there's always exceptions but it's just that I find any firearm an extreme pain in the ass to carry while fishing. I have enough trustworthy friends who've spent far more time around bears than I have who have compete faith in a big can of pepperspray. Good enough for them, good enough for me.
BTW, never said anything about camp guns where legal and high country huntin' with pepperspray is really kinda on the silly side.