Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2015 i The Field

An exhibition is being held in London on 5 and 6 May to celebrate last year’s record grouse season. A Celebration of Grouse has been put together by Patrick Mavros, the sculptor; Sir Edward Dashwood, founder of EJ Churchill shooting ground; and Frontiers sporting agent and photographer Tarquin Millington-Drake. “We are witnessing one of the greatest grouse eras of all time and more people than ever have grown to appreciate the glorious grouse and its habitat,” says Mavros.“May is a critical time on the moor for grouse and visiting waders. It represents new beginnings and is a fitting time to celebrate our passion for this most revered gamebird.” On show will be photographs by Millington-Drake, Churchill shotguns and silver sculptures by Patrick Mavros, who is hosting the exhibition at his…

PONCHO UMPIE Merino wool throw-on, handmade in Yorkshire. Price £65 Tel 01609 748281 www.umpie.co.uk POLITICAL PLAYING CARDS OLIVER PRESTON Ballot for bridge or reshuffle for snap. Red and blue packs per pair. Price £12.50 a pair Tel 01666 502638 www.oliverpreston.com RANGER CHELSEA BOOT NED KELLY Waxed leather upper and durable build look good at the Heythrop or in Hoxton. Price £160 Tel 0800 773 4305 www.gumbies.co.uk LEATHER FLASK BEG BICYCLES Large flask, available in tan or conker. Just add bullshot. Price £70 each Tel 01223 655222 www.begbicycles.com GATESHEAD ANORAK JACKET ORVIS Simple to pack and essential kit for the river-bank. Available in four colours. Price £45 Tel 0333 4004177 www.orvis.com NEAL WINDPROOF FLEECE VEST, JOHN FIELD Stay snug, with a game pocket that folds out for you to sit on.…

LAST year, just seven of the 21 estates on the market in Scotland sold (including those under offer), averaging £4.8 million in sale price and 6,305 acres in size. So says Strutt & Parker in its latest review of the Scottish market. These figures compare with 16 estates sold in 2013, with an average sale price of £4.5 million and 4,353 acres. The total spend dropped from £71.3 million in 2013 to £33.7 million. Estates sold in 2014 included the Cluny estate in Inverness-shire and the Lundie estate in Angus; three of the seven went to overseas buyers. Four Scottish estates that failed to sell last year were marketed on a private and confidential basis and are mysteriously named as estates A, B, C and D; perhaps a spot of…

ONE of the joys of living at Nether Wallop Mill, where the brook runs both under and around the house, is that fishing is something my family and friends and I often do together spontaneously. If there is a gorgeous sunrise, the beauty of the river is more than enough motivation to abandon a warm bed. On a summer’s evening, we potter around until well past dark. It is never what you might call full-on fishing, more the chance to soak in the joy of being by a river and share the companionship of being fly-fishers. You fish, you talk, you share a drink... The hours just slide by and before you realise it you have entered the magical universe of the riverside by night. In the blue darkness, lit…

“ IF other countries had a theory of design, Italy had a philosophy, maybe even an ideology of design,” must be Umberto Eco’s most quoted statement. However, flair, as it relates to fast cars and fine guns, has traditionally been problematic for us Britons – often seen as something best left to our overtly artistic Italian neighbours while we concentrate on the more serious business of mechanical engineering. Flair, especially when expressed as a marketable aspect of practical design, is, nevertheless, something we can no longer ignore. Italians have an eternal sense of design dating back to classical antiquity. Roman engineers achieved something special when they created the Pantheon; its dome and deep portico inspired a generation of architects from Brunelleschi to Palladio. Applying the principles of fine art –…

WHEN I became DEFRA Secretary in 2012, I set out four priorities: grow the rural economy, improve the environment and safeguard both plant and animal health. I consider myself a countryman. As such, both instinct and tradition make me believe strongly that we must leave our natural environment in a better condition than when we inherited it. This means managing every aspect of the environment, not abandoning it in some misguided homage to Rousseau. Of course, growth is the greenest policy of all. Wildlife is declining in poor countries, increasing in rich countries. Forests are expanding in prosperous parts of the world, retreating in low-income areas. I will never forget seeing brooks running black with oil in Albania as a result of the disastrous rule of Enver Hoxha. Economic failure…

IT is possible that Scotland faces a true wildlife versus wildlife conflict between two protected species. The interaction between pine marten and capercaillie must be better understood if both species are to thrive. Pine martens are recovering from more than a century of human persecution, with an estimated Scottish population now in excess of 3,500 animals. The capercaillie population in the UK was estimated at 20,000 in the early Eighties but the most recent estimate was a winter population of just 1,285 birds in Scotland. These two creatures favour the same woodland habitat, and therein lies a problem. Conservation bodies, including the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), are grappling with it. The capercaillie is primarily associated with conifer woodlands in Scotland, especially mature Scots pine forests with an understorey…

JUST as fieldsports are under threat from the disapproving classes, it appears that art and objects associated with fieldsports have also been suffering a downturn with ever fewer buyers putting up a hand at auction. This malaise is for a number of reasons, not least because Victoriana, whether it be brown furniture or decorative pictures, has fallen out of fashion and this period saw the high watermark of mass market sporting art. In a sector that’s already suffering, political correctness has further lowered the prices for many collectables: what price now smoking ephemera, furs or taxidermy of endangered species, unless they are either splendid, cute or have an exceptional provenance? Of course, one man’s disapproval is another man’s opportunity to buy great pieces at affordable prices. On 27 May, Christie’s…

IT is probably time we revised our notions of the artistic life. We may cherish the picture of the artist or sculptor high in his garret but today’s creative spirits are more likely to be found in an internet café. Certainly trawling the web brought animal sculptor Elliot Channer the two big breaks that kick-started his career. “I knew I wanted to be an artist but I don’t come from an artistic background,” he explains. “But my grandfather had been a stonemason and that looked interesting, so I went online and started looking for courses in stone masonry and came across this one at the City and Guilds of London Art School in architectural stone carving. I was lucky to find it because it is the only course of its…

THE wild Atlantic salmon is not only a valuable international resource, it has been at the heart of national cultures of countries in the North Atlantic region for at least 20,000 years. The salmon carved in a Dordogne cave and the Glamis Stone testify to its spiritual importance, while in Canada and Finnmark, First Nation people still regard the salmon as sacred. The late poet laureate, Ted Hughes, celebrated the salmon’s life cycle in elemental terms in his poem Salmon Eggs. The life cycle of the salmon gives it the status of a “barometer” species, providing detailed information about our environment. Few other fish species are protected by an international treaty organisation. However, governments of Atlantic salmon countries are signatories of NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation), of which the…

“ SOUND advice through scientific understanding” is one of the many slogans used during the history of what is now the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). That it was current in 1982, when I joined the team, may be why, for me, it is still the one that best encapsulates the raison d’être of the GWCT’s advisory service. The organisation’s history dates back to the foundation of ICI Game Research and the Eley Game Advisory Service in the early Thirties. The core idea of turning the results of research into practical advice for game managers has remained as a continuous thread right up to the present day. In its modern incarnation, the GWCT’s advisory service is a small trading company owned and run by the trust. It is founded…

NOT SO BRIGHT Q I wonder whether you would be able to answer my query. A few pieces of my British stainless steel kitchen cutlery have become grey and lacklustre, while the rest remain perfect. As all the pieces are used and put in the dishwasher I wonder why this has occurred and whether it is possible to restore the affected pieces. JC, by email A Stainless steel cutlery is tough and durable but dishwasher detergent can cause pieces to lose their lustre. To prevent this, most manufacturers recommend that you remove the cutlery from the dishwasher as soon as the cleaning cycle finishes and buff it dry with a tea towel. They say that cutlery should not be left unwashed overnight as salt clinging to it can cause corrosion;…

THIS month’s test spotlights the AYA Century model imported by ASI of Snape. This is a special model, sitting between a No 1 and No 2, built to celebrate the Spanish firm’s 100th anniversary. Edward King of ASI, which has imported AYAs for more than 50 years, says, “This is a celebratory model pitched to be affordable for AYA’s traditional clientèle. It features both special, laser-applied, hand-finished engraving and upgraded wood similar to that seen on the No 1. Mechanically, it is a classic AYA sidelock drawing its inspiration from London’s best.” The Centenary costs £9,690 in 12-bore, square-bar form as tested (round-action version, £10,140) while the price of a London side-by-side begins at around £50,000 these days. First visual impressions of the test gun are good even when judged…

IF there’s one thing that sets the professionals apart from the amateurs in the gundog world, it’s where their dogs sleep. The great majority of professional handlers kennel their dogs, a sensible choice if you have a lot of them. In contrast, most of us amateurs share our houses with our dogs, if not our beds. A recent survey of 23,000 dog owners, reported in the Daily Telegraph, revealed that more than half allowed their dogs on their beds, a remarkable statistic. Quite how many working gundogs share their owners’ beds is another matter; not many, is my guess. The advantages of keeping a dog in a kennel are many, which is why most the gundog-training books on my shelves recommend kennelling rather than keeping indoors. Guy Wallace, writing in…

WITH the first week of May fast approaching, there is only one thing on the mind of the Howard household: the fate of Carlisle itself. I was discussing this weighty matter with my friend The Right Wing Lord. “We are completely knackered,” I told him. “No way can we turn this around.” “Don’t be so defeatist, Philip,” piped up his Lady wife as she struggled into the room carrying another boxful of Conservative Party leaflets. “Chin up! We have been out every weekend since September.” I confessed I had not been out at all. “The thing is the main players are all out on the piss every Saturday night.” “Well, possibly the D’s and E’s,” replied the RW Lady, grudgingly. “I’m afraid it is going to go right to the…

1 WORLD PHEASANT ASSOCIATION CHARITY CLAY SHOOT Acorn Shooting Grounds, Compton Manor estate, Kings Somborne, Hampshire. The cost is £600 for a team of four. To book, email khowman@ashgame.com . 6-10 MITSUBISHI MOTORS BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS Badminton, Gloucestershire, call 01454 218375 or visit www.badminton-horse.co.uk . 8-10 THE PETWORTH PARK ANTIQUES & FINE ART FAIR New fair in the grounds of Petworth House, West Sussex. For details, go to www.petworthparkfair.com . 9-10 THE WHITFIELD ANNUAL CLAY SHOOT In aid of the CA, GWCT and local charities. Whitfield, Northumberland; entry £340 for a team of four. Call Stuart Maugham on 07501 460017 or visit www.whitfieldclays.co.uk . 12-29 RODGER MCPHAIL EXHIBITION Rountree Tryon Gallery, 7 Bury Street, London SW1, tel 020…

WHENEVER I sit down to tie a classic salmon fly – and I’ve been doing this for 25 years now – I can’t help but make a connection or, one might say, a comparison with classical music because both of these artistic expressions have a long, ever-evolving history. The legacy of the classic salmon fly spans more than 200 years, starting in the British Isles, and has been documented in books since the beginning of the 19th century with, I’m glad to say, no end in sight. In a way, discovering these books became a sort of treasure hunt for me as I found and admired their beautiful, hand-coloured plates. Since I am more artist than writer, it was not at all surprising that I became enamoured of these colourful…

WHEN it comes to the future of field sports, this is perhaps the most important election ever held. If the Hunting Act is to be repealed, then we cannot wait much longer. Shooting also faces major issues, from the continued use of lead shot to the right to control, legally, widespread opportunistic predators that are flourishing due to man and whose numbers need controlling. Above all, this will be an election that decides on whether Britain will have flourishing wildlife in the future. If the recreational, sentimental protectionists hold sway, species will continue to decline but if the philosophy of conservation through wise use can be implemented fully, then our wildlife has a chance. In the run-up to the election, we asked the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP…

EXACTLY 200 years ago The East India Company and the King-dom of Nepal were slugging it out in a bloody and bruising war. The British, on the basis of, “If you are not beating them, get some of them to join you”, decided to raise a regiment of Gurkhas. They, equally impressed by the Brits’ martial qualities, signed up and, war over, many more regiments followed. And so it was that our long and deep relationship with these doughty mountain warriors was born. I first came across the Gurkhas as an officer cadet at Sandhurst. Like so many before and since (there was always a Gurkha “demonstration” battalion based nearby), we marched off for Fieldcraft, Lesson One. Gazing out over acres of yellowing September heather, the directing staff (DS) asked…

THIS month I will be cooking for several fishing parties so have been thinking about how best to deal with the days’ catches if they keep a fish. Clients fall into two camps: the first guard their fish and ensure the most I do is add butter or a squeeze of lemon; the second encourage me to add plenty of seasoning. Personally, I think if you are lucky enough to bring home a wild salmon you should do little other than cook it. However, if it’s something abundant, such as brown trout, why not be a bit more adventurous? BROWN TROUT ESCABECHE Makes 8 portions 4 medium brown trout, filleted and deboned Salt 4 tbsp plain flour 4 tbsp olive oil for the fish plus 1 tbsp extra for the…

LIFE is full of choices and individual taste accounts for many of them. The deerstalking rifle market is a well supplied one but, of course, all rifles do much the same thing, although some with more style and some with more precision than others. Coming fresh to the market a newcomer therefore looks for a unique selling point, while a reviewer seeks to demonstrate it. Taking into account all the individual components, one looks to expose advantages in, for example, accuracy, handling, durability, design of stock, action, barrel, safety catch, trigger mechanism or magazine. The modern rifle has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past 30 years and, to a certain extent, these differences have become obscured. The Haenel Jaeger 10 springs from a proud tradition of Suhl riflemakers…

FIVE old Nissan X-Trails reside within five miles of my office. They are owned by a keeper, a shoot captain, a farmer’s wife, a farmer’s daughter and one stranger. They are all silver and gloriously knocked about, exhibiting combinations of dents and scratches that make recognition by number plate unnecessary. I wave at them all. X-Trails became hugely popular thanks to being cheap, reliable (despite some turbo issues) and capable. People loved them because they were no-nonsense and at the hard end of the soft-roader range. The new model has lurched to the soft end of “soft roader”. For a start, there’s the exterior styling. Gone are unremarkable square lines and in comes the winged helmet look. The front end no longer looks happy to do a gentle shunt of…