Tournament etiquette

[NewSal]

Just looking for some opinions on what type of etiquette should be offered to fishermen fishing a tournament on a stream that you visited to fish.
This happened to me on Saturday on the little Juniata, noticed two guys getting ready and seen only one was fishing and the other had a clipboard and etc, and quickly put together that a tournament was going on. I talked to them to see where the beats where and was explained to that there were ribbons designating the different beats along the stream. The first beat started a bit downstream and then the following went upstream quite a ways.
Fortunately where I parked had easy access downstream from the first area so I could fish without interfering, but obviously this isn't always the case.
If you were in a situation where you wanted to fish a stream and a tournament was going on right were you were planning on going how much room do you provide the fishermen that is actively fishing his beat? What type of etiquette is given?
I would assume some have the opinion that fishing is fishing and don't provide any special room for someone in a tournament, I just wanted to be courteous to the fishermen and I just went way downstream and stayed away, what would you do?

 

[Swattie87]

You probably did the right, sporting thing. There's plenty of room to spread out on a stream like the LJ. Hopefully the fishing gods award you with some good fish karma because of it.

That being said, I don't think you were under any etiquette based obligation to, unless they were there first...but that's just standard fishing etiquette and would apply independent of the tourney. If it's the LJ, it's a public waterway...the courts have said so. You have every bit as much of a right to be there as the tourney guys do.

In the end, I probably would have done the same as you did, especially if the guys seemed nice and politely explained what was going on. If they were jerks or something and demanded that I move, I wouldn't go out of my way to mess them up, but then again I wouldn't let them mess up my plans either...If I was there first, geared up, and fishing the run they were eyeing up I’d let them work around me. If the tourney's on a smaller stream, I'd just cut bait and pick a different stream for the day.

 

[wbranch]

I have never, thank goodness, witnessed a tournament underway on any river I have ever fished. If it ever does happen that I am on a river/stream where a tournament is going to be conducted I would stay out of their defined water and beats if the competition had begun. However if it had not begun and it was on public water I would not hesitate to fish any marked beat and continue up, or downstream, as the case might be. If competitors were eyeballing a run I was fishing I might move out sooner than normal but if they encroached on me with asking permission I wouldn't move and would likely say something pertinent to their lack of manners,

 

[Midge22]

Swattie hit the nail on the head. There is no need to do anything other than what you would regularly do when you see other people on the stream. Comps do not, nor do they want to, close water to the public. you have just as much right to fish there as any comp guy/gal.

 

[GenCon]

You did the right thing. I am a big fan of sportsmanship.

Gencon

 

[franklin]

My reaction would be based on how they divided the stream into beats. If they had designated beats spaced with some "open" water between I'd be polite and move to the "open" water. If they simply divided up the stream with contiguous beats I'd be inclined to simply fish as I would ordinarily fish. That is provide a reasonable distance from any current angler but go ahead and fish any spot if no one was there prior to my arrival.

I think there was an international championship held a few years ago on Spruce Creek. (Or that general area. Maybe a youth contest?) Some friends of mine from the SC area had rather negative responses to it but I think others were more positive. Always an issue when a contest is held on public waters but can give the impression of being closed for a contest. (Sometimes just from the participants attitudes.)

I think a true contest on public waters should include the challenge of sharing the space with non-participating anglers just as we all do on a daily basis.

 

[moon1284]

They are pros. Of course you should stay far away. If the US open is played on a public course you can't just hop in between tiger and phil.

I have never been so fortunate to see a live fly fishing challenge. I would have watched and learned and if the pro lost a fly in a tree I would have grabbed it and obviously asked for autographs afterwords.

Fishing for money and fame always trumps fishing for fun.

On a serious note, I wouldn't fish where a comp was on purpose, but if I was there first I'm not sure I'd move.

 

[wbranch]

moon1284 wrote;

Fishing for money and fame always trumps fishing for fun.

You aren't serious are you? I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding your comment. Are you saying that fishing for money and fame is better than fishing for pleasure? If that is your intent you have a very unusual take on a pastime, hobby, interest, obsession that has been popular for hundreds of years (I'm referring to fly fishing for trout) and probably only over the past couple of decades has there been some interest in trout competitions.

 

[ryansheehan]

I am pretty sure there is some heavy sarcasm there, the autographed fly was a dead giveaway.

 

[wbranch]

Okay, I surely hope so. Maybe I'm getting to old to recognize what is, and isn't, meant to be on the up and up.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Here is what I would do. Call every fisherman you know and have them all arrive to the "beats" and stand and cast within a few feet of the "tournament anglers". These guys might then get the message they are not wanted. Trout legends....yeah right!

 

[ryansheehan]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Here is what I would do. Call every fisherman you know and have them all arrive to the "beats" and stand and cast within a few feet of the "tournament anglers". These guys might then get the message they are not wanted. Trout legends....yeah right!

They might be trout legends but they're no TROUT PRO!

 

[DavidFin]

Tough subect. However, these tournaments seem to produce more negative outcomes and feelings than anything else, from what I've gleaned.

I think it comes down to the water and your time. If it's your local and you have plenty of time or choices, respect it. However, if you drove hours to get there, have only one day, and left with no other choices, fish it. If the environment was meant to be pristine for the tournament then it would be held on private waters.

 

[afishinado]

Just me, but I would have asked about what sections of the stream are being fished for the comp right from the beginning, and I would leave to fish another part of the stream not included in the competition. I was aware of the comp at the LJ and it only involved a small section of the stream as is the case with most competitions.

I would do this more for my enjoyment than for the comp guys. We both have a chance to fish in peace.

 

[tomitrout]

wbranch wrote;

You aren't serious are you?....

I'm guessing you just plain didn't bother reading the entire post? Of course, knee jerk reactions are better for driving up the drama factor here on good old PAFF...

On a serious note, I wouldn't fish where a comp was on purpose, but if I was there first I'm not sure I'd move.

foxy wrote:

These guys might then get the message they are not wanted

Project much? Not everybody cares as much about the tournaments as some of ya'll to be about it...


Live and let live I say. Most all of these comp guys are experienced and understand streamside etiquette, show them the same respect you would expect and I'm sure they'll do the same. They know they're on open water and understand the dynamics.

 

[NewSal]

afishinado wrote:
Just me, but I would have asked about what sections of the stream are being fished for the comp right from the beginning, and I would leave to fish another part of the stream not included in the competition. I was aware of the comp at the LJ and it only involved a small section of the stream as is the case with most competitions.

I would do this more for my enjoyment than for the comp guys. We both have a chance to fish in peace.

That's exactly what I did, I didn't want to fish inside a designated beat, not only for there sake but for mine. Im the type of guy that would rather fish a not-so great area by myself then to fish the best spots and have to look at some other guy.

 

[sage]

I hit 2 tournaments this year on the River. I think they should post it here on the forum and let the local fly shop know about it. I just move somewhere else like I did this pasted weekend. A lot of people don't have any etiquette. I call it Pittiquette

 

[NewSal]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Here is what I would do. Call every fisherman you know and have them all arrive to the "beats" and stand and cast within a few feet of the "tournament anglers". These guys might then get the message they are not wanted. Trout legends....yeah right!

I have a hard time believing that some of your opinions are real opinions or your just trolling most of the time.

If that's your real opinion I feel very bad for you, that you would rather go out of your way to disturb someone else's fishing rather then just go to another spot and enjoy your day. Very sad.

 

[Fredrick]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Here is what I would do. Call every fisherman you know and have them all arrive to the "beats" and stand and cast within a few feet of the "tournament anglers". These guys might then get the message they are not wanted. Trout legends....yeah right!

What a troll comment

 

[franklin]

Salvelinusfontinali wrote:

afishinado wrote:
Just me, but I would have asked about what sections of the stream are being fished for the comp right from the beginning, and I would leave to fish another part of the stream not included in the competition. I was aware of the comp at the LJ and it only involved a small section of the stream as is the case with most competitions.

I would do this more for my enjoyment than for the comp guys. We both have a chance to fish in peace.

That's exactly what I did, I didn't want to fish inside a designated beat, not only for there sake but for mine. Im the type of guy that would rather fish a not-so great area by myself then to fish the best spots and have to look at some other guy.

You should have experienced the Little Lehigh in the no wading days. On a weekend in spring/early summer there would be people fishing from each bank spaced about a cast length apart. Many times a longer cast could overlap your "neighbor" and people would time their casts so as not to tangle. I rarely heard an argument or problem. Everyone understood that's the way it was. And surprisingly fish were being caught. It taught be not to be too worked up in tight quarters.

I guess it's sort of like the way people who grew up in a row house in Philly can stand crowds where others growing up in the country like their space.