Motherlines and decoy setting

[JamesWhat]

Evening guys,

 

I'll be honest, I haven't got much of a clue about decoy setting as I generally just shoot the morning or evening flights.

 

However, I've just treated myself to some deeks and calls and want to do more at the latter end of the season. I've only got half a dozen decoys but can anyone please offer some advice as to the best way to place them, using motherliness etc.

 

Thanks loads!

 

James

[nic]

are you using on flashes or running water, from shore or boat?

 

different methods suit different locations.

[kent]

Firstly mother lines are for quicker flows and setting over deeper water, other than that just use separate rigged deeks.

Now if you give us some detail on the venue you hope to set them on I will give you what I know about rigging them. By the way better to avoid e bay motherline offers most are disappointingly poor for something that's so simple to do well.

[JamesWhat]

Everything will be done from shore, all on tidal rising and falling water up to 8 feet deep. I'm thinking now it might be simpler to use separate rigged decks but if anyone has any ideas of simple mother line rigs, that would be great.

 

Cheers.

[kent]

If your rigging separates and that's in a smallish channel most likely peak flow will rip them out. I set motherliness in some areas that hold firm even though peak flow has enough go to fully submerge the first two Mallard side deeks (yep right under without trace).

Ok that's the extreme end of when I use them but you will be amazed how much forces can be held by one of my home made motherline anchors that only weigh about what one single deek requires to hold on a flash on a windy night. If you can hold though singles are better as you can lay them out more like real ducks resting or feeding, although this can be done with motherliness its harder to do well.

[langlands]

Any chance of a picture or description of your motherline anchors?

[kent]

Any chance of a picture or description of your motherline anchors?

 

after the field and workshop development work I have done I wish to market them shortly so wish to keep the finer points to myself just for now hope you understand

[Penelope]

James, try this set up. Very versatile, can be used in all tidal situations, thrown out into water too deep to wade and easy to retrieve.

 

The weight is free running and the winder/stake is cut from 1/4 inch ply.

 

 

Evening guys,

 

I'll be honest, I haven't got much of a clue about decoy setting as I generally just shoot the morning or evening flights.

 

However, I've just treated myself to some deeks and calls and want to do more at the latter end of the season. I've only got half a dozen decoys but can anyone please offer some advice as to the best way to place them, using motherliness etc.

 

Thanks loads!

 

James

Edited November 28, 2013 by Penelope

[kent]

Penelope,

From the diagram show there is nothing to stop that 8ft tide mentioned pulling the rig out with it, at best the weight would sink the main line but not secure the rig in any way- is there a point missing on the drawing?

Personally I dislike single point fixing mainlines on water with a flow, it just sweeps your rig round one way on the flow tight to the bank then reverses it on the ebb, again tight up hard to the bank. Often leading to deeks meeting and tangling at slack water etc.

 

To fix the above issue Chuck out your anchor feed slack till you get to your first deek attachment and just clip each one in turn. To finish just connect at the bank, to retrieve just haul in. The added plus is you can keep the 'coys out from the bank being more visible to passing fowl and they form a nice j curve if you get the lengths of slack crack on for the venue. When the tide reverses the J is either lost or reversed to be nearer the shooters end (depending again on those measurements)

[TIDES EDGE]

Im with Kent on that one its the same method I use

[harrycatcat1]

I know folks will laugh but I am too old to take any notice nowadays, anyway I set out to make a motherline on a budget.
As you will see from the photos it consists of 20 metres of green cord for the main line and another length to cut to attach to the decoys and a claw hammer as the anchor all from the pound shop. I bought about 25 dog clips off fleebay for £2.69p and found a bit of white plastic in my garage to wrap the nylon cord around. I tied some loops in the main line for the dog clips to clip to which are fastened to the 12 decoys with about 2 metres of green cord (pound shop) cut from a length.
Total cost under £6 and before you say I know its never gona last a lifetime and it will not be better that Kevins at Tidepool but it will do me for a season hopefully.

 

 

(I have copied this from another site that I posted this on 29th August 2011 and I am still taking it out)

[Penelope]

It's a set up that has been in use for over 20 years by me and others ( I was shown this by the then secretary of my former wildfowling club when I first joined in 1999), and one that works well without tangles for me. It is so versatile and can be used almost anywhere. It's very useful on ponds, pits and floods that are too deep to wade and place individually rigged decoys too.

 

Penelope,

From the diagram show there is nothing to stop that 8ft tide mentioned pulling the rig out with it, at best the weight would sink the main line but not secure the rig in any way- is there a point missing on the drawing?

Personally I dislike single point fixing mainlines on water with a flow, it just sweeps your rig round one way on the flow tight to the bank then reverses it on the ebb, again tight up hard to the bank. Often leading to deeks meeting and tangling at slack water etc.

 

To fix the above issue Chuck out your anchor feed slack till you get to your first deek attachment and just clip each one in turn. To finish just connect at the bank, to retrieve just haul in. The added plus is you can keep the 'coys out from the bank being more visible to passing fowl and they form a nice j curve if you get the lengths of slack crack on for the venue. When the tide reverses the J is either lost or reversed to be nearer the shooters end (depending again on those measurements)

Edited November 29, 2013 by Penelope

[kent]

Yes, but what stops the rig from being taken off by the current- is there vital info missing in the diagram? I personally only see single point attachment as viable on non tidal running water, besides the cross over tangles its hard to position the hide and much rather have my deeks out were passing duck can see them.

 

One thing that's very true though is one set up is not perfect for all venues, you need to be much more than a one trick pony if you get about a bit, so there is always something to learn

[Penelope]

Kent, there is nothing missing from the diagram.

 

What stops the rig being taken off by the current is the 6-8oz lead plugged in the mud and the length of anchor line paid out, either when walked out and placed and the line unwound to allow enough slack for the tidal rise and distance from the hide/gutter or when thrown out (20 yards with practice). The line winder/peg is staked in the saltings/mud once the appropriate length of line is set.

 

The only thing that has ever shifted this set up when I have used it, is pack ice brought up on the tide, but I doubt any rig will withstand that.

 

Yes, but what stops the rig from being taken off by the current- is there vital info missing in the diagram? I personally only see single point attachment as viable on non tidal running water, besides the cross over tangles its hard to position the hide and much rather have my deeks out were passing duck can see them.

One thing that's very true though is one set up is not perfect for all venues, you need to be much more than a one trick pony if you get about a bit, so there is always something to learn

[kent]

Kent, there is nothing missing from the diagram.

 

What stops the rig being taken off by the current is the 6-8oz lead plugged in the mud and the length of anchor line paid out, either when walked out and placed and the line unwound to allow enough slack for the tidal rise and distance from the hide/gutter or when thrown out (20 yards with practice). The line winder/peg is staked in the saltings/mud once the appropriate length of line is set.

 

The only thing that has ever shifted this set up when I have used it, is pack ice brought up on the tide, but I doubt any rig will withstand that.

 

 

So the lead is running on the line and the length paid out from the winder limits length? so the act of jabbing the winder in the mud secures your rig? That wont hold a decent tide anywhere I shoot. Still sure there is something missing coz why the 6-8 oz lead if its free running? Surely all this lead might do is prevent the mainline rising to the surface under the pull of tide from decoy 1 ?

[JamesWhat]

James, try this set up. Very versatile, can be used in all tidal situations, thrown out into water too deep to wade and easy to retrieve.

 

The weight is free running and the winder/stake is cut from 1/4 inch ply.

 

 

That looks great, thanks for that.

[JamesWhat]

Thanks to all for their help with this, good to see some diagrams and pictures as it really helps to get an idea of what's needed. Much appreciated!

[harrycatcat1]

Thanks to all for their help with this, good to see some diagrams and pictures as it really helps to get an idea of what's needed. Much appreciated!

 

It all depends on what you want to spend, if you have loads of money get the best as usually it will last longer, if you are a tight wad like me do it on a budget.

 

Regards

 

Hcc

[The Croc]

Harry, it will last longer than you might think, I've done similar, (not with the hammer though just use an 8oz boat lead) now in it's 5th season and still going strong

 

Brian

[harrycatcat1]

Harry, it will last longer than you might think, I've done similar, (not with the hammer though just use an 8oz boat lead) now in it's 5th season and still going strong

 

Brian

 

Ayup Brian, out of season I detach the hammer, scrape the mud off and use it in my tool bag, you cant knock a nail in with an 8oz boat lead

[The Croc]

I have tried when failing to find my/any hammer

[kent]

Guys,

Mainlines have to be made for and suited to YOUR venue. A lot of what I read here would not work on a lot of the places I go and I am sure likewise. 8 oz leads might sound a lot but I promise you it isn't when you have a string of deeks on a reasonable length of rope in tide it not near enough. The real trick is keeping the rig light enough yet still able to hold, adding more and more weight is not really that great a solution as some areas need far to great a weight to carry.

Edited December 1, 2013 by kent

[silver pigeon 3]

On the Severn we get massive tides of 10m+ and i use about a lb of flat lead that i cut from some old 4" lead water pipe. The reason i use flat weights is that i lost numerous anchors/weights etc as they would catch on the ledges and rocks when bringing the decoys in, the flat weight will skip over the obstacles with very rarely catching.

i set my mother line with the weight on the end followed by a 5 metre gap, then starting there are a series of overhand loops with varying distance between. Onto this i then clip decoys at whatever intervals suit the conditions, every decoy is on different lengths of extruded line so the pattern is nicley spread and the arrangements can be varied massively. The remainder of the cord stays on the winder in the hide with me and i find that as long as there is a bow in the mainline the decoys never shift even in the strongest of tides.

 

[kent]

On the Severn we get massive tides of 10m+ and i use about a lb of flat lead that i cut from some old 4" lead water pipe. The reason i use flat weights is that i lost numerous anchors/weights etc as they would catch on the ledges and rocks when bringing the decoys in, the flat weight will skip over the obstacles with very rarely catching.

i set my mother line with the weight on the end followed by a 5 metre gap, then starting there are a series of overhand loops with varying distance between. Onto this i then clip decoys at whatever intervals suit the conditions, every decoy is on different lengths of extruded line so the pattern is nicley spread and the arrangements can be varied massively. The remainder of the cord stays on the winder in the hide with me and i find that as long as there is a bow in the mainline the decoys never shift even in the strongest of tides.

 

 

 

That's a nice looking spread. obviously you don't use 5 mtr of slack line at low before the first deek if you get 10mtrs of tide at the venue otherwise your first deek is 5mtrs under. The amount of slack (hence angle) and the diameter of the mainline (thinner less drag but harder to haul). I find the biggest issue is flow not tide height, estuaries, gutters etc that get a full bore push in will shift almost anything. I am thinking here of one fresh water drain that tide runs suddenly in one hour before TOT with a 4-5 ft bore ( I actually use a heavy boat anchor on this spot )

[silver pigeon 3]

 

 

That's a nice looking spread. obviously you don't use 5 mtr of slack line at low before the first deek if you get 10mtrs of tide at the venue otherwise your first deek is 5mtrs under. The amount of slack (hence angle) and the diameter of the mainline (thinner less drag but harder to haul). I find the biggest issue is flow not tide height, estuaries, gutters etc that get a full bore push in will shift almost anything. I am thinking here of one fresh water drain that tide runs suddenly in one hour before TOT with a 4-5 ft bore ( I actually use a heavy boat anchor on this spot )

 

The first decoy can go on the line at whatever point suits the venue, no good them being sunken unless shooting diving ducks . You are right about it being the speed of the tide rather than depth, where the photo was taken the river is a mile + wide and the incoming tide is relatively steady about 15 miles up river the width is down to about 200 metres and combine this with a big bore tide and the lb of lead just holds bottom.