etiquette question

[nymphingmaniac]

IMO such conversations are moot without the context of the stream and time of year/day. Fishing a major hatch requires no more 30-50 yards. covering water with streamers, different.
I would feel entitled if I expected 1 mile (let alone more) to my own private use under any circumstance on the streams in central PA. To expect this is setting myself up for being pissed/annoyed, which defeats the purpose of me being out.

 

[FarmerDave]

nymphingmaniac wrote:
IMO such conversations are moot without the context of the stream and time of year/day.

We have a Bingo.

Keeping this in context of the OP...

OP said he was looking to fish a feeder about a mile upstream.

Go for it.

Just stay out of the main stream as much as possible on your way up.

If you see the other angler along the way, tip your hat. If he doesn't act like a Richard Cranium simply because you had nerve enough to be in the same valley, let him know your intention. He'll appreciate it. I know that I would. If he does act like a Richard Cranium, just keep walking. No need to ruin your own day by getting into an argument. Him knowing you are upstream of him will be enough to ruin his.

If the other angler is fishing the feeder when you get there? Well. you have a mile of water to fish on the way back to your vehicle.

Tweed makes me chafe. ;-)

 

[Swattie87]

To clarify, my position on this issue is assuming a small, unstocked, wild Trout stream, as that's what I assumed the OP meant when he said pulling into a remote parking area, and what I mean when I say small stream or "Brookie" fishing.

None of what is being said here applies on a larger stream such as the Central PA limestoners or the big NC freestoners. It really doesn't, or shouldn't apply on a stocked stream of any size either.

The kind of angler who fishes small, unstocked, wild Trout streams understands this, and is generally pretty courteous the other way in return in my experience. There's no expectation necessarily of this behavior, but small stream anglers generally understand it's best for both parties, for the reasons mentioned above, to just go somewhere else to fish if the small stream you pull up to appears to already have an angler on it somewhere in that section.

Note than in the case of the OP...the angler already there could have also been planning on, or is already up the trib you were looking to fish up. You'd either be fishing water already fished, or cutting him off in that scenario. Point is, unless you can find the guy and figure out what he's already fished, and what he plans to fish still, you're left guessing. Most small stream guys would prefer their "plan B" for the day over a guessing game, or fishing behind someone on the plan A.

 

[poopdeck]

Swattie87 wrote:

Challenge...Fish a small stream behind me by an hour or two (say a mile’s worth) and see how well the fish bite. I’ll carry my pump filter and leave you a 32 oz of freshly purified water every mile so you don’t have to carry any.

I've done this challenge many times before just not with you. I grew up trout fishing. It's how I cut my angling teeth. I just don't trout fish much anymore because I've discovered other angling pleasures.

Me and my 2 brothers would fish a native stream that ran through our property. In the summer time you could step across this stream and between the three of us we were all over, up, down and through that stream yet the native brookies cooperated fully every time despite the total lack of "etiquette."

No I never drank from this creek.

 

[FarmerDave]

poopdeck wrote:

Swattie87 wrote:

Challenge...Fish a small stream behind me by an hour or two (say a mile’s worth) and see how well the fish bite. I’ll carry my pump filter and leave you a 32 oz of freshly purified water every mile so you don’t have to carry any.

I've done this challenge many times before just not with you. I grew up trout fishing. It's how I cut my angling teeth. I just don't trout fish much anymore because I've discovered other angling pleasures.

Trolling? ;-)

 

[JackM]

"Challenge...Fish a small stream behind me by an hour or two (say a mile’s worth) and see how well the fish bite. I’ll carry my pump filter and leave you a 32 oz of freshly purified water every mile so you don’t have to carry any."

Don't f-up the water you fish and I'll gladly fish 100 FEET behind you. If you treat the water as your own and mess it up for more than a few minutes, it is YOU that needs to learn etiquette.

 

[tomitrout]

Don't f-up the water you fish and I'll gladly fish 100 FEET behind you. If you treat the water as your own and mess it up for more than a few minutes, it is YOU that needs to learn etiquette.

Oh please. :roll:

 

[wildtrout2]

JackM wrote:
Don't f-up the water you fish and I'll gladly fish 100 FEET behind you. If you treat the water as your own and mess it up for more than a few minutes, it is YOU that needs to learn etiquette.

What, are folks supposed to levitate from one spot on the stream to the next? Be serious.

Oh, and since poopdeck said I have an inflated sense of self importance and anger issues, because I want to start fishing at first light, I'm going to start anger management classes next week. :-D

 

[FarmerDave]

wildtrout2 wrote:

JackM wrote:
Don't f-up the water you fish and I'll gladly fish 100 FEET behind you. If you treat the water as your own and mess it up for more than a few minutes, it is YOU that needs to learn etiquette.

What, are folks supposed to levitate from one spot on the stream to the next? Be serious.

Oh, and since poopdeck said I have an inflated sense of self importance and anger issues, because I want to start fishing at first light, I'm going to start anger management classes next week. :-D

Don't you mean angler management?

 

[poopdeck]

wildtrout2 wrote

Oh, and since poopdeck said I have an inflated sense of self importance and anger issues, because I want to start fishing at first light, I'm going to start anger management classes next week. :-D

Hold up, that was not directed at anybody in particular. They are simply some of the reasons I don't trout fish but a few times a year.

I am glad that you have taken the first step in recognizing that you may have anger issues in dealing with fishing pressure. The old stodgy elitism of fly fishing is losing ground and it's time the few holdouts let go and roll with the times. It's a big brave world out there with lots of people and we all have to get along. Getting along with others is actually way more enjoyable then hating everybody who is different.

For the record I am not saying you are an old stodgy elitist.

 

[rrt]

1. I guess I am one who probably fouls up the water on a small stream when I fish. I often wade to get into better casting positions. I often wade across a stream to take advantage of casting angles from the other side. I occasionally catch a fish or two. I think all of these things disturb the water, so I plead guilty to disturbing the water for a fisherman who might be following me. Because I think there might be other guys like me, I prefer not to fish behind another angler knowingly.

2. I still believe a mile of stream is a good fishing distance to give another small-stream fisherman, unless he is going to be at it all day. Then he might "need" the entire stream.

3. There is a book out there called "Angler Management." I read it once, and it is pretty cute.

4. I guess I'll admit to being "an old stodgy elitist" before someone else chimes in and says it for me.

5. See, Dave, I'm still an old grump, and "I'm sticking to it."

 

[troutbert]

rrt wrote:
1. I guess I am one who probably fouls up the water on a small stream when I fish. I often wade to get into better casting positions. I often wade across a stream to take advantage of casting angles from the other side. I occasionally catch a fish or two. I think all of these things disturb the water, so I plead guilty to disturbing the water for a fisherman who might be following me. Because I think there might be other guys like me, I prefer not to fish behind another angler knowingly.

2. I still believe a mile of stream is a good fishing distance to give another small-stream fisherman, unless he is going to be at it all day. Then he might "need" the entire stream.

3. There is a book out there called "Angler Management." I read it once, and it is pretty cute.

4. I guess I'll admit to being "an old stodgy elitist" before someone else chimes in and says it for me.

No, you are not the only one.

The essential fact in this topic is that on small streams, when someone fishes up through, a person fishing behind him will have his chances of success greatly diminished.

It is not the fault of the first angler's techniques. It is due to the inherent characteristics of small streams, fly fishing, and trout behavior.

The trout will be spooked up. There is no avoiding that.

I spook them all up by CATCHING them all.

The "elitist" stuff has come upin this thread, but has nothing at all to do with the topic.

Because of the basic essential fact, you have an obligation to be fair to other anglers, and not mess them up by jumping ahead of them on a small stream.

It is not "elitist" to be fair and respectful to other people who got there first.

(It just occurred to me that Tim said pretty much the same thing as me, using far fewer words. Oh well. For me it's easier to write long than to write short.)

 

[afishinado]

I think it's refreshing to read that some anglers still care about things like stream etiquette and fairness to others.

And it great to see that some guys care about things other than fulfilling their own sense of self-satisfaction when fishing on the stream.

Caring about others and treating them with respect is seen by some as elitism!!!.......are you even kidding me?! :roll:

 

[salmonoid]

afishinado wrote:

I think it's refreshing to read that some anglers still care about things like stream etiquette and fairness to others.

And it great to see that some guys care about things other than fulfilling their own sense of self-satisfaction when fishing on the stream.

Caring about others and treating them with respect is seen by some as elitism!!!.......are you even kidding me?! :roll:

The problem is there are multiple definitions or viewpoints of what constitutes:

elitism
etiquette
fairness

They're all blurred in this thread. Some responses are geared to the specific question posed by the OP. Some responses are geared to more general topics. Some responses are meant to just stir the pot. Some responses take others' responses in one context and shift them to an entirely different context.

 

[pcray1231]

My 2 cents. If stream is small, i left when i saw other car.

My sympathies to anyone who fishes behind me on a small stream. Ill spook virtually every pool i fish by catching trout, missing trout, wading out to get my fly out of that overhanging branch, or wading through after im done to fish the next hole up. You might pick uo a few by going into the really nasty brushy spots that i skipped.

 

[tomitrout]

The problem is there are multiple definitions or viewpoints of what constitutes:

elitism
etiquette
fairness

They're all blurred in this thread. Some responses are geared to the specific question posed by the OP. Some responses are geared to more general topics. Some responses are meant to just stir the pot. Some responses take others' responses in one context and shift them to an entirely different context.

Maybe a discussion about the etiquette of not sticking the OP's specific query is in order? ;-)

 

[JackM]

I fish every small stream as if someone slept in and got there 30 minutes after first light. I don't presume I have the right to mess up the stream because I got out 30 minutes earlier or lived 30 minutes closer to the stream. A careful wade into the creek to dislodge your errant cast isn't going to kill you. And the fish will recover a lot quicker if you consider that your wading behavior may impact a following angler.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Smh

 

[poopdeck]

First off I'm not stirring any pots, I'm simply Saying what I believe.

Anybody is more then welcome to come fish right next to me. It wouldn't bother me in the least. How someone could be bothered by someone within a 1/2 mile of them is insane to me. Even more insane is that my position of getting along and sharing with other anglers, or kayakers, is considered poor etiquette.

I guess the good thing is that I only trout fish a couple times a year. I'll let you trout guys discuss how many nautical miles = proper, respectful etiquette.

 

[JackM]

bushwacker wrote:
You arrive at a remote stream parking/access area to find another vehicle. You ascertain that this person is most likely fishing based on the fly rod rack and several fishing themed stickers adorning the rear window. You want to move a mile upstream to a feeder you've had your eye on for a while. Being a conscientious being, you survey your surroundings for clues to discern your fellow fisher mans location and direction of travel but find no clues. You don't want to rudely cut in on their section of stream but don't know where he is. What do you do?

I begin where I parked, working upstream. If I run into another angler, I slow my upward pace. If he camps in a section and doesn't move, and I am ready to proceed upstream, I walk up to him slowly and away from the stream. I then say hello and if he ignores me, I assume he is a douche and I walk 100 yards above him, or 100 feet depending...

Then I fish and carefully approach and/or wade the water so the angler has a reasonable chance to catch in following me.

On the other hand, if the angler engages me in conversation, I will try to determine his fishing style and direction and accommodate the situation.

If the angler asked if I wouldn't mind if I could walk a mile upstream because, after all, he got there first, I would probably chuckle and then start fishing downstream hoping to encounter more courteous anglers.