Fieldsports is a glossy country sports and lifestyle bi-monthly magazine of unsurpassed quality and originality. With emphasis placed on game shooting and fishing - both in the UK and abroad - each issue delivers a large editorial package of beautifully designed pages of features, news, reviews, products and comment, all accompanied by world-class photography.
Stunning images
Meet the passionate team Fieldsports
William Pocklington
Editor
Having grown up in the Lincolnshire Wolds, Will has harboured a passion for all things countryside since a young age, spending much of his childhood in pigeon hides, grassy pastures with his ferrets or helping out on one of his local shoots. He has a particular interest in the benefits that our fieldsports bring to the environment. Will graduated from Harper Adams University with a degree in Countryside and Environmental Management, spending a year as assistant gamekeeper on an established north Lincolnshire estate as part of his course.
Matt Kidd
Features Editor
Matt is a very keen fly fisherman, who, having landed his first fish aged three at Manor Farm Fishery in Biggleswade, has grown to be passionate about all things fieldsports. Growing up by Grafham Water until his early teens, he was frequently able to satisfy his urge to fish, and competed at youth level around Europe for several years. For the past decade he has spent most of his time living in Devon, allowing him to fish for the challenging wild brownies on Dartmoor. Matt studied at Oxford Brookes University, and graduated with a degree in Interior Architecture. He has since relocated to Lincolnshire, where he is now able to nurture his love of the countryside though journalism.
Mike Barnes
Editor at large
Mike Barnes is the most experienced editor in the country sports sector, having edited several titles, and founded both Shooting Gazette and Fieldsports magazines. A keen game Shot who gets great pleasure in meeting passionate sportsmen who make a difference. As a founder trustee and for seven years chairman of the GWCT Allerton Project, and involved in the Royston Grey Partridge Recovery Project from the outset, he has a particular interest in wild game. He also sits on the Purdey Awards judging panel. Moreover Mike loves all that is involved in producing magazines, so Fieldsports is a culmination of all of his experience and interests. His aim is to deliver the magazine which he himself would look forward to reading.
Charlie Coups
Commercial Manager
A keen game Shot, Charlie was introduced to country sports by her father. From a young age she spent most weekends during the shooting season beating on the Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire. Catching her first salmon at the age of 11 on the River Beauly, fly fishing is another of her great passions and she regularly takes trips around the UK in pursuit of new fishing experiences. After graduating from Stirling University with a degree in Philosophy, she returned to Lincolnshire where she now lives on a rural estate, keepered by her partner. In August 2017, Charlie succeeded in getting a Macnab as part of The Ladies Macnab Challenge.
World class contributors
- Lord James Percy is an exceptional Shot and fine fisherman, he also speaks from vast experience in running both a grouse moor and a high class partridge shoot. Added to which he is a gifted writer.
- Phil Burtt is another top drawer Shot, noted for his ability on the grouse moor, but equally good at pheasants and partridges. Also hugely experienced in running shoots, Phil organises all of the shooting at Belvoir Castle.
- Chris Batha is a highly respected shooting instructor and gunmaker (Charles Boswell) who has a following both in the UK and the States. In addition to teaching clients, he brings teams of Guns from the USA to tackle some of Britain’s highest birds. His column draws on his wide experience.
- Matt Harris is our globe trotting fisherman. Every issue sees Matt in another exotic corner of the world, mostly saltwater fishing with fly for some of the most elusive and hard fighting quarry. For good measure in addition to being a first rate fishermen, he is also a brilliant photographer, capturing action and settings with equal skill.
- Simon Ward is widely regarded as THE best in the business, a shooting instructor with an outstanding reputation. Simon shares his knowledge in a regular column offering easy steps to better shooting. Leading by example, he is an outstanding Shot, no matter if it’s fast low skimming grouse or the very highest of pheasants.
- Rupert Godfrey is our pigeon and grouse man, he loves them both and is also an avid sporting historian, unearthing a host of gems from shooting days of old, which he shares with the reader. A thoughtful writer, always offering a fresh angle.
- Vic Harker is an authoritative gun writer, who has held senior positions with Browning and Winchester. Fascinated by the art of gunmaking, Vic is the perfect choice for gun reviews.
- Michael Wigan - home is on the Helmsdale, and we are talking about a fine fisherman who also happens to be a vastly experienced stalker. Always one of the first to scent a wrong in the sporting world, he writes eloquently on important topical issues.
- David S. D. Jones - a leading country sports historian with a specific interest in gamekeeping and game shooting in the UK, comes from a long line of celebrated UK gamekeepers. His regular contributions to Fieldsports are always fascinating and richly illustrated with cuttings, extracts and images from his own extensive archives.
- Jayne Coley - a labrador and retriever expert and top level field trialer. She has been both a competitor and a judge at the very pinnacle of the sport, the IGL Retriever Championship. She has made up nine Field Trial Champions, bred 11 Field Trial Champions, and has captained the UK team at the prestigious two-day Kennel Club International Retriever event.
- Ben Randall - runs Beggarbush Gundog Kennels and Ledbury Lodge Kennels where he breeds and trains dogs for the shooting field. He is a two-time winner of the Cocker Spaniel Championship and was the 2013 Gundog Trainer of the Year.
- Steve Rawsthorne - an instructor at Holland & Holland Shooting Ground who specialises in both clay and game shooting. He is an avid and greatly experienced deer stalker.
- Camilla Swift - Equine advisor at The Spectator, you can find Camilla anywhere there is a horse. She now contributes to our hunting section.
Lord James Percy is an exceptional Shot and fine fisherman, he also speaks from vast experience in running both a grouse moor and a high class partridge shoot. Added to which he is a gifted writer.
Phil Burtt is another top drawer Shot, noted for his ability on the grouse moor, but equally good at pheasants and partridges. Also hugely experienced in running shoots, Phil organises all of the shooting at Belvoir Castle.
Chris Batha is a highly respected shooting instructor and gunmaker (Charles Boswell) who has a following both in the UK and the States. In addition to teaching clients, he brings teams of Guns from the USA to tackle some of Britain’s highest birds. His column draws on his wide experience.
Matt Harris is our globe trotting fisherman. Every issue sees Matt in another exotic corner of the world, mostly saltwater fishing with fly for some of the most elusive and hard fighting quarry. For good measure in addition to being a first rate fishermen, he is also a brilliant photographer, capturing action and settings with equal skill.
Simon Ward is widely regarded as THE best in the business, a shooting instructor with an outstanding reputation. Simon shares his knowledge in a regular column offering easy steps to better shooting. Leading by example, he is an outstanding Shot, no matter if it’s fast low skimming grouse or the very highest of pheasants.
Rupert Godfrey is our pigeon and grouse man, he loves them both and is also an avid sporting historian, unearthing a host of gems from shooting days of old, which he shares with the reader. A thoughtful writer, always offering a fresh angle.
Vic Harker is an authoritative gun writer, who has held senior positions with Browning and Winchester. Fascinated by the art of gunmaking, Vic is the perfect choice for gun reviews.
Michael Wigan - home is on the Helmsdale, and we are talking about a fine fisherman who also happens to be a vastly experienced stalker. Always one of the first to scent a wrong in the sporting world, he writes eloquently on important topical issues.
David S. D. Jones - a leading country sports historian with a specific interest in gamekeeping and game shooting in the UK, comes from a long line of celebrated UK gamekeepers. His regular contributions to Fieldsports are always fascinating and richly illustrated with cuttings, extracts and images from his own extensive archives.
Jayne Coley - a labrador and retriever expert and top level field trialer. She has been both a competitor and a judge at the very pinnacle of the sport, the IGL Retriever Championship. She has made up nine Field Trial Champions, bred 11 Field Trial Champions, and has captained the UK team at the prestigious two-day Kennel Club International Retriever event.
Ben Randall - runs Beggarbush Gundog Kennels and Ledbury Lodge Kennels where he breeds and trains dogs for the shooting field. He is a two-time winner of the Cocker Spaniel Championship and was the 2013 Gundog Trainer of the Year.
Steve Rawsthorne - an instructor at Holland & Holland Shooting Ground who specialises in both clay and game shooting. He is an avid and greatly experienced deer stalker.
Camilla Swift - Equine advisor at The Spectator, you can find Camilla anywhere there is a horse. She now contributes to our hunting section.