Marty's Drift Jun 2008

River Etiquette, Boating and Otherwise
Looking Forward to Summer Fishing  

If you read my columns on a regular basis, you probably realize I don’t have much faith in mankind. That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of good people on this earth. I know a lot of good people. I think most of the people I associate with are good people. I do, however feel they are the minority.

River etiquette has been an issue since I’ve been involved in fishing here in the Pacific Northwest. Boaters versus bank anglers has always been a hot topic. Certainly in the 36 years that I’ve fished here I’ve seen a few things. I remember once on the Kalama River I was sharing a run with two other bank anglers when a drift boat dropped into the head of the run and all three anglers let out their plugs. I asked the oarsman if he always did that to bank anglers. He replied that he didn’t see the problem. I said the problem was that he was about to get some rocks thrown at him. When the other two bank anglers joined me and picked up some rocks he decided to move down river. A friend was once fishing the Clackamas when a jet sled pulled into the run he was fishing. He let the boat driver know he was fishing there and the boat driver pulled a hand gun and told him to leave. Another time I was fishing high on the Sandy River where no one uses boats. A friend and I were in a run just big enough for two people. Two other anglers walked in and without even a “good morning” wedged their way into the run.

Confrontations don’t do anyone any good. They pretty much ruin my day for me. Therefore I don’t say much any more. If I say anything, it’s something like, “Hi, how’s fishing?” I might be pissed that I’ve been cut off or the water that I’m working my way into has been taken from me, but at least I don’t get my stomach tied up in knots or wind up in a shouting match with someone.

Proper etiquette is hard to define. Some people require less space than others. I think some people actually like to fish in a crowd. Some people just don’t know what proper etiquette should be. In the Spring issue of Salmon & Steelhead Journal Jeff Mishler has an article on page 40 about river ethics. I think if you have any doubts about proper protocol on a river this article will provide some guidance.

We’ve had a long, cold spring in Oregon this year. We have a record amount of snow in both the Coast Range and the Cascades. This should provide a good supply of cold water for the summer and help our summer salmon and steelhead fisheries.

I am expecting a good summer for steelhead fishing this year. The Columbia River commercial salmon fishing has been pretty much closed this year because of a low return of Willamette River spring Chinook. That closure should have allowed late winter-run and early summer-run fish to get through the lower river and into tributaries like the Sandy, Clackamas, Hood and Deschutes. Several friends who have been fishing the Clackamas have been doing well on summer-runs.

I’m planning to do some salmon and steelhead fishing this week and next on my favorite coastal river. Last night I was sorting through and organizing my tackle, picking out some favorite steelhead flies and replacing treble hooks on Kwikfish with singles. Joyce needs a break from the book she is working on and the dogs are always ready to go. I’m certainly getting anxious, looking forward to some floats and riverside barbecues, and just maybe a nice fresh salmon or steelhead. My luck fishing hasn’t been very good the past seven or eight years, but there is always hope. You know, even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while.