Manners
By Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona
My mother used to say that her kids should have
excellent manners since we never used them at
home. If that's true then most anglers I have
encountered in recent years must have excellent
manners everywhere else because I fail to see
them demonstrated when they are fishing. It
wasn't always that way, but like many things
in our modern world things aren't like they
used to be.
One of the truly unfortunate things I have
witnessed over my many years of angling is
the loss of manners among anglers. The
mentality that I'm number one, and it's all
about me mind-set that has engulfed much of
our society has found its way into the world
of outdoor sports. If you believe man evolved
from apes you might find ample ammunition to
support your theory when observing the behavior
of some anglers or their guides. This is one of
my pet peeves, and the absence of good manners
in outdoor sports is simply unacceptable. We
use to say that manners were merely common sense,
but one thing my years of being a judge taught me
was that common sense is not common.
Remember this first; whether you are chasing a
trout, hunting a buck, or stalking a butterfly
with a camera any competition involved should be
between you and the item you are pursuing and not
between you and another person. There is a place
for competition between individuals but it does
not belong in any recreational outdoor sport. When
considering angling, here are some simple rules
every angler worthy of the name should observe.
The wading angler has the right to wade and fish
the water without interference by other anglers
whether afoot or afloat. Unless it is unavoidable,
a floating angler should never float so close to
a wading angler to either endanger the wading
angler or ruin his fishing. Under no circumstances
should a floating angler cast into an area being
fished by a wading angler.
Anglers wading against the current have the right
of way when encountering an angler wading with
the current.
Under no circumstances should an angler enter the
water immediately above or below another angler,
even if the other angler is merely sitting on the
bank. Unless you ask, do not presume that they are
done fishing or that they will not mind.
Do not walk on the banks near where another angler
is fishing, especially in areas where the banks are
undercut or where grass or bushes hang out over the
water. Trout are quite sensitive to vibrations, and
any trout that is resting next to the bank will be
spooked by your footsteps.
Unless you know the other angler do not attempt
to engage them in a conversation while they are
fishing. If you feel that common courtesy requires
some gesture a nod or a wave is sufficient to
acknowledge their presence. I may be a bit of
a curmudgeon in this area, but I believe if you
are looking for conversation there are better
places to find it. Sir Isaac Walton said that
fishing was the contemplative man's sport, and
it's difficult to be contemplative when someone
is jacking their jaws while you're trying to fish.
Keep your comments to yourself. I have encountered
some anglers who want to express their opinions
about how and where other people are fishing by
shouting out insults or similar comments when
they encounter other anglers who don't conform
to their ideas about how the sport should be
practiced. If what you see is illegal report it
to the proper authorities, but if it's simply not
the way you would do it, keep it to yourself.
There have been instances on some streams where
such confrontations have led to bloody lips and
worse. If you want to engage in name calling and
insults become a politician. It pays better.
If the water is crowded with other anglers don't
hog a prime spot so others cannot fish there.
Don't plant yourself in the best spot on the
water and stay there all day; and don't
intentionally wade into a place where floating
anglers cannot get past you. In plain English,
don't be a jerk!
Floating anglers should follow similar rules
when encountering other floaters. If the stream
is wide enough to allow you to pass stay as far
away from the other boat as possible and pass as
quickly as possible. Do not cast toward other
boats unless the stream is wide enough for you
to do so without casting into water the other
angler might be fishing. There is a place for
boat races but when engaged in sport fishing
that is not the place. Cutting off other boats
so you can fish a certain piece of water,
parking your boat where others are fishing, or
any similar behavior is crude, boorish, and
immature.
If you are launching a boat at a public launch
site remember you are not the only person who
has a boat to launch. Load your gear in the
parking area before you back your boat down
the launch ramp, and once your boat is clear
of your trailer get your vehicle off the ramp
so others can get their boats in the water.
In a similar manner when you are taking your
boat out of the water don't block the ramp
while you are unloading your gear out of the
boat. Get your boat on the trailer and pull
it out of the way. You can unload your gear
in the parking lot.
Showing good manners is not rocket science,
but it may mean you need to think of someone
else besides yourself. A good rule of thumb
is if another person's behavior is offensive
to you, if you engage in a similar way, it
is likely to be offensive to others. We most
dislike what we see in others what we most
dislike in ourselves. Who knows, it might
be refreshing to let someone else be number
one, and it might be a revelation to realize
you are not. ~ Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona
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