Crowding And Ethics On Our Rivers

[Glenbow]

Lornce,

I'll fish with you any day, and give you first crack at all the nicest water. You just have to agree to chat with me & give up some of those hard-earned secrets over the years..........

 

Besides, I need some new Spey friends!

[TimD]

Here is one for you,

 

I was fishing below Cottonwood GC and a guide boat came by while I was working a nice little spot. To my amazement, the guide pulled his clients away from my spot. Then to top it off, about 10 minutes later another boat did the same thing. I can't remember the last time that happened but I sure am glad that it did. I actually like that stretch of the river much better since the flood.

 

Regards,

 

Tim

[Glenbow]

It's good to hear that there's respectful floks out there. It's not all bad.

[Conor]

There is always some open water if you have time to get to it. Often, I only have an hour or two to fish, so I will have to fish the closer runs. There are a lot of other people in the same boat, and that is a big reason why runs like policeman's are crowded.

 

I always ask to jump in, and have never had a very bad experience. The Bow is a great place to fish, with good anglers, by and large.

 

My point is that crowded fishing does not have to be heated. I often find it pleasant; meeting new people and sharing water and a passion. The fact is that the Bow will not get less crowded, and we will have to learn to share water.

 

Rude people are rude people whether they are fishing or driving. I don't think it is as much a matter of angler education as it is a societal problem.

[OneMoreLastCast]

It's too bad that you didn't have a plan B in place, but now that you found this board, you should be able to put one in place for next time.

 

Unfortunately, there are people out there, (and here), that have no respect for others that share the same passion as they.

 

Often, we post advice on where to fish, hoping that the people taking the advice aren't like the people we talk about in these posts.

 

When I post a location to a new fisherman that is asking, I like to throw in some advice on manners/etiquette as I did in a post, (by coincidence), on Policeman's Flats.

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...post&p=5893

 

I agree that confrontation isn't the way to go. I would just move on because win or lose, I would feel pretty stupid after the fact thinking that the confrontation was over "fishing".

 

I fish to fish. I fought in the ring all my life, so if I wanted a fight, I'd just climb back in the ring.

 

I saw two guys get into it a few years ago on the bank. One guy left all pissed off and the other guy left shortly after. I happened to be walking by the second fellow on my way upstream and he was laughing. I asked him what he was laughing at and he said that the other guy beat the hell out of "His Truck". When I asked him why he thought that was funny, he said, "My Wife dropped me off".

So some other angler was going to get back to find a pretty nasty surprise waiting at the end of their day of fishing because some guy with rage issues picked the wrong truck.

[esleech]

This is a very interesting post. The other night while wading slightly downstream of the bearspaw dam, this guy came down and was asking me about technique, flies, etc... After our conversation, I begin to cast a mother of a streamer, and promptly hook some mono line coming from the same guy, who is casting a HUGE len thompson spoon, who is standing about 15 feet behind me on the bank. I look down and see this line running right along my knee! I simply lost it. Something to the effect of "if you hook me, it will get real ugly"! The guy just looked at me, and left! Sometimes, as was said before, you have to "educate" the yahoos yourself.

[SteveM]

If I'm fishing a nice run & another fisherman comes along, I'm always ready for a "chinwag". Tell a few fish stories, then invite

him to share the run. Sometimes it's just for the company; sometimes it's to get him to fish the run I've been working hard for

the past hour so I can bugger off 5 minutes later to get first crack at the next good run.

Seriously, tho', life's way too short to be gettin' our waders in a bunch over this stuff. Just smile & let the assclown who's crowding

you have that spot- go find a better spot. Sometimes we get a little too attached to our favorite spots & need that incentive to go

explore. Remember- karma will even things out, both for the decent people & the assclowns who cause us grief.

Don't worry, be happy!

[Grizz]

Seriously, I'm telling you guys....

 

Take your pants off and fish with your junk hanging out and no one will come near you! You'll have the run all to yourself!

 

[dryfly]

My wife has one of those fancy embroidery sewing machines. After a little incident on the Crow a few years ago, I thought I should have this sign sewn on my vest..I never did, but a guy needs some sort of sign to flash at the assholes. (I just try to find quiet places and times and avoid the morons. Unfortunately like most other groups, it is 1 or 2 percent of anglers who are idiots and the rest of us are rather decent sorts.)

 

 

Grizz wrote: "Take your pants off and fish with your junk hanging out and no one will come near you! You'll have the run all to yourself!"

1) WAY too much information! The graphic image is scary! (But THAT'S the point, right?)

2) You might find yourself answering to a judge.

 

News item: Police arrested a man today at Fish Creek Park for alleged exposure of his private parts. Joggers called 911 after seeing a man fishing naked on Sunday evening. It is not clear what the man is charge with, but sources say one charge will be illegal use of bait."

[SteveM]

My wife has one of those fancy embroidery sewing machines. After a little incident on the Crow a few years ago, I thought I should have this sign sewn on my vest..I never did, but a guy needs some sort of sign to flash at the assholes. (I just try to find quiet places and times and avoid the morons. Unfortunately like most other groups, it is 1 or 2 percent of anglers who are idiots and the rest of us are rather decent sorts.)

 

 

Grizz wrote: "Take your pants off and fish with your junk hanging out and no one will come near you! You'll have the run all to yourself!"

1) WAY too much information! The graphic image is scary! (But THAT'S the point, right?)

2) You might find yourself answering to a judge.

 

News item: Police arrested a man today at Fish Creek Park for alleged exposure of his private parts. Joggers called 911 after seeing a man fishing naked on Sunday evening. It is not clear what the man is charge with, but sources say one charge will be illegal use of bait."

 

If he was standing in water past his junk, any indecent exposure charges could be dropped due to "lack of evidence"!

[dryfly]

If he was standing in water past his junk, any indecent exposure charges could be dropped due to "lack of evidence"!

Or not even standing that deep ...

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Maybe I'm spoiled cause I rarely see other fishers but when I do I like to be social and friendly and most of the time it is totally worth-while - last weekend I went out to Emerald one night and as I came in (on my toon) I saw an older fella fishing off the bridge so I though I'd go say hello and offer a suggestion or two if he wasn't getting any takes - as it turns out the guy is a total fly god and in our discussion he listed off over 20 countries all over the world he has fly fished in, he even offered some of these incredible looking split wing bugs which are all the rage in New Zeland right now. We also chatted for quite a while about his recent experiences fly fishing in China. I felt pretty sheepish after thinking I would be giving him some advice based soley on the fact he looked like Higgins off Magnum PI - LOL (ps the whole time he continually landed fish after fish without ever looking away from me even while setting hooks) - just goes to show you never really know who your fishing next to, especially if your unwilling to cast the first smile.

 

I find that folks that crowd you, or are a-holes for whatever reason, are not worth arguing with - I prefer to move away (but within sight) so they can stand there and watch you land fish after fish. Even better if there is a newbie around that you can get help out - that really rubs it in without having to be confrontational.

[Taco]

Damn you Clive and your siggy gif...... I just smacked my puter screen to try and kill the "bug" :rolleyes:

[grannyknot]

Occasionally I'm crowded on the Bow, but I usually just start hiking when that happens. There really aren't all that many buttclowns like that on our river, and I've learned alot from other fishers (fly and spin) on the bank. Basically, if I don't want to run into anyone else, there are plenty of places within an hour drive I can go. If I'm just out for a quick fish, I accept that I may run into a jerk or two, or I may run into a helpful gentleman or two. The latter outnumber the former most days.

Dog walkers, however, can pound salt. Keep your shitzhu the hell out of my water.

[toolman]

Damn you Clive and your siggy gif...... I just smacked my puter screen to try and kill the "bug" :rolleyes:

 

 

Yeah, he got me with that one too...grin.

[Brownstone]

Here is one for you,

 

I was fishing below Cottonwood GC and a guide boat came by while I was working a nice little spot. To my amazement, the guide pulled his clients away from my spot. Then to top it off, about 10 minutes later another boat did the same thing. I can't remember the last time that happened but I sure am glad that it did. I actually like that stretch of the river much better since the flood.

 

Regards,

 

Tim

 

Ive yet to have a guide fish over "my" water, they always seem to give plenty of room, seems that people who know the sport, know the ettiquette and respect each others day fishing...

[Grizz]

2) You might find yourself answering to a judge.

 

...OK, well if exposing your junk will just get you in trouble how about a stained white pair of Fruit of the Looms that sag in the back?

[SilverDoctor]

Here's a marketing opportunity. Needed is one Louisville Slugger c/w with stencilled sign saying MANNERS.

 

Conversation goes like this - " guys it's about time you meet MANNERS"

 

Don

 

I like it Don, can I have one in split cane bamboo?

[Tracy]

Fellows thanks for all the feedback. It is good to see so many ethical fisherman on this fine forum. This behaviour should not be tolerated in any form. The problem I guess is how to deal with it.

 

My fishing buddy is a disabled fellow with a very bad back and walking much further than a couple hundred meters is not a reality. So from that perspective we don't have the options that some of the more fit fellows here have. My thinking on this is that if is obvious that we are working a spot we have "claim" to that place until we leave. In my mind that is part of what separates us from others (the ethic). We should not be required to leave a place that we waited all day to fish just because some other fellow shows up at dust and decides to fish. The responsibility should be on that fellow to move on to other water. I don't know how we educate others that this is how things are in our sport. That is the much harder part.

[Taco]

I like it Don, can I have one in split cane bamboo?

I like sound of a nice aluminum better... that nice metallic TONK is sweeeett sound

[dube]

I figure it's a first come first served situation. In most cases I think most guys would feel better if the dikwad would slip in a polite "mind if I join you" before just waltzing up and casting. If the first guy says "nope" then great if he says "yes" then why the heck would you want to fish beside him in the first place.

 

Last time I fished the blackstone was on a weekend which I normally never do. I got up and out of the house by 5 AM was all the way into the gap by about 9:30 and someone had beat me there. So instead of charging in there ( I knew they couldn't be too far at that time of the morning) I walked the other direction along the road for half an hour or so and fished the section just before the gap instead. It wasn't the sweet boulder garden I had dreamed of fishing for the 4 hours it took me to get there but it was a stretch I'd never fished before and it held plenty of fish just the same. It was totally different structure and had very little for the deep corner pools that the blackstone is notorious for so it forced me to change my tactic a little and was pleased to find plenty of cutts in the pocket water that made up most of that section. I also managed a few hogs holding tight to some grassy undercut banks which totally took me by surprise. I had a great time exploring some new water and to top it off I came out to the truck just as the other fellows that beat me in there did and so I got to hear about the great day they had as well. After seeing the smiles on their faces I didn't feel bad at all about my last minute change in plans. On the way back to camp I passed 4 other trucks at various spots along the road and I know each one of them had gone for the gap and had instead settled for the next section instead just as I did. There were quite a few fly anglers out there that weekend and from what I can tell each one of us got the solitude we were looking for because I didn't run into anyone else on the water the whole time. Not to mention the fish of course, of which there were ample.

 

Some old farts a few years back gave me some perspective on it as I was acting too concerned about where everyone was going to fish that morning. They just looked at me and said don't worry young lad there is plenty of water with plenty of fish in this river, go where you may and enjoy your day. I ran into them at the end of the day too as I was sitting on the side of the road cursing the fact that the tire iron I had would not fit into the rim (stupid custom rims). The old boy pulled out his old boy tool box which looked like it had been collected along the side of the road over 40 years and was all placed in the box just so, dumped the works out trying to find what we needed which of course he couldn't but the sentiment was there. I sent them along as I knew there were at least 2 other people further up and one of them lent me a plug in pump which enabled me to limp my way out to a camp of heavy equipment operators who at last had a deep narrow socket with a 3 foot snipe and just like that my tire was changed. I had thought of taking the old boys up on the beer they offered me if I ended up stranded (their camp was only about a clik from where I got the flat) but it was late and I just high tailed it home.

 

Moral of the story is had I jumped into any of the pools any of those nice folks had been fishing that day and acted like everything was fair game I'll bet you I'd have slept on the side of the road that night.

 

I've been lucky and have only run into really great people while flyfishing , knock on wood.

[Christofficer]

Yep, people can be A-holes and morons. Hello and welcome to reality.

[OneMoreLastCast]

My fishing buddy is a disabled fellow with a very bad back and walking much further than a couple hundred meters is not a reality. So from that perspective we don't have the options that some of the more fit fellows here have. My thinking on this is that if is obvious that we are working a spot we have "claim" to that place until we leave. In my mind that is part of what separates us from others (the ethic). We should not be required to leave a place that we waited all day to fish just because some other fellow shows up at dust and decides to fish. The responsibility should be on that fellow to move on to other water. I don't know how we educate others that this is how things are in our sport. That is the much harder part.

 

It would be difficult for your buddy, but I can't see even the A-Holes out there not understanding the situation and being accomadating if they knew his situation.

If he is alright with it, I would recommend nicely letting the other anglers in the area know his situation and hopefully they would give way.

 

I know it would be tough for him. My Mom is in a wheel chair and my brother works with disabled kids, so I know how pride might not allow this, but I personally think this would be a situation where letting others know should be fine and everyone can enjoy this great passion we all share here.

[MMAX]

My wife and I were fishing the Red Deer last night at the mouth of the Little Red. A group of people were just leaving as we arrived so we talked to them and asked how they made out. They said not too well but we decided to try out luck anyway. We started fishing and were standing about 40 feet from each other when some guy with a rod and big tackel box came out of the bush. Without a word to us he plunks his tackel box down and starts to cast right inbetween us. If that wasn't enough, he once cast over my line and almost tangled me and with every cast he brought in he proceeded to splash his spoon down on the water to get rid of the weeds on his hook. Because I was with my lady I decided to hold my tongue, so we just left to try another spot. I just don't know what goes on in some people's heads out there.