The Ashbourne McDougal

[Dunkield]

I mentioned in a previous thread that I had read about a 'sporting triple' in the Shooting Times a while back and fancied having a go at it sometime.

To cut a fairly long story short, the McDougal seemed a do-able and affordable, unlike the McNab these days.

So I booked up for last Thursday along with a shooting/fishing buddy of mine.

 

The day consists of 3 elements:

Shoot a cock Pheasant

Tie a Pheasant Tailed Nymph (using, guess what)

Catch and land a trout from the lakes.

 

All to be done on the same day, and all unassisted.

 

The day started early for us as it is a bit of drive and involved the M25, but on arrival we were greeted with coffee and bacon rolls - a good start to any day.

We then met up with the 2 other McDouglers, Douglas Chalmers the estate owner and our host for the day, and his assistants.

 

Ashbourne is lovely estate, not huge, but incredibly well placed and great landscape for a combined shooting fishing day.

There are 2 gin clear, spring fed lakes stocked with quality rainbows and browns.

 

It was fairly mild, windless and sun was already trying to break through as we headed off with our guns to attempt to complete the first element.

Using a handful of dogs the 2 beaters managed to put up a good few birds from the 3 or 4 mini-drives before we went for a walk through the woods.

It was nice mix of pegged and walked up shooting, but the birds weren't really playing, there wasn't a breath of wind and it was at times a bright day.

Luckily, after missing 3 low fast hen birds I got my cock bird and my mate who had hit everything that flew near him hit his required cock bird with the very next shot. So, we were all set, 1 down 2 to go.

 

The priority then was to get the other 2 guns into a situation to get their cock birds before lunch.

They both shot far better than I had, but one man at the break for lunch hadn't connected with a cock bird.

It became apparent the McDougal wasn't a given, and also you needed a bit a skill but more importantly a large helping of luck to be in with a chance do the treble.

 

After a great lunch served up in a shooting lodge in the woods, we set about tying our flies.

Two are needed really, setting off with only one would be very risky as I was about to find out.

I normally wear contact lenses and these days to tie a fly I would have to take them out or wear reading specs - needless to say I didn't do either, and through the haze created by pre-lunch champagne and lunchtime claret, I was struggling. But as the low sun streamed into the lodge and the banter increased nothing seemed to matter any more . .

 

Although at the back of your mind there is a bit of 'pressure' to achieve what you set out to do, the fact that it is great day out in the country, and with a great bunch of like minded people as company, means the day will always be enjoyable no matter what the outcome is.

 

As if to prove a point, having tied our flies and before starting the fishing I went off to use the blokes bog - the woods in other words.

Having relieved the pressure on my bladder I was met back at the hut by one of other guns still laughing at the fact I wandered off with my fishing line wrapped round boot somehow dragging my reel of into the woods after me, oops.

I then had to point out he had just spent the last 5 minutes carefully making up my fly rod and not his

 

The lake looked spectacular in the afternoon and despite it being a bit on cool side trout were rising occasionally, just to make the picture almost perfect.

My mate had his eye on a spot when walked round the lake during the morning shoot and got stuck into a fish after about half an hour or so. Job done.

With about an hour and half left on the clock I had to quickly work out a another likely spot and do the same.

Things weren't shaping up too well when I lost one of my 2 flies in one of those fly grabbing trees.

I tied on what I thought was the worst of the 2 flies and had another go.

Within 15 minutes or so I was into a rainbow, which I have to say I was relieved to feel on the end of my line.

 

Apparently we were a relatively talented bunch, in that 3 out of the 4 had all shot/flyfished/flytied before, all 3 of us achieved our McDougal's.

That is a high precentage, and looking though the log afterwards it seems that we were in fact amongst the talented/lucky (delete as appropriate )

 

At this point you fish and the fly you caught it on are taken away from you and up to the fishing hut.

Later the successful new members of the McDougal clan have their fly presented back to them mounted in a glass paperweight, along with a glass trophy and a bottle of champagne.

Any fish that are kept are cleaned and handed back to you in a polystyrene box, along with oven ready pheasant from a previous shoot.

All very nice touches and in keeping with such an extremely professional and very well organised day.

 

I had no real concept of how this was going to go other than re-reading the magazine articles and the blurb on the web, but I have to say it rates as one of the most enjoyable sporting days out I had ever had - highly recommended

 

Not many good photos I am afraid.

 

At good retreive from the lake:

 

 

View across the lake in the late afternoon sun:

 

 

The spoils:

 

 

There is more info here:

 

http://www.ashbournecountry.com/index.swf

 

(right click and uncheck 'loop' if it scrolls)

 

Or ask me if I have missed something or you would like to know more about it

[new to the flock]

Very Very Well Done Mate.

 

It sounds that you had a wonderful day, and I bet it will be one remembered for many evenings to come.

 

Its funny as I was thinking yesterday about the original thread while out checking traps.

 

NTTF

[Cranfield]

At good retreive from the lake:

 

 

 

Very well done and a good story.

 

Regarding the picture above, I thought you had to catch the trout with a rod and fly, not a dog.

[Dunkield]

I forgot to say that Douglas is one of the most professional hosts, and absolute natural, when we made that comment and all the other 'can we shoot the trout' type remarks he acted as if he had never heard them before, when in reality he must hear them several times a week

[Whitebridges]

Thanks Stuart, a very enjoyable read. I read the article in ST the week it was published and the McDougall captured my imagination.

I'm at great fan of the PTN. I use it a lot on rivers and tie it Sawyer style, i.e. with no thread just copper wire and the longest cock feathers i can find.

 

PS. Did you retrieve any lead shot to weight the nymph!

[Mungler]

Sounds fantastic.

 

Great write up and piccies.

[Dunkield]

We tied it unweighted WB apart from a bit of copper ribbing.

I made sure I had a bit too much ribbing and wound the remainder up under the thorax just in case they were down a bit

I have tied the threadless version and as you say it is still very effective.

I had sinking leaders in my bag just in case, but to be honest they were taking just below the surface anyways so didn't need any of that.

The trout we caught we all about the pond mark but fully finned and in shallow clear water they certainly took off.

All the while you are thinking "I haven't lost a fish in ages what's the betting . . . ."

 

I tied a cople a few weeks ago just to remind myself what to do, I haven't tied any flies for yonks.

One of the other McDouglers is a Flydressers Guild member so he did a bit of a 'how to' for us, normally Douglas does that so he glad to not have to do much for us other than keep the food and drink coming

[Ferret Master]

Well done!

 

FM