The cumulative effect of increased regulations, more fishing restrictions, loss of access rights, and other factors has resulted in higher concentrations of fishermen sharing fewer fishing opportunities. Your old favorite secret “honey hole” is probably now shared by more people than you can imagine. I remember times in the past where I could walk to a river location and fish there the whole day by myself. Now, even if you arrive at “oh-dark-fifteen” you often find someone already waiting there for daybreak.

So fishing in a crowd has become far more common, and in many places, the expectation. Unfortunately, you've probably noticed an alarming increase in unpleasant encounters with other fishermen who show a total disregard and lack of "respect" for the fishing resource, the environment, and their fellow anglers. So we present some recommendations and guidelines for how to civilly fish with other people.

Be an Ethical Fisherman
Probably the single most important thing we can do when fishing is to maintain the highest level of ethical behavior. From respecting the environment and the fish, to obeying both the letter and spirit of he laws, and respecting your fellow fishermen is the responsibility of each and every one of us. Self governance is mandatory for the shear survival of our sport. Any digression can be met with confrontation from your fellow anglers which is never conducive to a fun day of fishing. Help save our fish, the environment, and our sport by setting an example with your ethical actions. See our discussion on ethics here.

Extend the Golden Rule to your Fellow Fisherman
Fishing etiquette is basically practicing common sense and treating other anglers as you would like to be treated in return. If you practice courtesy toward other anglers and respect their rights, you can bring out the best in most people. Unfortunately the opposite is also true. Whenever I find myself in a potentially confrontational situation, I always remember that Im there to have some fun and no section of river is worth fighting over. So here presented in no particular order are some recommendations for how to fish in a crowd.

Etiquette for Fishing form the Bank

• Lend a Helping Hand - If you are an experienced angler and watching someone new try to learn, offer to help. Try to assist in any way you can, even to the point of offering tackle in addition to advice. Fishing is a dying sport and our community needs every angler it can get and the more the better. Who knows, you may even find new friend. Remember however that not all people want help. If someone doesn’t want your help don’t force the issue.
  
• Someone in Your Honey Hole - If someone is fishing in “your” favorite spot, don't just jump in. You might approach the other person and ask if you can join in? If the person doesn’t respond, move on upstream at least a hundred yards. Crowding another angler is inconsiderate. More often than not, you will get a “yes” answer and even though it may be terse, it is far better than just barging in. Give the other person enough space so the two of you can fish without interference.
  
• Avoid Entering the Water Downstream of another angler who is already fishing.
  
• Who was there First? - A section of water belongs to the first person fishing it. It is inconsiderate to crowd an angler who was there first. If you really want to fish “that” spot, find a place to sit, relax, contemplate your navel, and wait until the other person moves on.
  
• Don't Walk into a Run - Nothing is more aggravating than the guy who runs up to the river and wades in up to his waste and starts fishing. A common rule I use is "don't go past your knees".
  
• Walk Quietly around Others - Walk out of the water and well away from the bank if possible and re-enter the water sufficiently far away from the other fisherman. If you must stay in the water, walk with minimum of disturbance.
  
• “FISH ON!” - Yell it out and don’t be shy. Let everyone around you know that you have hooked up. This will give them time to retrieve their gear and get out of the way. If the fish is on the move, yell out your intentions, ie “COMING YOUR WAY” or “MOVING UP/DOWN”/. Let the other guys know what you are doing instead of guessing what you are up to.
  
• Give Others Space When Fighting A Fish - Give the other guy enough room to land his fish. If necessary, take your line out of the water to give them more room. There is nothing worse than having your line tangle with the other person’s when he is fighting a fish. You can bet that if this happens and he loses the fish for any reason, you will be to blame. If you do get tangled with the other person, free-spool your reel and let your line go free – don’t apply any pressure.
  
• Don't Jump into Another Person's Spot - When someone is fighting a fish, more than often than not they will have to move from their spot to land the fish. This doesn't mean the space is available, because more than likely the person is coming back.
  
• Don't Play a Foul Hooked Fish - If you accidentally snag a fish, break it off right away. Tackle is cheap. Most foul hooked salmon and steelhead are very difficult to control, resulting in injury or unnecessary stress to the fish. Once foul hooked, they will leap from the water and thrash about, spooking the other fish. If you repeatedly fight foul hooked fish in a crowded section, you'll become very unpopular. Also, you will find most game wardens look at this practice unfavorably.
  
• Tolerate Other Forms of Fishing - This is a never ending debate, fly fishermen vs bait fishermen, floats vs drifts, plugs vs pink worms. Nothing is more aggravating than a loudmouth elitist. There is no better or worse technique/style of fishing for steelhead and never imply/argue that your way is better.
  
• Respect Private Property - Every year more and more land owners post "No Trespassing" signs on their property because they're fed up with garbage left behind and vandalism to gates, fences, and livestock. If you come upon a posted property don't trespass. If you want to fish there, ask the landowner. If they say "no" respect their wishes. If they allow you, do something nice in return such as cleaning up garbage along the shore or bring them a fish at the end of the day.
  
• Don't Litter - Some sections of streams have been closed to fishing because landowners were fed up with garbage along their property. I always take a garbage bag with me and manage to take out far more than I have brought in. It’s not a slight to pick up someone else’s garbage – hopefully it will set an example for everyone. Make it a habit to pick up discarded fishing line, cans and other trash, and dispose of them properly.
  
• Questioning Anglers that Keep or Release Fish - There is nothing wrong with keeping a fish. Likewise, there is nothing wrong with releasing your catch. It would be inappropriate to criticize someone for keeping or releasing a fish -- Unless it is a wild steelehad or salmon.
  
• Dealing with Boaters - When in a boat give a wide berth to wading anglers, other boaters and swimmers; A boat should never float over the area where a bankie is fishing. They should stop the boat, pontoon, or float tube and wait. If the fisherman is standing in the water, you can often float behind him – if not, pass by as close as possible to the fisherman after pre-announcing your intention and why.
  • If you are fishing from the bank and a drift boat is coming by, reel in your gear and wait for the boat to pass. Many times the boat will cause holding fish to move slightly and make them more aggressive/apt to bite.
  • Never toss lead weights or other gear at an offending boat – someone could get seriously injured and you could go to jail for assault.
    
• Fishing in a Very Crowded Spot – Some places attract many fishermen, often near hatcheries, on weekends, and at other times and places where the fish are concentrated due to spawning timing and natural surroundings.
  • Sometimes local rules apply which are different from the norm. If you are not sure about the local etiquette, feel very comfortable in asking a fellow angler.
  • After catching a fish, step out of the line and return to the head of the pool, or start of the line;
  • When wanting to join a line, spend a few moments and watch the activity. Get a feel for how the others are fishing.
  • Make every effort possible not to cast over someone else’s line. This will give everyone a better chance of not getting tangled up with each other
  • Don’t free drift your line to fish the entire drift top to bottom (Long Lining)
  • A slow moving or stationary angler has the right to remain where he/she is. If you are moving, leave the water and quietly walk around him.