First Time Flying Solo

[smithie 2,443]

as the title says this thread is about the first time i was out on my own. i was shown how to net by mr wilks and normaly we work as a team but this particular night i was going solo for the first time, and i was more than a we bit nervous.

mr wilks was not out for one reason or another so i just had to wait until i thought the time was right to go. dark week, black night and a we bit of drizzle. idealy a sw wind would do the job but i got south on this particular night and i wasn't complaining. unfortuantly as the night ticked away the rain was getting heavier and the wind was strong but i could not miss out so i went early.

i had agreed with a chap on a small holding that i would park on his land just below the bungalow as it would make it easier for me to get on his neighbours land were i was suposed to go. i was not to take the rabbits from the small holding as he likes them..

on parking up his mastif started to bark at me and the drop i wanted was near the dog, i decided it wasn't to be tonight and i should do the top field of the small holding insded A. it was close and B. it had more chance of a catch

i walked up his field and rolled mi fat boddy over a 5 bar gate trying not to make a noise and almost imediatly began to run the net out. end pin in and away i went, wind blowing from over the other side of the vally and putting a nice belly in mi net. this was helping no end and i was glad. the fact it was the first time out i had been worried incase i got a tangle and mr wilks was not there to pick up the pieces .

1st net ran out like a dream. it was a 50yd net and i followed that with a 25yd hand made net, all was going well. the next net was another 50yd sheet netting, but this time about 5 pegs in i could here something rustling behind me but i didn't have a bloody clue what it was but it sounded heavy/big. on the moors edge i suppose every noise you here and cant explain will seem to be of something big lol. anyway to cut a long story short the rest of the net flew out and i was walking the field in no time

i walked the field in slow trying to guess what the noise was but the heavens had opened and i was getting wet to the bone with my dpm jacket sticking to my arm and restricting my movement. picking up the pace a but i was tapping a hazzle stick on my welly now to make a bit of noise, collies at the next propery over had begun to bark as the noise must have been carrying on the wind but i did not mind, i was sure the land owner could not here me..

then i hered it..... a rabbit squeeling in the net. i wanted to run with excitment but i know better and that i must walk the field or ill miss some. i just walked briskly:) starting at one end i walked down the first net. it had caught so i killed that net off and IF i remember correctly i got nothing in the 25 yds and caught in the other 50yd net that i had put out first.. i caught 7 rabbits and i was as happy as a dog wi two dicks. the rain was bouncing and i was pissed through but i did not mind as that night i was best netter in that field even if i was the only one

picked the nets up a bit shit, that part did not go as well as i had hopped and i knew they would have to be run out again in daylight but all said and done if i was not already a netting freak i was after that..

Edited October 12, 2014 by smithie

[moxy 617]

Nice read that

[Tiercel 6,986]

Thats the way to do it. I can promise you it only gets better. There is nothing like working on your own. You never going to catch as many as a pair, but that does not matter. Seven rabbits from a drop is a dam good catch.

 

TC

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

That was lovely.....

[Mr Wilkes 2,972]

Nice write up Smithie..i remember the phone call the next day ..did they ever find that escaped Puma ?

[Longers7 720]

Great read mate, you must've been buzzing with the 7 you caught! Good on you for getting out on your own and doing a bit.

[Leeview 791]

Nice write up Smithie..i remember the phone call the next day ..did they ever find that escaped Puma ?

 

only its tail, after the grizzly bear had eaten it

Y.I.S Leeview

[smithie 2,443]

i should of said in original post that this wasnt a recent event.

 

i just cut/paste it to here as it makes me smile and i thought i would share

[Mick C. 229]

good read mate

 

Any one who can drag themselves out of a warm house and go netting alone is pretty keen

 

Nice one

[3175darren 1,100]

spot on well done,

[netrigger 568]

I enjoyed that

[sprockerjay 74]

Top read smithie very inspirational hats of to you forgetting out on your own cheers aidy

[Mr Goodcat 69]

Nice one Smithie. I remember the first time I went out on me jack jones, no matter how many times you run through the processes the experience was still different to the theory.

You ended up with a better catch than me and I didn't have any odd noise's as a distraction.;-)

 

Well done chap.

[smithie 2,443]

tbh I was luck and you can only catch what is in the field when you get their. I since been back and a few times I have seen badger in the fields surrounding were it did the drop.

 

I could easily of had my nets ripped to bits and that would of been my last solo outing

 

I don't net there now

Edited October 17, 2014 by smithie

[FERRETBOY 680]

Great read smithie. I remember the feeling I caught two rabbits from one 50yrs quickset when going by myself for the first time. the hedge I was netting could have been 150 -200 yards long so I picked somewhere around the middle. Didn't have anything until the last section of netting.

 

I would love the chance to go somewhere that has a good number of rabbits. Been reading a book called the Victorian poacher and he talks of 100 hares leaving a wood and getting 20 in the nets. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but imagine the places that hold such numbers.

 

Well done anyway pal.