For all of us fly tyers, the cost of materials always seems to be a big set back, as it is with many art forms. The more addicted to the art of fly tying one gets, the faster money will seem to fly out of the wallet. However, for those who consider themselves all-around outdoorsmen, I have a simple solution to help ease the pain of buying fly tying material: go duck hunting!
Why would you go spend crazy amounts of money at fly shops to buy high-quality waterfowl plumage when the great state of Florida is home to millions of ducks and other waterfowl all found on public land. In the Sunshine State, any duck hunter is allotted 6 ducks a day (with certain species restrictions), and when push comes to shove a single medium sized duck such as a wood duck will provide you with a wealth of material to tie from.
As it just so happens, nearly every single species of migratory duck that frequents North American flyways can be found within our borders, so the colors and feather pattern selection for the avid fly tyer is endless. If you are willing to put in several days of hard hunting this winter, at the end of the season you very well could end up with enough waterfowl plumage to last you an entire year of fly tying. To add icing on the cake, as if harvesting your own fly tying material wasn’t enough motivation, wild duck will provide you with some of the most high-quality table-fare the Sunshine State has to offer.
For those new to hunting, here are the licenses and permits you will need to hunt ducks in Florida, that way you can avoid an unpleasant encounter with the game warden. If you’ve never bought a hunting permit before, you will first need to take the online hunter safety course at www.myfwc.com. Once you have completed that, you will then need to purchase a standard Florida hunting license, a Florida waterfowl permit, a migratory bird permit (which is free), and if you intend to hunt public land you will also need a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) permit. The final thing you will need to purchase before you hit the marsh is the annual Federal Duck Stamp, which can also be purchased at www.myfwc.com.
Catching fish on your own handmade flies is one of the most rewarding experiences in our sport, and using feathers that came off of waterfowl you harvested makes the experience even better. Duck season is in full swing now until the end of January, so go get your license, pull out the old 12 gauge, and go hunt!