Personal Rig...

P

Pat Gregory

Well-known member
A carver's personal rig is just that, personal. They are not always the best decoys he's carved but they are ones that he likes and trusts. Generally his best decoys go to others and sadly, sit on a shelf. This week was bittersweet for me. I had to take the rig apart and begin to put them away. In putting them away I was reminded of all the great memories of this season. Even though it was a tough season, I wasn't reminded about the ducks killed over them but the family and friends I hunted with. I got to hunt with my older brother Tim and nephew Matt, what a blessing. I got to meet the guys from ESPN and the rig showed up on their website. I got to hunt with many friends whose memories I'll treasure. I am especially proud of this rig and it's faithful service... From Lake Erie to Houghton Lake to the Illinois River, they performed flawlessly without complaint or trouble... They were in high water, rough water and were even taken out by ice... They sat in water in single degree temps and looked great. I am especially proud of these warriors...

If you don't carve your own decoys, you should consider it. It is especially rewarding... God bless! Pat

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Great rig you have there Pat.
2009 was a winner for me for many reasons. In part, due to the 2 times I was able to meet and visit with you.

I hope we cross paths again in 2010! Happy New Year to you and yours.
Best,
Brian F.
 
great pics pat! i have to agree... my personal rig is made up of probably 10 different species. people look at me like i'm crazy when i take them out. just like you.. they aren't my best, but I keep each one of these for special reasons. several are because my wife tells me i'm keeping them. several of them were on the shelf when i came home one day and i said "that's fine.. they can sit there from feb.-oct. She's since decided 4-5 of them are done hunting altogether. even though it's painful to bag up decoys and leave some behind, it's nice to have a wife that takes interest.

:)
 
Great stuff Pat. I too am at the end of the season (damn ice) and have started thinking about putting them away after some touch up paint and a few fixes here and there. It is funny how we take some decoys everytime over and over. I have a few that I am not sure if they have performed any better than others, but it just doesn't seem like a hunt if I can't see them bobbing on the water. Some decoys go out as "testers" with a new keel, paint, body design, whatever.......but the "bread and butter" dekes are always along for the ride. I have a large cork Canada feeder I made awhile back that takes an awful beating during the season because I only use it for walk in hunts and the brush/game cart treat it badly, but it's always there on point......my 30 yard marker deke and it gets a paint touch up about three times during the season to keep on fooling the birds. He sits among his fellow "regulars" of long keel blacks, a mallard with an improvised tail board after his butt got broke off in a hatch closing accident, some pintails (to give my pintail whistle on my lanyard a purpose), some skimmer dekes (because they look cool) and a Blue Wing Teal hen just because she is pretty. A gang rig of "Buffies" sits out front to add some "bling" to catch the eye of passing birds and I usually try to throw in a solid wood decoy of mine or one that friends have carved .......just to wash the "shelf dust" off of them. I lone bluebill drake that was made from some of the most porous/worst cork I have ever bought goes out evertime also to see how many trips it will take to destroy him. He reminds me of the old Tootsie roll commercials....how many licks to get to the center? Amazingly, he gets treated the worst, never given a coveted slot in the decoy bag, gets stepped on, tossed and handled roughly.........and yet, he doesn't seem any worse for wear. I'm starting to think he will outlast me...........maybe he does deserve a slot in the bag. The rest of the dekes are the "FNG's" of the spread and bob around not really understanding the pecking order and how they will have to make an incredible impression if they ever want to "make the squad." They are new, flashy, with perfect paint and the new style of heads. They don't have teeth marks or stray shot buried in them, they have never had mud and ice on them before and are treated with great respect and handled with kit neoprene gloves. They won't bounce around in the game cart or lay atop each other in the back of the jeep or boat. Their weights will be on strings that are properly sized so that they will ALWAYS be wrapped around the keel and NEVER the neck or body. I think I just heard one of the regulars call them......pampered pansies! Great fun creating life's imitations................dc
 
Great pics Pat I guess we all have our favorites that we just have to have out on the water. Its funny everytime that I hunted the Illinois I had fog so thick that if the birds didnt fly directly over head you wouldn't see them. Guess I am just going to have to give it a shot again one of these seasons.
 
Great stuff here Pat! I only wish I had the talent in your little finger. That!!!!!!!!! would make me happy. Also thanks for all the photo's of your season. I enjoyed them very much.
Gary March
 
Pat

Those are some great shots. I love the beat-up cork birds, especially the turned head hen Scaup. You just can't "antique" that into a decoy. It must see many years of loyal service to get that way. There must be a lot of memories in those piles....

By the way I am painting our Ringnecks. They are in the first batch of decoys I am painting with oils. I'll have yours ready to send down in a few weeks.
 
Hey Pat,

That picture of you throwing out the longlines is one I've seen before. I did some charcoal pencil effects editing with it. It could be an illustration in a compilation of stories:

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Great pics of the rig.
 
Pat,

That's a sweet rig! Like Brian said, it was a privilege to have painted with you at Rutger's house and hang out at the MLB hunt.

Dave Church, well said!
 
I love pics like this. Your rig is awesome Pat.............................I'm with Geoff on this. As much as I love wooded decoys there is just something about a well worn cork............................Best wishes, Kevin
 
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