First off mate you avatar is awsome.

anyways ive had that problem me eing 17 ive had older people bully me out of spots and i think its completely unacceptable. I didnt argue the point i had been there for a while and was begining to move on when they came but they didnt even ask where i was fishing or anything they just started fishing. Not only that but they fished the spawning fish in that spot i was fishing behindthem with some eggs but i feltvery hurt :(

I think writing an article about "Fishing Etiquette on Putah Creek" sounds like a great idea, not just for the newcomers but for us all.

I did a Google search for "Fly Fishing Etiquette" and found some great articles written by Fly Fishing clubs all over the country.

Here's the best I've found so far...


Fly Fishing Etiquette
....by Mike Lawson

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.

Always ask before fishing near others. If they can hit you with a cast, you are too close. If your swinging and lines are overlapping, you are too close. Don't try to catch other people's fish they are casting to.

Try to educate others on etiquette, politely.

If they don't prevail, flash your .357 magnum.......... I'M SO KIDDING!

Read The Drake. Greatest FF mag out there. Only FF mag worth reading these days, IMO.

I'm 13 and i have been pushed out of my spots a number of times but, I get a little more respect now that i carry a 12 inch bowie knife - just kidding i've always carried one and no one gives a darn. I ticks me off that since i'm just younger and shorter I get less respect.

I guess I'll just start wearin' mo kevlar, thanks to you wild polecats packing
the heavy heat.

Mike

    cant we just get along.....if that dont work oh nevermind....my sponser says i cant do that anymore.....crap.but i had that happen to me on the lower stan......pissed me the ---- off. i pack my self for self protection...somtimes 1 sometimes 2 knives.....if the left one dont get you the right one WILL....got nuttin but love for my fellow fisher man...

no us carry firearms never.

i actually had a gun pulled out right next to me one time, a small little 25, but shoot, scared the crap right out of me. this guy who could speak a lick of english, has a 4oz cannon ball weight with 80lb high vis charteuse berkley line, and below the 4oz weight is about a ft long leader with a treble hook. way not legal. well a fishing buddy of mine grabbed his crap and cut it, not once not twice but 3 times in a row, well out comes the gun and the guy put a round in the chamber. well you bring a gun to a fight you better use it right, ya didnt happen, my fishing buddy 55yrs old, young guy with gun late 20s got his ars battered to a bloody pulp. not even joking, i sat back and asked if anyone had popcorn it was UFC FIGHT NIGHT AT THE WALL. this old man did a flying leap drop kick square on this guys dome, the punk fell to the ground and the old man threw him up on the wall step got on top of him and started pounding away, he stop when the young punk stopped moving. needless to say, we called the cops, this young punk wanted his gun back, ya not gonna happen he got on his bike and was going in the opposite way the cops where coming, so we told him the cops come from that way, if you wanna get away go towards the bridge they will never get you. hahaha, what a dumb ars. he got arrested and thrown in jail for a long time.

cop said "what happened to the gun"
old mans kid "i threw it in the water"

it wasnt in the water, it was in the bushes, shoot i would have keep it to, it was a really nice peice.

man that guy got as ars whopping from hell. blood everywhere.

Yes, you can legally carry while fishing.

I have in the past but not too often, usually when I'm alone in a known sketchy area, like some of the areas I fish out of Forest Hill where you can run into meth heads.

brian clemens wrote:

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well thats nice no know. well now when i roll up into the mountains or someplace like you said packrat ill be packin heat. just remember to have it unloaded in your car and the bullets far far away from arms length.

hey packrat did you get my last message i sent you.

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I did, thanks!

The following are excerpts from Federal Law and State Law:

Federal Law generally states that; Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the drivers
compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Code of Federal Regulations Title 18, Part I, Chapter 44, § 926a.

 California Law on concealed weapons

Where may a firearm be stored in a vehicle?

Section 12025 (the part about it being an illegally concealed firearm) does not apply to or affect any of the following:

the firearm is within a motor vehicle and it is locked in the vehicles trunk or in a locked container in the vehicle other than the utility or glove compartment,

To be even more specific, let me refer you to the actual text of the law

12026.1.(a) Section 12025 shall not be construed to prohibit any citizen of the United States over the age of 18 years who resides or is temporarily within this state, and who is not within the excepted classes prescribed by Section 12021 or 12021.1 of this code or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, from transporting or carrying any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person, provided that the following applies to the firearm:
(1) The firearm is within a motor vehicle and it is locked in the vehicles trunk or in a locked container in the vehicle other than the utility or glove compartment.
(2) The firearm is carried by the person directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and, while carrying the firearm, the firearm is contained within a locked container.
(b) The provisions of this section do not prohibit or limit the otherwise lawful carrying or transportation of any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person in accordance with this chapter.
(c) As used in this section, locked container means a secure container which is fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar locking device.

There are probably other law sections that could apply as well

Why conceal? Just wear the thing on your hip. They will get the message. Does anybody know more about the legality of packing when fishing? Is there something writen just for that?
  I would also like to say that I fished the American last friday and was walking from the river back to the car and just as I finished climbing up the bank from the water there was a game warden hiding in the bushes. He jumped out and almost was wearing a 8wt through his head. Pretty stupid on his part. It all worked out ok in the end but that is a good way to get shot.

-- Edited by timmosazz at 17:17, 2008-02-05

can you pack iron on the putah. there are those big signs on the yolo side. anyone know?

AC22 wrote:

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So it was you JT............;)

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????????

It's funny to see were a topic goes, Started out as an ettiquete thing and turned into a gun packing topic. I carry always take a few guns when i go camping/fishing simply because i like to do some shooting, were its legal of course wich is on any national forest land, as long as you use common sense. Plus i do alot of my camping alone and just feel more secure with firearm, You know things like, bears, mountain lions, somebodys pot field, a meth head, Or hell havent you ever seen deliverance . Not realy needed at putah.

-- Edited by thecaptain at 18:46, 2008-02-06