I never fish locally or for that matter any trout water that is stocked. I only fish two waters. The West Branch and the main stem Delaware. I abhor and hate how crowded both of these rivers have become, If I didn't own a drift boat i would no longer fish.
When there’s too many other flyfishermen
- Thread starter Traveling Trout Co
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Bamboozle
Well-known member
That conversation happens, but the bigger problem is I fish slowly & methodically, especially on small water where fish can be tucked in every nook & cranny.
The friend on the other hand keys in on particular type of water he feels will be productive like smooth glides and deeper holes. As a result he'll skip over whole stretches of water I would have fished and even if miles separates us when we start, I spend the whole day looking over my shoulder because I know sooner or later. he'll catch up to me...
And things don't work out much better I give him the upper beat because he can fall in love with a particular stretch and I end up catching up to him by dusk.
The simpler solution is to fish alone or at a different creek entirely. I do that often at places like Young Woman's Creek. Usually without anyone knowing, I'll just jump off the main creek and fish up some trib I know holds fish.
As kids we called that "ditching" someone. 😉
A general strategy that works for two or three people, as long as there are not too many others on stream:
1. Drop off first person and then drive upstream until a little beyond what is guessed to be the distance that first person will travel;
2. Driver parks vehicle and fishes upstream.
4. When the person first (or second) dropped off makes their way upstream to the parked car, then they drive the car upstream to pick up the partner.
It's frustrating fishing upstream pool to pool if have to skip around too many people.
It's best if only one or very few others are fishing only at one short stretch or one spot.
A single fisherman focusing on one pool can be walked around at enough distance to not scare any fish and then keep fishing upstream.
Keep respectful and effective distances. Too many people or water conditions not good, or other, drive on to another place - stream, river, lake - where the outlook is good.
1. Drop off first person and then drive upstream until a little beyond what is guessed to be the distance that first person will travel;
2. Driver parks vehicle and fishes upstream.
4. When the person first (or second) dropped off makes their way upstream to the parked car, then they drive the car upstream to pick up the partner.
It's frustrating fishing upstream pool to pool if have to skip around too many people.
It's best if only one or very few others are fishing only at one short stretch or one spot.
A single fisherman focusing on one pool can be walked around at enough distance to not scare any fish and then keep fishing upstream.
Keep respectful and effective distances. Too many people or water conditions not good, or other, drive on to another place - stream, river, lake - where the outlook is good.
So the method you guys use is for one guy to start fishing up the stream, and the other guys waits a little while, then follows up behind him, fishing the same water? How long does the second guy wait before starting to fish?
I have fished with people accustomed to fishing that way. I don't like that method. I don't want to fish up behind someone, fishing water that they already fished. I think that greatly decreases your fishing results. And I don't like putting the other guy in the situation of having to fish behind me.
There are several other methods of stream sharing. There is hopscotching, and the handkerchief method, which is basically hopscotching, but you actually mark where you went in. I think these methods are too hectic, and add a great deal to the distance walked. To really avoid spooking the fish, you really need to go way up around. If you are walking near the stream, you are spooking fish. And sometimes thick brush makes it difficult to go up and around.
And there is just fishing different stretches of the stream. Park the car and arrange a time to meet back there. One guy fishes upstream. The other guy walks downstream then fishes back up to the car.
My favorite way is to stay together and take turns fishing. While one guy is fishing, the other guy is not. You work out when to switch turns. Usually you switch after a guy catches a fish, or after he fishes a nice pool. If someone needs to change a fly and/or leader, he steps out of the stream to do that, and the other guy fishes.
It might seem difficult to be only fishing half the time, but while the other guy is fishing you can change your fly, dry your fly, adjust your tippet, have something to eat or drink, take photos, take a water temperature, flip rocks and look at bugs, etc. All things people typically do anyway.
One guy is fishing all the time. When he finishes his stint, he steps out of the creek, and says "You're up" or "Go get 'em" and the other guy steps into the creek and starts fishing. That way you're not really giving up much fishing time.
Back to this original question, "... do you ever get to a place to fish, it's packed, ... etc.", the answer is YES.
It's called "studying the water".
Although beer isn't the only thing.
Watch and learn. Contemplate. Recycle the cans.
(Just a suggestion regarding going into Coudy to hit the Allegheny. Try it at night, or very early morning. Some big fish in there.)
bigjohn358
Well-known member
If you've ever gone salmon fishing in NY you can do a lot of sitting back and watching due to too many people...its so bad I don't go too often anymore.
Not a fan of fishing side-by-side on small native brook and wild brown trout streams with strangers, or if the stream was hit by another fisherman within the previous three hours.
However,
a late friend of mine introduced me to three games we played going upstream together on small streams, spot by spot.
One competition was "Cast, cast". Get one cast and if no take, then switch. Don't move from pool until both give up. But until then it's you cast, then I cast.
The first one to catch gets first cast on next spot. If no catch at that pool by either, then move on up and keep it going.
Another was "fish, fish". Each gets to cast and fish the pool. Catch a trout and then get first dibs on next pool. Otherwise, switch.
And then there was the "pool, pool". Just switching pools and seeing who can catch the biggest. For Fun! Just fishing together as a close team.
Mostly standing close, and sometimes right next to each other, especially with the "cast, cast" game.
Not serious competition. Just two close friends having fun.
FYI, the trout had to be legal in order to be counted. It was a good lesson in how to let the little ones not get hooked when they come up and grab at the fly.
Little trout are more aggressive many times.
Oh, the trout had to be legal and the winner was the first one to catch (and release) a limit!
But then keep on fishing.
Or go somewhere and discuss the day and recycle the cans!
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BrookieChaser
Well-known member
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When fishing with a buddy, whether on a small stream or a skiff, we go "fish for fish".
Y'all are making fishing complicated.
Y'all are making fishing complicated.
dudemanspecial
Well-known member
No doubt. We just stay out of each others way. No different if we were strangers parked in the same lot.
rustbeltwilds
Well-known member
Fish solo 95% of the time never a prob
DO_inthewoods
Member
I live near the Tully which I've fished a few times just to say I did, otherwise I avoid it. But sometimes I like to just stop by and watch others fish for a bit from some look outs. It cool to see how other work some water, how frequently they change flies etc
mt_flyfisher
Well-known member
I always liked the “visual rule of crowding” concept that’s in the MT fishing regulations. While its often impossible to keep out of sight of other anglers, there’s never an excuse to encroach on another angler’s space.
It seems like this thread has morphed somewhat. The OP was talking about a stream being crowded with strangers and anglers being seemingly everywhere, and then it seems people are talking about fishing with companions, which is not what the OP was talking about.
I fish alone most of the time, but if I'm with a partner, it depends on the stream and attitude for the day regarding how I approach it. On small streams, we often fish together taking turns and swapping productive water or after catching a fish.
Back to the OP original question, I dislike fishing famous places with lots of people. That's one reason why I rarely fish Penns, even though I live very close to it.
I fish alone most of the time, but if I'm with a partner, it depends on the stream and attitude for the day regarding how I approach it. On small streams, we often fish together taking turns and swapping productive water or after catching a fish.
Back to the OP original question, I dislike fishing famous places with lots of people. That's one reason why I rarely fish Penns, even though I live very close to it.
Bamboozle
Well-known member
No, we split-up with each person fishing a completely different section of stream. If long hours of fishing are involved, the car will be used to drop someone off way upstream or down or someone will just hoof it....
Per the third item above on Montana’s list, in Pa if someone is going to park their can in the middle of a long pool for an extended period of time and not budge upstream or downstream, they’re likely going to eventually get high-holed or low-holed by anglers passing through and wishing to fish the riffles/runs above and below and/or the lead-ins and tail-outs of the pool. I suspect that the high and low holing in that situation is also more likely to happen, and with some justification, on a crowded stream with limited habitat (Tulpehocken DH comes to mind ). In the extreme, try tying up a long pool as your personal space on opening day on a stocked trout stream in Pa 🤣
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Bamboozle
Well-known member
It's funny, it seems to only be wading anglers that get their Simms in a twist with someone parked in a pool.
Frequently I encounter folks fishing from the bank at different lakes & streams, spread out in chairs all day long staking their claim and nobody seems to have a problem...
I guess I'm different because if I see someone at a favorite hole, I just walk far around them and head elsewhere while muttering to myself to get there earlier next time... 😉
Frequently I encounter folks fishing from the bank at different lakes & streams, spread out in chairs all day long staking their claim and nobody seems to have a problem...
I guess I'm different because if I see someone at a favorite hole, I just walk far around them and head elsewhere while muttering to myself to get there earlier next time... 😉
Good point. In lake situations bait angling groups often sit close to each other based upon the locations of “cut-outs” in the vegetation/shrubs. When lure fishing in lakes and on the move, the same approach is used; the anglers just move right past each other and keep fishing. There is no obvious attempt to establish great distances between anglers, although depending upon fishing speed and direction of travel, the lure anglers usually eventually separate anyway. The protocol that generally limits the distance between anglers is simply the desire to not cross each other’s lines.
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mt_flyfisher
Well-known member
I always presumed that this applies equally to any body of water, and that the reference to “rivers” does not preclude the same fishing etiquette on streams or lakes, where applicable.
You’re right that there’s a wide variation from person to person in what’s considered an angler’s space. In my opinion, anytime you’re within sight and talking distance of other anglers it’s best to communicate with the other angler(s) to determine their intentions, and obtain agreement, before you start fishing.
Here’s an example of poor angling etiquette, imo:
Last year in the late spring I arrived in the mid morning on a particular section of Penns Creek where at least 3/4 mile of the stream is visible. There is good fishing in that entire section. I walked about 2/3 of the way down that particular stretch and sat on the bank and waited to watch for any rising fish. The stream was wadable the entire way across there. I could see I other angler fishing near the top of the riffle about 1/2 mile above me; there was no one else fishing below me.
After sitting there for 10 minutes of so, I saw a trout rise in the middle of the stream in front of me. A minute or 2 later it rose again, and I got ready to wade into the water and cast to in. But before I could step into the water 2 other anglers walked down on the other side of the stream. I’m sure they saw me, as clearly as I saw them, but without saying a word they both waded into the stream directly in front of me. One fished near the shore and the other waded out to the middle of the stream and began casting. (I’m not sure if they had seen fish rising there or not before they waded into the water.). Neither said a word to me. I didn’t say anything to them either, and I left and walked about 1/4 mile farther down the stream to fish where no one else was.
I do not know for sure who those anglers were, but when I returned a short time later I saw a car parked near mine that had a decal on it from my home town. A couple days after that a sports writer that lives in my home town wrote an article in the newspaper about Penns Creek fishing which included pictures of fishing that exact section of the stream.
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