I noticed over the last few years that my home river has become polluted with rubbish (empty crawler containers,these clearly state DO NOT LITTER,Bud and But Light bottles,bobbers and line that you could haul in whales with!)Any stretch that is fly only doesent seem to have these problems, but my river has no such thing anymore.Lastly its not just the trash but also any fish CLOSE to the legal limit is kept.Any feedback on this topic is welcome
The ‘Grand’ your home river? Mine is the Ausable. What you say is true. There is a long learning curve for some folks. Our job; teach 'em.
“How long does it take to learn fly-fishing?
No one knows.”
Grand poo-bah
Good lord NOOO< not the Grand.Mine is the Rogue, not as pristene as the Ausable but a jem in its own right.
Is trash bad? Is that the question? Yeah, trash is bad. I admire most those who clean up after themselves and others. But the subject line of your post is misleading. Just this week we’ve learned that some people cast corn and worms on fly rods. And I, for one, never use live bait when I spin cast. And I do use spinning gear sometimes.
What was the question again?
Turk, we have spent many enjoyable hours cleaning areas of the Main Stream and the South Branch. ‘A Sand County Almanac’ should be required reading for all fishing licenses.
It’s not just bait fishers that are slobs, they exist in every corner of society. I’ve fished in flyfishing only sections around my area and found water bottles and tippet spools thrown around. And don’t get me started about the crap that people leave on the beaches! I always pick up whatever trash I see whenever I am out anywhere(not only fishing) and get disgusted that people can have so little respect for nature that they throw their garbage wherever they want. How hard is it to stuff your garbage into a pocket until you get to a garbage can? Slobs like that are what makes folks want to close off areas to the public, fishing or otherwise. As mad as littering makes me and as frustrated as I get picking up the endless piles of trash, I’ll still pick it up wherever I see it and I can only hope that there are others that do it as well.
jklett, wow, just checked your ‘profile’. Looks like you’re into everything. 
Agreed on the picking up thing, we still do it too. Guess that’s the way it always has been and always will be.
Some just think their ‘mommy’ will keep picking up their underware. Most have only just finished toilet-training. Almost.
I bait fish and fly fish. I can tell you that the last thing the spinfisherman want is there bobber to get caught in a tree or his line to get snagged in the bush.
If it is just sitting on the ground, then no doubt thats not right. But if it is caught in the tree ot something, try not to blame them. Spinning tackle loves to snag onto things
I’ve noticed that waters open to any type of fishing have more litter than flies only water. I think it’s mostly from people who aren’t really fisherman, but people who are just “going up north camping” They’ll be canoing, camping, and getting trashed before they have to go back to work on Monday. Other than this trip, and a couple more they might make during the summer, they won’t fish at all during the year. Many bait fisherman are just as concious of keeping the river clean as fly fisherman, it’s the ones who aren’t fisherman at all who don’t give a dang.
I think another factor is that rivers that are open to any type of fishing get more traffic from these types, as well as real fisherman than stretches of water with gear restrictions. More people=More litter.
Thankfully most flyfisherman, even if they are a weekend warrior, are aware of the importance of taking out whatever you bring in. Unfortunately, there are the exceptions to that too.
Even while fishing the flies only stretch of one of my local rivers, the AuSable, I’ll run across a pile of beer cans, or a cooler, etc. Usually from a group of people partying on the river. But I think that most of the litter on any river isn’t from anglers(bait or fly), but from people who aren’t fishing at all such as canoers
[url=http://www.colemancreekflies.com:6a8bc]http://www.colemancreekflies.com[/url:6a8bc]
Good point. Will we see you at the ‘Fish-In’?
I’m not 100% that I’ll be able to make it yet, but it’s pretty likely that I’ll be swinging by. Look forward to meeting as many new people as possible
I usually have to do some clean-up at my local stream, especially after stocking day.
It irritates me to no end, but I see little alternative. I have complained to DNR, but unless I can get pictures of someone actually doing it, they will do nothing.
It keeps me busy sometimes.
Semper Fi!
I noticed this problem on a recent trip to the S. Platte river in Colorado (where I grew up). I grew up baitfishing and then migrated to flyfishing when I got older. I was always taught to respect the river and its users/wildlife. I think most bait fishermen do as well.
The percentage of bad fly fishers and bad bait/spin fishermen is probably just about the same. I’ve seen some real pigs with swish outfits and goretex waders.
The problem is that there’s a lot more baitfishermen than there are flyfishermen on most tailwater/stocked fisheries. So the effect of the baddies is more strongly felt.
I think the penalties for littering river banks should be more strictly enforced/steeper. And most DNR guys would agree - but they just don’t have the manpower to do it. Its up to us to keep an eye on things.
Mike
I’m not too proud of fly fishermen to note that a friend of mine who is a guide was complaining about all of the spent reels of tippet material on a local stream not too long ago.
I myself am guilty of decorating trees with my flies. The advantage of a tippet is that it leaves less string in the trees.
If I make to Oz and see the wizard, I’m gonna ask him for proper casting technique. :roll:
Ed
There is a spot that I fish ( reluctantly Because of the garbage) just below the Jackson Lake Dam on the Snake River in GTNP. This spot is VERY accesible and generates a lot of fishing pressure. When I’m there, I take a garbage bag with me and start collecting BEFORE I wet a line. I walk amongst all the fishermen and pick up garbage off the rocks etc. Pretty soon everyone gets the message and joins the clean-up. My tactics are a bit " in your face" but THEY WORK, and maybe the message sticks.
But having said all that, I still cannot understand the mentality behind trashing nature.And I’m not even CLOSE to being a tree hugger.
Mark
Its not just streams a creek sides, its every where. There is a gas station on the corner of M-52 and Pleasant Lake Rd (the road I live on) close by here in Michigan. A McDonalds 9.2 miles to the north in Chealsea Michigan. I know for sure the McDonald’s wrapers are flung out the car windows 9.2 miles on the average and a 12oz can of Natural Light will make it 2.2 miles until it is consumed and flung out the car window. Oh yeah, the convience store is 2.2 miles down the road. At least the cans are worth a dime each here in Michigan, the wrapers are another story. Morale of story, there are low IQ’s behind the wheel just as there are low IQ’s holding a fishing rod. If Darwin where alive today, I am sure he would account for the evolution of man in general, as “going backward instead of forward”
We are the stewards of the stream and the angle. Each tiny act of kindness and consideration can make a difference. Maybe not in our lifetime but maybe in our childrens.
Jonezee, don’t get discouraged. You never know who is merely acting without thinking and can have their eyes opened by a good example. You’ve got to plant a lot of seed to get a crop, sometimes. 
Sometimes the seed gives you an oak.
Ed
As usual, Marco & I are on the same page…it’s called “actions speak louder than words”! I often pick trash up in plain view of some of the offenders…some get the message, others don’t…but then, even ONE convert is a victory in my book.
Mike
turk;
I’ll not soon forget how 'tuber and I found the puplic access points that Sunday morning along the Au Sable River. Flip flops, T shirts, empty beer cases (remember the cans are worth a dime!!) water bottles (no return) in the parking lots, etc, etc!!! We darn near filled my Jeep with trash and put in the campground dumpster.
We asked Rusty Gates about this and he told us that the canoer’s just turn them over, dump the trash and leave!!
It seems that the canoe rental outfits don’t care either!! Just get the drunken clients and canoes back to town!!
:evil: