Stream Etiquette

[mantis]

Last Spring on one of my many trips to the Roscoe and area after checking in and filling the gas tank I drove up to the Hazel Bridge pool on the Willowemac.
It was late afternoon and I just wanted to see if there was any insect activity. Three guys were in the water and one fellow sat near the stream on the cement wall where the handicap access platform used to be. I greeted him and sat down myself and asked if there had been any action. Nothin' all day he said. Nor for his 3 friends in the water. There was a wide space right in front of us where another angler could cast without bothering the 3 all of which were down stream a bit. The fellow who was sitting there had had it and I wasn't even suited up. 20 minutes later another angler approached us and asked the normal questions, then asked if we were going to fish out ahead of where we sat. Both of us told him we were not going out and the new guy then asked if we minded if he gave it a try. Be my guest I said. He waded in and when he was 6 or 7 steps out I called "Hey". He stopped and turned back toward me. "Thanks for asking" I said. "Appreciate it!"
So there are some decent people out on the water and not everyone is crowding your space.
Anybody else have any "GOOD" stream etiquette experiences to report?

[rriver]

Since I live on the Rogue, and see many fellow fisher's of all types, I have always avoided problems, no matter how good or bad the etiquette, except for once.

I had a problem with 3 guys a couple of years ago, egg soakers in a drift boat that rowed and held where I was fishing in my drifter. We had some cross words, and the glares went on for some months.

Then, that winter I was wade fishing, and it was cold and miserable. They drifted into the boat ramp, and they couldn't start their truck. I gave them a jump, and they are now friendly and don't crowd my water anymore.

Every since I patched that up, I vowed to not have enemies on the river. If someone is a jerk, being nice to them often causes them to be nice. Or, sometimes you just need to move. Fishing, especially when the chinook are running, can bring out the worst in some people.



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- rriver


[This message has been edited by rriver (edited 28 October 2005).]

[Jim Hatch]

Hi Mantis,

I've been fishing mostly warm and salt
water for over 50 years. I can only recall
two instances where rudeness prevailed and
hard feelings resulted. Once when a fellow
in a 20 foot Stratos bassboat cussed me for
not giving him the fish I was releasing,
and the second time when I was flyfishing
back in a favorite swamp and another boat
came in, pulled right over by me and cast
a bobber across my flyline. This in two
hundred acres of swamp located on 60,400
acres of lake. I commented what a great
thing it was that we had so danged much
water to share with so few other boats. I
went on inquire what on earth had possessed
him to forego all of the other waters in
this huge impoundment just to foul my fly
line. He got flustered, cussed me, and
left. I guess he didn't have a good answer.
But virtually all of the other interactions
I can recall ranged from acceptable, to
friendly, to darned helpful. I think in my
little corner of the world, most of the
folks are pretty decent. I have often had
boats pull up at a respectful distance and
watch and inquire about flyfishing. On a
number of occasions, I have put a spare rod
in their hand and provided their first
lesson. Even a hardened old redneck will
grin and giggle like a kid when he gets his
first big bluegill on a flyrod.*G* Warm
regards, Jim

[Jed]

I almost always find people to be nice and polite. I fish the "Y" pool on the Swift River in MA. IT is heavily fished. I often share it with several retirees, who just include me in the banter, share the different spots with me and on occaision ofer me one of their successful flies. I find that courtesy and kindness is generally the rule of the day and only rarely do I find someone who is otherwise.

jed

[Eight Thumbs]

I fish a large, warmwater lake most of the time. As a result I have lots of interactions with bait-dunkers, hardware chuckers and plastic worm slingers. I honestly have to discribe the great majority of my interactions as very friendly to friendly and the remainder as courteous. My only problem has been a couple of jet ski riders and I don't think that they know any better. I also fish near Jim Hatch's friendly corner of the world. 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.




[This message has been edited by Eight Thumbs (edited 30 October 2005).]