I know I’m old and grouchy, my wife told me so. But there have been a couple of incidents recently that kind of got sand in my grits. The first was a bunch of rental fun float tuber crowding me and floating right through the middle of a bunch of rising trout. It was probably a good thing I didn’t have any long pointed poles with me. I figured they were a bunch of uneducated tourist whose mama didn’t raise them right, even though most appeared to be middled aged women. But yesterday, I have most of my 3/4 mile of river to myself until two guys spinning fishing from tubes come up right behind me, go around and then start fishing a little more than 50 ft. down stream from me on the same side. Personally if I go around someone I try to give them a good amount of stream that I have not fished before working the same side they are working.
I know we have had this conversation, not that long ago. So you can take this as part vent and also a honest inquiry into others opinion.
I was fishing the Snake above Jackson with a guide last summer and wading a stretch when 3 kayakers came down the river, the 2 ladies gave me a wide berth but the guy went right down the riffle I was fishing. I started false casting over his head and he yelled “Watch out!”. lol. I’m going to say he was out of control and didnt mean to be a baffoon. Frankly, the fish didnt seem to care and were happily rising again in a couple minutes. I try to fish secluded areas or at least avoid weekends. I would hate to hook someone by accident
A tungsten conehead streamer usually takes care of that! lol. Me and Wizard had a similar incident a couple years back. I got pretty ticked off and started casting directly at them (I know it’s a bad move but hey, I was pissed! lol). The one guy had the audacity to ask “How’s the fishing”?, to which I replied, “It was good til you got here”!
We deal with a lot of problems on the stream, especially during salmon/steelhead season, so I feel your pain. I really don’t know what the answer is. Our waterways have become increasingly more crowded. I think the best answer i’ve heard is:
try to fish secluded areas or at least avoid weekends.
Some fly fishers are just as bad! I have had then walk in front of me, or walk through a quiet pool full of big fish so they can fish the riffle to my left.
How 'bout the guy that sees me hook a nice brown, runs over, crowds right in on the trout as i’m trying to land and handle as little as possible and this gentleman starts asking me questions about what fly, what X tippet and more. Pill has it right though…avoid wknds (difficult for some) or go more remote. Usually a 15 or 20 min walk from the parking area if that’s where one goes. The rafters and tubers? Well i don’t know why they’d know to steer around a lowly fisherperson but i have had a few stop and ask which way i’d prefer them to pass by me. I know some will yell if i suggest ‘educating’ ppl that have no clue that we’re focussed on something they can’t see much less comprehend but hey, if they ask i think it’s a good idea. That said, I usually reel up till they pass, rest the water and as mentioned the trout go right back to work in short order. Tolerance i guess would be a word in these situations. I’m giving away my age i’d say !
When I was a hunter, either with bow or black powder, if I saw someone hunting the area I wanted I would choose another canyon or draw. I called intruding on someone else’s area “stepping on their hunt,” and it’s just something I would never do. Same thing with fishing either a river or lake. I would never wade or float someone else’s water. If someone does it to you, no matter how mad it makes you, just pick up and go find another area. They are only fish, and no matter how much fun they are they aren’t worth the confrontation with a stranger.
I started a thread a bit ago about getting “Low-holed” and just some of the appalling things some anglers and floaters do are just stupid!! Be it a weekend or midweek it happens all too often. On the other hand, my girlfriend and I stepped into this run just as we saw a drift boat two hundred yards up river coming down, and I knew they probably wanted to fish there. The guy/guide said thought you might get in there and I respect the walk and they kept moving on. It was a very polite exchange since they were able to cover more water. So there are some respectful people out there. But, ya a tung head streamer will do the trick.
I usually don’t even think about letting them know. I just walk away. I guess I’m a non-confrontational type personality. It’s their mistake and I wouldn’t want to say “This is what you’re doing wrong,” to a stranger.
I’m in the Lotech camp o this one. I’ve had it happen to me but it’s just not worth the fight.
This spring, I was in the Smoky Mountains fishing a stretch of a really tiny stream and doing pretty good on native brook trout. How the family stumbled on this piece of water is still a mystery but a man, woman and 2 little girls came up and saw me fishing. They went about 50 feet upstream trying to be polie and the girls started playing in the stream. While it pretty much put the fish down, I couldn’t really be angry at them. I stopped by on my way on upstream and chatted with the dad. They were just a nice family out enjoying the mountains. We talked a bit about the fishing (he was not a fisherman) and the stream. The little girls were having a blast. The dad wanted me to cast the fly a little because he had never seen anyone fly fishig. We talked a little about my fly rods, I showed him some flies I tied and we had a really pleasant 5 or 10 minute chat. When I went on up stream, one of the little girls, who I thought were unaware of me or the conversation with the dad, said “sir, I hope you catch a lot of fish today.”
The way I look at it, I may not have made a fisherman out of him or the kids, but I think I left them with a positive impression of fishermen, I got to meet a nice family and in the end, I remember them more than I do the fish I caught.
If I had been grumpy and let it ruin my day, they would have still had fun splashing in the creek and my day would have been ruined.
I certainly don’t advocate being confrontational. If however, the violators are left to continue unaware, they will never change their behavior. It seems like you could say something to them along the line of, “Excuse me. If you were here fishing, as I was a moment ago, and I intruded into your fishing space the way you just did to me, you would probably be unhappy with my behavior. Please be more courteous next time.” Who knows, it might help. Best Regards…
All have good points here on both sides of the argument… And i’ve gotta say Most of the probs I’ve had with ppl invadeing my buffer zone while on the water were fellow fly fishers! Seems some (not all) by a long shot… but some feel the fly rod makes it ok to be more “friendly”… Still flat unwelcomed on my part most of the time…lol… If I’m not… In the water… sure fine i’ll gladly shoot the bull with a passing fisher person… But if I’m midstream happily casting = Fishing! Please feel free to mosey a Few Hundered YARDS in any direction but mine!!! Should make no differance what rod you or I are carrying, Weather I/we are in Yaks! or On a lake, River,Mountian stream… In a parking lot in or out bound sure fine I can chat! And above all if I happen to be Carp fishing and ya come barreling out of nowhere stomping along the stream… God help ya! Cause I won’t be in good spirits! Oh yes the memories!! lol… Miss having The bro in-law along he was the talkative type n kept the… inqusitives at bay while I plied the waters in piece!
Whether on the water or streetside I find people run the gamet from courteous to confrontational. I fish to leave the stress behind. I just reel-in and if need be move on. This was not always the case in my younger years where I had no problem giving my $0.02 worth. Now that I am older, it find it just ain’t worth getting uptight about and ruin a day’s fishing over it. Besides in most cases the situation resolves itself in a few minutes and I am back to fishing once again.
Uncle Jesse,
These pictures were taken on Sunday, probably on the river you were fishing (Chatahoochee). It was very crowded with tubers etc. But 5 of us floated in pontoons and all had 30+ trout day. (8 hour float from the Dam to Settles Bridge.) As you can see by the second picture, they don’t even try to avoid you.
I appreciate the thoughts and opinion of everyone. Frankly, I think we all agree we could appreciate people with better manners and I hope I have never been guilty of crowding anyone else. If so, you have my apologies. I realize that I am blessed to have a tailwater fishery with several access points with 15 miles of my home and should be happy the approximately 5 million people in the surrounding area do not get shoulder to shoulder up and down the bank. I can frequently be on the Hooch and not see another person in either direction, I can catch trout while hearing numerous cars go over the bridge. Saturday while the air temperature was rapidly approaching 90+ deg. I sat on my FishCat in 50 deg. water that was clear enough to ID yellow perch several ft. below me, where the water quality has improved to the point that you can now catch native trout not just stockers. Writing down my tirade and sharing it does help it seems.
So, thank you Lord for the blessing and help me forgive those whose manners could stand improving, and I ask forgiveness for the times my manners could be improved.
Sirrom, I recognize that scene. You are right the fish don’t seem to notice the rental tubers, yaks and canoes. I guess they pay their taxes and renting tubes stimulates the economy and God knows we need that. What’s the old saying “Ya pays ya money and ya take ya chances!” Let’s tell the truth too, most of us guys don’t object too loudly about being crowded by the scantily clad large breasted cutie.
Had a 25(+) fish day a week ago w/ kids jumping in a deep hole 30 yds down stream. Some times it can work in your favor. Just like fish… ya gotta out think 'em.
I think for me the scary part is, you never know how someone else will react to even a well put response. People are PSYCHO now a days, or can be with even the slightest provocation. If you are ALONE, I think it’s best to just grin and bear it, you never know what the possible reactions can be. If you are with a group, certainly polite correction at least lets you feel like you defended yourself. I myself am constantly amazed that most tubers and rafters seem to have no intention of circling out of range of a fisherman. On narrow streams they can’t I realize, but on an 80’ wide stream they gotta get within touching distance? As Ron White says, “You can’t fix STUPID”.
pspaint was being honest, he put a fly right over them, I saw it. Sometimes you just can’t help it.
The NE end of Yellowstone NP, particularily Soda Butte Creek, has had it’s share of problems the past few years with a real increase in fishing pressure. A few years ago I had guys trying to jump my hole while I was turned away from the stream for a moment to dispense with the morning’s coffee; also had folks trying to crowd in at the top while I was playing a fish that headed for the tail of a pool. I’ve had fishermen high-bank the hole I was fishing as they moved up and dowstream (also had bison do this but since they’re residents and outweigh me by a few thousand pounds I’m willing to make allowances). I’d say the majority of offenders are just clueless when it comes to stream etiquette although the ratio of a…holes is definitely on the rise, and I don’t even bother to fish there during hopper time any more.
I was fishing the Lamar a few weeks ago, working a bank from the shore (fishing upstream) while another fisherman entered the river well above (300 yds maybe) and started working down, fishing from midstream. I was taught that someone working upstream had right-of-way over downstream and sure enough, when he was within about 50 yards he climbed out, got away from the bank and moved below me. We stopped to chat for a minute, asked how each was doing; I pointed out a channel just downstream where I had turned a real nice cutt on 3 different flies (he laughed about that, noting that I had spent a bit of time there and wondering why he had seen me slapping my head every few minutes), and he id’d a boulder upstream where he had seen a decent fish as well. We wished each other good luck, I thanked him for his courtesy and we went back to fishing; made for a pleasant day on the water.
Trav & I were discussing this too and remember some years ago on the South Branch of the Au Sable in Michigan (quite a few years ago) and if we saw a car we’d drive on to the next spot…and drive on to the next spot until we found a place with no one else. Those days are mostly gone and yes it’s hard to have manners when everyone else seemingly doesn’t. The alternative seems to be not to fish and I don’t much like that one either.
I got my most recent burr from under my saddle but one that particularly irritates me after several years was a guide on the Chattahoochee who pulled his boat with client in right on top of me while I was trying to convince a large carp to take a bite. It was the junction of a creek into the Hooch and not that large an area. It put a bad taste in my mouth for guides for a long time. I will have to say the guides I encounter the most often are in drift boats share the river very well. John Scalley, Chris’ brother, is particularly polite shares the river and info very well. If you ever want to come to Atlanta and hire a guide I would recommend them. They have a good reputation and are nice people.
