Have a look at the Google Street View of the Fish Creek boat launch. It's one of our busiest on the Bow river. It was taken back in July 2015. You'll noticed a Calgary Fire Dept rescue team at the launch. Another reason why its important to rig up in the parking area.
Timely reminder. Just got seriously low holed this weekend while swinging flies on a big local river. So bad it ruined my fishing and I was forced to leave. Two different groups of anglers. We don't deal with other anglers on the river much here in NZ during summer but with our winter runs the river gets crowded and it seems every year less poeple understand simple etiquette and how easy it is to just chat to other anglers and make a plan to fish a piece of water. Thanks for posting.
It's incredible how often it happens. Here in Alberta the Bow is a big river with so much good trout water. Yet people will, probably out of insecurity, get right on top of you, thinking that if your fishing that water it must be the only good water around.
Great points all the way through. I would suggest rigging/unrigging your boat on the actual launch and failing to shoulder check when pulling out from the bank are the two most common items I encounter
Yah its a freeway out there sometimes. Especially in the busy days of the high season, its important to get on and off the launch quickly, and give people space on the river itself.
Very nice, wished all could be as such..... Many years ago, when bank fishing in Fish Creek, fly fishing boats were cutting and disrupting my fishing constantly, and I was visible to them from far!..... Same was happening in Glenmore reservoir but by kayaker. Hope things are different at present time there.
Timely reminder, and would say the guides and seasoned people need to be reminded about etiquette as well as the new angler. Had a situation a couple of weeks ago where a guide with 2 new anglers walked in on me and set up camp less than a cast length from me in the direction I was going. No communication, and there was no one else on the River but us. This small river does get very crowded on weekends and holidays, but this was mid week and we were the only ones there. I looked up when I was going to move down and saw them so went around the same distance on the other side of them. The guide had the cojones to say “we were about to fish there”. I told him he moved in on me and I am fishing here. Proceeded to hook a good fish and after having it make me go down stream a few feet to chase it downstream it broke me off. I stepped to the edge of the stream to retie and the guide puts his second guy literally in my boot marks where I was when I hooked the fish. He was swing flies downstream literally to my feet as I retied. After finishing I made a few upstream cast to reclaim my territory. Almost crossing the client’s line. After making my point moved on. I really should have made a point to the client that the guide completely violated River etiquette and totally missed and opportunity to teach a new angler what the proper etiquette is. That is the last time that will happen and I will inform them of the rules the guide is violating.
It's a good point to make that everyone can be guilty of these faux pas. So important to educate people about these things so that whether they are the pro guide or the casual angler, everyone is having a good time on the water.
I wish every angler in the PNW would abide. Just the other day, was shore wading a single hole for hours for coho. A drift boat comes down and they cast right towards me as they their boat is slowly drifting across the other side of the riffle we were fishing. I cant believe the lack of etiquette and flooded entitlement I see on a dally basis with anglers.
Just a question here...I usually drift the Yough River in PA...fairly wide but shallow enough that many fisherman will wade between thigh deep and just above waist deep....this allows them to get to mid river...what is the proper etiquette, try to drift behind them into shallower water or try to get as far to the far bank as possible but in front of them? I run into this just about every trip and always want try to judge can the reach the far bank and are they fishing it...or is it best to go behind them and not mess with anything in front of them...just drifting through not anchoring up or anything.
That’s a great question. If they are out that far it’s perfectly acceptable to go behind them. Obviously let them know your plan but it’s preferable to going through their water. Going to the far bank is fine too as long as you aren’t putting oars through the water column they are fishing.
Have a look at the Google Street View of the Fish Creek boat launch. It's one of our busiest on the Bow river. It was taken back in July 2015. You'll noticed a Calgary Fire Dept rescue team at the launch. Another reason why its important to rig up in the parking area.
Great vid - should be a must watch when purchasing your AB fishing license. You see some shocking behavior on the Bow and mountain streams these days.
Thanks 👍 We appreciate the support and hope more people show the common courtesy required.
Timely reminder. Just got seriously low holed this weekend while swinging flies on a big local river. So bad it ruined my fishing and I was forced to leave. Two different groups of anglers. We don't deal with other anglers on the river much here in NZ during summer but with our winter runs the river gets crowded and it seems every year less poeple understand simple etiquette and how easy it is to just chat to other anglers and make a plan to fish a piece of water. Thanks for posting.
It's incredible how often it happens. Here in Alberta the Bow is a big river with so much good trout water. Yet people will, probably out of insecurity, get right on top of you, thinking that if your fishing that water it must be the only good water around.
Great points all the way through. I would suggest rigging/unrigging your boat on the actual launch and failing to shoulder check when pulling out from the bank are the two most common items I encounter
Yah its a freeway out there sometimes. Especially in the busy days of the high season, its important to get on and off the launch quickly, and give people space on the river itself.
Very nice, wished all could be as such.....
Many years ago, when bank fishing in Fish Creek, fly fishing boats were cutting and disrupting my fishing constantly, and I was visible to them from far!..... Same was happening in Glenmore reservoir but by kayaker.
Hope things are different at present time there.
Usually they are well behaved, but just like anything you have the occasionally rude person.
Timely reminder, and would say the guides and seasoned people need to be reminded about etiquette as well as the new angler.
Had a situation a couple of weeks ago where a guide with 2 new anglers walked in on me and set up camp less than a cast length from me in the direction I was going. No communication, and there was no one else on the River but us. This small river does get very crowded on weekends and holidays, but this was mid week and we were the only ones there.
I looked up when I was going to move down and saw them so went around the same distance on the other side of them. The guide had the cojones to say “we were about to fish there”. I told him he moved in on me and I am fishing here. Proceeded to hook a good fish and after having it make me go down stream a few feet to chase it downstream it broke me off. I stepped to the edge of the stream to retie and the guide puts his second guy literally in my boot marks where I was when I hooked the fish. He was swing flies downstream literally to my feet as I retied. After finishing I made a few upstream cast to reclaim my territory. Almost crossing the client’s line. After making my point moved on.
I really should have made a point to the client that the guide completely violated River etiquette and totally missed and opportunity to teach a new angler what the proper etiquette is. That is the last time that will happen and I will inform them of the rules the guide is violating.
It's a good point to make that everyone can be guilty of these faux pas. So important to educate people about these things so that whether they are the pro guide or the casual angler, everyone is having a good time on the water.
I wish every angler in the PNW would abide. Just the other day, was shore wading a single hole for hours for coho. A drift boat comes down and they cast right towards me as they their boat is slowly drifting across the other side of the riffle we were fishing. I cant believe the lack of etiquette and flooded entitlement I see on a dally basis with anglers.
Just a question here...I usually drift the Yough River in PA...fairly wide but shallow enough that many fisherman will wade between thigh deep and just above waist deep....this allows them to get to mid river...what is the proper etiquette, try to drift behind them into shallower water or try to get as far to the far bank as possible but in front of them? I run into this just about every trip and always want try to judge can the reach the far bank and are they fishing it...or is it best to go behind them and not mess with anything in front of them...just drifting through not anchoring up or anything.
That’s a great question. If they are out that far it’s perfectly acceptable to go behind them. Obviously let them know your plan but it’s preferable to going through their water. Going to the far bank is fine too as long as you aren’t putting oars through the water column they are fishing.