I didn't bother to read ALL the posts on this thread, so I may be repeating what someone else might have already said.... When it comes to streamside etiquet, the Cowlitz river guides are the worst I've ever seen. If you ask them they will tell you "We hav more right to be here than you do. We are out here trying to earn a living and you're just out here for fun." So, this is the logic that we are up against. Also, it's not just the guides that are rude and inconsiderate, the Cowlitz river as a whole has it's share of "Jet sled cowboys" who think that it's fine to crowd somebody....Anybody out of a slot. I've got a sled and I rarely use it because it's just too much hassle to fish with all the guides and the other A$$holes out there. Now, when it comes to packing heat.... The problem lies the fact that when you're packing heat, how many other guys on the river do you think are armed? Probably most of them. I ALWAYS pack on the Cowlitz, but I honestly don't know what good it would do. I mean, the only way I'd ever draw is if I were drawn on first, and by that time it's too late. Maybe what we need is for the stupid Game Wardens and Sherrifs to start doing their jobs and to start making their presence known on the Cowlitz. Maybe that would help to get rid of some of the "Udesirable element" on the Cowlitz and nobdy would even feel the need to pack.