Fly Fishing Etiquette
by: Mike Lawson
Many anglers believe that the best fishing is found in remote areas that the general public has not discovered. That was often true in the good old days. Growing up in southeastern Idaho, I knew plenty of places where I could walk a mile or so and find plenty of solitude and large trout. Today, even if you hike five or six miles, you're likely to find other anglers sharing your favorite water. Even in remote Alaska, fishermen crowd the most productive waters. The challenge we face today is to experience the pleasantries of trout fishing without infringing on the experience of others.
The rules of stream etiquette and behavior are hard to define and they vary from stream to stream. Anglers accustomed to fishing elbow to elbow in one of Missouri's best known state parks have a different set of rules than those who fish the waters of the sparsely populated Rocky Mountains. When you visit a new area, you need to learn the basic rules of etiquette for the local water. A good friend of mine told me about an experience he had on the San Juan River in New Mexico. On his first day there, he arrived early in the morning, staked out a good stretch of water and landed a couple of good trout. After he tied on a new fly he looked up and saw that another angler had moved into the same pool only a few yards away. He gave the intruder a hard stare and, to avoid a confrontation, reeled up and left. As the day progressed and the river became more crowded, he noticed that there were plenty of anglers who seemed to be casting into each other's waders. He realized that if he wanted to enjoy the fabulous fishing on the San Juan, he'd have to adjust to the rules of the river and share. With that in mind, he decided to give it another try. He caught several more good trout and made some new friends in the process. But he decided that such crowded conditions weren't for him and he has never returned.
Almost every angler has had a feeding fish they are working put down by a clumsy angler walking or wading too close. Usually, these anglers don't know any better. They don't know the specifics of acceptable behavior. The Henry's Fork is famous for its big bank feeders. When you see an angler fishing against the bank, you should give the angler and the fish plenty of room. You should go out of your way to accommodate the situation. If an unknowing angler walks too close and spooks a fish you are working, be ready for them to ask "How's the fishing?" Of course, the temptation is to say, "Very good until you showed up!" But the best response is to keep quiet and look for another fish. If you can put your anger behind you, it might be possible to tactfully explain the situation to the offending angler and save him further embarrassment in the future.
I've seen some terrible things happen because of poor on stream manners. Verbal and even physical conflicts result in a negative experience for everyone. There will always be few jerks who act like they own the river and don't care what anybody thinks, but I believe most anglers want to do the right thing. Their most important concern is to enjoy the experience and not infringe on the experience of others.
Small streams are best fished by working upstream. Following another angler is usually unproductive because the lead angler spooks most of the trout. If you find you are fishing behind another angler, your best option is to try another section of the stream or give the section you are planning to fish a rest for an hour or so. If you plan to move upstream, ahead of another angler, be sure to leave him enough water so that it will take him at least an hour to reach the section you started fishing.
Conflicts with boats and wading anglers are common on most western streams. I remember when I was fishing the Missouri River and a boat almost drowned me. I was in up to the top of my waders trying to cast to a big rising trout near the middle of the river when I looked upstream and saw a boat bearing down on me. I waved my arms and shouted. When I realized the oarsman wasn't going to change course, I tried to wade to safety and almost didn't make it. My waders filled with water and I ended up swimming for my life.
If you are in a boat, you need to be careful not to infringe upon other anglers. Remember that the river restricts wading anglers to a given stretch of water. You can go anywhere if you're in a boat. Make sure to give wade fishermen plenty of room and, if possible, row to the other side of the stream to pass them.
On smaller rivers, you might not have enough water to get away from wading anglers. Often, you will need to float through the water they are fishing to get past. Be sure to reel up so you are not casting into their water as you drift through. Most anglers who wade these smaller rivers understand the code of behavior for float boaters. They know that the boats will need to float over the water they are fishing. The Beaverhead River in Montana is frequently crowded as anglers wade the best runs and boats drift from one run to the next. It always amazes me how everyone seems to get along on this crowded river. It is also surprising how quickly the trout start rising again after a boat passes over them. The fish simply adjust to the boats.
If you are wade fishing and you see a boat approaching, make sure to give the floaters a good idea of the water you are fishing in plenty of time for them to adjust. When I approach a wading angler in my boat and see he is casting toward the bank, I try to drift behind him so I won't disturb his water. If I'm already committed to one side and the angler decides to turn around and start casting toward the middle of the stream, I have no choice but to float through the water he is now fishing.
On large rivers, where wade fishing is limited, boaters should be even more considerate. If the river is crowded, you should leave easy to reach riffles and runs alone, even if no one is fishing them.
When I got into the outfitting business over twenty years ago, guides did almost all of the float boating. Now guides are in the minority on most waters. Unfortunately, there is still a perception that most float boaters are guides and guides get blamed for a lot of bad behavior. I believe that most guides are considerate and understanding. On all rivers in Idaho, and on many other streams in the country, the state requires guides to have the name of their business posted on their boats. If you have a bad experience with a guide you should contact his outfitter and the appropriate licensing authorities.
Noise can be extremely annoying on a trout stream. Most of us fish for reasons other than catching fish. I get special satisfaction from the quietness of a soft flowing trout stream. I like to hear the quiet sound of the water, the birds singing, the breeze as it sweeps through the willows, and most of all, the slurp of a large feeding trout. One reason I fish is to escape the noise pollution so common in everyday life. The last thing I want to hear while I'm on the river is hollering and shouting. It is natural to get excited over hooking a large trout and some anglers scream and yell to celebrate such an event. These antics should be kept to a minimum out of respect for the stream and other anglers sharing it.
The regulations on most of our best waters require us to release most or all of the trout we catch. The trout don't really belong to us, they belong to the river. Wild trout are not only better game than their hatchery counterparts, they fight harder, live longer, grow larger and are more beautiful. They are also more important to the environment we share. Bald eagles, osprey, river otters and many other predators are a welcome addition to my fishing and their survival depends on a healthy wild trout population. To watch an osprey dive with a mighty splash and rise from the water with a trout in its talons can be the highlight of an entire day of fishing.
In the many years I have spent sharing my favorite streams with other anglers I have seen some reckless attempts at releasing trout. Properly releasing a trout unharmed begins when you hook the fish. Stress and fatigue increase the longer you fight a fish. It may seem impressive to land a large trout on a super fine tippet but you should use the strongest tippet possible and land your fish quickly. Use the rod to fight the trout, always applying pressure opposite the direction the trout is moving. You can usually disorient a big trout and land him quickly without tiring him out completely.
I believe a landing net with a soft mesh bag is essential to landing a large fish without harm. Once the fish is in the net, keep him under the water while removing the hook. Barbless hooks can be removed easily and help limit undue handling of the fish. If you want a hero picture, get the camera settings and focus adjusted before you lift the trout from the water. Don't drag the fish out on the bank or on the deck of a boat! Remember, the trout you catch also belong to the other anglers on the river.
Finally, I think we need to consider limiting our catch. How many fish is enough for one day? A local outfitter publishes a newspaper full of photos of big trout and stories of 75 to 100 fish days. Again, how many are enough? Proper fly fishing ethics and behavior must start with our attitude. I was lucky enough to grow up fishing the great trout waters of southeastern Idaho with my father and grandfather. They not only taught me the skills to catch trout but also helped me understand how to enjoy them. They helped me realize that it isn't how many you catch but how you catch them. I learned to enjoy fishing for the experience and not the result. Even when the limits were liberal enough to fill our freezer with trout, we never kept more than we needed.
Today, I don't believe that fishing is a right. Like hunting, it is a privilege. In spite of all of our efforts to carefully release trout unharmed, some of them will die. In other words, the more fish you catch the more fish you kill. Anglers who keep score, counting every trout they catch, should take up a sport where the score counts, like golf. Today, there is no place in fly fishing for such an attitude. I remember an old slogan that was popular when catch and release was just becoming fashionable: "Limit your kill, don't kill your limit." Today the slogan should simply say "Limit your catch!" If you are lucky enough to hit one of those special days when you just can't keep the trout off your hook, take a break. Relax. Enjoy the river and the scenery. Save a few fish for the next angler. Knowing that you could have caught more trout than you did will set you apart from everybody else. That's when you know you have arrived.