I go to a favorite Yuba flat above the bridge (I'm sure you all know it) and start swinging wets with my spey rod. I usually fish from 5:30-10pm on weekdays and bump into a few anglers and miners, and swing and step down runs, swing, and step, repeat. Good spey casting practice.Â
Anyways, today as I was swinging and stepping down, a guy gets in right below me... clearly in the same run. From the base of my line at the end of the swing, he was about 30 ft away, so he wasn't far. I thought it was pretty common etiquette to not fish below someone swinging, and with a 12'6" spey rod it seemed pretty obvious what I was doing, but I thought whatever, I can just move upstream and work back down.
So I go to do just that: I wade back to shore and begin to move upstream when I noticed ANOTHER guy right above me. Now I clearly have to move, so I walk towards him to get my other rod in the bushes. So here's what gets me: whereas I'm ok with two guys maybe getting a little too close, and one guy maybe fishing below me, I briefly chat with the guy above me and he mentions they're together. I couldn't believe it! I keep my cool, but I was pretty furious. It's one thing to crowd a guy, but when two guys in the same party surround a different angler? I think that's pretty crummy. Am I wrong about this etiquette? I'm not saying people swinging get to control a run, but I think we move pretty quickly and give access to other people.Â
Anyways, fishing has been pretty touchy. I'd still stick to the Sierras. Lots of dinky fish at the Yuba, but seems too early for caddis and hopper fun. PMDs and pinkies coming off in the dark, but fishing subsurface always gets more attention than dries lately it seems.
Easy fix. Just keep casting, swinging and making yet another step downstream. Repeat as necessary and cross right infront of the person that moved in below you :)
In all honesty, the situation you ran into was another key factor why I quit fishing the Yuba years ago. I used to chuck n duck that river, basically mimicking what you would do with your spay rod. Eventually there were so many people fishing any individual run that it became impossible to do.
I never could understand why somebody would wade into a particular spot on the river and start fishing, maybe catch a fish or two and continue to fish that exact same location for HOURS.
I've had in excess of 100 fish days on the Yuba and they certainly didn't all come from the same spot
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Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.
That video really has nothing to do with the situation
 No ..no... it doesn't..... but still funny though!!!!
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"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." - Anon.
Vince, the dude low holed you. Maybe he was just clueless? I like Lightfoot's approach!!! Perhaps a quick explanation of your intentions would have enlightened him and he would have gladly stepped aside? Who knows?
I would agree, this is a crappy situation. They're simply ignorant, like many other fishermen or recreationalist. I've had people actually jump in the water right in front of my fly. I was on the Yuba and and a couple came down the trail and asked which directions I was going (up/down) and if I didn't mind them working the opposite direction. IMO, since they were working up, while I was working down and 40 yards up, I didn't think it was necessary to ask. Yet they still did. That's just called courtesy.
