BenB
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Saturday - out training with Mike and HarleyThought i would post about a day out doing some training with Mike and Harley - partly because it was really good fun and partly because it shows how good this website is for getting likeminded people in the same field.
Mike's planned arrival at 9am on Saturday was slightly delayed because the GPS sent him on a tour of the villages of Gloucestershire but after a speedy cup of coffee we headed out onto the farm.
i haven't had a chance to do some proper training since the end of the shooting season so knew that Teasel was going to be rusty.
It was pretty windy on Saturday and the first piece we tackled had a back wind that then turned 90 degrees and then spent the day confusing us.
Teasel went first and flushed a woodcock although it flew before it was properly pointed. 20 yards further on she indicated and another woodcock lifted before a staunch point could be made. Was very pleased that she sat to the flush both times though.
As the wood thinned out we swapped over and Harley methodically covered the ground, had a quick run on a hare and then settled down. As he was quartering he suddenly went steaming beyond his usual pattern and worked out a really tricky pheasant well out to the right in a ridiculous swirling wind. He was steady - flushed it and sat beautifully.
The next couple of patches were empty and so we headed to some clumps of trees surrounded by long grass in the middle of the fields. These patches always seem to hold a bird or two so it was no surprise that Harley was quickly onto a lone pheasant. Another nice point and flush and then Teasel copied and hit a rock solid point on a hen bird.
The wind was strong enough for the dogs to run on the downwind side of these strips and then charge in when they picked the scent up. We went on and Harley held a fantastic point on 5 pheasants in a clump.
After a pint and a sandwich we did some retrieving practice - or rather Harley did whilst Teasel ran round in circles steadfastly ignoring the dummies. Good job she likes the real thing!
A top day out and always good to have someone elses opinions rather than just continuing with bad habits etc.
Cheers
Ben
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Claire
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Sounds like a great day. Good to hear all about it  Its great when you've got someone to meet up with and do a spot of training, I personally find it a huge help as opposed to constantly training on your todd.
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Helen
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Sounds like you had a good day and both dogs did well  Agree with Claire, it's nice to train with someone as you do get a different viewpoint as well.
Helen
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Mike
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Thanks for that Ben, had a lovely day out. I really enjoyed watching Teasel work, as always As you say very good to get someone elses input. Whilst you have painted a lovely picture of Harleys performance his steadiness is still iffy but hopefully plenty more long points and lengthy sits after the flush will convince him to stay still! You also failed to mention his agonisingly slow water retrieve in the meadow.....although to be fair he did complete it 
As for the GPS, never rely on just the postcode!!! I spent a good hour and a half chatting to people in a hamlet 12 miles from where Ben lives, nice people but strangely they had never heard of him!!!!!
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