Fishermen's attitude

[tlbradford]

in that situation, you would want to "hug" their boat as the water they are fishing is most likely "around" them. An experienced oarsman would observe where and how they are fishing to determine what move to make..

its apparent most are clueless when it comes to river etiquette! but a funny and interesting thread, got me to register.

Not sure if the clueless remark was directed at me or not, but in case it was, here is my rebuttal...You are right, an experienced oarsman would observe how they are fishing and where they are casting before deciding on a route to take.  The statement that most likely they are fishing around them is not very accurate and could be considered "clueless".  There is a ton of water where the fish will hold in a deeper channel on one side of the river so you would not fish off both sides of the boat.  There are many times someone will backtroll or work plugs directly behind a boat. 

Either way it sounds like you have some experience to share about fishing and I am looking forward to reading about it.  Welcome to the site.

[Ray]

I think that the suggestion for hugging someone else's boat might be a good idea for one situation or another but the river we were on was fairly narrow and relatively quick with not too many long straightaways. Most people were not able to fish "around them" but instead behind them due to the current. Fishing off to the side was only achievable on a bend for what we were on and what the conditions we saw that day. The last thing most people wanted us to be was closer. The second to last thing most people wanted to do was fish to the side and block the river from traffic. In a nutshell the experience I had was that people were acting in their boats like they do in vehicle traffic around Seattle. All angry and everyone else is going to be the brunt of their angst.

[sisu]

wow, you could read the first post and know it was going to end up going this route.  Etiquette is all that is lacking, the message is loud and clear.  If you are floating over their lines, and running their water, you are an *censored*.  Its pretty plain and simple.  If you make an effort to avoid spooking fish or disturbing people's water I find that 99% are courteous. 
The less you know about it Ray, the more possible it is that you were in the wrong and just thinking that everyone else is a jerk.  In reading your whole story that is what sticks out to me.

Like jackelope said, there are bad apples in every crowd, how you deal with it is your own perogative but there are plenty of great waters without the hassel of dealing with idiots.

How do you avoid floating or driving your boat over lines in a river? If the line to run or float is where the lines are what are you supposed to do?

In Alaska with my jet I'd hold in the river and wait for people to pull lines and then go thru with a big wave and a loud thank you. No one got mad. If someone had a fish on we'd wait till it was landed or lost. What to Washington fishermen want??

[robodad]

What to Washington fishermen want??

They want you to pull over to the bank above them and pick up your boat and tip-toe behind them without making a sound, and never make eye contact, they hate that above all else. and make sure you iron your rain coat before you put it on here or they will all yell really nasty stuff at you all the while your carrying your boat.

Just be sure to be quiet and you'll do ok !! Good luck !! 

[klickriverchromer]

HOLLY CRAP. I GET *censored*ED ON THE RIVER CONSTANTLY, BOO HOO   Some people are crap heads, there out there.  watch out!!!

[sisu]

Robodad, you kill me.

[ICEMAN]

I sat here thinking, hey,  ...maybe we can post some common courtesy tips  ... but then I thought "F-that", *censored*s know who they are! Then I thought...maybe not! Even some of my hunting buddies embarras me when in public...

So, if you are a *censored* and havent figure out how to fish a river, let me give some "courtesy tips" before someone does something really bad to you.

* If bank fishing, stop your freaking casting as I approach in my boat, so that I may quickly and quietly slide thru....if you actually hook up, or get snagged, you arent going to be happy with me cause I cannot just slam on the brakes! 

* If you are a guide, screw you! You turds keep vacuuming up all of our fish, and get money too! Greedy buggers!

* If drifting, try to be courteous to the bank fishermen, as they feel like *censored* seeing you come down the river in your fancy schmancy freaking meat tub! (You should hear what they say after you pass, it would make a trucker blush!)

* If drifting, do not come down the river to park the boat within casting distance of bank fishermen who were there first. Do not beach your boat next to me, jump out and start casting, since I am stuck on this freaking riverbend, and you can enjoy the whole damned river. Stretch your stiff legs somewhere else, you are really irritating.

* If bank fishing, stop throwing rocks at me as I drift by, I now carry a gun.

* All fishermen, do not runover and start frothing up the water as I beach another fish out of my honey hole, HOW RUDE IS THAT! I dont care if you were there first... 

* No peeing in the river. Urine must be deposited atleast out of view of other fishermen.

* And on a more serious note, how about if we all make sure to pick up our trash, and maybe even a bit more each trip?

[Professor Chaos]

Its amazing how touchy fishermen get with poor returns of fish.
Obviously this is pure speculation but, if getting close means touching someones line, you are obviously not aware of what you are doing. if as many people were *censored*s as you guys claim, it would stand to reason that you were either on the nooch or bogey or something like that, or you guys were partially to blame.  Just because you didnt touch their lines, doesnt mean you didnt run their water or float the seam where the fish are holding. 
no one owns the water, no one thinks you own the water either, but the least you should expect is to give some and recieve some courtesy on a small river. 
this sure sounds like the nooch to me, although i am not sure how many people fish behind them for steelhead on a river with such low and clear conditions right now.

[Ray]

chaos I reject your passive yes consistant suggestive response that we were to blame. We were about as respectable and mindful as anyone can be. I think that was why I was so upset to go in there and experience. If that is what your type of fishing is about then you can certainly have it all. You might as well fish from I-5 in your car because the experience I had was very similar. Never have I suggested that I own the water but I would certainly suggest that a number of folks we ran into that day acted as if they certainly had a handhold on their "turf". Whatever the Nooch is I don't know (wynoochee probably - very far from where I was) but if its' anything like a highway of elitists in their boat all looking for elbow room and trying to catch fish out of the same hole I'll make sure to avoid that place like the plague. Your type of fishing gurus can keep those majestic holes and figure out all your etiquette rules together there. It sounds to me like that's where you do best and where I do best to avoid.  I think you're response says repeatedly now that I was somehow disrespectful and unmindful of the folks around me. Since you were not there I would say that your speculation stinks and  it sounds to me like you're more of a tuesday morning quarterback on the wrong river anyway.

[RightPlace-RightTime]

If you floating down and see bank fisherman, reel up and float by.  If you see a boat in a hole, reel up and float by.  Thats the best rule.  Boat guys should be more curtious to bank guys as they fish the entire river.  If your following the rules and you still get shi it.  Just calmly ask if they want to meet on shore.  And then it would be a  for them if they agree.  Teach people how to be nice as we all enjoy the sport. 

[jackelope]

a lot of the problems i've run into from other boats are caused by the inconvenient location some doorknob has chosen to anchor up below me...usually in tight quarters with 1 line to run some whitewater and bam....there's a boat right where it shouldn't be. sometimes the upriver boat has no choice where he is going to end up.
i wonder if these folks think about things when they drop anchor, but usually keep quiet. i am not on a river to flip people *censored* or get bitched and moaned at, so i tend to keep quiet. not really interested in meeting anybody on the bank unless they are sharing a cold pop or something, and hoping/assuming they aren't too interested in meeting me  on the bank either.

 

[sisu]

You guys in WA are lucky people here don't run air boats like they do back home. If they did I'll bet there would be some real bitching.
I only know of two in WA: one that used to run the Skykomish and another at the Potholes. I've never seen them myself but I hear all the complaints and bitching. So what, this is THE United States of America we have some freedoms left, if a guy wants to run an air boat that is his prerogative. If you don't like it just write to Obama and tell him your problems so he can pass a law to protect us from ourselves.
Sleds, air-boats and drift boats have some control when approaching bank fishermen but if some moron has set up in a tight spot with their boat or with their lines in the water while bank fishing TS. I'll compare them to snow boarders sitting across the fall line below a hill where no one can see the morons. You reap what you sow.

[cohoho]

Here, Here Sisu- Fully agree...  Only so many lines to navigate certain rivers...  I'm just glad I don't have my little sled anymore, man would people would be complaining on me running up and down these perfect little rivers...  Same situation, except reverse, they'd be anchored right in the only navigable water on a bend on the river and then bitch when you'd run a couple feet from their boats to keep off the rocks or out of the trees and not ground your boat or worse going up river.  Had a guide throw a rock at us one time, oh yea we stopped!!!!!  Best part my Trooper Buddy was with me.....  It wasn't pretty for the guides business.....  The best part was there were three fishing and already two limits in the boat, Guide got a ticket for harassment, court date and an escort off the river by a uniformed officer, it wasn't the rock throwing that got him that free escort off the river, it was his slurred actions after wards when addressed by my friend the Trooper...  had to leave his boat tied up down river, clients out of the three, they had to pick which two would get the tickets for over limit, about $300 each fish..... Made for an expensive day for them.  Someone else had to come and pick em up down river, probably got charged for that too...  All were drinking, so they had to arrange a taxi from the launch to their hotel in Anchorage..  In the end their were several other boats he did the same thing too and had the clients join in on the festivities also....  Justice does happen sometimes.... 

[Skyvalhunter]

Coho of coarse that was in Alaska where the State Troopers double as Game Wardens right?

[cohoho]

Exactly...They combined and now again are seperate with Brown Shirters and Blue Shirters...  They are just more specialized, with Blues running drug, traffic and more criminals activites and Brown enforcing F & G rules, crabbing, etc...  But any AST can enforce what ever side they observe violations....