Is it ignorance, or not caring?

[7mmfan]

So I understand that when you go to a terminal area on any local rivers this time of year, there are going to be people. I also understand that when everyone is drift or float fishing, that it is hard for a guy, like myself, that likes to swing a fly with a spey rod to fish around them. I accept this and because of that, I will go to great lengths to find areas where there are little or no people fishing so that I don't get in anyones way.

Today however it seemed like guys were searching me out just to fish over me. Twice today I walked past groups of guys in prime water, chose to fish substandard stuff so as to not get in anyones way with my chosen tactic, just to have guys walk in short distances DOWNSTREAM of me and start fishing over my gear. Not a short distance downstream of my fly, but literally casting over my neon green can see it from outer space floating right on top of the water, fly line.

My dad raised me as a gear fisherman, i've caught close to 1000 steelhead on drift gear, float gear, and hardware. He also taught me that when you walk up to a run, if there is a guy already there, start upriver of him if you can, as he's probably working his way downstream, unless its an obvious shoulder to shoulder game. Its simple river etiquette. Thats when your using conventional tackle and can fish the water right in front of you. When you are swinging a fly, your not fishing the water in front of you, your fishing the water 30-60 feet downstream of you. So when a guy walks in 50' downstream of you and starts fishing, he is effectively cutting you off at the knees. He's standing in the water you are fishing. Now i'm not asking for the whole damn run, I just want someone to not start right on top of my stuff. Start upriver of me like your supposed to.

My ultimate question is, are these guys ignorant of the tactic I am using and simply don't understand it, or do they just not care, or a combination of both. I gave up a long time ago getting into pissing matches with guys over this stuff because no one ever wins, it just ruins both of your days. I just wish people would stop, observe, and think for a minute before they start fishing a run, and learn some damn river etiquette! Maybe I just need to quit complaining and  (its high enough already) and put my fly rod away.   

[Button Nubbs]

See my thread "a letter to you".

I honestly think people don't care.

[mallard79]

They don't care. The question is.....did you let them win by moving when they low holed you? I sometimes carry an extra reel filled with braid just for situations like you described. If the can't figure it out quick....they start loosing the tug of war and their gear cuz that aint what I am there to do. They usually don't stick around long. 

[7mmfan]

I don''t feel that I let him "win" by moving on. I've gotten into screaming matches with guys like this more than I like to think about. They never admit to being in the wrong and it never goes anywhere. I made a few more casts to get my point across and he just kept casting across my line. I read your post Button Nubbs and its frustrating because we love to pursue these fish. I'm not to the point where I will quit fishing, I will simply go find somewhere else to fish. I would rather fish all day by myself and not catch one than catch 10 surrounded by people who don't care. Whatever that was like, 15 hours ago, i'm over it and have moved on. See you on the river. I'll be the one with the 14' spey rod casting 3/4 way across the river cause its fun.

[Button Nubbs]

That spey stuff is bad ass. I always stop and watch guys doing it for a while whenever I see it.

[sebek556]

my grandpa used to say you can tell how good a fly fisherman is by how many knotches he has in his ears..

[FC]

7mmfan, I've had more than one guy get right upriver within 50' or less of me and promptly start casting straight out into the current and then longlining in front of me. The straight cast means that he will be on top of the water the whole way down and snag my stuff somewhere near 50% of the time. I rarely fish for summer steelhead anymore as I just end up pissed most trips.

The rudest guy I ever saw was at Hoodsport while fishing for chums, it was my little brother's first time fishing for salmon. He was wearing knee boots so I kept him off to the side and taught him how to fish it, some guy walks up and casts right over his ROD and then just starts fishing while holding his rod at about 90 degrees to my little bro and only 6 inches over the top of it! His rod was crossing my brother's about a foot ahead of the reel seat, I had never seen anything like that in my life and pointed it out to the guy only for him to start mouthing off about how I was in the wrong! I was completely blown away! The guy actually repeated the same cast and I gave up and told him to crank up and GTFO of there before we found out how long he could hold his breath underwater...Not my finest moment maybe but he did go away.

If people are being jerks you should probably let them know (quietly), they might not understand that they are crowding you and you can at least try and educate them. If they don't want to move you can always go somewhere else and hopefully not be pissed since you didn't get into a screaming match.

[Bigshooter]

I just think of it as part of fishing anymore. It sucks but it's true.

[rtspring]

people just don't give a *censored* anymore..   it is in all aspects of life not just fishing.

[netcoyote]

Stuff like this is why I gave up river fishing years ago. If I have a need to be around stupid, obnoxious A-holes, I just put in an extra day at work.

[ICEMAN]

    Nothing worse than running into this crap while fishing. I have no idea how to avoid it other than start fishing for something nobody else wants to.... Or take a fishing vacation elsewhere...
 
Sometimes I think that this world could use a good ol' fashioned pandemic to help thin the herd....

[Button Nubbs]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way anymore. I was starting to think that was the way steelheading/any fishing should be.

[Rhinoron247]

   
Sometimes I think that this world could use a good ol' fashioned pandemic to help thin the herd....

Especially if "Character and integrity" were the only vaccines! 

[singleshot12]

I still remember the stress free good old days. Unfortunately Most salmon or steelhead hot spots are now a "combat fishery" these days.

Because of these bubble fisheries fishermen have to resort to being clustered in one small area. So it comes down to a competative, not caring, me me mentality to catch a fish. Too bad it has come to this.

[rasbo]

not only fishing but hunting also,the masses gather and make a mess of some great places,I no longer fish the rivers unless I'm in a boat,all my haunts have become garbage dumps full of inconsiderate people that call themselves sportsman...Gone are the days folks.its a me society where few have any scruples left ,sad indeed