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. Ifthe 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 
