Author Topic: Fishing Etiquette (Read 29123 times)

Wynand13 · « **on:** September 12, 2011, 08:31:40 AM »

I know by publishing this here I properly preach to the wrong crowd and if I miss something please ad, this is aimed at those I hope will one day figure out that there`s more to live than yourself. I noticed a few shockers this weekend and realised that a lot of people do NOT know anything about etiquette. So here go.
1. Come prepared.
If you go to a catch and release dam and only have a fishing rod, there`s no way you will not let the fish go unharmed so rather stay at home or go to a catch and keep only dam. We are supposed to conserve nature and with the small amount of C&R dams left those who don’t respect this will make them disappear for good.
2. On catch and release –
Please read this blog. http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,6069.msg83514.html#msg83514
You do NOT land a fish on gravel, without a net, then use dry hands to hold it down and unhook, and you do not treat a trout like a rugby ball and pass it back in the water! If you did this you are sure about one thing, you killed it!
3. Respect
There are some things that count for all not just fly fishers. First come first serve. Do NOT go to a picnic spot or braai area when there are people within 5 Metres already. If you want to invade their privacy ASK don’t take over.
To add to this again first fisherman have right of way, as fly fishing involve you casting around and not just straight, if there are more water available, go there and leave those who are busy alone. Standing close to someone casting and casting into his target area is wrong in so many ways. Fly fishers in general are gentleman and if you go speak to them and ask what and where they are targeting you should respect that and go to a new spot.
To add more here, just because you can only cast 5m does not mean all fisherman are like that and standing opposite someone at a small dam or stream is wrong as they are casting to where you are standing and you are invading on their space.
4. No one have an issue with you enjoying a drink, we do have issues if you litter!
5. Some people go fishing to get away from it all and enjoy nature the way it was created, loud music is bad taste, and remember that not all people have the same taste in music either so keep yours to yourself please?
6. If you can carry something with you to the fishing spot you can take it back home with you...

Rory · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2011, 08:43:06 AM »

Valid points and nice post Wynand!

Luke13 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 12, 2011, 08:47:10 AM »

Hope the person in the Blue Golf XTT952GP Reads this.
He and his 2 girlfriends pushed us out of our picknic spot with 4 open dams he had place to fish and we were unpacked allready and they took our table! He also killed the fish as he landed them without a net and with dry hands. I assume we fished the same spot on the same day.....

Mudcrab · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2011, 08:48:53 AM »

Drunken behavior,LOUD music and rubbish are my pet hates

Wynand13 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2011, 08:56:15 AM »

Hi Luke

I only fished yesterday with one person driving a blue Golf yes, but did not get the plates, they were breaking all above rules thus the reason for posting, I would rather educate them before condeming. Somethimes we break the rules because we dont know them....

Rory · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2011, 09:07:04 AM »

If you guys fished a venue where you paid a "cover charge" to get into, take it up with the management, but preferably immediately, while whoever is still transgressing. Very often these situations can turn a little volitile, and its not worth getting into near fisticuffs when the management should be sorting it out. If the management can't sort it out, don't go back! This is never an easy situation......

icstuff · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2011, 09:09:50 AM »

I seriously hate it when people do that, and you would not expect it at a FF venue!

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #7 on:** September 12, 2011, 09:14:17 AM »

Good points Wynand...

I have been a member at Footloose Trout Farm for quite some time now and some of the behaviour in the members area I have seen is really bad. Reported the guy to management a few times but nothing has come about it. He fished, the one day, off a wall and caught a few trout by dragging them up the dry grass unhooking them with dry hands and throwing them back in the water from about 6 meters away, those trout are dead now without any doubt...

travelmember · « **Reply #8 on:** September 12, 2011, 10:00:33 AM »

All good points. Unfortunately most fly fishing venues (especially the artificial put and take ones) are relatively recent creations and cater to a certain type of person. Traditionally the distance between anglers on stillwaters is 200ft, the length of 2 fly lines. The idea being that I can cast a full line along the margins, as can you, without fear of entanglement. On rivers, it is three pools or 1 mile - to allow the fish to settle after the previous angler. It is sad that you are subjected to angling with such people in close confines.
Regarding C&R with trout (especially the small stockies), I never carry a net. Use your rod as a dehooker. You will be fishing barbless so it is very easy to draw the fish in once it is settled, pull all of your line and leader through the tip ring, and use the ring a a dehooker. Simply push it into the fishes mouth thereby dislodging the fly and pull it away. Then slide the rod under the fishes tail and gently touch it. It will realise it is free and leave you to cast again.

Wynand13 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2011, 12:19:58 PM »

TravelMember
I totally agree with you, if that is how you do it, without letting the fish out of the water no problem. I refer to those who are not as trained and definitely don’t realise that dragging fish over dry rocks and by using a dry hand to press down on it, and then tossing it into the water its dead.
Thanks for distance tips, I personally will fish another dam or spot, all together if possible, especially on the river I will walk till I am out of sight if I can. The question is would it be at all possible to change or educate these fisherman to help preserve. I think that the few C&R dams will just end up as keep them dams as the owners will get tired of all the dead fish after a weekend..

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2011, 10:58:31 PM »

On a river or stream.

NEVER enter the water stream up from a fisherman, intending to cross over where he may be fishing in a while, unless it's at least 20 meters above him, AND after having asked their permission to do so. If you want to get to a spot on the other side of the fisherman, do so downstream of him, again asking if it's OK. He may wish to drift flies downstream, you would not know without asking.

If you notice that someone is catching in a particular spot, it is UNACCEPTABLE to slowly encroach on his area, trying to land your fly next to his

. It IS acceptable to ask his advice on flies, technique etc.

Fishing etiquette, in all facets of fishing is quite simple actually, respect your fellow angler and your environment as you would like to be respected.

If you are confronted with NEWBIES, inform them,politely. If they are YOBOOS, shoot them, and feed the barbel, ( Joking , joking , but a damn good idea me thinks ).

schloshd1 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 13, 2011, 06:28:33 AM »

KEEP WELL AWAY FROM SPAWNING YELLOWS! Over the next few months the yellows will come into very shallow water, ankle-knee deep, to spawn. If you notice groups of fish thrashing around in shallow water, leave them alone.
Would you like it if some ****er came and disturbed you while you were on the job?

It is best to avoid wading in the very shallow water altogether for a while, not only to not disturb the spawners but also not to trample the eggs. You can generally identify the spawn beds by the smallish (fist-head) sized rocks on the river bed in shallow water. Rather stick to fishing thigh/waist deep water, there will be plenty of fish moving in and out of the spawning areas that can be targeted.
As soon as the fish have started to spawn we will post it as well as pics so that newbies know what/where to avoid.

If you see people fishing to spawning fish, inform them politely as Herman said. If they carry on doing it then throw a rock at them.

Our indigenous fish stocks are under threat in most of our rivers and need to be protected. I will not post my opinions on what to do with bass and carp in our river systems as I may upset some sensitive souls

Wynand13 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 13, 2011, 08:08:36 AM »

for the info, and I forgot that people would actually consider fishing for spawning fish. Last year I saw kids who got a gaff from their dad to catch (and kill in the process) Yellows. When I confronted him about it, he threatened me and I backed off, called a friend in nature conservation and he ended up with a fine that I am sure he is still paying off. However this is the mentality of some...
Scholsd1 We know that Bass Carp and even Trout are bad news in our rivers, however, trout fishing are one reason some rivers are still fishable. I do agree that we need to do lots more to protect our rivers.
Herman I would agree that some fish should be allowed to feed on some Homo sapiens especially when they are not like the name suggest wise or knowing at all.......b

Luke13 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 13, 2011, 08:18:03 AM »

I dont get your logic behind: Trout are bad news in our rivers, however, trout fishing are one reason some rivers are still fishable.

They kill indigenous fish and are the reason many species are endangered. Imagine if some fool put them in the big river systems. Carp and bass kills a lot of our fish, and Trout are even more dangerous.

Wynand13 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 13, 2011, 08:26:48 AM »

HI Luke
I do understand where you are coming from. However Trout was introduced to the main rivers a few times that I know of, the water is just too warm for them and they die, they need water below 22 Degrees or there about.
Let me explain the trout fishing theory of mine.
Trout fishing are an expensive hobby, and we spend money on accommodation and fish. We the fishermen plough money into farms that now focus on us, this means they make a serious effort to ensure that the water does not get polluted and rivers do not get damaged by industry, because if they do they will lose out on a lot of money. I know we can say yellows can do this to, reality is they don’t. They money that gets generated from trout fishing ensure that a lot of water systems in SA still have live in them. Yes trout did damage some indigenous fish stocks, but if they were not there I think that rivers would be dead and no fish would be in them at all..

Luke13 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 13, 2011, 08:40:13 AM »

Noted and if you look at it from that angle I would have to say

I should agree with you.

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #16 on:** September 13, 2011, 09:28:24 PM »

Wynand is correct. Trout fishing and farming contributes a huge amount of revenue to the GDP.

This is precisely why there has been debates, discussions and cogniscence taken before the new legislation concerning Alien Species, of which a trout is one, comes into effect.
The government and the trout lobbiers are close to finalising which rivers, dams etc. are allowed to hold trout.
Those waters that don't get passed will be ROTENONED, killing every aquatic organism in the system. Once the effects of the "R" Bomb have passed, they propose to re-introduce the indigenous fish that were there originally, whilst praying that the goggas will re-establish themselves naturally.

Wynand13 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 14, 2011, 08:48:18 AM »

Hi Herman
Would you mind sharing more on this? A link to the goverment site or something similar, I am trying to get info as it really effects us. How would they go about doing this? I recall the USA trying this to get rid of Snakeheads recently by poisening the water with some success, however to kill of everything would be sad, So are they planning to wipe the Vaal on Carp and Bass?

icstuff · « **Reply #18 on:** September 14, 2011, 11:44:14 AM »

They are piloting the whole procedure in the western cape somewhere - Taking a few fish and then releasing them afterwards so it is not set in stone yet, but we have learned that "Public consultations" in south africa means: that you have an opinion but nobody cares.

Wynand13 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 14, 2011, 02:09:14 PM »

Please keep us updated on any news whatsoever. I must say that I am of personal opinion that this will not be good on the long run as the water will for some time not be good for

and with the aliens gone, a lot of fisherman would loose interest and then the water will go the way many have gone in SA and there will be no live whatsoever. I hope I am wrong, but history have a way of repeating itself...