Episodes

  • So You Want to Get Into Country Sports?

    So You Want to Get Into Country Sports?
    Oct 7 2026
    How do you get into country sports when you didn't grow up around them?

    Listener James has recently moved from a major city to rural Wales with his young family. He wants to get involved in country life but has no shooting or fishing background and nobody locally to show him the ropes. So where do you start? Apply for a shotgun certificate? Buy a fishing rod? Book a shoot day? Join an organisation? Or simply find somebody who knows what they're doing?

    Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner reckon the answer is much simpler: don't rush out and buy all the kit. Go beating.

    They explain what a beating line actually does, how to find a local shoot, what you need for your first day and why listening to the keeper and watching the people either side of you is considerably more useful than trying to learn all the lingo beforehand.

    But beating is also about much more than moving birds towards a line of Guns. For somebody new to an area, it can provide an instant community and a route into dogs, clays, game shooting, pigeon shooting, fishing and the wider rural world. It can also involve flags, radios, sausage rolls, chocolate-based bribery and, apparently, free sloe gin from 9.30 in the morning.

    There are also stories of children disappearing into bogs, beaters quietly starting to support the pheasant after enough Guns have missed it, and the particular satisfaction of coming home wet, tired and covered in brambles after a day spent outside with good people.

    And, as James has now proved, they really do read the emails.

    In this episode:
    • How to get into country sports when you have no previous experience
    • Why you probably shouldn't buy a gun or fishing rod straight away
    • Why beating is one of the easiest ways into the shooting world
    • What a beater actually does
    • How to find a local shoot and introduce yourself
    • What to wear and what to take on your first day
    • Understanding the beating line and listening to the keeper
    • Taking children and family along
    • Beaters' Day and getting your first experience on the gun line
    • How beating can lead to dogs, clays, pigeon shooting and other country sports
    • Why chocolate, sausage rolls and port can make you surprisingly popular
    • The social side of joining a shoot
    • Favourite memories from the beating line
    Useful links:

    - BASC: Beating
    - Fish and Game: From Zero to Salmon - sort of
    - 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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    36 mins
  • 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.
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    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.
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    42 mins
  • From Zero to Salmon - sort of.

    From Zero to Salmon - sort of.
    Sep 9 2026
    What exactly is fly-fishing?

    Is it the refined art of matching the hatch and delicately presenting an artificial fly to a feeding fish - or is it simply “fluff chucking”: standing beside a body of water, waving a rod around and hoping the fish do not laugh at you?

    Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner attempt to get to the bottom of it after Jake has won himself three days of salmon and sea-trout fishing in Scotland.There is only one slight problem: he hasnever really fly-fished before. So Sam and Avian are attempting to give him a crash course in the sport, covering what a fly rod actually does, dry flies and nymphs, matching the hatch, rods, reels, leaders, casting and the difference between trout and salmon fishing. They also get into why people become so obsessed with it: the escape, the challenge, the satisfaction of a perfect cast and the strange appeal of deliberately making catching a fish more difficult.

    Jake discovers that his salmon trip will involve bigger rivers, bigger rods and Spey casting, while Sam and Avian explain why a few lessons on a small trout lake may be a better starting point than heading straight for Scotland.There is also Jake’s plan to make fishing a family pursuit - with the added possibility that getting Mrs Woolf interested may make future permissions considerably easier.

    Plus sucky fish, Shakespearean nymphs, casts that sound like horse whips, cupboards full of unnecessary tackle and Avian’s ever-present sage advice.

    In this episode:
    • What fly-fishing is and how the cast works
    • Dry flies, nymphs and matching the hatch
    • Why fly-fishing feels more like hunting
    • The difference between trout and salmon fishing
    • Rods, reels, lines, leaders and basic beginner kit
    • Why timing matters more than strength when casting
    • Overhead casting and Spey casting explained
    • Where beginners should go to learn
    • Why a good instructor can save a lot of frustration
    • Getting children and families involved
    • Why you probably do not need to buy quite as much tackle as you think
    This is just the beginning of Jake’s journey from complete beginner to salmon fishing in Scotland.

    Useful links:
    • GOV.UK — Rod fishing licences
    • GOV.UK — National rod fishing byelaws
    • Fisheries Management Scotland — Catch and release guidance
    • Scottish Government — Wild salmon conservation
    Please note: Fishing licence and permit requirements, close seasons, catch-and-release rules and salmon conservation measures vary between countries, rivers and individual fisheries and can change. Always check the current rules for the water you intend to fish.

    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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    47 mins
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Wildfowling

    A Beginner’s Guide to Wildfowling
    Sep 2 2026
    What exactly counts as wildfowling?
    Is it any pursuit of wild ducks and geese, or does it only become wildfowling once you are cold, wet, deep in estuary mud and questioning your life choices?

    Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner attempt to get to the bottom of one of Britain’s oldest and most demanding forms of shooting.

    They look at the traditional world of foreshore wildfowling: early starts, evening flights, shifting tides, slippery mud, quarry identification and the importance of joining a club whose members know how to get safely onto and off the marsh.

    The conversation also covers the dogs, guns, cartridges, calls, decoys and clothing involved; why a synthetic semi-automatic may be more useful than Grandfather’s best gun; and whether a muddy Labrador is easier to clean than a spaniel.

    There is also a look back at the formidable punt guns once used by commercial wildfowlers, before attention turns to the most important question of all: what should you do with a duck or goose once you have brought it home?

    Plus duck cooked over coals, smoked goose, wildfowl burgers, questionable jerky experiments, Teflon Labradors, baritone chickadees and the familiar suggestion that a badly cooked Canada goose may be less appetising than the brick beneath it.

    In this episode:
    • What wildfowling is — and whether mud is an essential part of the definition
    • Why traditional wildfowling is closely associated with marshes, estuaries and the foreshore
    • How clubs manage access, sporting rights, mentoring and local safety
    • The importance of understanding tides and learning an unfamiliar marsh from experienced members
    • Recognising legal quarry before taking a shot
    • Why Labradors are so closely associated with wildfowling
    • Calls, decoys and attracting ducks and geese
    • Why electronic bird calls cannot be used
    • Choosing a robust shotgun and suitable non-lead ammunition
    • Why an inexpensive synthetic semi-automatic may be a practical choice
    • The history and extraordinary scale of punt guns
    • Clothing, communications and emergency planning on the foreshore
    • Why newcomers should not venture onto unfamiliar tidal ground alone
    • Keeping both wildfowler and dog warm in difficult conditions
    • Cooking duck and goose over fire, in a wok, as burgers, smoked or made into charcuterie
    • Why Avian may finally have talked himself into trying wildfowling
    • BASC introduction to wildfowling
    • BASC wildfowling permits, handbook and code of practice
    • BASC guide to quarry species and open seasons
    • UK Government guidance on hunting and shooting wildlife
    • The Crown Estate — wildfowling and foreshore sporting rights
    Please note: Wildfowling law, quarry lists and local restrictions can change. Always check current government guidance and the rules of the club or land over which you are shooting.

    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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    36 mins
  • The Uniform of the Field

    The Uniform of the Field
    Aug 26 2026
    What are you actually supposed to wear for a day in the field?

    Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner work their way through the strange mixture of tradition, practicality and unwritten rules that governs sporting clothing.

    They start with driven shooting: tweed caps, ties, cravats, breeks, plus fours, shooting coats, estate tweeds and the question of whether matching tweed is smart or simply too much.

    From there they move onto fly fishing, where technical clothing, waders, polarised glasses and enormous pockets full of flies take over, before looking at stalking, camouflage and wildfowling.

    Along the way they ask whether function should come before fashion, why so many countryside traditions survive long after their original purpose has disappeared, and whether worrying about the “right” clothes risks putting newcomers off altogether.

    Plus inappropriate fishing shorts, the Chelsea life jacket, technical tweed, self-propelled Barbour jackets and why wildfowling in tweed is probably something you only try once.

    In this episode:
    • Why clothing and presentation still matter on a driven shooting day
    • Whether function should come before fashion in the field
    • Tweed caps, ties, cravats, breeks, plus fours and shooting coats
    • Why traditional shooting clothing developed the way it did
    • Estate tweeds, keeper uniforms and camouflage
    • Why clothing should not become a barrier for newcomers to shooting
    • What to wear for river and salmon fly fishing
    • Waders, fishing vests, fly boxes and polarised sunglasses
    • The idea of “matching the hatch” when choosing flies
    • Technical fabrics versus traditional outdoor clothing
    • Modern shooting clothing and the rise of technical tweed
    • Why women’s shooting clothing is finally becoming more practical
    • Clothing for lowland and hill deer stalking
    • Camouflage, concealment and breaking up the human outline
    • What to wear for wildfowling on the foreshore
    • The importance of staying warm, dry, windproof and able to move
    • Matching the Hatch by Pat O’Reilly — the fly-fishing guide mentioned by Avian
    • Frederic M. Halford — influential writer and pioneer of modern dry-fly fishing
    • River Test fishing — the Hampshire chalk stream discussed in the episode
    • Barbour — traditional waxed outdoor clothing
    • Dubarry of Ireland — country boots and outdoor clothing
    • GORE-TEX — waterproof and breathable technical fabrics
    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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    34 mins
  • Bitey Fish, Sucky Fish and Charter Boats

    Bitey Fish, Sucky Fish and Charter Boats
    Aug 18 2026
    What actually happens when you book a fishing charter — and how much do you need to know before stepping aboard?

    This week, Jake, Avian and Sam head to sea. Or, more accurately, Jake heads to Suffolk Yacht Harbour to meet charter skipper Garry Wicks, while Avian and Sam contribute varying degrees of useful knowledge from dry land.
    Garry has spent a lifetime around boats and fishing the waters off the Suffolk coast. From his boat Dawn Raider, he explains what a charter skipper actually does, why local knowledge can matter more than a fish finder, what complete beginners should expect, and how tides, wrecks and changing fish populations shape a day at sea.

    They also get into bass, spurdog, conger eels, smoothhounds and tuna; why fishing further offshore doesn't necessarily mean catching more fish; the realities of seasickness; what you should bring on your first charter; and why the skipper knowing a particular patch of sea is a large part of what you're paying for.

    Back in the studio, Avian recalls catching a 50lb conger eel off Cornwall, Sam reveals his surprisingly successful history as a mackerel fisherman, and Jake attempts to divide marine life into the scientifically rigorous categories of bitey fish and sucky fish.

    And then there are the important maritime questions: should you tip the skipper, why should you never take a banana on a fishing boat, and exactly what has the rabbit done wrong?

    Featuring Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner, with special guest Garry Wicks of Dawn Raider Charters.

    Produced by George Browne and edited by Avian Sandercock

    Part of the SideCountry network.

    Garry Wicks operates Dawn Raider from Levington Marina at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, offering river and inshore fishing trips from the Felixstowe area.

    Dawn Raider Charters

    Fish and Game Podcast

    Fish and Game on Instagram

    SideCountry Website



    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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    38 mins