It's a big puddle, to be sure. Most of NI and part of ROI drain into it. 

The Lough remains in private ownership (Shaftesbury Estate) so we have to pay them to put up a hide. You also have to pay the farmers around the Lough for access (basically to walk over their fields)

In some places this leads to unsightly scaffold pole structures sticking out of the water. Thankfully anywhere I shoot prefers natural hides.

[old'un]

16 hours ago, islandgun said:

Its a huge lump of water alright, bigger than my Isle of Harris. can imagine it as well as being a fantastic safe roosting water but also having miles of shallow margins with the numerous mouthless fly pupae feeding many ducks, your a lucky man to have access  

You have got a fair bit of water around you, did you get to shoot your flight pond?

[islandgun]

57 minutes ago, old'un said:

You have got a fair bit of water around you, did you get to shoot your flight pond?

😉.. I haven't.  I try and use the pond to draw them into the area, earlier in the year, then try and find a flight line morning or evening depending on where they resting during the day. i will shoot it later in the year given a gale. Was out picking carrots on the machair near the flashes the other day and saw a sea eagle flying over them. about a dozen mallard and teal got up and sped off leaving a lone mallard. [young or half asleep] being chased by the eagle soon woke it up though and the eagle headed off to the hill looking for easier prey 

[old'un]

29 minutes ago, islandgun said:

😉.. I haven't.  I try and use the pond to draw them into the area, earlier in the year, then try and find a flight line morning or evening depending on where they resting during the day. i will shoot it later in the year given a gale. Was out picking carrots on the machair near the flashes the other day and saw a sea eagle flying over them. about a dozen mallard and teal got up and sped off leaving a lone mallard. [young or half asleep] being chased by the eagle soon woke it up though and the eagle headed off to the hill looking for easier prey 

It will be after your carrots next..

I have looked at the isles of Harris on Google it certainly looks a bit remote, and I bet when you do get a gale it’s a good one, as said before not a lot of trees to stop it.

do you have any super markets? Where’s the nearest garage? Do you have hospital?

 

And where’s the nearest take-away (Chinese or KFC)

[old'un]

21 hours ago, Big Al said:

I'm back in the hide - Ted is with me of course but this clip includes Bear's first flight.

 

With the lake being so big is it a case of needle in a haystack or are there big numbers of fowl on it?

[islandgun]

 

54 minutes ago, old'un said:

It will be after your carrots next..

 

 

I have looked at the isles of Harris on Google it certainly looks a bit remote, and I bet when you do get a gale it’s a good one, as said before not a lot of trees to stop it.

do you have any super markets? Where’s the nearest garage? Do you have hospital?

 

 

And where’s the nearest take-away (Chinese or KFC)

Worst gale weve had in to my knowledge was about 10/16 yrs ago 120 mph winds with some recordings of 140mph  offshore. talking to a crofter in the Uist's , he said when he went to let the dog out he saw something white fly over his bungalow. turned out to be a caravan.  fence lines ripped out and wrapped round snapped electricity poles. 

We have a good coop store in S Harris which sells booze and fuel. also a fantastic doctor, nearest hospital is 65miles as is the nearest chinese takeaway. you would need a night in a hotel and a ferry ride to get a KFC. talking of this reminds me of the recent winds in the Bahamas over 180mph..😲 

[Big Al]

42 minutes ago, old'un said:

With the lake being so big is it a case of needle in a haystack or are there big numbers of fowl on it?

It's like fowling on the coast in that the birds prefer certain places and move most at dawn and dusk. If the weather is wild and waves are rough then they can't roost out on the Lough so look for quiet / sheltered spots to roost. Blanks usually come on windless days when the ducks "raft up" miles out from the shore. 

Also like coastal fowling, things pick up significantly when the migrants arrive.

[old'un]

50 minutes ago, islandgun said:

 

Worst gale weve had in to my knowledge was about 10/16 yrs ago 120 mph winds with some recordings of 140mph  offshore. talking to a crofter in the Uist's , he said when he went to let the dog out he saw something white fly over his bungalow. turned out to be a caravan.  fence lines ripped out and wrapped round snapped electricity poles. 

We have a good coop store in S Harris which sells booze and fuel. also a fantastic doctor, nearest hospital is 65miles as is the nearest chinese takeaway. you would need a night in a hotel and a ferry ride to get a KFC. talking of this reminds me of the recent winds in the Bahamas over 180mph..😲 

Blimey that’s a bit of a blow, glad we don’t get that sort of wind here, looking on Google I can’t see a co-op, I can see the Harris community shop and what looks like a bakery called Croft36, mind you I bet you bake your own bread and catch and shoot most of what you eat, once again, I can imagine it’s a lovely place to-be when the weathers nice.

 

15 minutes ago, Big Al said:

It's like fowling on the coast in that the birds prefer certain places and move most at dawn and dusk. If the weather is wild and waves are rough then they can't roost out on the Lough so look for quiet / sheltered spots to roost. Blanks usually come on windless days when the ducks "raft up" miles out from the shore. 

Also like coastal fowling, things pick up significantly when the migrants arrive.

What were you using to bring them ducks down? What sort of range were they, they look well out or is it just the camera paying tricks.

[Big Al]

27 minutes ago, old'un said:

 

What were you using to bring them ducks down? What sort of range were they, they look well out or is it just the camera paying tricks.

I use RC Camouflage Hyperfast 3 inch steel loads. 34g of No.3 steel shot. The camera certainly does play tricks but they were rangy too. Forty to fifty yards for most.

I also use Gamebore Mammoth 3" steel 36g 3s and 1s.

 

[greylag]

Nice to see you  back in action .Great start to the season and Ted seems to have lost none of his expertise during the summer and Bear seems to be following in his footprints.Hope to get out this week for my first flight.Keep my fingers crossed I can have half the success you have had on your first outings.Looking forward to following you throughout the season.

 

[Big Al]

1 hour ago, greylag said:

Nice to see you  back in action .Great start to the season and Ted seems to have lost none of his expertise during the summer and Bear seems to be following in his footprints.Hope to get out this week for my first flight.Keep my fingers crossed I can have half the success you have had on your first outings.Looking forward to following you throughout the season.

 

Many thanks greylag. I hope to some coastal fowling done this year too - maybe get some of the "real thing" captured. Wishing you well for your season.

[m greeny]

Thanks for sharing big Al I really enjoy your vids and to see such good dog work is a pleasure. Keep on sharing and good luck for the rest of your season

[Big Al]

18 hours ago, m greeny said:

Thanks for sharing big Al I really enjoy your vids and to see such good dog work is a pleasure. Keep on sharing and good luck for the rest of your season

Thanks for the comment  - hopefully I'll get out at the weekend!

Hope you have a successful season too. 

[JMsTV]

Nice shooting Al

Out of curiosity what the law in Ireland and N.Ireland with using lead ? is it the same rules as England or do the rules align with Scotland ?

 

[Big Al]

1 hour ago, JMsTV said:

Nice shooting Al

Out of curiosity what the law in Ireland and N.Ireland with using lead ? is it the same rules as England or do the rules align with Scotland ?

 

The Republic still use lead. I'm in the north so we use non-toxic over wetlands regardless of species- the Scottish system.

How ROI have managed to avoid non-toxic legislation for so long, I do not know. No doubt it will come eventually. I know there has been talk of it of late.

[greenshank1]

Great video Al 

Ted still doing the business and your young dog Bear starting to learn his trade. Happy Days. 

Have a great season 

[Gerry78]

Great video Big Al the dogs great been on to the BASC this season trying to get a hide on the Big Lough with no joy keep up the good videos mate look forward to them 👍👍

[Ttfjlc]

Great to see that stone hide again! Another great retrieve by Ted