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Fish and Game

Fish and Game

Written by: SideCountry Network
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A SideCountry Network podcast about British fishing, shooting, hunting, wild food, working dogs and life in the field.

Presented by Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf.

Fish and Game:
https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/fish-and-game/

Presenters:
Avian Sandercock: https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/avian-sandercock/
Sam Turner: https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/sam-turner/
Jake Woolf: https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/jake-woolf/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fishandgamepodcast/


More from SideCountry:
https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/

Support SideCountry:
https://www.patreon.com/c/SideCountryNetworkSideCountry Network with Sandercock, Turner and Woolf Art Cooking Food & Wine
Episodes
  • The Gentlemen: Shooting, Etiquette and CGI Ducks

    The Gentlemen: Shooting, Etiquette and CGI Ducks
    Sep 30 2026
    What does The Gentlemen actually get right about a driven shoot?

    Season two of Guy Ritchie's Netflix series opens with a grand shooting party at the Horniman family estate. There are aristocrats, international guests, matching guns, loaders, helicopters, business deals and some fairly questionable CGI birds.

    Spoiler warning: this episode discusses the opening episode of season two of The Gentlemen.

    But if this was your first glimpse of driven game shooting, how much of it resembles the real thing?Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner go through the shoot scene and separate the television flourishes from the surprisingly authentic bits.

    They look at why shoot days are such social occasions, the difference between an invitation from a mate and the shooting equivalent of a corporate box, and why the gamekeeper remains in charge regardless of how wealthy or important the Guns might be.

    There is also etiquette, loaders, picking-up teams, gun choice, hot pegs, the final bag and what someone going on their first driven day should actually expect.

    And because a Guy Ritchie crime drama cannot be allowed to pass without consequences, Sam finishes with a quiz asking Jake and Avian to distinguish between varieties of pheasant and varieties of weed.


    In this episode:
    • What The Gentlemen gets right about driven shooting
    • What television inevitably gets wrong
    • Why a shoot day is about more than pulling the trigger
    • Invitations, networking and the shooting equivalent of a corporate box
    • Why the gamekeeper runs the day
    • Shoot etiquette and knowing how to behave
    • Guns, loaders and picking-up teams
    • Greedy shooting and sporting behaviour
    • What happens at the end of a driven day
    • What to expect from your first shoot
    • Why syndicates can be a good way into game shooting
    • CGI birds and suspiciously summery shoot days
    • Weed or pheasant?
    Useful links:
    • Netflix: The Gentlemen
    • The Code of Good Shooting Practice
    • SideCountry
    Please note: If you are new to game shooting, seek appropriate instruction, listen carefully to the shoot briefing and always follow current firearms law and safety guidance.

    Part of the SideCountry Network.

    DISCLAIMER
    Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.
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    33 mins
  • Partridge, Pear Trees and Small Bores

    Partridge, Pear Trees and Small Bores
    Sep 16 2026
    What makes the grey partridge so special, and why is its French cousin now a far more familiar sight on British shoots?

    JOIN THE PATREON HERE: https://sidecountry.co.uk/support

    With the partridge season underway, Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner take a look at one of Britain's classic game birds.

    Jake has already been lucky enough to shoot both red-legged and wild grey partridge this season, which leads into the differences between the two birds, why grey numbers declined so dramatically and the habitat and predator management required to restore wild populations.

    They also get into the shooting itself, including walked-up versus driven partridge, why they somehow appear faster than pheasants, identifying greys and red-legs on the wing, and the particular challenge and privilege of shooting a sustainable surplus of wild English birds.

    Then there are cartridges, small-bore guns, early season shooting in shirt sleeves and Jake briefly believing he had mastered the .410 before normal service quickly resumed.

    Finally, they turn to the table and ask whether young partridge might actually be one of the finest game birds to eat.

    In this episode:
    • Grey versus red-legged partridge
    • Why red-legs are known as French partridge
    • The decline and conservation of the wild grey
    • Habitat, chick food and predator management
    • What a covey is
    • Walked-up and driven partridge shooting
    • Why partridge can be deceptively difficult to hit
    • Identifying quarry before taking a shot
    • 12-bores, 20-bores, 28-bores and .410s
    • Steel cartridges and lighter early season loads
    • Why the season begins on 1 September
    • Why partridge deserves a place on the dinner table
    Useful links:
    • BASC: Shooting seasons
    • Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust: Conserving the grey partridge
    • GWCT: Partridge Count Scheme

    Please note: Grey and red-legged partridge seasons and regulations vary across the UK. Wild greys should only be shot where monitoring shows a sustainable surplus. Always follow current legislation and the instructions given at the shoot briefing.

    Part of the SideCountry Network.

    DISCLAIMER
    Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Deer, Deer Everywhere

    Deer, Deer Everywhere
    Sep 23 2026
    What exactly counts as a British deer?Is it a red stag on a whisky bottle, a muntjac standing beside the A11, or a Chinese water deer that appears to have grown a pair of fangs?Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner take a look at the six species of deer living wild in Britain, with Sam bringing some first-hand experience from farming red deer.They work through red, roe, fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer, including where they came from, where you are likely to find them and the surprisingly complicated business of what to call males, females and young.Then the conversation turns to deer management. Why have numbers and ranges increased so much? What happens when neighbouring landowners take completely different approaches? And how do forestry, farming, road collisions and sporting management all fit together?Sam explains how management works on deer farms and in the Highlands, while the three discuss the differences between managing deer for sport, controlling numbers and producing healthy animals for the food chain.There is also the curious economics of venison, why wild deer can sometimes be worth surprisingly little at carcass level, some very straightforward ideas for cooking it, and a final test of whether Jake and Sam can tell the difference between a deer term and a medieval insult.In this episode:
    • The six species of wild deer found in Britain
    • Red and roe deer, our two native species
    • Fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer
    • Roe deer and delayed implantation
    • Why muntjac seem to be everywhere
    • Stags, bucks, hinds, does, calves, kids and fawns
    • Why deer numbers and ranges have increased
    • Deer damage to woodland, crops and new planting
    • Deer and road traffic collisions
    • Highland versus lowland deer management
    • The importance of managing females as well as males
    • Farmed deer and wild deer
    • The changing market for British venison
    • Simple ways to cook venison
    • Deer terms or medieval insults
    Useful links:
    • British Deer Society: UK deer species
    • British Deer Society: Why manage deer?
    • British Deer Society: Deer open seasons
    • British Deer Society: Venison
    • GOV.UK: Deer impacts policy statement for England
    • SideCountry
    Please note: Deer seasons, legislation and management requirements vary across the UK and can change. Always check current guidance for the species and location concerned before carrying out deer management.Part of the SideCountry Network.

    DISCLAIMER
    Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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