As far as politically correct, I would avoid bringing up Bill Maher's show to most everyone you meet down there. Heh.

My advice as a mere fry would be, as they used to say in the 80's, "check yo self before you wreck yo self." As you say you haven't been in the game for a while and, yes, the laws here are convoluted and always changing. Also, every river fishery is different, and it seems to me that there can be "more than one tradition" going on some of the larger systems. It is hard to duck all those insults, and sometimes rocks, but sometimes even the biggest turkeyneck corksucker can give you some good advice like "Get off the redds you bigfoot M^&%#(*F%$#ER!!" Sometimes it pays to ask someone who inexplicably turns into a jerk, "hey, how did I piss you off anyway?" Most all experienced fishermen want to teach you something, some just may lack a bit of diplomacy. Or tact. Or qualities one attributes to a fellow human.