Peyton
Active member
I once had a lady tell her dog "go get it" when it was sniffing around my flies that I had out drying. Told her I'd rather not hook her dog, and she went off. Walked to the other side of the pond and she did the same thing. Also had someone throwing duck decoys out into marsh creek for their dog right where I was casting. I now either fish from a watercraft there or fish somewhere with fewer people. Had a group of around 20-30 kids walking around Scotts run for some sort of camp, and they would grab rocks, run next to someone fishing, and throw them. Not a single adult with them told them to stop, and multiple people were yelling at them.
wildtrout2
Well-known member
From your description of events, it sounds like this is a location that you should probably want to avoid. Which is sad.
As mentioned, I go fishing to enjoy myself, not to deal with people who don't know how to act. I achieve this by fishing streams that are generally very hard to access. Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle, but the solitude is well worth the effort.
edit: If you like what you're getting, keep doing what you're doing.
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phiendWMD
Active member
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Perhaps I wasn't clear. That post was about my job not fishing. But yeah, I think there's a reason I'm content catching 9" brookies and 14" wild browns when I could possibly be catching 25" wild browns in the Lehigh instead. I don't feel compelled to try to catch the biggest fish in the state everytime I touch a fly rod. Half the time I don't truly care if I catch anything. I just want some fresh air, peace, and quiet. Brookie pics for Facebook is extra credit
Edit: FWIW, I usually catch something lol. For the longest time I had an amazing streak of avoiding getting skunked. I'd guess about 2 years straight. I switched from a cheap 7.5' 5wt glass rod to to a much nicer 7' 3wt glass stick. I sorta think the 3 wt is cursed. I don't fish nearly as well with it yet. Probably the first 5 times I was out with it I couldn't buy a fish at Long John Silver's.
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Prospector
Well-known member
In terms of objects entering the water, I do think it works both ways. Sometimes it scares them but mostly not.
I was on the old CCC Camp bridge on Spring Creek in Forest Co. My father was fishing a small woolly bugger downstream toward me. This was mid June so trout were pretty scarce. I could see 3 trout in the current below me so I told him where they were. He eventually worked within casting distance and dropped his fly on their head (barely making a splash). They immediately shot under the brush along the shore causing 20 other trout to vacate the brush pile. And I thought there weren’t many trout in the stream.
Conversely, we would fish for bass out of a canoe when it was too warm for trout. The locals lakes: Lake Arthur, Willhelm, Tamarack, the Glades. We would cast really large spinner baits that made huge splashes and it attracted the bass. In these scenarios the bass were laying besides stumps or along weed beds where they likely would never see a heavy morsel of food dropping from the sky. But they charged to that big splash.
During terrestrial time I use big beetles caterpillars, and Oakleaf Rollers and the trout raced to those big plops. However trout have learned that good food falls off trees. Trout also charge at large streamers placed along a calm bank. The big plop doesn’t seem to spook them.
So I’ve seen it both ways but mostly it attracts trout.
I was on the old CCC Camp bridge on Spring Creek in Forest Co. My father was fishing a small woolly bugger downstream toward me. This was mid June so trout were pretty scarce. I could see 3 trout in the current below me so I told him where they were. He eventually worked within casting distance and dropped his fly on their head (barely making a splash). They immediately shot under the brush along the shore causing 20 other trout to vacate the brush pile. And I thought there weren’t many trout in the stream.
Conversely, we would fish for bass out of a canoe when it was too warm for trout. The locals lakes: Lake Arthur, Willhelm, Tamarack, the Glades. We would cast really large spinner baits that made huge splashes and it attracted the bass. In these scenarios the bass were laying besides stumps or along weed beds where they likely would never see a heavy morsel of food dropping from the sky. But they charged to that big splash.
During terrestrial time I use big beetles caterpillars, and Oakleaf Rollers and the trout raced to those big plops. However trout have learned that good food falls off trees. Trout also charge at large streamers placed along a calm bank. The big plop doesn’t seem to spook them.
So I’ve seen it both ways but mostly it attracts trout.
krayfish2
Well-known member
In the late 80's, had a guy zip right across the run at boiling springs and grab me by the throat for catching the fish he was after. He was changing flies so I took a cast further upstream.
Another time, I was fishing right up from Matt's cabin on the WB. We were ribcage deep but kept hearing stuff ripping through the leaves and an occasional splash. Kids were in the cemetery hitting golf balls at us. The bottom is not user friendly for a fast escape. When they noticed we were bailing out, they went into machine gun mode and it was raining golf balls. They landed at least a dozen within 5 feet of me.
The one that really stuck with me was the father / son canoe incident. Was an overcast day with occasional drizzle. Air temp and water temp were in the high 40's. I was resting a riser when I noticed the canoe enter the top of the pool. Dad was in the front and asked which side they should pass on. I pointed to the left. Thought to myself, 'that was very nice of them to ask '. As they slipped by just 2' behind me, the dad said hello. I waved without turning around. The kid yells, "hey mister" so I turned around. He point blank unloaded a huge water cannon into my face and chest. I could hear the father yelling at the kid as they went around the island. Instantly speechless and then freezing shortly after. Pulled the plug and went to warm up in the car.
Another time, I was fishing right up from Matt's cabin on the WB. We were ribcage deep but kept hearing stuff ripping through the leaves and an occasional splash. Kids were in the cemetery hitting golf balls at us. The bottom is not user friendly for a fast escape. When they noticed we were bailing out, they went into machine gun mode and it was raining golf balls. They landed at least a dozen within 5 feet of me.
The one that really stuck with me was the father / son canoe incident. Was an overcast day with occasional drizzle. Air temp and water temp were in the high 40's. I was resting a riser when I noticed the canoe enter the top of the pool. Dad was in the front and asked which side they should pass on. I pointed to the left. Thought to myself, 'that was very nice of them to ask '. As they slipped by just 2' behind me, the dad said hello. I waved without turning around. The kid yells, "hey mister" so I turned around. He point blank unloaded a huge water cannon into my face and chest. I could hear the father yelling at the kid as they went around the island. Instantly speechless and then freezing shortly after. Pulled the plug and went to warm up in the car.
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phiendWMD
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I was kayaking with a friend last year (or the year before?) on the Lehigh below the gorge. I see a guide and client in a raft. They are like a 1/3rd of the way across the river fishing a bank river left. I figured he'd want us to go on the bank they weren't fishing on the 2/3rds river right but asked anyway to be polite. He told us to go to the river right side, all the way on the bank and stay there for a quarter of a mile downstream. Lol it's not just kids. Or their parents. Or even anglers. Damn guides...
Bamboozle
Well-known member
I once had some Harrisburg "yoots" throwing rocks at me when I was bank fishing at Holman Lake.
I walked off, put my stuff away and ambushed them on a trail about 15 minutes later. To say they were surprised would be an understatement. I won't tell you what I did to them but I doubt they'll do it again.
I would have done the same or more to the jerks you encountered...
wildtrout2
Well-known member
Ahhh, come on, you can tell us.I once had some Harrisburg "yoots" throwing rocks at me when I was bank fishing at Holman Lake.
I walked off, put my stuff away and ambushed them on a trail about 15 minutes later. To say they were surprised would be an understatement. I won't tell you what I did to them but I doubt they'll do it again.
I would have done the same or more to the jerks you encountered...
caddisflyer
Well-known member
Blasting music while fly fishing is always a wonderful option.
phiendWMD
Active member
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I used to work with an older Cherokee guy. He was a hunter and saltwater baitcaster. He actually gave me my first fly rod outfit. It was some very inexpensive Pflueger rod, reel and line. He gave it to me after he tried for 3 minutes to learn, got frustrated (he got frustrated REALLY easily) put the rod down, pulled his pistol out and shot a trout. He passed away a few years ago so I believe the statute of limitations has expired.
He told me to listen for bears not music. That's something that has stuck with me.
