River Etiquette

[profisher777]

I am fairly new to fly fishing and trout fishing in general. I found an awesome spot less than 20 minutes from where I live and Its considered "Trophy Waters" for Brown and Rainbow Trout. With this in mind, it gets pretty good pressure during the weekend and its not often I get it to myself. I was never really taught what normal etiquette was. If I arrive to my favorite section and I see someone in the river in front of me, do I get out and hike until I can get a good ways in front of him and get back in the water?

What are some other good etiquette tips?

 

[dillon]

Rules of Etiquette may vary from river to river, person to person, or species of fish. If you want to fish close to where someone else already is fishing, approach them and ask if they mind sharing the water and they will surely tell you where to fish, above or below them, or tell you where you can go... I usually just move on when someone is in my water, but sometimes ask and it always turns out fine. Be friendly and you will usually be treated in kind.

Just this week i drove about 3 miles along the river access road and didn't see anyone until i got to the spot I had intended to trout fish. Of course, someone was rigging up in the pullout. Amused, i pulled over and with a friendly smile on my face said, "Great fishermen must think alike." He replied, "How so?" I explained my intent to fish there and how it was funny how the only other fisherman on the river was in the same spot when there is tons of good water to fish. He laughed and offered to give me the water and move on. I thanked him, but declined and moved along myself.

Where i fish it is usuall fine to fish upstream of another angler. I would never go in below, wouldn't even ask, especially when steelhead fishing.

I believe in karma on the river. What goes around comes around...

 

[plecain]

Most times I just go somewhere else when I see someone fishing where I had planned.

If I stay I ask the other fisherman if he's fishing upstream or down from where he is. Then I do the opposite. That works most of the time.

 

[mtbright]

honestly i would watch and see how he is fishing, is he fishing up or down and then hike the opposite way. Take a half hour and find empty water. But it also matters how many other are around. I have never done well with the herd style of fishing.

This summer i was fishing a stretch and guy came with his dog and it ran and jumped in the bend i was beating with my line, i probably had already scare the fish away but still.

 

[scotty macfly]

Simple for me, the Golden Rule was meant for these situations.

If you approach a fisherman, and he opens up and shares info, and techniques, and maybe some flies, ask if you can share, or where he is going and then go the opposite way.

If the other person is verbally short and direct, just keep moving, and then move some more till you two are way out of sight from one another.

 

[flytie09]

Fly fishing is pretty simple.......common sense goes a long way.

- If he's in the parking lot first along a small stream, ask him where he's planning to fish and allow him to have the stretch. Move on to the next stretch in most cases... unless you become best of pals.
- If someone is fishing upriver... and you downriver. Step aside and let the upriver angler come on through or hop scotch around him.
- If you're fishing in a sizeable stream and the anglers there aren't moving, feel free to find a spot too, but don't wade within someone's casting distance. For most this is 100 ft. There's a reason people aren't moving...
- Don't hoot and holler.....
- Handle fish as little as possible, try to keep them in the water, use a net and release them quickly and carefully.
- Limit your hero shots...... 20 seconds out of the water can be lethal to a hard fought fish. A Facebook brag is not worth an animal's life.
- I personally won't set up fishing next to someone else within 150 yards.

Steelhead fishing... one could write a chapter on this.
- hole rotaton
- step down through a run
- stay well outside one swinging.... like 150 ft
- don't low hole someone unless you ask... and even then this is still a touchy thing.
- don't fight a foul hooked fish
- don't let a fish run too far downstream in a crowded section. Chase them if you must.... but once you're doing this.... it might be best to just consider the fish to be gone in most cases. If you're all alone...... feel free to play it like Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It.

When you encounter someone that has no etiquette...I suggest that's it's best to move on. No fish is worth it.

ft09

 

[mikechell]

I can't speak for river etiquette, I fish from a boat. Two excellent recommendations above.
1) Talk to them. Most anglers, these days, are friendly to other anglers. Most are more than willing to talk fishing all day long. It's even likely a friendly angler will offer part of his stretch to you with, "I'm fishing this way, you're welcome to go down there."
2) As long as your range and their casting range don't overlap, you're good to go.

 

[profisher777]

Thank you for the great feedback. The last time I fished my favorite stretch, I had a younger lad follow me up the entire stretch I was fishing. He would not pass me, and he stayed a reasonable distance away, but I was getting annoyed because he walked through the prime holes, and almost seemed to be pushing me upstream faster than I wanted to fish. I would have let him pass me if he asked, but at the same time, I knew he would have ruined any good hole up stream. I was not sure if I was just being intolerant that day or if this was the norm. I ended up taking a half mile hike upstream on the shore just to get away from him and fished a separate section.

 

[mnigro]

All great advice. Best to just ask someone what direction they’re headed and give the a bit of space and go the opposite direction. If the spot takes a lot of hiking to get to, don’t even ask to share water...hike further.

 

[flav]

I usually stop and talk to others I meet on the river, although if it's a long hike in I'm more likely to just wave and move on and leave them to their water. Most trout guys move upstream as they fish, but sometimes it's hard to tell, so I always ask and then ask if it's ok if I fish below or above them depending on which way they're going. Some guys don't say much, but I can't tell you how often guys have thanked me for asking and have said no one has ever asked them that before. Most guys (and girls) are usually very nice, and after chatting I've even had guys ask me to fish their water to see if I can hook a riser they couldn't. If I'm doing well and meet a newbie or someone who's not hooking fish I usually tell them what's working and give out a few flies. It's nice when you bump into those folks in camp later on and they invite you to dinner or a drink around their campfire.

 

[ddb]

This is a great thread!!


Note to management: Can it be saved and and moved to the top for future reference and improvement.

It would even be cool if the main points were boiled down to short sentences and left in printed hard copies in fly shops, libraries. churches, and other gathering points for the clan of the long-rodders. Maybe even in local bars...?.

Most posts on this topic repeat rants over negative experiences. I have a beut but will save it for a separate post should it come along.

ddb

 

[Lewis Chessman]

Thank you for the great feedback. The last time I fished my favorite stretch, I had a younger lad follow me up the entire stretch I was fishing. He would not pass me, and he stayed a reasonable distance away, but I was getting annoyed because he walked through the prime holes, and almost seemed to be pushing me upstream faster than I wanted to fish. I would have let him pass me if he asked, but at the same time, I knew he would have ruined any good hole up stream. I was not sure if I was just being intolerant that day or if this was the norm. I ended up taking a half mile hike upstream on the shore just to get away from him and fished a separate section.

Hi, profisher777 and welcome to the forum.
You present an interesting conundrum. In my world you got to the water first and have 'the right' to fish it first but, unless there are specific written rules this is simply a moral right, dependant on mutual civility.

I know exactly what you mean be feeling pressured by his 'pushing you on' and that was unsporting of him if he was aware he was doing it.
I know that, personally, once I felt pressured the enjoyment would dissipate from the day, and by then I must have had first go on at least a couple of pools, so time to share .... I would step out and take a rest.

Let the angler fish up to you and engage him. Work him out. Is he young, energetic and untutored in etiquette? Is he just plain ignorant?
If the former, maybe you can subtly discuss it without being unpleasant. If the latter, there's little you can do. Either way, I'd let them fish through. It's a kindness to a newbie - and there's a sweet, smug pleasure to be had from pulling missed fish out from behind an arrogant, boorish angler!

Regarding boats on boat/boat on bank action, 50 yards clearance is civil, and NEVER cut into another man's drift!

 

[karstopo]

Fly fishing is pretty simple.......common sense goes a long way.


- Don't hoot and holler.....


ft09

Does this happen on trout streams?

I thought only us saltwater or bass fishermen are forced to listen to these obnoxious outbursts. I'm not a fan of the thundering on the water celebrations with every little fish that gets caught.

Save the noisy celebration whoops and shouts for later at home or the pub. Shouting on the fishing waters should be reserved for times when someone is in imminent danger.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

 

[rsagebrush]

I wave and move on. Concerning crowding, sometimes I just leave, not really worth the argument and new water you've never fished before can hold some serious prizes. Some places like the San Juan can get downright rude, most of these people are clueless so why argue.
I was once fishing a great run in Reno, 50/50 stockers, I was nailing them left and right and the guy upstream kept getting closer and closer, so I kept moving down and doing just as well, he was coming up blank. So I let him have the run and moved down to the fast water and continued to take fish after fish, well he just kept moving closer and closer. So I simply led him down with me and then got out and went above him. I took some really nice fish where he was originally fishing, I believe he was pissed. Oh Well.

 

[scotty macfly]

Thank you for the great feedback. The last time I fished my favorite stretch, I had a younger lad follow me up the entire stretch I was fishing. He would not pass me, and he stayed a reasonable distance away, but I was getting annoyed because he walked through the prime holes, and almost seemed to be pushing me upstream faster than I wanted to fish. I would have let him pass me if he asked, but at the same time, I knew he would have ruined any good hole up stream. I was not sure if I was just being intolerant that day or if this was the norm. I ended up taking a half mile hike upstream on the shore just to get away from him and fished a separate section.

Oh, well in that case, I say once again, bring out the bear spray. But don't spray the children. Teach the kids properly on the etiquette on the water. They don't know, and he was probably watching you trying to learn something without wanting to disturb you with conversation. It happens.

 

[flytie09]

Does this happen on trout streams?

I thought only us saltwater or bass fishermen are forced to listen to these obnoxious outbursts. I'm not a fan of the thundering on the water celebrations with every little fish that gets caught.

Save the noisy celebration whoops and shouts for later at home or the pub. Shouting on the fishing waters should be reserved for times when someone is in imminent danger.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

While it is rare on trout streams for sure..... I have seen it on a few occasions on the more popular streams. It doesn't hurt to have a little fun and cut up every once in a while with a buddy..... but there is a limit.

I'm not the fun police by any means and my intent isn't to remove all of it from one's experience. Hearing "got one" or "bam" or "booyah" every couple minutes in close proximity to other anglers can be a little much. Maybe I'm just a crotchety s.o.b.

ft09

 

[corn fed fins]

Like everything else in life, communication and common sense. We are all using the same resource, it's free of possession, and we all have different opinions how we share. So I just strike up a conversation because that's the only way to know what someone thinks. If the person is a grumpy mean old SOB, then they are no longer a consideration in my decision.

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[brownbass]

I am fairly new to fly fishing and trout fishing in general. I found an awesome spot less than 20 minutes from where I live and Its considered "Trophy Waters" for Brown and Rainbow Trout. With this in mind, it gets pretty good pressure during the weekend and its not often I get it to myself. I was never really taught what normal etiquette was. If I arrive to my favorite section and I see someone in the river in front of me, do I get out and hike until I can get a good ways in front of him and get back in the water?

What are some other good etiquette tips?

Welcome to the forum and good on you for asking this question. It proves that sportsmanship is still alive. I sometimes fish in a park were the state stocks fish daily and as a result the place can get crowded even on weekdays (all of us retirees) In the park a simple "behind you as they bypass you on a hole may be all you get. Outside the park, you may see more of what is being discussed here, more proper etiquette. A little conversation and have a nice day and continue on your way up or downstream we are not blessed with the abundance of trout streams you have in other states so you try not to take things to personel. Don't crowd though, wait your turn.

Bill

 

[repperson29]

Some really good points in here, I’m generally really mindful of other people when I fish, especially if I’m alone. Those are the times when I’m seeking solitude more than fishing so I’ll walk quite a ways to get away from another person.

It is funny, the other day steelhead fishing, my buddy and I were doing quite well, we were maybe 30 feet apart from each other just drifting eggs. These three spin fisherman come down the bank, see us, and one proceeds to set up right between us, and the other two book ended us. I could only laugh and suggested to my buddy we move up to the next hole.


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[flytie09]

Some really good points in here, I’m generally really mindful of other people when I fish, especially if I’m alone. Those are the times when I’m seeking solitude more than fishing so I’ll walk quite a ways to get away from another person.

It is funny, the other day steelhead fishing, my buddy and I were doing quite well, we were maybe 30 feet apart from each other just drifting eggs. These three spin fisherman come down the bank, see us, and one proceeds to set up right between us, and the other two book ended us. I could only laugh and suggested to my buddy we move up to the next hole.


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Book ended and book marked in the same hole....classy stuff right there. :boxing:

ft09