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Fly fishing, and Bird Hunting

6K views 41 replies 21 participants last post by  Moses Lake BOB 
#1 ·
Bird Hunting and Fly Fishing are my two most favorite things to do ever. I can't decide which is better, a day with birds in your game bag or a day of catching fish. Also the plus of being able to use your bird hide for fly tying matterial. It is just a perfect compliment from bird hunting to fly fishing. So I have been wondering how many of you are upland or bird or even waterfowl hunters?
 
#2 ·
I live for duck and goose hunting. It's "my thing"..lol. I wish I was as good at catching fish as I am killin' birds. I hunt the Yak alot during duck season, looking forward to doing a little cast & blast next season.
 
#5 ·
The fall here in the PNW is the best of times. I enjoy not only the fall fishing (especially the sea-run cutthroat) but the waterfowl and upland bird hunting as well.

The past year was the first (thanks to retirement) that I wasn't forced to place a higher priority on one or the other- fishing usually won out. Now I have time to devote to all 3 and am able to select the one most favored by the conditions.

Since most of my best cutthroat, Dolly and salmon flies all use mallard flank feathers I now should have ample opportunity to collect the 10 or so drakes a year needed to supply the material for my tying/fishing.

Tight lines
Curt
 
#9 ·
HogWrangler said:
So far no pure Upland Bird Hunters?????!!!! No offense to waterfowlers, Its just that i am an upland birdhuntin' ol' boy.
I'm with you on this one HogWrangler. I went duck hunting with a buddy once but I just love upland birds. Only being in the state for a couple of years, I haven't had a chance to do any hunting yet. I'll have to get some info on places to try.
 
#10 ·
If the wenachee opens up this fall then my two fav's,steelhead and grouse,would damn near stacked on each other.
A double hander and a double barrel,I think I just gooped my pants just thinkin about it!:eek: :D :eek:
 
#11 ·
I'm a nutcase upland bird hunter, as well as a fly fisherman. I say nutcase because I'm primarily a chukar hunter from late October until mid January, although I do hunt huns and valley quail. I'm out there almost every weekend, in places like the L.T. Murray, Quilomene/Colockum, Oak Creek, Chelan Butte, etc. I sometimes get then chance to wet a fly in the Yakima in January, after having hunted chukar up on Umtanum Ridge. Upland hunting used to come second to fly fishing, but when I got into pointing dogs I lost all control. I hunt with a wonderful 6-1/2 year old Llewellin setter, and I brought home a new English setter pup last summer. I have high expectations of the pup. The dogs make it for me - upland hunting just wouldn't be the same without a good setter.

Cliff
 

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#13 ·
I was baptised on upland bird hunting while going to school at WSU. Back then, we'd skip class and go chase roosters on the breaks above the Snake, or in the fields all around Pullman. Also ventured out after a few chukar (oh, to have the young knees again) from time to time. Did some dove and quail hunting during those years too. My only regrets are that I didn't do more of it- don't think I appreciated living in such close proximity to good upland country at the time. After I got out of school I did a little pheasant hunting, but gradually got into duck hunting until that's mostly all I did. There is nothing more exciting than sitting in a duck blind when a flock of greenheads come in hard and fast from the corn fields, feet down, right into the decoys. Didn't get out this past year- first time in over 15 years I haven't been. Partly due to my Choc lab getting too old to endure long days in cold water. Got a new pup coming in a couple weeks, so next fall will be a revival or sorts. Plus my son will start hunting next fall, too. However, I'm finding the waking hours for fly fishing more condusive to enjoyment. Getting up at 4 AM when it's 20 degrees outside to get to the blind before someone else gets to it has lost some of the appeal that it had when I was 25.
 
#14 ·
Cliff,

You are a nutcase if you're a hardcore chukar hunter- and I salute you.
similar to upland hunting with a good pointer, duck hunting isn't the same without a good retriever. If not for the company of a good dog, I wouldn't sit in the cold all day waiting for the ducks to arrive. A few years ago me and a buddy chased a couple chukars up on top of Umtanum ridge for a couple miles. At the time I wasn't into fly fishing and had no idea that crossing the river on the footbridge would have such significance as it does now that I've been bit by the fly fishing bug!
 
#15 ·
If I had to choose between upland bird hunting or flyfishing.....well, I'd choose hunting!! This past November I worked a TOTAL of 7 days and spent the rest bird hunting. I mostly chase pheasant because I love hunting them the most, but I do also hunt quail, huns, chukar, and grouse.

I have a pointing Labrador Retriever that I trained myself. Watching him work is probably my favorite thing in the world.

And when hunting season is closed, then I go fishing. ptyd
 
#16 ·
Cliff.....Setters are awsome dogs. I have a setter coming from Arizon later this summer. She will be from one of the top breeders in the nation for setters (Paul Grogger). I can't wait till she gets here. Next year when my setter is older, her and I will be part time guides for my friend here in E-burg.

Ichydog......I am a little partial to chocolate labs. :beer2: I have a 2 year old bitch. She just went for her OFA x-rays......6 week wait is gonna be hell. And I am with CWUGirl...the pointing labs are awsome to watch work. If any of you fly tyers ned some chukar or pheasant feathers I might be able to hook you up. I hope to get into upland hunting a little more, but the ducks are so much fun.
 
#17 ·
Chocolab... it doesn't take 6 weeks for a OFA result. I think I had the results back in less than three weeks for my dog. And all results are posted on the first of every month, so you might want to check the website May 1 to see if she's there.

His turned out good for hips, normal for elbows. :thumb:
 
#19 ·
:beer2: 1st. i'll fish for anything in fresh water.
hunt most things with 4 legs and horns.
and anything with wings, although i like the uplanding, like walking around.
i like ducks and all, but sitting in a blind to cold, although jump shooting is fun.
see ya Greg:cool:
 
#20 ·
You setter boys are missing the boat. I raise the best English Setters in the country and live in Washington State. We took a couple of Puppies to an AKC trial and won 1st and 4th. Waiting to see the result from this past weekend trial. My dogs are no breed just to field trial, hunting comes first but they are classy enough to compete if you want.

Check out my website and see the hunting results. I have probably harvested as many chukars as any one in the state over my life time. When I was a full time trainer we hunted every day and that was when the limit was 10 and there were literally thousands of birds moved a day. There are still some of those hot spots left but not in Washington State, although I have moved 4-500 hundred a day recently.

I prefer to do it from horseback but do still hunt a lot from foot. I have great setters and great yellow labs practically all year long for sale. I will be breeding at least two litters of Setter this spring and two litters of Yellow labs.

Since the Chukars have started a comeback I fish less every year.
Jerry Arlington
www.arlingtonkennelsandstables.com
 
#21 ·
September and October are the worst...usually fantastic fly fishing especially in Western Montana, but then there's birds to hunt, chukar and quail, later go chase some roosters and jump shoot ducks if there's any water. I can never decide, so I try to do it all. Late November it's field hunting geese. I don't much hunt big game, I'd really rather just go gather that.

I've a golden retriever who had a great pheasant year last year, his 12th season. He's retired now, it looks like the potholes may come back this year with the rainfall and recharge we got, so next fall I may be after some ducks on small water with my family's dogs...I'll need to be training up another swamp collie, this one I'll condition to the drift boat. :cool:

I find fly fishing and bird hunting very much enhanced if I'm after wild critters...I've really no interest in planters at all. If I had to pick I'd rather not, fly fishing and bird hunting bring me a great deal of pleasure, from training the dog to loading the shell to shooting the bird to tying the fly with the feather and dog hair, to landing the trout.

Oh, and by the way, the coolest thing my son ever said that I heard was, when describing duck hunting from a blind: "It's sorta like still fishing for birds.."
 
#22 ·
Would take duck hunting over just about anything... LOVE IT.
My season usually go like this...
Early archery for deer or elk in late August/early sept.
then chukars and grouse.
Then the opener for ducks.
Usually try to hit the ID and OR openers for chukar.
Back to quail and chukar in WA.
Around nov 1 or so i will get into duck hunting all out and hunt them hard through the rest of the season.
Usually a duck shhot in the am and then on to quail. Found some great covies last year :)
And ducks all the way until jan 29 or whatever the close is.
I will also mix in the chukar depending on where i am.

Last fall i started out guiding on the G.R. when i got back from N.M, and archery elk. Was able to shoot a few chukars, huns, quail and grouse down there on the river.
Then hit the pheasant opener in Dayton which conveniently was the day after our last trip down there.
Then from Nov 15- Dec 15 I was down on the John Day. That was some great chukar hunting when i could get out. Usually only had a couple hrs between parties showing up to fish but the last couple days i was down there the river iced over and the chukars were thick :) even shot some geese down there from the fields on top.

If i can fish for atlantic salmon, hunt chukars, and ducks for the rest of my life i will be happy. and of course i need a good dog to accompany me.
 
#23 ·
CWUGirl_ said:
I have a pointing Labrador Retriever that I trained myself. Watching him work is probably my favorite thing in the world.
I have a couple of pointing labs myself and am as pleased as I could be. They still need some work but there isn't anything that makes me happier than watching them get birdy then lock up. They are also great family dogs. We hunt chukar, phesant, and dove with a few quail here and there.

It's even better when we're able to hunt in the morning, fish through the middle of the day, and then get in an evening hunt to cap things off.

Attached is a picture of the my two year old girl after a morning hunt last dove season. We were able to get into some pretty big trout on a fire resevoir on a nearby ranch later on that day. A pretty dang fun way to spend a weekend.
 

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#24 ·
When it comes to bird hunting there is only one bird at the top of the list, ruffed grouse. Close second are blues, then quail, chukar and pheasant tied for last. I've never bagged a duck so, I can't say about that.

If anyone would like to hunt the Okanogan around Oroville let me know. If anyone would show me some hunting around the south east corner, I'm game.

Bart has offered again and again to smack some duck, but it never seems to happen, my bad usually.
 
#25 ·
There is nothing I know of that gives me greater satisfaction than taking Steelhead on a dry fly, and grouse on the wing, on a fall weekend.
 
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