Fly Fishing Safety And Courtesy

[Thom]

Hey flytyer57:

I was just spoofing the simplicity of some the previous statements which imply that libs are all just looking for a handout and dont earn their way in life.

I started working for a living and supporting a family at age 20, never bought a car or home that I couldnt afford, never owed anyone money without repaying it, always paid all of my taxes, raised a family and helped all of my kids through college, never received any entitlement payments that I didn't pay for in advance and worked 38 years before I retired. I as about as far from being conservative in my political leanings as anyone can get. Religious views are a different thing as I am very conservative in that respect.

I actually agree with most of your previous statements on this subject and my previous reply was my sad attempt at satire.

Now i am asking myself why I even post here since it always seems to be taken in the worst possible way. IT WAS A JOKE!!!

[flytyer57]

Hey flytyer57:

I was just spoofing the simplicity of some the previous statements which imply that libs are all just looking for a handout and dont earn their way in life.

I started working for a living and supporting a family at age 20, never bought a car or home that I couldnt afford, never owed anyone money without repaying it, always paid all of my taxes, raised a family and helped all of my kids through college, never received any entitlement payments that I didn't pay for in advance and worked 38 years before I retired. I as about as far from being conservative in my political leanings as anyone can get. Religious views are a different thing as I am very conservative in that respect.

I actually agree with most of your previous statements on this subject and my previous reply was my sad attempt at satire.

Now i am asking myself why I even post here since it always seems to be taken in the worst possible way. IT WAS A JOKE!!!

No problem. I was just spoofing that all liberals don't understand about backcasts and people fishing and watching out for ones own self.

[Buzz]

I fly fish exclusively at Roaring River and have seen all of the things that have been mentioned previously. Have any of you guys had any encounters with that special fly fisherman that sees you walking, actually turns head to you and makes eye contact, then just as you get about to the spot that you would let him know you were going to pass he decides that he needs to make 5 or 6 false casts to dry his fly or whatever? That is just as rude as the people who pass by without a clue. If I see someone coming up behind me, even if my fly is at the end of it's drift, I will let it lay until I can cast safely. Just saying, I've seen it go both ways.

[vanven]

I had a similar situation at a local lake here in Kansas City. I was out fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout there. A black SUV pulls up about 20 yards to the side of me next to my truck and watches me as I was fly fishing for a good 10 minutes. I am sure he was aware of my back cast and how far it goes back behind me. He sees me catch a trout. I lay my fly rod down on the ground where I caught the trout at and head to my vehicle to get a stringer. This guy, proceeds to back his vehicle all the way to where I was fishing at and parks it where my back cast was going. The area he parked at was not even a parking spot, it was all grass. Where he was originally parked at it was graveled up. Then he has the nerve to approach me while I was looking for my stringer to tell me he wanted to try fly fishing too because he has never done it before. I wanted to say, First of all, you need to respect a fly fisherman's casting by not parking your vehicle at his back cast. Then he asked, is that all you do is whip it back and forth to cast it? I looked at him and did not say a single word to him. I went to get my fly rod, got in my truck, and went somewhere else.

That sounds like an SUV that needs peppered with a nice dumbell eyed wolly bugger.

Actually I have had this happen a few times as well. This is the primary reason I will only go to trout parks in the winter C&R season. I also try to simply let my fly drift, roll cast, or stand there and stare at them until they are safely out of my backcast. I have also had guys walk up behind me at night, then turn to their buddy and say "hey, hey what is that whistling sound?".

I am an avid C&R guy but I also remove all hook barbs for this very reason. I dont want to have to pull a barbed hook out of myself or anyone else. If I did hook someone, I would let them know they can keep the fly but I want $4 to replace it because they arent cheap.

-Jerod

[Outside Bend]

I had a similar situation at a local lake here in Kansas City. I was out fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout there. A black SUV pulls up about 20 yards to the side of me next to my truck and watches me as I was fly fishing for a good 10 minutes. I am sure he was aware of my back cast and how far it goes back behind me. He sees me catch a trout. I lay my fly rod down on the ground where I caught the trout at and head to my vehicle to get a stringer. This guy, proceeds to back his vehicle all the way to where I was fishing at and parks it where my back cast was going. The area he parked at was not even a parking spot, it was all grass. Where he was originally parked at it was graveled up. Then he has the nerve to approach me while I was looking for my stringer to tell me he wanted to try fly fishing too because he has never done it before. I wanted to say, First of all, you need to respect a fly fisherman's casting by not parking your vehicle at his back cast. Then he asked, is that all you do is whip it back and forth to cast it? I looked at him and did not say a single word to him. I went to get my fly rod, got in my truck, and went somewhere else.

Sounds like you had ample opportunity to school someone who was obviously ignorant... What gives?

X2- if the guy doesn't understand the mechanics of fly casting, how is he going to know his SUV is in the way? The guy was obviously interested and curious about the sport- what's so offensive about him asking questions?

[FishinCricket]

X2- if the guy doesn't understand the mechanics of fly casting, how is he going to know his SUV is in the way? The guy was obviously interested and curious about the sport- what's so offensive about him asking questions?

If I may:

The guy was also quite obviously less than "intelligent" (considering he couldn't put two and two together), some of us (myself included) don't tolerate ignorance well.. Especially when I rears it's ignorant head while we're trying to relax and feeeeesh!!!

[Gavin]

If your worried about safety & courtesy, you probably arent the one who needs to worry about anything....I'll have words with the inconsiderate, be kind to the curious, and ingnore the oblivious. Cheers.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I'm sure that no matter what we think the responsibility lies with the caster. He knows for sure the danger and can't assume that someone walking behind him does.

[fishinwrench]

Probably the RIGHT THING to do is treat everyone that interferes with your fishing the same as you would a stone cold hottie in waders.

Y'all talk all this s#!t, but if April Vokey walked behind you you'd give her all the time and space she could possibly want.

And I doubt she'd walk behind you unnoticed either.

[ozark trout fisher]

X2- if the guy doesn't understand the mechanics of fly casting, how is he going to know his SUV is in the way? The guy was obviously interested and curious about the sport- what's so offensive about him asking questions?

I tend to agree. That situation would be as annoying as heck, but the right thing is almost surely to be nice about it and just explain the situation. It isn't the people who don't know any better that get to me so much. What gets to me are the fisherman who know and understand how to be a courteous and just choose not to be.