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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:...
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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/SideCountryNetwork
show less
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/SideCountryNetwork
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
16 SEP 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, https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/jake-woolf/, https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/avian-sandercock/ and https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/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:
- https://basc.org.uk/shooting-seasons/
- https://gwct.org.uk/advisory/guides/conserving-the-grey-partridge/
- https://www.gwct.org.uk/advisory/guides/conserving-the-grey-partridge/conservation-targets-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 https://sidecountry.co.uk/. 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.
9 SEP 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?
https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/jake-woolf/, https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/avian-sandercock/ and https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/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:
- https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-rod-fishing-byelaws-for-england-freshwater-fishing-with-a-rod-and-line
- https://fms.scot/catch-and-release/
- https://www.gov.scot/policies/salmon-and-recreational-fisheries/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 https://sidecountry.co.uk/ 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.
2 SEP 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?
https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/jake-woolf/, https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/avian-sandercock/ and https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/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
- https://basc.org.uk/wildfowling/
- https://basc.org.uk/wildfowling/permits/
- https://basc.org.uk/game-shooting/what-can-you-shoot/
- https://www.gov.uk/hunting
- https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/our-business/marine/wildfowling
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 https://sidecountry.co.uk/ 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.
28 AUG 2026 · What connects baking sourdough, climbing mountains, keeping chickens, deer stalking, forestry, fishing, farming and knowing how to sharpen a chainsaw?
In this episode - broqadcast across every show on the SideCountry Network - Richard Prideaux and George Browne attempt to explain what SideCountry actually is, why it was built, and where the network is heading.
They start with George’s idea of the “sourdough pipeline”: the idea that apparently unrelated countryside interests are often connected by the same desire to learn, make, understand and do things for yourself.
From there, they look at how SideCountry brings those worlds together - not as one enormous general-interest podcast, but as a network of shows, articles, films and resources covering different parts of life in the British countryside.
They also explain why SideCountry aims to occupy some of the ground between the usual rural tribes and echo chambers; bringing farmers, foresters, anglers, shooters, walkers, conservationists, climbers and others into the same wider conversation without insisting that every subject needs a simple good-versus-bad answer.
Richard and George discuss plans to establish SideCountry as a Community Interest Company, how the project will be funded, why commercial income will be reinvested into the network, and the importance of maintaining editorial independence.
There is also a look at what’s already here - https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/sidecountry-podcast/, https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/countryslide/ and https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/fish-and-game/ - and some of what is coming next, including Wild Food People, a forestry show, How the Countryside Works and Land Girls, alongside articles, gear guides, practical resources and films.
Plus drive-by agronomy, aggressive protein acquisition, Kevlar kilts, Heath Robinson smokers, professional explaining and the continuing possibility of a company yacht.
This episode is being published across the SideCountry podcast feeds as an introduction to the wider network.Find out more, https://sidecountry.co.uk/newsletter-signup/ or get involved athttps://sidecountry.co.uk/
CreditsPresented by George Browne and Richard Prideaux
Produced and edited for SideCountry by Amy Green. 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.
26 AUG 2026 · What are you actually supposed to wear for a day in the field?
https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/jake-woolf/, https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/avian-sandercock/ and https://sidecountry.co.uk/people/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
- https://www.fishandfly.com/matching-the-hatch-by-pat-oreilly/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_M._Halford
- https://chalkstreamfishing.co.uk/river-test-fishing/
- https://www.barbour.com/
- https://dubarry.com/
- https://www.gore-tex.com/
Part of thehttps://sidecountry.co.uk/ 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.
18 AUG 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.
https://www.dawnraider.com/
https://sidecountry.co.uk/shows/fish-and-game/
https://www.instagram.com/fishandgamepodcast/
https://sidecountry.co.uk/ 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.
11 AUG 2026 · The season begins with British bluefin tuna, breeding woodcock in Cornwall and three very different shooting calendars. In the first full episode of Fish & Game, Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf set out their plans – and rather smaller personal ambitions – for the months ahead.
Sam wants to tackle Atlantic bluefin tuna off the South West coast, prompting a look at the boats, tackle and controlled fishery behind one of Britain’s most remarkable sporting recoveries. Jake is preparing for the opening of the partridge season at Warter Priory and a walked-up gundog training day, while Avian hopes to investigate reports of woodcock breeding close to his Cornish farm shoot.
There is also the proper place of elevenses in a shoot day, fried partridge and pheasant, forgotten wellies, a prospective 20-bore over-and-under, barefoot boots, beginner fly rods and the hosts’ continuing move towards non-lead ammunition. It is an opening look at the fishing, shooting, dogs, food and field adventures Fish & Game will follow through the season – with several promising rabbit holes already waiting.
In this episode
– Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing in British waters
– The tackle, boats and teamwork involved in targeting tuna
– Early-season shooting plans and Warter Priory
– Looking for breeding woodcock in Cornwall
– Why elevenses matters to the rhythm of a shoot day
– Fried game, venison and improving shoot-day food
– A 20-bore over-and-under and a first fly-fishing outfit
– Experiences with non-lead game cartridges
Links
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bluefin-tuna-bft-fisheries-in-2026
https://www.gwct.org.uk/game/2023-breeding-woodcock-survey/
https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/woodcock
https://warterpriory.com/
https://www.justcartridges.com/product/blue-12ga-2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Lynher
Presented by Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf.
Edited by Avian Sandercock.
Produced for SideCountry by Richard Prideaux. 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.
11 AUG 2026 · Meet the Hosts of Fish and Game! - Fishing, Shooting and What to Expect from Fish and Game
Short summary
SideCountry founder Richard Prideaux introduces Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf. They compare their fishing and shooting backgrounds, explain what has brought them together and set out a podcast built around learning, community, conservation and getting more people into the countryside.
Episode description
Meet Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf, the three hosts of Fish and Game, as SideCountry founder Richard Prideaux asks how they came to fishing, shooting and the countryside - and what they intend to do with a podcast.
Avian talks about his Cornish roots, lifelong fishing and the small club shoot that brings his local community together.
Sam explains how farming, fly-fishing, clay coaching and simulated game days fit into his working life.
Jake traces a route from falconry and gundogs to shooting at Branches Park, KuduRiver Gundogs and the TWENTY10 Club.
Along the way, the three give an honest assessment of their fly-fishing ability (or inability) and discover that enthusiasm may be more useful than elegance.
This short introduction sets out the ground Fish and Game intends to cover: coarse, game and sea fishing; driven and walked-up shooting; deer stalking; gundogs; falconry; conservation; habitat and land management. More importantly, it explains the spirit of the show - breaking down unfamiliar language and barriers to entry, learning in public and showing the people, places and work that surround a day in the field or on the water.
In this episode
- Who Avian, Sam and Jake are, and the parts of Britain they call home
- Their very different histories with fly-fishing, coarse fishing and sea angling
- Why fishing and catching fish are not necessarily the same activity
- The overlap between fishing, shooting, food, conservation and land management
- The importance of community in club shoots, sim days and days on the river
- Jake's route from falconry and gundogs to KuduRiver and TWENTY10
- How Fish and Game plans to explain terminology and make unfamiliar sports easier to approach
Presented by Avian Sandercock, Sam Turner and Jake Woolf, with Richard Prideaux.
Edited by Avian Sandercock.
Produced for SideCountry by Amy Green. 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.
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:...
show more
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/SideCountryNetwork
show less
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/SideCountryNetwork
Information
| Author | The SideCountry Network |
| Organization | SideCountry Network |
| Categories | Wilderness , Hobbies , Food |
| Website | sidecountry.co.uk |
| fishandgame@sidecountry.co.uk |
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