Southern etiquette

I have met a few guys from 'up north' while fishing the Brazos lately. Welcome y'all. Here's a few tips on southern etiquette. When a guy is walking out with a stringer of fish and greets you with 'good morning' the southern way is to respond in kind before asking questions. You can reply with 'good mornin' or howdy.' You shouldn't just gruffly ask 'what are they biting?' Then when your question is answered you shouldn't just turn and walk away. Also' setting up to bank fish right behind someone who is already fly-fishing that spot is not a good idea unless you want a few more piercings.
Any other tips y'all?

As my friend Bud once explained stream etiquette is not real strongly taught around here. Back in Oregon where he originally hails, fisherman understand the "process" Folks wait on the opportunity to fish a run or riffle. So when a fisherman decides to drop down below and fish, that behavior is called "low hole" - and it's rude since most fishermen swing flies and fish downstream. Fights will, erupt over this sort of thing. Here during sand bass season, the main problem is giving another fisherman some room or if a guy sits back and camps out on good spot and staying there all morning or afternoon. You get the idea...

I don't mind offering advice and help, that is, I think maybe some guys /gals just don't know any better.



Les

I was wadding for sandies last year and I guy said his buddy was coming up the river in the jet drive and was going to run me over. He said I was scaring every fish in the river because he wasn't doing any good weird I was pulling them out every cast five feet in front of my toes. He kept mouthing so I tied on a second clouser and started pulling them in two at a time lol. I don't know how that guy thought I was scaring his fish two pools down only way I could get to the angle I wanted for the run I was in want us to be wadding. bottom line is most people here in Texas have no idea about flyfishing etiquette or the fact that there are going to be hooks flying in the air all around you when you're fishing. The Sandbass run even make this worse as they get really frustrated when you're going 20 to 1 on them and they think that you're standing on the only hole that has a Sandbass in it when the bottom of the creek is completely black with fish head to tail all the way down it lol.

Robert, I've witnessed your fly fishing. You DO scare every fish in the creek. Not for the same reasons that dodo was talking about.

Lol For a while I knew them all by name. Went to that one creek few days ago but nothing going yet. Have found a few in two others though.

I know! They were relieved to see I caught em and not you again.

I do have one thing to add. if you would like to cross and you don't know what direction the guy in the pool is fishing. Politely ask if it will mess him or her up if you cross there or if they would like it if you went further down. You normally get a polite response back and problem solved. Also when the sandbass are peaking out they are in every single riffle and bend pool run ect. If you see one guy killing them you don't have to get two feet to left of them where you have to alternate roll cast lol. This is fine when two buddies are fishing and getting to chat In the process. If you are struggling sit and watch a bit to see what might help you and go aply it they are all over. Heck I meet chatterbait by seeing him on the river several times I was hitting the creek for an hour befor work. He was fishing where I was headed. I Just ask will it mess you up if I hit this pool too for just a few min. I was solo so got to talk fishing for a bit and now we have fished several times. Common sense goes a long way as well as patience and a cool temper! Some people just don't know as they are just starting to fish. Deal with it in a good way and hope they learn. Like the bait chunkers in the red zone at broken bow I never have service to call the wardens so I politely inform them of the rules and most are shocked they could get fined and quickly move. Some just don't care sadly.