This is to some extent, a response to the "River Rage" thread, but also a bit different. I think we can all agree that the point of getting out on the river is to have fun and relax, and when people with bad etiquette infringe on your space, it can ruin your fun and relaxation. As a guy who spends a lot of time on our rivers with a fly rod in hand, it occurs to me that a lot of the "cutting in" or fishing below us fly guys is not due to malicious intent, but just a lack of understanding. So here's how it should work: We all agree that the first person in a run should get priority to fish the way he wants to, and if we get to an occupied run, we should be conscious of the methods in play. For example, if a guy is pulling plugs, we know he's working downstream, and to cut in below him would be rude. Fly fisherman on steelhead rivers are generally working downstream. We usually cast, mend, drift, then step down a ways and repeat. It's perfectly acceptable to fish the hole at the same time, but please, step in, or anchor or pull plugs above us. To anchor, step in, or start pulling below us is just like doing that to a plug puller. The same goes for another person who wants to fly fish, but most of those guys know the gig, and if they cut in below, I figure they are being intentionally rude. Anyway, I don't want to start any hassles or discussion of violence, I just figured most people would want to know the polite way of dealing with the increasing numbers of fly fishermen in pursuit of steelhead. Besides, if you're fishing gear, you can cover deeper, faster water and often times attract fish that didn't respond to the fly, so fishing behind us shouldn't hurt your chances too much. Well, hope this helps, and that we can all get along a little better out there, with less heartburn and aggravation.

Peace,

Skookum

I don't fly fish, but I think that you've made a good analogy. This is what I say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" for example, if I'm fishing in a spot where there's fifty guys throwing corkies and lead, I don't just step right into the middle of them and start throwing a jig and float. It's rude and it screws everyone else's drift up. It's the same thing with fly fishing. I see guys crowd flyfishermen all the time. It's like they somehow feel that the flyfishermen should move on over for the bait fishermen. I don't know where this logic comes from. Now, that being said, I've also seen flyfishermen wade into the middle of a bunch of drifters and then get pissed off because the drifters didn't just make room for the flyfisherman.... It works both ways.

Each one of thoes 50 guys should be casting and stepping their way down stream!!!

This 50 guys in one whole is a new phenomenon and does not have it's roots in steelhead fishing. Everyone should be casting and stepping downstream!!!

Robertallen: I guess the whole "cast and step down stream thing" must have been before my time, or is something that is ubiquitous to flyfishermen. No doubt, this whole "cast and get the hell out of the way" thing works on a stretch of river that has the room for it, but what about places like Blue Creek? There's nowhere to move down stream to at Blue Creek. Also, I'm all for having good streamside etiquet, God knows, we need more of it, but if I'm catching fish in a drift, there is no way in hell I'm moving down stream just because someone behind me wants to fish my water. If I'm hooking fish, I'm staying! If that makes a few guys angry, well they should've gotten there before me. Is that poor etiquet? Or is that just fishing?

Skook,

Think the guys that are doing this to you are the same guys that do it to me and I'm gear fishin. Some of these guys are just ruda and need to have something said to them. If I come up on you I'll follow behind all day no problem. But I think the sword goes both ways I've had alot of new fly guys who just don't know better do the same thing to me so?? As far as moving down a run in combat areas you don't do it but in other areas its common coutesy to follow from upstream. If you are parked in a hole I'll ask if I can fish the tail if your not going to move thats fine with me. I guess it comes down on do on to others and you would want done on to you. Because if you low hole me I'll pay ya back down stream :p

Tight lines

Kevin

SRBC

I’ve spent much time chasing steelhead with gear, now I prefer to fly fish for them. I try and look at it from both sides and it seems there is a lack of understanding between prefered methods. Here's my 2 cents-

When approaching a fly fisher his general intention is to fish the entire run down to the tail out, it is rude to cut in below. If you would like to fish the run, anchor and wait or if he is far enough into the run fish behind. If the river is large enough, you can usually float the opposite side of the river and fish the slot along the far bank, but it is very rude to float by and pitch your offering into the run he is fishing and boon dog through (it is rude to do that to anybody fishing).

When you float by a fly fisher it is usually preferred that you pass on the very opposite side of the river rather than passing from behind due to the back cast and by cutting back across to the main current you could disturb the run he is fishing.

If a fly fisher chooses to fish a terminal area or combat zone and expects etiquette it's just unfortunately not a smart thing.
[ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Rich ]

[ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Rich ]

[ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Rich ]

Well help me out on this one. I fish from a drift boat most of the time. When I am comming down the river and see a guy fishing in knee deep water ( say he is on the right side of the river casting out to the left as I come down) I will try to drift down on the right side and pass between him and the shore. This way I stay out of his water. I feel that most of the rivers are not wide enough to pass on the left with out getting in to his water. If I can not pass behind him I like to pass right in front of him close enough to shake his hand. Have I been doing this wrong ????

Thats how I've always been taught. Or if I can't get around him I'll ask him how he wants me to pass him

Tight lines

Kevin

The question here is not gear or fly but what had been tradition on steelhead rivers all through the NW and BC for many, many years before the recent change over the last 5 or 6 years.
From what Ive gathered from talking to the old timers and they were the ones that taught me about the tradition of moving through a run. That even before there were many flyfishermen on the rivers and gear was the norm that everyone moved through the run. Make a cast or two bounce the bottom and move down a few feet to cover more water. In this way you had a better chance of finding a steelhead sitting in its holding water and you gave the opportunity for others to fish at the same time. So what I'm saying here is the moving thing is not a recent flyfishing thing but one of tradition to all steelhead fishermen that have fished before us for the sport and enjoyment of it. As this tradition fades away in an era of me, me amd more me I try not to get discouraged as I'm meeting more and more guys and gals in thier twenties who fish gear or fly who do believe in the tradition and understand that steelhead fishing is sport and certain rules make for an orderly day and a more challenging day on the river.
Unless your a meat hunter I can't understand why someone would hog a spot where they were catching fish, as much as I like catching I enjoy watching friends and strangers alike hooking and fighting a fish, just makes the day a lot nicer for more people doing the same thing you are out to do.
Try moving sometime and letting someone come down behind you you might meet someone new that you would want to fish with again or enjoy a good conversation with at the end of the run.
As for Blue Creek and places like that I figure your out to kill if you fish a spot like that. Not saying that is wrong to kill hatchery fish, I do, but it just does not feel like sport fishing to me. And I hope most of us Steelhead fisherpeople here on this site are more into the sport than the killing
Latter
Land Tuna

Kalabama,

I use the same tact when passing bankies, some understand but some need to be politely educated or whacked with an oar as you go by, which ever warranted given response.

Thomas

Kalamabana + Kevin,
Right on you got the idea and it usually works well does it not. I notice a lot of the better guides use the aproach that you are both talking about when aproaching a person wading a run that's somewhat narrow. Usually they hold in the current far enough up above the person wading and ask how they would like to be passed. I like it when they walk or drift behind me and it won't bother me a bit to stop casting for awhile and let them pass. Just makes sence because no one has to get uptight, you can even carry on a short conversation about how the fishing has been. That's a lot better than the usual one person stare down and the boat guy rowing by with his head down so he don't have to look ya in the eye.
To me that's one reason drift boats are better for a river than jet boats. The drift boater has the opportunity to work with the river and those who fish it. Not saying jet boaters are a-holes just they always want to go a million miles an hour up/down a river fish the same run 10 times and scream off to another place like it maybe the last 10 minutes that they ever get to fish.

posts above are great.

Who ever is there fishes first but moves through the run
boats should attempt to pass behind the bank angler
noone should cut in on anyone else
it's all common sence really
also bank anglers shouldn't get bent out of shape if a boat for one reason or another float behind you. Allow them to float past

Hey Guys, this is really great to hear, and it's pretty much what I thought, that most people, given the opportunity, would rather do things the right way. So hopefully, some out there have read this and learned something that will benefit all of us. I'm always blown away and pleasantly surprised when a boater asks how I'd like to be passed, or works his way behind me. It's pretty rare these days on the Skykomish, so maybe the few times it's happened it was one of you guys. Anyway, I'm encouraged by the response, so thanks. With the way the rivers are today, if we're going to have fun and relax, we all have to look out for eachother as much as possible.

The amazing thing is that both flyfisherman and terminal folks are both guilty of poor fishing etiquette. Just the other day a fellow spey rodder jumped 40 feet in front of me on a river with no other people for miles.
Why is it the guys who always do that are the ones with the dumbass stickers all over their clean truck and the shiny expensive gear? Seemed to me like this guy was dying to let everyone know he was a fisherman...

Here's the deal; fish hard, but fish as would if you were fishing with your parents or your children. What lessons did they teach you? and what lessons do you want to teach them?...what lessons can we teach less experienced fisherman?

A polite note made my point clear to Mr. Dumbass the other day. Sometimes you just have to quit fishing and leave or else you might throttle someone.

this fly fisherman is praying for the sockeye season in the lake..the downrigger and flasher are ready!!!!!!

1. Always ask when sharing a run with another angler, no matter what the method

2. Never cut in downstream without permission

[ 07-05-2001: Message edited by: Jumbo ]

Hey guys, this has been an educational treat for me. Being a new flyfisher, I was not sure on the rules of the river and now I do. Thanks, see you on the river, RainDrop

the only comment ive heard from a fly fisherman is, leave me alone you big bully or i`l throw a fly at you and it will hurt....

Land Tuna: That's fine. Go ahead and move downstream, but if I'm pulling fish, I'm not moving for anyone. Call me a hog, call me a meat hunter, even call me unsporting if you want to..... If I'm catching fish I'm still not gonna move. Don't worry though, I've only got a few more punches left on my card and then I'll be out of everyones' hair until the silvers come in.

LZZ.. I don't think anyone would say they you have to give up a spot that your catching fish in.. But it's very likely that you will catch thoes fish in a very short time and not exactly in the same spot. In my opinion throwing a lure into or drifting through the same slot over and over again for more than just a few minutes is a very poor way to get a limit. I seriously doubt you go to a run on the river and spend hours fishing one little slot in the run. Unless you fish at blue creek or someplace like that. or a place where there are a lot of fish moving through such as maybe a costal salmon river when the tide is right.

Point taken Robert Allen. I must've misunderstood what Land Tuna was saying about moving downstream. BTW, I much prefer hiking a stretch of river as opposed to standing in one spot,ie, Blue Creek, the Barrier Dam, etc. However, sometimes a guy just has to "Nut up" and go where the fish are. I was just saying that it's not always feasible to take a cast and then move downstream. Unfortunately, combat fishing is sometimes a necessary evil. In a perfect world, I'd always be able to hike some remote stretch of river, catching fish, and constantly exploring new water.... That's my favorite way to fish, and when I do get a chance to fish like that, I always practice the best of streamside etiquet. However, if you try that kind of stuff at a place like Blue Creek, or the Skokomish, or the Barrier Dam, you'll never get your line in the water.