Ethics
- This topic has 30 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated Nov 7, 2010 at 4:54 pm by
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I think all of you guys are right, for your own particular waters. Dan Cone’s point about the Guadaloupe is very reasonable; I have seen the same behavior on Arkansas’ White River, with people just camping out on a particular spot literally all day long. Those folks should give others a chance after a reasonable amount of time (say, an hour) even if they were there first.
Mike Cline is also right, however. As a Western fisherman, he is entitled to expect that he’ll be able to move a lot during a day of fishing. There is too much water out West for any one person to clog up the works by camping out and then copping an attitude if someone moves through. Most of the time I believe it is Easterners on vacation who make this mistake.
I personally fish a lot more like Mike, moving a bunch during a day, whenever possible. I will respectfully move around anglers in places like the White River. At the same time, I am never happy to see someone show up behind me on one of my tiny mountain streams; if they come in behind me I expect them to *stay* behind me. Mountain angling is basically hiking with a fly rod for the chance to shoot at one fish in a fresh pool; someone cutting ahead of you would really be acting rudely there.
I think some tempers may have flared a bit in this thread but I don’t think anyone is actually wrong; we all just need to keep in mind that different rivers really do have different rules. Especially when switching your location, you need to be aware of these different systems and not expect the one you’re most comfortable with to necessarily apply.
Zach
and if they refuse we will see how their swimming skills are 😉
But will you attempt to entice a strike with a #2 Clouser swung across their face as they swim by?
I agree, if you have walked for miles and have gotten to a spot and someone shows up 20 minutes later, they need to go around and respect that you were the first one to arrive.
The problem may be, when someone arrives at my location, they don’t know how long I have been there. And if 20 minutes is a reasonable amount of time for me to fish the hole, what becomes unreasonable? 30 minutes? An hour? Two hours? I ask, because I honestly do not know. Any ethics guide I have ever read says things like “respect the water other anglers are fishing.” I’ve not seen any time restrictions placed upon fishing locations.
I think Jarrod put it very well above, why would I move until I am ready?
What about a bank angler? Are you to walk up to their hole, stand around, and expect them to pack up and move on as well, so you can have your turn at fishing it?
and if they refuse we will see how their swimming skills are 😉
But will you attempt to entice a strike with a #2 Clouser swung across their face as they swim by? 😉
I have tried that method, and it is very effective
I know it was a joke. All kidding aside: I’m not sure how to handle the situation I mentioned.
Should I just not fish the long run because I might have to pass someone in the water?
(I hate having to sacrifice so much of the stream.)
Yes, most anglers don’t mind, but a few get angry, even though there is no way to exit the stream.
Randy
I know it was a joke. All kidding aside: I’m not sure how to handle the situation I mentioned.
Should I just not fish the long run because I might have to pass someone in the water?
(I hate having to sacrifice so much of the stream.)
Yes, most anglers don’t mind, but a few get angry, even though there is no way to exit the stream.
Randy
When in doubt, you can’t be faulted for politely asking.
and you are right, there is a delicate way to exit a stream
Dan: Good on you for the ethics lesson for students, and the discussion here! I am impressed. The discussion reminds me of a few stories — unfortunately. However, I have found I do better fishing popular waters in the middle of the week, in the middle of the Winter, and hiking my hiney off in the summer, to reach more remote waters. That just keeps me in a better place :D.
That being said, I think the suggestion to watch what others are doing is a very good one. I transferred to the U of Idaho in my early 20s, and really wanted to Steelhead on the big, inland Northwest rivers. I joined the local fishing (FFF) club, and got one particularly pertinent piece of advice: “Zac, just go down to the river and watch the other guys. You’ll see what they’re doing, and how they’re fishing it (a particular hole), and you’ll learn.” That was it. Go and watch. So I did.
I watched people fish this one hole, near a populated area — for Idaho, and saw how it was done. They rotated through the hole, starting at the head, casting and swinging flies down and across, wading downstream. I checked on this with my advisor, and he reiterated that is how you fish those holes. So, I learned to ask permission to join the group fishing a hole, and “merry-go-round” through as part of the group. No one ever got upset, and any day could find several anglers fishing the same hole from one side, by taking their time, and giving everyone a chance.
And I only fish the Pan in the dead of Winter…
Should I just not fish the long run because I might have to pass someone in the water?
(I hate having to sacrifice so much of the stream.)
Yes, most anglers don’t mind, but a few get angry, even though there is no way to exit the stream.
Randy
There are malcontents most everywhere.
This is the code of Etiquette from the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana. http://www.foam-montana.org/etiquette.htm I personally think that following this is good for everyone and I make damn sure my guides do!
Great discussion here for sure.
Joel
Stream ethics shouldn’t really be all that complicated for wading fishermen. Comman sense, respect for others, and adherence to the Golden Rule should suffice in almost all situations. However; like on the highway there always seems to be a jerk around the next bend (like your typical tailgater.) From my own oersonal observations, it’s when drift boats and waders meet, that things get murky, sometimes even with the best intentions of all involved. Although I have to say, that between the sport who’s paying out $300 plus and the guide with the attitude, it usually seems like it’s the drift boat parties who have the kind of presumptions that get tempers rolling. On the Delaware system the vast majority of guides are proffesional and courteous and most sports just want to have a pleasant day out with some fish. When wading, I try to stay far out enough to give them plenty of room to go behind me or stop fishing and let them pass in front if need be. It’s almost always a wave and a knod or a short talk about the action. It’s only if they stop and start fishing right where you are obviously working a fish that I start going nuts –
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