Stream Etiquette

[KATroutman13]

Here's a thought. If they are crowding you, it's probably because they have seen you catch fish and they are not catching fish. So, if they are coming upstream to crowd and I've fished that area long enough, I ask them if they just want to switch spots. If they do and I start catching fish below them, they usually figure out that it is not the spot that is the problem.

[Mitch f]

Here's an etiquette question...what does everybody think?

You're floating down the river. It's a river that's not populated by the canoe hatch, so mostly all you'll encounter is the occasional angler or pair of anglers floating it. If you're like me, you fish fairly fast, and cover a lot of water during the day. Ahead, you see another canoe or kayak, guy or guys in it fishing. You know that they are fishing a lot slower than you are. But if you pass them and start fishing ahead of them, you seem like a jerk.

What I do is paddle past them, tell them where I'm taking out and how far I have to go, and keep paddling without fishing until I'm out of sight. I think that's the best I can do. But it always seems a little lame.

Even worse, there have been times when I've passed up others before lunch. Then I stop for lunch, and while I'm eating I see them coming. Now I really feel like a jerk if I finish eating real quick and get back on the water ahead of them, but I know that if I wait until they pass me, I'll soon catch up to them again and have to go through the whole thing once again. Aaarrrggghhh!

I would say the majority of people fish at at slower speed than you do. You won't catch all the fish in the holes they are moving towards, so I wouldn't worry. If you move past them out of sight and start fishing, you are doing the best you can to make good of the situation.

[Trout Commander]

Here's an etiquette question...what does everybody think?You're floating down the river. It's a river that's not populated by the canoe hatch, so mostly all you'll encounter is the occasional angler or pair of anglers floating it. If you're like me, you fish fairly fast, and cover a lot of water during the day. Ahead, you see another canoe or kayak, guy or guys in it fishing. You know that they are fishing a lot slower than you are. But if you pass them and start fishing ahead of them, you seem like a jerk.What I do is paddle past them, tell them where I'm taking out and how far I have to go, and keep paddling without fishing until I'm out of sight. I think that's the best I can do. But it always seems a little lame.Even worse, there have been times when I've passed up others before lunch. Then I stop for lunch, and while I'm eating I see them coming. Now I really feel like a jerk if I finish eating real quick and get back on the water ahead of them, but I know that if I wait until they pass me, I'll soon catch up to them again and have to go through the whole thing once again. Aaarrrggghhh!

I would make light of the situation, give them a shout about your wife telling you you had to be home at X time, so you've got to run and gun. Also tell them you will wait to fish until you get well in front of them to fish so the fish have time to settle before they make it down to the fish. If you stop to eat and pass them again say "here comes speedy again" or something like that. As long as you acknowledged you were passing and made a comment that we could share a laugh about I wouldn't care if you passed me. Just my sentiment.

[FlyFishinFool]

Rotating a good pool is an ethic on crowded trout streams that's been around for ages, and it's just a good way to share the best water. If you've been catching fish after fish for the last five hours on a really good pool, and there are lots of other people around, it's common courtesy to move to some lesser water for a bit to give others a chance.

So when I get up in the wee hours of the morning, eat on the road, and hike in 1-2 miles to get to a great fishing hole at first light...you suggest that when someone else shows up a couple of hours later, after sleeping in, eating breakfast at a restaurant, and then motoring down the river in a boat - - I should be willing to give up the hole I am fishing so they can have some fishing time?? Not very likely - let them go find another hole, or get up earlier and beat me to the hole I am fishing, and then I will find another hole. What you are recommending is that people should be able to wander into any another persons fishing hole and I should gracefully leave so they do not have to 1) wait until I am done fishing, or 2) actually do some leg work and find their own fishing hole, or 3) just stay at home and play an electronic fishing game. Good luck with that!

On the other hand, I actually do not know anyone who camps on a single hole for 5 hours - usually the coffee makes them move long before that time!

[flytyer57]

So when I get up in the wee hours of the morning, eat on the road, and hike in 1-2 miles to get to a great fishing hole at first light...you suggest that when someone else shows up a couple of hours later, after sleeping in, eating breakfast at a restaurant, and then motoring down the river in a boat - - I should be willing to give up the hole I am fishing so they can have some fishing time?? Not very likely - let them go find another hole, or get up earlier and beat me to the hole I am fishing, and then I will find another hole. What you are recommending is that people should be able to wander into any another persons fishing hole and I should gracefully leave so they do not have to 1) wait until I am done fishing, or 2) actually do some leg work and find their own fishing hole, or 3) just stay at home and play an electronic fishing game. Good luck with that!

On the other hand, I actually do not know anyone who camps on a single hole for 5 hours - usually the coffee makes them move long before that time!

Exactly what I had in mind.

[FlyFishinFool]

I have to comment that I accidently hit someone with my fly line while fishing at BSSP this last week. On a weekday and with the cooler weather and some issues with the wind, the stream was basically not crowded at all until Friday mid-day (lots of folks coming down early for the last weekend,with nice weather too!). In the middle of the week, while I was fishing a hole, a couple of guys waded down the stream and passed behind me and proceeded to set up directly downstream of me - now I realize this is a trout park, but there was no one within 150-200 feet of me; one guy set up 18-20 feet below me and the other guy was in between us, about 10 feet directly downstream of me.

I politely said "Watch the wind guys it is making casting a little challenging". I got no response from either of them. Well, on my next backcast a gust of wind came up and as I cast it blew my line downstream and I unintentionally hit the closest guy in the face with the fly line. He yelled "OW" and I said "Oh, I'm sorry about that, I thought I shortened my line enough so I would not hit you with this wind when I cast." Again he never said another word, but the two of them did work their way down stream another 10-15 foot or so each and then they set up camp there and fished a while.

Hitting this individual was totally accidental, but when the wind is blowing 10-15 mph and gusting 20+ at times, failure to use some common sense (not to mention common courtesy) makes this accident his problem not mine. Needless to say I did feel particularly sorry, nor did it bother me as I continued to fish. Just my opinion.

[flytyer57]

...Hitting this individual was totally accidental, but when the wind is blowing 10-15 mph and gusting 20+ at times, failure to use some common sense (not to mention common courtesy) makes this accident his problem not mine. Needless to say I did feel particularly sorry, nor did it bother me as I continued to fish. Just my opinion.

It would not have bothered me in the least.

They must not read this forum or they would have hopefully been more curteous and not invaded your space like that.

Too bad you didn't hook his ear.

[FishinCricket]

It would not have bothered me in the least.

They must not read this forum or they would have hopefully been more curteous and not invaded your space like that.

Too bad you didn't hook his ear.

He's not telling the whole story..

FFF hit my buddy in the face with his fly line, but then, before my buddy could even say anything he stomped downstream and threw him into the river!

Then, quick as a whistle, he hopped downstream and shoved me into the river too! As I came up I said "Hey, what was that for!?"

You know what that flyfishinfool said? He said "I know your type, Cricket... you're the guy who'd be tellin him all the way home what you'd have done if I'd have thrown you in the river!"

[Trout Commander]

bwahahaha

Funny but not true. There was no mention of a lowly spin fisherman, and you woulda been too busy recovering your lost box of Pinkys before they floated on down stream to confront him about the dunking!

[FishinCricket]

bwahahaha

Funny but not true. There was no mention of a lowly spin fisherman, and you woulda been too busy recovering your lost box of Pinkys before they floated on down stream to confront him about the dunking!

S'why I keep the pinkys stuck in my daily tag!

As for not specifically mentioning the spin fisherman? Who else would set up camp right smack dab in the middle of his drift/backcast? Seemed to be a pretty obvious one..