What Happened to Fly Fishing Etiquette?

Have you ever had another angler get too close, seemingly unaware or uncaring of any type of fly fishing etiquette? How did you respond? This post will hopefully create some discussion about fly fishing etiquette. I recently had an encounter with a disrespectful angler while recording a morning on the stream that I wanted to share. I hope you will join the conversation in the comments section after reading.

The Picture-Perfect Morning

I arrived at the river before sunrise. I knew it was going to be a hot day. So, I wanted to fish the morning and call it quits before water temps began to rise. I geared up and made a short hike to my starting point, where I had planned to fish upstream. 

There were no other anglers in sight. It was a picture-perfect morning. Within a few minutes, I was already hooked up with a fish and was anxious to work the rest of the run I was in. I was recording and was excited to get footage of a catch right away. 

This was going to be a good morning. 

Fly Fishing Etiquette Faux Pas

That’s when I heard it. 

An unfamiliar voice coming from the woods behind me, “How’s the bite today?” 

“Really, dude?” I thought, “I’m literally the only person out here.”

I politely responded with my standard, “Got a couple.” 

“I caught a bunch here yesterday,” the angler proudly informed me. 

I acknowledged his accomplishment with a nod, hoping he would get the hint and continue on his way. I watched from the corner of my eye, thinking he would continue way upstream, as there were no other anglers in sight. 

But he didn’t continue upstream.

He stopped at the very head of the run I was fishing. 

“He’s not,” I thought to myself. 

Sure enough, he unhooked his fly and started casting. I was dumbfounded. I’ve had anglers come too close before, but this was ridiculous. He didn’t even bother to go to the next section of the stream. He was literally fishing the top of the run I was in, and we were honestly the only two people on the stream for a mile each direction.

I’m not the confrontational type, but this was egregious. It had to be addressed.  I had forgotten that I was still recording. I didn’t realize until later that I had recorded the entire exchange. 

“Space? I’m like twenty yards from you, Bro.”

UNIDENTIFIED ANGLER

What is the Best Way to Respond to a Disrespectful Angler?

The purpose of this post is not to call this person out. Maybe it’s even wrong of me to assume he was being disrespectful at all. Perhaps his only experience fly fishing was on crowded steelhead tributaries and didn’t know any better. Who knows? But 20 yards? Come on, “Bro.”

I chose to write about this because I was hoping to generate some discussion about the best ways to respond to disrespectful anglers-or at least anglers we perceive to be disrespectful. I question whether I handled myself appropriately and wonder, if faced with a similar situation again, how I may change my approach.

How would you have handled this situation? What is the best way to respond to disrespectful angler? Did I do the right thing?

Seeking Solitude

Obviously, I was annoyed from the start. Perhaps, I could have been more willing to engage in conversation initially. But I don’t wake up at 3:30 a.m., drive two hours, and be in the water before the sun rises to find friends on the river. Solitude is one of the main reasons many people choose to fish. I believe anglers should generally avoid initiating conversation with other anglers who are fishing. When I see another angler, I assume he or she is out there for the same reason I am. If you want to know how the bite is, cast a line and find out, or hang out in the parking lot and talk to me when I’m putting away my gear. I may even give you a few of my flies. Otherwise, give me some space!

I’ve listened to the exchange several times. I know I could have been more polite when asking for space. It just seemed like a reasonable question to ask. That’s why I was taken back by his indignant response, “Space? I’m like 20 yards from you, Bro.”

It kind of cracks me up now when I hear him say that. The irony of him indicting himself with his own response is what made this so remarkable. I mean, come on dude. 20 yards? Seriously? That’s too close even on the smallest of streams. I’ve seen kids at a fishing derby have more respect for one another.

Know When to Walk Away

I was really upset, but I think walking away and heading upstream was the best way to handle the situation. There was no reason to escalate things by being aggressive. I tried to be assertive by asking for space, but that didn’t seem to work. Perhaps the better response would have been to say nothing at all and simply move on. I tried to let him know what my experience with other anglers on that stream had been, but it didn’t sound like he cared.

Either way, I had to remind myself it wasn’t worth ruining my day over it. So, I headed up stream (more than 100 yards) and continued to catch fish. I think that’s an important thing for all of us to remember. No infraction, no matter how infuriating, is a reason to escalate a situation.

I have to wonder if he learned anything from the experience. Will he think twice about crowding someone the next time? From his perspective, was I the one in the wrong? Maybe I was in his spot. Afterall, he did catch fish there the day before.

What are Your Thoughts?

Does fly fishing etiquette still exist? I genuinely want to start a discussion about this topic. I hope you will comment below to share your opinions or experiences. I get it that no one owns a stream or a river. But, I do believe there has to be some form of etiquette so that we can all enjoy our sport.

There are more people fly fishing than ever before. I honestly think this is a good thing. Hopefully, through thoughtful discussion, we can build more awareness. That way we can all share our streams and rivers and make the most of our time on the water.

I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Thanks for listening!

Jeff Smecker