Foxglove

You have to know your land here, not just to avoid a wetting but a drowning. Grey clouds mirror the grey water, and a light drizzle follows us.

We move away in ones and twos, dressed for bitter cold and soaking wet; though we are neither yet, we soon will be. This is one area in country sports where modern fabrics and materials have given us protective clothing far superior to the traditional, and where discoveries made in the development of space travel have been taken up in the field.

In other disciplines there is still nothing to touch wool tweed and silk, but here, where we will be still rather than moving, we do not need the wicking properties of natural fibres.

We take up our stands, some of us setting up hides and others relying on natural cover. Dogs wait with barely-contained excitement, but their training to be still is vital. This is the job for a labrador or a big spaniel, big enough to carry a goose, well-covered enough to stand the cold of waiting, fit enough to do a hard job.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette January 30