The amount of young salmon leaving the River Frome is the highest in eight years, with numbers up by 40 per cent in 2020 on the 10-year average. However, the Fisheries Research Review from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), which detailed the numbers, also warned that climate change is having an impact on them. According to the latest figures, an estimated 13,062 salmon smolts left the River Frome, showing signs of hope for their long-term future in Dorset’s River Frome. Time will tell how many of these fish return to the river from the North Atlantic in 2021 ...

A new scientific paper into the social, mental and wellbeing attributes of those who participate in game shooting has been highlighted as significant by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC). The new paper, published in the journal Ageing & Society, concludes that participation in shooting and shooting-related activities, such as beating and picking-up, results in a significantly better mental wellbeing than the national average. The findings are derived from a PhD Thesis undertaken at the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact at the University of Northampton. Items that scored high included reduced loneliness, strong identity a sense ...

The Glorious Twelfth – the start of the grouse season in the UK – begins today (August 12th), with other game including partridge and wild duck coming in soon. To celebrate, Wild and Game, the Bristol-based company selling wild game across the UK via its website and retail stockists, has released four easy game recipes and more information why eating game is such a good food and lifestyle choice. Wild game is free from the hormones and other additives found in some farmed meats. These birds and animals are free to roam and forage naturally, resulting ...

Some people are entrenched in the history of The Game Fair and few more so than renowned fly angler (not to mention artist and author) Charles Jardine who stepped down from the Casting Pool platform at the end of this year’s show. After 38 years of fly-casting demonstrations, Charles has decided to move aside and encourage younger blood into the arena. He won’t be leaving The Game Fair scene entirely – he will continue to have a presence at The Game Fair with his charities Fishing For Schools and Castaway (the latter launched during the weekend) ...

Key UK rural organisations launched a formal partnership to promote the many conservation and community benefits that make the countryside a better place for all to enjoy. The launch of ‘Aim to Sustain’ was revealed at The Game Fair last Friday and the partnership highlight the crucial role that sustainable game shooting plays in delivering biodiversity net gain through preserving and protecting cherished rural landscapes and a tremendous array of wildlife. It will also focus on showcasing the contribution that game management makes to sustaining rural communities, providing high quality food and making the countryside a place that visitors ...

The Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, proved to be a roaring success as it made a spectacular return for 2021. To almost universal acclaim from exhibitors, sponsors and a staggering 119,378 visitors alike, the event became a true celebration of a return to some form of normality. Exhibitors revelled in the opportunity to meet customers face to face, many for the first time in almost 18 months, while visitors couldn’t get enough of the chance to get hands on with the latest products, clothing, jewellery, art and much more, not to mention sampling some amazing ...

The Game Fair experienced the busiest ever opening day in its 62-year history, bringing a total of 119,378 people across all three days back together safely to enjoy the festival of the Great British countryside once again. Following ‘Freedom Day’, The Game Fair was the first large-scale event in Britain. Despite forecasts of thunderstorms and torrential rain for Saturday and Sunday, but the weather was perfect, encouraging many visitors to stay until closing time on Sunday evening. Among them were passionate countryside enthusiasts who return year after year to enjoy top-level shooting; the best gundog competitions ...

Tarmac is proud to be sponsoring this year’s Game Fair Show Garden. The theme for the garden is ‘smart’, which will incorporate several different perspectives including the integration of smart modern technology into the garden environment, intelligent design that mitigates the effects of a changing climate, making more efficient use of limited space to produce fruit and vegetables, as well as designing a garden that has ecological friendliness and sustainability at its heart. The garden has been designed by students from Pershore College, renowned nationally as a centre of horticultural excellence, and Moreton Morrell College, Warwickshire’s ...

Best Fox Call K735 Manufacturers and retailers of tried and tested calls and accessories for fox shooters and deer stalkers. ICOtec Electronic Callers & Decoys, Mjoelner Quad Sticks and Accessories& ViperFlex Quad Sticks, SniperHog Torches and the NEW Harpsoe Sweden – Safety Gun Strap – plus a wide selection of mouth calls for fox and deer. Spent Shells K735 Spent shells is an eco gift company producing a range of sustainable by-product gifts for you and your home. From feather baubles to cartridge cufflinks we provide quality items reusing items from the field. Commissions are ...

The excitement is reaching fever pitch as the stars align for this year’s Game Fair at Ragley Hall – and the team is ready to welcome you next week for an unforgettable event. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirming that almost all restrictions will be lifted in England from Monday as Phase Four of the Roadmap To Recovery gets the green light, it’s time to unlock the potential of the festival of the great British countryside. As one of the few shows to be taking place this summer, the stage is set for a bumper ...

As well as being managing director GMK, the largest distributor of civilian shooting brands in the UK, Karl Waktare has been involved with decision-making and ideas at the highest level of the industry for many years. Indeed, the Waktare family has been a hugely influential part of the gun trade for decades. Karl said: “This is a special year for GMK as we celebrate our 50th year in business. And what a peculiar year it has been. “Shackled for the first three months followed by a massive bounce back ever since; there seems to be a determination ...

One of the biggest celebrations of angling, National Fishing Month, kicks off once again at The Game Fair next week From Friday, July 23rd until August 30th, National Fishing Month will see hundreds of events at fisheries, on rivers and canals up and down the country, for everyone to get involved in. The initiative is organised and overseen by the Angling Trades Association and designed to get people – youngsters, individuals and whole families – to try or return to the sport as well as explain the important economic, social, health and environmental roles that fishing ...

The latest addition to the Peachy Belts range is a detachable fish buckle, which will be on view at The Game Fair. Peachy Belts has previously impressed fieldsports customers with a cartridge belt buckle and many more designs to complement its luxurious Italian leather belts, all designed and handmade in England. Peachy Belts’ Zoe Gibson explained: “This year I have been rather inspired by well-known angler Marina Gibson and her ongoing support of the belt and buckles, and so have produced a fish buckle.” The company also offers a wide selection of other exclusive detachable buckles ...

For a successful day in the field, let’s get your 4x4 working to its full potential! Even if you have chosen the right vehicle for your needs, it’s choosing the correct tyres that will get your 4×4 over any terrain that lies ahead. BASC’s 4×4 and SUV Tyre Partner, General Tire, offers you the top 10 things to consider on the field: 1. Choosing the right type of tread pattern for the terrain you’re driving on ensures you get the best possible grip for terrain you are traversing on. The options are a road, all-terrain ...

We’ve all had enough of Covid… Enough of restrictions… Enough of masks and enough of checking in where-ever we go… But at Stand K735, BestFoxCall would like to invite you to “check in” one more time… Visit the BestFoxCall stand at The Game Fair and using your phone, “check in” using the QR Code on the stand – this will take you to our website where you can enter to win a fully programmed, ICOtec GC500 Hellion Caller and AD450 Decoy worth over £250. Says Rob Crampton, Director of BestFoxCall, “It’s been a tough 18 months ...

Game Fair exhibitor and demonstrator Scott Mackenzie has unveiled a special three-day fishing and casting course, in response to demand. Scott, who will be showcasing his Spey casting skills on the dedicated Casting Pool in the Fishing Village as well as selling his own range of rods and tackle, has been running courses for more than 18 years. Now, for the first time, he is offering a unique package to those wishing to fine-tune their fishing and casting. The three-day package includes accommodation at the beautiful Holm Lodge, Ness-side, a private chef providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, ...

More than 2,000 schoolchildren were treated to an upland educational experience during this year’s Let’s Learn Moor events. Talks and interactive presentations were provided by those who live and work in the uplands including gamekeepers, farmers, conservationists, local organisations and the emergency services. Now in its fifth year the project continues to offer local schools an unrivalled, free outdoor education experience. Taking place over five days at seven upland locations this was the largest and most successful Let’s Learn Moor to date. The events were organised by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and ...

After months of teasers, Game Fair visitors will get their first look at the INEOS Grenadier 4x4, which has just revealed its purpose-built interior. Designer Toby Ecuyer took his interior inspiration from future Grenadier owners – the vehicle will be officially launched next year – who would be using it day in, day out. He knew it needed to be hard-wearing, practical and simple – a tool to be used in different ways, by different people. So what’s inside? Firstly, everything is here, by design. Any unnecessary electronics have been stripped out, in favour of analogue ...

Savile Row Sporting Tailor is the bespoke tailoring firm of Andrew Granger with roots firmly grounded in the history and traditions of the world of Savile Row handed down ‘on the cutting table and sewing bench.’ Andrew learnt his trade as an apprentice tailor under the watchful eye of his father John Granger, master tailor and owner of Walter Norton & Sons on Savile Row, which was established in 1821 – which means the business has 200 years of experience and know-how. For two centuries, the business has dressed ‘the great and the good’ and counts among its ...