Fly Fishing Etiquette

[Raff]

I'm new to fly fishing, and already have the addiction, butI don't know all of the etiquette involved. What should I know so I don't make the old guys on the river angry? What is fly fishing etiquette?

[styan]

Hit the weight room...then you won't have to worry about it.

[UtahFlyGuy]

Watch out for the old guy sport'n a green hat too.

[chris]

I'm new to fly fishing, and already have the addiction, butI don't know all of the etiquette involved. What should I know so I don't make the old guys on the river angry? What is fly fishing etiquette?

It is mostly common sense. Don't crowd a guy just cuz he's catching fish. Ask for help, if they ain't willing to give move on. If they are willing to give (fly, technique, etc.) soak it up. Pick up after yourself and others, regardless. Have fun but not at someone elses expense. Don't take yourself too seriously. Essentially, cherish the resources, people and mother earth. Selfish people have no business fishing.

[royalwulff]

Or the red neck fly fisherman wading in old running shoes, a red swimming suit, no shirt, and fishing with a bamboo fly rod-- he has a gun in that waist pack.

[JayMorr]

Raff,

That is a great question! It probably means something different to every angler. (as you can tell from the answers you are getting from the board).

Welcome to fly fishing! Have you done any kind of angling in the past? I am curious if you had any recent run-ins out on the water? I was not sure if you had asked the question because of any particular instance that might have occurred while you were out recently?

Simply following the golden rule or common courtesy will get you a long way on the water.


JayMorr

[styan]

Actually, the key is to fish water that you won't have to worry about anyone else. There is plenty of it if you are willing to drive a little.

[Raff]

I haven't had any run-ins at all. I just want to make sure I'm doing it the "right way" and not being a nuisance to others.

[MickG]

Just be a nice guy and keep your common sense going and you will be ok. However,you will still run into the person that is an a-hole just because you do it different than they do and you can laugh at them and ignore it or you can say shut up and get over it. either way is acceptable to me.

[westay]

If a person is fishing up a stream, don't jump in ahead of him without going up far enough the fish have time to settle before he gets there.

If a person is fishing a hole, don't jump in the same one.

Feel free to watch someone but don't cast a shadow into their hole and be discrete.

Most guys are pretty nice. I have been offered flies when I'm being skunked and they are knocking them dead. I've had guys help me adjust my rig to get the depth and weight right when I was nymphing. Pass the good along to the next guy - what goes around comes around.

Have fun and be polite.

[JayMorr]

PS.

Does your last name happen to be Rafferty or are you Highland High alumni?


Just curious.


JayMorr

[Raff]

Right last name, but I'm from Davis County.

[Doug S.]

Right last name, but I'm from Davis County.

How'd you get out of prison ?? oh I thought you said Lafferty...:) J/K

[Grizz]

A cold beer will go a long way.

peace

[Raff]

How'd you get out of prison ?? oh I thought you said Lafferty...:) J/K

Distant relative. We changed our names in shame.....

[wildnative]

Don't judge others by the gear they use or the way they dress. Some people are on different budgets and can't afford the top of the line stuff. I have fished with guys who still wear neoprenes and use oversized gym shoes for boots, they still nail fish. They are very polite people and treat others with great respect.

Watch to see which way an angler is fishing. Not all fly fishing is done upstream. On smaller waters, look up and downstream before entering and allow enough room for anglers to fish a few holes and runs before you get in. It would be very polite to ask an angler which way he is going and how long he plans to be in the stretch and maybe where he plans to fish to, then act accordingly.

On waters like the Provo accept the fact that others will be fishing around you and still remain polite.

If someone is nymphing near you, hold your tongue. Accept the fact that they will catch more and bigger fish. It's okay. It is only competition if you allow it to become so.

Yelling "FISH ON!" will alert everyone that you're a rookie and they will either give you a little more leeway or mumble something under their breath about how a veteran can catch a fish and enjoy it without having to have a witness to the act.

If you run into a guy with grey hair and a green hat, he means no harm just smile and leave the area, he'll appreciate it more than you know!

[Raff]

Who's this omnipresent guy with grey hair and a green hat? Is he the "snipe" of the fishing world?

[wildnative]

I'm not sure who he is but he really is full of sound wisdom.

Listen to the man if you run into him. He once told me that "the two best times to fish is when it's raining and when it aint."

By gosh, he was right!

[styan]

Who's this omnipresent guy with grey hair and a green hat? Is he the "snipe" of the fishing world?

He's everywhere....if you are cartching fish you know he's near....

[S&P]

A wise old man in a green hat once said "Nymphing in the summer time is for sissies."

That ran through my head last week while I watched a guide and his sport chucking yarn while bugs the size of sparrows were filling the air and the fish were on them like a fat kid doing a cannonball at the pool.

[UtahFlyGuy]

That ran through my head last week while I watched a guide and his sport chucking yarn while bugs the size of sparrows were filling the air and the fish were on them like a fat kid doing a cannonball at the pool.

You might have something here Scott. Sounds like a beginning of a great story.

[royalwulff]

I watched a guide and his sport chucking yarn while bugs the size of sparrows were filling the air and the fish were on them like a fat kid doing a cannonball at the pool.

No please dont tell me you were fishing the provo and those "experienced" guides of 2 years were pulling that old trick with the dudes.

[JayMorr]

Raff,

The name just made me reflect back to a guy I once knew, Ben Rafferty. He drove a volkswagon green bus, took lots of photos.

I was hopin he was you so I could ask him if he still has the "Casper" photos ;)
Another story for another time!


JayMorr

[S&P]

He had the poor sport wearing neos in 100 degree temps too. But we should not judge others by the neos they wear.

[fulano]

He had the poor sport wearing neos in 100 degree temps too. But we should not judge others by the neos they wear.

I try not to judge people by their gear for sure, since I rarely buy top-o-the-line myself; however, if all you have is Neos, why the hell aren't you wet wading in the 95 degree heat? I reserve the right to judge someone for being stupid. As hot as it is, the dude wearing Neos is wet wading anyway, it's just hot sweat instead of cold H2O.

[jim m.]

Something that drives me nuts.....I'm standing in the river fishing to a bank. Its obvious that I'm casting to the bank. Maybe there's even a fish or two feeding along that bank...maybe not.

Please, for the love of god don't march up the bank that I'm fishing to get to your destination. I know the trail probably goes right along the water and I understand the whole "path of least resistance" thing but just go off trail for 20' feet or so and go around the bank that I'm casting to. Maybe even cross below me and walk up the other bank.

Like I have in the past on the rare occasion that it has occurred; I'll personally thank you and wish you good luck (and mean it).

[S&P]

Don't call out to an angler while they are intent on angling. I get zoned on a fish sometimes and someone will 'sneak' right up behind me and say 'hey, hows it going!'. Makes me jump every time. If they don't make eye contact, just pass them by and save the conversating for the parking lot.

[mike doughty]

i was fishing the provo once and was catching my share of fish and a guy across the stream, we'll call him utahflyguy, just kidding, was not catching crap. so after i land a few he crosses the river comes and asks me what i'm using, which is fine, but then proceeds to start casting right about where i was fishing. he started fishing while i was standing there rerigging. bad juju, don't do that.

[mike doughty]

Something that drives me nuts.....I'm standing in the river fishing to a bank. Its obvious that I'm casting to the bank. Maybe there's even a fish or two feeding along that bank...maybe not.

Please, for the love of god don't march up the bank that I'm fishing to get to your destination. I know the trail probably goes right along the water and I understand the whole "path of least resistance" thing but just go off trail for 20' feet or so and go around the bank that I'm casting to. Maybe even cross below me and walk up the other bank.

Like I have in the past on the rare occasion that it has occurred; I'll personally thank you and wish you good luck (and mean it).

always walk around a respectable distance. fish can see as well as anything.

[chanceb]

My advise; do what I do and drive a little further where you rarely see another angler, and if you do it's most often from a distance.

[mike doughty]

My advise; do what I do and drive a little further where you rarely see another angler, and if you do it's most often from a distance.

ssssshhhhh, that's my secret

[styan]

My advise; do what I do and drive a little further where you rarely see another angler, and if you do it's most often from a distance.

Deja Vous all over again....

[UtahFlyGuy]

i was fishing the provo once and was catching my share of fish and a guy across the stream, we'll call him utahflyguy, just kidding, was not catching crap. so after i land a few he crosses the river comes and asks me what i'm using, which is fine, but then proceeds to start casting right about where i was fishing. he started fishing while i was standing there rerigging. bad juju, don't do that.

That is bad juju. No respect Mike......none what so ever.

[«°Ñøvã°»]

i was fishing the provo once and was catching my share of fish and a guy across the stream, we'll call him utahflyguy, just kidding, was not catching crap. so after i land a few he crosses the river comes and asks me what i'm using, which is fine, but then proceeds to start casting right about where i was fishing. he started fishing while i was standing there rerigging. bad juju, don't do that.

A-Hole: HEY BUDDY WHAT YA USING......
Mike: Beans.... come fish behind me

[Raff]

Did anybody notice that this thread "inspired" Brett Prettyman's "Tight Lines" column in the Trib today? Here's the link http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_6352473

[jim m.]

"Our trout could use the break as well. We can't continue to catch and release 15-30 fish every time and expect our fisheries to stay healthy."

I think that's the best part of the article. Today is a welcome relief from the heat but it will be short lived. As we get through July and into August I know I'm planning on cutting days back and fishing less.

[MickG]

For the love of god fisherman don't be so damn uptight. I was up on Crystal Creek and if anyone has been there you'll know what I'm talking about. Part of the river has some tall bushes that go right to the river bank and my buddy came out or those right in some guys spot. the guy started bitching because my buddy had no etiquette. If the guy weren't such an asshole we would have let it go but because of his attitude my buddy climbed right down into his spot and told him to eat shit. A simple be careful next time would have sufficed and that wouldn't have happened again.
If someone does something like that let it go, I'm sure we have all done things on accident.

[Raff]

I agree. I was on the MP yesterday evening and there were these guys who had to be in thier late teens/early 20's and they were complete a-holes who pretty much soured the whole afternoon for me. I was fishing a nice hole and pulling some nice fish. These kids saw this, jumped in and basically surrounded me. One guy started to move in literally 15 feet next to me. One guy pivoted and actually crossed my line. I told the guys that if they were patient, they could have the spot in a few minutes, and that I would move on, but the jerkoffs just shrugged it off. So I moved across to the bank I/they were casting at, grabbed a few good sized rocks, and plunked them in where the fish were sipping and told them that next time they need to be a little more patient and corteous. They started to yell and cuss, and even threatened to trash me and my equipment. I'm relatively new to the sport, and even I know that there things that you can and cannot do. Especially with the younger crowd, fly fishing etiquette needs to be taught. Unfortunately, the increasing culture of entitlement makes it so some guys think they can live outside the bounds of common sense and decency.

[royalwulff]

I agree. I was on the MP yesterday evening and there were these guys who had to be in thier late teens/early 20's and they were complete a-holes who pretty much soured the whole afternoon for me. I was fishing a nice hole and pulling some nice fish. These kids saw this, jumped in and basically surrounded me. One guy started to move in literally 15 feet next to me. One guy pivoted and actually crossed my line. I told the guys that if they were patient, they could have the spot in a few minutes, and that I would move on, but the jerkoffs just shrugged it off. So I moved across to the bank I/they were casting at, grabbed a few good sized rocks, and plunked them in where the fish were sipping and told them that next time they need to be a little more patient and corteous. They started to yell and cuss, and even threatened to trash me and my equipment. I'm relatively new to the sport, and even I know that there things that you can and cannot do. Especially with the younger crowd, fly fishing etiquette needs to be taught. Unfortunately, the increasing culture of entitlement makes it so some guys think they can live outside the bounds of common sense and decency.

Gots to Love the provo! should have popped their balloon indicators, they would have never caught a fish the rest of the night.

[ByteMe]

Schmidt's latest blog post discusses this same issue.

http://flyfishingwalkabouts.blogspot.com/