Getting Low Holed

[Cold]

Bamboozle, I think you won the thread with that picture. Awesome.

Gemrod, I really can't follow the logic that its better to take offense at a perceived slight than to try to give a fellow angler the benefit of the doubt and let it slide...and continue to enjoy the rest of your day. Its not even a question of streamside etiquette...its just a matter or being bigger than the situation and promoting positive karma. Why get angry over a situation in which your anger will make no difference whatsoever?

[luckie88]

The thing is... we were only about 25 yards away when he dropped in!!! When we moved and extra 5 yards down then the started to take in his line, and knew he was wrong and what he did! That's when the comment came out of my mouth. Waders or wet wading isn't the issue. It's about spoiling water for others when you should know better. GREAT PICS BY THE WAY!! Looks like fun.

[Gemrod]

I didn't say it was better to get angry. Where does it say I think it is better? I am just saying that is the way I are. I get angry.
I have had it happen worse and not mentioned it on here. I was fly fishing a very small stream with a pool before some rocks and a little drop off. Fly fishing it. I am talking a poll not big enough for more than two people. This guy strolls up with a five gallon bucket of water....and RIGHT ACROSS THE STREAM from me throws he bait in with a spinning rod. I asked him if he made a habit of butting in on someone fishing. He looked up and smiled like he didn't really hear what I said. He caught a couple of fish and put in his bucket...I just went on upstream. Was I angry? Yes, but did I make a scene? No, I went on to somwhere else. But in my mind I spent some considerable energy over it.

Logic has nothing to do with it. I would call it situational thinking. And I guess I am not that forgiving or big about people. I have friends in low places.

I'm unscribing to this thread. I am not going to get my buttons pushed. Nature of post is changing already......

[Cold]

Fair enough, I suppose. The urge to get angry is natural, I guess I just tend to separate things. I can't control the guy that crowds me out, but I CAN choose to simply not get angry about it. Last year in Erie on a fairly uncrowded day I had a guy walk upstream, skipping 3-4 holes that were holding fish, to walk within arm's reach of me and commence timing his drift with my casting to avoid a tangle. Yes, close enough I could have reached out and touched his shoulder. Nobody else within 30 feet of either side of us, on a hole he easily could have jumped into the top or bottom as I was dead center. My first thought was what a jerk he must have been, but just as quickly, I tried to get past that. I didn't leave, as I felt I was on the verge of figuring out the fish, but instead kept fishing as if he wasn't there. Within ten minutes, I hooked up and he reeled in to avoid a tangle. After landing and releasing the fish, I continued fishing and soon after, without a bite, he moved on. Was he purposely trying to crowd me out? Probably. Was I going to let it get to me? Absolutely not.

Just two different approaches, and I feel I get more enjoyment out of my life by addressing these kinds of situations in my way. Not saying its any better or worse, just different. No worries.

[luckie88]

I wasn't trying to be a jerk, butI was just trying to let him know a little more right from wrong. Just letting him know that he was in the wrong and probably shouldn't have done that.

[Host Ray]

"Low holed" WTF is that, the guy got in the water well below you and your pissed he didn't let you have the whole river to yourself, If he got in upstream of you would he have "high holed" you? I try to never enter the water above another fisherman as most work upstream You feel being in the water first gives you the right to all the water where your planning to go to? Wow so let me get this right, you get in the water and your entitled to fish the 50 yards below you too and nobody else can fish in the river?? The guy walks all the way around you to get in well below you and he's wrong??? Again, I try to enter the water well below other fishermen as when working a river I always work my way upstream, never down stream. If I were there I would have done the exact same thing as he did.
I think your a hog, it's you that are wrong & you owe him an apology not the other way around.

[Tyro]

Ahh, etiquette and common courtesy, something that does seem to be lacking in todays world. I think that there are so many factors going into this that you'll never find an answer. Look at the divergence of opinions just in this thread. What may be standard practice in one area might be something quite offensive in another spot.

Personally, if it's not crowded on the river and I see someone working an area I'll just move on. If crowded I ask the person if they are working up or down and if they mind if I work the opposite direction. If someone low holes me I tend to do as Keatonsdad does and just move on. I really don't want to ruin a day of fishing stewing on what I perceive as the poor manners of someone else.

Steve

[Jayatwork]

"Low holed" WTF is that, the guy got in the water well below you and your pissed he didn't let you have the whole river to yourself, If he got in upstream of you would he have "high holed" you? I try to never enter the water above another fisherman as most work upstream .

Ray, being "low holed" is mainly applicable to swinging for steelhead, where one casts, swings and then takes a step down stream and repeats. Low holing, ie stepping in below someone who is working through a run is the equivalent of cutting in line and considered bad form. It is generally acceptable to start at the top of a run and follow someone through, although it's nice to ask.

[maodiver]

In defense of humanity:

I was fishing the upper sac last weekend, and had a spin fisherman come down the bank. He asked if he could fish the riffle above me (about 20 yards away). How cool was that?? I tossed him a spinner I had found (I give them away to spin fishermen when I find them) and told him to get 'er done.

[greenghost]

Ray, being "low holed" is mainly applicable to swinging for steelhead, where one casts, swings and then takes a step down stream and repeats. Low holing, ie stepping in below someone who is working through a run is the equivalent of cutting in line and considered bad form. It is generally acceptable to start at the top of a run and follow someone through, although it's nice to ask.

Good explanation Jay.I guess it goes back to previously mentioned reginal differences and style of fishing,ie:swinging wets vs. nymphing or dead drifting dries.
I'm a bit spoiled living in the relatively un-crowded east coast of Canada,where if I see even a single vehicle on a fave trout stream I'll often move on to another section.I spend most of the summer months swinging flies for Atlantics,usually on public water,where EVERYBODY knows the river etiquette and newbs that don't will soon be educated by the locals.Cast,swing,step,repeat.Ignorant a-holes that choose to ignore the rules and insist on "low-holing",growing roots,or being barnacles might just find that a #2 double has mysteriously found it's way downstream to tear those $600 Simms off their sorry a$$,lol.Seriously though,it rarely if ever comes to that,though I've heard that one from old timers that claim that "if one doesn't wanna move,they have ways to move one".

Again,I guess it goes back to what's accepted as proper river etiquette regionally in accordance with the style of fishing.I wouldn't presume that stepping in above another angler on a western river that's working dries would be proper neither.

Thanks to the poster for the elbow-elbow pics.I did the great lakes steelhead thing for several years while living in southern Ontario.......I needed that reminder to how lucky I am to live and fish back on the east coast once again.