River etiquette

[American River]

Hello all,
I'm new to fly fishing. I've been going out to the Watt Ave. access point on the American River. It's been pretty quiet of late; only encountered one other fisherman thus far.

As things heat up in the coming months, just wondering re: river etiquette. I've heard things can get a little heated (?) at times on the river with folks jockeying for spots, and I'd like to avoid any problems. Hard to believe that may an issue, but let me know what I can do to stay out of trouble, as it were.

Thanks!

David

[Woodman]

On any river, best thing to do is observe and communicate. Watch which direction the person is working, upstream or down. Ask if they mind if you go in above or below them based on that observation.

[Sonoman]

Thank you for asking. I wish more people would learn etiquette.

I second what Woodman said.

There are times when you are spread out and times when you find yourself in a lineup. When things get crowded, problems come up when people fish different gear and lines tangle. Flies and gear don't mix well. Nor do sinking lines and floating lines. If everybody has the same sink rate lines, things can go pretty smoothly in the lineup. Avoid lineups until you can cast competently; nobody likes getting hit by flies. And if a guy is "in the bucket" catching fish by himself, don't run over and jump into his waders. Learn the river and know where the buckets are so you can get there first. Watch the regulars and learn from them. And if a guy has a fish on, give him room.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Back in the 1960s, the Lower American River was full of salmon, Steelhead, Stripers, and Shad.

The fishing was so good that boats were not used or even seen.

There were large "lineups" of wading anglers though.

The largest concentration of anglers was up near the Nimbus dam and hatchery during the fall King salmon run.

Next was the "lineup" of most fly fishers during the Spring Shad run at Goethe Park.

In the Fall, fly fishers fished every riffle for Half-pounders from the Nimbus hatchery down to Paradise Beach.

Amazingly, there were tons of Stripers in the American River but few fly fishers went after them.

Back then, if you were a halfway good fly fisher, I don't remember going out and getting skunked.




Fly fishing is so tough today on the Lower American River that fly fishing guides would not exist without a drift boat and indicators.

I love floating the Lower American River with a guide, using indicators, because it is a wonderful experience.



50 years ago we could take a brand new fly fisher, with his new outfit, down to the Lower American River and get him into a fish.

Pretty hard to do that today, according to those who have fished the river for decades.


My advice is to get out on the Lower American River with a good guide to get some help getting started.

[tcorfey]

As said before if someone is fishing a run then observe then ask. Most times a person will be working their way down stream. You would go up stream and leave at least 1.5 casting distance or about 125' of clear water between you and the person below you. When working a run, cast, swing, take 2-3 steps downstream then cast, swing, repeat until you are at the bottom of the run. If you get bit or tapped it's okay to take a couple of casts from the same spot but don't sit in one place for more than three to four casts.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That's the right way but it is not taught anywhere today, except by classic Steelheaders.

That is how the Great Generation of fly fishers taught us "punks" in the 1960s.

Back then, on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, we never had to fish a run with anyone we did not know.



The old timers said, "If you get a tap or tug, wade to the bank, go upstream about 10 or 20 feet, change flies, and repeat."

______________________________________________

On one Fall trip to the Klamath River in the 1970s, Joe Shirshac, Frank Pullen, Mel Jeffs and I walk down into Ice Cream riffle.

We were there at daybreak and proceeded to fly fish down the run and noticed fish rolling or showing on the surface.

We all went down the run, cast, swing, retrieve, and walk down 2, 3 or 4 steps and repeat.

When the first one got to the end or bottom of the run they would wade out, walk to the top of the run, and start over again.

On that trip, that morning, the fresh Steelhead were mostly 22" long and hot as hell.

We broke off some larger fish, 6-7#, on 6# Maxima so Joe said to go to 8#.

You never forget a morning like that.


Joe Shirshac started fly fishing the Klamath and Trinity rivers in 1954.

Back then he said the adult fish were around 6#.

_________________________________________________

One day back then we had lunch at the Orleans Hotel and met a drift boat guide.

He said when he "pulled plugs" for two anglers they usually got about 100 strikes a day.

He said that most were 15 to 20 inches and hot as a firecracker.

He said the largest fish he would hook in one year was close to 10# but never landed any of them.

He said they were so violent that they broke off, pulled out, or straightened the treble hooks.

When he found out that we waded and fly fished, he asked if he could go out with us.

That evening he met us at one of Shirshac's riffles/runs and he learned how to fly fish.

_________________________________________________

Back in the 1960s there were anglers who waded out and used long 8'6" Fenwick spinning rods.

They cast all the way over to the steep rock walls that we could not reach with a fly rod.

They cast a clear bobber with some water in it for weight, 3-4' of leader, and a popular fly.

[American River]

Thank you all for your comments.
Regards,
David