2016 NARC: Series 9 Water Quad with an Honor

This morning the Series 9 Water Quad is being held on Kate Simonds' Stick Pond. As we meander thru the woods on a two-track road, all of sudden the trees opened to reveal our location. The most beautiful setting yet to appear in this 2016 NARC. Tucked away in a rolling valley is the most magnificent stick pond and marsh we have ever seen! It is big and there are many places to put birds where dogs will get lost en route, may not make the swim, or just plain forget where it is.

The mat is facing due West and the wind is calm out of the East at 2-4 mph. Previously mentioned, we are over-looking a large stick pond that is even busier than the one the dogs were tested in yesterday. This stick pond boasts soggy marsh grasses, heavy cover, and about 500 sticks sprinkled throughout the water. The first mark to be thrown in this water quad is a Drake Mallard Flyer near the end of the pond. The drake is thrown hard angle back right and lands in short to medium native grasses. This the longest mark in the test measuring 314 yards. We will refer to this mark as the Drake Flyer (DF).

The next mark to be thrown is also a Flyer. A swing to the left of the pond reveals a gun station that appears from behind a single large pine tree near the water's edge. This station is holding a Hen Pheasant Flyer and shoot it to the right as well. The gunners then retire into a holding blind concealed by the large pine tree. This flyer is measuring a distance of 220 yards and is also landing in short to medium native grasses. We will refer to this mark as the Hen Flyer (HF).

The third bird to be thrown in this water quad swings us to the same shore as the mat. The gunners are standing in front of a treeline that extends to the water's edge. This station is throwing a dead Hen Mallard to the left and the bird is landing on the right-hand shore at the tip of a point in heavy marsh grass. This mark is measuring a distance of 180 yards and then vanishes into the treeline to retire. We will refer to the this mark as the Right Retired (RR).

The final bird to be thrown comes out of a boat in the middle of the test placed at a distance of 180 yards from the mat. The gunners in the boat are throwing a dead mallard drake to the left. This bird is landing on a marshy point that extends off of the left-hand shore of this magnificent stick pond. This station remains visible during the test and will be referred to as the go bird (GO).

This test is taking 19 to 21 minutes a dog. We will only hold the 9th Series today. The 10th Series is planned for Saturday.