142 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



Never haul with the breeching-ropes, not because they would 

 not serve well for the job, but because they are for taking the 

 recoil of the big gun ; and let this be their only and proper 

 purpose. If the practice of using the breeching to haul the 

 punt with becomes general, the day is almost sure to arrive 

 when the gun is loosely laid to her ropes, and on firing she will 

 unduly fly back and, possibly, give you a nasty knock. We 

 have known an instance of this kind actually occur ; the 

 unfortunate party still carries a loose tooth in his head to 

 remind him of it to this day. 



In mooring a punt, much depends upon the position to be 

 taken up with regard to how the work should be done. Places 

 and quarters vary. If the punt can be easily dragged ashore, 

 it is always well to do so, in preference to mooring her. If 

 the punt has to be moored in a channel with a run up and a 

 run down in it, the best plan is to fasten a rope fairly slack 

 across the channel. Attach a rope to the centre, and to the 

 other end moor the nose of the punt. To the towing shackle 

 aft of the punt, hook on the grapnel line, and cast the grapnel 

 down-stream. On the run down or ebb the punt will ride 

 to the cross rope. On the run up or flow the punt will ride to 

 her little anchor. In both cases she can rise and fall with the 

 tide and keep in the centre of the stream. 



When the weather is windy, the working of a punt even in 

 shallows is very unsatisfactory, and, unless the birds are 

 weather-beaten and tired, it is well-nigh impossible to attain 

 success. Besides, it is always unpleasant to punt-shoot in 

 a wind. The only places on tidal grounds where punting can 

 be done during high winds are the deep and sheltered creeks at 

 low tide. Most fowlers find it better to wait for a lull before 

 setting afloat. During the time of waiting for real fowling 

 weather, the gunners can often find sport with shoulder guns 

 ashore. When it is too rough to set the punt afloat, there is 

 always the chance of a shot at ducks flying the coast-line, or 



