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3. Fly Fishing: Unwritten rules of etiquette, Page 2

If you really want to see things occur on a stream that will curl your hair and make you vent steam, try fishing New York's Salmon River. More idiots per square yard than anywhere else on the globe. Those who walk right into your backcast, or walk on the stream and start casting 6-10feet in front of you, the "snaggers" with their spinning gear zipping across your line, you name it, it will happen. Additionally I love the new "Orvis Fly Fishing Dude" who doesn't hesitate to shoulder up with you when the stream is empty. I still remember pulling a hook out the ear of this a$$ hole who got hooked on my backcast with a large Steelhead Assassin fly (size 4 hook). Boy did he yell when I backed the hook sans barb out of his ear lobe. Then I explained to him quietly about "etiquette" on a stream----his reply......." you f...'n old guys are really too damned fussy....." I certainly hoped that the hook had some awful little microbes on it that would rot his ear lobe off---I didn't sterilize his ear---har-de-har-har.

The conditions you describe on the Salmon River are exactly why I stopped fishing there in the early 1990's. It used to be a great place to fair hook Pacific salmon and catch good numbers of steelhead.
It was an eye opener to me to see fly fishers act like just so many jerks when they thought they had a chance to catch some of those big fish. Really low life type attitudes and behaviors. If you want to experience far better oppotunities for catching many steelhead take a ride out to the Erie creeks. Admittedly those creeks are a long drive for many of us and they are much smaller than the SR but they hold at least ten times the steelhead and in my experience the guys you will meet are very friendly, do not lift, and try to give you a reasonable amount of space.

Being new to fly fishing, but far from being new to fishing, I could not even think of inviting myself to anothers place where they are fishing, just bad form.

Folks, again I have to say you all have my condolences. My problems haven't been with other fisherman - quite the contrary, almost everyone I have encountered in Michigan (and Oregon and Missouri) trout streams with a rod in their hand (fly or otherwise) has been kind and courteous. It's the OTHER people that I have trouble with - like the knucklehead in a kayak that almost ran over my fly line and then almost ran ME over when I asked him to avoid me!! With about a hundred feet of river behind me, he just didn't get that I was fishing that particular spot and didn't want him between me and the fish! The fact that I even had to ASK still boggles my mind. Then again, perhaps, he was hypnotized by the rhythem of my fly casting and stunned into dumbfoundedness...People, if you can't responsibly operate a watercraft without running into people, STAY OFF THE FREAKING WATER!!!

Also recently, idiots in "Jet-Ski" type craft (I HATE THEM - everytime I see some dumbass tearing up the water with one I wish I had an RPG-7) felt no compunction whatsoever to stay out of casting range of the end of a dock! Perhaps one of those big #4 hooks in the face might have given them a hint...

Then there were the dozens of screaming children hollering insults at me from a bridge on the Huron in Ann Arbor. I actually had to threaten the little bastards by casting at them to make them go away, until some adults finally came out to supervise them. "Oh, they're just first-graders on a field trip, you know." "So, they don't need to be standing on this bridge screaming their stupid little heads off at me, do they???" NO, people, I am not going to sacrifice my peaceful, quiet afternoon to provide entertainment to stupid little children who are being RUDE! First grade sounds like a perfect age to start teaching some POLITENESS and MANNERS. Stupid little children grow up to be stupid adults.

I have just one rule when I am on the water fishing: DON'T F*CK WITH ME! Do so at your own peril.

Jonathon

Not being one to carry much backing on my spools, I try to avoid casting at first-graders and jet-skis. Casting my line, that is - I have no problem with rocks.

-Shawn

Jonathon,

First...I spotted your post seeking fishing opportunities for trout in southeast Michigan. I was going to tell you to maybe forget about the trout and pursue some bass over on the Huron, but I spotted another post of yours about some hassles you had on the Huron.

Last year, about this time, I had just started my evening of fishing just below Zeeb Rd (probably the same bridge you mentioned in your post)when I was nearly hit by a canoe. I turned around to see a bunch of canoes trying to figure out how to get over the little rapids there. One of them had two young boys in it and they knew absolutley nothing about handling a canoe. The water was pretty high for that time of year and I actually had to push the front of their canoe away from me to stop them from taking me out. I would of made them take a swim but I could tell they were in a panic and didn't know what to do to prevent themselves from hittting me. They did get an earfull as they slipped by.

I don't know if you are a member of the Michigan Fly Fishing Club, but last week we had a meeting and Dirk Fischbach was the speaker. If you don't know this he has written a book on the Huron...unfortunately. Years ago I use to have the river to myself.

Here's some info that may help you out. Every river has it's tricks to fishing it and it takes time to figure it out sometimes. Dirk claims that the last starting time for canoes up at Hudson Mills is 2:30 to get out at Delhi by 6:30. He suggests fishing downstream early and once you start to see canoes move upstream above Dexter or so.

The river traffic on our rivers here in Michigan is horrible. No one at the liveries ever explains anything to the floating public. On the Au Sable there are two sections for catch and release and I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys floating through with a spinning rod and Mepps Spinner.

I have never had any problems with anyone enjoying the river as long as they show it some respect. It's the party barges and the drinking that brings out the asshole in folks. Dirk said that the couple guys that guide on the Huron were considering going to the sheriff. He said it's the tubers that seem to be the biggest problem. They load up on beer etc at the party store at the Dexter bridge and away they go. It takes them longer to get by the angler, they usually have had more to drink, and they don't really care when they get downstream. They didn't rent the tubes.

For the most part the floaters are gone when the real fishing starts. Forget the weekends though!

Anyway! There are no easy answers when it comes to this sort of thing. On the other hand, some of us anglers could use some refreashers in manners as well...It would take me forever to tell you about all the weird hassles I have had on the stream after a lifetime of fishing.

Good Luck!

Spence