General Info: River Etiquette

As more people join the sport of fly fishing, the rivers will continue to be more crowded each season. A little common courtesy will help everyone have a more enjoyable day on the river. Even with the crowds, there is plenty of productive water for everyone to fish.

Ask First

If another angler is fishing a run you should give him or her ample room to fish the entire run. In a case in which there are consecutive, productive runs you should ask an angler if they mind you fishing ahead of them.

This simple courtesy may seem elementary; however, when fish are feeding it is very easy for anglers to become over-excited, and as a result of their eagerness they forget that other anglers may be in the area.

Float Traffic

In the last decade, drift boat and raft traffic exponentially grew. The increase in traffic can create a dangerous environment on the river. White water rafts are running into fishing boats with an alarming frequency; and kayakers seem to think they own the river for “play boating.”
River law and etiquette says that the down river vessel has the right away (just like a car on the highway); in turn, it is the responsibility of up river boats to slow and/or maneuver accordingly to avoid the down stream vessel. The only exception to the rule is when kayakers are intentionally stalling in a rapid to play boat. In this circumstance, the kayakers are required to move out of the rapid to allow the up stream traffic to pass safely. Common sense!