SMALL BAGS, BIG SMILES

Mike Yardley is returning to his shooting roots in Northern Ireland on a walked-up shoot where political differences are put aside in favour of some memorable sport in great company

- Mike Yardley

Over the years, what I have enjoyed in regard to shooting has changed. I don’t do long haul travel as much as I did. Indeed, regrettably, it’s been a few years since I was in the US chasing chukkar, quail or whitetail, and longer still since I was last on safari in southern Africa. I could not afford to do what I was lucky enough to do in the past, nor would I be able to recreate experiences like running out of money in Namibia, and living off income from meat shot near the Namib and ferried to the capital across the vast sands in a Land Cruiser with supplementary water tanks.

On the home front, I have not done many big formal driven days in recent seasons either, but I have done a lot more walking-up and smaller days with friends. You might say that I have returned to my roots, the shooting of my childhood in Kent, wandering the woods and fields of my grandmother’s small farm. I have, of course, done my fair share of big bag shooting, but what I have rediscovered is the joy of the small day, the small bag, and the big smiles that go with it.

I have had, in particular, great experiences walking-up grouse and snipe on English and Scottish moors. For wing shooting satisfaction, there is very little to beat it (provided you’re reasonably fit). But perhaps my favourite sport and recreation now is going to see my pals in Northern Ireland. It’s the craic, they’d say, and I really do love it too. Before you even consider the fabulous sporting potential for shooting or fishing both sides of the border, the people are still so friendly. It’s human. And, the Guiness really does taste better! It is almost as if the clock is turned back there to a happier and more innocent age.