I Shoot and Fish E-zine Mobile 2013

MOST READ ONLINE SHOOTING AND FISHING MAGAZINE

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

A collection of stories from around the web

Courtesy of Siobhan English www.siobhanenglishphotography.com www.siobhanenglish.ie http://www.facebook.com/siobhan.english2

First Gun Page 8

Deer Stalking Page 28

Wanted—Female Sea Anglers Page 19 Catch ‘The Big One’ At Hooked Live Page 20

Team Wild TV Page 24 Loungueville Estate Mallow Review Page 10

A Few End Of Year Thoughts On Gear Page 31

10 Year Old Winner At Courtown Page 33

Country Pursuits TV Page 37

Young Farmer Held For Self Defence Page 45 Canada Geese Page 14

Hywel Morgan Page 46 December Fishing Didn’t Disappoint Page 53

Davie Mc Phail Page 55

IDS Fawn Tagging Page 21 I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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No Salmon Farms Page 34 The Spring Olive Page 41

Carol And Alex Fishing Page 57

Fields Sports Channel TV Page 58

Shooting In The Field Page 63

Airgun TV Page 68 When 4 Daggas Go Head to Head Page 48

Female Fish Love Gay Fish Page 75

Bubye River Leopard Page 76

West Of Ireland Spaniel Club Page 79

Catch of The Week Page 81

Hunter Vermin Page 83

Fly Fishing Jazz Page 85

The Shooting Show Page 88 Mike Yardley Talks to Baron Erik Von Eckhardt Page 72

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I Shoot and Fish is a digital magazine from I Shoot and Fish.ie. All rights reserved. I Shoot and Fish its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for injuries or damages that may result from information, or interpretation of such, in articles or advertisements herein. Articles and advertisements may not specifically include all relevant and established safe practices, which always should be followed. Consult a particular gun’s owner’s manual or a qualified gunsmith before shooting any gun or ammunition.

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Editors Notes Christmas has come and gone. What did the man with the big red hat bring you? For me Christmas was filled with family time food/drink and sickness. I spent the two weeks of holidays travelling from Clifden to Cork and to Donegal but sure we wouldn’t have it any other way. The problem with all this travelling is it leaves very little time for hunting.

This hunting season so far hasn’t been good in fact it’s been downright awful. The release of birds by our club seems to have done nothing only feed our local vermin which I suppose is really all our own fault as we don’t take enough time to control their numbers. One suggestion to help promote the control of vermin is to offer a reward. Not a bad idea and would probably work out cheaper than buying the birds to feed them!

January is a boring month. The weather the post Christmas depression the fact I still haven’t win the lotto all leads to wishing the month away. On a more positive note February is looking up the first of the indoor Angling Shows is on 2nd or 3rd of February. Catch "The Big One" at Hooked Live! in Citywest Dublin. There's a whole wide range of prizes on offer to the lucky winner who bags the biggest fish at our fully stocked lake.

To help you along at Hooked live! There is a range of world class line-up of angling celebrities and world class demonstrations. This is my first year having a stand at the show and am really looking forward to it come and say hello if you are there.

Read more about the show on page 20.

On the 16th and 17th February Ireland Angling Show returns to Swords, Co. Dublin.

New to the show for 2013 special guest and sea angling expert Mike Thrussell, no stranger to Irish waters, Mike will be sharing his knowledge and skill with demos and workshops. Bob Nudd MBE , another regular visitor to Irish waters , will be part of the show team for 2013. Bob is well known as being one of the UK’s greatest anglers , with an extensive list of championship titles behind him .Bob is a familiar face on TV, with years of presenting on Discovery Shed .

Henry Gilbey is a fishing photographer, writer, TV presenter and consultant, but at heart he’s nothing more than an out and out fishing junkie with a very serious obsession with saltwater fishing in Ireland. Henry writes and photographs for fishing magazine all around the world, has presented four fishing TV series for the Discovery network and has just seen the launch of his third fishing book.

Returning for a third year will be the ever popular Hywel Morgan and his talented daughters Yasmin and Tanya. Hywel is a world fly casting champion and has fished competitively around the world winning numerous titles. Hywel also has an impressive background in TV fishing show.

Professional guide- fly casting instructor and angling writer Paddy Mc Donnell will be giving some talks at the show on Fly Fishing for Salmon. The Mystique that is sometimes associated with fly fishing for salmon can be daunting, especially for beginners, so this format will cater for anglers of all levels of experience.

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Our First Gun By Anthony Baggott

We all remember our first gun, mostly with affection. The first shot I fired was out of Daddy's Lancaster sidelock, a fine London gun, a hammer gun with Damascus twist barrels. I had better not share with you my tender age, but it was less than legal. I'm fairly ok to say this; the statute of limitations is long past, I'm a bit sad to say. It was a beautiful gun, but I found it a bit unbalanced for me, the drop at comb was very substantial and I always felt the gun was pointing low. I never shot a lot with it; I remember a pigeon and a snipe plus a couple of rabbits, sneaking it away from where it hung from the wooden ceiling on leather straps. It's still in the family today, a relic of a different age.

But my first serious relationship with a gun came fortuitously, when a neighbour left his old single-barrel in for my brother, who was a fitter, to repair the firing pin. He then forgot about it for a year, and to be perfectly honest, we didn’t try too hard to remind him. In one of those strange twists of fate, many, many years later, his grandson became a firm friend and shooting and fishing partner of mine and features in many of my adventures. Over the years I have taught many a young lad to shoot and fish, and like a lot of them he didn’t take much teaching. Take a bow, Raymond.

So I had access to this old pot stick ,after it was repaired ,for a season. It was probably a Harrington and Richards or some such beast, and I seem to remember it was a 32 inch barrel and viciously choked .I don’t honestly remember hitting anything with it, I do remember knocking a few tin cans and more importantly shooting at a flat sheet of timber ,at various distances ,something that informed my style of shooting for the rest of my life. I learned the patterns that shells threw at various sizes and loads and came to make a personal decision regarding what was best for me .this roughly could be summed up as 7 s and 8 s for snipe and woodcock, with 28 gms of shot, plus 7s and 6 s loaded with 32 gms for all else, bar ground game.

Combine this with my style of shooting, fast close and instinctive, not going over 30 yards except on the very rare occasion at flying game. This is not any particular bias ,I know guys who bring down game at distances I marvel at :Sadly I cant do this .the one exception to my preference above are 5s for duck, as most guys know they are tough to kill cleanly with lighter loads. As I write this I am smiling and have a tear in my eye as I can remember Dads advice, point the gun at the target and don’t worry too much about what shell you have .Hunters of that era didn’t have the choice that we have.

On my 16th birthday I walked I marched into a local gun dealer and walked out with a Stevens savage single barrel. It had a chunky hand guard, which fell off after every shot, a stiff hammer and a vicious ejector. I soon got into the habit of angling my head away as I broke the gun, because the ejecting shell would take the head off you. It was this gun that brought down my first cock pheasant, which rose crowing through a roadside copse of trees.

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I can clearly remember the race to get to him before the mad half bred Tory, and how proud I was, as I put him carefully in my game bag, leaving the tail sticking out to tell the world I was a serious hunter. As I write this I realise that wearing a game bag is not done much now, probably because guys hunt now close to their vehicles.

In my young day we left the house with a game bag thrown over the shoulder, a sandwich nestling in its feathery interior, and walked many, many miles, following the dog rather than a route, before returning home hopefully with something in that game bag for the dinner.

I shot with this gun for a couple of years, it had a 3 inch chamber and I remember using 3 inch magnums fox shooting. Most of the foxes I shot were 20 yards away with these shells so I was really only making it hard on my self….!

Then I sold on this gun and purchased a Baikal under /over, a 686 double trigger.

However I phrase what I am going to say it will sound bigheaded, but anyway….I shot really well with this gun, frighteningly so. It was heavy, somewhat longer than I was used to but it seemed to become an extension of me. I never consciously aimed with it, threw it up and pulled and my kill ratio was good, so good a miss required a tribunal of enquiry. It broke all my rules ,it was heavily choked ,long heavy to handle but ….over a period of 12 years or so I shot a huge amount of shells through it, at both game and clays and it performed heroically.

As I said this weapon became a part of me, and I shot well with it .Confidence is a major part of success and I fully expected to bring down whatever I fired, within reason. I shot nearly every thing possible, including left and rights at pheasants duck and snipe. I didn’t manage a left and right at woodcock, even though I had a few half chances. It took me a couple of years and a few guns in between before I managed that.

Finally I decided that it was time to trade the Baikal, my first serious gun, it had done some work, and I took it for one last walk. I still have the photograph; it lies on a wall with six snipe laid along its barrel, and a pigeon that happened to flush. I took it with a heavy heart, to the gun dealer, and lay on the counter. I have a feeling that someone, somewhere is using with pleasure, that fine gun, still.

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Loungueville Estate in Mallow, Co. Cork.

by Brian Mc Mahon Whilst October saw me in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, November meant a most enjoyable day trip to the rebel County and the Loungueville Estate in Mallow, Co. Cork.

Longueville House Hotel is well known for its amazing cuisine and olde world charm and the mansion is set in a 500 acre working farm just minutes drive from Mallow town centre. There is a long tradition of driven shooting on the estate with a local syndicate having held the lease until 2011. This season saw a change of personnel in the guise of the aptly named Ian Fish. Ian together with underkeepers Tim Davies and John Butler have taken over the management of the shooting on the estate and hope to establish one of the premier Pheasant shoots in the south west. As this is their first season, much of the work undertaken has been in improving the infrastructure of the estate with particular emphasis on rearing pens, vermin control and establishing a breeding and release program.

The estate has a variety of lands types ranging from large tillage fields to areas of woodland, low lying rushy ground and has substantial orchards that provides the raw material for the wonderful Longueville Cider. My visit marked the first commercial day for the new managing team and I joined 4 other experienced guns from Cork & Kerry for a test run on the canny Cork birds. Meeting in the courtyard I was introduced to the other guns and beaters and the atmosphere was both welcoming and light hearted. My fellow guns usually take several days driven shooting each year in various locations around the country and with a big day planned for the following month they were anxious to get in a bit of practice. Brandy and port got the blood warmed up nicely and we were given the plan of action for our day. The day consisted of 3 morning drives, a break for lunch and 2 further afternoon drives with a walk through the rushy ground to finish off the day. As the planned bag was a modest one Ian ensured that quality not quantity was the order of the day and our shooting skills were to be tested in full The guns were placed along a narrow lane with trees on either side and the birds were presented as snap shots as they hurtled

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overhead. Anyone who has shot woodcock in close cover will know how difficult this can be and judging by the rapid rate at which our cartridge bags emptied and the slow rate the pheasant cart filled a lot more practice is required!

All of the guns were most impressed at the terrific condition the birds were in. The unbelievably wet Autumn and Winter has taken its toll on reared birds throughout the country and obviously Ian and his team are doing something right in order to be able to produce such wonderful pheasants. All of the guns saw plenty action along the line and the very professional beaters and dogs worked faultlessly showing great control and producing some fine fetches on the odd runner when required.

Lunch was served in the courtyard buildings at the rear of the main house and comprised a wonderful selection of cold meat platters with piping hot soup. A bottle of the famous Longueville cider washed it down and prepared the troops for the afternoon’s entertainment.

The afternoon drives showed the diversity that the estate can offer and both were on more traditional tillage fields with the birds driven towards the guns from woodland on the edges of the estate. As a finale we were taken to a low lying area at the rear boundary of the property that often produces a good number of snipe and woodcock. On the day the snipe were in short supply and only a single woodcock was put up that made a hasty getaway. The area did however show a good number of pheasants and I closed my account for the day with a nicely taken cock and hen. As it was still pretty early in November the lack of woodcock was not surprising but no doubt that later in the year when the migration is well under way a lot more of those fantastic birds would be seen.

Longueville is a great destination for anyone seeking a great days sport at reasonable cost and is well worth a visit. As well as formal driven days more informal walked up shooting is available where the bag can be tailored to the individual guns requirements (and budget). A walked up day at the end of the season is a great way to round off any game shooters year.

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It is also worth noting that the shoot offers simulated game days in the off season which can be a super way to extend the shooting year. As the name implies the idea is to present clay targets to the gun is as realistic a way as possible to live birds. The guns are positioned at the same pegs as on a driven day and the clays come at you unannounced and at various heights, angles and directions.

Compared to more traditional down the line of sporting clays it’s a far more exciting sport and any day that you can spend with gun in hand in the open air must be considered a good one.

For those with an interest in fishing Longueville House has over 1 ½ miles of fishing on the River Blackwater adjoining the estate. Both brown trout and salmon permits are available and discount is given to guests staying at the house. Novices can avail of a full Ghillie service including tuition at reasonable costs. The Hotel also offers accommodation packages for those shooting so guns can take along their better half if they wish and score a few brownie points whilst getting a bit of sport in!

For further details on shooting and fishing at Longueville contact Ian Fish on 087 6443666 or Tim Davies on 087 3571023 or email: info@12bore.ie.

Longueville House Hotel can be contacted on 022 47156

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CANADA GEESE BY IANB It was about 1730 when I got back from work on Tuesday. I didn’t bother getting changed, just slipped a coat on, shoved some cartridges in my pocket and took the O/U and Ros out to have a look and listen at what was about as daylight ended.

It’s a good time to be out and about, only beaten by it’s opposite where you can’t fail but to achieve that feel good sensation being secreted in a hidey-hole or up against a heavy hedge with your dog or gun (or both) as the sun rises and the natural world comes to life.

Now I wasn’t particularly looking to shoot anything. It’s just that whenever you go out without the gun the opportunity always presents itself for a shot or two.

The same with the dog, no dog at heel The Track always means you will come across a good potential slip on a fox or Roe. I really only wanted to go and sit up somewhere and listen to the cock pheasants going to roost as with all the noise they make it is a good time to make mental notes on where they are roosting.

We made our way around some fields noting runs in the grass, holes in hedges and the ever-increasing number of Roe prints in the soft soil. There’s a strip of field beans that we have left at the far side of a field adjacent to the farm for the pheasants and it was here that I noticed a single Roe Doe standing in the middle. We were right on top of her before she made a break for the adjacent wood and in a flash she had disappeared. Ros stood no chance, as the deer never even broke the cover.

Beans to the right wooded ‘belt’ to the left and woodland ahead. Not much room for a run on deer, that’s if you can spot them in the beans.

We continued around this wood to the other side where Christmas trees are planted and where we also have one of the release pens. There are always rabbits here but I have yet to take one with a dog, you can only really shoot them, as a single hop will take them into cover at nearly any point.

As we turned in towards the Christmas trees I saw a single rabbit sitting with its back to us. With the wind in my face in was an easy shot with the quarter-choked barrel. I left it to Ros as I carried on round just in case another was still about in the clearing in front of the pen but there wasn’t. With the shot rabbit returned to me and placed in the netting of my game bag, we continued the outing, retracing our steps back towards the beans. Now why would I want to go back to the beans?

http://www.thehuntinglife.com

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Well, after firing off the barrel I heard a commotion in the wood, a commotion that could only be made by deer and I was right. On approaching the beans the Roe was spotted again, this time in the wooded belt running alongside the beans and next to an old Chapel. Now I could go on about how I allowed the dog a run that resulted in a fine specimen for the freezer but that’s not what happened, I just let it be for another time.

We continued on down to the lake. Here we have an old hollow tree uprooted and planted back in the ground upside down and with a bench next to it made from some of its old branches. Here Ros and I stopped to listen to the wildlife wind it in for the night.

We had not been there long when I heard the cries of geese coming in to overnight at the lake. In they came, about two dozen Canada geese, squawking as geese do and splashing down onto the lake. Now I like a bit of goose so decided to give them another opportunity of coming in at a better angle for a shot so but one across them to get them up. Once back on the wing they Landscape made a real wide circle going out of sight at one point but not out of earshot. Ten minutes later they were back but still along the wrong flight line so another shot put them on they’re way again. Another ten minutes passed, maybe a bit longer, I wasn’t clock watching. In they came again and at the right angle this time. I let off both barrels and dropped a goose into the lake.

http://www.thehuntinglife.com

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With hills sloping up on either side this 2-year-old man made lake makes an irresistible overnight spot for all wildfowl.

Whilst I had been waiting for my prime targets there had been a lot of duck flying in.

Dozens upon dozens had swept in and settled only to make a hasty exit at my efforts to move the geese on. I hung around a bit and was rewarded with 3 lovely ducks flying right across me. One barrel bought one down. It was now 1930 so I decided to give it a rest for the night. I could just make out the duck lying in the water so tried to get Ros in to retrieve. Now in the daylight she has no problems getting stuck in but tonight? No way José. Despite hurling numerous sticks near to the duck to tempt her, she was having none of it so plan two came into force…the boat.

It was dark, the boat was half full of water and I only had my mini mag light in my pocket. Remember, I had not come out with the intention of returning home with a goose and a duck. My leather boots soon soaked up the cold water as did my trousers as I turned the boat enough to let some of the chilly water escape from the plastic boat and down the front of my trousers. I started to row in to the lake in the direction of the last sighting of the duck, Ros following me lakeside. There is a fair old current in this lake as it is fed by a fast running stream and held back by an oak slated sluice. This meant that the duck had moved position considerably in the time it had taken me to fumble my way onto the lakes surface.

In confined spaces a mini mag light gives a good tight beam but, hanging from your mouth as you try to illuminate the surface as you row…well, it’s useless. If anyone had seen me I would never have been able to live it down, but it was all that I had and after getting so wet I certainly wasn’t planning on going home to get my lamp and returning.

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Eventually I managed to make out the silhouette of the Mallard and made a good clean pick up from the seriously listing boat which obviously wasn’t built with a 17 stone bloke leaning out of it in mind. I continued to row around the lake for the Goose but retrieved no body from the water. All I could think of was that although it had been hit well, it had survived the fall and had managed to make it onto one of the two small islands that were left when the lake was dug to provide safe nesting. There was no way I was going to risk transferring myself from boat to island that evening, not by myself, I’d had enough. I squelched my way back home, hung the duck up in the game room and persuaded my father to go down in the morning to pick the goose up.

Remains of Goose The following morning I was up early and off to work in deepest darkest Essex. No phone call came to confirm retrieval of the goose. I got home and questioned Adam, the farm ‘boy’ about it. They had gone down to look for it, had even traversed the lake to the islands but found no goose. Feathers where seen at the side of the lake but that was all. Must have been a fox. It would have been a job for it as the silt is quite deep quite quickly at the waters edge but what else could it had been?

That weekend I found my goose. It was about 200 yards away from the lake in the next field. There wasn’t much left of it, just the wings and the breastbone.

A 12-13 lb bird dragged from the silty side of a lake, through a hedge and 200 yards up a field, then eaten. The work of a good strong fox.

The Friday morning of the same week I had a phone call from my father. 100 + Canada geese were sitting on another lake near to us which we have the key to. The deal is, we swipe the undergrowth on a regular basis in return for some shooting. I phoned my mate Norman and arranged to meet him at mine for 1700 to set up an ambush on the geese.

It was about 1730 by the time we finished chatting and drinking coffee. Adam joined us in the newly shod Daihatsu as we made our way down to the lake behind my father in the landrover. The plan worked like a dream We crept around to the back of the lake but outside of the perimeter fence. Dad sneaked in through the gate and with Ninja like stealth made his way through the fauna to the lakeside. Radios allowed us to confirm we were all in position before Dad let a shot off across the geese. Up they got, some going back over my father but most coming straight over us. My weapon of choice for this ambush was my Berretta 301 semi auto with the full choke dropped in and loaded with 32 gram 4,s. I find anything smaller just tickles these thick-feathered birds. The other 2 were using game guns with quarter and half chokes along with 32 gram 6’s, this was there downfall.

http://www.thehuntinglife.com

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As the geese flew over I picked one out of the 50 odd and dropped it with the first shot. I quickly got onto another straggler and dropped that also, both dropped straight down into the field a few yards away from me. The other 2, in awe at the numbers flying above them seemed to have problems concentrating on just the single bird and missed everything.

We picked up the geese and made our way to the other lake that I was at a few nights before. Duck was in abundance as we arrived so we quickly got into our pre arranged positions. As the darkness fell we managed 4 ducks between us before we decided it was just too dark to see them coming in. We used Norman’s lamp to spot the duck that landed in the lake and I made my way in the boat to retrieve them with a little more success than I had on my own the time before.

We got them back to the game shed.

One Goose weighed in at just a touch under 13 IIb and the other just over 12.

The evenings bag the following day.

Thank god for the plucking machine in the corner!

Just to show that it doesn’t always go to plan, the following Friday we done the same thing. The 50 odd geese were wary from the start. We got into the End of Day Bag. same positions and dad done the same thing within the lakes boundaries. Most of the Geese got up before a shot was taken…and flew in the opposite direction from where we were standing. The others were seriously spooked and after dad took a shot, also went in the opposite direction to our positions. They soon learn.

We did end up with one eventually. We drove around the other lake with the lamp out the window and Tubbs running alongside just in case a rabbit became available.

There were plenty about but it was too still and too light for him to have any chance.

We stopped, as we were about to leave at the other end of the field just to see what duck were coming in. Within minutes the tell tale sound of geese came into earshot and they flew right over us. We all missed!

A minute later a straggler flew over and Phil, who had joined us for the night in place of Adam, dropped it with his fully choked barrel and a 36 gram 6.

It was his first Goose. He was happy…his girlfriend wasn’t, she thought it was cruel…bet she eats some though!

Written By I.Sellick

http://www.thehuntinglife.com

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WANTED - FEMALE SEA-ANGLERS OF CONNACHT It is high time there was more provision and resources for women sea anglers, and the Connaught Council of the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers is stepping up to the mark. Its hope is to encourage female Connacht sea-anglers to compete for their province at the All-Ireland Ladies Inter-provincial Shore Angling Championships by providing support and guidance for female sea-anglers in the west.

As captain for the Ladies Connacht Shore-Angling Team, Fiona McDonagh would love the opportunity to bring a full team to the All-Ireland. It does not matter what stage you are at or how experienced you are, it is just about being part of the team and competing. Five women are needed to represent the province at the shore interprovincial in February; they will compete against the other three provinces. The top province at the end of the competition wins the gold medal. Also the individual women’s scores are tabled; those with the top five scores will make the Irish team.

The Irish team will be the first Irish Ladies International Team, they will then go to Wales in 2014 to take on Wales and Scotland.

Connaught Council team manager Brian Reidy explained: “If you are not already part of a club, the first step is to become a member of a Connaught Club. This will offer you an opportunity to meet other people in your area who are regularly fishing.

These clubs are social, fun, and provide great support for novice anglers. Once you are part of a club and are interested in becoming part of the Connacht team we can offer coaching/ tackle in preparation for interprovincial competitions. The top five ladies of the province go through.

Then all you have to do is turn up with your rod and reel and be ready for a bit of fun.”

IRELAND’S LEADING PROCESSORS OF ALL SPECIES OF WILD GAME FOR MORE THAN 20 YRS. We are currently buying all species of “in season” Wild Game from responsible licensed hunters.

Products can be delivered to our premises 7 days per week or collection can be arranged from suitably equipped premises of individuals or clubs.

Ph. 040446773, 040446969, 0862711920

If you are interested in representing Connaught from the shore, or interested in sea-angling as a hobby sport email connpc@eircom.net

We do not encourage or condone in any way, abuse or illegal activities of any sort in relation to hunting of wild game. www.wildirishgame.ie, email wigltd@eircom.net

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Catch ‘The Big One’ at Hooked Live at Citywest this February 2nd & 3rd Hooked Live! returns to Citywest, Dublin for its fourth successful year on 2 nd and 3rd of February with an impressive line up of TV celebrities, angling talent, demonstrations, tackle stands and exhibitors. Never before has there been such a wealth of International and home grown angling talent at an angling show in Ireland.

Experts at the show include Paul Young from the TV show ‘Hooked on Fishing’, as well as internationally renowned Spey casters Ian Gordon and Mick McDaid who return compliments of Hardy & Greys and Guideline respectively.

On the domestic front there are too many to mention here, but some highlights include Campbell Baird, Jim Hendrick, Andrew Ryan, Gary Bell, Peter O’Reilly, Bodo Funck, Tom “Doc” Sullivan and Stevie Munn. Our panel of experts for Hooked Live! will give demonstrations in fly casting, fly tying, bass fishing, pike angling, competition angling and much more.

Unique to the event are the two lakes adjacent to the exhibition venue at the wonderful Citywest, making Hooked Live! the foremost destination for an angling show in Ireland. Each visitor to the show is in with a chance to win a Bass Baby boat and electric engine from Sheelin Boats or they may want to enter the raffle to win a Kingfisher 19 from McA Boats.

There will be lots to do at Hooked Live! this year, visitors can browse the stands featuring tackle, boats and venues, or they can relax and enjoy one of the many informative seminars where our experts will help you hone your skills, put you on the hot spot and ensure you catch more fish.

If you have never fished or caught a fish before there is always a first time, learntofish.ie will be on hand to get you started and catch you your first fish on one of our fully stocked lakes. Even better, whoever catches the biggest fish on each of the four courses will win a goodie bag compliments of Emerger Tackle.

Amongst our many and varied exhibits, The Sporting Gun element of the event will cater for the shooting enthusiast.

Last but not least we have “The Big One” lake fishing challenge. We have stocked the lakes for the past four years and now have numbers of fish averaging 3lbs with bigger fish to be caught. The angler who catches the biggest fish on each day will win a valuable prize hamper packed with goodies from top brands like Hardy & Greys. See our website for full competition details.

Admission to the show is €10 for adults and €5 for children under 12 and OAP’s.

Children under 5 free of charge. Parking at the venue is free.

Tickets, opening times, exhibitors and a full programme of activity are available online at www.hooked.ie.

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IDS - FAWN TAGGING

Irish Deer Society members made their annual pilgrimage to the Phoenix Park, Dublin, for the tagging of the fallow fawns on Saturday 23rd June 2012, Once again we were all greeted by the familiar faces of Terry Moore, the park’s deer keeper and Billy Clarke, UCD laboratory technician and also the UCD’s Mammal Research Group

Bill Kirwan, Isabel Kirwan and Terry Moore

We were to see first-hand the cruel side of nature, how inclement weather throughout the month of June had taken its toll on the newly born fawns. Neo-Natal mortality has been quite high this year, with loses of up to 20%. Newly born fawns are susceptible to pneumonia and death due to wet and damp conditions, 2012 witnessed one of the highest losses in the 20 years, since the mammal research group started monitoring the herd.

http://www.irishdeersociety.ie/

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Ready to be released

We did however go on to discover a number of fawns much to the delight of our youngest participant, Isabel Kirwan. Isabel who is only 2⅟2 years old made sure that mum and dad did not forget what day it was “baby reindeer day”. What a thrill it was when Terry Moore announce that he was naming the first fawn located “Isabel”. For sure this is one deer that is likely to receive special treats on Sundays, Bank holidays and school holidays. No doubt her progress will be monitored by the Kirwan family.

Bill, Isabel and Sandra Kirwan enjoy the day

http://www.irishdeersociety.ie/

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The mammal research team have tagged a total of 86 newly born fawns so far and will continue to search and tag fawn up until the end of June.

A section of UCD’S mammal research group

A point worth making is that the poor weather will also have taken its toll on our free ranging herds and this will affect the fecundity rate and should be considered when setting out a cull plan.

Another point that is equally worthwhile stressing and that is, far too often the recruitment rate of a population is set, in so many minds as 30%, this figure is to be considered the extreme high end of the scale. So many factors influence this such as, male/ female ratio, Neo-Natal mortality ,fecundity rate of 90% of the female breeding population, poaching and predation, not to mention immigration and emigration Recruitment rate can be anywhere between 15-30%.

Once again we offer our sincere gratitude to the staff of the OPW and UCD’s Mammal Research Group for their kind invitation to participate in the event.

J.M http://www.irishdeersociety.ie/ http://thejodea.com/ I Shoot and Fish E-Zine

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TEAM WILD'S TOP 5 HUNTS OF 2012

Now we've had a busy year here at Team Wild, bringing you the best hunting, airgun, bowhunting and gear videos from across the globe. So while all of our hunts have been pretty cool, some have been simply spectacular. So sit back and relax as we count down our Top 5 hunts of 2012.

http://youtu.be/TGqpE-iUc-U

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TEAM WILD'S XMAS SPECIAL: TWO BUFFALO, ONE DAY - PART 1 Team Wild's Ian Harford heads Deep into the Mozambique bush on the trail of not one, but two cape buffalo - a gift from Mahimba for the local village's centenary celebrations. Now hunting just one buffalo in a single day is an incredible feat - but to harvest two of these magnificent animals is the stuff of dreams. Are the boys up to the task?

http://youtu.be/rRzWno2WbuM

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TEAM WILD'S XMAS SPECIAL: TWO BUFFALO, ONE DAY - PART 2 Yesterday we saw Team Wild's Ian Harford heads Deep into the Mozambique bush on the trail of not one, but two cape buffalo - a gift from Mahimba for the local village's centenary celebrations. After a tense first hunt we have a beautiful old buffalo cow down, but we've still got one to go. With time and daylight running out, will we meet the challenge and get a second buffalo?

http://youtu.be/ziD4gOD56Kk

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TEAM WILD'S TOP 5 RIFLES OF 2012 We've had a busy year here at Team Wild, bringing you the best hunting, airgun, bowhunting and gear videos from across the globe. Now we've had plenty of cool rifles to play with this year, but some have really stood out, delivering outstanding performance exactly when I needed it. So sit back and relax as we count down our Top 5 rifles of 2012.

http://youtu.be/3_WGaAvMku4

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Deer Stalking by anthony curran Never been deer stalking but was always interested in doing it. Face book is a wonderful resource for things thing this. I am a member of group Stalcaireacht na h'Eireann run by Gráinne and Laurence Somers. It’s a great group that promote honest deer stalkers. I asked if any member of the group would be willing to take me and a friend deer stalking. In fairness we got loads of offers some a little too far away but then an offer from Gary Haran came in and he was based in Whitegate not to far from where I live. The excitement built as we tried to arrange a day suitable for both of us.

6.30am came quickly. I drove to Tulla to pick up my friend Eoin Coote and started towards Whitegate. It was a warm morning still dark but thankfully no rain. Along the roads we met a few ‘Charlies’ wondering the fields. Never seem to see them when I have a gun!

The meeting place was the church in the village we got there around 7.15am. Next thing a van pulled up thinking it was the Gardai wondering why two men one were sitting in a car dressed in campo gear at 7 in the morning I hopped out. Nope not the Gardai must be Gary.-Nope.

Hi I am Vincent he said.

Hi-why you here?

Oh Gary didn’t say Nope.

Gary’s running late as usual he said. I’ll be coming with you for the day as well.

Vincent after being battered around in the back of the van.

Not long after another van pulls up this time it was Gary and we all jump in his van and hit the road. Poor Vincent being the nice guy he is sat in the back on his own being battered around the place as we travelled the back roads around White gate.

We pulled up to our first stop as dawn was just rising over the hills. The two boys quickly got set Gary’s Rifle up and off we go. Scanning the hill side and forest edges with their scope nothing is seen. As we make our way across the country side and through a damp forest trying to keep up is starting to be a problem.

Gary seems to dance through the forest like a ballerina. As Eoin and I catch up we see Gary with the rifle on the sticks , we sit back waiting to see what will happen next, he gives a few calls waits and.....................nothing. He had seen two deer but as soon as he seen them they took off running and didn’t look back.

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In the first fields looking through the scopes for any signs of deer.

Off we go to the van again and we agree that four people in a group is to many so Vincent and Eoin stop at one place and Gary and I move on to another. There is always a few down here Gary assures me as his white van pulls into a county road with a river and wooden bridge. It looks like there is two ways to cross, over the bridge like most normal people and through the river like.........well....Gary. After all the rain the river looks to be in flood and Gary doesn’t seem to blink an eye as we cross it and I just thinking to myself I hope the van doesn’t break down as I don’t fancy getting wet.

Gary’s van boat!

In fairness it wasn’t a bother to the van and as we reach the other side I ask Gary why he didn’t take the bridge.

Gary calling after two deer.

Oh where a river lets cross it in the van instead of the bridge next to it.

Ah the bridge is made of wood and I wouldn’t chance bringing the van across. In my head I am saying but you would chance crossing a flooded river? But I’ll say nothing.

When we reach the edge of the forest again Gary takes off across the fields. Down wee roads across flooded fields/rivers/ditches and still we see nothing plenty of signs of deer but no deer.

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Vincent and Gary with Gary’s gold medical winner

Well it’s better looking than my real face!

Then I tell Gary the awful truth. A shocking reality that I have come to terms with many years ago. I have no luck shooting or fishing. I mean I am probably the most unlucky person I know. He laughs it off but I know I know we will not see anything today.

We stopped for breakfast in the local pub and a fine breakfast it was which Gary paid for. Fuelled up we move onto a few more places but alas the luck remained unchanged. As the rain came down and 1pm approached I had to hit the road. As I thanked Gary and Vincent for the day and their hospitability I jokingly said they will probably just one this afternoon when I am gone.

I got a text at 5 o’clock they shot a lovely buck an hour after I left.

Vincent Kelly, Gary Haran & Eoin Coote I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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A Few End-of-Year Thoughts on Gear

by Robert Morselli photos by Robert Morselli Who doesn’t appreciate quality fishing gear? (I thought so….) Quality gear is often— and wrongly—associated with a fat budget, but that’s just plain wrong. Here’s proof.

2012 has been a banner year for new fly fishing products, but I thought that more than a few products were over-hyped, and many others simply got buried in the media storm. The following items are a few gems that went somewhat unnoticed or just weren’t trumpeted loudly upon release. These items will build a strong and dedicated following in due time.

I have little love for the trend in reel design this year, and even feel that one major manufacturer has lost its way. That said, there’s one new product that’s a standout: Abel’s 4/5/6 Classic. Anyone familiar with Abel’s spey reels will note that the Classic is a scaled down version of that product. Abel literature puts it best: “classic looks, with a state-of-the art build and materials.” The smartly designed and externally adjustable, 8-setting pawl/ overrun system will make any dedicated fresh water junkie take note: finally, a reel manufacturer with the fortitude to design, build and market a double pawl reel that you can confidently stalk large fish with. Comes in ported or solid configurations, depending on just how classic a look you’re aiming for. As with all Abel products, the 4/5/6 features flawless machining and a second-to-none anodization process. Requires minimal, DIY maintenance, and begs to be paired with a classic fly rod. Such as….

RL Winston’s GVX Select, which turned out to be a big surprise, mainly because a competing brand garnered nearly all of the headlines over the past year, so the GVX seemed to have slipped under the radar.

If you get a chance, I urge you to give this rod a try.

To my mind, no other graphite rod in the recent past has provided this much character for its (mid) price range: top-tier hardware, pleasingly smooth, powerful and a classic feel. So relax that cast, count a little slower on those longer ones, and the GVX’s attributes will come shining through. Graphite has been a victim of over-engineering in the last few years: many fly rods just feel and act the same, so it’s great to find the odd rod that is well-engineered yet harkens back to an earlier, softer action. Final note: the GVX Select is deadly accurate.

http://midcurrent.com

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Enrico Puglisi flies. I did a double-take the first time I saw a group of EP freshwater flies lined up in a shop display. A typical product description goes like this, “Everglades SP sports natural looking colours, a healthy profile, monofilament weed guard and realistic eyes all tied together on a sharp Gamakatsu hook,” but there’s far more to these flies than that. Innovative designs, and top-tier materials and craftsmanship are what these little gems are all about. Many of the designs are strikingly minimalist and imitate the various shrimp, crabs and baitfish that populate backcountry mangroves. I read several product reviews and there’s a clear consensus: EP flies are magnets for snook, redfish and tarpon. I purchased my first Puglisi flies only one year ago and I’ve learned that they’re among the most durable flies available. Sold separately or as target-specific selections.

If you’re budget is a little more modest, there’s still a way to give high quality gear.

Pick up a fresh batch of quality leaders as a stocking stuffer. RIO’s new SuppleFlex trout leaders are obsessively designed and calibrated to produce a perfectly balanced leader formula. The supple nature of the material allows for featherweight presentations and does not impede the natural movement of a fly in the current. No other leader like this currently exists on the market. In my mind it’s the ‘go to’ leader for dry fly/soft hackle experts.

Oh, and one last thing: a little on-the-water etiquette would be nice (total cost: $0).

It’s something we all read about from time to time, but practice too seldom. I’m no Mr. Perfect and have certainly been guilty of a few minor infractions over the past season. Whether you’re a newbie or a fishing pro, take a little time to learn or review the rules of being a considerate fellow angler. We all stand to benefit.

http://midcurrent.com

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DARRAGH’LL DO US NICELY! – SAYS 10 YEAR OLD WINNER IN COURTOWN Irish Daily Star Journalist and angling correspondent David Gray reports: The competition scene for shore anglers on the East coast came to a successful end with the final leg of the Leinster shore league last Sunday.

The competition was, in terms of weather and catch, one of the best in the league according to a number of competitors I spoke with.

“It wasn’t freezing cold, the sea had a nice ripple and bit of colour caused by an offshore breeze,” said Eamonn Bermingham. Better still, the fish were biting all day on the rising tide”, he added.

Fifty anglers including juniors and four ladies took part in the 5 hour match staged on Courtown North beach where they recorded 536 fish. The catch included flounders, sand dabs, some whiting and a lone lesser spotted dogfish.

SPOILS Karl Whelan, a member of Ballybrack SAC was winner on the day with 25 fish taken in Zone B. Greystones Ridge SAC member Greg Boyne took the spoils in Zone A with 22 fish.

The prize for the longest fish went to Joe Carley from Menapia SAC in Wexford for his 36 cm flounder while Kieran Rice from Balbriggan had the best round fish a whiting measuring 34 cms.

The junior section was hotly contested but Darragh Bermingham (10) South Shore SAC coasted home with his 8 fish bag.

His dad Eamonn was second in Zone A with 22 fish.

At the prize giving ceremony in the Orphan Girl Pub in Ballymoney the overall league results were also announced followA chip off the ould block! Darragh Bering a bit of arithmetic. mingham (10) junior winner at Courtown.

The Fogarty brothers, Noel and Tommy, both members of Raheny and District SAC took gold and bronze respectively with the silver going to Eoghan Duff, South Shore SAC The freezing weather earlier this week foiled my attempt to fish for rainbows at Carton House, in Co. Kildare. I was there for dinner and an overnight on Monday with Sylvia, my prize for second place in a media competition in September.

On Tuesday morning the countryside was white with frost and the rainbow lake completely frozen over. On the way home we noticed the canal near Maynooth was also icebound. Since then I’ve heard that a number of the bigger midland lakes and canals were also frozen over. As I write, the weather is improving and I hope to do a bit of piking this weekend.

Compliments of: David Gray, Irish Daily Star, Web: www.goingfishing.ie Email: davidgraypr@gmail.com

http://fishinginireland.info

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http://www.nosalmonfarmsatsea.com/how-you-can-help/petition/ I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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FARMED SALMON EXPOSED (PART 3)

Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry This film is divided into four chapters. Please visit our page to see the whole film! http://www.youtube.com/puresalmon/ http://www.farmedsalmonexposed.org/ http://www.puresalmon.org/

http://youtu.be/zheaUQqehnw

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FARMED SALMON EXPOSED (PART 4)

Farmed Salmon Exposed: The Global Reach of the Norwegian Salmon Farming Industry This film is divided into four chapters. Please visit our page to see the whole film! http://www.youtube.com/puresalmon/ http://www.farmedsalmonexposed.org/ http://www.puresalmon.org/

http://youtu.be/-IKf6QJtVdw

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AIR ARMS TX200HC REVIEW AND AIRGUN TIPS At last the long awaited TX200hc review. I am now officially an Air Arms fan boy! The TX just shoots as near to a PCP as you can get from an out of the box recoiling air rifle.

In fact I would go as far as to say that it shoots just like a tuned airgun straight from the box. Well done Air Arms this really is one of the best airguns I have ever owned

http://youtu.be/ef8719P_CJM

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NITESITE NITE SPOTTER, NS200/NS50 PATENT NEWS & RONNIE SUNSHINES FRANCHISE I met Gary from the Nitesite team at Ronnie Sunshines and he had the new NiteSite spotter with him. As you can imagine I was very exited to talk to him about it. Gary very kindly spent 20 mins going through the device and answering all my questions.

They have also just had the full patent approved by the Patent office so they are very happy about that.

Also with news to share was Dave Craze owner of Ronnie Sunshines. Dave is now offering you the chance to have your own Ronnie Sunshines franchise. This business is one of the best I have ever come across and is set to change the way outdoor pursuits stores operate.

http://youtu.be/4Z92fKZgIhc

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5 ITEMS FOR AN AIRGUN USER @ CHRISTMAS

Last year I did a video sharing with you a few of my favourite products that wont break the bank at Christmas so this year I thought I would do it again

http://youtu.be/F-FMygmaVdk

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THE SPRING OLIVE

by Lawerence Finnery With only weeks to go before the beginning of the 2013 season signs on the rivers and lakes are promising with fly life being very active.

Only a couple of weeks ago we were out fishing one of our lakes in Dromore county Down and to our surprise a hatch of small buzzers were seen on the surface of the lake resulting in the fish coming up to the surface to feed at this time of year? Incredible.

Our flies were immediately changed and size 12 buzzers were the order for the morning.

For three hours we had fantastic sport catching rainbows in the 8lb region before the hatch diminished, and between the four of us we had over 11 fish to the boats with an average size fish of 5lb resulting in a great day's craic One lucky angler David Williams had the surprise of the season when fishing a size 12 bloodworm pattern he managed to hook and land a 22lb pike before safely releasing it, but not before taking a photo of it as proof.

This photo can be seen on the Islanderry fishery web site. Together with photos of some great fish caught in the months on November and December.

Early spring fishing can be either a blessing or a nightmare especially on rivers, the Lagan can be one of the most pinikity rivers to fish at the beginning of the season, one day a good hatch of early spring olives the next day nothing.

One of my favourite spots is at Black skull where you can bet your bottom dollar that there will always be a good hatch of fly at the beginning of the season and a pattern I always use is the moose mane spring olive, not only a great looking pattern the materials used in it gives it that extra bit of floatation when cast into the water.

I have found over the years that a lightweight buzzer hook used for this pattern fantastic as the fly sits in the surface of the water with the hook just under the surface and it has never let me down yet and a few of my instructor colleagues agree that this method has worked for them as well not only on the rivers but also on the lakes and Loughs.

The hook I use is a barbless buzzer hook that I had manufactured and stock in my shop ,these and my barbless dry hooks as well as the barbless medium weight and heavy weight hooks been greeted with delight ,especially for those who are practising catch and release.

The construction of the pattern is fairly easy to dress.

www.finneysflies.com

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The tail and body of the fly is moose mane hair, you take three fibres of the brown moose and tie it in as a tail but make sure to put 2 turns behind the tail to make the tail kick up slightly. Then a strand of white and brown moose mane and wind these in to created a segmented body.

What I do then is to apply a thin coat of no1 clear varnish to the body just to protect it.

I usually tie up half a dozen and varnish the bodies and then finish them off later when the varnish has dried.

The wing is natural duck quill and a wee tip is to put a small dab on the tips of the wings to extend the life of the wing.

Finally the hackle three turns behind and 2 turns in front you do not want to over dress this fly.

This method of tying with buzzer hooks for dry fly fishing can also be applied to the Loughs when fishing lake olives Mayflies and also daddy long legs as virtually all my daddies are tied on buzzer hooks and none of my customers have complained yet.

The moose mane can also be used for tying fabulous buzzers and nymphs and for those who like to mess around with dyes try dyeing the moose different shades as the effect on the bodies can be outstanding.

For those who do not have moose mane it can be got from my web site natural or dyed golden olive.

The flies will also be available at the Swords show at my stand together with a load of new dyed materials.

Here is the dressing of the pattern.

HOOK- no 12 or 14 medium weight buzzer hook THREAD- Veevus claret 16/0 TAIL - three brown moose mane hairs BODY- brown and white moose mane wound in WIND- natural duck quill HACKLE- light brown cock hackle Any one wanting to get any information on any of my patterns are welcome to contact me.

www.finneysflies.com

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http://youtu.be/e6MOdUa17pU

Save Save Save Mortgage Protection-Life Cover– Serious Illness Cover Simply log onto www.lowcostlifecover.ie and get a quote today.

Curragrove Financial Services T/A Low Cost Life Cover is regulated by the Central Bank.

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www.finneysflies.com I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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YOUNG FARMER HELD FOR SELF-DEFENCE WHILE THIEF WALKS FREE BY JOE DIMBLEBY

A young farmer from North Yorkshire accused of attempted murder and held, with his mother, overnight in a police station after firing a shotgun in selfdefence at a scrap metal thief who was trying to run him over, spoke of his anger last week as the thief was handed a £100 fine by magistrates.

Bill Edwards, aged 21, and his mother, Louisa Smith, caught David Taylor in the act of stealing equipment on their farm near Scarborough last August.

Mr Edwards was compelled to use the shotgun he had been carrying for pest control to shoot at Taylor’s van — not at the thief — when he drove repeatedly at high speed straight at the pair.

After Taylor’s case was heard at Scarborough Magistrates Court, Mr Edwards said: “It is hard to find words to describe how ridiculous the sentence is. I’m absolutely disgusted. We have had four months of being treated like criminals only to see the real criminal let off with a measly fine which will be paid for by the taxpayer since he is on state benefits.”

In mitigation, Taylor’s defence solicitor argued that the thief had been “traumatised” by the incident.

Mr Edwards was eventually released from police bail after four months.

HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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HYWEL MORGAN INTERVIEWS PAUL YOUNG AT GLASGOW ANGLING CENTRE OPEN WEEKEND Hywel Morgan attended the G.A.C. open weekend and interviewed some of the producers and stars that come along to meet the public.

Be sure to check out the Glasgow Angling centre's website for details of the next opening day so you can join in.

http://youtu.be/Uc1xUINsV3k

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Ballyhass Lakes is located near Mallow, County Cork. It is Ireland's best known still spring water trout fishery, with 11 four star holiday homes and an activity centre for groups, schools and corporate team building.

Fish: The fishery has two separate lakes. The main lake is 12 acres of spring water some 35 feet deep and is reserved for fly fishing only. It can be fished by boat or from prepared fishing stands on the bank. On lower lake, worm spinning and bubble and fly methods are permitted and extensive safe fishing stands surround the lake. In general we strongly support a catch and release policy. On a Day ticket an angler can keep two fish up to 3lbs weight. All adult fish and all brown Trout are on a catch and release basis only. Once the bag limit has been taken the angler can continue to fish on a catch and release basis for the remainder of the period. The fishing lodge has an extensive tackle shop for fly and bait, and rod hire. The fishery is open 09.00 to dusk 364 day per year. Tuition on fly fishing is available.

Salmon Beats: The Cork Blackwater runs just four miles from Ballyhass Lakes. We have available beats on a private stretch of double and single bank in the upper reaches of the river. Many of the beats are set well back from any roads and give a variety of good fly and spinning waters. State Licence can be purchased at the Pavilion. We stock a supply for Salmon flies and baits. A ghillie can be provided with prior notice.

Rest: There are 11 Holiday homes on the 36 acres site at Ballyhass. The houses have either 3 or four bedrooms and are exceptionally well appointed with wooden floors throughout and natural fireplaces and natural wood furniture. All houses have a decking area leading on to landscaped lawns. They are available for rent for periods of 2 days or more.

Play: The activity centre at Ballyhass makes full use of the natural environs with kayaking, raft building and trout fishing on the spring clean water, rock climbing and abseiling on the limestone rock faces, and specially constructed low ropes courses, archery and team building games on the lawns. Our resident instructors plan the activities to suit each group be they family outings, school groups, or corporate team building.

Cecilstown, Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland Tel:+353 (0)22 27773 Email: info@ballyhasslakes.ie

When 4 Daggas Go Head to Head

By Safari Afrika For as long as they could remember Earl Lanning and Donald Kimmel had spent many a night around a North American Camp Fire romanticizing about a shared resolute desire - the Mecca and Final destination for all hunters around the world, namely Africa!

What was once a mere fantasy had become an imminent 'do or die' reality as Earl had learned from his physician that his health was not what it used to be and both these seasoned hunters knew what had to be done.

It was January of 2012 and it just so happened that one of the outfits that Earl had been making inquiries about was in Charlotte NC at the time so with reborn youthful excitement these long time comrades set out on what would be the start of fulfilling a lifelong dream by meeting with Richard Lemmer, the Owner of Safari Afrika, to discuss details and possibilities of the near future.

After some friendly banter and bouncing around of ideas it was decided that Earl and Don would depart Asheville Airport on the morning of May 30, 2012 and hunt June 2nd through 13 accompanied by Earl's grandsons Kip Ray and Ryan Sutton, and daughter June Ray. Arriving in a bustling Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport in South Africa on June the 1st, armed with large caliber Double Rifles and the intent to hunt one of the most fierce and worthy of the famous 'Big 5' namely the Cape Buffalo, these two lifelong friends knew that this was it !

We woke up in Base camp at Safari Afrika's Headquarters the first morning well rested and astounded by the beauty we were surrounded by. Situated in the Limpopo Province of Southern Africa and nestled by the mystical Waterberg Mountain Range, it truly was a mind altering experience. Eager to get down to the firing range to check our weapons and gear we immediately tucked into a mouth watering breakfast prepared by Richard's wife, Ruth.

Around the breakfast table Professional Hunters, Richard Lemmer and Rowan Zerf remarked that it wasn't a common occurrence to have first time Africa hunters who have the courage to go head to head with the 'Black Death',especially not hunters that are edging on 80.

Unique, perhaps, but these are no ordinary men, both in great shape for their age and remarkable marksmen.

On the Range, Don fired his Custom Belgian .450 Alaskan Improved built by Christopher Bruxelles in 1965 first and it looked good. It weighs only 8 pound 5ounces including optics,and when firing the 400 grain Swift A-frame bullet it Bucks something severe. Don hand loaded it to fire at 2,190 FPS delivering a Whopping 4,250 foot pounds of energy specifically for the purpose of this hunt.

http://www.africahunting.com

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Earl's 500 N.E. Merkel double needs no introduction to those familiar with double rifles and it proved on the range once again that these guns are synonymous with deadly accuracy and knockdown power.

http://www.africahunting.com

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We had 2 days to kill before we would set out on the 5 hour journey to where we would be hunting the Buffalo's so we spent the time getting ourselves accustomed to the strategies and hunting techniques in Africa, hunting various plains game, enjoying the savanna just being under African skies.

We were kicked out of bed at 01:30am on the Tuesday the 5th although we had barely slept due to anxiety and excitement of what the next couple of days might have in store for us. Driving through several hours of darkness, at 8am we eventually arrived at Lion Spruit Reserve, which adjoins the Kruger National Park. Here we met Jasper Aitchison, one of Richard's colleagues who would be the acting PH in charge of this part of the hunt as this was one of the concessions he looks after and he knows these neck of the woods like the back of his hand and has hunted this region extensively.

The reserve had been closed to the public by special request for us to be able to hunt this area as there was a need to cull out some of the old 'Dagga Boys' here and we were only too happy to oblige. Upon driving through a security checkpoint, we encountered some workers repairing the perimeter fence which had likely been mashed up by one of the larger critters. We couldn't help notice however that the work force was guarded by uniform security armed with semi-automatic assault rifles. That's when we knew we were in deep dark Africa, and whatever lurks here, eats, kicks and bites back Hard!

It is a large reserve and it was explained to us that due to its sheer size sometimes days go by without spotting these beasts so the best tactic would be to split up into groups and patrol different areas by truck and once either of us had spotted our quarry we would report back via radio and then meet up again and plan our strategy before continuing our hunt on foot.

Less than an hour had passed when we spotted a herd of no less than 25 buffalo. We looked on in amazement and intrigue and it seemed that our curiosity and desire to overcome these magnificent beasts was shared by our more than worthy adversaries.

They were snorting and pawing the ground, and after some of them advanced a few paces to further intimidate, would return to hold their battle line once again, feeling satisfied that they had given us the appropriate warning as to what we were truly up against.

While our professional hunters were glassing the herd in search of a big bull, Jaspers phone rang. It was the headman of the work force we had passed earlier. An old troublemaker bull was unhappy with the workers' intrusion and the security guard was forced to fire a warning shot to keep him at bay but it was in vain as he simply stood his ground in disgust. As Don was to go first, Jasper urged him into the truck and they knew there wasn't much time. Upon arriving at the site of the recent altercation Jasper learned from the crew that the bull had moved some hundred yards on into the thick brush and after investigation he reported that there were three bulls and not just one.

In an effort to outflank the bulls the party entered the bush along a slight depression in order to remain as concealed as possible, but the bulls being too vigilant of our tactics and weary of their safety, countered every time by shifting around and facing us head on, giving us a spine-chilling death stare (as if we owed them money which they wanted to collect!).

http://www.africahunting.com

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Don and Jasper Broke away from the hunting party and moved to the opposite side of the clearing occupied by the Dagga Boys? The bulls continued to shift around and face the hunters wherever they went. Jasper suggested waiting for a side on shot, but every time we advanced to get a better vantage they yet again shifted head on. They were clearly well aware of our game plan.

We waited for what seemed like an eternity when finally two of the bulls swung around and walked off into the brush. The remaining bull briefly faced us defiantly but as he swung around to move off he presented Don with a classic side on shot.

Don didn't hesitate to line up his Leopold Scope, gently caress the trigger, and let the old boy have it. The shot rang loud and true and the Dagga Boy lurched forward flattening everything in his path and came to an ungraceful crashing halt on the ground, bellowed twice and then, silence. The result of a perfect low front shoulder shot delivered cool and calmly by the Colonel.

http://www.africahunting.com

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Earl was up next and after getting the recon team organized to take care of Don's trophy, no time was spared to do it all over again. We found a Buffalo drinking at a small lake but as soon as we were spotted he moved up the adjacent slope and headed straight towards some thick and nasty brush. We gave chase and when we were some 40 yards away he stopped side on, lowering and turning his head towards Earl with that all too familiar debt claiming glare.

Having done extensive research on a spinal shot on Buffalo and in order to take it off its feet right on the spot, Earl lined up his vertical sight with the right front leg one third down the beasts back. In the last instant just before the shot went off, the bull moved and as the shot cracked, the bull ran crashing through heavy bush and disappeared. The last thing that we would have wanted and frustrating as Earl has always been able to call his shots and knew he was dead on the spine when he fired.

The Professional hunters asked Earl the standard question, would you like to stay or should we go in and recover the bull alone? Hell no, of course I'm going was his response. He started this fight and he was going to finish it, although looking for a wounded buffalo through thick brush following a fairly scant blood trail was a daunting experience to say the least. The trail eventually led out of the thick stuff and into a friendlier looking clearing scattered by the odd acacia tree but the trail became faint.

Suddenly Earl spotted the bull lying motionless under a tree about 30 yards ahead. Jasper walked up to the Bull and tapped the bull on the head with the barrel of his .375, which is most wise and standard practice in these parts. The animal remained motionless and it was declared dead. Upon inspection of the point of impact it was discovered that the 570 grain Woodleigh bullet had struck the bottom right of the horn, changing its path downward and striking the heart. This was luck, but it stands as a wonderful testament to the great power of these large caliber rifles.

http://www.africahunting.com

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That evening in the cleaning shed where the buffalo's were being skinned and butchered Jasper handed Don the 400 grain Swift A frame bullet which had perfectly mushroomed. The bullet entered and broke the left shoulder, continuing through the left lung and severing the arteries at the top of the heart, passing through the remaining lung and stopped right under the hide of the opposite shoulder. This marriage between rifle and bullet was a perfect combination for this task and performed handsomely.

The following day the hunt continued at the Maraheki Ranch, a 5,000-acre hunting area where the party acquired several kudus, impalas, and warthogs. The group then returned to Safari Afrika's headquarters and hunted in that area for the remainder of the 10-day trip.

Don bagged a very good Warthog as well as a Gemsbok and a Blesbok. Earl took and outstanding Impala, a Gemsbok, and an excellent Zebra.

When not actively hunting the group enjoyed some outstanding food, although some would have to admit that they were not always sure what they were eating. Meals included many local fruits and vegetables as well as fresh game meat, prepared and served in true South African style.

All in all it was the hunt of a lifetime. The area is beautiful beyond description, the people are friendly and game is plentiful and abundant. The terrain is much like the high plains of the western United States, except almost every plant in South Africa has long, nasty thorns ready to reach out and stick anyone who isn't sufficiently careful to avoid them. But then, no locale is absolutely perfect I though this territory comes pretty close

http://www.africahunting.com

DECEMBER FISHING DIDN’T DISAPPOINT THIS WATERFORD ANGLER Jason O’Riordan of South East Game Angling takes to Carrigavantry on a cold frosty December day. He shares his thoughts below; Ok so it’s early to mid-December. It’s 0 degrees Celsius when you arrive at Vantry. The ice around the edge of the lake is just starting to thaw. There’s a serious coat of frost on the boats. It’s not going to get above 5 degrees all day (Although you don’t realise that yet!). What are your prospects fishing a team of small nymphs. You might get a rainbow or two but hardly any browns. After landing and releasing a lot of trout with a good few browns among them its 3 degrees and starting to freeze again at 3.30pm when you are loading your tackle back into the car. BUT you don’t feel a bit of cold and the lake has been on fire for the time of year. Some observations – fish are more lethargic in their fight in this cold. Rainbows are able to maintain their condition better than browns at the moment. http://fishinginireland.info

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A fine Rainbow for Jason

Unfortunately this poor chap has been in the wars!

A nice brown in good condition

Compliments of: Jason O’Riordan, South East Game Angling Web: South East Game Angling

http://fishinginireland.info

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TYING THE PEARLY PALMER (WET FLY) WITH DAVIE MCPHAIL.

http://youtu.be/YuEazwpDSwU

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TYING AN OLIVE CDC DUN (DRYFLY) WITH DAVIE MCPHAIL.

http://youtu.be/wiv0CQ6VisY

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PIKE FISHING - ON A VERY HARD DAY! Alex and I fish for pike with our friend Tom and just as we think we are going to blank, along comes the action! Check out more pike fishing videos on our channel.

Find out what we are up to by visiting our Facebook Page: http:// www.facebook.com/carlandalex Tom's videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/tomandhenryangling

http://youtu.be/CpMZroeDbjc

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Our top falconer Roy Lupton has his goshawks and eagle out on a training exercise. He has a 45mph lure he is trying out on them, to get them 'match fit' for partridges and pheasants. Meanwhile, Andy Crow is decorating a tree (t's that time of year) with pigeon decoys in order to bring the birds to him to shoot. Survival expert Jonny Crockett is baking bread in the woods to dunk into his rabbit stew. And then we have News Stump and Hunting YouTube. What more is there to your evening's telly than this?

TRAINING GOSHAWKS TO CATCH PARTRIDGES + SHOOTING PIGEONS

http://youtu.be/YuGs1u-auKk

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Are you mad about Mossy Oak? Do you rave about Realtree? Does Jack Pyke make you joyful? Well, this is the programme for you. It's Camo Man, as you have never seen him before: manly Mark Gilchrist is trying new ways of blending in as he shoots pigeons. If you are a pigeon, be afraid. If you are an ex-girlfriend, be ashamed.

Meanwhile, George Digweed shows that you don't need camouflage if you can shoot pigeons 100 yards away. That's not all: Mike Powell is putting on a dress and Jonny Crockett is making tools. Yup, we've gone completely Delia. Even Andy Crow is in a high-visibility jacket.

Pour yourself a drink if you are going to watch this week's Fieldsports Britain. You might need a little lie-down afterwards.

MARK GILCHRIST ON CAMOUFLAGE + GEORGE DIGWEED ON LONG SHOTS

http://youtu.be/YiiQGCjNfdw

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We're off to Germany for a 50-gun driven hunt, courtesy of Zeiss Sports Optics. It's fast-moving sport, shooting game on the move with rifles. Sporting Shooter editor Dom Holtam is in the hotspot highseat. Meanwhile, Andy Crow is after his namesake,crows, protecting his crops on his farm in Kent, south-east England. And survival expert Jonny Crockett is making useful stuff out of wood, in the last in his series. It's all in Fieldsports Britain this week, along with regulars News Stump and Hunting YouTube.

DRIVEN DEER + BOAR, AND DECOYING CROWS

http://youtu.be/s0mSIwhOg1U

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It's our review of 2012 - from the UK to the USA, to Africa, Hungary, Germany and hunting, shooting and fishing several thousand birds, fish and animals, with shotguns, rifles, bows, rods, ferrets - the best kit, and both the oldest and the newest tricks. We also have the 2012 blooper reel - where we have mucked it up, got it wrong and still kept our dry British sense of humour. And we have the culmination of a year of Schools Challenge events - the Schools Challenge game day. What better Christmas present for this gang of kids than to learn to shoot their first pheasants.

Pour yourself a glass of what's left over from Christmas, sit back and enjoy this week's Fieldsports Britain.

BEST OF 2012

http://youtu.be/NSdlbMDtR9w

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SHOOTING IN THE FIELD – ADVICE

by Shooting uk While clay shooting can be enjoyable in its own right, what if you want to venture out into the field?

MANY ENTHUSIASTS pursue clay shooting as a sport in its own right, which it is right up to Olympic and World Championship level.

For others, although a lot of fun, it is merely a means of keeping sharp for what they rate as the real thing - field shooting.

So, what if you want to try live quarry shooting? Well, firstly you have to be a very safe shot, and know the rules for carrying a gun in the field.

Then you have to be able to quickly identify legitimate quarry species, and know the difference between birds and small animals you are legally allowed to shoot, and those which are protected by law.

You also need to be wise in the ways of the countryside, and know how to conduct yourself in the field - whether alone, or in the company of others. You might also like to know a bit about gundogs, and their important role in field shooting.

A good way of learning is to volunteer as a beater or a picker-up on a game shoot.

That gives you the opportunity to observe experienced shots in the field and, just as importantly, get involved in the rural shooting scene. It may also provide you with contacts to get less formal shooting of your own.

Another good way of learning all these things, and more, is to get involved in the British Association for Shooting and Conservation's Proficiency Award Scheme. Although it is primarily for relatively young people, we have encountered men and women well into their sixties on some courses. You are never too old to learn!

Instruction usually takes place over a few successive weekends, and is part classroom learning and part practical out-of doors experience. When you pass you get a certificate and a badge. More details are available at www.basc.org.uk.

Now comes the often tricky business of finding somewhere to shoot.

The most expensive way is to buy either walked-up or driven days on game shooting estates. A somewhat cheaper alternative is to join a syndicate, if you can find one with a place to spare. Syndicates are groups of people who club together to rent the shooting from a farmer, usually perform the game keeping duties themselves, and run up to a dozen shooting days in a season, from October to the end of January.

HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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Far less formal is pigeon shooting, and getting that can be no more involved than asking a farmer's permission. This is great sport, and helps the farmer safeguard his crops.

Yet another form of field shooting is wildfowling - shooting ducks and geese. A good introduction is to book a session with an established wildfowling guide.

There are also many wildfowling clubs in coastal areas which control areas of marshland for the benefit of their members.

Finally, three important things to remember...

1. To legally shoot game, you need to be in possession of a game licence, which is available from your local Post Office.

2. Also, for informal shooting you must have the farmer or landowner's preferably in writing.

3. Finally, do get yourself insured against third-party risks.

HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

Fran Byrne 0877831156 franbyrnephotography@gmail.com

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Fishing in British Columbia, Canada Exclusive Escorted Salmon Fishing Trips to Canada BC with Qualified Game Angling Instructor Stevie Munn & Gordon MacLeod Scottish Spey caster and guide.

British Columbia, Canada, has some of the most phenomenal and exciting sport fishing opportunities the world has to offer. Every year the salmon runs, number in the 10's of millions. The sturgeon fishing is world class, and if that's not enough, they also have a fantastic steelhead and trout fishing. Simply speaking, British Columbia and it rivers produce an awesome year-round fishery that's tough to beat.

Combine this great fishery with spectacular scenery wildlife and tips and help from a qualified Hardy Academy Instructor, and you have the opportunity to experience the trip of a lifetime! Fishing in British Columbia, Canada is nothing short of world class. Whether you are a die-hard or an occasional fisherman, we will spoil you with excellent fishing.

Sturgeon & Salmon - British Columbia - Fraser River The mighty Fraser River constitutes the back-bone of one of the world’s great salmonyielding systems, comprising countless tributaries that have been spawning sites since time unknown. Amid breathtaking scenic beauty you’ll find yourself fishing the region’s local rivers - the Fraser, the Chilliwack, the Vedder, the Harrison and the Chehalis - for Chinook, chum, Coho, pink (running every other year, including 2011) and sockeye salmon plus steelhead, trout and the massive sturgeon (the latter being catch/tag and release only).

HALF

OF

ALL

FISH

CAUGHT IN THE NORTH SEA ARE THROWN BACKOVERBOARD DEAD http://www.fishfight.net

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There are few places left where you can genuinely be surrounded by superb fishing and stunning scenery. The legendary Fraser River system, which to this day remains un-dammed throughout its 850 mile course, ranks as one of the world’s last great salmon producing rivers and still has no rival in its migratory salmon runs. There is no doubt about it sturgeon of all sizes are exciting - most adversaries leap upon feeling cold steel and 60-180lb. specimens are everyday catches on the Fraser and Harrison Rivers.

Normal Itinerary This Year we are offering a deluxe trip with all meals but dinner.

5 days guided fishing with Jet boats, 1 day walk and wade fishing, 8 night’s accommodations, 10 day trip, Airport Transfers.

Lunches for your fishing days, Return flights from UK/Ireland Accommodation Breakfast at hotel.

5 x 8hr day jet boat guided fishing Shuttle to and from fishing Rest day or fish the Vedder River Any tuition needed. Most people like to bring their own gear but tackle can be hired We like groups that are not massive 6-8 is a nice number though we can do bigger groups, sometimes others do very big groups but we like to provide good service.

Advantages Fully qualified instructor, Local knowledge of the area and river. Discount on all tackle for your trip bought at www.anglingclassics.co.uk Fly-fishing guides on all boats Meeting like minded anglers Breakfast at hotel. & Lunches for your fishing days, most trips don’t do this and charge.

Best Hotel in Area.

HAVING A GOOD TIME. Your angling adventures can also include  Improve on your fly casting techniques  Double Hand Traditional Spey and Skagit casting techniques  Single Hand Casting techniques  Tackle talk, the basics required  Learn how to tie fly leaders and attach flies  Importance of fly selection Top Salmon fishing & Sturgeon fishing Top Class Salmon Fishing With Top Class Guides, Hosted By Top Class Instructors. The fishing is spectacular. The thunderous roar of the mighty rivers fills your ears, as you gaze up towards the sky you are greeted with breathtaking mountain views and towering formations of chiselled rock. Known as! The Great Outdoors!

Located just 1 hour east of Vancouver offering visitors a liberating and exhilarating experience.

Stevie Munn is a proud member of the Hardy Greys Academy, and APGAI- Ireland which comprise of instructors, who actively promote the best instruction service for anglers wanting to improve their technique. Stevie has been teaching game angling for many years and is devoted to fly angling at its best.

Testimonial: "I can't say enough. You gave me the best fishing trip I have ever had. I can't thank you enough."

Robert Hayes We use Registered Top Canadian Guides in compliance with Canadian Law Email anglingclassics@aol.com

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TEST: WALTHER LGV COMPETITION ULTRA AIR RIFLE

It's the most well engineered spring-powered air rifle he's ever tested - and Nigel Allen brings you an in-depth report why the new Umarex / Walther LGV breakbarrel airgun is such a sensation. The model on test is the flagship Competition Ultra - a sub-12ft/lb version brought into the UK by Armex. Expensive - but when you see the technology going on inside the action, you'll see why it's worth it.

http://youtu.be/fafkz5E78QQ

http://nigelallen.blogspot.com

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For a subscription, click www.airgun.tv – or to buy an e-zine version (single issue), click http://www.pocketmags.com/viewmagazine.aspx?titleid=24&title=Airgun+Shooter I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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About Mike and POSITIVE SHOOTING Hi and welcome to www.POSITIVESHOOTING.com. I'm Mike Yardley and I've been shooting and studying it for over 40 years - ouch! I love the sport be it with shotguns, rifles, pistols, or airguns. I'm delighted you've found this website and I really hope you find it useful. The goal is to get as many people into the sport as possible and to get them shooting as well as possible - maximising all their potential. Thank you for your support. Safe shooting.

Michael Yardley was born in Denmark and educated in England, Switzerland and the US. He has a psychology degree from London University, conducted post-graduate research into direct action and terrorism at the LSE, and is also a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Mike Yardley Michael is well known as a sporting journalist, shooting instructor, and hunter and has written and broadcast extensively on all aspects of guns and their use.

His articles (2000+) have appeared in many journals as well as in the national press. He has appeared as an expert witness in cases which relate to firearms and firearms safety. He is a founding fellow of the Association of Professional Shooting Instructors, and has formal instructing qualifications from a variety of other bodies including the British CPSA, BFSS, NRA and NSRA. Michael began competitive shooting with 11th County of London HG Btn. Rifle Club. He won ‘Colours’ for shooting as a member of the shotgun and pistol teams of the Royal Military Academy Sandhust (being a member of the winning GB IMAGE match team in 1980). He has been a special advisor to the Police Federation, and others, civil and military. He has shot for sport for more than 40 years and hunted birds and larger game on four continents (making more than twenty safaris to Africa hunting both dangerous and plains game). He is a multiple county clay pigeon shooting champion, British Side by Side Champion 2004, and, has won hundreds of ‘High Guns’ in open competition with his faithful Beretta 303 semi-automatic and Lyalvale (Express) cartridges. He is listed one of The Field’s ‘Top Shots.’

He retired from the press competition at the CLA Game Fair after winning it three times.

As well as his shooting activities he has written books on other subjects including an account of the independent Polish trade union Solidarity, a biography of T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), and a history of the Royal Military Academy Sanhurst itself. He is a contributing author and ‘Special Researcher’ to the Oxford History of the British Army (in which he wrote the concluding chapter and essays on the army in Northern Ireland and the SAS). He is also a frequent broadcaster and has made and presented documentaries for the BBC on ‘The Media and the Monarchy,’ ‘Kill one: frighten Ten Thousand (a History of Terrorism),’ and philosophical doubt. He has also been involved as a specialist ballistic consultant, and presenter, in many productions for various TV companies including the Discovery and History Channels. He has re-enacted on location worldwide the death of the Red Baron, the Trojan Horse incident from ancient history, and some of the most infamous assassinations, including those of JFK, RFK and Abe Lincoln.

Michael has worked a photojournalist and war reporter in Syria, Lebanon, Albania/Kosovo, Africa, and Afghanistan. He was seized off the street in Beirut in 1982 (before Terry Waite and John McCarthy) but released shortly afterwards having befriended one of his captors. In 1986 he made 3 clandestine crossings into Afghanistan with the Mujahedin putting his cameras aside and working as a medic on one mission with a group called NIIFA. In the late 1990s, he ran aid convoys to Kosovan Refugees in Albania and on the Albanian/Kosovo border. The charity he co-founded, ‘Just Help,’ was honoured for this work which took 300 tons of relief to desperately needy people.

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Mike Yardley talks to Baron Erik von Eckhardt.

Erik von Eckhardt, 70, is quite a guy, an old school professional hunter, he is fascinated by and has 30 plus years of experience of Barbary boar. They are similar to the European variety but fiercer and faster probably because of the terrain they live in. I had the chance to both hunt with the Baron recently it was quite an experience!

Erik where were you born? “In Copenhagen, but I went to school in England at Luckton school in Herefordshire and went on to study forestry later. Though my work takes me to the woods quite often, it was not really for me. I thought that you would be doing lots of shooting and hunting but, in fact, that was not the case at all, it was all about figures and calculation. Not my thing.”

Where does your hunting background come from? “My grandfather had an estate in Jutland near the German border – this is the biggest land mass of Denmark which is, of course, a series of islands.

He made sure I learnt to shoot straight – a shotgun in those days, and I still use a smoothbore today for most of my boar work – a Beretta 301 semi-auto.”

“I was a bit of a black sheep – perhaps you can say that I still am! My family had relations in Africa. My uncle was a doctor in Tanganyika. He was chased by the British during the war for some reason but they never got him! He introduced me to a lot of hunting folk, though, and, eventually, I got apprenticed to a South African who had moved into Urambo north of Tabora in Tanganyika. He took me on because he could then take out a couple more clients and make some more money. He also had a beautiful but snooty daughter who was hunting for a husband with a farm. I didn’t have one! We had a lot of fun in those days, though. I left east Africa when the Mau Mau insurgency was developing and I went Rwanda to hunt buffalo. This was great because I had it all to myself.”

Erik has shot more than 500 buffalo with clients, he has also shot many buff for the Kenya railway. He continued: “I learnt in those days that the first rule is, as you have said, ‘the closer the better’. As for equipment, I used a .375 H&H and .458 Winchester – nothing fancy. Fancy rifles have never I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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especially appealed to me only functional ones.”

When Rwanda had its own troubles in the 1980s Erik moved on again and went back to what is now Tanzania where he still hunts each year. “I hunt both potentially dangerous game – I don’t like calling them dangerous because they are not dangerous until you start messing around foolishly – and plains game. ‘ Dangerous game’ is an American invention I think, no game is dangerous until it has a reason to become so.”

He notes cheerfully: “A buffalo is a nice peaceful grass eating cow until it is provoked.” In his career with buff, he has only had 4 charges – including one incident with a spirited calf. What guns does he favour for Africa: “These days, I use a .458 Lott like you Mike because I think it is an effective insurance policy, mine is based on a pre-64 Winchester action – still my favourite. It has a Shilen stainless barrel – I hate gun cleaning! And, a Kevlar stock. It does not weigh much either.”

Tunisia “I have been hunting in Tunisia since 1974 – the year after I married my beloved wife Inger – I worked here in the early 60s for the government putting together an anti-poaching initiative as well as a presidential hunt – bird shooting – similar to the sort of thing that they have in France for visiting dignitaries and the diplomatic corps. This was an interesting exercise and opened many doors to me. I was under the first president after independence from France, Habib Bourguiea. He was a fantastic guy, beloved by everybody. He had been a so-called freedom fighter and was locked up by the French – but the ties to France remained thick and they still are.”

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“I ran this hunt for 6 years but there was a little skirmish with France in the 1960s because of the Algerian issue – and as I was then married to a French girl and the French had to leave the country – we went back to France for a while. I returned in ‘74 to set up my present operation which is exclusively for wild barbary boar.”

Erik believes these beasts to be the most challenging species of all boar because of their faculties, ferocity and speed. They have some extremely interesting traits – he tells me they do not use their noses to scent out danger – and I have seen the evidence of this – they use their very sharp eyesight instead. “They are extraordinarily quick and agile,” the tough old Baron observed who was still hunting two weeks after a minor stroke, “and don’t hesitate to jump off cliffs from 20 or 30 metres. They can jump up several metres too! They are as much of a goat as a boar when it comes to their habitat.”

“They must be hunted with due respect. I shot 500 when I was new to this sport (similar to his buffalo tally) and then said to myself that is enough – I will now only shoot the wounded beasts that must be followed up. I don’t allow my clients to follow them up themselves at all – ever. It is simply too dangerous – they nearly always charge suddenly from cover. This has proven to be a good rule. I have now had several thousand hunters come here, mainly Scandinavians, but British people and Americans too. Some of my clients come several times a year, every year. One has been here 20 times so we must be offering something exceptional, at least I very much hope so.”

Erik is a great answer to those who criticise hunting and say it has no benefits to the local economy. “I know all the local people, hundreds of them are now dependent on my business now as beaters and in many other capacities. I had a little stroke recently and the overwhelming kindness and concern of the all the locals in Kasserine [in central Tunisia where he hunts] really touched me. This is something one cannot easily describe. It is not just about money, one makes personal relationships over so many years and I love the people – they are great folk, both kind and tough – that affection is returned.”

“We hunt in a number of different areas, in the mountains, in forests, near farms that have a pig problem, and, not least amongst cacti – the boar love to eat the fruit. It is hard hunting too. The kill to cartridge ratios are not always inspiring! If you manage 1 to 5 you are doing really well. What we do is essential too – the carcasses are not eaten because of Islamic culture – but the pigs must be controlled. They breed so quickly. They do amazing damage to olives and other crops and they threaten people sometimes. We are the boar’s only predators – so their numbers are not kept down except by us, they only multiply.”

“My tips for boar hunting? Well, don’t use dogs here – they all get killed. The most important thing is to become invisible. Know your gun, of course. Practice before you come out – not just at static targets nor just on a conventional moving target range (the targets just are not quick enough to replicate what we have here). Use only premium slug ammunition because they do not ricochet – I like Wincherster, Federal and Remington. Indeed, I am great fan of good slugs they leave a lot of energy in the animal. I am not advising it, but I have even shot buffalo with them just to prove the point!” Erik’s would be a hard act to follow....but his son is also starting to take out hunting parties. They may be contacted via svenska.jaktresor@tele2.se www.positiveshooting.com Michael Yardly I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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Female Fish Love Gay Fish Some German scientists have been observing the way fish mate and have noticed a very interesting trait- the female fish are much more attracted to the male fish which “flirt” with other male fish!

The fish they have been observing are Atlantic Molly (Poecilia Mexicana) and the scientific observations have been taking place at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. Dr David Bierbach was head of the research and has published the research in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

In their research paper they refer to the gay behaviour which the fish show to be a “conundrum”.

They also say“In most species, however, males that engage in same-sex sexual behaviour also mate with females, and in theory, same-sex mating could even increase male reproductive fitness if males improve their chances of future heterosexual mating.”

“Here, we demonstrate that males of the tropical freshwater fish Poecilia Mexicana increase their attractiveness to females not only by opposite-sex, but likewise, through same-sex interactions.”

“Hence, direct benefits for males of exhibiting homosexual behaviour may help explain its occurrence and persistence in species in which females rely on mate choice copying as one component of mate quality assessment.”

“Male homosexual behaviour can be found in most extant classes across the animal kingdom, but represents a Darwinian puzzle as same-sex mating should decrease male reproductive fitness.”

Female fish prefer to have sex with other fish which they have already seen having sex, this is called “mate copying”. So a male fish can increase his chances of landing a female fish by having sex with other male fish. The German science team think this could explain why other species also engage in homosexual acts.

Research done by other scientists has already noticed other animals engaging in homosexual acts including- apes, birds, penguins and other birds. This confuses scientists as they can’t understand why an animal would want to father fewer offspring considering only humans and dolphins have sex for reasons other than reproduction.

http://www.e-fishingnews.com/

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Bubye River Leopard by Kevin Thomas Safaris My first acquaintance with this particular leopard was back in July 2010. At the time I was guiding a client on a leopard and general plains game hunt on Zimbabwe's vast Bubye Valley Conservancy. We'd used zebra quarters as bait, spread across an area to the north of Nengo camp, and eastwards onto the Bubye river, where we'd found the huge cat's tracks. Zebra is my preferred bait, because the meat has a high yellow fat content and seems irresistible to leopard. It wasn't long though, before he showed us just how wily he was he'd hit our bait once, and never return. We also hung a complete impala ram which the cat found, and promptly cleaned up, leaving a tattered empty skin, with meat stripped bones hanging, and nothing else. We never got that cat, however, I was determined that one day I would.

In June 2011 I was hunting out of the same camp with Jamie Cox from the UK. He was on a buffalo and general plains game safari, although at the time, we were also planning a July 2012 leopard and plains game hunt. I spoke to Jamie about the big cat and mentioned that it might be worth booking the same camp, and trying to succeed in getting what would undoubtedly be a magnificent trophy leopard.

As if to rub it in, on our penultimate morning in camp, at about 0600hrs we were sat by the fire with Jamie's son Josh, when we heard either a young waterbuck or a wildebeest bleating in distress while being killed in the bush beyond the waterhole in front of the camp. I thought it was a lion doing the killing, but that evening we heard a monstrous leopard grunting down at the waterhole. This went on for a while, before he moved off, and it was obviously the leopard that'd done the killing.

Jokingly, I said to Jamie, "We have an appointment with that cat next year" - little did either of us realise how true those words would prove to be.

Jamie and Josh arrived in Bulawayo, on Friday 13 July 2012, and we went straight into Nengo camp. On 15 July Josh shot a big zebra stallion, and we soon had four haunches hung as leopard bait, and two of them specifically sited to try and intercept what I was sure was the big cat because we'd located his familiar tracks in the Bubye River bed south east of camp. On the morning of 17 July, we found one of these baits had been hit, and by the same cat. Not wasting time, we built our blind, checked the rifle for zero at the exact distance from blind to bait 53m and by 1530hrs we were sitting.

Early that evening, a lion pride began performing close to where we were sat, and a black rhino nearly walked into the flimsy back of the blind, causing Josh a moment of concern. At 2100hrs (on privately owned land in Zimbabwe, artificial light may be used for leopard hunting) with no sign of the leopard, we called the trackers and vehicle in, and returned to camp.

Next morning, we found that after we'd vacated the blind, the lion pride had arrived and spent time beneath the bait tree, causing the leopard to stay away. Despite our sitting for another

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two nights, the leopard never came back. We had other baits out but they were being hit by female leopard only, and one zebra haunch was stolen by poachers. Because of our need for bait, a few days after Josh had shot the first zebra, Jamie also shot a mature zebra stallion, and we hung two of its haunches, keeping the shoulders in reserve.

Things then went quiet, until we again found the big cat's tracks in the Bubye River near a waterhole, and he appeared to be heading north, upstream. One of our bait sites was about 5km north of this waterhole, and not far from another natural pool in the river, and it was a bait site we all felt good about because his tracks, although not fresh, were also in that vicinity. A slight worry though was that the tracks led right past where I'd hoped to build a blind in the event of him feeding. Speaking to my trackers, we decided to cross that bridge when we came to it.

Each morning though, when we checked the bait, we found it untouched although it was starting to putrefy nicely. On 21 July this all changed. On our early morning drive by, the trackers excitedly remarked that it looked as if the bait had been hit the previously cut branches hung as camouflage to keep vultures off the bait had been stripped off part of the bait, and were lying festooned on the ground under the tree a good sign.

Tracker Barnabas and I went down for a closer look, and found that the big cat had fed, and a fair amount, he'd also ripped a chunk of meat off the bait and it had got hooked up on a branch to one side. His tracks were in the sand at the base of the tree, and fortunately when he'd departed he'd gone south past the waterhole and straight into the dense reedbeds. We also found where he'd rested after feeding, guarding his 'kill' as such his large body shape and tail sculpted into the river sand. We still had to be extra careful when sighting the blind, and I was also concerned this particular leopard, true to his normal behaviour, wouldn't return to the bait. Our other worry was lion, because if they turned up, the leopard definitely wouldn't show.

First however, we returned to the previous blind site, collapsed the blind, and cut more fresh camouflage, then brought it all forward to the new site and erected it. We also adjusted the bait, to ensure it was positioned in a manner which would have the leopard feeding broadside on to us when Jamie took his shot. All of this was done as quietly as possible, although I couldn't place the blind further than 40m away from the bait because of terrain, this was a bit close when hunting a wily old cat, and so it did worry me.

By 1545hrs we were in the blind and I'd instructed the trackers to return with the vehicle at 2100hrs if they hadn't heard a shot. Normally a PH tries to keep blind occupancy down to two, the client and PH because of noise factor. On this hunt, there were three of us because Josh wanted to experience the excitement of the hunt with his dad, and vice versa.

Silence in a leopard blind is critical to the success of the exercise, and particularly so during the transitional period from day to night. Jamie and Josh sat unmoving, and once it was dark I hardly knew they were there.

As the sun set, bird song quieted, and aside from a few impala snorting to the rear of the blind, there was no other noise. Suddenly at 1745hrs the leopard gave two throaty grunts Haugh Haugh in the reedbeds on the opposite side of the river, and downstream of us

then all went quiet. At 1820hrs we heard his saw like grunt closer to us, right at the waterhole about 80m from the bait tree, again a deep throated Haugh Haugh and then nothing. It was pitch dark and we couldn't see a thing in or outside of the blind, so we just sat quietly with our ears straining to pick up any sound in the vicinity of the bait tree.

By 2000hrs I was starting to think the leopard had moved off and wouldn't come in to the bait. Leaning forward in my chair, as is my want when listening inside a

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blind, I was reflecting on how many days we had left and what else I could try, in order to get a leopard for Jamie my mindset having virtually accepted, that this cat had once more outwitted us.

Just then, I heard the faint but distinct crackle of dry leaf matter being walked on the sound had come from the base of the bait tree. Tapping Jamie on the knee, I leant even further forward, and glancing at my watch saw that it was 2012hrs. Suddenly we heard it again, more distinct leaves and dry twigs being disturbed, and then at 2014hrs the cat scrambled noisily up the tree determined and confident. He then immediately began to strip the camouflage off the bait, striking the branches and sending them spiralling earthwards. Then he bit into the zebra rib cage, a loud crunching sound that carried through the darkness.

Leaning towards Jamie, I whispered, 'That's definitely the big cat, when I light him up shoot him' and then I quietly stood up, pointed the red lens spotlight skywards, switched it on, and then brought the beam down in a slow arc onto the bait. The leopard was exactly where he should have been, standing on the branch broadside on. He paid no heed to the red beam and Jamie placed the .375 H&H soft nose bullet into the centre of the shoulder. In tandem with the shot, the leopard did a backward flip and disappeared from sight. We heard it crash off into the reedbeds without any vocal noises, and then just as suddenly all went quiet.

Jamie felt it was the best shot he'd ever made, and I was convinced the leopard was dead.

When the trackers arrived, we moved down to the bait tree and found blood and then two trackers and I, using the spotlight, followed the blood trail into the reeds, my 12ga 3 magnum hard in my shoulder. Those were tense minutes, but we soon found the leopard lying dead a magnificent cat, whose skull measurements using the SCI system were verified as scoring 17 10/16 making him a contender at the annual year end ZPHGA function, for possibly the biggest leopard taken in Zimbabwe during the 2012 season.

This article was originally published in forum thread: Bubye River Leopard started by Kevin Thomas Safaris View original post

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The West of Ireland Spaniel Club The West of Ireland Spaniel Club held a Novice A/V Spaniel Trial on Tuesday 6 th November 2012 at Brownhall Shoot, Ballintra, Co Donegal by kind permission of Mr John Hamilton and Mr Eddie Ward. The Trial was kindly sponsored by Mr Gerry Creaven of Creavens’ Premium Pet Foods, Hollypark, Craughwell, Co Galway (www.creavenspremium.com). The trial was judged by Mr Tim Dennehy from Co Cork, Mr Pat Greene from Co Galway and Mr Christy Murphy from Co Mayo.

The Steward of the beat was Mr Eddie Ward.

The trial took place in mature woodland with a blanket of testing cover along the floor consisting of a mix of young Rhododendron, Ivy and Bracken all intertwined with Bramble. The game supply of predominately Pheasant was fantastic and the birds were in pristine condition. A number of Woodcock jinked through the majestic trees and escaped unscathed through the treetops. Such was the concentration of game in certain areas of the beat, some of those young Novice dogs found the temptation too much and ended their aspirations early. Eddie Ward did a wonderful job in getting the birds just right for the day.

A full card of 12 Springer Spaniels and 4 Cocker Spaniels were drawn but unfortunately we lost a few in the days preceding the Trial due to Qualifications and other unavoidable issues. The trial ran smoothly and the judges made up their books.

There was only one dog called to the water which was No 6. Poolgreen Abi, a Cocker Spaniel owned

and

handled

by

Mr

Domhnall Creamer from Co Dublin and following a successful water retrieve were awarded The Game and Angling Centre Cup for 1st Place.

Eddie Ward Domhnall Creamer John Hamilton

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Brian McConnell getting instructions from Judge Pat Green

Poolgreen Abi Water Retrieve

Pat Cox and Brian O Hara in the woodland

Judge Tim Dennehy

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Catch of the week 14/12/12 15LB POLLACK FOR KINSALE WRECK ANGLERS ON THE SILVER DAWN

Michael Dennehy, skipper of the Silver Dawn out of Kinsale had a group of anglers out last week, fishing over a wreck south of Kinsale.

The best fish of the day was a lovely 15lb pollack. The fish fell to a rhubarb and custard sidewinder lure on a long flowing trace and put up an impressive fight on 12lb class tackle.

The fish was the best of the days haul that included cod, ling , pollock and coalfish haddock and whiting.

Hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate as we plan on visiting the offshore wrecks throughout the winter.

Garry Farrell wins Catch of the Week with his 15lb pollack

Michael Dennehy Silver Dawn Kinsale, Co. Cork.

Tel: 087 2425685 http://www.kinsalecharters.com/

http://www.fishinginireland.info

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Catch of the week 18/12/12

LOOK INTO MY EYES – CATCH GOOD COD AT YOUGHAL

Brother Nick and Kevin McCartan were on the Twitter machine to let us know about some fine cod fishing they have had around Youghal recently.

While the pair were reluctant to divulge the exact spot, some virtual hypnotism by mentalist Keith Barry had the pair reveal more than they may have wished too. Having never been night fishing before Keith was keen to get in on the action ahead of his new show “The Dark Side”! Keith and the brothers McCartan will be out after the cod again soon and we’ll let you know how the trip goes when we hear back, though Keith probably knows the outcome already. In the meantime for those who want to try it for themselves, the best fishing is around an hour before high tide with some lugworm and peeler crab as bait.

Good shore caught cod from Youghal wins our Catch of the Week for Kevin McCartan

http://www.fishinginireland.info

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AIR RIFLE HUNTING, NITESITE NS200 RAT HUNT 2, 2012 IT'S CHRISTMAS. A Merry Christmas to all my viewers and a big thank you for watching all my YouTube films.

You saw me miss a rat in my last film so i thought i would show you a few i didn't miss earlier in the year using the NiteSite NS200.

Rifle BSA Super 10 mk2 (15ft/lb) Pellets .22cal Weihrauch FT Scope 4-16x44 Nikko Starling Night Vision NiteSite NS200 http://www.nitesite.co.uk/

http://youtu.be/XmbwjE-80S8

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Get your copy of Hunters Vermin ‘Air Rifle Control in Northern Ireland’ today. A perfect Christmas gift for any air rifle shooter.

Call Blaze Publishing on 0044 (0) 1926339808 Cost £14.99.

Or on line at http://www.virtualnewsagent.com/corvid-chaos/

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FLY FISHING JAZZ: YOU’LL NEVER GET GOOD IN “THE COMFORT ZONE”

BY KIRK DEETER

photo by Secret Creek

My friend Kent Klewein, guide and co-czar (with Louis Cahill) of the “Gink and Gasoline” blog, nailed a very pure piece of fishing advice several days ago when he simply suggested that the “Best Way to Improve Your Trout Game” is to not be afraid of technical water.

I thought I’d steal Kent’s idea here and add a few metaphors—including jazz music—just because his lesson is worth reinforcing.

I’ve been playing music for 35 years now, and I do not know a single musician who ever got better by playing only in his/her “comfort zone,” or repeating what they learned from sheet music. Personally, my favorite jam sessions have always involved sitting in with players who were far better than me. I still relish any opportunity to “noodle” with those who can turn a musical phrase cleaner, or solo with more imagination, than I can. Admittedly, sometimes I feel lost in the flow, and I’m forced to sit back and learn. But I usually come away with a little riff that, with practice, I can add to my own repertoire. http://midcurrent.com

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Many years (and many pounds) ago, I was a competitive swimmer. In the typical swimming practice, there was always one lane of the pool reserved for the fastest athletes. We called it the “animal lane.” That’s where the reps and the intervals were toughest. And the only way to get really good (shaving seconds off your personal best times) was to venture into that animal lane. Sometimes you’d feel like a dishrag, tossed around in the rinse cycle of a washing machine. But eventually, with enough work, you’d hold your own, and not only join the flow; you’d start ploughing past the others. When it was race time, if you’d paid your dues in the animal lane, you had no apprehensions and no fear… it was all business… all “paid for” in advance.

So why, I wonder, do so many anglers shy away from the technical challenges like casting at wild, sipping trout in a spring creek? I distinctly remember the first time I fished DePuy’s spring creek in Montana. I watched those trout bubble and boil, ever so subtly. I made a few lucky casts and caught a couple of fish. But I basically got my ass kicked. And after a full day, I thought, “Man, I paid a lot of money for this.” But I didn’t regret it. In fact, over the years since, I’ve been back, and paid more money, many times. And it’s been worth every penny.

Compare that with the other “pay-to-play” scenarios, where fly fishers fork out high dollars to wade and cast in Disneylands of stocked trout. When those anglers net and photograph a two-foot trout, the only things missing are the Mickey Mouse ears, the obligatory fireworks in the background, and a rousing chorus of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Now, I have always been fast to admit that there is a time and a place for everything, and I not only fish those places, I sometimes guide them too. Success breeds interest, and that’s ultimately a good thing. They’re wonderful places to play, and for better or worse, the fly fishing world wouldn’t be the same without them.

But there are certain rivers to fish when you want to pretend to be a great angler, and other rivers to fish when you want to actually become a great angler. So let’s not confuse the two.

Get in the animal lane now and then. Sit in with the pros. Get your ass kicked, let your head swim with the fast tunes, and learn a thing or two along the way. You’ll learn to appreciate it. And, when all is said and done, you’ll be a better angler for doing so.

Kirk Deeter is the editor of TROUT, the national publication of Trout Unlimited, and a frequent contributor to MidCurrent.

http://midcurrent.com

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www.burrenretreats.com Corofin, County Clare Enjoy a personalised mini-break in exceptional accommodation, overlooking The Burren National Park & the picturesque fishing village of Corofin with access to Lough Inchiquin, Ballycullinan Lake & Atedaun Lake

Explore the Burren with on one of our guided walking tours, then soak in our outdoor hot-tub & Spa with views of the magnificent Mullagh Mor. Prices start from â‚Ź35 pp Bed & Breakfast

www.burrenretreats.com Call Burren Retreats today +353 (65) 6827749 I Shoot and Fish E-Zine January 2013

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THE SHOOTING SHOW - HIND STALKING ON SKYE AND RIFLE SET-UP TIPS We've made the long journey north to the isle of Skye for this week's show. It's perfect stalking territory and we've sniffed out the one sporting estate on the island, Eilean Iarmain. There we follow professional stalker Scott Mackenzie on his mission to get through the hind cull.

Back at home, and have you ever struggled to get a new rifle shooting well straight away? Struggle no more - Andy Chadderton of the Stalking School goes through all the necessary steps to set your rifle up out of the box. It's essential stuff.

http://youtu.be/eRN377wqyb0

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STALKING ON NORTH HARRIS AND SPRING-POWERED PIGEON SHOOTING We've gone even further afield this week to North Harris in the Outer Hebrides, where the island's stalking club gets its DSC1 exam courtesy of the Stalking School.

Then land manager Mark takes Byron out stalking in Harris's breathtaking surroundings.

Back on the mainland Byron assembles a team to tackle a surfeit of pigeons contaminating cattle feed. It's a barn-based blitz as the trio makes full use of the Weihrauch 97 to tackle the feathered menace.

http://youtu.be/IX7yYGEIdH8

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THE SHOOTING SHOW - WINTERBERG BLESBUCK AND THE REMINGTON 700 VTR Moving through the Winterberg mountains, Byron sets his sights on kudu and blesbuck. He's guided clients into these creatures before but never shot one himself, so the anticipation is very much at a high. And as always not everything goes to plan -the kudu have developed a habit of standing tantalisingly just out of range and not presenting a good shot. The blesbuck offer a better chance, but by now, time is running out.

Also this week, we get our hands on the Remington 700 VTR, a rifle that's instantly recognisable owing to its triangular barrel. Byron puts it through its paces and gets shooting buddy Edan in on the act too -- can this rifle's performance match its distinctive looks?

http://youtu.be/fBUFK7ySa20

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THE SHOOTING SHOW CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - DRIVEN WILD BOAR IN BAVARIA Pete Carr and Andy Crow are on a traditional driven wild boar hunt in Bavaria with all the trimmings. The two hunters are using vastly different rifles. Pete is using his Sauer 202 but has changed his .375 barrel for the .300 Win Mag option with a Swarovski 1-6x24 EE optic. Andy is using a Chapuis double rifle in .30-06 calibre.

One of the English pair has success but the other's luck is out, and tracking specialist Otto has a close call following up a kieler wounded by another German hunter with his fantastic Hanoverian blood hound in a fitting finale to this week's show.

And don't miss a special Christmas surprise that director didn't think you would see, compiled and arranged just for you as an end-of-year giggle.

http://youtu.be/_Ww0mex8QHA

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THE SHOOTING SHOW - FIRST .17 HORNET FIELD TEST AND A SCOPE-MOUNTING LESSON The anticipation has been building for a while, but the .17 Hornet is finally here, and the Shooting Show team has got its hands on a rifle chambered in this new centrefire calibre. Byron and the boys take it out for its first ever foxing field test, chasing down Charlie with lamp and vehicle. We get the verdict on this new round - and we also get some fantastic foxing footage.

And don't miss the latest instalment in our Stalking School series. Andy Chadderton takes you through everything you need to get your scope properly set up and mounted, from the box to the rifle. You'll never make a sighting error again.

http://youtu.be/OSqOdrYrNdA

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Want to see your story and pictures in our e-zine email to info@ishootandfish.ie or call Anthony on 087-6690796

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