To 14th ONMay SALE 2016 Irish COUNTRY SPORTS and COUNTRY LIFE & IRISH GAME ANGLER MAGAZINE 5.00 € 05 KC Spaniel IKC Spaniel IGL Retriever IKC Retriever Volume 15 Number 1 Spring 2016 £3.00 / Volume 9 771476 824001 Champion Champion Champion Champion DUNDARAVE SHOOT Now taking bookings for 2016/2017 season Our pheasants are carefully selected and produced from the Dundarave laying stock, with all birds incubated and hatched on our game farm. Situated on the stunning North Antrim Coast, the Dundarave Shoot has a well established tradition of driven pheasant and partridge shooting. Today the estate provides a range of shooting packages from walked up shooting, to larger driven days throughout the season, making Dundarave perfect for any occasion. Dundarave Please direct enquiries to: Ian Chapman, Estate Manager, Dundarave Estate, Bushmills T +44 (0) 28 2073 2090 E [email protected] W dundaraveestate.com Irish COUNTRY SPORTS and COUNTRY LIFE Contents 4 Northern Comment 84 Dogs at the Game Fairs 5 ROI Comment 85 Teckel & Lurcher Time Travel - by Steven McGonigal 6 Countryside News 88 This Shoot Ticks All The Boxes 26 Great Hunting Between the Winter - says Ronnie Mack Storms - by Derek Fanning 92 Saint Bridget’s Eve Brings Dangerous 30 Gundog of the Year Magic - by Julian Schmechel Front Cover: ‘A Delicate Cast’ - 32 Illustrious Canines - Readers’ 95 Country Chat - with Billy Lewis Glenda Powell on the beautiful Dogs Profiled Blackwater River. 98 A Most Likeable Rogue 34 The Red Mills IKC Retriever - by the late Michael F. Twist Championship - Michael Corr Reports 101 Swiss Summer Sensation 41 The Nigel Carville Red Mills Interview - by Margaret Annett - with John & Sandra Halstead 104 Art & Antiques - by Michael Drake 46 Is Gundog Quality Improving? - Peter Smith Examines 107 The Irish Game Angler the Evidence 108 DCAL’s Inland Fisheries Group & 48 IGL Retriever Championship - Bushmills Salmon and Whiskey EXCLUSIVE Report by David Hudson Festival 54 Cocker Spaniel Championship at 109 FISSTA’s News & Views Dunira Estate - EXCLUSIVE Report by David Hudson 113 Big Scottish Pike in Prime Condition - EXCLUSIVE - by Simon Everett Irish Game Angler cover: IKC Spaniel Championship at Top fly casters Charles Jardine, 60 Illaun Mor - Report by Pat Brennan ‘Grumpy’ Fishing in Canada’s Far Glenda Powell and Stevie Munn 117 North - by Alastair Beattie will be appearing at the NI Gundog Calendar of Events ANGLING SHOW - at the IRISH 68 Blackwater Salmon Fishery & Glenda GAME FAIR, SHANES CASTLE, 122 Elite Guns - More Than Just a Powell Guiding - EXCLUSIVE Review ANTRIM on the 25th & 26th JUNE. 70 Gunshop - EXCLUSIVE Report 125 Fishing Adventures - 74 Oryx -The Desert Warrior of Sub by Michael Martin, Six Mile Water Trust Saharan Africa - by Frank Brophy 130 What’s Next for Fishing 77 Hunting Roundup - by Tom Fulton - asks Johnny Woodlock 81 Terrier, Lurcher & Whippet Show 134 Fly Fishing in Norway Roundup - with Margaret McStay - by Stevie Munn Managing Editor: Albert Titterington, ROI Editor: Derek Fanning, NI Editor: Paul Pringle, Associate Editor: Irene Titterington Sales and Marketing: Paul Robinson Publishers: (Editorial & Advertising) Country Lifestyle Exhibitions Ltd. Cranley Hill, 5b Woodgrange Road, Hollymount, Downpatrick BT30 8JE Tel: (028) (from ROI 048) 44839167 Email: Email: [email protected] [email protected] Web: www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com ROI Office: ROI Office: Derek Fanning, E: [email protected] Tel: 05791 20003 Printed by W.&G.Baird Distributed by Easons (Dublin), E M Distribution Also Available by Subscription ISSN No. 1476-8240 The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or the publishers. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that information published is accurate and reliable, the publishers cannot be held responsible or accept liability for any errors or omissions in this pubication. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the owner. No liability is accepted for the safe custody of unsolicited materials and manuscripts. Publication of accepted articles is not always guaranteed and the publishers will not be held liable for any manuscripts, photographs or other materials lost or damaged while in their possession, although every care will be taken. The editor reserves the right to amend any such articles as necessary. Published in association with Ireland’s country sports and country living web portal www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com Country Sports and Country Life Northern Comment Your copy of the country’s leading Country Chat without a surprise to two written in countrysports and country lifestyle Billy’s own special way. He says he wouldn’t be magazine is packed to the brim with a huge bogged down in a ‘small stock quagmire.’ Let us variety of articles and news features. know what you make of that one! We also have classic writing from the late On the cover we have highlighted salmon Michael Twist and visit the Auction World with fishing on the River Blackwater and the winners of Michael Drake in Art & Antiques, as well as paying the IKC Spaniel and Retriever Championships and a visit to see why Elite Guns in Newry is bang on the IGL Retriever and KC Spaniel Championships. target if you are into shooting sports or the latest We have some great travel articles to tempt airsoft craze. you, such as fishing in the North West of Canada On to other matters. Readers may have read my and the Calgary Stampede, to a luxurious holiday comments in the last edition about poaching on our destination in Switzerland. rivers and I am delighted to say that, in the Republic of Ireland, law Our regular fishing columnist Stevie Munn goes fly fishing in enforcement and punishment when appropriate is to the fore. Norway on the Tysil River as well as other stunning big rivers, A case was heard in at Ballina District Court and the Judge including Glomma and the Rena. Czech nymphing and more take convicted a Ballina man of illegal fishing. The man was found guilty some serious fish for Stevie. In another special feature Michael of possession of a net at Cloonslaun on the River Moy on 9th June Martin recalls some memorable fishing adventures, some closer to last year. home and one in Canada. Sturgeon feature son the catch list and Judge Gibbons heard that Fishery Officer Eddie Doherty was on for one very surprised angler it was a massive eight footer which patrol with Officer Brian Flannery when he observed a person fought for forty-five minutes before being released back into the swimming in the water. The judge was told that when approached, Frazer River. Not your average catch and release! the man escaped into a nearby field, while a second man ran off While we are on the subject of memories, readers have and was not found. The defendant was found hiding in a bush, clamoured to read more from local writers about their wearing a wetsuit, and a buoyancy aid was also found nearby. The countrysports experiences. And naturally we were delighted to do court heard that the man admitted to possession of the net in the just that by introducing Ronnie Mack of the Mid Ulster and North river, which was retrieved, as well as a bag containing a second net Down Shooting Party (with whom I have had the pleasure of on the bank. shooting on more than one occasion over the years). The Judge heard from the defending solicitor, pleading for Ronnie’s story tells of the fun and camaraderie to be had on a leniency, that poaching had been ongoing for years and had a shoot day closer to home in Northern Ireland in wonderful natural minor impact on fish stocks compared to other factors such as seals, surroundings. Cleggan in Antrim is one of the best known in the and that the defendant was of limited means. However, the judge country and further afield and Ronnie tells the story of his meeting rejected this argument. with Shoot Manager Joe Taylor, in the lead up to one of the After examining the nets seized, and observing that the shooting party’s early forays. Very, very testing birds, excellent defendant had worn a wetsuit to carry out the offence, he said that beaters, dogs of the highest quality and a superbly organised shoot the defendant was well prepared and the poaching was obviously — it’s all there says Ronnie. planned. The judge outlined the importance of protecting fish If other readers are inspired to let me have their own recounts stocks, and convicted the man of illegal possession of a net, fining of days in the field, or along a riverbank in pursuit of trout, then him €1,000 with €500 costs. Both nets were also ordered to be please do feel free to send in your words and photos for forfeited. consideration. Look inside the cover for full contact details. Commenting on the case, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) A world about how we like to get the stories: Please send it commended the Fishery Officers involved by saying: “Protection of typed as a Word document (up to 1200 words) by Email along with fish stocks is vital to maintaining an extremely valuable natural your full contact details. Photographs to accompany the article resource for the benefit of local and tourist anglers. Recreational should be full resolution JPEGS (not made smaller for the Internet) angling in Ireland is worth over €750 million to the economy and and you should caption them for us in your Email. Please give the supports over 10,000 jobs.