Line ’em up!
Too many distant divers are failing to see your decoys? Go old school and set out a long-line spread to lure them in
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Long-line decoy spreads are an easy way to set out numerous decoys with the specific intent of attracting diving ducks. In particular, they’re designed to attract distant divers that wouldn’t see a more typical decoy spread. Once referred to as “stringers,” long lines were a common decoying strategy in the days of market hunting.
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While long lines are just as effective today for attracting ducks as they were 100 years ago, few modern hunters use them. That’s a mistake, because they bring in birds that would otherwise keep flying past. Plus, building and running long lines is much easier than you might think.
Running anywhere from around 20 to 50 metres in length, most commercially available long-line rigs are too short to be effective as true long lines. They have their use, to be sure, but they’re not well suited for true long-line applications. No, if you want a proper set-up of 100 metres or longer, you have to follow the do-it-yourself route.