I Shoot And Fish E-zine Feb 2013 Mobile by Anthony Curran

MOST READ ONLINE SHOOTING AND FISHING MAGAZINE

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine A collection of stories from around the web

February 2013

O A N . T H S S U I F EJ % B 0 Y 0 1 MA T ! S I L N B L I E E A E T W N W E O C RS O H

The New Season Page 8

Snaring Deer Page 22

Hooked Live Page 17 Deer Stalking News Page 23

Swords Angling Show Page 25 Team Wild TV Page 28 Country Pursuits TV Page 37

Hywel Morgan Page 52 A String Of Failures Page 54

Civil Servant Pleads Guilty Page 57 If These Disease– Ridden Vermin Kill a Child Page 10 Canada Geese Page 14

Tuna Sells For Record £1 Million Page 58

First Salmon of The Year Page 57 Lackagh River Open For Salmon Page 60

If You Want Fresh Fish Page 19

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

MAE Shorty Suppressed Rifle Review Page 32

Iridium Stingray Fixed Spool Reel Page 43

Davie Mc Phail Page 61

Carol And Alex Fishing Page 63 Fields Sports Channel TV Page 64

The Telling of Waters Page 70 The Rise of The Hungarian Wire Haired Vizsla Page 81

Ree Crackers For Mullingar Anglers Page 84

The Leprechaun Green Peter Page 47

Big Winter Cod In Cork Page 85 Catch of The Week Page 86

Hunter Vermin Page 89 The Shooting Show Page 94 Beretta DT 11 Gun Test Page 77

I Shoot and Fish e-Zine February 2013

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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 gunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manual or a qualified gunsmith before shooting any gun or ammunition.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Editors Notes Well the angling season has started for some with the first salmon being caught on the double see page 59. For me it will start on 17th March or there abouts with a wee trip up to our local trout lake. Oh I can’t wait. February was a good month for the start of the season with two angling fairs on. The first Hooked Live at City West was a lovely weekend with celebrities Paul Young and Ian Gordon. I had a few pints with both on the Friday and two more down to earth people you couldn’t meet. It was lovely to meet the people we watch on TV and see they are just like the rest of us. Though that being said they are both readers of this magazine so I do have to say nice things. Ha ha .See the pictures on page 17. The second angling show was held in The National Show Centre in Swords. With a strong emphasis on tackle dealers it really did seem to have it all. Some fantastic bargains were to be had and I even bought a sea rod and reel for a friend at €25 which couldn’t be too bad! The show was packed most of the day on Saturday with Eoin and myself flat out all day talking to both new and old readers. It really is great to meet our readers and find out there likes and indeed dislikes though saying that I didn’t hear too many dislikes which is a good thing. With celebrities like Stevie Munn, Tom Doc Sullivan, Hywel Morgan, Henry Gibley, Bob Nudd, Mike Thrussell, Glenda Powell Jim Clohessy and any more it really was a fantastic weekend. One of my highlights was when legendary Irish fly tier and writer Peter O’Reilly and the very impressive casting champion Hywel Morgan said they are regular readers of our magazine. We must be doing something right… See the pictures on page 25. Never one to rest on my loral’s we will be launching new software for the magazine and changing the issue date so stay tuned and follow us on face book. http://www.facebook.com/#!/ishootand.fishezine

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

The New Season by anthony baggot The new year lies ahead like a clean sheet. The page lays white, blank waiting for you to make your mark on it. What are your aspirations for the year ahead? Looking at my own hopes, apart from the all important health and family considerations they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too ambitious .I suppose I could sum it up by saying that I hope I learned enough from past mistakes to avoid making them in the future that will do me. Always at this time of the year I make a promise to myself to tie a lot of flies. Flies, on their own are a fascinating subject .Who first had the brain wave to tie feathers onto a hook in order to fool fish in taking them as food .I remember reading somewhere that monasteries in the 17th century kept ponds of fish, usually carp, as food and netted them as they required them for the table. I have a mental vision of a fat corpulent monk idly staring into the teeming pool of fish and wondering which one he would net for supper .Bored he takes a piece of wire and bends it into an angle (thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we are called anglers). He pulls a couple of feathers of a passing cockerel, and winds them around the crude hook and attaches the rig to some plaited horse hair .He then suspends this onto the water and waits for a rise. It's a bit dramatised but it may have originated something like this. The names given to flies and their origin have always fascinated me. For instance a boyhood nickname given to the inventor gave us the term Dabbler which is now a term used to describe a style of flies, much loved and used by just about all trout anglers. I have an interesting variation I perfected once, because a young acquaintance gave me the combings of her pet bulldog. It caught fish and I christened it the Bulldog dabbler. I kid you not. However names of flies can be misheard. I once was at the weighing of a junior competition where a proud father informed another father that his lad had caught the winning trout on a Carrot Bubble. I scratched my head for a minute before I realised he was referring to a Claret Bumble! I also heard a novice angler, rather shamefaced remark that he had been recommended to put up a Whores Ear for this particular water. And another excited young fellow told me he had landed a trout with a Goats foot! I have several inventions to my name, sadly none of which are likely to join their illustrious brothers in the Top 100 flies .The Baggott Bumble is a relatively simple tying, which has caught trout on all the western lakes so it must be doing something right. The o Flynn flue brush I designed for stockies on Lough o Flynn and it performs well in the right conditions, with these intensely moody fish. The Poxy Kate was christened by my fishing partner who on seeing my variation of the Kate mcClaren, remarked that it seemed to have suffered the ravages of a venereal disease!! But my most enigmatic offering was inspired by a drift on Corrib looking up at Ashford Castle where Sharon stone ,that time at the height of her seductive power s was staying. I saw a vision in the window which I used as an inspiration for that much sought after pattern, the Sharon Stonefly. The materials are not readily available and it is unlikely to be a common or garden tying! However I am not really in thrall to enthusiasts who agonise over the perfect shade of seals fur that just has GOT to be used or the trout will distain to rise to this failure .Indeed I firmly believe that trout are an opportunistic feeder who will take variety of foods, and that to get the fish feeding is more important than the exact imitation of what they are feeding on. I once saw a river trout rise to a cigarette butt that somebody (thick) flipped into the river. I remember several occasions when trout had given up gorging on fly towards the end of the mayfly, and lay dormant to a morning

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

of throwing every mayfly pattern in the box at them. We scratched our chins as we waited for the Kelly kettle to steam. Phillip gazed at his well stocked Mayfly box. I've showed them all I've got, he said ruefully as we gazed out at the aptly named Slow Bay. Revived by a mug of super strong tea and a doorstep sandwich ,I pulled off the mayfly team and put up a Green peter ,a Claret bumble ,a Bibio and an old favourite when in a tight corner, a Connemara black on the tail. Two drifts later, the rod was nearly wrenched out my hands as a nice trout hit the tail fly at full tilt and I was lucky not to smash as the combined velocity of a fish hitting a fly moving at pace towards him is considerable. As I netted the fish I reflected fish are probably just like humans, you can get fed up of any thing if it's too common. And Grizzley, the tough as teak boatman, who guarded information as tightly as the notes he palmed from his guests at the end of the day, once replied to a question of what flies he would fish on his cast if confined to only three. The bearded one sucked on his pipe, unleashed a plume of smoke into the face of the enquirer. “Well my learned friend” (he always made this sound like an extreme insult) “If I could only fish three flies I would put up…a Green peter, pause ,a green peter.”. pause “and another Green Peter”!……Game set and match to the bearded one.

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IF THESE DISEASE-RIDDEN VERMIN KILL A CHILD NEXT TIME, BLAME THE FOOLS WHO THINK THEY'RE CUDDLY BY PETER CROWDEN

A couple of months ago, I was called to a smart detached house on the outskirts of Leicester. The middle-aged homeowner told me how heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d woken at 6am, let the dog into the garden, and gone back to bed with a cup of tea. Twenty minutes later, he heard a commotion downstairs. There, in the living room, presumably after some kind of altercation with the dog, was one very confused fox. The man slammed the door, trapping the creature, and called me out. By the time I arrived, the room was a state.

Dangerous: As we learned, foxes will not hesitate to attack a child. Indeed, the one-month-old baby boy who was viciously attacked in Bromley, South-East London, had a very lucky escape

Denny Dolan's (pictured) fate is being regarded as some kind of freak occurrence. But that's a deeply irresponsible view. If we're going to be sensible, then we should treat this attack as a warning

When a fox gets cornered, it’ll panic. This one had torn down curtains, cleared the window sills, and messed all over the floor. If a child had been in that room with him, I dread to think what might have happened. For as we learned yesterday, foxes will not hesitate to attack a child. Indeed, the one-month-old baby boy who was viciously attacked in Bromley, South-East London, last week had a very lucky escape. You only have to look at the carnage that occurs when a hungry vixen finds her way into a proverbial hen coop, or sinks her razor-sharp incisors into a family cat, to realise that — notwithstanding their cuddly reputation — these creatures are built for killing. Little Denny Dolan’s fate is now front-page news, and judging by the tone of TV reports, is being regarded as some kind of freak occurrence. But that’s a deeply irresponsible view. If we’re going to be sensible, then we should treat this attack as a warning.

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It’s been 33 years since I started my working life in the pest control industry. Back then, the bread and butter of our job was killing rats and mice. Occasionally, we’d deal with cockroaches, bed-bugs and even feral pigeons. But foxes weren’t on our radar. The first time I was even called about one was in the late Nineties. These days, they’re one of our biggest earners. In the peak summer season, when vixens are raising cubs, I get fox-related call-outs two or three times a week.

In many areas Foxes are inter-breeding with close relations, producing ever-more deformed offspring

Usually the calls come from homeowners sick of them killing pets, leaving piles of mess on their lawn, or digging foul-smelling burrows full of rotting animal carcasses underneath the garden shed. Today, experts reckon something like 33,000 foxes are running wild in our towns and cities. I can well believe it. In my patch of the Midlands, numbers have roughly doubled in the past five years, particularly in urban areas. And the more we live alongside foxes, the more likely it is they will attack our children and invade our homes. In London, where there are thought to be 10,000 foxes, disease is rife: many foxes are covered in ticks and fleas, and are riddled with mange. There is no longer room for them to be territorial, so in many areas they are interbreeding with close relations, producing ever-more deformed offspring. Yet however sick or dangerous they are, killing any urban foxes can be hugely controversial. I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

I use humane cage traps, and my staff then drive the animals to a vet to be given a painless lethal injection. But the sight of my van outside a client’s house often brings angry neighbours to their front door. These people — raised on Basil Brush and Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox — are outraged to see what they consider to be cuddly creatures targeted for brutal extermination. Sometimes they even make death threats. But I try to treat these with a pinch of salt, for I know full well how dangerous these animals can be. Indeed, sooner or later, a real tragedy seems inevitable. Already, in the past two years, there have been several near misses. Take, for example, Lola and Isabella Koupparis, the nine-month-old twins who were mauled as they slept in their bedroom in Hackney in June 2010, suffering serious injuries to their arms and faces. Or three-year-old Jake Jermy, who was hospitalised after being bitten by a fox at a birthday party in Brighton, East Sussex. I believe these attacks on children, in particular, are happening for a reason. For many of today’s urban foxes — and you must excuse my bluntness here — the contents of used nappies have become a staple food, full of protein, and smelling like milk. When a fox scents a small child, it smells yet another free meal. So if you want your child to stay safe, get them potty-trained — or keep doors and windows shut.

Near miss: Nine-month-old twins Lola and Isabella Koupparis were mauled as they slept in their bedroom in Hackney in June 2010, suffering serious injuries to their arms and faces

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Adults can also be in the firing line. In Fulham in 2010, a lawyer called Annie Bradwell woke in the middle of the night to find a fox trying to eat her ear. And last October, an angler called Andrew Thomas needed 26 stitches to his face after one crept into his tent near Uckfield in Sussex. It was the great misfortune of all of these victims to be living in a Britain where there are now two very different types of fox. The first is rural. He’s quiet, and shy, and lives by hunting rabbits and pheasants. In my line of work, killing them is tricky. They steer clear of cage traps because they are terrified of anything that smells of man. But that trait also makes them unlikely to attack humans. The second is the town fox, a far more dangerous beast. He was born among men, grew up among them, and survives by stealing waste from rubbish bins or eating litter dropped in the streets. You’ll often see him walking boldly around after dark, and if people are stupid enough to leave food out for him in their garden, he’ll happily take it. To these professional scavengers, our modern towns and cities are like a banqueting table. It’s no coincidence that the rise of the urban fox — unheard of before the Sixties — has occurred alongside the never-ending explosion of the fast-food industry.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Professional scavengers: The town fox was born among men, grew up among them, and survives by stealing waste from rubbish bins or eating litter dropped in the streets

Save Save Save Mortgage Protection-Life Coverâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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. I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

When I look at photos from my childhood, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m often staggered by how clean the streets were. Today, every morning, we wake up to pavements littered with chip wrappers and half-eaten kebabs. Meanwhile, councils, with their money-saving fortnightly bin collections, have doubled the amount of rubbish left rotting in our wheelie bins. Compared with their rural cousins, who have lush golden-brown coats, urban foxes are pathetic, unhealthy specimens. Where a country fox has a magnificent brush, town ones tend to grow thin, hairless tails. They are, however, very good at one thing: reproducing. In the country, a vixen might have a maximum of two or three cubs each year, knowing that will be the maximum she will be able to feed. In towns, where every bin liner holds another slap-up meal, they will have six or seven. This prolific breeding is behind the exponential explosion in our urban fox population. The more fox numbers grow, the less healthy their population becomes, and the more likely they are to attempt to get one up on peers by venturing indoors in search of food. You would think all this would mean councils were doing their utmost to solve the problem by controlling urban foxes. Yet while some councils spend hundreds of thousands of pounds attempting to do so, others refuse to do anything to reduce their numbers, on animal welfare grounds.

The same is true in towns and cities across the country: some kill foxes, others donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The truth is that we need a co-ordinated nationwide cull. And once urban fox numbers have been reduced to a manageable level, our politicians must do something to ensure our streets remain clean, so their population is kept down. If not, this highly efficient killer will continue to menace children, in Bromley and beyond. http://www.dailymail.co.uk

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www.camshop.ie

Manning the IFI stand at Hooked Live

www.ifish.ie

Celebrity fishermen Ian Gordan and Paul Young showing support for No Salmon Farms At Sea.

It a boat but not just any oul boat. Find out more next month. www.lougharrowboats.ie/

Seamie the Stck Maker. www.stickmakerseamie.com

Legendary Paul Young and Me!

Tom Doc Sullivan giving a talk at Hooked Live

Paul Young and Jim Brown

Outdoor Sports Mullingar.

United against one cause. No Salmon Farms At Sea.

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If you want fresh fish from catching to the table - chill out! Keeping fish in top condition from the time you catch it till the time it is cooked is relatively easy, and oh, what a difference it makes to the taste. Many recreational or sport fishermen will jump up and down about any attempts to reduce our ‘right’ to be able to take to our waters and catch a feed of fresh fish. It is part of the fishing culture, with a capital K. Then how come so many of those who rabbit on so vociferously about this right, bring back fish for the table that is often an inedible mush – a pale travesty of the genuine delight available by serving truly fresh fish? Every summer the following sad story will be repeated ad nausea - and nausea is the right word – around our coasts. The crew sets out in the morning and over the next four or five hours catches a feed of fish. As they are caught, the fish are chucked into the fish bin where they flap and struggle as they slowly drown in the air. As more fish are caught they are thrown on top of the fish already dead and dying in the bin.

By the time this bin of fish gets to shore it should not be eaten. The fish have 'cooked' in their own blood and slime. What a waste! By the time our intrepid crew get back to the bach, crib, campsite or home, the fish is a smelly, slimy mess.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Cleaning and preparing the fish to cook is a long slow job – the soggy, flabbyfleshed bundles of slime are hard to handle. But eventually fish fillets make their way into the fry pan where foul cooking smells begin to fill every nook and cranny in the immediate vicinity. The whole performance, in a word, disgusting. What a waste. It is a sad fact is that much of the fish served up by amateur fishermen is passed its used-by-date. By the time it reaches the table it is well on the way to being rotten. Many fishermen would be better advised to go fishing on an exclusively catch-andrelease basis, and buy some fish to eat on the way home at the fish shop. The fish in the shop would be in better condition – the shop would not be allowed to sell (apart from legal problems) the amateur’s catch because of its poor condition. Fact is – if we have any right to demand a share in the way our fishery is managed, and that a significant share of that fishery is reserved to ensure that recreational and sport fishers can indeed continue to catch a feed of fish – then it is also true that we must use our share with care. That share must not only be controlled and managed by the obvious measures such as catch limits, etc., but also by ensuring that the fish we choose to take to the table is in prime eating condition. If you were buying fish at the fish shop, the rules for checking the condition of the fish are simple. • Are the eyes clear and bright? If the eyes are cloudy or dull, the signs are the fish has not been treated right after it was caught. • Is the flesh solid and ‘bouncy’ to the touch? Fish in good condition has a solid feel that when pressed and released ‘bounces’ back into shape. Soft flabby flesh is a sure sign that the fish has not been properly cared for since capture. The flesh is soft it is bruised, or beginning to decompose, or both. • Is the fish slimy? Excessive slime is a sure sign the fish has been allowed to overheat and is beginning to decompose. Does the fish stink? If the fish smells strongly, with a malodorous ‘fishy’ smell, the fish is decomposing. Fresh fish in good condition has a clean fishy smell, not unpleasant, and not strong. There is no reason why the fish we catch at sea cannot be in prime condition when we start preparing it for the table. The simple facts are that to produce table fish in prime condition to be served is a very simple process of just five easy steps.

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First step – fill a chilly bin (insulated bin) with ice, lots of ice. Second step – as fish come over the side, kill them straight away with, preferably an 'Iki stick into the brain, or a solid whack over the eyes with a club. Third step – slop some water into a fish bin, add plenty of ice, and drop the dead fish into this 'slurry' as they come aboard. Keep adding ice regularly. Fourth step – at any break in the action remove the stomach and gills and drop the fish back into the slurry, or move to step five. Fifth step – at home time, remove the fish from the slurry, and pack into the chilly bin or another fish bin, ensuring that each fish is well covered with ice, and the gill and stomach cavities are also filled with ice. Following these simple steps has very real advantages. When the time comes to prepare the fish for the table, the job is much easier and much more pleasant. The fish will not be slimy so it is easier (and safer) to handle. Because the flesh is chilled down, cutting and slicing is much easier and more efficient. Filleting especially is a breeze. Many people, who have trouble filleting fish, have this trouble because the fish they are trying to fillet is so hard to handle because of slime and soft flesh. Making clean sweeping cuts is much easier through flesh that has the consistency of soft balsa wood. The job will be more pleasant because there will be little or no stink of fish. Lack of complaints from family and friends will be a bonus. The cooking fish will smell appetizing, not off-putting. I know many people who do not like eating fish because of bad experiences in the past from the smell of cooking rank fish. Smell is an integral part of taste – bad smell equals bad taste – that is what our brain tells us. But by far and away the biggest bonus will be in the taste. There is little to compare with the taste of fish that has been well cared for since capture, especially fish that we have caught ourselves. For me that is one of the true joys of fishing. Despite the very real problems in our saltwater fisheries, in comparison with most other places in the world our fishery is a dream fishery. The ability to take to the sea with a realistic anticipation of hooking into a feed of fish is one of the things that make New Zealand unique. To poorly treat the fish we choose to keep for the table is an abuse of this right and privilege.

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Help us find them! It was with great sadness that I got the following images. The deer was snared in East Galway. From what can be made out it was caught by the leg and died due to starvation after being there for more than a week. As you can see from the pictures the animal even broke its leg trying to escape. How can someone do this and willingly inflect so much pain to another living animal. Bad enough that this person is snaring deer which is totally against the law but then not checking them for over a week. We as a society must come together to stop this from continuing. Someone out there has information help us put a stop to it. If you have information contact your local park rangers or even help out in local patrols organised by the Wild Deer Association. Further information on these can be found at http://www.wilddeerireland.com/

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Wild Deer Association of Ireland DEER STALKING NEWS The skill and knowledge of Deer Carcass Handling is something that we all require new or old to deer-stalking… The Wild Deer Association of Ireland (WDAI) recently held another successful deer carcass handling seminar, the event was well supported by deer-stalkers nationally and is one of the more popular events organized by the WDAI for deer -stalkers. The seminar marks the 14th consecutive year the event has been held. The skill and knowledge of Deer Carcass Handling is something that we all require new or old to deer-stalking and some would say the real work begins after the animal is culled. This year’s seminars again included all facets of carcass handling with demonstrations on disease identification by a veterinarian. Evisceration, carcass preparation & home butchery were demonstrated by deerstalker and game butcher, David Dunne. An addition to the seminar was a talk on rifle maintenance by Conor Murphy of the Irish F Class team. Those attending were treated to a mouth watering venison BBQ and hot refreshments all free of charge in addition a large display of butchery and deer-stalking equipment was available at discounted prices, with all profits going to the WDAI. The association’s next carcass handling seminar and venison BBQ takes place on Sunday February 24th 2013 in Cahir Co Tipperary, again this event is free of charge to all current members – membership cards are required for entry. For further information go to www.wilddeerireland.com or email wilddeerireland@gmail.com you can also follow us on Twitter @wilddeerireland or like our Facebook page for all the latest news and events.

Conor Murphy of the Irish F Class team discusses rifle maintenance at our seminar

Lenka & Marcus with some of the large display of deer stalking & butchery equipment at our recent seminar .

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Master chefs at work! Alan & Stephen on venison BBQ duty at our recent seminar .

David Dunne demonstrating the skinning of a deer carcass

Dog Tracking Event for Deer-Stalkers The WDAI has been to the fore in ensuring the endorsed and ethical method of deer stalking with the aid of a tracking dog continues in Ireland by having the Wildlife Amendment Bill 2010 corrected to protect this important practice. They also formed the first dedicated group for those with an interest in tracking dogs in Ireland, with the aim to provide and share information along with hosting related events. If you would like to join this group please contact Paul Hogan on 087 1425527. A dog tracking event will take place on Sunday February 24th 2013 in Cahir Co Tipperary. Renowned dog tracking trainers Lisa Gaidies and Sebastian Meyer will travel from Germany as guests of the association especially for this event. Lisa Gaidies has been a professional gundog trainer for 10 years and is the proud owner of her own hunting dog school (www.hunting-dog-academy.com). She is the head trainer for several well known german GSP and GWP kennels, author for a German hunting magazine and has successfully trained HPR dogs to the highest standard. Sebastian Meyer is a very experienced all round hunter with many years of boar and deer stalking, specialising in training blood tracking breeds, he will also give a presentation on shot reaction from blood, hair and bone at the site of a successful stalk. If you use a dog for deer stalking this event should not to be missed, to attend you must book in advance and places are wilddeerirelimited, contact land@gmail.com or 087 2496987. This event is supported by the Irish Kennel Club and Countryside Alliance Ireland. Holly the Bavarian Mountain Hound by Patrick Hogan

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John Fairgrieves presents Linesey Clarke with the sculptor of the fish he caught on Lough Erne www.johnfairgrieve.com/

Some of the large crowd at the Angling Show Swords.

Prospector 1 Sea angling www.facebook.com/ seafishingireland?

Henry Gibley chatting wit some fans.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Hywel, Yassmin and Tanya Morgan in action at Swords. Even Tanya can cast better than me

Stevie Munn and Tom Doc Sullivan showing us how's itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done.

Lawerence Finney, Chris Reeves, Francis Daves and Wolly Ireland

World record holder Bob Nudd at the IADA stand.

Regular reader Peter Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Reilly and Mark Dwyer

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Minister Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dowd Launching the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Anglers Disinfection Kit

Looking after the Irish Disabled Fly Fishing stand at Swords.

Dublin Angling Imitative had a wonderful stand at the Angling Show in Swords.

The Anglers Disinfection Kit

Frances Daves and Wolly Ireland busy tying.

Myself and the No Salmon Farms At Sea Stand

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

DRIVEN WILD BOAR HUNT - CZECH REPUBLIC

Realtree Global Hunting: We're in Dobris in the Czech Republic on a traditional driven hunt for wild boar, deer and mouflon with Cervus UK by kind invitation of Count Leonhard Colleredo-Mansfield. It's an important part of the management of the estate and always yields a good amount of game. Picking your peg will often determine your success, but remaining concealed and quick shooting is absolutely vital if you're going to harvest your game.

http://youtu.be/3G7sOsZ38-g

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

VARMINATORS: WALKED UP FOX SHOOTING

Team Wild's Varminators: In this weeks episode, Keith and Steve head out into the Derbyshire countryside on an informal walked up shoot. The main focus is to shoot some foxes, but there's the added benefit of taking a few game birds at the same time - a real mixed bag and plenty of banter!

http://youtu.be/A76_rWRkjZY

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

RED STAG HUNT - SCOTLAND Realtree Global Hunting: We're back in the Wild West of Scotland once again for another epic red stag hunt with Cervus UK's mountain man Willy Merrilees. The hills are steep and the woods are thick, but the roar of the red stag stirs the spirit like few other sounds. Will we conquer the slopes and harvest another magnificent stag, or will the mountain claim another hunter's scalp...

http://youtu.be/DVYniHvepk0

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

ONTARIO KNIFE COMPANY HUNTING KNIVES

Team Wild's Mater Butcher Steve 'Wildy' Wild puts the new range of hunting knives from the Ontario Knife Company through their paces. The OKC Cayuga, Seneca and Keuka have different blade profiles, but the same quality steel and tough construction - but will they stand up to a proper days use in the slaughterhouse...

http://youtu.be/KJrNY0OvE3g

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

MAE SHORTY FULLY SUPPRESSED RIFLE REVIEW BY BRUCE POTTS

MAE Shorty fully suppressed rifle: Bruce Potts can hear a firing pin drop as he tests a .22 rimfire that is perfect for vermin control.

The name MAE (formerly PES) has become synonymous with excellent sound moderators, both of the over-the-barrel and muzzle-mounted types. They span the calibres from .17 and .22 rimfires all the way up to the heavy-hitting centrefire Magnums, with custom items made to order, such as my .14 calibre muzzle can. Made in New Zealand, they are imported by JMS Arms. One of the most popular and effective moderator designs is actually a complete shooting system using a base rifle.

In this case, it is a Savage Model Mark 2 rimfire, but with the whole barrel shortened and then fully suppressed. This means the barrel is ported to let gas escape at the chamber end. The gas is partially captured within a sound moderator shroud, which spans the whole barrelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length. The remaining propulsion gases escape through a series of baffles in front of the muzzle. HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

This makes for a superbly silent and short vermin rifle ideally suited to any sporting challenge. THE BARREL AND BAFFLES The barrel is shortened to just over 12.5in, then re-crowned at the muzzle to maintain precision. There is a step at the end of its profile, allowing a series of six baffles and one muzzle-cup to be concentrically placed.

This muzzle-cup sits on the stepped muzzle-end and then each baffle, made from stainless steel for longevity, is placed into this to form a labyrinth of chambers that retard the expanding gases. A final end-cap also forms a baffle and is threaded so that the sound moderator shroud can be screwed into it. This shroud of 0.9in diameter fits over all the baffles, the muzzle-cup and right over the barrel back to the receiver, which is also threaded to secure the whole assembly in place.

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All of this would make for a very quiet rifle, but MAE has gone a step further. There is a series of ports that penetrate through the barrel and into the bore, so that gases released initially, which have the highest pressure, are pushed into the rear section of the shroud. Remaining gases vent from the muzzle and through the six baffles that extend 4.25in in front of it. Muzzle blast is non-existent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this may be the quietest .22 rimfire you will ever shoot. ACTION, TRIGGER AND MAGAZINE The Savageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action is typically American in design and is long, at 7in, with a tubular profile. The action top has two Weaver-style scope bases, so that it can accommodate scope mounting for almost any scope size.

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The bolt itself is 6.25in long, with twin extractor claws placed in the bolt face sides at 3 and 9 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock. These do a good job of cartridge manipulation. The firing pin has a flat chisel design at the 12 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock position and, due to the long length of bolt, the lock time is quite slow, so it is important to maintain follow-through after the shot. A strong force is required to operate the bolt, but the trigger is rather good for a rimfire, mainly because it uses the Accu-Trigger that Savage now fits to most of its rifles. This trigger gives a light but predictable trigger release.

Trigger-pull can be adjusted to between 2.25lb and 6lb, while the factory setting was a sensible 4lb. It has a skeletonised inner blade within the real trigger that has to be depressed in order to allow the rifle to be shot. The magazine is a simple pressed steel 10-shot unit, however, the release catch is a bent piece of steel and fiddly to operate. ACCURACY AND TARGETS Fully suppressed and ported barrels reduce muzzle velocity, so the velocity of a supersonic load is decreased to that of a subsonic load, for maximum silence. Hence, with subsonic ammunition, the velocity is even lower.

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As it is a rimfire there were no reloads. The ultra-reduced loads (CB Longs and Aquila Calibri) were so quiet that all you heard was the firing pin drop! They produced 13.6ft/lb and 11.4ft/lb energy respectively, ideal for feral pigeon in barns. All the subsonic ammunition and low-velocity target-type ammunition shot significantly lower velocities than from an unported barrel. Typically, an Eley subsonic bullet would be around the 1,050fps mark, but the Shorty reduces this to 765fps for 52ft/lb.

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It is remarkably quiet, but the trajectory of the bullet is affected at these speeds, so it is important to try out a few combinations.

The Eleys were the most accurate at 0.5in at 30 yards while the RWS, CCI Segmenting and Winchester were not far behind at 0.75in for five shots each. The MAE Shorty worked particularly well with the RWS HV ammunition, producing 871fps for 67ft/lb energy and 0.65in groups. The lightweight Federal 31-gr bullets also produced a healthy 1,077fps and 0.80in accuracy at 30 yards. Of the remaining 10 rounds I tested, the old Lapua HV ammunition (now available as SK Jagd ammo) also shot well. STOCK The synthetic stock is basic, made from a light plastic material and black in colour, with pressed chequering adorning the fore-end and pistol grip. It feels hollow, but that does make it very light. There is no cheekpiece and the comb is quite low, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a practical stock for a rifle that will spend most of its time bumping around in a 4x4 or being dragged through the bushes. The fore-end is recessed so the barrel shroud is free-floating for best accuracy.

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CONCLUSION This is an incredibly efficient design that allows maximum noise reduction with minimal length of only 34in in a rugged synthetic and stainless steel construction. The choice of ammunition is important for best results, but this MAE Shorty is not at all fussy, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s down to you. It is highly portable and great for stalking in the woods or hedges after rabbits or for lamping.

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IRIDIUM STINGRAY FIXED SPOOL REEL BY DAVE PROUDFOO

Iridium is a comparatively fresh name on the UK market but the range has rapidly gained a reputation for quality fishing hardware at reasonable prices. Here David Proudfoot discusses the Stingray fixed-spool reel which he has regularly battered from beach, boat and a few other places besides. Over the past nine months I have thrown baits from beach, pier and rock-edge marks with this stylish reel attached to the Iridium Firesurf 420 beach rod, and also pressed it into service for light uptiding from the boat. The smart white/grey painted bodywork is constructed of corrosion-resistant graphite, which to date has withstood my less than gentle treatment with no evidence of damage other than a couple of small chips near the bail arm. The deliberately lightweight construction keeps the weight down to 585gms (just over 20 ounces) and reduces arm strain if the rod is being held for long periods.

BIG SOFTY The soft-feel hand-grip on the handle is comfortable, and the complete handle is easily reversible for left or right hand use. Working balance is excellent, and, on retrieving, there is little evidence of the side-to-side wobble common in many similarly sized and priced reels. The retrieve is smooth enough to be a joy to use when slowly bumping terminal tackle over the seabed to impart bait movement when targeting flatfish or coalies.

http://www.planetseafishing.com

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Unlike a number of shore casting fixed spool reels the Stingray retains an antireverse switch at the rear of the reel which I particularly like for reasons of uncomplicated, unflustered convenience. This permits back-winding and simplifies matters when threading line through the rod guides, or moving the rods and rod-rest up the beach ahead of the approaching tide. When bouncing a bait downtide from a boat, freeing up the anti-reverse affords far more control than opening the bail arm. In the case of this reel, the weight of a 3oz lead is sufficient to allow the reel to back-wind under its own steam. INFINITE AR Most modern reels claim to have an "Infinite anti-reverse", which, strangely enough. has nothing to do with the true anti-reverse mentioned above. Standard anti-reverse mechanisms employ a one-way cam gear on the main spindle and a lever that is activated by a coiled spring when the handle is turned. After the handle is moved a short distance, the spring activates the lever, which engages into the cam, and the spindle cannot then turn backwards. However as the cam generally has only 6 to 8 "notches" on it there is a backwards movement until the lever engages. A true infinite anti-reverse reel, of which the Iridium Stingray certainly is one, instead employs a one-way bearing around the spindle, which allows it to lock instantly with no irritating back movement of the spindle or spool. Few reels costing less than ÂŁ75 can demonstrate this.

http://www.planetseafishing.com

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The drag on the reel has sealed felt washers and despite the occasional accidental sumbmerging in the sea the system still operates smoothly. I am not an overly attentive maintainer of my fishing reels and I have lavished no more attention on the Stingray other than a quick run under the tap after a trip. The drag wheel has a clearly audible click when turned, making it easy to micro-adjust drag settings. In the fully locked position, the spool is rock solid for those who need to power into distance casts. The bail arm is of solid construction and I have experienced no problems with the bale closing during a cast. The arm will close automatically when the handle is turned but I do prefer to close the bale arm by hand, as I find it helps prevent line twist. The roller turns freely and there is no evidence of wear-and-tear as yet. I have only spooled the reel with nylon monofilament so far and therefore cannot comment on how braid would affect it over a longer period of time. CLEVER ROTOR BRUSHES A sound little feature is that the rotor has a brush on either side, which helps prevent loose loops of line from being trapped under the spool and around the spindle. I can recall only once when I have had to remove the spool to unwrap coils from the underside and that was mostly due to my own lack of attention. The reel has a geared retrieve rate of 4.8:1 that, when the spool is full, of line is returned with each rotation of the handle. The combination of the balanced bail arm and the smooth oscillating spool combine to give a line lay which matches reels at twice the price of the Stingray. means that 110cm The main spool supplied is manufactured from aluminium with a capacity of 0.25mm/260m-0.28mm/210m-0.30mm/150m, and the spare graphite supplied is more

than twice as deep with a capacity of 0.30mm/380m-0.35mm/320m-0.40mm/290m. It is good to see capacity being specified in line diameter rather than breaking strain that is largely irrelevant in these days of braided lines; some of the big reel producer and distributors should take note. REAL VALUE REEL Given the very competitive retail recommended retail price-tag of just ÂŁ74.99 there is little that I can think that I would change with this reel, other than perhaps the spare spool replicating the main one. I would say that in common with a lot of tackle available these days these reels will probably be available for a limited time only before they are replaced with another similar model. The Stingray is a lot of reel for your buck and my advice would be to grab one while you can before it is superceded by something else that might not be just as good. A couple of sources for the reel online are Gerry's Fishing and Glasgow Angling Centre. http://www.planetseafishing.com

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

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

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

HOW TO ATTACH A SCOPE CAM TO AN AIRGUN

This video shows the slickest way I have ever seen to connect a camera to a scope. I have been using scope cams for a good few years now and I have tried just about every way there is to attach them to my airguns. However when shooting recently with my friend Paul I came across a new method of mounting that I had not seen before. The camera in the video is the Sony HDR-SR5 with night shot. You will need to order the adapter rings from Ebay 1 x 52 - 52 Male to Male 1 x 52 - 38 Male to Female and 1 x 52 - your camera's filter size Male to Female Simples =)

http://youtu.be/Hdz8YTweqNI

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QUICK TIPS - BASIC AIR GUN CARE (AIR ARMS TX200)

This video is the first in a series called Quick tips. This one is Basic Air Gun Care and it shows one of the tricks I use to keep my rifle in tip top condition.

http://youtu.be/8i_wUWzWcWw

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

The Leprechaun Green Peter "With the secret dubbing" by Lawerence Finnery Only a few days ago I got numerous e mails about my good friend and fellow fly dresser Mike Harding, tying up his version of the green peter with my rare dubbing the Leprechauns pubic hair. This goes back to five years ago when doing a guest spot at tying with the spring fly fair in Newark Nottingham. Mike and myself were there tying away and as I was being filmed doing a few Irish patterns I saw Mike creeping up to the back of the audience and I knew he was up to something, but what happened next will stay with me forever. I had just finished tying the green Dabbler and stupidly I asked if there were any questions on the technique, he immediately stood up and shouted "Is that the Leprechauns pubic hair you use for the body?" Me sitting there mortified and every one rolling around their seats in fits of laughter saw the Leprechaun peter born. The pattern itself is fairly simple to tie and with the blend of hair dye I used the colours of the dubbing has around seven shades of green from light olive to a sooty black and when velcroed out creates a fantastic affect on the body. The wing I use for all my wet peters is the picric olive dyed cock pheasant, not only is it easier to use than hen pheasant tail to me it certainly looks the part and the proof has been in the pudding when used on the likes of Sheelin, Mask and Erne. most outstanding was four years ago when used on Arrow in September I had four fish to the boat in less than an hour and the pattern had knotted claret legs incorporated into it three on each side of the wing. Another version is the use of bleached and dyed sika deer hair for the wing as this does not splay out as much as costal deer and sits great on top of the body of the fly. If I was to be told to use only one pattern during the season my leprechaun green peter would be the one I would go for without hesitation. The dubbing is also used on Dabblers, olives wet or dry and dubs onto the hook with no problem at all, with a small amount of pearl angel hair mixed in with it and then the use of a Velcro brush the pearl angel hair takes on the olive hue and adds that little extra glint into the fly when fished. I am waiting on delivery of UV pearl angel hair arriving and I will be experimenting with that in the next few weeks ready to hit the likes of Owel and Ina where I will be field testing it.

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The tying of the pattern as I mentioned is fairly simple and do not be afraid to tear away with the Velcro brush as the more you can tease out the dubbing the better the fly performs in the wave. The recipe for the pattern is as follows: HOOK- size 10 or 12 Finney's lough hook TYING SILK-black 8/0 RIB- chartreuse wire size .2mm BODY-butt red dubbing main body olive leprechauns pubic hair (left scrotum) BODY HACKLE- Henny cock furnace WING- picric olive cock pheasant wing quill LEGS (OPTIONAL)- claret pheasant tail knotted FRONT HACKLE- Henny cock furnace. Also try the dry pattern with Sika deer hair for the wing when Welshman's buttons are on the water as it really does the job. Any feed back on how you do with this pattern and any of the patterns done to date is always welcome. So remember what we say over here HAPPY WRAPPINGS

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http://youtu.be/nAavfgcCt_c

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Stolen Stolen Stolen

Daisy & Duke went missing from Faughart area, Dundalk, Co. Louth on Saturday 2nd February. They are suspected STOLEN and a report has been made with the Gardai. They are Springer Spaniels and are both brown and white. They had on black collars with ID tags on. They are both micro chipped. They are much loved family/house dogs and were never worked. Reward offered for their safe return. Contact Siobhan and Damian Walsh on 0864006258 or 0862692416.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

HYWEL MORGAN'S 4 SEASONS STILLWATER BANK FISHING Filmed throughout the year on some of the UK's most beautiful stillwaters, the programme is packed full of hints and tips to help you catch fish whatever month you choose to cast a line. As the seasons change so do the techniques, and Hywel explains each method in detail, while demonstrating how to use them effectively in the varying seasonal conditions. With clear animated graphics for each method, along with Hywel tying the flies vital for each cast, this is one programme that will not only improve your Stillwater bank fishing, but also develop your skills for successful fishing all year round.

http://youtu.be/-wKyDZaYSQs

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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

A String of failures By Mike Cramer My deer hunting career has been marked primarily by failure. Opening day of my first deer season I shot a deer. It was a little fork buck that walked along the edge of a clear cut less than twenty yards from my blind. I shot it with my twenty gauge and it ran off into the woods. My friend Brian, with whom I was hunting, said I had missed it and, to prove him wrong, I showed him the very good blood trail. We followed it and pushed the deer away. It ran onto private property where we could not follow and we never saw it again. My first failure. My second opening day I was sitting in the same ground blind, which was formed by a rock wall, a big dead-fall, and some branches. It sat in between a trail through the woods and a clear cut. I was staring out at the clear cut, where I’d seen the deer last year. In need of answering nature’s call, I stood up and turned around and there was a doe in the middle of the trail staring at me. I slowly raised my rifle and drew a bead on it. I tightened my finger on the trigger. Down the hill, another hunter fired at another deer. My deer bolted just as I fired. Failure. Later that year I booked a hunt out on long island with an outfitter. We had a permit for a nice piece of public woods that only allowed four hunters at a time. We had to walk about a mile in to get to our spot and just as we got there we scared up a nice buck. By the time I had raised my shotgun it was gone. I didn’t see another deer. Failure. Hoping to increase my odds I decided to get a compound bow and go out during bow season. I had taken my recurve out a few times, but wanted the extra range and a new toy. In our woods there is a tree stand hunted by an old man who lives down the hill. It is a prime spot, right where a creek, the woods, and the clear cut come together. Up the hill is a field to which the deer like to travel. Since the old man only gun hunts, I went and sat at the base of his tree. I waited and looked and waited. I was concentrating on the hillside. I checked something on my smart phone. A six point buck walked by on my left. By the time I saw him and got my bow up he had disappeared into a thicket. Two days later in the same spot I saw no fewer than seven deer, including two bucks, but they were all on the other side of a thicket and never presented me with a shot. Failure. On opening day of gun season I was sitting by a rock wall with another friend. We saw a buck jump the wall about fifty yards away, on the other side of some trees and bushes, once again with no clear shot. But it was walking toward a friend in a tree stand. We called his cell and told him where the deer was. He looked over at us and I pointed. His .30-06 boomed. The broken four fell down. So at least I had helped out. The next day I decided, at the last minute, to go back to the blind instead of sit by the rock wall with my buddy. He saw five deer, shot at them, and missed all five. If I had

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been there with my .358 instead of him with his twelve gauge, I would likely have gotten something. I was kicking myself for going up the hill (where the old man in the tree usually intercepts anything coming my way). That was a failure of location. Which brought us to the end of the season this year. It was cold. Me and Big Mike, who is kind of the leader of our hunting band, were sitting by the rock wall. It is the best spot on the south end of the forest. Joe, who had gotten the buck on opening day, was in his tree stand nearby. Brian was in the blind over the hill. It was cold. Really, really cold. Ok, not Saskatchewan cold, but nasty, biting and more cold than I liked. My fingers were in a lot of pain. About ten o’clock Joe came over to see how we were doing. He get’s bored sometimes. While he was there, seven deer jumped the wall at the same spot as his buck had on opening day. They disappeared like ghosts behind the same thicket. We had all brought our guns up but none of us had a shot. We decided to spread out and see if we could stalk them. Mike went out to the clear cut. Joe went into the thicket. I went up the rock wall. We didn’t go very far, just up to where we could see. I caught a glimpse of a couple of flags bounding through the bush, then nothing. Mike didn’t see them come out. I didn’t see them come back. We figured they had turned left and gone back over the wall. We can’t hunt in there. A short time later Brian called my cell. It was noon and he had planned to break it off at mid-day. I told him about what had happened. “Why didn’t you call me and tell me there were deer coming my way?” Brian had never shot a deer and was eager. “It was happening too fast.” I said, “besides, they didn’t come your way. They never crossed into the clear cut. We figure they doubled back somewhere around the big rock.” The big rock was a boulder in the forest, too close to some houses to hunt safely, but with a good view of the trails. Brian didn’t know it. He doesn’t scout enough. “What big rock” he asked. “It’s right across the clear cut from you. It’s a huge boulder. There’s a two man ladder stand there with a good view south. If there was anybody in that stand they’d have seen the deer for sure.” He hung up. Big Mike was back by this time and we scanned the wall. My phone rang. “It’s me” Brian said, “I found the ladder stand.” “Great” I replied, not really interested. “I’m sitting in it.” “What?” I almost yelled. “Are you crazy? Get out of that stand now.” “Why?” Brian asked. “Because people get shot for sitting in other people’s stands. It’s not yours. Leave it alone.” I hung up the phone. Brian is a good guy but he lacks certain people skills, like how to treat other people.

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“I don’t’ believe it,” I said to Big Mike. “He’s sitting in that ladder stand.” “Idiot,” he said. “You’re right. Some hunter shot another hunter up north of here about three years ago for stealing his spot.” The phone rang. “Watch,” I said, “this is Brian calling to say he saw a deer.” I checked the caller ID and sure enough, it was Brian. “Hey,” he said, “I just kicked up two deer and they’re headed your way.” I threw down my phone. “I was right,” I said, “here they come.” We moved out a bit toward the thicket. Big Mike had already gotten a deer on Thanksgiving day and had promised the first shot to me. He took up position about fifteen yards to my right. Off in the thicket I saw some movement. “Over there!” Mike whispered. A small doe was coming straight for me. It hopped a fallen log. It kept coming. I cocked the hammer on my lever gun and drew a bead on the deer’s chest. It was moving slowly. It paused. I fired. It took a little hop then turned to its left and went behind a bush. I fired again and missed. Then it emerged from the bush and gave me a clear broadside. Big Mike and I fired at the same time and we both hit it. The deer went down. I wanted to yell a Tarzan yell. Instead I just gave a whoop. Brian appeared. Together we dragged the deer over to the trail in the clear cut. It was not a doe, but a little button buck. My antlerless tag went onto its right hind leg. Cell phones came out. Calls were made. Pictures were taken. I gutted the deer with pride. This was food that I had provided. My friends and I would be eating well for weeks, thanks to what I had done.

Mike and his first buck

I must admit that at some point I did feel some regret. I considered vegetarianism for about a day afterward. There is nothing in the world more natural than hunting and consuming prey. It’s something the animal rights people just don’t get. I don’t think they care about animals so much as they don’t like nature. However, taking a life is not an easy thing. I watch films of lions or bear attacking their prey and there is never a bit of remorse. That gazelle is just food to a lion, like a grilled cheese sandwich would be to me. They don’t have the capacity to feel empathy for their prey. We do. That empathy is unnatural. Still, we feel it, and I felt bad for having ended that deer’s life. I wondered if I would ever be able to do it again. That lasted about a day. Since then I’ve been proudly showing the picture of me with my first deer. http://www.chuckhawks.com

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT PLEADS GUILTY OVER SHOOTING SQUIRREL BY JOE DIMBLEBY

Bill Worthington, a 75-year-old retired civil servant, from Bedbury, Cheshire, has pleaded guilty to causing a grey squirrel "unnecessary suffering".

On 17 January, Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Worthington, known locally as “the verminator”, trapped the squirrel and shot it twice at point-blank range with a .22. He assumed it was dead, and went out shopping. On discovering it was still alive when he returned, he shot it a further three times. RSPCA officers turned up after a tip-off from a neighbour and took the squirrel, which was still alive but “unresponsive”, to a vet to be put down. Jamie Foster, a solicitor advocate specialising in animal welfare and fieldsports law, told Shooting Times: “This is yet another example of the RSPCA’s complete lack of perspective in relation to prosecutions. It cannot be said that taking a 75-year old man to court for attempting to kill a squirrel that he had trapped is in the public interest. It is a waste of court time and public money.” “The suggestion that he should have taken the squirrel to a vet to have it put down is absurd. The journey and the time spent in a waiting room with other animals would have added to the animal’s suffering.” “In Raymond Elliot’s case [Mr Elliot drowned a squirrel in 2010 and was prosecuted by the RSPCA], the RSPCA argued that a trapped squirrel should be shot. That is exactly what Mr Worthington has done and he has been prosecuted.” He added: “If people do not want to be prosecuted they should shoot squirrels without trapping them. This way, even if the squirrel is injured and caused suffering, no prosecution can result because the creature has never come under the control of man. This is the sort of absurd result that the RSPCA’s new-found animal rights agenda under the leadership of Gavin Grant is creating.” Mr Worthington will be sentenced this month.

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TUNA SELLS FOR RECORD £1 MILLION – HEARLD.IE A bluefin tuna has sold for a record 1.76 million dollars (£1.095 million) at a Tokyo auction, nearly three times the previous high set last year – even as environmentalists warn that stocks of the majestic, speedy fish are being depleted worldwide amid strong demand for sushi. In the year’s first auction at Tokyo’s sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the 222-kg (489lb) tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen, said Ryoji Yagi, a market official. The fish’s tender pink and red meat is prized for sushi and sashimi. The best slices of fatty bluefin – called “o-toro” in Japan – can sell for 2,000 yen (£14.12) per piece at upmarket Tokyo sushi bars…

Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co, poses with a bluefin tuna in front of his Sushi Zanmai restaurant in Tokyo (AP/Shuji Kajiyama)

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FIRST SALMON OF THE YEAR - ON THE DOUBLE!

On the Double. The first salmon of the year which once again were caught on the Drowes, at 12.40 pm on New Year's Day. Colin Gardiner from Lurgan and Timothy Dalton landed their first catch four miles apart. 0301MVB1 First Salmon.

The honour of landing the first salmon of the New Year has been won jointly by two anglers who landed their fish at almost exactly the same time, but almost four miles apart. The River Drowes is one of Ireland’s premier spring and summer Salmon Fisheries and in addition, holds good stocks of wild brown trout. It has accounted for the first recorded Irish Salmon of the season caught on rod and line on numerous occasions over the past 20 years. This year proved no exception with two salmon landed at almost exactly the same time. Timothy Dalton from Omagh was landing his 10lbs salmon at the Blackwater while four miles downstream, Colin Gardiner from Lurgan was landing his 4.5lbs fish from the Wee Drain. Both fish were caught on a “flying c” and were verified by staff from Inland Fisheries in Ballyshannon. Colin and Timothy will share the prize and will hold the Drowes Perpetual Cup for six months each. This was not the first time that 56-year-old Colin Gardiner landed the first salmon in the country. The Lurgan man caught the first fish in Ireland back in 2002 and then again in 2005. With the relatively good weather on the day, the turnout was up on last year, with 120 anglers braving heavy showers but not encountering any of the Baltic conditions experienced in previous years. There was also a number of Kelts (a salmon that has already spawned) caught on the day, one of which was caught by Sean Carty of Land and Sea Sports. The Bundoran man also caught the largest fish on the Drowes last year - a fresh salmon weighing 18lb 2oz. http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie

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LACKAGH RIVER BACK OPEN FOR SALMON AFTER 7 YEARS

It was heartening to see the Lackagh River reopened on Tuesday 1st January after a 7 year closure. The fishery is open this year for salmon fishing on a catch & release basis with anglers fishing with single barbless hooks. The day started somewhat wet & windy but improved as the hours progressed. The day went well with rods fishing from 8am when enough light was available to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;throw a lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The river caters for 4 local rods and 3 visiting rods and all spaces were taken. The local angling club, the Creeslough & District Anglers and 3 visiting rods were in attendance to renew their licences and take out their permits. At midday the angling club fired up the Barbecue and proceeded to cook some very tasty soup, sausages & burgers which were much appreciated by all in attendance and provided some much needed heat to those braving the elements to fish. There were no fresh salmon caught on the day and none that I have heard

John McLoughlin & sons get an early start to the 2013 season.

of to date. It is still early in the season and it is normally towards the end of February that fresh spring salmon enter the fishery in any numbers. Rods enjoy their first days fishing on the Lackagh for a number of years.

http://fishinginireland.info

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TYING THE POKER SHRIMP (SALMON FLY)WITH DAVIE MCPHAIL.

http://youtu.be/bMd1HBAt8v8

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TYING AN EMERGER CADDIS (GRANNOM)WITH DAVIE MCPHAIL.

http://youtu.be/tGTrG7l5h1c

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FEEDER FISHING FOR BREAM + SMALL STREAM ROACH PART 1 Check out more 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/Ce56mGwQbWA

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Pigeon-shooting fanatic Andy Crow is out on a spectacular south-of-England driven pheasant shoot, where he shoots his best bird of the season. He offers his tips for pheasant shooting and how to behave. Meanwhile, Roy Lupton is playing with a homemade night-vision kit. The parts only cost a few quid. He tries the DIY set-up on rats, rabbits and foxes. Plus we have News Stump and Hunting YouTube. It's your ideal feet -up, drink-poured, sit-back-and-enjoy TV programme.

SCREAMING PHEASANTS + BUILD YOUR OWN NIGHT VISION

http://youtu.be/0r89cQMDxZA

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Roy Lupton is out with his goshawk after rabbits and pheasants, and he has an apprentice with a red-tailed hawk. It's a great spectator sport. Meanwhile, Andy Crow was appalled at Roy's homemade attempts at night vision last week, he has brought a ratshooting mate who has made a much better version for less money. And we are pheasant shooting in the Blackdown Hills with Sam Clatworthy of ADayToTrade.com. There's news and there is Hunting YouTube. It all adds up to a good night in front of the box.

DIY NIGHT VISION + FLYING HAWKS ON PHEASANTS

http://youtu.be/mIbuJAIR8Ek

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On this week's show, we've come to America for coyote hunting, world record big game hunting, and the Shot Show 2013, the greatest gun show on the planet. Charlie Jacoby is after coyotes in California, the varmint of choice for the self-respecting American rifleman. We talk to Jason Bruce, star of Headhunter Chronicles on Sportsman Channel, about his world record big game heads. And we are reviewing useful and even useless new kit at the Shot Shot, and getting to try it out on a rifle range deep in the Nevada desert. Dagadagadaga!

WILY COYOTES, SHOT SHOW KIT AND RECORD BIG GAME HUNTING

http://youtu.be/DF4p4SruDLk

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We're in the USA this week. We've got a Rolls Royce converted for rabbiting in Texas, the last of the black bear hunts with hounds in California, and all the latest kit from the Shot Show in Las Vegas. Texas ranch owner Fausto Yturria could not bear to part with his late father-in-law's Rolls Royce, so he converted it into the ultimate South Texas hunting vehicle, with no roof, a comfortable shooting position and cool boxes for drinks. We use it to go lamping rabbits, as well as to see some of the African big game he keeps on his farm. Meanwhile, the state of California has banned bear hunting with hounds. We were there with US TV star Jason Bruce to go on one of the last bear hunts, and to see how they work hounds in the Golden State.

ROLLS ROYCE RABBITING + BLACK BEAR HUNTING

http://youtu.be/u8-S5mQjBZM

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We've got birds, birds and bird dogs this week. Roy Lupton is on a driven shoot in Hampshire. We're so used to see him shooting foxes and deer, can he handle a shotgun on birds too? And when a disabled clay shooter said he wanted to go on a driven pheasant day, we stepped up to the mark (with the help of JCB) and got him the shoot transport he needs. And it's the start of our new gundog training series with Skinners' Petfoods. Learn how to improve your dog from the comfort of your armchair with a full glass beside you. Just watch Fieldsports Britain.

DRIVEN PHEASANT SHOOTING + GUNDOG TRAINING

http://youtu.be/Od-H8SwGcU8

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THE TELLING OF WATERS by Ralph Long Wading out into the stream the welcome comfort of the waters pressure against my legs brought me out of the world of work and distraction. I was back again, in that place where the negatives are washed away, and where all else is erased and the pursuit of taking trout on a fly is all-encompassing. Assuming a position along the nearest seam, I would be able to cast and fish the entire pool without moving. The sound of the water against my waders joined in with the symphony of sounds that although were many, still seemed like the subtlest of background noises. I thought on that as I searched my boxes for a fly to begin the evening with. Welcoming to the ears, these sounds were natural, unlike the sounds of vehicles and the bustle of people making their way through the world which rapidly become offensive to the senses. It is a cleansing of the soul that takes place each time I wade into a stream, serenaded by the sounds of the water. I glanced out over the stream in search of hatch activity, yet knowing that I would likely not find any just yet since it was still too early for the evening hatches. The water talked to me from where I stood, with my rod tucked under my right arm, and head down in the concentration of picking the right fly. It spoke from the head of the riffle where it was accosted by exposed rock and forced from its intended path. It whispered to me as it turned slightly and attempted to crawl up the base of a downed tree on the far side of the pool, only to lose in its efforts and cascade back down into the main course. It gurgled along the rocks lining the far bank that left behind proof of the previous evening's rain by the high water mark that was still visible. And it sang a soft song as it tumbled downstream and out of site over the stone of the streambed. It all came together in a sound all its own, speaking a language that only those present in this place will ever hear, and fewer still that would understand. It was all there, as if a prelude to the concert that was about to unfold. The rod came to my hand in light fashion and my first few false casts were completed as if wiping away the fog of the world. Then quickly it was replaced by a natural concentration that came with muscle memory built on countless repetition. With line cutting air in a near silent expense of energy the rod dropped, presenting my fly near the base of the ripple. The hackle rode the current as deftly as a milkweed seed rides an autumn breeze, dancing along its seams and pockets in hopes of bringing a trout up from its lie. Then suddenly and without sound a nose rose out of the broken surface of the moving water and engulfed the fly. I lifted the rod to set the hook and another sound was added to the waters song as the trout thrashed across the surface of the pool and then bore deeply towards the depths of the pools darkest section. The run of the fish brought another section of the symphony to ear as my reel joined in, the drag singing its tune in protest as the line was stripped away. All the while the rod pulsed in my hand which was felt through the Portuguese cork forming its grip as it electrified my senses and brought my focus even tighter to the task at hand. Applying pressure in an attempt to tire the fish, tension upon the fly

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/

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line as it cut through the surface current could be felt through the rod. It told me about the headshakes, the rolls and the hard thrusts of the tail as it bore for escape. Though I could not see the fish, my mind's eye watched the battle unfold through the grip of my rod. We were connected. As I brought the fish to hand it splashed loudly until grasped and rolled over, where it instantly succumbed and went still. Removing the #16 Blue-winged Olive fly from its lip, I gazed at the perfection that is a trout. The brilliant colours danced beautiful in the light, yet they were a perfect camouflage when beneath the surface of the water. The sleek and elegant lines of its design shadowed the strength and power found within its scales. I admired it for a moment in an effort to burn the memory into my mind. Then placing it back into the water, watched for a fleeting second as it paused briefly suspended below the surface before a quick flip of the tail took it from sight buffeting the palm of my hands with the water it left in its wake. Like a ghost that never truly existed it was gone along the rocks of the stream bottom. Yet the ghost of its memory hung in my mind and formed a smile on my face as I turned back upstream and searched for another target in which to cast. That fish was now stored away in countless memories borne to the fly rod and experienced on waters much like this. For a fisherman those moments may grow countless in number, yet no two are alike, understanding that each fish with its distinct beauty is gone once it slips from your fingers. Each fish is singular in nature existing only in the mind of the fisherman who set the hook, felt its life through the rod, and brought it to hand. Each dance among the waters symphony is unique and ours alone to hold in memory. And once we are gone those memories are left only to the sounds of the stream as a witness, and the telling of the waters. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/ http://thejodea.com/ I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

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

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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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. I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Beretta DT11 Gun Test by Mike Yardley

I am testing a particularly impressive new gun this month: the new Beretta DT11. That positive comment gives the game away a bit, but I am so impressed with the shooting qualities of the gun that it is appropriate to give it a bit of a plug right from the outset. When Beretta launch a new model, it is quite a big deal, all the more when it is a gun that might be used in competition at the highest level, as the DT11 is intended for. One expects something good. The DT10, the gun the DT11 replaces had a lot of fans, but this hefty new clay cruncher, though based on a very similar, if thicker, action, has sufficient new features to be considered a distinct new model rather than a mere exercise in cosmetic re-badging. So, a good place to start here would be a consideration of the differences between the two. I will briefly note first that the DT10 stands apart from the rest of the Beretta range, SO sidelocks and the old (and mounted ASE) excepted, in having an action with top extensions unlike the ubiquitous (and brilliant) Silver Pigeons. OK, so what has the DT11 got that is really new? We'll start with what is obvious to the eye. The nickel plated action, which is part matt and part polished, and has blue fill to its border engraving. Aesthetically I was not sure about the latter, but the two tone appearance was appealing. It is also 3mm wider than the DT10. This adds mass - several ounces - in the middle to what is generally a heavier gun than the DT10 (ours weighed in at about 8 Â˝

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pounds). Perhaps the most significant change in the DT11, though, is the incorporation of a new system of boring which combines an element of something like back-boring with an extended taper. Three quarters of the length of the 'Steelium' barrel is a taper in fact. So, it is rather like a massively extended forcing cone, then there is a minimal length of nominal bore before the choke area is reached. There are slightly different boring plans for the multichoked sporter and the fixed choke trap gun (as tested). The former ends with a bore diameter of 18.6mm before the lead into the choke area, whilst the trap gun is 18.4mm with chokes of three-quarters and full. This taper boring prompts various observations and comments. First, it is a very old concept dating back several hundred years at least. It was rediscovered in the Victorian with guns like Lang's 'Venacontracta' â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 12 which contracted to a 20 near the muzzles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and, much more recently, Fabarm have offered 'Tribored' guns (which have stepped bores which contract towards the muzzles). Taper boring has been used both to improve (allegedly some might say) pattern quality and to reduce weight in some guns. In the DT11, it is used for the former purpose and combined in the sporting model with Optima HP long, thin wall, extended multi-chokes. We might as also note here that the stock of the DT11 (which is made from good quality of wood which is oil finished in traditional style) is more amply proportioned than that of the DT10. Another new feature of the DT 11's concerns its 'Microcore' recoil pad. This is made from an ultralight weight polymer with a honeycomb structure. It is notable not just for its extreme lightness, but

for its impact reduction qualities. Browning are offering something similar on their 725. Technical Well we have covered most of it. The forged, CNC machined, DT11 action, like the DT10 dispenses with the conical bolts of the Silver Pigeon range, but retains a similar hinging system with studs near the knuckles. I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

The action is a bit wider in the fences (a feature which has never particularly appealed to me). Like the DT10 and ASE, the DT11 has a detachable trigger unit with v main springs powering the hammers. The hammers themselves are very similar to those in an SO, and, like an SO the triggers may be adjusted to give very crisp trigger pulls. The single trigger mechanism is inertia operated. No change there, but the shapes of safety and top lever have been changed to improve ergonomics. On the barrel front it is notable that the trap gun has standard proof (most Berettas have fleur-de-lys superior proof now) and 2 3/4” chambers. The barrels are made of new alloy steel Beretta call Steelium as previously noted. They are manufactured by a new process which is a mixture of hammer-forging (as most Beretta barrels are now made), deep drilling, and vacuum stress-relief. Shooting Impressions

Well, let's not hold back – simply fantastic! This is a gun which seems to turn clay birds into balls of smoke effortlessly. It is soft in recoil and the patterns, as far a could judge without extended plating, were exceptional. The gun is big even with the 30” tubes as tested. The stock shapes generous with a large thick comb and a big, quite tightly angled, grip. The comb is also high as one expects in a trap gun (drop at comb was 28mm with 42mm at heel – on the cast front there was 4mm right hand cast at heel and 6mm at toe). I would not normally have chosen a gun quite as high for myself, but it worked brilliantly on DTL. I would have loved to use it on OT as well, but that will have to wait. Meantime, this is probably the best competition gun Beretta have yet made. I'd like to see the same barrels on a 682, but we can all dream. For the quality and performance, the £6K+ of the DT11 did not strike me as extortionate. There are some interesting options too. You can get guns with adjustable stocks, left handed stocks, and guns with headed stock blanks. All showing that Beretta are taking competitive shooting very seriously. My thanks to Lyalvale Express for supplying the cartridges used in this test www.positiveshooting.com Michael Yardly

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IS THERE A STANDARD PELLET I SHOULD USE FOR AIR RIFLE TESTING? BY JOHN KNIBBS

Air rifles: Over the past few years, I have built up quite a good collection of air rifles and pistols, mostly of British manufacture. I want to ensure that all of them are legal and do not exceed the legal limit. Is there a standard pellet I should use for testing? As the maximum energy law has been in force for around 50 years, there must surely be some standard tests and appropriate pellets. Can you advise? Answer I wish I could give you an easy answer but, unfortunately, this is not a simple matter. The current law states that if an air rifle is capable of producing a muzzle energy in excess of 12ft/lb, or 6ft/lb in the case of an air pistol, then it would be classified as a firearm and would be subject to a Firearms Certificate. The Act does not specify how the energy test should be conducted, nor does it stipulate what type, size and weight of pellet or missile should be used in the test. Furthermore, the material from which it should be produced, or any other specification of the equipment used in the test, is not specified either. This is then further complicated by the fact that there are no established bore sizes for airgun barrels as there are for rifle and shotgun barrels. My advice would be to use a waisted Diablo-shaped lead pellet of average weight, 7-gr to 8-gr for .177 or 4.5mm barrels, and a 14-gr to 15-gr pellet for .22 or 5.5mm barrels, with a 16-gr to 18-gr pellet for pre-1968 .22 with 5.6mm barrels. These are the types of pellets which the rifles and pistols were intended to use when first produced. HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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The rise of the Hungarian wirehaired vizsla in the UK By Sam Clark Hungarian wirehaired vizsla: The rise in popularity of the Hungarian wirehaired vizsla (HWV) is no accident.

The combination of an ever-growing portfolio of field sports activities and the need to stop borrowing other people’s dogs for the aforementioned led me to start my search for a new canine working companion. I looked at labs and spaniels but, given my extremely specific requirements, I ruled out several of the more popular breeds, narrowing the shortlist down to three possibilities from the HPR (Hunt Point Retrieve) family. June 2008 saw the arrival of a small ginger bundle of mischief in our household. He didn’t arrive on a whim, and wasn’t randomly chosen from a classified ad in the back of a shooting magazine; rather, he arrived after two years of careful research into the breed and its breeders. The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla: a true all-rounder First and foremost I needed a steady breed that could live calmly with my pack of exuberant bloodhounds. Other requirements included the ability to hunt and point game for my Harris hawk to work over; hunt and retrieve all day long on the rough shoot, point woodcock and be something sane and sensible for my partner to handle when stalking. The breed would also need to be a steady character able to accompany me when I was working on wildfowling trips, driven shoots and walked-up hawking days without creating mayhem. The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla (HWHV) fitted all the above criteria nicely.

Despite the “ginger” leg-pulling, the author’s Hungarian wirehaired vizsla has proved his worth on shoot day HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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The breed originated in the 1930s when Hungarian hunters wanted to produce a dog more suited to working in water and harsher conditions than the native, smooth-coated Hungarian vizsla. They aimed for a strong, workmanlike dog with a weatherproof coat, and to achieve this they bred the Hungarian vizsla to a German wirehaired pointer. At a later date some bloodhound was added for nose ability, and possibly some pudelpointer. The first ones (imported from Hungary) were seen the UK in the 1970s but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until 1992, when the first litter was actually born in the UK (again from Hungarian imports), that the breed slowly started to gain popularity. In 1995 there were over 50 registered with the Kennel Club, so a group of enthusiasts decided it was time to start a breed club to promote this multipurpose breed. The inaugural meeting resulted in 52 founding members and saw the start of the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association (HWVA) whose membership now stands at 300. The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla: on the up In those 17 years the breed and the HWVA have gone from strength to strength, with a dedicated group of aficionados tirelessly promoting the breedsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; working abilities at game fairs and country events all over the UK. Fieldsports enthusiasts are quick to spot the charming temperament and excellent working ability of the breed.

Even as a playful pup, the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hungarian wirehaired vizsla showed great potential as well as enthusiasm during early training.

In 2011 the Kennel Club annual puppy registrations reached over 470 and the HWVA attained full field trial status, as well as organising grouse pointing and gundog working tests. Having chosen a breeder who happened to be an HWVA field trial secretary, I was lucky to have easy access to training advice.

HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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Although I had trained a number of working trial bloodhounds in the past, a gundog was a whole new area, and the advice of breed experts like Richard and Karen May at the Amiryck HWV kennel helped enormously. Starting with the basics was easy and by 16 weeks he was happy to sit and stay, as well as retrieve small dummies in the garden. As my Harris hawk wasn’t known to be dog-friendly they were introduced to one another rather cautiously, but right from the start the bond was amazing and they could regularly be seen sitting calmly together on the lawn enjoying the spring sunshine. Under the hawk with the Hungarian wirehaired vizsla Once the basics had been picked up, the Hungarian wirehaired vizsla was happy to go out under the hawk and learned to point pheasants. It was a good way for him to spend his first year, as the trips out were only three or four hours long and very relaxed, with just the two of us working together. The following season saw him out on rough and woodcock shoots where he was greeted with initial caution and a little bit of “ginger” leg-pulling by the die-hard Labrador and Springer folk. However, after three seasons of working twice a week he has become a valued member of the team, and his ability to hunt up to and point a woodcock that several Springer's have already run past has made him a popular choice with the guns. Since then he’s gone from strength to strength. He spent a great deal of the summer learning to blood trail deer and has made an excellent stalking companion. He also goes wildfowling and will sit happily and quietly in a muddy gully for several hours without the need to be tied to a stick – his impressive, workmanlike size means that he’s more than capable of retrieving a heavy Canada goose from the estuary.

The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla is renowned for its charming temperament and excellent working ability

As yet there is no discernible split between the working and show fraternity, which was another reason for me choosing the breed. In fact, most people I’ve met do both with equal enthusiasm. The breed seems to be very healthy and there’s a capable bunch of people keeping a close eye on things to ensure it

stays that way. The import of seven dogs from Hungary last year will help with the genetic diversity of the breed in the future, and as long as people are careful not to over-use one sire or line, the breed’s future should be safe in their hands. www.hwva.org.uk HTTP://WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

REE CRACKERS FOR MULLINGAR ANGLERS

Michael Flanagan reports on his website that Robert and Philip Smith produced some beautiful pike from Lough Ree. They boated 4 great pike including a 15lbs fish, two 18 lbs fish, and Robert topped the day by rattling the scales with a New Year cracker of 25lbs.

It was a “Reel” Red letter day for the Mullingar anglers and one they wont forget for a long time. All fish went back healthy and in perfect condition, after a quick photograph. Michael Flanagan Pike and Trout angling guide. Telephone: +353 (0)44 9348969 or +353 (0)87 2797270 Fax: +353 (0)44 9342781 Email: mick@midlandangling.com Web: www.midlandangling.com http://fishinginireland.info

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

BIG WINTER COD IN CORK HARBOUR Cork Harbour Angling Club report on the Cod fishing in the area;There have been a few reports of some fine cod being caught lately. Here’s a pic of a 14lber caught on Joe Lynch’s Wreckhunter.

Joe Lynch doing some weight lifting with a fine cod !

Courtesy of Cork Harbour Angling Hub

A happy client of guide James McSweeney

http://fishinginireland.info

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Catch of the week 10/01/13

LOVELY EARLY SEASON MULLET CAUGHT ON THE FLY IN WEST CORK

Guide Richie Ryan reports on good inshore fishing for mullet for his clients in West Cork Welsh angler Andy Davies and Eire Bass guide Richie Ryan reported on their first mullet trip of the year. Andy and Richie ” hook” up every year for a few sessions of fly fishing for this Irish “Bonefish”. Richie says they are a bit easier to catch in the early part of the year. They use small unweighted Czech nymphs and 8 lb. flourocarbon as a very long trace. The mullet are very difficult to hook due to their hard mouths but often fight harder than bass when hooked. Many fish are lost during frenetic runs and tear line off the reel at a tremendous rate. Richie landed and recorded a fine early season Mullet of over 4 lb. on the fly and quickly returned his fish after a quick photo. Great sport if you can get to beach where they start to shoal at this time of year. Richie Ryan Eire Bass

Make a booking If you want to book Richie then go to http://www.corkbass.com/ Eire Bass – Richie Ryan Saltwater fly fishing Guide. Web: www.corkbass.com Email: info@corkbass.com Tel: +353 (0)86 1940744

Richie Ryan wins Catch of the Week with a lovely early season Mullet taken on fly - the first of the year reported to IFI.

http://www.fishinginireland.info

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Catch of the week 24/01/13

SPECIMEN RED GURNARD, COD, HADDOCK LING AND WHITING FROM KINSALE

Ashley Hayden fished at Kinsale last week in hopes of hooking into some good haddock that had been caught in recent weeks. Fishing aboard Butch Roberts 38 foot Aquastar named Sundance Kid with a goup of anglers he had not met before he set a south easterly course out into the open ocean to a mark where hopefully the haddock would still be present. Six miles south east of the Old Head of Kinsale charter boat Sundance Kid pitched and rolled under a dirty grey sky. Every so often the boat would dip into a trough and land would disappear, that’s the kind of day it was. Baiting up with frozen razor clam and slivers of mackerel the anglers lowered our rigs 100 feet towards a clean bottom of shale. Instantly John Dennehy’s rod signalled bites which resulted in a brace of plump whiting. For an hour as the tidal flow increased bites came slowly but steadily, haddock made an appearance with Nick landing a grand four pound fish while John Young boated a brace of nice codling. Top rod for the day was Rob Porter, employing a two up one down rig laced with beads he regularly contacted haddock and large whiting, with his fish of the day being a ling in the eight to ten pound bracket. Best fish of the trip turned out to be a specimen red gurnard of 2.2 lbs caught by a rightly chuffed John Young. Not a lot of fish were boated, that most definitely being down to the Nick Ward displays a nice haddock. conditions, however codling to four pounds, whiting close to if not over two pounds, haddock averaging a pound and a half, a couple of good ling and a specimen gurnard in this day and age represents quality fishing. What might be achieved in the high season with good weather? Roll on summer. Read Ashley’s full report and see all the photos at http://www.anirishanglersworld.com – Deep Sea Fishing off Kinsale, Cod and Bonny Haddock from a Rolling Sea Butch Roberts, skipper of Sundance Kid, displays a specimen red gurnard caught by John Young. John wins Catch of the Week for this

http://www.fishinginireland.info

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Catch of the week 28/01/13 57 LB BAG OF CARP WINS OAKLANDS MATCH FOR 15 YEAR OLD ANGLER Adrian Browne of Oaklands Lake in New Ross reports that this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s match was a great event which saw Thomas Quinlan, 15, beat off stiff competition from his father George to secure victory. Thomas caught all carp and finished with a bag of 57 lb from peg 48. He was fishing at 10m on the pole, catching on corn and soft pellet.

Thomas Quinlin caught 57 lb of carp to win this weekends match at Oaklands Lake

Adrian says the lake is fishing well for the time of year and the better fishing in the deeper pegs at the shop end of the lake. Oaklands Lake, Marshmeadows, New Ross, Co. Wexford. Telephone: +353 (0)51 445348 Mobile: +353 (0)87 6988979 Email: oaklandslake@gmail.com http://www.fishinginireland.info

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

AIR RIFLE HUNTING, FARMYARD VERMIN CONTROL 13, DEC 2012 Back out at the cattle sheds again were there are plenty of magpies and hooded crows but getting a safe shot off isn't always easy. Rifle BSA Super 10 mk2 15ft/lb Pellet .22cal Weihrauch FT Scope Nikko Stirling 4-16x44

http://youtu.be/4p_gDvqTcF8

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

AIR RIFLE HUNTING, FARMYARD VERMIN CONTROL 14, JAN 2013 Another few hours spent out in the cattle sheds but the birds are getting a lot wiser and harder to get. Rifle BSA super 10 mk2 15ft/lb Pellet .22cal Weihrauch FT Scope Nikko Stirling 4-16x44 Target Master

http://youtu.be/4gwyaOKU0vI

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Get your copy of Hunters Vermin ‘Air Rifle Control in Northern Ireland’ today. A perfect 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/

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

Illegal hunting of deer.

Carlow People reported on February 12th 2013; TWO YOUNG men from Rathvilly who were found with eight deer, including two Sika deer, in their vehicle appeared before Baltinglass District Court. Craig Kelly, Ballyoliver, Rathvilly and Christopher McCabe, Bough, Rathvilly pleaded guilty to hunting protected Sika deer at a time when hunting was prohibited at Ballinclea, Donard between 5.43 pm on November 9, 2010 and 3.30 am on November 10, 2010. McCabe was also charged with using marked fuel oil on the same occasion. Inspector Gerry Connolly said that when Kelly and McCabe were stopped at 3.30 am they were found to have eight deer including two Sika deer in the vehicle which they said they had shot earlier in the day. The court heard that although it was hunting season and they had a permit to hunt and valid firearms certificates hunting of deer was forbidden after dusk. The court heard both men had previous convictions. Acting for both men solicitor Pat Reidy said at the time of the offence Kelly was 17 years old while McCabe was 19 years old. He said Kelly had recently lost his job having worked in a furniture shop. He said McCabe is also unemployed. Judge David Kennedy said both men ‘ should be well aware of the hours' for hunting. He fined both men €400 each and also fined McCabe €2,500 for using marked fuel oil. *While fines can be small in some instances, the Wild Deer Association of Ireland, strongly oppose the renewal or look for the removal of Deer Hunting or Firearm Licenses where an individual has been prosecuted under the Wildlife Acts or offences involving firearms.

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

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&#x201A;Ź35 pp Bed & Breakfast

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

THE SHOOTING SHOW - ANGUS HIND STALKING AND HILL GRALLOCH Andy Malcolm is out on the hill in pursuit of hinds, and Byron follows him all the way with the camera. The Glen Esk terrain is as unforgiving as ever - and the weather, not to mention some intervening sheep, threaten to derail the stalk before it has even begun. Will Andy get closer to completing the cull quota, or will he strike out? Andy's also in action as our resident stalking expert, giving top tips on how to perform a quick, clean and effective gralloch on the hill. Stalkers, don't miss it.

http://youtu.be/0fiZ_sccN7w

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

BRITISH BOAR UNDER MOONLIGHT AND HEYM SR21 REVIEW In south-west Scotland, Byron tracks down hunting operator Steve Sweeting who has a spot of boar control to take care of. Boar damage has reached high levels in one of his hunting areas, and he's got a big keiler in his sights. The full moon is out, making for some stunning night-time hunting footage -- but the sabre-tusked Sus scrofa never makes things easy and always presents a danger on the ground. To make things harder, Steve doesn't even have a high seat. He's got a nail-biting hunt ahead of him... Over on the other side of the country, Byron has got his hands on the Heym SR21, a German rifle in 7x57 from a manufacturer well known for its big game guns. He gives us the low-down and finds out what kind of groups it's capable of.

http://youtu.be/flCXFYpGWbQ

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

FERRETING RABBITS AND SHOT SHOW 2013 RELEASES In the Scottish borders, Byron joins seasoned ferreters Derek Parratt and Steve Gray for a bunny-bolting session with the shotguns. Ferret goes in, rabbit comes out -- it's that simple, right? Not always -- Steve finds himself out of luck and at the mercy of his fellow sportsmen's jibes, more than once. But the job gets done in the end, with no shortage of exciting rabbit shooting footage to boot. Meanwhile, Pete's gone all the way to Las Vegas for the SHOT show, the biggest gun show in the world. It's where USA companies unveil their big releases for 2013, and we're among the first to bring UK shooting fans a preview of the guns, ammo and shooting innovations that could be hitting these shores soon.

http://youtu.be/2s4180ohOKo

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

DUCK FLIGHTING IN EAST YORKSHIRE

Fast duck shooting action from the north-east of England, just half a mile from the coast

http://youtu.be/-KsPO6ImcHo

I Shoot and Fish E-Zine February 2013

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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http://www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net