Quote Originally Posted by DUB View Post
About 20 years ago a guide working the Frying Pan river here in Colorado actually told my wife and 6 year old son that they would have to move as the guide had priority on the river as it was a business. My wife came down stream and informed me as to what had happened. I took the oppurunity to let that scum from Roaring Fork Anglers know how I felt. As I was leaving I uh uh accidentally kicked and broke the bottle of wine the guide had placed in the river to chill. I will not and do not look for confrontational situations, but I will not be bullyed. I'd rather be dragged away from the river beaten and bloody than not get my words in.
I love the Fryingpan River DEARLY (and have been fishing it since I started almost 20 years ago), but unfortunately this is standard routine there and has only gotten worse in recent years. The guides there are the WORST about doing this anywhere that I've been; they literally think they OWN the public parts river! I'm sorry, but just because you're there to make money does not mean you get any sort of priority over me. The problem is that there are getting to be so many guides there, most of the really good runs are taken by 8am, even on weekdays. What really frustrates me is that some of the shops DO own private water on the river, yet they still bring their clients to the public waters a good bit of the time. What's up with that??? If I can easily cast and overlap where the guide has their clients fishing, they're WAY too close! In general, I say 25 yards minimum, and if you (not a guide with clients) want to fish that close, please just ask first! I will likely gladly share the run with you, and have done this many times, making some friends in the process.

It really angers me when I get crowded by a guide, but I stand my ground and outfish their clients time and time again. I think that's the best way to make a statement, especially if the guide stays put even after being scolded in front of his clients for crowding me. Unfortunately, it STILL happens to me just about every time I go. The guides that work for one particular shop in Basalt are the worst offenders IMO, and I stopped patronizing that place LONG ago (Taylor Creek Fly Shop). I once had the same guide from that shop do this to me three days in a row, in different sections of the river, and by the third day I was pretty angry about it. I yelled (nearly screamed) at him this time from across the river, accused him of looking for my vehicle, and I think he finally got the message and left. What's even worse is when they try to shoe-horn themselves in between members of my family and I fishing together, when we're so close together (and even fishing on both sides of the river at times). No etiquette whatsoever!!!

I know way too many people who agree with me, so you'd think this particular shop would be out of business by now, but unfortunately the rich clientele they get in from Aspen don't know any better and the place still does a great business (probably doesn't hurt that they're the only "Orvis" shop around).