Holiday weekend II

The boys had decided that now we know how Matt's Green Pond shoots, we would be able to place a maimai with optimum shooting conditions to the fore. We'd decided to use a Paul Stenning special, a simple open topped affair nicely dug in with natural camo.

We arrived at Matt's and got our act together, a quick measure and Tony left Matt, Chewie and I to do site preps, while he constructed the foot well for the dug in blind.

The site

Foot well

It took us about an hour to dig our pit 3m long by 68cm wide by 50cm deep. Then we had to get the foot well across. Needing more nautical adventure (my back still hurt from yesterday's pounding at the hands of the sea) we decided to float the well across in the leakiest dinghy known to man.

It actually worked, saving us both time and effort. A bit of re-shaping of the hole was required and we dropped the well into place. Perfectly level too! (A bit of luck involved I think).

Meanwhile, Tony was making the seat. We boated that across too, and put it in place.

After nailing the seat down, Tony's girls and Matt's wife Gina set to painting the seat, floor and foot well, while the boys began to dig up rushes which would provide front cover.

We rolled back the grass matt we'd pulled up to give natural cover and soon it was looking pretty good.

By the 3 hour mark we were pretty much complete, including having watered the transplanted flora.

Spot the maimai

When the grass grows up it'll be virtually completely concealed from all but a directly overhead perspective.

We retired to HQ for a barbecue of Chewies special sauasages, Gina's couscous and broccoli salads, some confit pheasant legs and marinated venison. And a few beers.

Bloody good effort and I think the results will be better than shooting from layout blinds with the additional mobility the new maimai will afford.