Do you share?

[pstmacteae]

I wanted to post this here because this pertains to both fresh and salt water. Do you share patterns with strangers? If you are out on the water, and you are having a killer day...will you share? Not necessarily give them the fly but tell them what is working, maybe even how.

 

[Redhooker]

Sometimes,,,,i have met and had great discussion on the stream. If asked I would share info and even offer a fly if asked. Especially kids ….

 

[foxfire]

Absolutely, I always share any information. I once met a long-haired hippy looking guy on the stream that told me “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime”.😉

 

[krayfish2]

Yeppers. This spring, took the new raft for a test float with the dogs on the Delaware. Coming down the left side of the pool catching fish and I hear a guy start yelling at me. I made sure I stayed clear of any wade fisherman and couldn't figure out why he was yelling. He wanted me to cast of the fish that was feeding just out of his range. I took the dogs to the bank and let them go to the bathroom, drug my boat 150 yards upriver and crossed over to his side. I gave him a few fly patterns. He said, "you must be from Pennsylvania because somebody from New Jersey or New York isn't that nice" 🤣🤣. He then invited me to the Catskill fly tying guild dinner that evening. We chatted for about 10 minutes while he retied, let go of my boat and I headed down river. I couldn't have been 50 yards from him when he screamed "he took that caddis!" and held up an 18 or 19 inch brown. If you are nice, I'm very willing to help/share. If you are a bag, no help coming from me

 

[dryflyguy]

Always willing to help - and even share a fly with other fishermen.
Why not?

 

[McSneek]

Absolutely. I can’t believe there are actually people that don’t.

 

[lestrout]

Actually, these days I have given up not only information and some flies, but also my hot spot. If I'm doing well on a hatch and gotten several in a row, and I see someone eagerly watching but too polite to jump in on me, I''ll go over, give him/her a couple of the working flies, point out what trouts would have been my next targets and let'er rip (lips). I get more satisfaction puffing a pipe and seeing how the new pal is doing with "my" trouts.

 

[JeffK]

I give away patterns because I have received so much help from others streamside in my fishing journey. Too many to mention all, but one particular help was Al Miller at the Little Lehigh. Taught me a lot about midges.

Of course there is the occasional jerk I don't share with, but most people are good. When my daughter was a teenager I was teaching her to fly fish. One day coming back from a dance lesson we crossed a stream where I knew the trout were gobbling up October caddis larvae and I stopped because I knew she would get into fish. There was a guy pitching wooly buggers at the best hole so we moved upstream to the next hole and proceeded to slay them. The other guy kept coming closer and closer until he was about 3 ft from my daughter, She was still catching and hooped and hollered when she hooked one to get the guy riled. In short while we quit and I went over to show the guy the hot pattern (which was simply cream nylon yarn wrapped around a size 10 hook) and give him a few.. He replied "I don't need your stinking flies." An older guy watched this all and siad he had never seen anything like it.

BTW, my favorite cliché version is: give a man a fish and you have given him a dinner, teach a man to fish and he will be late for dinner.

 

[JackM]

"... give a man a fish and you have given him a dinner, teach a man to fish and he will be late for dinner."

Always wear a hat

 

[wbranch]

If someone asks what I am using I will always tell them. If they come over and ask to see the fly I will show them if it is a typical pattern that can be bought anywhere. If it is a unique pattern not tied commercially I probably won't share. But I am always willing to give casting tips or places that are productive.

 

[tomgamber]

Why not?

 

[wildtrout2]

I'd gladly share, but it's a very rare day when I encounter another fisherman. Could count them on one hand. I've actually encountered more hikers over the years.

 

[phiendWMD]

I don't usually come across many people that are fishing when I'm fishing. When I do, I'll ask what they're using and how it's working out. If they say something that seems out of place to me, I'll offer suggestions. If they don't have anything close, I've given them a couple.

Many people have been quite generous with me as far as spots, techniques, flies... Everything I've learned about fly fishing was from someone else one way or another. If all it takes to give someone else that feeling I get is a few flies, that's the easiest decision I'll make that day.

 

[lestrout]

There used to be a situation when I didn't share, and that was only with a particular class of anglers. I refer to authors and writers. In the 60s, a whole lot of new (vast majority were synthetics) materials came out into our fly tying world - trilobal fibers like Antron, plasma coated Mylars, and super hackles like Hoffmans and Metz. In those days, I was in a steep learning curve, and since I was working highly pressured waters like the Cairn's Pool on the Beaverkill, Little Lehigh's Heritage Stretch, Madison Rivers $3 area, South Platte Cheeseman, Frying Pan, etc, many of the very picky trouts (I like 'em that way) would turn up their noses at tried and true patterns - but they would at least look or maybe wiggle a fin at a good presentation. These challenges fired me up into a lot of creativity with tying imitations.

Being a friendly sort, I would chat with like minded anglers on the water, but then I noticed a season or two later, I would see my new unique patterns showing up in the Orvis catalogs and fly fishing magazines. I connected the dots and realized that I might have been the first to show the author my new creation. This happened several times. So afterwards, I became much more guarded when it came to sharing with writers.

 

[5Weight]

I give flys away all the time, the trees thank me for making them purdy.

 

[jeffroey]

I'm always willing to share info and flies but I consider myself a bit of a solitary fisherman. Don't see a lot of folks on the streams I'm seeking and when I do, I assume they're out for a similar solitary experience. On the stream I'll always say hello or give a wave. If our paths get us close enough, I'll always take a knee and open the door with a "how are ya makin' out?" but usually don't linger.

Parking lots are a different story - If i'm gearing up/down and there's another fisherman doing the same, I'll always ask about patterns, gear, where ya from, etc. and always willing to open a fly box and talk details - I generally leave with more info than I started with so why wouldn't I?

Kids: I'll always take a little extra time to help make sure they're on the right path: use this, fish here, rig like this . . .

 

[salmo]

I will never forget my first trout on a fly almost 50 years ago. My wife’s uncle loaned me a fly rod/reel. I recall it being an Eagle Claw fly/spin glass rod. He gave me a couple of Royal Coachman dry flies and put me in a hole on the Francis Branch. I fished and missed a couple of takes from probably small Brookies. I was ready to quit. I walked upstream and watched an older guy (who was probably much younger than I am now) take fish after fish out of a hole. After a while he stopped and asked me how I was doing. After listening to me he suggested that I try on 2 wet coachman flies and a small split shot. Which he gave me and rigged up for me. He suggested that I might find some fish in the hole that he just left. I waded in and started casting. Sure enough a brown followed the trailing wet and struck about 3 feet from my boot. I landed a pretty beat up stocked brown and put it in my creel to show Uncle Jack.

Now I will frequently let other fishermen know what works and occasionally give out a fly or two. Some of those folks are still friends.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Actually, these days I have given up not only information and some flies, but also my hot spot. If I'm doing well on a hatch and gotten several in a row, and I see someone eagerly watching but too polite to jump in on me, I''ll go over, give him/her a couple of the working flies, point out what trouts would have been my next targets and let'er rip (lips). I get more satisfaction puffing a pipe and seeing how the new pal is doing with "my" trouts.

Imagine being that guy in this story with Les. Ted Williams steps off the plate and you're up to bat. After a brief exchange of information you enter the pool and get accustomed to it. After a bit you really, and I mean really, get into them, every cast an absolute laser landing with the softest of riffles. You catch these fish all while Les puffs away, a grin starting to emerge on his face. "You got it kid".

 

[cuboodle]

Yep....always. I also will give them a fly or nymph if they need one.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

There used to be a situation when I didn't share, and that was only with a particular class of anglers. I refer to authors and writers. In the 60s, a whole lot of new (vast majority were synthetics) materials came out into our fly tying world - trilobal fibers like Antron, plasma coated Mylars, and super hackles like Hoffmans and Metz. In those days, I was in a steep learning curve, and since I was working highly pressured waters like the Cairn's Pool on the Beaverkill, Little Lehigh's Heritage Stretch, Madison Rivers $3 area, South Platte Cheeseman, Frying Pan, etc, many of the very picky trouts (I like 'em that way) would turn up their noses at tried and true patterns - but they would at least look or maybe wiggle a fin at a good presentation. These challenges fired me up into a lot of creativity with tying imitations.

Being a friendly sort, I would chat with like minded anglers on the water, but then I noticed a season or two later, I would see my new unique patterns showing up in the Orvis catalogs and fly fishing magazines. I connected the dots and realized that I might have been the first to show the author my new creation. This happened several times. So afterwards, I became much more guarded when it came to sharing with writers.

Wow. That is pretty rude. They could have at least accredited you as the initial designer. Is there a greater sin than stolen work?

There should be some kind of copyright law for a guy who comes up with a new pattern.