By Pete Idstrom
I was fishing on the Provo River
yesterday. It was a picture - perfect blue - winged olive day, you know - rainy,
cold and windy. The duns were really
starting to hatch and the fish were keyed in on them. In fact, I had just released a beautiful 16” brown I’d caught
from the pod of fish rising on the opposite bank. There were still a dozen fish rising to the duns and I was ready
to try for another. At last, the BWO
action I had been hoping to catch the last couple of weeks was about to happen,
it was perfect. I looked up after
releasing the fish just in time to see a fellow fly fisher climbing down the
bank on the opposite side of the river, about to enter the water. He had obviously seen me and knew where I
was fishing but was going to get into the river just 10 feet upstream of the
rising fish. I couldn’t believe
it! He was going to get in the river
right on top of the fish I was working!
What followed next is something I am not proud of, but you know,
sometimes you just have to say something.
Pete: “Hey, can you
see those fish I’m fishing to right there!?”
Intruder: “Yeah, but they’re too hard to get to from that
side of the river.”
Pete: “What? I just caught a fish out of there.”
Intruder: “I’m happy
for you, but I fish here all the time.”
Pete: “I have no
doubt you fish here all the time but I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t get
in the river right there because it will put those fish down.”
The intruder looked at me like I
was an idiot, like I was the one intruding on his fishing. He took a moment to contemplate his next
move and then crawled back up the riverbank and took his sorry ass
upriver. Needless to say, my great dry
fly fishing experience was tarnished.
Why should I have to defend my water when I fish it? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence
on heavily fished waters - it shouldn’t be.
Some background information on the
Provo River will help you understand how this type of transgression can
occur. First, the Provo River is a
world-class trout stream located next to a major metropolitan area - Salt Lake
City. Second, it is the only game in
town during the spring because it is a tailwater, which isn’t affected as much
by run-off. Third, it is a small
stream; most of it is only 25 to 35 feet wide.
As a result of these conditions, you are likely to encounter crowded
conditions in the spring. There just
isn’t a lot of room to spread out because you can’t fish both sides of the river
in most areas. Because of these
circumstances, the rules we use to govern our conduct on the stream when we are
fishing are very important.
The first thing we need to
understand is that both the rules and expectations for a crowded stream are different
than on secluded stretches of water.
We can’t expect to own a long stretch of river when the river is busy,
but you can expect to fish your own little area. On the Provo, it is common for someone to be within 100 feet of
you. Some anglers even push that
boundary and will fish even closer. You
should understand that fishing a busy river is not going to allow you the
luxury of seclusion and solitude. That
being said, there are important rules to consider on crowded streams. A good rule of thumb for all of us is
this; if you think you might be crowding someone - you already are.
I think the experience I had on
the Provo illustrates some other points as well. First, the intruder was very familiar with the area and felt he
could go where he wanted to. He never
considered how his movements could affect fellow anglers. His familiarity with the conditions and
crowds had created a monster - a guy who knows no rules of streamside
etiquette. He had become a selfish
little nympher. Secondly, it was
apparent the intruder wanted to fish this particular area because he knew it so
well. He was comfortable with his
ability to catch fish in this area. In
effect, it was “his” run and he wanted to fish it even though someone else was
there. Finally, many people who learn
how to fly fish on crowded streams accept these conditions as the norm. They have a skewed sense of etiquette and a
misplaced sense of privacy. I don’t believe
anyone has ever taught them about stream etiquette.
It is very important to consider
your fellow anglers. There are a
few simple rules we all need to follow when we are fishing which will help us
all understand how we should treat others on the stream, here they are:
- Give
your fellow anglers plenty of room to fish- don’t crowd others!
- Watch
and see which direction others are fishing, you don’t want to jump in
front of them.
- Consider
how your movements may affect the fish, especially if you are considering
crossing above someone else.
- Talk
to others if you think you may be crowding them, they may not care if you
fish near them.
These four simple rules can help
relations on the stream. I know there
are some other rules that apply to streamside and fishing etiquette, but these
are the ones that are on my mind right now.
It is important for us all to remember that we are each part of the
crowd and if we can follow some simple rules, fly fishing will continue to be
enjoyable for all of us.
