Idiots in the river

[Rocketfish]

I imagine that all of us, dedicated flyfishers, Nature and silence lovers, we had not happy encounters in the river sometime.
I was laughing now, remembering myself about ten years ago...I was casting dries in a nice Patagonian river to a trout behind a boulder, rising for mayflies. A "classic idiot" was watching my action from the bridge almost over my spot, and after a few minutes he started shouting and yelling me about how to present the fly to the nice rainbow. "NO!! cast one yard up river!!..."No, no he's at the left!!"...and the worst part was..."Hey you, can't you hear meeee!!??".
Of course, other tourists heard him and came to see. My respond was to not respond and to concentrate my casts. The thing was that the trout didn't want any of my flies (changed three or four times for Adams, March Browns, etc. on different size) so this insane elevated his exclamations more and more and asking me if I was dull. At that point I exploded and I shouted the moron (reeling in and running to him) to stop or he'll will be flying from the bridge in seconds. Sorry, I'm laughing again...I can see the guy running to get the opposite coast!!
My two companions at 60-70yds from there like an audience, were watching all the scene and almost died of laughing.
(Sorry, my English is not the best but I remembered this story now and wanted to share it with you, guys, I'm sure that you have many stories in the river, not just about trout)

[chewydog]

I bet the "idiot" still tells the story...only different.

[Rocketfish]

I bet the "idiot" still tells the story...only different.

Surely!
Rocketfish

[Uncle Jesse]

I live on the north side of Atlanta and mostly fish in the Chattahoochee River. The parking lot where I leave my pick up is within 200 ft. of the intersection point of 3 counties with a combined population of roughly 2 million people. Completely avoiding idiots on the river is nearly impossible. It is an artifical lure/fly only area, I frequently see people with illegal baits, one such fisherman was recently spotted fishing from a bridge with his box of worms sitting in plain view on the bridge railing. I have had guides with clients pulling into the exact area I was casting; middle aged women in rental float tubes float through a pod of rising trout I was working. Most of the people on the river are considerate and try to give you space but the few idiots do tend to pop up. The law in Georgia is if you own the land on each side of the river you can control access and who floats down the river, I understand why people who can afford the land control access. (That said, I don't really like the law.)

[gmac209]

Now here is someone who has nothing but good experiences - must be where he fishes that makes a difference.
Haven't read the book yet but the title sounds interesting. Who knew - the Fonz likes to fly fish. eeehhhh


http://www.amazon.ca/Ive-Never-Met-Idiot-River/dp/1608870200

[Kerry Stratton]

Everytime I go fishing there is at least one idiot on the river.





Wait, that didn't come out right.

[Steven McGarthwaite]

There is a Federal Law, that has been on the books since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, has to do with public right of ways for commerce. Rivers in the early days was the protected for all to use, long before Railroads, or State and National Highways.


Nobody can claim ownership to any portion of the water system of the USA, the high water mark on the river or lake are the the boundary line for free transport, even if a person own property on both sides of of the river or stream. All of these waters are own by the people of the United States, and regulated by the Federal, State, Counties & Municipalities.

Rivers and the lakes on those rivers are part of the Nation's Transportation System. Nobody can file claim to a segment of any water system in the USA.

[Uncle Jesse]

Nobody can file claim to a segment of any water system in the USA.

You are going to need a better lawyer, the courts has found for the landowner in this matter in the state of Georgia to the point where a heat discussion broke out with a guy floating down a north Georgia stream ending when the landowner shot him, a non-fatal wound. The courts found the landowner not guilty.

[Old #art]

Jesse--Same here in Va. Something called a "Kings Grant Deed". A lot of court time has been expended over this but the land owners have prevaled. You can float on the water but you can't touch bottom because it belongs to the landowner.

[ScottP]

Jesse--Same here in Va. Something called a "Kings Grant Deed". A lot of court time has been expended over this but the land owners have prevaled. You can float on the water but you can't touch bottom because it belongs to the landowner.

I think that only (currently) applies to a section of the Jackson River (otherwise the Shenandoah River would be littered with the bodies of countless anglers), a piece of water that's been hotly contested for years.

Rocketfish, if I were you I would have moved a bit closer to the bridge and "accidentally" allowed my backcast to drift up and back a bit

Regards,
Scott