58 T)uck~shooting in Wermlandy Six: e den. 



whole tenor of our lives should not flow on as smoothly as the 

 hours we spend in these lonely, out-of-the-way spots. 



When we shoot this ground we have a goodish deal of water to 

 row over j so, as we ah^-ays hang a swivel out behind f he boat, we 

 are certain of a dish of fried pike or perch, or, it may happen, even 

 a pike-perch (the sander) — respecting which there was a discussion 

 some short time back — to our suppers. However, as this is uncer- 

 tain ground, and very heavy work both to get to if, as well as shoot 

 it, I do not go here half so often as to my other more favourite place, 

 which I will now try and describe. 



Imagine a river about 200 yards across, backed by magnificent 

 forest scenery on either hand, on one side of which the ground is 

 partly cultivated, but on the other one unbroken swampy meadow, 

 an English mile broad, stretches for about four English miles, 

 bounded towards the river by a bed of flags and bulrushes, along 

 its whole extent, in many places three-quarters of an English mile 

 across, and some idea will be formed of a Swedish duck and snipe 

 ground. I can fancy an old fen-man standing on the deck of one 

 of the litde steamers which ply up and down this river, catching 

 sight of this swamp, and if his first exclamation was not, " What a 

 magnificent place for a decoy !" I'll never again place faith in early 

 association. And he would not be far wrong either, for if you can 

 only get a windy day and highish water, so that you can sprit your 

 punt quietly through the reeds witliout the birds hearing you too 

 soon, I'll back a good man to have such a day's sport here on duck 

 in the middle of August as he wont forget in a hurry. He can 

 wade in many parts of this ground 5 and the man who wades will 

 always beat the man in a boat. 



Water-boots are of little use far out in the rushes, for the bottom 

 is uneven, and I don't think I ever remember a single day on this 

 ground, when I really waded, even in good boots, that I came out 

 of the rushes dry. Still, if a man only keeps on the edges whert 

 he can see and feel the bottom well, a pair of water-boots towards 

 the end of September, when the water gets cold and the evenings 

 chilly, are very comfortable, especially in flight-shooting j and if 



