Fishing Report / Shuffling

[Jeff House]

While on vacation last week I fished taney the 8th, 9th and 10th. Waded the trophy area all 3 days until generation started late in the afternoon. Overall I'd say fishing was good but not excellent. Probably averaged 50 fish a day with 5 fish going over 18" ( but none over 20" )one of them being a fat 19 1/2" brown. Tried night fishing between about 10:00 and 12:30 on Friday night after I arrived and didn't catch a fish. I tried buggers, mohair leaches and even a white bunny strip streamer. I know some other folks have been doing well at night, I'm not sure what I was doing wrong (I'm new to this night fishing thing). Wondered if maybe it was too early in the night or if the 3/4 moon adversely affected the fishing? Now on to my main reason for posting. I saw more shufflers in those three days than I've ever seen before at one time. Even saw a dad teaching his son how to shuffle to bring the trout up to his feet. Saw one group (I've seen them before and I'm sure some of you have too) about 4 in the group standing shoulder to shoulder and working the North side of the river from outlet #2 all the way up to outlet #1. These guys look like locals, therefore ignorance of the situation is not an excuse. Do these people not realize that they are ruining the fishing for people around them or do they just not care? I heard lots of complaints about tough fishing from people on the stream, and when asked I tried to fill them in on what was working for me, even handing out some flies and palsa indicators. The bottom line is when you have numerous shufflers in an area they draw a large number of fish to their feet, taking them out of their natural feeding lanes. I realize that if shuffling were banned it might be a hard law to enforce but at least they would not be able to line up 4 deep and blatantly do it!! I'm sure this has been talked about numerous times on this forum but after witnessing it blatantly all weekend I just had to post. Has anyone talked to the powers that be about this issue?

[Phil Lilley]

Has anyone talked to the powers that be about this issue?

Oh yes... isn't my face on my avatar blue? ish? We've polled and almost everyone here don't like it, most think it should be illegal like other states but there's a fair amount of people here that don't think it should be targeted by MDC as illegal. Everyone has a right at their opinion. Yes I think it does affect fishing when that many people are shuffling BUT if there's alot of people just wading in current and not fishing below their feet, wouldn't that be about the same? When I fish and stand in current, I have as many as 20 downstream. It irratates me to no end - those trout should out where I'm casting not at my feet!

Just typing outloud.

May be we can develop a scent that DRIVES trout AWAY and spray it on our boots. Then spray it on shufflers boots when they're not looking. That would work!

[mobowhunter]

I saw the same thing. I wasn't fishing, just drove down by the parking area, walked down to the #1 outlet. The dads would kick and stir the water while the boys would flip their lures at the fathers feet. When the boys caught a fish they in turn would do the same thing for the dads. I know fishing that day was tough, dead calm wind and no water running. What a thing to teach your kids. Same people that teach their kids to shoot deer from the road. Or do what ever it takes to make a kill or catch a fish. Well that is the next generation comming on. Just hope one day they realize is't more than catching or killing that makes the outdoors special.

[Greg]

I know this topic has been beaten to death but I really think the shuffling has gotten worse over the past year or 2 and that it's time for the MDC to make shuffling illegal. It might be hard to enforce but I think it would help. If it can work in Arkansas - why not here?

Just MHO

Greg

[Jeff House]

As hard as a shuffling law might be to enforce at least it would get it into peoples heads that this is wrong. I wonder how many people go to Taney for the first time and see other individuals shuffling around the stream and just assume that it is an acceptable practice. I have been known to inform people that what they are doing is unethical. Generally they are people who don't understand that what they are doing is hurting the fishery and once informed they usually stop( at least while I'm watching!!). You can always tell the ones that already know that it's frowned upon by many because they are always looking around to see who's watching, these are the ones that I don't understand. I like to think that as a group flyfishers are conservation minded people who are able to enjoy the chase as much, if not more, than the catch.

[denjac]

I think it is mostly new people that do it. Once the excitement of having all those fish at your feet wears off, wheres the fun or sport in it. Its kinda like masterbation, we all have done it to see if it works but nobody admits to it. I spoke to two guys aroud 3 weeks ago doing it around no. 1. I asked if they thought that was fun, cause I didn't get any excitement out of it. The one guy said not really, but wanted to see if it worked. They then started fishing. Most people if spoken to in a polite way will respond in kind.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I... I... I... I can't even respond to shuffling threads anymore. Outlaw it already, like Arkansas.

Snagged.

[gonefishin]

I agree this is getting beat to death. I think that a lot of people have been taught how to shuffle just because of all the ratchet jawing about it. When a few people are wading in an area then in effect they are shuffling. Walking requires the movement of ones feet therefore a law outlawing moving your feet in a stream while fishing in effect outlaws wading while fishing. It just dont make sence. I can just picture the gamewarden (or people who think they are) laying in the brush with binoculars watching people fish. Some person fishing is seen to move their foot...........Heres your ticket. Cha Ching. A new slot machine. Logical thought, or plain old common sence, tells us that it is impossible to outlaw the act of foot movement while wading in the water in the pursuit of fish. So if people honestly want to outlaw 'shuffling' they need to start a petition to outlaw wading while fishing.

I know there are some out there who will say, because of my post, that I am a shuffler. Sorry. You would be wrong. I am not a wade fisherman because of physical limitations.

The simple fact in this topic is that by writing a law outlawing 'shuffling' a pandoras box would be opened because it would in effect be a law against wade fishing that would eventually be used for that purpose.

Think about it this way. When the seat belt laws were written we were supposedly guarenteed that law enforcement would never be allowed to stop us just to see if we were wearing our seat belt. How long did that last?

Shuffling needs to be stopped or at least slowed down by education not by writing laws against it.

[Jeff House]

It would be nice to think that we live in a world where educating people about whats right or wrong would keep them from doing the latter. However, we don't live in that world. I agree that many people seen shuffling on Taney may not be aware of the bad situation that it creates and education may stop these people. Unfortunately the uninformed are not locals or regular visitors to Taney therefore only solving a small part of the problem. The majority of people I see shuffling have it down to an art form, have been doing this for some time and definitely know that it's frowned upon. My feeling is that most of the shufflers are frustrated locals who cannot catch fish in a sporting manner when the fishing gets tough. My advice, buy a book, read some fishing reports, ask your local flyshop for pointers........BUT DON"T SCREW UP MY FISHING BY SHUFFLING AROUND THE RIVER!!!!

[Phil Lilley]

My feeling is that most of the shufflers are frustrated locals

I don't think so. Not local as in living in Branson proper.