There seems to be some division among steelheaders nowadays.
On one side, you have the traditional swing fisherman, and on the other, the
nymph fisherman. Regardless of which camp you are in, you have to recognize the
rivalry that has formed. The whole thing is really quite amusing, really, and
in many ways, unnecessary. The bottom line is, we are all steelheaders, in
pursuit of the greatest fish on the planet, regardless of technique.
A friend of mine recently wrote a piece on swing fishing one
of our local steelhead rivers. He described a perfect day interrupted by some
drift boat nymph fisherman. He felt invaded and offended by the driftboaters
for their lack of etiquette. He may have implied that the technique was somehow
related to it's offense. Needless to say, the author started a fight between
the elitist spey fisherman and the bobber barneys. The “elitists” congratulated
him on his efforts and the “barneys” sent him hate mail. Everyone has since
kissed and made up. We all laugh about it now. But, the rivaly still lives on.
In my experience, this kind of river interaction is somewhat
common. It easily could have been
avoided. A little river etiquette goes along way. Here’s how it relates to
steelhead.
Steelhead Etiquette
Rule # 1
Steelhead etiquette states that you never drop in below
someone in a run, period. This is an old rule that everyone should
know. If you are not sure where one run ends and the next one begins, make your
best guess, or even better, ask. “Hey man, do you mind if I start fishing down
here?” It’s that simple. Communicate with your fellow steelheaders. Let them
know that you are aware and that you care. If you don’t, one can only assume.
That usually doesn’t turn out too well.
Rule # 2
When approaching bank fisherman, go out of your
way to get around them. Sometimes you can row behind them. If that doesn’t
work, go down the opposite bank. If you are not sure, ask. Most fisherman won’t
care either way, but really appreciate the consideration. Sometimes it is
impossible not to run over their water. A quick “Sorry!” is a nice gesture as
you blast by.
Rule # 3
Pick up your lines before you get to wade fisherman.
It is the responsibility of the oarsman to say “bring them in, boys”. Sometimes
the bank anglers will insist that you fish through. But never assume that it is
OK. On really busy days, when it is hard to find water that isn’t being fished,
this is very difficult. The etiquette might shift towards more sharing of the
river. But, keep in mind that on busy days people tend to get a little
grumpier, too. Being a little extra friendly and polite is much more effective
than avoiding the issue.
Rule # 4
If there is a truck parked in the pull-out, go to the
next one. On rivers like the N. Umpqua or Trinity, there’s a ton of road
access. Proper etiquette on the North is to find your own spot, not one already
occupied. If it’s your favorite run, either come back later or get up earlier!
Rule # 5
Keep moving. The bottom line is, camping out all day
on a run is lame. It’s lame because no one else gets a chance, the fish get
abused, and it speaks to the anglers lack of angling ability, creativity,
diversity and ethic. Take your turn, hook your fish, and move on.
So, could this conflict between the elitist spey fisherman
and bobber barneys have been avoided. The answer is obvious. A little
politeness and etiquette would have prevented that kind of interaction.
Unfortunately, these types of encounters are common on the river. It really
comes down to being aware of your fellow angler and showing a little courtesy.
Who really cares what technique they are using? I certainly do not. There are
some rivers, like my home waters of the Rogue, where the bait fisherman show
better etiquette than the fly-fisherman. It is infuriating when a boat drops in
on you and drops their anchor within 30 feet. So, how do you deal with it
without getting in a fight? I wish I had a good answer. It is something that,
unfortunately, will never go away. All you can do is educate them, one at a
time. I just hope I can follow my own advice.
One of the biggest problems is how people get introduced to
steelhead fishing. If you are introduced via the indicator, as I was, your
perspective is different than those introduced via the traditional method. In
Northern California and Southern Oregon , I’ll
bet nine out of ten new steelheaders are taught from a boat with bobber rigs. I
would also bet that eight of those nine anglers have never heard of a Silver
Hilton, a Waller Waker, or a grease line presentation. Consequently,
traditional steelhead anglers are on the receiving end of most conflict, quite
simple because they are the minority, causing this rift between the “elitist”
camp and the “barney” camp. Does this let traditional anglers off the hook? No.
They are sometimes guilty of having a superiority complex and disregarding the
angling experience of the indicator fisherman. It takes just as much skill to
be a good indicator fisherman as it does to be a good swing fisherman. But, you
could argue that it does take more awareness and etiquette, given the fact
there is usually a boat involved while fishing.
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