Duck decoying?

[wildfowler.250]

Duck decoying isn't something I haven't done a lot of. My biggest issue in the past was that the tide would flood and push me back off the marsh.

 

I have tried using long bits of rope ect attached to the motherline to pull the decoys back with me but the weights at either end of the mother line tend to snag,(rocks-weed-ledges).. Another issue is that pulling the decoys in like this can tangle everything up.

 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions around this? The only other thing I've considered is using a cane on the mother line instead of weights with a view to them being easier to remove from the mud? Cheers!

[Penelope]

Does anyone have any suggestions around this? The only other thing I've considered is using a cane on the mother line instead of weights with a view to them being easier to remove from the mud? Cheers!

 

Or a length of 2x1 batten with a hole drilled in the top at one end to which the line is tied and the other end staked where you can get it. A good solid, continuous pull will pop the stake out of the mud and it'll pop to the surface.

[anser2]

I have found decoying on the open shore is usually not worth the hassel unless you have a steep saltmarsh. Most saltmarshes are pretty flat and so often the tide does not make with the decoys remaining high and dry on the muds or the tide comes higher than expected and you get flooded out of range of them. Having said that tide flighting decoying can be very successful. I chose a big creek favoured by the duck and decoy the medium tides. Because you have a bank rather than a gently sloping marsh you will have plenty of water to set the decoys on and the bank gives you some lea way if the tide is higher than expected. Decoying in a creek is a little different to decoying on the open shoreline. You will need to have a means of retrieving you decoys as the water may be too deep to wade hours after the tide starts to fall. I use a long length of line with a good lead weight on one end and the far end of the line tied to a stake. If wading is not possible pull 25 yards of line off the stake and chuck the weight as far as you can out into the creek. Attach each decoy to to a pre tied loop on the line with a clip ( Tidepool sells very good ones that are easy to use even when your fingers are frozen ) and let the current pull the decoys out into the stream until you have a nice bow of about 8-10 decoys depending on the power of the tide and the weight of the leads. The first decoy needs to be a big one as a small teal decoy can be pulled under water in a fast tide. When the decoys are in position push the stake into the marsh. You may want to run several lines to get a big spread of decoys.

 

Each decoy has a clip attached to a very short string to the decoy. If you use long lines to attach the decoys such as a texas rig they will tangle when the tide turns. The ideal decoy line is braded terylene of the type kids use for crab lines. You will get fewer tangles with this as long as you use heavy grade stuff, however its hard to find these days and i now use para cord. Do not worry about the colour , when the line is under water the duck will ignore it no matter what the colour. When its time to pck up just pull the stake up and wind the 40 yards of line back onto it and unclip the decoys. The braded terylene usually lasts about 3 seasons of frequent use , but sunlight will break it down.

[wildfowler.250]

Thank you for the replies! The areas I flight are flat mud as suggested. Gives me plenty to work on but getting pushed back off the decoys in the past has been the issue

[scolopax]

Love duck decoying but my local marshes have a serious lack of creeks, and I usually have pack after pack of ducks sweeping into the decoys, but invariably only once I have been washed off to watch from 100 yards away!

Edited September 26, 2016 by scolopax

[wildfowler.250]

Glad I'm not the only one having problems then!