Iron, ya probably should've acknowledged them early on, or said something like "I'm not fishing!" If I see a fellow fisher doing something illegal, I consider it common river courtesy to let the person know what the law is. Ignorant anglers that have been popped for using bait and/or barbs in a selective fishery know what I'm talking about, especially when they tangled with the guy next to him/her and that person didn't say anything about the illegal rigging.

Also, If I see someone fishing illegally, or think I see someone fishing illegally, I'm going to say something. If he/she dosen't acknowledge me then that person is no longer a fisher, but a poacher.

I don't advocate racial slurs or throwing rocks on the river. But, in some cultures not acknowledging someone is worse than yelling at them using invectives. The bottom line is that we all must communicate on the river and in life. They may have been Native American teenagers, but I'm positive they speak a common language: English.