Show Notes
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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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.