Low holers: my experience on the Clackamas

[OnTheFly]

Saturday Jan. 4th. My son Cody and I decided to visit our home waters on a perfect fishing day to try our luck with a little steelhead fishing. We started at the top of the run and were working our way down when three fishermen equipped with bobbers and bait gear appeared at the bank between my son and I. As I watched, the men spread out and started getting ready to fish. The closest one to me was no further than 25ft below were I was standing and I was casting a spey rod. In total disbelief, I said "You know you guys just low holed me". The guy next to me says, "What are you doing, long lining this whole drift?" I said "No. I'm working my way down taking a step after each cast and I'll be in front of you in about two minutes". So what does he do? He makes a cast right over my line thinking we could somehow co-exist but he snagged my line at first attempt. I bit my tongue and politely said I that would be by him shortly. It then became clear to those guys that I wasn't giving up my drift and I made all three of them wait until I was by. I'm not sure if they learned anything about river etiquette or not. I didn't get too riled because their action was so blatant I could only think that they did it out of ignorance.

 

[SiletzTroutKiller]

Can't stand people like that. We call em "hog holers" where I'm from. I mean there's an entire river why fish between two other guys?

 

[_RJ_]

Hunting, fishing, A holes are everywhere. I have problems with boats setting up right across from me. I'm all about sharing and will even not fish an entire river if it looks busy. But time and time again boaters set up 25ft from me and look at me like I'm wrong. I've also noticed people fishing in a hole that I was originally going to fish so I figure hey I'll go up or down river. Only to have them pick up their stuff and start scrambling to bet me to whatever hole I might go to.

My favorite experience so far has been a trip to the wilson last year. I was the only one around, it was a quiet and peaceful morning. I put my waders on, grabbed my rod and started to walk to the river when out of nowhere this car comes ripping in and 2 half dressed OLD MEN jump out and sprint to beat me to the hole. I was maybe 10 to 15 feet from the tail-head. I was so flabbergasted I just turned away, stunned, I drove off. Comes with the territory out here on the west side I guess. I'm so used to the east side where I hardly ever see anyone else.

 

[Irishrover]

I think you are correct just plain ignorance. Kind of takes the fun out of it too.

 

[jamisonace]

I can't imagine getting anywhere close to someone else in a situation like that. I've had a few situations like that but then there have been many more where guys told me to slip in or make a pass in an area they are catching fish.

There are all kinds out there.

 

[TimberTodd]

I tip my hat to you Jim for calmly standing your ground and for trying to educate an ignoramus. Unfortunately some rocks on the river bank have more sense.

 

[halibuthitman]

Swinging flies on jan 4 th for winter steelhead.. Who's the ignorant one!!! - ahhhhaaaaa ahhhaaa ahhhaaa just kidding, thats too bad, but sounds like you educated them a little, better stick to the big D where everyone hates you if you NOT swinging a telephone pole with a turkey on the end of it-

 

[hydropsyche]

I like to start casting all over the place then tell them I'm new at this two hand stuff and it could get a little dangerous then make a back cast and flog the water with all your might. Funny how that never seems to happen on the north umpqua or the metolious. I usually fish hike in holes on rivers like that I'm usually the only one with waders when the meat hunters are out so that usually buys me enough space. I fly fish for the challenge and the serenity I feel after a day in nature it seems most people fish for food and don't care about anything else not even the river and especially not other people competing for they're fish in they're hole. Off to swing up some bulls will be lucky if I see another angler today.

 

[DrTheopolis]

Etiquette issues on the Clack?

Color me shocked!

The weekend boat crowd is the worst. Usually on weekdays, most of the people know each other to an extent, and there's some respect. Taking off early AM on a weekend, it becomes the Low Holers Show. Some of the runs are long enough that people don't care if you slip in WELL below, but it's like a NASCAR race on some days. Launching at 9AM sometimes eases the problem. Low-holer guides can really raise the ire. I must praise Bob Toman and Chris Nordling for NEVER interfering with another angler's drift... good guys.

But bank-bound low-holer is an even worse breed. The "F-you" attitude involved is lame.

 

[DirectDrive]

Saturday Jan. 4th. My son Cody and I decided to visit our home waters on a perfect fishing day to try our luck with a little steelhead fishing. We started at the top of the run and were working our way down when three fishermen equipped with bobbers and bait gear appeared at the bank between my son and I. As I watched, the men spread out and started getting ready to fish. The closest one to me was no further than 25ft below were I was standing and I was casting a spey rod. In total disbelief, I said "You know you guys just low holed me". The guy next to me says, "What are you doing, long lining this whole drift?" I said "No. I'm working my way down taking a step after each cast and I'll be in front of you in about two minutes". So what does he do? He makes a cast right over my line thinking we could somehow co-exist but he snagged my line at first attempt. I bit my tongue and politely said I that would be by him shortly. It then became clear to those guys that I wasn't giving up my drift and I made all three of them wait until I was by. I'm not sure if they learned anything about river etiquette or not. I didn't get too riled because their action was so blatant I could only think that they did it out of ignorance.

Education problem.
Common in the valley for the Corky Culture to come in and plant themselves.
Some even erect mail boxes and establish new zip codes !
I'm usually an aggressive step-caster and push even faster when I see them coming to show my intent.
Step around as needed.

 

[Modest_Man]

I think you guys are assuming that gear fishermen know proper spey fishing etiquette, when in reality they've probably never fished with someone spey fishing before.

 

[halibuthitman]

Thats exactly the problem, most spey casters started as corkey slingers and moved into flyfishing, and if not then they have probably only been fishing a couple of months or maybe a year.. This latter group is usally dilusional and the young gear guys are clueless as well. Its amazing, out of the couple hundred books written about headin i cannot find a single book that deals soley with being a polite enviromentaly friendly river user.. Nothing covers respecting other gear types while ALWAYS addressing respecting the fish. Fishing has too many head in the clouds dipstinks in its hordes..

 

[DirectDrive]

I think you guys are assuming that gear fishermen know proper spey fishing etiquette, when in reality they've probably never fished with someone spey fishing before.

Often I'm slingin' hardware and I do enjoy educating my mailbox-toting gearhead cousins.
It's OK if you want to flog some "holes" but if you mailbox a "run" you are seriously reducing your effectiveness.

The beauty of step-casting through a run is that not only are you being more effective, but everyone gets a chance to go through.
It really is the best way to fish a long run no matter what type of rod you are carrying.

 

[waco]

Funny I went today to swing some flies and at some point I was changing my fly and there it was a fisherman in front of me!! I don't even know where he came from!! :yikes:

 

[steelhead1]

Yeah I used to get super pissed when some one would pull a seemingly b*tth*le move , but I am starting to think it is, for the most part, ignorance.Myself, I now try to (simply and respectfully) let the offender know that my toes have been stepped on. Really for me, it depends on how crowded the river is at the time.

 

[DirectDrive]

One time on the D I was working through a long run by myself.
At the bottom of this run is a nice "bucket" that often holds the payoff.

There were only two other fisherman around and they were on the other side with an open sled.

As I approached the bucket, one of these guys ran down the trail and jumped into the sled.
He lit it up and in no time he was across and stabbing it into the bank below me !
This was the most blatant low-holer that I've ever been around.

I'm not really the confrontational type, but this guy was a very special case.
I pushed hard down toward him and that in turn pushed him faster than he wanted to fish.
He bailed out and hit the trail back to his boat....I bailed and headed right for him.
I think I really wanted this guy to "hear my opinion" because as we met on the trail, I got right in his face and called him a fuggin low-holer loud enough for his buddy on the other side to hear.
He apologized and made excuses while I poured it on.
I thought he would take a crack at me, but he didn't.

The odd thing was that after he brought his buddy over, we recognized each other from seasons past.
From that point on my friend addressed his pal as "Hey Low-Holer!"....it was kind of funny and odd how we all got along for the rest of the day !

It's not worth getting all bent out of shape about these things, but this was a special circumstance.

 

[Markk]

I started steelhead fishing around the age of 15 in the mid60’s. I grew up in Grants Pass and fished theRogue, Applegate, and the Illinois.Back then there were fewer fisherman and very few boats (all wooden back then).I got my first drift boat in the late 70’s. By the early 90’s I had sold it andbasically quit fishing for the very reasons listed in this thread. There werejust too many people and too many boats. Last year I caught my first steelheadin 23 years. I avoid crowds and as long as I have a chance to catch a fish I amenjoying myself. I go out of my way to avoid people and always respect thespace of those that get to a spot before me.

 

[FlyBum]

Well, Eggs can vouch for this one... We were on the Sandy the other year and both swing through this great run. When all of a sudden three guys were headed to the run, they stepped in maybe 20 yards below me. Eggs was following behind me and I kept my pace even as the three stepped in below me. Soooo I swung into their gear. I then reeled up, walked around them, and stepped in RIGHT below them. I resumed my pace and no more then 30 yards below them FISH ON! As I was walking this hatchery fish up the bank behind them, their jaws were dropped.... I just smiled :bleh:

 

[DirectDrive]

Well, Eggs can vouch for this one... We were on the Sandy the other year and both swing through this great run. When all of a sudden three guys were headed to the run, they stepped in maybe 20 yards below me. Eggs was following behind me and I kept my pace even as the three stepped in below me. Soooo I swung into their gear. I then reeled up, walked around them, and stepped in RIGHT below them. I resumed my pace and no more then 30 yards below them FISH ON! As I was walking this hatchery fish up the bank behind them, their jaws were dropped.... I just smiled

Nicely done !
And the crackers got a free education !

 

[Hooked Up]

Had two blatant instances of this. Once on the Wilson fishing a small hole with my brother-in-law a guy shows up and sets up next to me and proceeds to fish over us. We had fished the hole for awhile before he got there and just picked up our gear and left.

The other time low clear summer fishing on the Clack with no one else on the river it seemed a guy sets up about 15 - 20 feet upriver and starts with fishing with WD40 scent. I move down to the next opening in the trees to keep fishing the drift, theres a nice size steelie rolling in the area. Two minutes after I move, fish on, and landed. As I'm staring in disbelief OSP appears out of the trees to check licenses. Asks how the fishing is and I say "not as well as him" pointing up river. The guy is gone, turns out he didn't have a license and ditched his Native fish in the weeds which OSP found. There is such a thing as Karma.