STREAM ETIQUETTE AND “WALKING THE TALK”

ETIQUETTE

Some in the Midwest would say that this is a “dead” topic. Much of the Lake Michigan Tributary fishing is just not conducive to traditional fly fishing etiquette. It’s hard to stay out of someone else’s fishing space when anglers are stacked on top of each other.

On a weekend it’s not hard to find anglers every fifty feet. I’ve fished with many people where we were fishing a rod length apart. When conditions are like this it’s best to learn to fish with some common sense and basic manners.

Let’s face it, if it was common sense I wouldn’t be writing about it, but it’s about as common as good weather and good fishing.

FATMAN’s River Basics:
1. YIELD THE RIVER RIGHT AWAY.
It was really interesting to have a gentlemen pull into the river parking lot at about fifteen minutes after my clients and I arrived. We were rigged up and talking about some strategies when he came up to us, ready to fish, and asked where were planning to fish. He said he didn’t want to take our spot because we had gotten there first. I was amazed. Not only could I hardly believe he was asking us where we were headed so he wouldn’t crowd us, he was genuinely decent at 5:00AM. He used some basic manners and common sense and set up a precendence I think is important. He yielded the river to the first angler.

2. GREET OTHER ANGLERS.
Not only this did this angler yield the river access to us, he also asked us about how fishing conditions were, what we were going to fly, how the water conditions were and if fish were present. Very smart. He got a head start on the day just by talking with us and was curtious and polite.

3. DON’T CROWD OTHER ANGLERS.
Sometimes this is very hard during a tributary run. Anglers line up side by side and fish right on top of eachother. If this is something that would make you crazy, my best suggestion would be to move to a less angler populated spot. However, if you have some patience, can talk with other anglers and can handle fishing right next to someone, fishing in a crowd can be rewarding. You can meet some excellent people and you can “share” the fish.