When there’s too many other flyfishermen

[Oregon_OwlII]

As I sit on the balcony of a room at the excellent Rough Cut Lodge on Upper Pine Creek (praying no one staying here reads this tonight and uncovers my true identify) I had a question for the fellers.

Do you ever get to a place to fly fish, see it’s packed with other fly fishermen, and just kinda hang back and not fish? Granted, my actual target is Coudersport tomorrow morning and the upper Allegheny, but still.

With waders and fly rods visibly strewn around the lodge area, fly fishing rod holders on top of cars, and a few gents on Upper Pine at the lodge, I find myself just casually observing and having a few cold ones quite happily.

The typically feverish energy to go catch a trou’ is conveniently absent. It’s kinda nice honestly. Anyways the real question is do you ever get to a place to fish, it’s packed, and your content just watching the show knowing you could wet ur line, but decide to sit back and hear the birds sing and watch the fish sip flys.

I know you all still hate me, but cheers my guys.

Rather than watch, I seek out the closest smallie stream in the area. You'll have the place to yourself and have action all day.

 

[Bayviewrr]

I fish the Beaverkill regularly and the "famous" pools can get quite crowded, especially during the prime bug season. I generally just pass those spots by. I have found over the years that there are sooooo many other places to fish between the famous spots that can be so amazingly productive. It just takes a little time and effort. I have probably learned more about fishing different conditions and situations by spending time scouting out these new locations than I would ever had standing a**hole to elbow with a group of guys in a "famous" pool. On the rare occasion when I see one of the places devoid of fisherman, it's a treat to fish them as something new.

 

[BradFromPotter]

pine is down to almost summer flows

not now!

 

[JimKennedy]

The perennial paradox of our sport. We all want a spot where all the fish are wild, hungry and bigger than average, where no one else is fishing (except maybe our main fishing buddies), where one amazing pool flows into another and where no one else has fished for at least a week. Ideally, there will be enough bugs on the water to interest the fish. And it would be nice to have five or six places within easy driving distance of home, each one having its own little special aspects.

But we also want more people to join the ranks of fly fishers to ensure our sport does not fade into oblivion, leaving the wild places we love and the trout living in them with no constituency to protect them.

Alas, it seems as though all the good spots have been discovered and are so heavily fished that no one goes there anymore.

 

[SBecker]

I couldn't imaging inviting a friend or being invited by a friend to fish...... and you don't fish togethor. That is so odd to me.

 

[DomR]

Having been a fishing for nearly 50 years now in the northeast, seeing other cars in the pullout and fisherman on the stream really phases me little. I'm still going to fish, it just might involve more walking or moving to a different stream section or stream altogether. I always have A, B, C, and D choices in mind both stream sections and streams. My fishing time isn't unlimited so I make the best use of it that I can when I have the time. Others be damned.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I couldn't imaging inviting a friend or being invited by a friend to fish...... and you don't fish togethor. That is so odd to me.

Define fish together.

The way me and my friend that I fish most with go to the stream, usually carpool as we drive a good distance. We fish far enough apart that we aren't stepping over each other, but close enough that we can communicate or find each other quickly if we get out of sight. Sometimes that means we are fishing the same pool or stretch or even the same run if its wide enough to hit both sides at once. Usually though it means far enough apart to have to shout to get each others attention. We meet up every 20 minutes to an hour and compare notes, look for risers etc.

If I wanted to be joined at the hip all day I would take my kids or float.

 

[Nocktavius]

The perennial paradox of our sport. We all want a spot where all the fish are wild, hungry and bigger than average, where no one else is fishing (except maybe our main fishing buddies), where one amazing pool flows into another and where no one else has fished for at least a week. Ideally, there will be enough bugs on the water to interest the fish. And it would be nice to have five or six places within easy driving distance of home, each one having its own little special aspects.

But we also want more people to join the ranks of fly fishers to ensure our sport does not fade into oblivion, leaving the wild places we love and the trout living in them with no constituency to protect them.

Alas, it seems as though all the good spots have been discovered and are so heavily fished that no one goes there anymore.

I don’t agree at all with the first sentence of your second paragraph. This sport has plenty of ranks already and wild places have far better advocates than people who like to torture fish for fun🤣.

 

[SBecker]

Define fish together.

The way me and my friend that I fish most with go to the stream, usually carpool as we drive a good distance. We fish far enough apart that we aren't stepping over each other, but close enough that we can communicate or find each other quickly if we get out of sight. Sometimes that means we are fishing the same pool or stretch or even the same run if its wide enough to hit both sides at once. Usually though it means far enough apart to have to shout to get each others attention. We meet up every 20 minutes to an hour and compare notes, look for risers etc.

If I wanted to be joined at the hip all day I would take my kids or float.

I mean, being able to talk to each other and bust balls. Half the time my buddies and I just take turns fishing the same spot or who gets the next run. Gives us time to talk 💩 to each other until they catch a fish and we switch. I enjoy the time out with friends more than the fish. Probably why I truly enjoy my Clacka, I enjoy rowing and watching others catch fish. My most enjoyable fishing time is having my boys on the boat.

 

[Bamboozle]

Define fish together.

The way me and my friend that I fish most with go to the stream, usually carpool as we drive a good distance. We fish far enough apart that we aren't stepping over each other, but close enough that we can communicate or find each other quickly if we get out of sight. Sometimes that means we are fishing the same pool or stretch or even the same run if its wide enough to hit both sides at once. Usually though it means far enough apart to have to shout to get each others attention. We meet up every 20 minutes to an hour and compare notes, look for risers etc.

If I wanted to be joined at the hip all day I would take my kids or float.

It ain't for trout, but "really fishing together" for me means in a boat or sitting on the bank with a freind.

On the occasions when I regularly trout fished with friends, "together" meant getting to the stream together, having a few beers while suiting up then splitting up to cover completely different sections of the same stream.

We communicated when necessary regarding results, insect activity and what was working via FRS walkies-talkies. The walkie-talkies also proved invaluable a few times at places with no cell service when someone got lost or turned around well after dark.

After everyone decided they had enough (via walkie-talkie), we'd meet up back at the car(s), debrief, have a few beers and stow our gear and head home or back to camp.

But the bottom line was, baring someone moving quickly upstream in the section behind you, we never saw each other the entire day but still considered it fishing "together."